The Quill 2021 - 2022

The Quill 2021~2022

AMSA’s Literary and Creative Magazine

Staff Teacher Advisor: Carolyn Rousseau

Student Staff: Takumi Keener, Chloe Joyce, Nico Solimine, Audrey Nguyen-Whitehead, Anthony Ercolani

Thank you to all who contributed. This would not be possible without you!!

Cover Art: Austin Coyle

Perfect Drop

Joshika Selvaraj

New ending to Bram Stoker's Dracula Dr. Van Helsing’s Memorandum.

6 November, evening. — Madam Mina and I arrived to find ourselves just above the dirt pathway leading to Castle Dracula, atop a raised portion of earth. Cold, biting air swirled around us and the fallen snow dampened the bottom of our wraps as we walked, but we moved on. The determination shining in Madam Mina’s eyes was infectious, a ray of light through the horror of recent events, and my energy felt renewed after seeing her. I kept my attention to the distance, searching for any signs of John and the others, or the villain they pursued, but the natural light was dimming as the sun began to set. Oh, my brave friends, please hurry!

We trudged on, the supplies and provisions weighed heavy on my back, but I could never burden Madam Mina with such a thing, after all, she has been through such atrocities already and I feared her ill body would be incapable of supporting the weight. Her light steps suddenly halted in front of me and her head swiveled with great speed to look into the distance. I followed suit, searching for whatever could’ve caught her attention, but she shouted before I could spot anything. “They’re here! Look, Professor, look!”

I admit I was a little skeptical, as there had only been silence before, and I could’ve sworn Madam Mina had been facing ahead the entire time, but only moments after her outburst, a wagon sped down the path, followed closely by several men on horseback. The wagon was led by two great horses and manned by what looked to be peasants, and a large, green, square chest sat in the back, secured to the vehicle. My heart raced in my chest as I watched the men close the distance to the target, competing against the setting sun. It was then I felt a firm tug on my arm, and Madam Mina appeared beside me, that determination burning stronger now in her gaze. She never looked away from the events before us, but she spoke to me with such strength in her voice she almost seemed a different person. “Professor, we must go down there and help them! There’s little time left!”

Although her drive was admirable, I couldn’t allow her to endanger herself. “Madam Mina, you mustn't.

Our friends are galloping with all their might, they will surely catch up to the wagon in no time. You must stay up here, and away from him.”

That seemed to greatly displease her and she looked back at me with an unpleasant expression. “If I am to stay up here, you at least must go down and help them. If he is as great a threat as you say, they will need every man they can get!”

I looked back to the chase to see two men on horseback each riding on one side of the wagon, with the other two not far behind. My rifle lay only a few steps away, ready for use, and I was left a crucial choice but so little time. Madam Mina was right, our friends would need all the help they could get, but I felt I couldn't leave her up here alone. When I went to inform her that we must stay in the distance, she was suddenly nowhere to be seen. Dread washed over me straight away, and I frantically scanned the clearing only to find nothing. It was like she had evaporated into thin air, completely silent she had slipped away.

It was then I heard a loud crash, forcing my attention back to the path. The wagon had swerved off the road and tipped over, the peasants that previously were steering now stood protectively around the back, where the great green box still remained. I heard a shout from the group below, and the distinct sound of Jonathan’s voice rang through the air, though I could not make out what was said, and all four men closed in on the wagon.

Wolves howled deep in the woods, bringing an unsettling atmosphere upon us.

Then, there was a shadowed figure advancing towards the rest from within the forest with unusual fervor. At first I had thought it to be a wolf, readying my rifle to kill it before it reached the group, but upon closer inspection its movement appeared to be too human-like and it was only after I retrieved my field-glasses that I saw the figure belonged to Madam Mina! She was racing to the scene, unarmed, but with incredible speed.

There was no time! I dropped the bag of provisions on the ground and held my rifle tight to my chest before sliding down to lower ground and giving chase. Every man in the group ahead had drawn their weapons, pistols, knives, and swords pointed every which way, though no blood had been shed yet. The sun’s orange light continued to fade, leaving the entire area in a constantly darkening state, each passing moment feeling simultaneously like an eternity and entirely too quick. Madam Mina continued advancing, and all I could do was follow as swift as I could, unwilling to yell to her and risk turning the violent gaze of the peasants this way.

