The Test

The chime of the tin bell rings just in time to prevent Asha from running her head through a wall with boredom. History, it was always the same to her. We went to war, the colonies were created, don’t challenge the government. But Asha never saw the point, why take away the people’s power if that was what caused problems to start with? Years ago, after a world war so large it had wiped out nearly half of the population, followed by natural disasters caused by years of unaddressed climate issues, a new leader by the name of Evelyn Coleman proposed a solution. To keep the peace, 5 different colonies were created with just enough resources to get by. This would force them to need government support, and supposedly prevent uprising. But the government still needed resources, so each colony had a job. There were two made for food creation, an agricultural and a cattle based. The largest one was the factory colony, where most everything from clothes to electronics were created. The poorest are the miners, who sacrifice their health and lives to recover materials we need to operate. There were the wealthy, but not rich enough to be government officials, who took the easier service based professions. Then there was Asha’s own engineering district, the smallest of them all. Because so few people were skilled in this career when the world was divided, the engineers were left with more hours of work then there was time to do it. They were either learning, like herself, or working all day.

By the time she got out of her thoughts, she was out of the school and awaiting the sun’s gentle glow. Only to find the small courtyard shrouded in the darkness of a transport. Perplexed yet intrigued, she stepped closer. Curiosity had always been despised in Quinta, as if the government had some secret and were desperate to hide it. Yet Asha found herself mesmerized by the sleek, black metal and couldn’t stop herself from reaching out a curious hand to touch it. But instead of feeling the cool, polished metal, her touch was met with a calloused hand pulling her inside the now open door. She was about to scream when a familiar voice spoke.

“Calm yourself, we are not your enemy.” A refined, female voice said. She knew that voice as well as her own. As it was the president’s. The president of the whole continent had caught her stupidly examining her transport.

Asha was sure she was going to die. In the few heartbeats she had to be dragged into the metal box she unconsciously ran through all the things she could have, should have said to her parents. To her brother. To her friends. But then she was inside, with nowhere to go, with the president in front of her. She was too stunned to speak. Too stunned to notice the eight others looking as confused as she. And too stunned to notice that in the few seconds she stood there, they had started rolling away from the only home she had ever known.

Evelyn Coleman gave what looked like a reassuring smile, and said, “Relax, Asha Laurier. We are not here to punish you.” With that she motioned for her to be seated, and Asha obeyed.

The president began,“I am president Coleman, as most of you know. And we are in desperate need of your help. I’m sure you all know your history well, but I’ll have you know that not all of it is true. The knowledge you have been fed about the world around us lying in ruins is a lie.” She paused for what seemed like dramatic effect, and received some gasps from her fellow passengers.

“In fact,” she began again, “most of the continent south of ours remains intact after the war. However, our own research personnel are not equipped with the skills each of you have from your various colonies. We have selected two of you from each colony, except Engineering. This is because their lack of population has only produced one of you fit to complete this task. But that is besides the point. We need you, the best and brightest of Quinta, to aid our research.”

A stubby boy with overalls and black curls, most likely from the cattle colonie, found his voice first, “What?” was all he said. This was all happening so quickly, too quickly. As if on cue an explosion rattled the vehicle, sending Asha flying through a freshly broken window and onto the gravel. She winced as she looked upon her knees, splattered in blood.

“Ambush! Get the president to safety!” Someone shouted as gunfire erupted.

Oh gosh they had weapons. Scared for her life Asha ran behind a charred part of what remained of their transport only to find the curly haired boy already there. The boy was curled in a ball, hands over his head. She saw what looked like a tear drift down his cheek.

Noticing her he shouted, “I’m Russel!” over the skirmish, “If I die I want someone to know.” was all he said in explanation for why he told this stranger his name.

“Asha!” Was all she said in reply.

It took her a few moments to realize, but a lengthy blonde boy was the only one left without cover. Russel seemed to notice at that moment as well, as his eyes went wide with terror.

“Carter! Over here!” He cried.

