Studentsxpress fall 2016

AUTHORS IN THE SCHOOLS PRESENTS

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www.studentsxpress.com Publisher Rachel Switall Magazine Group, NFP President Rachel Switall rachel@studentsxpress.com Rachel Switall Editor, Art Director, Advertising Director, Director of Marketing Sydney Weisman Executive Intern Bonita Sanchez-Carlson President & Executive Director Near South Planning Board 312-987-1980 Printer Topweb, LLC 5450 N. Northwest Hwy. Chicago, IL 60630 773.975.0400

Dear Readers, ‘m looking forward to another year of StudentsXpress! We all have fears, and this issue addresses those. Students were asked to share their fears, how they overcome them, and/or how they help others with their fears. Just like in every issue of sXp, students will recognize similarities and differences they might have with others in the city. When it comes to fears, I think it’s comforting to know others might have some of the same feelings. And recognizing and facing our fears helps us to conquer them.

My fear is that I won’t be able to continue StudentsXpress at some point in the future.

I’m looking for a corporation that might be interested in sponsoring the magazine. If you know anyone, please have them contact me—to ease my fear!

And enjoy the issue!

Rachel

i

Near South Planning Board (NSPB) would like to welcome you all back to school! We encourage you to start the school off right by creating amazing artwork and exciting writing pieces. Start focusing your artistic talent on wonderful stories or renderings to be published in the upcoming issues of the Authors in The Schools’ StudentsXpress publication.

We also want to congratulate all who received an award at our Young Authors Ceremony at the June Printers Row Lit Fest or participated in the StudentsXpress SPEAKS event. Keep writing and you, too, may be one of next year’s winners and/or selected speakers.

We look forward to seeing you at the Field Market Days (see back page of this issue). Please join us on September 24 and October 15, 2 to 6pm at the Field Museum (South Terrace) for our new Farmers Market in the Near South Side.

Fun for all!

Cordially yours, Bonnie Sanchez-Carlson President & Executive Director, Near South Planning Board

Can you find these pictures throughout the magazine?

AUTHORS IN THE SCHOOLS PRESENTS

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If you have a pet(s), why are they important to you?

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here is what I fear the most dangerous and heartbreaking experience you lose friends and family and you’ll always have the blues “War is here!”

“Scream and hide!”

I can see it in my eye war is what I fear scary dark sad dangerous war is what I fear

I was in bed and I thought there was a vampire but my brother cuddled me.

ne night the fog was slithering through the air, the wind was howling and the trees were rattling. In the Jenson’s house, the trees were banging against the windows. The Jensons heard a thump, thump, thump. They were gathered by the fire and heard the crackling flames. They were talking about plans for their vacation in Hawaii.

The mother of the family, Jennifer, heard a crash upstairs. She thought it was the dog, but the dog was sleeping under the blanket with the kids. She then said “Did anyone else hear that?” The father then said “Yes, it was probably the open window that knocked over the vase.” They went back to discussing but then heard a thump and heard a death-defying screech upstairs. A minute later the fire blew out and then the fire came back.

The mother and father went upstairs to check the screech out, then they heard the dog whining and the kids screaming. When the parents got back downstairs, a figure with snowy white hair covering her face was standing by the fire. It hovered away into thin air. Then the parents heard the dogs and the kids softly crying in another room. “Oh thank goodness my babies are safe,” said the mom. She ran to the door, opened it and said “What is that?” Then she heard a screech, she turned around, her husband was gone, she felt an icy cold hand on her shoulder, she turned around and saw an abyss of white hair, then she screamed a horrible deadly scream. —Maxim T.

My biggest fear is losing the people I love.

When I’m not with someone I care about I worry about them and think about bad things that could happen to them and I start to feel like I’m going to cry. An example is, my parents are not together so when I’m at one parent’s house I worry about the other parent and what could happen if I’m not there.

I know that nothing is going to happen to the people I love and they’ve told me that I have nothing to worry about but I still worry about them because they matter the most to me. That’s my biggest fear. —Elise P. I am scared of ghosts because there is this really creepy movie of these ghosts haunting people. I am also scared of sharks, jellyfish, stingrays, and alligators. Because I always hear stories of people getting bit, stung, or even killed by these animals. So I am afraid whenever I am in the water even if it is the lake. And I am afraid of people coming up behind me to kill me or shoot me. And that is what I am afraid of. —Shea R.

I am afraid of extinction. I am afraid that one day Earth will end and so will all the living things on it. I know there must be aliens, so something will be alive somewhere else, but no humans will ever make a new discovery and no one will see anything new. Everything will be dark. Silent. As if nothing was ever there and nothing ever will be. And nobody will know what humans have done. They won’t know the good things or the bad things.

They won’t know the mistakes made or the inventions created. It will all be over and there will be nothing we can do. It will just be space. —Tess S. Have you ever been scared of something? You probably have. I have been scared of spirits because they have always freaked me out. Every time I would watch a scary movie I would either hide under the covers or just watch Spongebob.

Ever since I was old enough to understand what a ghost or spirit is I have been scared of them. The first ever house we moved in there were some spirits—at least that is what I thought. There would always be weird noises coming from other rooms or the kitchen but mostly the hallway.

Then every house we moved in the spirits seemed to follow us. In the second house we moved into I would always have to go to the basement to get something. I would always hear things falling because we had a lot of tools hanging on the walls. Then when I would run back into my house I would be so scared and the things my parents asked for I wouldn’t even get.

So the third house was the worst. At night I would hear people talking, like two women would be talking and laughing, but everyone was asleep.

One night my sister and mom were at the house by themselves getting ready to go somewhere and out of nowhere they hear a scream.They came to each other and said did you say something but nobody did.

So now would you believe in ghosts and spirits? Hope you learned that you should always hide under the covers or watch Spongebob. —Amel R. Ava Z.

Milan S. My biggest fear is lightning.

Aiden S.

I’m afraid of fires. My way to face my fear is to take an animal like a cougar that’s scary then make it not scary like this.

P.S. My dad taught me this.

What’s the one thing you can never stop? Your growth. What’s the one thing I wish I could stop? Same answer. It’s no secret that high school can Charlie N. be awful and stressful. To think I’m only two years away from it is not reassuring. I’ve been going to the same school for seven years and to leave it is scary. I know the hallways and classrooms like I know my own house. The students and teachers are like laws—no matter how much you might disOne of my fears that I have is like them, you can’t ignore them, but you’ll be very grateful for their exisnot finishing my work on time. My fear is el ni tence at times. Leave school for a new place full of new kids of all different that because if you take your time, you can Da kinds that I’ve never met? Pass. I don’t feel ready to leave yet, but I probget better grades as well. I also have that fear ably never will be. I just try to look forward to what awaits in my future. I because I have very neat handwriting, and think I can relate to Peter Pan more than I used to, but I have to remember who would turn in sloppy handwriting that that there is a reason Neverland has the word never in it. —Meredith P. the teachers wouldn’t understand?

This is a big monster. I destroy him by My biggest fear is to not become a teacher. —Jessica V. blasting him in the x-ray vision eye!

I’m afraid of the dark. The thing is that you My biggest fear is boats because I’m scared that I will fall out the boat. I don’t know what’s there and at any moment Boom! He is a zombie alien t-rex that can drown and I can get hurt real bad. My second biggest fear is spirits something can happen. I always think some- My biggest fear is creepy noises. is part python part alligator part bee because when my granny died, a week later when my brother got out of thing bad will happen in the dark. I’m not acand part Iron Man. The guy is me My biggest fear is dying and jail I went to my great grandma’s house and I went to my granny’s room, tually scared of the dark, but of what’s in the blasting him. Once he destroyed I overcome it by saying I’m called her name and she came and the same stuff she died in was what dark. When I’m in the dark I feel vulnerable a city with a blast of fire. going to heaven. —James L. she was in. And she told me to get out. My third biggest fear is being in and small. I feel useless and wasteful. Dark. the house by myself, because I think people be calling my name. I feel Dark. I fall into the darkness. It takes my hand My biggest fear is my mom dying before her time. I’m scared of this people touching me. I think they will take me and I feel people watching and pulls me away. I’m screaming, but no one because I want to show my mom I appreciate her. I want to be able to me. —Da’Najia W. graduate before she dies. —Tashan’te L. hears me. —Gwendolyn G.

2

Fall 2016

Jocelyn K.

I am afraid of bees and I hide behind my mom and she told me everything was going to be okay.

I am afraid of heights. I am fine being in a tall building, I just don’t like looking down. I usually think that I will fall and plummet to my death. One time I was in the Willis Tower and I gazed down, the emptiness of space between me and the ground made me dizzy. I felt like a sky diver plunging down in the open air having little control over the speed or distance that I am carried. The thought of me not being able to control my body in open space sends shivers up my spine. I like to feel stable and somewhat safe when in motion. I am not an adrenaline junkie, I think of myself more of a controlled thrill seeker.