The first shot was fired and the howling amplified. Pistols began to go off in rapid succession and several bodies around the wagon dropped to the ground. The figures began to come into view and I could see all our men still standing, though Mr. Morris was gripping the side of his upper arm, in pain, and Dr. Seward was clutching his shoulder as blood seeped through his fingers. Madam Mina had come to a halt, a short ways away from the commotion, and she watched with strange intensity as Jonathan and Dr. Seward approached the wagon, cutting through the one remaining peasant. They sliced through the ropes securing the box and it tumbled to the ground, remaining shut.

I grasped for the stake attached to my belt and my crucifix felt heavy around my neck. Passing by Madam Mina, I came to a rest next to Quincey and Mr. Morris, and I watched as Jonathan pried open the box to reveal the Count lying still, pale and unmoving as if he were asleep. Jonathan readied his own stake and Dr. Seward raised the knife in his uninjured arm, ready to strike. Both men brought down their weapons and a thud sounded through the area as they hit the bottom of the box. The wolves howling went quiet and everything was still for a moment. But when I looked back over, instead of the Count’s sickly body impaled and beheaded, there was nothing. An empty box.

My panic was most definitely visible on my face, and the other men whipped their heads side to side, desperately searching for any sign of the missing Count. Suddenly I felt a rush of air towards me and a horrible presence prickled at the back of my neck. I whirled around to see a looming, shadowy figure bearing down over Madam Mina with a disturbing smile. It remained still for just a moment, as if taunting me, and then descended onto her in a cloud of mist. I could see her expression melt into one of fear, then into one of pain. She grasped and clawed at her head, letting out a disturbingly animalistic screech before falling to her knees. Jonathan and Quincy rushed to her aid, and I followed closely after, but a flash of black crossed in front of me and I watched as Quincy crashed to the ground under the weight of an enormous wolf. More wolves appeared from behind the trees and rocks, encircling us. They began to move in slowly, bearing their teeth and growling.

Quincy managed to wound the wolf on top of him with his knife, and Jonathan, along with Mr. Morris had rushed to his aid, but it proved futile. The wolf was seemingly unaffected and swung around, knocking the two approaching men to the ground, then it dove down to bite at Quincy’s neck. He let out a cry of pain before slumping down, unmoving.

I heard another scream from Madam Mina, and I looked over to see the mist had cleared to reveal the Count standing behind her, his hands on the sides of her head. Her mouth strained open in a grimace, and I could see her teeth rapidly growing sharper. By now, all the light from the sunset had faded, leaving only the faint moonlight, and when the Count looked over at us with his wicked smile, his eyes seemed to shine red. Mr. Morris, Jonathan, Dr. Seward, and I all rushed at him, our weapons raised and ready, but he released Madam Mina and disappeared into the mist again. We looked around frantically, watching for where he would appear, and the wolves, who had stood threateningly, but passively by, suddenly lunged at us. Dr. Seward and Mr. Morris were knocked down, but Jonathan and I managed to avoid getting hit, only to have the wolves turn around, ready for another lunge. I tried to shoot at the wolf on Dr. Seward, only to have a wolf snatch the rifle from my hands.

The mist began to converge and the Count’s shadowy figure appeared again. He looked on like a spectator at an event as the wolves relentlessly attacked over, and over again. Dr. Seward lay still on the ground, his clothes soaked in red and I watched helplessly as another wolf bit at Mr. Morris. The same enormous beast that attacked Quincy was now trained on me, and it watched as I backed away, looking frantically for something to protect myself. It lunged at me once more, and this time I wasn’t able to get away, falling to the ground under its weight. It brought its snarling teeth inches from my face, and I braced, expecting to feel it sink its jaws into me, but it stopped as it was, keeping me immobile but not finishing me off.

I heard a single gunshot, and looked to see Jonathan pointing his pistol at the Count. The bullet passed through him as his middle faded briefly and then returned to normal. His expression curled into one of cruel amusement.

“Why, Jonathan. It’s wonderful to see you again, though I will say, this is not how I pictured us being reunited.”

