Canticles 2021 by The Catholic High School of Baltimore

Canticles 2021

Canticles Volume 21, Issue 1

Staff Student Editor

Meghan Triplett ‘21

Faculty Editor

Andrew Patrick

Artwork by: Isabella Cirincione ‘21 Bridget kruse ‘21 Gabriella Anthony ‘21 Jenna Lagoey ‘21 Emily Eberwein ‘21

Table of Contents Art

F.A.L.L.

Art

Nevermore’s Theory of Transience

Art

Great Aunt Miriam’s Bible

Art

Turning Over a New Leaf

Special Thanks to: MS. Emily Stasuk, English Department MS. Rebecca Mutz, VPA Department Dr. Barbara Nazelrod, President

F.A.L.L. By Cassidy Coleman ‘24

ell, it’s safe to say that I was not expecting this to happen today.

A shriek echoed through the building as I and a couple of almoststrangers dashed through an unknown hallway. “WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?” Forest shouted. “We can �igure that out later! How are we going to lose it?” Levi asked. “Maybe that room?” Forest said, pointing to an open door near the end of the hallway “There’s no one around there from what I can see.” “You know, that's how people die in those bad horror movies,” I added, “They walk into an unknown room, and then there’s some kind of trap.” “Well, if we don’t go in, we’ll die to whatever that thing was, and do you really want that, Alex?” Levi asked. “Good point.” We ran into the room and slammed the door shut. I quickly locked it and put a chair against the door. After that, we all collapsed onto the chairs scattered around the room “I think that’s the most I’ve ever run in my life,” Forest said, gasping for air. We were all silent for a minute, before I decided to speak up. “LISTEN UP!” I shouted. Levi jumped up at the sudden noise. “We may have only known each other for about 10 minutes, but I am putting all of my trust in you two. We can’t just spend this time doing nothing! We need to think of a plan, or at least �ind some answers, because-” Before I was able to �inish my heroic speech, the door handle started to move and I fell onto the �loor from fear. Then, there was a moment of silence. “... Phew, it-” The furniture around us started to shake, some pictures falling to the �loor and breaking. The shaking got worse, until the room felt like it was about to collapse. I knew that this was where we were going to die, until I saw something that I will never forget. A white, translucent spirit rose from the �loor. I instinctively closed my eyes

and heard a piercing scream, followed by a different scream, and then something less expected.

What should we call ourselves? Maybe take the �irst letters of each of our names and..”

“AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh my gosh, I got you all so good!” A voice yelled, “That was perfect!”

As Leo continued to talk, I could see Forest getting impatient. I looked at Levi, who was �inally starting to wake up.

If I hadn't hurt myself falling to the ground, I would still be convinced that this was a dream. After opening my eyes again, the ghost looked a lot less threatening.

“Well, why should we help you?” I asked Leo.

“Sorry, what?” I managed to say. “Hmm, I don’t think you all seemed to like that introduction. Let’s start over, shall we?” The ghost stepped closer, and shook each of our hands. “Hello, good evening, and- woah, he actually fainted? Hey, you, wake up!.. No? Alright then!”

“Why didn’t you say that earlier?!” Forest said, throwing the chair that was against the door across the room and running out. It wasn’t long before they came back screaming. They slammed the door shut, silently sitting back down.

“Hey, I think this guy probably has some answers,” I laughed before continuing, “Wait, were you that.. thing that was chasing us back there?”

“Let’s go together now, instead of running off on our own, shall we?” Leo asked.

“Oh goodness, no. That kind of scaring is not my style, as you can tell. What would you prefer to call me?”

“Hey, Levi, you ready to go back out there?”

“Can I call you, Leo?” I asked. I looked back at the others, noticing that Levi was still passed out. “Out of all of the names you could have chosen, you choose one of the leastthreatening?”

“What?” After quickly explaining everything to Levi, we all ran out into the main building again. However, it didn’t take us long to �ind the room that Leo mentioned.

“That’s my job,” I said, smiling.

“Here it is!” Leo said, as I opened the door to a room �illed with countless puzzles and locks, all connected to an iron cage with a small key in it.

Forest cleared his throat. “Hey, um, Leo? Do you know how we can get out of here?”

“Yeah, we might be here for a while but that’s nothing a team like us can’t accomplish!”

