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The stories inside this issue are veiled narratives about their inner thoughts and beliefs, even though most of their stories are fantasy or quirky surrealism. They live in magical kingdoms—places where their subnormal lives can breathe and be more than human. Fiction becomes the only place where they can write happy endings, because so much has already happened to them. Most of them have a strong desire to love and be loved, and for over an hour each morning, they write and discuss fiction with enthusiasm. It releases the creative imagination and calms them. It becomes a place where anything is possible, a place where they can be themselves—free of judgment, a place where they belong, where they can feel like part of a group, a place that reminds them that they are alive and things will get better. I do not edit the stories or correct them in any way. They appear as the student typed them. Enjoy their imaginations! —Robert Stofel, Editor
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There once was a girl who ran away from home, and was not looking back. She has had a hard and unfair life. She had been mistreated and beaten by her parents her whole life. She never could understand why they did it though. So one day she decided to actually run away and escape it all. She thought life would be better. But, turns out it wasm’t she soemt days rummimg frnl the police. So after running for so long she decided to leave the state and escape it all and have no more worries. Then she lived happily ever after!
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Disappointment By Alanna Disappointment happens every day. Such as with myself. An example of my disappointment is ending up in the hospital. Taken life for granted is one thing but taken it for granted over a boyfriend or girlfriend is where I made my mistake, so make sure you know someone before you learn to trust them. Now that I have ended up in the hospital I myself feel like a disappointment. I have never understood why people do what they do. I never believed anything would make me as disappointed as I am now. All of this disappointment is over a boy. Who I love and trusted but learned he was just a disappointment also.
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Lost B yK a t h e r i n e A long time ago in 1920,there a long side the coast of Mexico lived a family of five imc{udimg twn dng’s Dililah and a little puppy named Molly, a little girl named Arabella who was only 2, a little boy named Stevem Jr., he was nm{y }5 lnmth’s n{d, a k| year old named Krista, and then you have the oaremt’s Ms. amd Mrs. Hart{ey. Every day they were discnverimg mew thimg’s, mew o{ace’s, amd mew suite’s. Ome day they saw a really neat place in San Diego. When they told everyone that they were lnvimg there, Krista didm’t like it there, so last night she ran off into the woods all alone, then she realized that she had everything she could ever have. Then she started to cry. Suddenly she remembered what her dad told her when she was 8 yrs n{d. “If ynu ever get {nst, iust {nnj at the
5 stars amd they’{{ guide ynu bacj hnle.� Sn she did and she found her house. When she got in all of the family cried tears of joy and she did too. Then she never ran off again.
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Fourth of July me and my buddies went to a party drinking of course had lots of fun playing pong. Well later we decided to go ridimg. I cnu{dm’t relelber hnw tn get bacj to the place we were at. So I decided to drop my friend off at his house, while pulling in his driveway I scraped the side of the truck I was in on their fence. After that happened I realized how intoxicated I was, sn I wemt tn ly lnl’s because she {ives nearby my friend. Umfnrtumate{y she wasm’t there so I had to drive to my dads, on the way there I was smoking a cigarette burnt my leg accidently dropped the cig reached for it went off the road jerked the wheel back and woke up face down in a ditch. After totaling my sisters truck, being ejected, and getting arrested again I come to realize a{cnhn{ hasm’t he{oed le at a{{.
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Hello my name is Frankie when I am mad I am like a bomb I hold all my filling in at one moment I will blow up I do not know when it will be but when happens I do some stuff that I do not mean to do and I say stuff that I do not mean to say. That is way I had to go a hospital I hope that I will not be like a bomb with my anger.
8 This Person By Chase This person is me; Chase. As long as I cam relelber I’ve been extremely depressed and in and out of jails and imstitutinms. I’ve always been an anxious mess, building what little selfconfidence I did have from self-harm, drugs and the local hardcore music scene. I was raised in an abusive family in a rough neighborhood where I was lade nut tn be “the limnrity.” Many times I was bullied or teased for that reason. I never really was considered popular and had very few friends. I wanted to fit in so bad, but it was just something about me that people found disgusting or weird. I just never could find out what it was. My parents getting a divorce followed by several other traumatic events led me into the darkest depressive void I’ve ever beem im. I al curremt{y hnle{ess due tn getting into a physical altercation with my lnl’s husbamd. I see addiction, despair, hopelessness, worthlessness, despair, guilt, resentments,
9 shame, fear, paranoia, lucid dreams, dĂŠjĂ vu, and anxiety. I love God, my family, friends, church and hobbies. My dreams are to get my GED, attend Calhoun Community college and maintain a 3.0 grade point average then attend UNA majoring in video game design for two years then attend Savannah College of Art and design for the same major, all while keeping a videogame testing job, staying sober and depression and anxiety free, find a girl that holds it down, and becoming a devoted Christian man.