Jonathan shot two more bullets before his pistol was empty, and they passed through the Count in the same manner as before. That only seemed to entertain the Count more. “I was very upset to find out you had escaped my castle after I provided you with so much hospitality. I think I’ll have to do something about that.”

The Count’s eyes flashed red but he didn’t move from his spot. Then there was a white flash and Madam Mina, who now looked deathly pale, the purity in her eyes long gone and replaced with emptiness, appeared behind Jonathan and sunk her teeth into his neck. He cried out in pain and the weight of Madam Mina bearing down on him made him sink to the ground.

The Count turned his attention to me, and I trembled under his gaze. Another flash of red passed through his eyes and the wolf holding me down plunged its jaws towards my shoulder. A searing pain ripped through me as I felt its teeth rip dig in, and in a last act of defiance, I stabbed at its eye with my stake. I made contact and it howled in pain, stumbling back just enough for me to escape from underneath it. All my companions lay motionless on the ground and the Count remained unharmed, watching delightedly as I retreated and stumbled into the forest, away from all the carnage.

7 November, early morning . — My heart aches for the friends I lost, but I suppose this was all my doing. I should’ve known my fragmented knowledge of what the Count is would not be enough. I should’ve known that five men would not be enough to defeat a being that has lived for centuries longer than I. It should have occurred to me that our plan was no match for an immortal monster. I will have the guilt of leading everyone to their horrible fates on my conscience for the rest of my life, though if my weakening energy and aching wound are any indication, that may not be very long. The night continues, covering the forest in darkness, and I’ve resigned myself to my fate. If the Count doesn’t track me down to bring about my end, my wound surely will.

If these are to be my last words, I would apologise to my friends for costing them their lives, and depriving them of their bright futures, and I would apologise to anyone who becomes a victim of the Count in the future, for not being able to rid the world of him. My sincerest apologies.

Nature

Chloe Joyce

The Clock Tower

Lauren Williams

Austin Coyle

Senior Year

and lately i’ve been feeling like a free balloon unmoored, dreaming he told me i will show you fear in a handful of dust and i will show you fear in a handful of paper shards and graphite splinters photos you can’t recognize and words you can’t remember writing all yellow with age time skipping skyward old world lifted from its roots and everything you know stuck to its time and place while you, still formed from sand are tossed to restless ocean.

-Lauren Williams

Gleaming Peaks

Joshika Selvaraj

Nubble Lighthouse

Anthony Ercolani

Nico Solimine

“Listen to the Leaves” Lauren WIlliams ‘22

Moonlight Sea

Joshika Selvaraj

“Breakfast”

Lauren Williams

Amanda Denney

The Battle Between the Sun and the Moon In the end, you and I are just the same

Although we stray so far apart

Come closer, and I will set you aflame This endless chase is not a fun game

Since when did I become your counterpart?

In the end, you and I are just the same It turns out that neither are to blame

And yet this blame I still impart

Come closer, and I will set you aflame I’ll say it now, I wish to reclaim

The time we split from the start

In the end, you and I are just the same They say that I’m the one they cannot tame

And that you are the light in a darkened heart

Come closer, I will set you aflame As soon as you come into sight I take aim

But even still we are too far apart

In the end, you and I are just the same

Come closer, I will set you aflame ~ Grace Mason

“But She Looked Back”

Lauren Williams

English or Shakespearean Sonnet Abbie Babich

A little flower lays on the wet ground It’s leaves are bouncing with tremendous joy Another happy flower she has found It’s the company she greatly enjoys.

The flower looks at her and gives a smile Her petals begin to glow like the sun A friend she hasn’t had in quite some while Perhaps this flower could be her true one The clouds soon begin to let out a cry The droplets are now beating upon her But suddenly it stops and she is dry She thinks “what happened for this to occur” She turns to the left and here’s what she sees Her new friend shading her with his big leaves

Austin Coyle

This is a picture of the Horsehead Nebula and the Orion Nebula.

This image is a mosaic of two separate images taken with my camera. The three stars on the left are Orion's Belt. Both nebulae are regions where new stars are forming. Both nebulae are around 1300-1400 light years away from the Solar System.