Where the odds of death are low. —Alexander S.

My biggest fear is getting in an airplane. I am scared because I have heard of a lot of plane crashes. I got the fear from the plane crash with Aaliyah. I am also scared to get in some cars. Mainly because people don’t know how to drive. My brother got into a car accident. And I was so scared, but he is okay. That’s why I don’t want to get in planes or drive with some people. —Raquel R.

My biggest fear is never walk to a bridge because I am scared when I look down it looks like I am going to fall down. —Ziclaly D.

FEAR...The scariest thing in the world Imagine this...your house is burning, you’re trying to escape, but you can’t. It’s coming closer you don’t know what to do. Your parents are missing and probably stuck also. What do you do? Do you run? The house is so smoky you can’t see anything. “How do I get out of this?” you think.

FIRE that’s what I’m scared of. Not the one in a camp fire you roast marshmallows over. The burning of a house or a neighborhood. The devastating loss of valuable things and people. For me fire is my greatest fear. I don’t know how to get over it, but I will try.

WHAT IS YOUR FEAR ? —Abigail H.

Brianne R.

My biggest fears are failing, roller coasters and my sister’s Chucky doll. I am scared of Chucky because of the movie Curse of Chucky.

I am scared of failing 6th grade because it will disappoint my family. I am scared of roller coasters because I was watching the news one day and a girl had fallen off the roller coaster. —Ramon L. My biggest fears are balloons and roller coasters. Another fear is me trying to do something for my family, but then I disappoint them. —Briana Z.

Camryn D.

When I get scared, I tend to go to my closet and pull out my coping mechanism—my stuffed animal collection. They take up more space on my bed than I do. They are all my babies and I feel safer when they are with me. Even though they take up more space in my closet than my clothes do, I have enough space for all of them in my heart.

—Grace C.

My biggest fear is rattle snakes because they would bite you and you can get poison in your body and might die.

That’s why I’m afraid of rattle snakes. —Amber M. My biggest fear is never being good enough. Even doing my best is never enough. —Kayla K.

My biggest is the ocean, specifically what is underneath you in the water. I find all the sharks, fish, rays and all the eels pretty creepy.

After seeing Jaws and Deep Blue Sea I don’t feel like I’m alone in the water. I wonder if you feel the same way. —Harrison H.

The Dark. The Dark of the upstairs of my house. Every day my mom tells me to run up and grab what I need. The problem is I can’t. I imagine monsters that will grab me from behind. I’m always scared a shadow will pop up from a dark room and take me.

I’m afraid the shadow will take me forever and I will never see my family again.

I’m sure if I can run the monster will be triggered by the noise and get me even faster. Even though I’m 8 I am still afraid.

I am afraid of tornadoes.

—Nicolas I am afraid of chocolate ice cream because I do not like chocolate or ice cream.

Conquer: not going to ice cream store.

—Oliver B.

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Put the guns down. Keep the pretty girls with the buns, let’s turn up, let’s have fun, let’s turn down without the guns. We see police you know we gotta run. This world is like we playing dodge ball. It’s just we gotta dodge bullets and not a ball. I’m afraid of dying cause I won’t see nobody no more. If I die I want the sun to shine on me. —Willis Quinn I’m afraid of thunder and lightning.

Anitra J. My biggest fear is dropping the babies.

I’m scared because they mean so much to me and my family. The rest of my family hasn’t seen them yet and I’m scared of hurting.

Ashley A. My biggest fear is heights!

I will never climb anything high. Don’t you dare ask to do anything with me if it’s up way too high. My other biggest fear is bugs. Ughhh.

Especially bees and spiders.

They are so scary and itchy.

Every time I see them I run.

Pleaseee don’t come near me.

Aaliyah E.

I fear natural disasters.

4

Gracen My biggest fear is the drain at the deep end of a pool.

I haven’t gotten over it yet. That’s what makes me nuts.

The Drain My biggest fear is when my brother Ohh, the drain eats a nut and has to take a shot it at the deep end makes me feel sad and scared. And of the pool I start to cry because I love him so much and I can’t live without him in makes me my life. —Olivia B. shiver.

My big fear is losing in Dragon Ball Can it possibly Z because it takes me a long time to suck me up? beat the boss in the game. It is scary Can my foot because if I lose I have to start over get caught again. —Charles D. and I can Drown?

Marshaun M. Yes. Those possibilities can be true.

Aaaaughghhh!

The Drain Is Deadly So very very Deadly.

I am scared of lions.

I thought happy thoughts.

My biggest fear is blackouts! I am afraid of blackouts because all the lights go out in a flash. When I am afraid I shall just light a candle! I will also train for blackouts especially in the summer. I have siblings that are also afraid of blackouts. I will help them and hopefully this story puts them in shape for a second blackout.

—James S.

I have a fear of anything that has more than 4 legs—they’re My biggest fear is guns because I want to just creepy and crawly. When I was little there was a spider live my life to the fullest. —Terrance M. chasing my dad. I got really scared but when I turned around I’m scared of swimming and the deep end I saw a big hairy tarantula on top of my doll house. The only because I don’t know how to that good. spider I’m not afraid of is daddy longlegs. —Olivia R. —Dershaw My fear is not of heights, roller coasters, clowns, or thunder. I am afraid of when loud noises turn on.

My fear is of spiders. I completely despise spiders because —Lucas R. of their creepy faces and well, every single part of them but My biggest fear is my house burning I also HATE their 8 million crawling legs. They also have a down. —Tony G. million eyes that are big and small and they look cREePy. That is why spiders are on my naughty list. —Logan P.

My brother creepi

ng up on me. — Max B.

My fear is heights. I just don’t look down. I feel better by thinking of happy things. —Martel N.

My biggest fear is scorpions. Those little creatures that pinch, bite, and even sting. One time I was climbing a mountain in Arizona, it was called the Camelback Mountain. Once we started to climb I saw a scorpion, then we walked some more and I saw another one. I was getting freaked out there were so many of them. I started walking closer to my mom, then I asked “Are scorpions harmful?” She replied Lane M. “they can pinch and sting.” That made me so scared. I saw more and more then there was a sign at the top of the mountain saying watch out for scorpions. I got super freaked out. I was so scared. Later that night my mom said she saw a scorpion in the lobby. I couldn’t sleep.

Arizona and scorpions scared me so much. Now I think I will die if a scorpion comes near me. I won’t even go to Arizona because of the scorpions. I am completely petrified of them. —Ryan H. I am deathly afraid of natural disasI have a fear of falling from a very My biggest fear was bees. I ters. Especially tornadoes. It has alvery tall thing. —Marcus M. was afraid of this because I ways been one of the main reasons I thought the bees would sting didn’t want to move to the suburbs. me. I thought it would hurt so In fact, just this summer I went to I would scream and run. I coped my grandma’s house in Huntley, IL with this by knowing that if you and there were over 10 tornadoes Noah H. leave bees alone they won’t in a 10-mile radius. We had to go sting you. So I calmed down. to my grandma’s neighbor’s house My fear is wolves because they can eat a human. I bake My brother is afraid of bees so I because my grandma didn’t have a like crazy and then I give the cookies to people in my famtold him that if you leave them basement. I was practically scarred ily. I tell them it’s alright and pat them on the back or help alone they won’t sting you. for life and all I had with me to take them overcome their fear. I tell myself I am protected with —Nova G. my mind off of it was a new hilarimy family. One time I thought there was a crocodile in my ous book, my brother, a radio for room. I told him “Be quiet—you’re not real.” —Zoe D. news and music, and a rubber ball.

I can never imagine what it would I have had many many fears in my lifetime. Fears of scary people, fears of getting yelled at, and be like if I ever had to go through a fears of many other things. But one of those really stands out to me that I worried about for a long time. That thing that I am talking about is travel baseball tryouts. I know, I know, that might My biggest fear is my mommy horrible experience like that again, but in the end it was an experience and the baby dying not sound that scary, but to me at that time getting cut from that team would end my baseball everyone must go through. After when she gives birth. career. All my friends were going to be on that team and if I got cut I would feel left out. I was not going to let this happen to me so I practiced. I practiced a lot. When the day of the tryouts My other biggest fear is spiders all, you can’t reach true happiness without sorrow and sacrifice. No and going on an airplane. finally came, I was ready! I wasn’t going to let my fear get the best of me. And I overcame my damage was done in the vicinity of My other fear is heights. fear by making the team. I had a great season and made many friends on that team. That is the my grandma’s house. —Aaron M. story of how I overcame my fear. —Andrew M. Kayonna W. Fall 2016

Light D.

Tyson T. I am scared of the world ending. And other things taking over the world.

Jeremiah G.

My biggest fear is clowns.

I’m scared of clowns because of their scary makeup and their scary faces. When I’m afraid I just snuggle up with either my dolls or stuffies.