This must be the second boy from the cattle colony. But in order to get to their small piece of cover, Carter would have to cross the battlefield unprotected. He didn’t seem to realize this, as he began to run.

Bullets flew, but nothing was as loud as the sound of her heart hammering in her chest. He was going to die. Before Asha could get her thoughts together, Russel ran to his friend as a shot fired in his direction. The bullet was meant for Carter. But it was met with Russel. In a heap he collapsed, crumpling to the ground on which he had saved his friend, pushing him out of the way and shielding Carter with his body.

All gunfire stopped. People shouted, Carter screamed, but she didn’t hear. She couldn’t hear anything until the president spoke again.

“Stage one complete. Lesson learned, helping others can come with a price.” She said calmly.

Asha’s face swelled with heat and she didn’t even know he was crying until the warm salty tears landed in her mouth.

“This was a test.” She mumbled, seeming to be the first one to catch on, “You were testing us. The explosion, the attack, the gunfire. All of it. And Russell served as the lesson.”

Smiling an expression that reminded Asha of a proud teacher when their students aced a test, the president said, “Very good Ms. Laurier, unfortunately, Russel did not have the skills you all do. And for that, he unfortunately has to pay the price for that.” She then steered her gaze from Asha to the whole group

“You all have been tracked, and tested since birth, as all of our citizens are. And only you eight have had the skills we are looking for for our exploration mission. You will be taken to the capital city of New Malia, where you will undergo a series of tests similar to this one to see which of you are fit to continue to the southern continent. Should you fail, as many of you will, you may meet a fate similar to that of Russel’s. This is not optional. Do I make myself clear?” She finished. This was too much. It was all too much. How could this be happening? In the midst of her jumbled thoughts, only one of them was clear; Everything was a test, and not all of them would pass.

Pandora’s Box an excerpt

“YOU HAVE BETRAYED THE GODS!” Zeus thundered (haha, pun intended), “ YOU HAVE COMMITTED TREACHERY WHEN YOU STOLE MY HEAVENLY FIRE AND GAVE IT TO THOSE PUNY MORTALS!!”

The whole room fell silent in shock. I tried to defend myself, “My lord, I mean no disrespect, I just wanted humans to actually be able to live their short lives! They were dying–”

“ENOUGH, I DON’T WANT TO HEAR YOUR SORRY EXCUSE!

THOSE HUMANS SHALL NEVER BE ANYWHERE NEAR THE LEVEL OF THE GODS!” Zeus interrupted, “YOU WILL BE PUNISHED! THE HUMANS WILL BE PUNISHED! THE WORLD WILL BE PUNISHED!” With that final command, I was teleported to a remote side of a mountain, chained to stone forever. That was the beginning of a great life. five out of five would recommend.

Little did I know just how much Zeus was meaning to punish the humans. A few months into my banishment, I sensed a disturbance coming from the top of Mount Olympus. In my half-sleep, half-dead state, I used my forethought to spy on the Olympians. Cold sweat immediately broke out when I saw what was happening. A young woman with porcelain skin and lush, golden hair that framed her elegant face, was lying on the ground. All of the Gods were kneeling around her, whispering blessings into her soul. One gifted her beauty, another gifted kindness, but most of all, someone gave her the gift of curiosity. Finally, they all rose and waited for the magic to kick in.

When Pandora awoke, she sat up groggily, crystal blue eyes staring up at the Gods, “Who–who am I?”

Zeus stepped forward and spoke like a true king of the Gods, “You are Pandora, the All-Gifted. You are to be the wife of Epimetheus. He is a kind, young fellow.” He then handed Pandora an intricately carved, mahogany box with a golden latch. “Here is your dowry that you shall bring when you arrive at Epimetheus’ home.” The second the box was in Pandora’s hands, Athena, Zeus’ daughter, and the goddess of wisdom, interjected, “Remember, you must never

“YOU HAVE BETRAYED THE GODS!” Zeus thundered (haha, pun intended), “ YOU HAVE COMMITTED TREACHERY WHEN YOU STOLE MY HEAVENLY FIRE AND GAVE IT TO THOSE PUNY MORTALS!!”