Lens: Rokinon 135mm f/2 Camera: ZWO ASI533mc Pro Mount: Sky Watcher HEQ5 Pro Each Panel is a stack of 2.5 minute exposures, with a total exposure time of an hour and a half.

Stacked and Processed in PixInsight.

Anthony Grankin

Nico Solimine

Catherine and Jest from Marissa Meyer's Heartless. Micron pen on paper. May 15, 2022.

Amanda Denney

Modern Sonnet

Elena Andersson

I knew that growing up would be so hard, Hell, they'd warn me for years, didn't disregard, But I'm halfway there, never been so scared, Thought that by this point I'd be more prepared,

Here I am, at fifteen, worrying I'll fail, Scared i'll be nothing at all makes me pale, What if I end up alone and depressed, This world is making me feel so supressed,

I might matter to no one, forgotten, All my old friendships and my loves, rotten, It's like all I was to them didn't matter, All the old memories, they're shattered.

In the end, it's up to you, forever, You truly know, they really loved you.

Srigouri Kondavadhani Srinath

Austin Coyle

Modern Sonnet

Sam Butler

A vision of a dark and twisted blue Or who knows what it is, you choose the hue They have left you now to move right along To the great wide sky to complete their song

“Please bring them back home” you plead endlessly When deep down there’s no truth you want to see The fear, the pain, the anger the hate It eats you up till you’re an empty plate

Why can’t they be here, right here by my side No I will not tell you how much I’ve cried My blank face smiles to show no pain In fear of confronting what shall remain

But with friends by my side and a kind pet I will get through this heavy moment yet

Italian Sonnet Heather Mixter Why do you always make me feel so stuck?

I try to chase the dark out of my mind, To bring back who I thought was truly kind.

Why do you always make me feel so stuck?

It seems I have drained down all my luck There is so little left for me to find, I truly did think that you were so kind.

But it never seemed that you gave a duck.

But I know it’s nothing you can decide.

But I do know that you have always tried.

But everything you do always reminds.

Other kids always said they felt great pride.

But towards you I only ever cried.

Because of you I only felt denied.

Based on Sean Baker's 2021 film Red Rocket

Nico Solimine

Portrait of Conan Gray by Tessa Kinney

Shower and a Shave

An Evening Sucker

A shower and a shave,

A neatly shaped hard candy plops in my mouth.

That reminds you of your childhood.

I’m kind of having a mellow evening,

Without warning,

Thinkin’ and overthinkin’,

Without care.

Not to an extreme degree.

The pathetic and lonely path you have paved

I realize that life forms naturally,

Shoots through your squishy cheeks

And fighting it is dumb.

And into the ramparts of your old, tired brain.

Things stack up like they want to.

Barely held up by desperate visions

It’s all a little clearer now.

Of art and happiness.

Man this candy is good.

(12/28/21)

(4/27/22)

-Nico Solimine

Useless Gifts

What do you make now A nest for the dying birds They don’t need it now They don’t care for your hard work Do not waste your time on this

-Sam Butler

Image by Chloe Joyce

-Nico Solimine

Portrait of Comic Artist Robert Crumb, by Nico Solimine

pain vs. hope a reverso by Amanda Denney March 4, 2022

nothing will ever change so I can’t keep believing that it will get better with time and my wounds will heal because I’ve seen firsthand, it’s not true. the world is a terrible place and it’s foolish to believe otherwise.

I have to tell myself nothing matters because it would mean that I don’t have to care it’s not true that nothing lasts forever because I know pain is stronger than hope

Now read the lines from bottom to top.