I feel better thinking about something that’s not my fear, like candy or my family. I help people not be scared by making them laugh. One time I saw two clowns on stage getting too close for comfort.

I just pretended that they were pumpkins.

Big ol’ orange pumpkins.

One time I felt afraid was when I was with my brother and he got shot. I heard a lot of gunshots. They felt so close like it could have hit me. I ran for my life and I knew something was wrong so I stopped and looked behind me and my brother was running behind me holding his neck saying I love you bro don’t let me die.

When I was scared I stopped and thought about something good then it relaxed my brain so that I can focus right. —McKyle R.

A time when I was afraid was when some guys came into my dad’s house with guns. They approached me with the gun and I had my dad’s phone in my hand. They told me to give it to them. I thought about what would happen if I didn’t listen, and I just followed everything they said. My aunt’s boyfriend ran off and they ended up shooting him. Now I am cautious of my surroundings and with the people I hang around with. —Yarmell R. My biggest fear is trying to swim because I I am afraid of not normal motion. Like think I’m going to drown. It would make me slow-motion or choppy motion. —Leo H. feel better if one of my closest family members, like my grandmother, would come to I’m afraid of the dark. I conquer my fear

by T.V. —Jalen see me learn how to swim. —Denise B. My biggest fear is to get on a plane and fly in the air. I think I could overcome my fear by getting on the plane and having things I love around me, but I have to first build up my confidence to step inside of a plane. —Desiree L. My biggest fear is to not be successful.

—Mia G.

I’m afraid of ghosts, and I’m so scared to lose any of my family because they are all I have. —Marjanay When someone is scared I will make them laugh and tell them not to be scared because it’s nothing to be afraid of. —Jacqayra

Natalia M.

My horrible, scary fear is if I was in the situation where I was in a place where a tornado was going on. I would be afraid of a tornado because if I didn’t know a tornado was going on and when I finally notice I might not have enough time to get home so I would be sucked into a big wind of dust. But if this really did happen and I needed to calm down I would probably just take a deep breath and find shelter.

However if someone else was scared I would probably just say to think of their favorite memories. This is my fear.

What’s yours?

My worst fear is Dora. You probably now think I am the weirdest person on Earth, but before you do so, just hear me out. My first reason is her My biggest fear is heights head. Her head is the scariest thing and I am scared of on Earth, it literally looks like she ate a Adelina K. heights because I have My biggest fear watermelon whole and choked and it the feeling that I would fall. What makes me feel better is keep saying its went up to her head. What if that hapname. When I was 4 I thought it was in the closet. pens to me? My second reason is that Aaon W. Do you have a fear? I bet you do. Everyone every time she asks you a question does. Some people are afraid of the dark, spi- she always does a long pause which ders, snakes and the occasional clown fears. creeps me out because I think she is But some fears can go over the top. There is having a heart attack or something.

Luposlipaphobia which is the fear of being My last reason is that she isn’t an acchased by a pack of timber wolves around a tual explorer. A fraud is what she is. If kitchen table with newly waxed floors wear- she was a real explorer then we would ing socks. There is also Hippopotomonstro- have talked about her in our explorers sesquipedaliophobia, which is fear of long unit. —Jessica L. words and Anatidaephobia which is the fear My biggest fear is losing my father be- My biggest fear is not making the footof being watched by a duck. There is even cause I love him to death. He gets me ball team because I love to play football Phobophobia which is the fear of phobias. Do anything I want but that’s not the reason. and not making the team is a really big you have any phobias? —Maia H. My dad is there when I need him too. problem to me. And also not making it is devastating. —Timothy M. My biggest fear is seeing my mother in her That’s why I love my dad! —Nakaila W. My biggest fear is heights. grave. This is my biggest fear because I don’t My greatest fears are that someone that I am close to or one of my family members Whenever I’m on a high know what I would do without her. I already gets seriously hurt or dies. I’m scared that will happen because I am very close to them building my stomach lost one parent. I just would go crazy if I lose and I wouldn’t want them to not be there anymore. Another one of my fears is that I drops. I’m afraid of heights her. She is my everything, my life, my heart. I might accidently seriously hurt them or that my little brother and sister go through because I think I might fall the same thing me, my sister, brother, and my mom went through. —Pierre P. just can’t lose that. That’s my whole heart. and hurt myself.

—Erika H. I would hate to see anybody die because I want people to put the guns down.

My biggest fear is the darkness and the noises because I can’t see and I get that’s like seeing your family or friends die People shoot guns for no reason. Let’s this funny feeling that someone or something is behind me. I try to over- and no one likes that and they can, for all I have fun. Let’s come together and be come my fear by relaxing in the basement with the light off. —Kaylah H. know, be innocent. —Anonymous one big organization. —Devon J. Fintan O.

Fall 2016

Marcus M.

My biggest fear of all time is spiders. I hate them so much and only because when I was younger my mom used to get a fake spider that technically moves.

Every time I was bad she would just put me in the room, lock the door and turn the spider on and it would move. My second biggest fear is centipedes. I hate them so much and the reason I hate them is because they crawl so nasty and also I hate them because I saw a movie called The Human Centipede and it’s so nasty I can’t even describe it.

Julian D.

When I hear people say they are afraid of clowns they still get plenty of work no matter what is thrown around about evil killer clowns.

David A.

My biggest fear is snakes because they are fast and they can be poisonous.

It might bite you.

You’ll have to go to the hospital and you might die.

My biggest fear is falling from a building, but I’m not scared of heights. —Kenneth M.

5

Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Will. His greatest fear was a person sleeping under his bed. It would scare him so much he would scream like a little girl who had just had a spider crawl on her face. Ya that’s how scared he would be. Just imagine some creepy killer climbing out from under your bed and climbing all over you. That’s why I have a hammer when I sleep! Just kidding about that last part. I am also afraid of a disease spreading across the world, and there was no way to cure it. Just think of knowing that you’re going to die and you can’t do anything about it. Gives me the jitters. —William M.

Sofia S.

I am afraid of worms!

“Worms” Squirming slowly in the dirt.

If you squish it, it will hurt.

I am very afraid of you.

I wish I would like you too.

I was in my car staring out the window while I was thinking about what I was going to do. I was going camping on the Warren Dunes in Michigan. I got out of my car and went through the awesome day. It was nighttime already and it was my turn to go into the forest (We were playing Truth or Dare).

I was really scared because I was only 9. I swear I heard someone talking in the forest. I had to go farther, or I had to give up $10! So I traveled down the rocky path. Crunch, Crunch, Crunch! Suddenly I looked up and saw an owl and I fell to the ground. CRASH! My head really hurt but I had to keep running. I was walking down the path with the moonlight shining on my back. Then something fell on my head and I looked up to see what it was. There were a bunch of branches falling from the trees! I looked up and I found a monkey swinging through the trees. I screamed and ran right back to camp. Of course, no one could believe me. —Luke G.

Luca C. Lola F.

LITTLE brothers.

A life’s lesson.

The largest of fear can come from the SMALLEST of threats—or death if you have a little brother.

P.S. how to conquer: tell yo MAMA

Nina J.

I am afraid of getting kidnapped and shot. I don’t go outside when it is past 8:30 unless I am with my older brother or my parents. The only place I would be after 8:30 is on my sport court in the back of my house. I don’t want to die and I’m scared to die. —Will R.

6

You know that a bunch of people—for instance kids—are scared of clowns, snakes, jello, running in their grandmother’s house. Those are a bunch of things to be scared about, but if you want to know what I’m scared about is really foolish to say. It is mud! I can’t stand it at all! It gets me so scared and the things living inside dirt is a whole other level! If I have to plant flowers in mud that is a NO!!! I just hate how it is all slimy when it’s wet. I am not that kind of outdoor guy you think I am, I am the kind of guy who is terrified! Whenever I play soccer my cleats get so muddy it looks like all the monsters from Area 51 have returned to kill us all! This ladies and gentlemen is my biggest and scariest fear ever! My friends think it’s just a simple little fear, but they are wrong! It is a night telling horror stories!! —Emre E. There I was, about to go to sleep with a stuffed nose, entering the world of dreams. But the dream I had wasn’t just any dream, it was a nightmare. The race had started, two ferocious animals going up against each other in the dark night. Dog vs Wolf. The wolf was real and the dog was a robot. They fought until the other died. They pushed and barked and bit each other. The dog couldn’t take any more and his leg exploded, and then another. The robot dog eventually malfunctioned. “Ahhh,” I screamed. Then immediately I woke up. Drool and fear all over my face. My pillow wet and soggy, I wasn’t ready to go to school but I had to. —Jalilah C.

The Dark (a true story) Whenever it’s dark inside I try to remember where the light switch is then I run to the kitchen and turn on the light then I call my mom to turn on all the lights and then I make my mom tuck me in again so no monsters can eat me and then I’m safe. —Miyah M.

Isla G.