The whole room fell silent in shock. I tried to defend myself, “My lord, I mean no disrespect, I just wanted humans to actually be able to live their short lives! They were dying–”

“ENOUGH, I DON’T WANT TO HEAR YOUR SORRY EXCUSE! THOSE HUMANS SHALL NEVER BE ANYWHERE NEAR THE LEVEL OF THE GODS!” Zeus interrupted, “YOU WILL BE PUNISHED! THE HUMANS WILL BE PUNISHED! THE WORLD WILL BE PUNISHED!” With that final command, I was teleported to a remote side of a mountain, chained to stone forever. That was the beginning of a great life. five out of five would recommend.

Little did I know just how much Zeus was meaning to punish the humans. A few months into my banishment, I sensed a disturbance coming from the top of Mount Olympus. In my half-sleep, half-dead state, I used my forethought to spy on the Olympians. Cold sweat immediately broke out when I saw what was happening. A young woman with porcelain skin and lush, golden hair that framed her elegant face, was lying on the ground. All of the Gods were kneeling around her, whispering blessings into her soul. One gifted her beauty, another gifted kindness, but most of all, someone gave her the gift of curiosity. Finally, they all rose and waited for the magic to kick in.

When Pandora awoke, she sat up groggily, crystal blue eyes staring up at the Gods, “Who–who am I?”

Zeus stepped forward and spoke like a true king of the Gods, “You are Pandora, the All-Gifted. You are to be the wife of Epimetheus. He is a kind, young fellow.” He then handed Pandora an intricately carved, mahogany box with a golden latch. “Here is your dowry that you shall bring when you arrive at Epimetheus’ home.”

The second the box was in Pandora’s hands, Athena, Zeus’ daughter, and the goddess of wisdom, interjected, “Remember, you must never open the box. You must never think of opening the box, understand?” Pandora nodded, but tilted her head and furrowed her eyebrows in thought. Zeus shot his daughter a look, but said nothing to contradict.

That same afternoon, Pandora was brought into Herme’s chariot and was on her way to a certain somebody’s house, just a bit further down from Mount Olympus. The moment Epimetheus walked out the door, his gaze zeroed in on Pandora with interest. I rolled my eyes, of course my slow-witted brother would fall for the gods’ trick.

I could only hope that he remembers what I had warned him so long ago: Never trust the gods or their gifts.

Luckily, even Epimetheus the snail had some sense of remembrance. I checked back on the newlywed couple a couple of days later and I could not see the box anywhere. I could only assume that Epimetheus was able to convince Pandora to hide it. Back on my lonely mountain, I let out a breath of relief, knowing that at least Epimetheus could enjoy his life for years and years to come. I close my eyes and drift off into a fitful sleep.

The Lakehouse Murders

As my stomach churns and my head spins, as I toy and fidget, a single thought rattles around my mind: “How do I prove to this guy that it wasn’t me?” (Well obviously not a single thought; I do have thoughts, but most of them aren’t relevant right now.) My mind starts to lecture me, just as it has done yesterday, the day before, and every day since I learned to speak.

“Stop dude, he already thinks you did it. How do you think it looks to a cop when you are sitting and thinking in silence while he asks for information? Spoiler alert, in his eyes you are formulating a lie. Refocus, try to remember the whole thing. Or like just say words.”

“Just give me a minute to think. I’m trying to remember.”, I mutter to the cop. My mind races again. “What do I do? Wait, slow down, just remember what happened. If you’re innocent, you can’t get caught. You did nothing wrong. Okay so you were havin’ a good time with the family, right? And then that guy showed up and got into the house through your window. He was sneaking around, and then he struck. He first took your wife right? Well actually first he took out the lights. So he took your wife, then the kids. The kids were in the living room, and your wife was with them, so where were you? Oh yeah, the bathroom. So you heard screaming, and like a normal person, stayed in the bathroom. He saw the bathroom lights on and started to scrape the door with his knife. Obviously, you stayed inside and called the cops. After the cops came, he ran away, right?”