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Last summer I went to warped tour in Atlanta Georgia with my friend Brady Lett. First, we saw Set Your Goals, followed by many other dope bands. Next, we got to get autographs and photographs while hanging out with our favorite band Four Year Strong. Four Year Strong was cancelled on their performance due to the rain, although the rain was a good way to end such a hot day.
The Creature By Chase I Live on the back of this Creature. He is a dinosaur named Erskin. I live up there to hide and stay safe from enemies. The Space Pirates are trying to capture me. They will kill me if I am found.
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This boy got into an argument with his stepdad. The argument was over the boy getting kicked out and coming home for a second chance. The argument led into threats being made, which led to the cops being called. The boy got arrested on a domestic violence charge. He was in jail for 5 days. He was guilty.
12 The Change By: Katherine Marie Once upon a time there was a girl named Alice. Alice was only 8 years old. Everyone who knew her or meet her could tell there was something very special about her. Everyone but Alice could see it in her. One day in April, Tuesday the 2nd A{ice’s birthday day her parents decided to go out. So Alice stayed up until demonic hour. When she was putting away a movie she was watching she heard a loud crash behind her. So she rushed up to her room and slammed the door behind her. As she leaned over back up against the door she slowly opened her eyes as she looked up. When she looked around her room, she realized she was standing in an empty room. Suddenly there standing in front of her was an amge{.” A{ice only you have the power to change things around. Nobody else can do that for you. Ynu iust have tn rea{ize it’’ said the amg{e. Then suddenly Alice changed her room back to normal including herself as well. The End.
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Caged in By Katherine Once upon a time there was a happy family of 3 wild {eoenrd’s nme a lnther nme a father, and one a daughter, one day their daughter Searah went all by herself through the jungle to search for some food. Suddenly Searah saw hunters. She tried to climb up a tree as hard as possible but she kept on slipping and they captured her. Then they put her to sleep. When Searah woke up she found herself in an unfamiliar cage with a bunch of people stamdimg amd starimg a{{ arnumd it. “Where al I, whn are a{{ these oeno{e, amd where’s ly lnl amd dad.” Asjed Searah snumd lnre wnrried tham ever. Ynu’re at the znn, amd these oeno{e are ynur audience. Hi my nale is Wi{ye. Wi{ye Cnda. What’s ynur male said Wi{ey. “Searah mice tn leet ynu.” Said Searah. Two years later Searah started to freaj nut amd cry. “I dnm’t be{nmg here I iust made one of those stupid mistakes, everyone lajes nmce im a whi{e.” Cried Searah. Then suddenly someone noticed that one of those cougars were acting very strange so she went to the lamager amd cnlo{aimed. “Ynu shnu{d rea{{y
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cnmsider re{easimg her bacj imtn the wi{d.� The lady complained, so he did. Then Searah found her family again and lived happily ever after.
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I’ve dnme lamy thimgs wrnmg im ly {ife whether it be violence, drug abuse, or hurting myself. Decatur West would not have been my choice for my problems, however it did help a whn{e {nt. I’l a luch haooier oersnm, I’l lnre positive about things and now I do realize I have people who truly care about me. If there wasm’t a Gnd I wnu{d mnt be here right mnw. I feel like a new person since I can think clearly for once. When I leave here today I plan to go to church if my probation officer will let le. Whem I’l sure that I’l cure nf ly i{{mess I plan to help people as these people helped me.
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Idiot Boy By Brock Once upon a time there was a man called Idiot boy. Idiot boy was always trying to make things better, but seemed to make things worse over stupidity. The man was like a secret agent with special abilities. The guy is sort of like Spiderman with a police scanner, except he wears a cape, which gives him the ability to fly. Idiot boy has done very many stupid things like one time there was a terrible car wreck and the person was in critical condition, so he tried to escort the lady who wrecked to the ER, but on the way he dropped her in midair. However, she did not die because he caught her after she fell and hit a couple tree branches. Turns out until Idiot boy gets help, the police will not let Idiot boy escort or try to rescue anyone, instead they will just use med-flight and other rescue squads.