Once me and my dad were walking back Injuries from the library and I ran ahead and Most people fear clowns, snakes or bees, when I looked back my dad was gone.

Some even fear heights from trees.

So I got so upset and I was so worried I am afraid of having an injury so big, and my heart was pounding. But when I That I would be worse than a pig. looked around he was there. He told me I wouldn’t be able to run, that he took another way. Then he told Or have any fun. me that he was screaming my name and I would want to flip, whistling. I was so scared. —Ivy R. And do a kip, But I wouldn’t Scary Petrifying Icky Dangerous Evil Repulsive Spooky Because I couldn’t.

I am scared of spiders because they are creepy, fuzzy, and disgusting. Spiders That is why I fear an injury so big, can be poisonous and deadly. Spiders make webs and they use them to capThat I would be worse than a pig. ture you and eat you. Spiders are creepy crawly with 8 legs and scary eyes.

—Grace W. Spiders will attack and eat you whenever they have the chance to. —Ella B. I’m afraid of heights. When I’m in the air or high up somewhere I usually close my eyes and I feel better. When someone else is scared I tell them to close their eyes because it works for me. How I conquered my fear was by riding a ton of tall roller coasters and rides that go super high. That was my fear. —Erik D.

Voldemort from Harry Potter My biggest fear is dying because I don’t know where I’m going to go after I die and like what would happen to me— would my soul be reborn?

—Joshua C. Lyric W. My biggest fears are failing, disappointing my parents and getting shot.

Gemarion B.

The thing I am most scared of is clouds. I know it sounds stupid, but imagine it. You are floating in a cloud and bang a plane comes in and you are stuck on a wind shield. Then you break something and go to the hospital. And that’s my second fear—hospitals. I hate them. So much bad stuff happens in them I just hate going into them. I have bad memories with them, one time I was covered in hives and I had to go to a hospital. Also I have a sister who was at a hospital for about 2 years. —Cormac A. I am scared of anything that has a creepy smile. It is not my worst fear, but it creeps me out. Like Chucky dolls, Loki, clowns, jokers. The way they smile, it is this creepy smile that is huge and the edges of their smile reach their eyes.

Sometimes they are holding a knife or a sword or something. It creeps me out! Could you imagine sitting quitely reading a book or something and then you look up and see a clown or a Chucky doll walking silently up to you like a cheetah waiting for its prey? I mean, that is creepy! —Isabel S. I am scared of thunderstorms. I don’t like the thunder or lightning. You never know when there is going to be lightning.

It’s like a big flash. Then thunder comes after it making a big loud boom. The clouds are dark and grey. I really don’t like thunderstorms at night, because it’s even darker. I always hide under my blanket when there is a thunderstorm at night. I don’t like thunderstorms, but I do like when it rains. I like the sound of it. —Emily H. My fear is tornadoes! When I see an alert I stay I am scared of spaghetti squash. It’s just so on my phone all night, then I’m really tired wiggly and it looks like guts. It’s just so disgustthe next day! It’s a really big problem when it ing. If I could try it, it would conquer my fear, comes to tornadoes. Sometimes I even ask to but I can’t. I am also afraid of heights because sleep in my mom’s room, please don’t tell tell I’m always afraid that I will fall and crack my anybody. —Mikya H. head open. I don’t know how I will conquer My greatest fear is clowns because they are so it. If I could fall and not crack my head open, creepy with their evil smile and they are ugly then that would conquer it, but I just can’t do it. and scary. If they were in my house I would —Joanie C. leave the house. —Victorious H. Fall 2016

What are you afraid of? Maybe it’s heights, lions, snakes, or even clowns. That’s not me. I’m afraid of going on an airplane and something happening, not just anything— a disaster. Maybe it’s a storm, or a tornado, honestly anything bad. One day, a few years ago, I was on a plane ride and there was a terrible storm. I was so afraid, but I just wanted to know what was happening. Ever since that day, whenever I hear about a plane disaster I always get scared, or even just a storm. That’s my greatest fear. —Lily S. My greatest fear is clowns because clowns’ faces look scary. When I or you look into a clown’s eyes it looks like it is about to kill you because of the red eyes.

—London T. Arielle K.

My biggest fear is Barney the Dinosaur because he looks so creepy and when I used to watch it I thought he was going to get me. What I would do to help people conquer their fear is have them draw a picture of it and punch it.

I’m afraid of stuffed animals. Yes, those cute and cuddly little stuffed animals. They just freak me out. Some have really big eyes just staring at you wherever you go. Their stare goes straight through your body giving your back the shivers. It’s really creepy. Their little legs aren’t so cute to me either. I feel like they are going to sneak up right behind me. Yes, I’m afraid of stuffed animals. —Brooke A.

My biggest fear is being afraid of something. I don’t want to be afraid of anything because if I am afraid of something then I would not be able to do things and it would get in my way.

I know it’s ironic but it’s true! If I want to go ziplining and I am afraid of heights then I won’t be able to. If I wanted to swim in the ocean but was afraid of sharks I also wouldn’t be able to. This is why my biggest fear is being afraid of something. —Laina W. I am afraid of being alone on the planet with no humans. If there were no humans left on the earth and it was only me I would probably go crazy. I would not be able to talk or play with anybody because I am the last one alive. Even though I could have and do anything I would do it alone, but if I got hurt then there would be no one to call 911 or help me, so that would mean that I would probably die because I would bleed to death. I would probably not even last for a day. I could eat anything I want, but since my mom wouldn’t be there I would probably be really unhealthy. At least I can sleep in on weekdays instead of waking up early and going to school. —Natalie Y. In California I went to Universal Studios, and I saw a robot dinosaur. It could move and its color was greenish-brown with yellow eyes.

When we took a picture with it, I tried to break free because it looked like it was going to bite my head off. I was terrified, but I still smiled for the picture. And that is the scariest thing ever!

—Maya R.

My biggest fear is snakes because what if you go hunting and the snake bites you?

They can be fast and run away. Also, they can be poisonous and bite you and infections will come to your body. You can die I’m not scared of heights, spiders, snakes, infrom that or get huge bumps on your door sky diving or roller coasters. I am one of body. —Anthony S. the biggest dare devils. I know this sounds stupid but I am scared and grossed out by My biggest fear is going close to a lion. cans—Fanta cans, Coke cans, any type of I’m afraid of this because they might try cans! The way they crunch makes me cringe, to attack me. I calm the person down and the way they feel. My best friends and mom tell them they don’t have to be scared. make fun of me and put them by my body.

Every time we go to the zoo I just don’t I know this is stupid but I CAN’t handle cans. panic. I just stay calm. —Kaniya J. —Elle M. I will never forget the time when my mom scared me to death. I was not listening when it was time to go to bed and I kept running out of my room and going downstairs. My mom would catch me and put me back in my room, but I still came out. On my 10th time she was there and scared me so much.

I turned the corner and there she was. I will never forget it. —Maya R.

My greatest fear is losing my memory.

—Ben D.

Once there was a little boy who had a fear of me. So you could know I’m a spider, sometimes I bite people when I’m afraid but that’s no reason to smack a spider in mid air. I was furious at the boy that is named James but I call him Jerk Face. So to get back at him I always sneak in his shirt and tickle him to make him look like a fool in front of his class. That cracks me up a lot but one day I wish to tickle him so hard that his face would turn red and pop off! I have one question—don’t they know most spiders have a fear of the humans? Well they will learn that one day or another. —Chrisean B. I console my sister when she is scared during a movie. When she is scared she runs to me. I pet her head like a cat. —Mackenzie S. I’m afraid of characters from my imagination. Just think about it creeping out of your closet with its black beady eyes staring at you so hard it feels like lazerbeams. Then the closer it gets, you can make out its smile—the one that seems to be telling you, ”I’m coming for you.” I know it’s just my imagination but that makes it worse because when I close my eyes, I still see it walking towards me. Closer, closer, closer. —Chloe K.

One time I got lost in the store—what! I’m so scared of bugs! Their creepy little bodies crawling on (well it’s true) my mom left me—that’s your skin and some of them can sting you. My fear of bees is truly scary! I was scared too much! I like nobody’s, even when a bee comes you’re not supposed asked a manager for help—yes! Yes! He to run. I run so fast and scream so loud like a baby crying. I knew where she was! Thank you. And truely do hate the big bees they’re so big!!! —Sally G. done. —Maisy P. Do you know those noises you hear when you go to bed? That’s what I’m scared of. When I go to bed that is when the little creepy noise makers start. They make this horrid noise that makes me want to hide under my blankets so they can’t reach me. Sometimes the noise is creek, sometimes squeak, sometimes I hear talking! CREEK SQUEAK CREEK SQUEAK CREEK SQUEAK!!! oh no! —Evi V. I am afraid of not having wi-fi, with no wi-fi the internet shuts down. I always need the internet.

—Owen

Arielle J. My biggest fear is staying home all by myself.