Sometimes I feel like I’m not truly me There’s such a big difference between her and I There’s always someone I want to be

I wish I could be her to some degree It does occasionally make me cry Sometimes I feel like I’m not truly me

I hate who I’ve become, and most would agree People may compliment me, I’ll always deny There’s always someone I want to be

He looks for a ten, but I’m like a three It seems like I’ll never get a guy Sometimes I feel like I’m not truly me

I’ll never be her, I’ll always be me I get it, I’m not as pleasing to the eye There’s always someone I want to be

Will the confidence grow, that we’ll have to see But for now, I still wonder why Sometimes I feel like I’m not truly me There’s always someone I want to be

~ Anonymous

Nicholas Solimine

Austin Coyle

Modern Sonnet

Grace Mason

For five whole years you’ve been there by my side Your gently curving wood and bow that slides Against the strings that make your voice surround Us both so I can only hear our sound When I was young I was afraid you’d wreck So gently did my hands curve round your neck But after all this time we’ve grown more close And noticed just how sturdy you can pose Minor and major you can sing with ease Curving in spirals from A down to G You’ve broken twice since we met long ago But even still you came back beautiful And so I’ll pray we’ll never be apart For now you have a place inside my heart

Image by Nico Solimine

Meaning

Ascension

His life used to have meaning.

He plunges into the slightly dimmed ascension,

He looks back at it,

Ignoring the rambling,

And wishes it would come back.

He has stabbed the meaning, And it won’t come back.

His life used to have meaning.

Enveloped in his usual cynicism.

There's nothing to it, No complexities.

Just an unsure mass of globes

He had a terrible purpose.

He sits in his greasy armchair, And watches his life burn.

That pulsate regularly.

(12/8/21)

(5/24/21)

Poems By Nico Solimine

Anthony Ercolani

Nico Solimine

Austin Coyle

I Hope For His Return Grace Mason Today I kind of lost my bumblebee I swear I closed his jar real tight last night But while I slept my bee managed to flee I know that he must be full of delight But now I worry if he’ll be alright For he has never been outside his jar And he has never had to fly by night I hope my bumblebee does not go far And buzz along to a stranger’s guitar Because that is what I would play for him But even still I never would debar My bumblebee to follow every whim So I’ll sit here and wait for his return And hope that I’m the one that he will yearn

Image by Takumi Keener

Takumi Keener

I live in a world of monsters today.

They scratch and bite and taunt along the way.

But I met an angel the other day.

They showed me a world free of corruption.

They taught me of angels from a long ago day.

I live in a world of monsters today.

We then filled the world with laughter and joy.

But the monsters not at all like our stay.

But I met an angel the other day

They took up arms and persecuted us.

We tried to reason and plead to see day.

I live in a world of monsters today.

The monsters did not care for our pleading.

They struck down my friend and left me to stay.

But I met an angel the other day.

Now I roam to teach others what she taught.

And now to find one that lived just like me.

I live in a world of monsters today.

But I met an angel the other day.

~ Aidan O’Brien

English Sonnet

Anonymous

As the clock ticks by, I wonder about All the time I spend, in here, all alone.

I do not like this stuff, without a doubt.

Isolation, I feel it in my bones.

But there is comfort in this solitude.

Something that I can’t get anywhere else.

Maybe my perspective has been turned askew.

But I feel some kind of warmth in myself.

Boredom is a curse we’re all forced to bear.

Boredom’s a part of life, like it or not.

Why avoid a feeling that’s always there and waste my time, which can not be back-bought?

Always take pride in your time spent empty.

You could be somewhere else and suffering.

Mariner’s Melody

He strolls upon the dock Over his shoulder, sea The waves and sunset clouds Shimmer in balmy brilliance Thin fingers grasp a book In worn-down leather bound, Old words from ancient minds He thumbs it absently, his eyes hold distant gaze upon clear sky Leans back against rust rail, Sea-mist and breeze brush by And whisper wistful thoughts By high-minded dolphins sent, Or worrying fish dispatched Small smile grows in his eyes Around him bustling beach-goers speed He hears the secrets of the deep Of oceanic plans and dreams The sole proprietor.

-Lauren Williams

Takumi Keener

Petrarchan (Italian) Sonnet Anonymous Sometimes I feel like I am all alone I may be different, but I am me Room full of people, yet no one can see I am here, I am me, and not unknown

With no one to listen, I feel like stone I wish my inner thoughts could be set free Maybe then, people will listen to me Sometimes I feel like I am all alone

I feel like I am silenced in a crowd No one wants to be friends and hear me speak Why should I be allowed to feel this way?

I think of my parents, would they be proud?

The silence in the room makes me feel weak Why should I be allowed to feel this way?