“Sir, you haven’t spoken for about five minutes. Can you tell me anything about this man you say broke in? What did he look like?” I think. I try to remember what he looked like. I remember him running away from the house and never looking back. I remember his footsteps.

“But wait, if I was in the bathroom, how do I know that he came in through a window and what he did? Unless...no it couldn’t be. I wasn’t in the bathroom, was I? No, I was taking out the trash, when you told me to break in! You said it would be funny! So I went through the window and they all got scared so they threw a kitchen knife at me. And I was angry so I... No. I didn’t.”

I pause, but then I remember something.

“Where is the knife then, the kitchen knife?” I look around. I check my pockets, and then I realize it is the thing I have been toying and fidgeting with the whole time. It was me. I panic. How do I cover up that it was me? This was all your fault. My wretched brain made me do it! Oh god! What do I do? I suddenly find my hands rising above my head, and in them, the knife.

“Wait, stop!”, the cop yells. But I can’t. The movement of my hands has become completely involuntary. My hands rise until they can rise no more. Then, my hands jerk downward. It is not a free fall, but instead a forced one. My final thoughts are of regret, shame, and hunger; my skewed priorities are apparent. The last thing I see is the cop watching in utter horror as my hands fall. His eyes show shock I can only imagine in my worst nightmares. My hands are now at my head. I feel a hot liquid smearing on my scalp. Then, I feel a wave of relief. The cop’s shaky voice lets out an uncertain call towards the mirror. “Uhhhh, guys! Call the medics! And the coroner!”

Ms. Alexa Gutter Staff Advisor

Soon after I was able to write, I started writing poetry! I minored in Creative Writing in college, and continue to be inspired by poets of both the past and the present. I was the poet laureate of Bucks County, Pennsylvania in 2013, and my poetry has recently appeared in TheRiverHeronReview , Glassworks Magazine , and LiteraryMama . My first book will be published in January 2024.

Yellow Moon

The house is quiet tonight. I step outside in search of the honey colored moon I read about, but there’s no fat gold coin in the sky, only clouds in thick layers, an eerie glow.

The whole world is dripping wet. My neighbor’s peonies bow their heads low, trickling rainwater on the slick pathway. Next door, light shines through window fog. Someone is awake, moving in the kitchen.

Water runs in the gutters of this house where my mother once lived. Tonight I’m sure that if I move quickly, at just the right moment, I might reach out and grasp her hand.

Mr. Brian Kelley Staff Advisor

My comics have appeared in the literary magazine Hobart , on the website Graphic Medicine, and the comics anthologies, On What Matters and Echo (where my art is featured on the cover). Recently, my work has been shown at the DaVinci Art Alliance in Philadelphia and the Main Line Art Center in Haverford.

About StayGold

Teachers are often looking for places to publish student work. Finding spaces open to middle school students is challenging. So, we decided to create our space for students to express and share their creativity.

People want to create. Make stuff. Write. If you write, draw, paint, craft, dance, compose, sculpt...anything creative, we are your people and this space is for you.

We sincerely hope you consider submitting art and writing!

Special Thanks

Many folks supported this initial effort to launch a middle school art and literary magazine.

Many teachers encouraged our students to submit. Additionally, Kristin Light and Honey Beth Kropp supported our efforts in additional ways.

Also, Mrs. Katie DelDotto, our colleague at Unionville High School, helped us gather small group of student editors willing to help us turn this idea into a reality.

The following Unionville High School students volunteered their time reading and offering feedback and response, suggesting edits, and composing our correspondence with the middle school students who submitted thir beautiful work: Amy Goodman, Ariana Rockefeller, Cassie Davis, Eleanor Day, Emily Wu, Ian Gushurst, Jennifer Ding, Juliana Dong, Mia Sypherd, Muna Ikeme, and Suhan Neema.

Finally, special thanks for the advice and guidance from Mr. Ben Smith, a teacher at Conestoga High School, and a staff advisor for their student-run magazine The Folio.