What I did to overcome my fear is I tried it and it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be.

I’m afraid of dying. I’m afraid of breaking my bones in football. I’m afraid of getting hit by a car. —Zachariah B.

I am scared of ziplining. At camp I did rock climbing, and a way you can get down from the top is ziplining.

After I got to the top I really wanted to zipline. I was too scared though. My friends Elle and Maya were waiting at the bottom for me because they wanted to see me. I was up there for such a long time, I held up so much of the line. I felt really bad. The person helping me kept trying to get me to go but, since I am scared of heights I started freaking out and I ended up not ziplining. I had a panic attack and almost started crying. Then I just went down the easy way and tried again the next day. —Riley S. Fall 2016

I am afraid of all snakes—venomous or not. I don’t like snakes because of their scales.

It really creeps me out when I see snake skin. I imagine that a boa constrictor will pop out of nowhere, slither over to me and suffocate me so I die and I don’t want that to happen. Another reason I don’t like snakes is because of the venom they have in their fangs. I just think that a snake will jump out of its cage, slither over to me and bite me so I will end up in the emergency room and possibly die because of the snake’s venom. That is why I do not like any type of snake—venomous or not. —Luke

I am afraid of a lot of things, but these are the 4 most things I am scared of: spiders, bees, drowning and death.

—Kaitlin K.

Patrick B.

My biggest fear is crashing on a plane because then it’d land in water and you drown and that would be the scariest fear. —Adam H.

I’m afraid of natural disasters.

The ones that creep up from behind you and wash you away into the ocean or the ones that blow so hard your house is ripping apart. I fear going to places that are prone to disasters. So I don’t plan to run off to Hawaii or Korea. Yes, I have thought about trying to face my fears by going to one of those places but Chicago, ahhhhh seems just fine. I know no where you go is going to be safe, like here, there are earthquakes that rattle our city awake or floods that wash away our memories. But none recorded tornadoes that belch so loudly and hurricanes that tap our location to collapse. Yet. In the southern part of Illinois I know there have been tornadoes or even in Kansas, hence The Wizard of OZ but that is why I stay up inside my warm cozy city of Chicago. —Isabel B.

7

Cullen L.

My big scary fear is being alone at night. I’m afraid of this because if something happens no one will find out. I go to my room and listen to music. I listen to music because music calms me down. I can help someone by being there with them. —Nicole S.

My greatest fear is .... ROLLER COASTERS! You are probably like really Grace. You are afraid of roller coasters. I know a lot of people with this fear of them like me. The only reason why is because in 2012 ....

Me and my mom went to Disney World and we went on a roller coaster and we were having the time of our lives when all of the sudden... we stop. Straight up on a dark mountain where there was no way down. I screamed. I thought I was going to die. So the one thing a little girl does on a very death-like thing is scream and cry. Yes! And that is why I’m scared of roller coasters.

“Grace, we are going on to Space Mountain!” Oh no! —Grace Y.

Clown Max M.

Ver o

One day I went to a water park with my family. I really wanted to go on a super tall slide. We waited in line for a while and when we finally Evelyn B. got to the top I was scared. I thought I would fall off the side and die. My family tried to convince me to go down but I was still scared. I My biggest fear is spiders. Every thought about going back down the stairs but then my mom told me something. “We waited so long and you can’t do this very often”. time I see one, I freak out and start I was like YOLO so I went down the slide and loved every second of it. —Sam F. itching. I’m afraid of this because spiders sometimes can poison My biggest fear is when I am on an airplane I love camp, all the fun games Sonique B. you and you never know what and when we go up I have the weirdest feeland activities, but the thing I kind it is unless you’re a spider ing and when I go down it feels even weirder. hate most are scary stories. expert. —Tyler H. All of the really creepy stories I feel better when it is over and has already told by the dim camp fire relanded. I help someone else by talking about ally creep me out. The nerve I’m trying to overcome something else not about their biggest fear.

Joel S. my fear from spiders. to think that the creepy —Alexis T. ghost or scary monster is ca I am scared of rats cause they One day a little kid ni right behind me ready to get My biggest fear is be running past your feet and named Jeff went to a me. Then when I go to bed I spiders because I think be coming around you. circus. He was super exstill have the horrible scary they are creepy and cited because he loved image in my head. Then I end I’m scared of seagulls freak me out. watching the trapeze. up never going to bed. That because they’re very loud and they I go away from it or But then these clowns is why I hate scary stories. stole someone’s food. ask my mom to kill it.

My Brother came out of nowhere —Ava D. What I’m Afraid of—Drowning!

The second thing is a blender —Ava C. Liliana and scared him. He has When I was extremely young, because it’s also loud. Same thing “Nazis” Before: I used to sleep with the lights fully on been scared ever since.

There were many things I was frightened of, with pigeons, vacuums and crows.

—Zachary S. Here is my fear: ‘cause I was scared of the dark.

I was afraid of dogs and clowns, —Marilyn A.-B. I know it sounds strange, But most of all I was afraid to drown!

I am afraid about the After: Now my dad challenged me once to But yours could be the same The Seven Stages of a Nightmare toilet overflowing. sleep with the lights fully off.

I did it and now Because what if they came Turn around I imagined how scary it would be —Grace M. I’m not scared.

—Elliot M. And nobody was prepared?

Falling down To just lay at the bottom of the sea What’s that over there?

With no capability What if Nazis came back again One time when I was in bed I was afraid that I would wake up in a strangOr control of my destiny.

For a Jewish kind of friend They’ll haunt your dreams er’s house and never be found again. That night I did not fall asleep till Like me They hear your screams No way to breathe or survive 4:00 in the morning. Plus I had to wake up at 6:00 for figure skating and to gag But don’t really care And I soon would not be alive after figure skating I would have to go to school. That was not a good Knock out No air going through my lungs, feeling. —Jasmina Tomorrow they’ll come and kill?

Oh that would not be fun!

I have always been afraid of spiders (when I was 4 years old I treated them Let’s have some fun I would be sleeping like butterflies). They creep and crawl all around, especially dark places.

Are you ready for a dare?

I just would lay there trying to breathe, And then they But worst of all of every spider is most definitely the Black Widow. The red Wondering if there’s a future ahead of me But suddenly would say diamond, the legs, the poison, the eyes......etc. Everything about every I’ll never be able to figure out my destiny, You’ll break free hush little one single one of every single species of spiders I hate. They are just too scary.

Oh gee, it would be so scary!

Not another scare and try to lure me with candy This is what I am afraid of. —Andrei Y. But luckily it’s all just not real, thinking that would come in handy The fright turns toward My life on Earth is long and I’m appealed C ats It’ll push you forward The dark. Death. Being under my bed.

Maybe I could run away With being with my loving family A re The path is clear and bare —­Franklin S. From the Nazis And have control over my destiny.

T errible With peace S cary It’ll make you braver I’m glad to be with my loving family But nobody would My fear is heights You’re the savior A nimals And I’ve got control of my destiny hear of falling in the air Not all rounds are fair N ot as scary as this I’m glad that I’m not going to drown Because Nazis would or a creeper in the closet that’s rare D etermined to be scary And my biggest worry is now just clowns, do it silently Tomorrow the truth it’s something beyond compare Which are also scary, or get my mom B ees It’s all aloof heights make me feel like I’m dead But I’ll let it be, who grew up Jewish E ven scarier than cats You just need another I really swear Because I’m happy as can be unlike my dad E ven a little peek scares me SCARE and the creepers are Now that I have control over my destiny! too.

S cariest two things ever I think they’re watching me —Caileigh W. —Bradley P. —Kyle N. —Josh W. —Hazel R.

8

Fall 2016

My biggest fear is the ocean. I’ve been afraid of the ocean since I was born. Because think about if man has only seen 5 percent of the ocean then what’s lurking in the other 95 percent? Also over 1,000 people die from something in the ocean per year. —Brady D. Andrew T.

I used to be afraid of the Dark. Even though I knew that monsters are not real!

My brain helped me overcome my fear.

Once I was in a grocery store in London and my mom knocked something off the shelf and told me to put it back. I put it back and when I was done and I looked up I didn’t see her. I was looking for my brother and her and I panicked but then I found them. —Alaina V. Jafar

Tyler I am afraid of onions!

I’m scared of the dark.

“Onions” Onions are delicious My biggest fear is but snakes. I made make myself feel better eyes by running away. water.

—Geordan P. My biggest fear is a squirrel because when I was little I got scratched by a squirrel and it hurt very bad. I did not like that scratch.

—Brania O.

When I was little I was afraid of going to the bathroom because I thought there was a snake in it. I overcame my fear that Chicago doesn’t have any bad snakes and I also read a book about it.

When I was 5 I was afraid of the dark but one day had forgot my pillow upstairs so I went very fast upstairs and when I got back downstairs I watched a funny video. —Lily C. Sometimes in my life, but not always, I will be afraid of being alone.