Nico Solimine

Ceiling at the Boston Opera House ~ Lauren Williams

lasts a free verse poem by Amanda Denney July 22, 2021 But maybe this isn’t the finale at all— I feel myself approaching the last of everything— last holidays, last lessons, last hugs before I go.

Even as I move into this new space, this new life, I’m leaving so many things behind.

I stand onstage, lights glaring down on me, and silently beg the conductor to hold this fermata

instead, a transition between one movement and another.

These lasts may return in other forms, echoes and variations of those firsts.

I can’t stand here at this crossroads forever, but I’ll carry my lasts and firsts with me.

They will be my guides to new roads, shaping the future ahead.

a little longer, slow the tempo a little more, so I can delay this last bow.

Time seems so long until it’s passed.

We wish for a faster tempo when we’re young, when we should instead cherish these moments that will be gone too soon.

As a child, I measured my life in firsts— first steps, first kisses, first drives as I moved along.

And if these are my lasts, I’ll make them last: transform them into timeless memories, laced into the fabric of my spirit that I will never be without.

“Sea Dog”

Lauren Williams

Trans Voices Anonymous

Your body is wrong, so life is a struggle you hear your name called, sometimes the pain doubles Can't stand your own voice due to how it sounds choose some new pronouns and spread it around you start to transition, but at what cost you still get misgendered and feel very lost. you go through this struggle, and feel it's in vain If you understand this, then you share our pain.

Fairies flying through the air Unicorns blessing children in the night Magic can be anywhere Elves trading in the square Sirens calling out of sight Fairies flying through the air Flowers waving in prayer Ocean waves are full of might Magic can be anywhere Fight the minotaur if you dare Griffins will be taking flight Fairies flying through the air Stars sparkling without care Friends together to reunite Magic can be anywhere Dragons are very rare But love is the best delight Fairies flying through the air Magic can be anywhere

~ Audrey Clayton

Austin Coyle

Nico Solimine

What can I say to set them free, Fleet fancies of formless mystique These curious ghosts who follow me?

The reverent movements of a soul While gazing at the velvet sea What can I say to set them free?

Where auroras gleam lavender Through thin-hewn willows, they will be These curious ghosts who follow me.

The shuffling of an inner crowd Searching for a reliquary What can I say to set them free?

In misted midnight woodlands deep They dance in light of candles three These curious ghosts who follow me.

Waiting in pews of parish hall Or laid by Wordsworth’s pleasant lea, What can I say to set them free, These curious ghosts who follow me?

~ Lauren WIlliams

For in the forest all is dark, The forest that hides all the animals in its shield And the difference in it is stark.

And miles away, a car in park The place it lays? A cool, bright field For in the forest all is dark.

And though we cannot see that spark The ladybugs and frogs will be healed, For in the forest all is dark.

And inside, there is a mark Of a long-told story, yet to be reared, And the difference in it is stark.

And in the trees, there is a lark, It's quiet flutter of wings, concealed And the difference in it is stark.

For the right way we have yet to embark And secrets not yet revealed, For in the forest all is dark And the difference in it is stark.

-

Audrey Nguyen-Whitehead

Austin Coyle

WWII Memorial Lauren Williams

My sunshine Anonymous A flower finally growing and wondering how to bloom The flower looking for the sunlight in a dark world It begs and forgives and longs for the suns everlasting love It finds comfort in the moonlight “I can feel the suns grace off the moon tonight” The flower stuck in the night looking for a time to flower in the daylight For it longs to be pulled out of the night For it has had one to many fights It yearns for the sunrise For it yearns to prise its pedals Sometimes it’s scared of the dark And sometimes it feels comfort in the shadows For he believes he’s the only flower that’s alone in the meadows One day the flower twists and turns with all its might hoping and wondering if it is his last endeavor When the flower thought that he was lost forever in never It felt the golden rays and sun beams And it glees and gleams with its pedals It flowers and sees the other flowers in the meadow The flower realizes that this meadow is Filled with life of others And blooms with the others For the flower now knows it’s no longer stuck in the forever never And in the meadows without its evil shadows Gleaming and beaming for the suns grace The flower no longer wonders why the shadows feel so cold and dark For the flower knows that the sun is right there in his heart

Nico Solimine

END