I am afraid of being alone because when you’re alone and something bad happens there won’t be anyone to save you and no one will know that you are in danger. When I am afraid of this, I am usually calm because I know that my parents will come back soon or just in case I might contact my parents on the phone or on something else. Also I might look for a close friend or a trusted adult and ask them if they can help me feel better. If someone else was scared of being alone I would tell them how I cope with my fear so they can use the same strategy. —Chloe B. Some of the things that I am most afraid of are terrorist attacks and supernatural (ghosts) and dying. I can deal with it by thinking of something else like video games or listen to or sing a song. —Niko I’m afraid of many things. Spiders, clowns, you name it. But one of the things I fear the most is flying in a plane. I don’t know what is with me, but I absolutely am horrified by flying because I always have a feeling that I will get in a crash and get seriously injured or possibly die. It just bothers me and gives me a sick feeling sometimes. That is another reason why whenever my family goes on a plane, I always tell them to get a seat in the back. In recent studies, people who decide to sit in the back of the plane always have a better chance of surviving a plane crash. I get haunted by this fear constantly and sometimes even have nightmares about flying in a plane. It sounds a bit ridiculous, doesn’t it? Good thing I’m not staying away from planes ever because I love traveling and going out of the country. Sometimes, they really do bother me while other times, it’s not as bad. It really depends on the circumstances, such as where we are flying to, where we are coming from, the weather, and how long the flight is. In general, flying really bothers me.

I don’t really see why anyone wouldn’t be afraid of flying at least once in their lifetime. —Hannah H.

My biggest fear is pool lights because I think a giant lizard killer is going to break through and kill me. —Henry H. I’m not afraid of anything. Let me explain why. I’m not afraid of anything because when I was little my mom made me watch scary things to help prepare me to not be afraid when I grow.

—Michael R. Fear: When I’m alone at night in my bed. I get really scared.

Because I always think that someone is going to steal me.

Conquer: • I can play with my stuffies.

• I call my mom.

• I think of my family.

• I know that my parents aren’t that far away.

• I wait until it is time for my brother to go to bed before I go to sleep. —Claire W.

Fall 2016

My biggest fear is leprechauns because leprechauns are really creepy.

Keyala

One of my biggest fears is my future. There is no way to know what will happen with my life. I’m scared of not getting into a good high school or college which will limit my career choices. I want to either work with NASA or become a teacher and to do that I will need a good education.

I’m also afraid of the person I will be in the future. My fear is turning into someone the person I am now wouldn’t want to hang out with. I’m scared of becoming this or someone even worse.

Sometimes these fears take over me, and it really brings me down when it happens. What I try to do is not think of my future self, but who I am now and how I can make myself even better in my surroundings. I think of how lucky I am to have friends and family to help build my path to life and support me in all the things I do. If you are ever scared of your future, just stop, look around and realize that you are never alone, and that there’s always someone cheering you on to be the best person you could always be, now and forever. —Kaia G. I am afraid of centipedes because they have 100 legs and move really fast. I imagine all those legs walking very fast ahhh! When I wake up and go downstairs I would always run to the couch and get in a blanket and scan the floor for centipedes. How I conquered my fear was when I was face to face with a big centipede—so I ran to the bathroom. I grabbed a Kleenex and put it on the centipede. Then I stepped on it. Now I am not afraid of centipedes because I would just squash them. —Blake My fear is losing my family and the Cubs never win the World Series.

I beat my fear by not worrying until my family gets sick and by how good the Cubs are doing this year. —Lucas H. Dark Darkness follows you Through your easiest moments and your hardest times light is there along with it guiding you through the darkness —Genna S.

Fears: You look outside your window, and you see nothing at all, but you see some scary shadows, that make you want to bawl.

You see the wolves howl, and you see the people talk, but some goo seeps through the door, and it makes you want to talk.

You make a move and start to walk, but all you do is start to talk.

When all the fears surround you, You feel you’re the only one.

—Mika M.

Nightmares I’m the thing that isn’t there I’m haunting your nightmares along with the spiders I’m the thing that isn’t there Have you ever woken up in a cold sweat Because you had a nightmare about getting caught in a net And then you realized it was true Because the nightmares are getting to you?

I’m the thing that isn’t there Haunting your nightmares along with the spiders I’m the thing that catches you in a snare Have you ever felt a chill up your spine because you dreamed of being caught in barbed twine You felt the prickles too But you woke up, and you were just you?

I’m the thing that isn’t there I’m haunting your nightmares along with the spiders Just to give you a good scare: BOO! —Genna S. My biggest fear of all time is spiders because they are small but strong. They have webs and they are hairy. They also look very very ugly. —Joe D. I had a fear of bugs. I had a friend her name was Eleanor. She made a program for kids of all ages to save bugs and to learn that you should not kill them because they deserve a life.

—Araceli C.E. My biggest fear is losing one of my close friends this summer. I’m scared that one of my close friends will get hurt or killed because of the violence. It will really make me feel better if we just stop the violence. I am fearful because you will never know when your time is up.

—Daizhana B.

9

Stella I am scared of elevators because you can get stuck.

And you won’t have food or water. And you don’t know when the police come.

Saige

I am afraid of Bloody Mary, a ghost that is supposed to come out of the mirror and pull me in. I am also afraid to face away from my door, because I feel like someone will hurt me, and I am afraid of the dark and dying, because who knows what happens. —Evan I am afraid of the ghost in my house. I’ve seen her shadow, twice I’ve seen her reflection in a window, felt her presence (felt a cold chill and felt strange), and felt her hand at night. —Erik B.

Samantha E. Spider Beetle Centipede

Elane helped me do the monkey bars.

My biggest fear is growing up because I don’t want to leave my family and my sister. I could feel better when I draw my family. I feel sad when my sister is talking about college. —Kaden B. My biggest fear is losing my mom or one of my brothers or sister. I don’t want to lose her or my brothers because they protect me and make me happy when I’m sad. Sometimes we fight and argue but it’s a part of being a family. We live together and we’ll die together, because we are family and that’s what families do, stick together. My mom always tells me “appreciate things when they come,” and my dad tells me to “be thankful for your siblings because death is unexpected.” —Tyron S.

I am afraid of bees and spiders.

My biggest fear is riding a roller coaster because I be watching movies with roller coasters. When I was watching a girl fell off it and that is my biggest fear. When my dad went on the roller coaster I thought my dad was scared but he was not.

When my dad went on the roller coaster I said I will get on then it was not bad.

—Miracle S. I’m afraid of losing Oreo forever because Oreo is the one and only thing that makes me feel good about myself because sometimes I’m really sad and I’m easily angered but when my puppy puts her cute, tiny, fuzzy paw on my knee I feel like I can always count on Oreo to cheer me up.

If she was not here I would be so sad and angry for the rest of my life.

—Andrea K. One of my biggest fears are bees or wasps because they can sting you and I think it really hurts. What I do when I’m afraid is I walk away from them and think of happy things sometimes. When someone else is scared I tell them to try to think of something happy that will make you feel better. I still have not overcome my fears but maybe I will someday. When I feel afraid I think of happy things to help me not be so afraid. —Ciara M.

Snake

Rianne

My biggest fear is of heights. Every time I get in the air I get a feeling that makes me feel sick. I never get on a roller coaster or anything like that, because I would be so scared. But one day I faced that fear at Iron Oaks when I got on that really big pole and climbed to the top. Now I’m not that scared of heights anymore. —Davyanna P. My biggest fear is to lose my family. Losing my family will be very depressing to me. I love my family to death and I will do anything for them. I know my mom would go the hardest for me because she brought me into this world and I would do the same for her. I will do everything in my power to protect my mom and my family. —Kenya H. I am afraid of my family dying!

How I cope when I’m afraid is I hug my family. That’s what makes me feel better. How I help people when they are scared is I hug them and say they’re going to be ok. —Eleanor P.

When I was a little girl still living in a condo building, I always thought there was something under my Many people are scared of snakes, lions, and scary bed, an evil ghost monster animals like that. Well, I am scared of Jello. It alclown devil!! Every night ways seems like it’s poisonous. I don’t know, but I would have my parents that might just be me. And the green one seems look under the bed to see so much more poisonous because toxic liquid, if there was anything under solid, and gases especially are usually green. And there. They always said that when I eat them it always seems to happen where there wasn’t but that was it slides down my throat like a roller coaster. Imagbecause he disappeared ine that you choke over Jello and start to choke because he was part ghost! and feel like you’re dying. Well I feel that every Then when I fell asleep he time I eat Jello. —Edwarde T. would come out and mess with my brain because ev- My biggest fear is ery morning I would hear going to jail. This is my biggest fear something saying WAKE UP PEYTON!! And then my dad because many things appeared out of nowhere could happen there.

You can be killed, right after WAKE UP PEYbeat or anything.

TON was said.

—Tyrone S. —Peyton P.

Who’s afraid....

Not me. I’m not afraid because if I was afraid I could prevent myself from getting I am scared of trypophobia. This is how it scared. Let me explain to you why I’m not afraid. I can calm myself down at all looks. It is the fear of tiny holes together. times, I can speak to myself, I can count down from 10 to 1 so I can relax myself.

If you think I’m psycho really look it up Also I can not be afraid if I just don’t think about scary things. I just turn them all on Google you would be scared to death. —Ina into positive things. That’s why I’m never afraid! —Genesis B. I am afraid of boa constrictors. My biggest fear is My biggest fear is riding the roller coaster because I’m scared of heights. When —Colin when I am swinging I’m afraid I scream. When I scream it makes me feel better because it helps me I am afraid of guns because Roxana on the swing and get it over with. I would tell people to not let fear control you if you don’t want to I’m afraid that I will die and I the chain snaps!

I am afraid of killer bees. be scared all your life. I have faced my fear by not being afraid and facing it. I was don’t want to. I want to stay —Zakiah T. Hayden Alex afraid to get on the roller coaster so I stayed at home while everyone else went to with my family. —Meklete My biggest fear is large dogs because when a dog the carnival. —Asia S. bites you, you may have to go to the hospital.

You I’m scared of cats. I do not I had a fear of getting stuck in an elevator. I had therapy and my therapist worked like them because they may even have to have surgery where the dog bit me out of my fear. Now I tell myself “it’s fine it’s fine” to calm myself. —Leo S. can kill you with their you or take rabies shots. When I see small dogs I’m not scared anymore because they are sometimes claws. —Dequane M. My biggest fear is rock friendly and like to play. —Amar H. I am scared of commercials that are scary in the dark! climbing. I’m afraid beMahelete’s Story: One day I was watching TV. I hate shots. It hurts a lot—even the finger shots. When I had it when I was 8 cause one time I tried Then a super scary commercial popped up on the TV years old I cried all the way home. And I hate hospitals because I think they are rock climbing I almost and then I got nightmares and that is how it all started.

I am helping Benjamin not hit my head on a rock. going to give me a shot so THE END —Edwen P. To Cope: I turn off the TV. des!! be afraid of mosquitoes on a plane.

I will never get on it I’m afraid of getting bad gra My biggest fear is going —Mahelete B. by holding his hand. again. —Makyla R. —Anonymous —Breyana O.

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Fall 2016

It was a nice, joyful day. My family was around me and I was having the time of my life. I was at Grandma’s house. I was running around when my parents said “Sophia stop running” but I mean who listens to your parents. As I kept running around the house I tripped over the bed frame in the guest room. The next thing I knew I hit my chin on the bed frame. OUCH! Did that hurt. I ran over to the kitchen crying with blood running down my chin. Thankfully my uncle is a nurse and he lives close by. While he went to get his medical things we put ice on it and a wash cloth. He came back and put some surgical tape on it. I was all better. That’s why I’m scared of running at Grandma’s house. I learned 3 things that day: 1) Listen to your parents 2) Don´t run at Grandma´s house 3) Everything happens at Grandma´s house —Sophia K. This is why I’m scared of snakes. When I was living in Ghana, and when I just finished eating I had to go to the bathroom. There was a line so I had to wait my turn. The bathroom had a roof over it, and I was waiting under the roof. While I was waiting a snake fell from the roof and landed on my head. I had to shake my head, luckily I didn’t have that much hair so when I shook my head the snake easily came off. —Mary A. My worst fear is clowns. Clowns have creepy faces. They have those creepy little eyes and a red nose.

Their smile however is the worst part of them. They have a huge smile with a mouth the size of a banana. Their face paint is also pretty bad. They have the creepiest colored face that makes them look pale and look like they have blood on their face. Their hair is a red curly creepy looking afro.

They are very tall and have a creepy stare. This is why I fear clowns—why wouldn’t you. —Asier N.

I’m afraid of the doll from The Haunted Hour. I’m afraid of this because in the movie the doll turns into a human and makes the human the doll. —Gillian

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The clouds were as dark as the night sky, that one day five years ago. My family and I were staying on our Michigan lake property for the weekend. We were all expecting a beautiful, warm day so we could go tubing on the boat, but instead we got a windy, dark day. I was only seven years old at the time, riding my bike up and down the narrow road. Then, out of nowhere, a large bolt of lightning lit up the dark sky. I was so scared, that is how I still remember that up to this day. —Kayla S. My biggest fear is riding the coaster because it can go around and around and I’m afraid of being high like a building. —Takaíah W. I help someone when they are scared by comforting them, I also tell them to do something so they are not scared, and I also help them by trying to overcome their fear. —Martin S.

It was Halloween night, and a group of three children were walking up to the

old mansion on the end of their street. James and Ryan had been forced to take Ryan’s 5-year-old younger sister, Rebecca, trick-or-treating. They had told Rebecca that she would get Ryan’s bag of candy if she would go through the whole house and exit through the back door. The house, all the neighborhood children said, was haunted. So now they were in front of the mansion, and Rebecca was trembling with fear and cold, as she was only wearing her thin Cinderella dress.

Before she could lose her courage, Rebecca ran up to the door, threw it open, dashed inside, and shut it behind her.

A thick layer of dust covered every surface, giving the house an eerie, abandoned feel. Rebecca’s shoes left footprints in the dust on the floor, and the old rug in the center of the hall was rotten and moth-eaten. Fear formed a knot in the pit of her stomach, and it seemed to be growing, making its way up through her chest and threatening to strangle her as it reached her throat.

Her bottom lip trembled, and she blinked away tears. She told herself that she wasn’t going to cry. She couldn’t see the back door from her vantage point, so she climbed the creaky stairs to get a better view.

Once she was at the top, Rebecca saw a pretty white door, elaborately painted with gorgeous swirls of pink, yellow, and orange. Curious, she opened it and crept into the room. It was a little girl’s room, with a pink and white bed in one corner, a tea set and table in the center of the room, and dolls stacked on top of one another by one wall. But then Rebecca realized that there was someone sitting on the bed. She stifled a scream. It was a transparent girl, probably a couple of years older than Rebecca. “I was killed in this room 250 years ago. There used to be fancy parties and women in pretty dresses here, but that changed when I died. My parents left the house trying to forget their pain. You are the first visitor I’ve had in 5 years. The last one ran out screaming about how the house was haunted,” the girl says in a quiet, sweet voice. Rebecca did scream that time, and raced out of the room. She careened down the staircase at the other end of the hall, and, thankfully, found the back door. She ran outside.

Her brother and James were waiting for her, and Ryan grudgingly handed her his bag of candy.

She told him to keep it, though, claiming that she wasn’t hungry. She never told anyone about the girl, and she never went near the mansion again. —Maddie F. My biggest fear is when people say I can’t do it. Why? Because when people say I can’t do it for some reason I can’t do it. —Pedro P.

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My biggest fear is mice living in my house because a mouse went in a trap and I grabbed a pencil and it made a squeak noise and it moved and a mouse had babies in my house and mice have more diseases than cockroaches.

Lisa J.

My biggest fear is getting eaten by a shark in Hawaii. I am afraid of this because when I am swimming in the ocean I sometimes see a fin, but it is really a dolphin. How I cope is that I close my eyes and imagine it is not a shark that is going to eat me.

How I help someone else when they are scared is that I talk to them about something happy and joyful.

Mia W.

I fear that people will become really self centered one day. I mean they already are! Many people will take advantage of you every chance they get, ONLY to make themselves “happy.” I’ve seen it everywhere! P.S. if this person is your friend... Please, look at your life, and look at your choices! I mean heck you yourself are probably really self centered. And speaking of a lot of people being self centered, everyone kind of is self centered. If you said you weren’t selfish, I’d call you a liar. So back to my fear. So yeah, I just hope that hopefully not more and more people stop saying things like “Sorry!” or “After you!” Because people already don’t apologize for silly things (or bad things). For example someone will bump into me (keep in mind THEY bumped into ME), and being the kind person that I am I will say “Sorry!” But they would just keep walking as if they didn’t hear me. And I know they felt the bump because it wasn’t just a little bump it was a big bump! And the least they can do is apologize! And that’s my fear! That people won’t become more polite. —Katherine T. My deepest fear in life is... Flying Some kids are scared of bees, spiders, and dying. Well I am too, but that’s not what I’m writing about. I’m writing about flying on an airplane. I always have been scared of it. When I was 6 or 5 I got out of my seat and I ran through first class right when they were landing. I just am scared that something is going to go wrong­—we are going to fall. That’s why I get REALLY I MEAN REALLLYYYY SCARED of flying.

Of course, my dad LOVES watching those stories how people died of flying on an airplane and it gets to the point I just throw the TV remote across the room. I see airplanes, they don’t seem bad but when you get on, my stomach starts to scream and then the screaming goes to my head. Then, I start sweating like it’s a rainforest on my forehead. —Rhys Y.

I’m not afraid of heights, snakes, or bees. I’m afraid of SPIDERS! They look so creepy. I mean all their legs move all at the same time and their eyes—don’t get me started on those 8 eyes! They creep me out—even pictures of them. Every time I see them I scream and run away. Everyone thinks it is silly and tease me, but they are such creepy, scary, awful, horrific, etc. things on this earth. I always hear about people conquering their fears but I will never. I just can’t stand them!

If a spider was less than 12 inches away from me I would probably faint. I HATE SPIDERS! —Alexis G. My fear is disgusting it is the most gross thing on the planet it is.......... a spider.

Just the way it crawls gives me the chills and the number of legs makes me want to faint. I would rather jump in a pile of mud. Oh and who could forget those devil eyes they have when you look at them. I feel like every time I see a spider I lose a day of my life. And the thing I hate most about spiders is how they make spider webs. I feel like I am always walking into them. They also have the strangest texture and patterns on them. I don’t know how people like spiders. I despise spiders. I wish I didn’t just write about spiders. —Claire L. I’m afraid of noodles. I know people will think it is a stupid fear, but it really is scary to me. They just are so straight they make me feel uncomfortable. I mean imagine them just running toward you! Ughh! When I eat them which I barely ever do, I have a tingling sensation go through my body. I am also afraid of worms, so it reminds me of them. That is why I am afraid of noodles. —Zachary I. Evan Emma C.

Alejandra

Sounds are the scariest thing. Most people are scared of animals, like lions, tigers, or sharks. But me on the other hand I’m scared of sounds. You never know if a robber is walking around your house. Since my bed is right next to a window, every night I could hear the sound of the cars driving by, the rumAhh! ble of the motorcycles, the sound of the leaves on the trees when a gust of Some bugs and a ghost! wind flies by, but the scariest of them all is the creaks from my doors in my room. I know you might not think these things are scary but I think they are I am afraid because you never know if there is a ghost flying around you. —Quinn L. of killer bees.

a

Ell

Hi I’m Mia and I have a fear of isolation, which means if I’m locked in a room with no one around I’m afraid. I don’t remember why I have Lightning Storm this fear because I got it so long ago.

I usually panic when this happens. Bugs In order to help others with their fears I try and calm them down and tell Spider them about something happy.

Spiros

Dalmiah My biggest fear is sinkholes.

I’m afraid of sinkholes because I always feel like a sinkhole is going to swallow me whole at any moment. I don’t like sinkholes because I don’t want to die because I’m scared of dying.

—Bianca M. I am afraid of the dark.

My biggest fear is being murdered.

—Delvin A.

Amalia I am scared of tests.

I am scared of rats.

Michael Olivia

I am afraid of spiders, monsters and ghosts.

I’m really scared of heights.

I would never get on the top of a tall building.

—Keneisha I have a fear of shadows. Not the shadows from your hair, food, table, nope most certainly from stuffed animals. I hate them. They scare me. I won’t like them. Ever. I won’t listen to how they’re not scary or how they’re not alive. My fear started when I laid all my stuffed animals on my bed and faced them towards where I slept, but at the time I thought it was cute. NO! Just no. That night it looked like one was coming for me and going to attack me or hurt me. The next morning, I immediatley moved them and now those stuffed animals have a new home. My closet. —Emily B.

I’m not really scared of anything, but there’s always a time where you were scared of something—say my brother. He used to be scared of the dark with all the spiders. He was just 6 years old.

It all started when it was a normal day, we got ice cream, we went to the park—until it was time for bed. My brother got scared of the dark,so I said, ”No need to be scared. I’m right beside you.” —Emory P.

Centipe de I am afraid of robbers and guns.

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BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I jumped up, I recognized that sound, it was a THUNDER STORM!!!! BOOM. Crack. I climbed down the ladder and ran to my mom and dad’s room. I climbed into their bed, and told my mom that I was scared. BOOM. Crack. I jumped, my mom hugged me, and I calmed down. BOOM. Crack. I finally settled down and slept. I woke up when my mom was whispering for me to get out (probably because I was kicking her). I said I didn’t want to, but she just told me that it was over. I went into my room, and fell asleep quickly.

Hyena Campbell BAAA. BAAA. BAAA. BAAA. What was that?! Oh, just my alarm clock, another day of school headed my way. —Evi K. Fall 2016

You’re in a dark cave, you don’t know how you got there. The only light is the cold pale sting of the moon, shining in from a small hole in the ceiling. Something tells you that you are not alone. In the dark, you sense something coming toward you. You don’t know what it is, only that it’s large and suspicious. You can’t run, you are surrounded by the cold, damp rock, and whatever it is, is walking faster now. It’s getting closer and closer, you begin to see a body. Big feet, baggy clothing, and then the face. A bright white face with giant eyes that follow you, a smile so large that it stretches across the whole face and never wavers, a perfectly round red nose. To top off this hideous look, there is a huge, bright red mass of curls on the monster’s head. Its hands are gloved, and carefully it pulls a long, silk cloth, out of its pocket, it just keeps coming. When will it end? What will he do with it? He holds up a portion of it in front of your face, so you can see the bright colors and tight knots. He rocks his head from side to side, the smile looks as if it were staring into your soul. Then, darkness. —Nuala M. My fear is clowns. I am afraid of clowns because they have these creepy faces and they always look like they are going to murder you. Fear of clowns is called caulrophobia. My fear of clowns started when I was about five and went into a costume shop and I saw these clown costumes and they looked really creepy. The masks had all the kinds of makeup that you see on clowns.

When I saw them, it felt like they were trying to reach out to me. When usually I see a clown, shivers run all over my body and I want to run into a hole and hide. A few reasons clowns are really freaky is because they have weird smiles, their eyes are very wide and the smiles very toothy, and they look human but not human at all at the same time. These are the reasons I have a fear of clowns. —Grant P.

One day,

I was in my car, going home from school, and my sisters and I were talking when suddenly, I looked back and saw a tarantula. AHHHHH! I screamed. What happened? my sister asked me. I saw a tarantula. We looked back at the tarantula at the same time and screamed. This time it was on my backpack. I started screaming, yelling, and crying. The tarantula was orange and black. I felt as if it was crawling on me. I started getting the shivers. This was one of the most scariest moments of my life. I wondered how I was going to escape. The car was moving and my dad was talking on the phone. I had to think quick, so I just decided to move to the side. My sisters did the same. Then finally my dad pulled up and let us out of the car. I was so relieved. My dad went back and took a tissue and killed it. I hugged my dad and said you are the best. That was the closest I’ve ever been to tarantulas. —Simona M. end. —Damonte M. gest fear is diving in the deep I was scared of roller coasters. My big I am personally afraid of dying because —Kenyon Henry will I go to heaven or will I turn into someEmma C. thing new and if I become something new what will it be like a dog or an ape or a girl.

—Oscar E. I am afraid of guns My biggest fear is because I don’t when the sun want to DIE. Also explodes because Getting lost. on the news they I am afraid of fish then the earth will I can wait for my because when I walk in explode and we’ll be say that a lot of mom or dad. people are dythe ocean I am scared that wiped out! the fish will bite me and ing or getting in My biggest fear is losing —Sahar I will feel the slimy skin. critical conditions. my parents. —Cordell P. Shiver shiver.

—Jordyn

3

years ago 5 children were playing late at night it was so dark that they had to bring flash lights. They were at a broken down hospital. They were daring their friend to go in the hospital for 5 minutes. They said that they would give the friend 20 dollars. The friend took the deal. He went in, as he did he found a light and turned it on. He said “Wow my friends are real losers if they think this is scary.” He heard his friend call 4 minutes. He said “OK but you’re losing 20 dollars.” As he said that, the light turned off. It was pitch black. He went to the switch. His footsteps seemed loud. He went to the switch and tried to turn it on. It wouldn’t.

It seemed that he was still walking because of the footsteps. He realized he wasn’t. He immediately turned on his flashlight. Behind a bed he saw 2 eyes. He screamed. His friends heard him. They ran in. They saw their friend on the floor lying still. One friend said I’ll get him. As he ran in the door closed. They heard screaming, and dead silence. The 3 children ran away and called the police. One hour later there were the 2 friends in the hospital, but the police never found the “thing.” Years passed, and rumors went around, and the 2 children’s lives were never the same. They forgot what happened, but were still constantly paranoid. Nine years later they built a new building over it, but no one used it, because of what happened that night.......Until —Evan D.

Who’s Afraid? Word Search K

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Can you find these words?

BEES CATS CENTIPEDES DARK

DEATH FALLING FIRES FISH

FLYING GHOSTS HEIGHTS JELLO

LIONS MONSTERS NIGHTMARES NOISES

ROLLER COASTERS SCORPIONS SPIDERS TESTS

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