“Why? You all just got here! I thought you all would be stoked to have some adventure in your lives!”

If he weren’t a ghost, I’m convinced that Forest would have punched him by now.

“We didn’t even choose to come here! Why would we-”

We spent what felt like hours solving different puzzles: passcodes, riddles, crossword puzzles, sudoku puzzles. To take our minds off of the puzzles, we talked for a while. Forest told stories, Levi did stand-up comedy, and I explained the many random thoughts that live in the back of my mind. What surprised me the most was that Leo sang, and he was actually pretty good.

“Look, I’ll cut to the chase. I actually want to get out of here as well… You see, I was a human too, you know. Was he crying? “I’ve been trapped here for so long, ever since I was alive… I just wanted to get out of here! To live my life, to see the world.” He paused, and grabbed a tissue.

Leo then proceeded to immediately stop crying, throwing the unused tissue on the ground, “But now you guys can help me do that! We can get out of here together, since you don’t want to stay here either! We can be a group, a team!

“Well, let’s just say I know a room that will be of great interest to you. It may or may not have the key to the exit-”

However, after a while, we all started to get impatient. I glanced over at Leo, who was getting mad at… A rubix cube? “UGH, I can’t TAKE THIS! This multicolored cube is going to drive me INSANE!” He threw the rubix cube onto the ground and screamed. The volume of his yell shook the entire room. The key fell through the cage from the shaking. Leo stared at the key in shock.

“Where are you going?” I called out to them. “Hm.. Y’know, I feel like I should’ve �igured out that I could do this years ago, but-”

“I’m leaving. We have no reason to trust him anymore. Therefore, we have no reason to be around him anymore. Come on,” Forest said.

A blaring alarm immediately cut Leo off. Levi quickly grabbed the key and all four of us ran out of the room. The alarm was echoing throughout the entire building.

Levi tried to reason with him, “But, he-”

“Good work, Leo!” Forest said as they were running.

“I said come on,” Forest said. Levi quickly followed him. I looked back at Leo before running out, leaving Leo in the room alone.

“Good work? They’re going to kill me for this!.. Oh wait-” “Guys, there’s the exit!” Levi yelled. “I can’t believe it, we’re going to get out of here!” We reached the door. Levi was about to put the key in, before Leo spoke up. “Hey, I’m not sure what’s going to happen if someone alive opens this door. You know, security-wise. Maybe it’ll be best if I open it.” “Oh, sure!” Levi said. “Woah, wait, how can we trust you?” Forest asked. It’s true. Even though we just met each other, I trusted Levi and Forest more than Leo. “I just want to be safe about this. You guys seem really nice and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you all.” “I can understand that, however-” Levi quickly handed the key to Leo. He snatched the key before Levi could change his mind. Levi took a few steps back, holding his head. “Ugh.. What was that?!” Levi yelled. Before he could answer his question, Leo unlocked the door and turned around to slam it, keeping us inside. However, he was too late. As soon as he stepped outside, Leo started to fall. We all ran to the door to see what had happened. “Wait, stop!” Levi called out. We looked outside. The building that we’ve been trapped in was on a cliff and at the bottom was a pile of salt. We saw Leo look down and scream, immediately teleporting back into the house and falling hard to the ground. There was a second of silence before Leo got up and started to explain himself. “Um.. Listen, I’m sorry, I thought that-”

Forest started to leave the room.

Nevermore’s theory of Transience

By Grace Kamau ‘24

aven’s alarm rings on the side of her bed, causing her to abruptly wake up and crash onto the cold wooden �loors. Raven sends silent curses through her head as she wakes up to turn her alarm on her phone off. She looks at the screen which reads the date, March 21st, displayed at the top. Raven takes a deep breath. She knows it is her birthday, but it is the day she despises the most. This day commemorates the brutal murder of her parents 5 years ago, the day she was left alone. Raven’s breath begins to become ragged as she recalls the horrible memories that still haunt her dreams. The memory of having a great birthday party earlier that day with friends and family. Then the smell of smoke circulating in her room that night awaking her from her sleep. She recalls running into her parents’ room only to �ind them covered in blood on their bed. She walks near them seeing their lifeless eyes, causing a blood-curdling scream to erupt from her throat. She remembers the way the �ire scorched her skin as she ran as fast as her little legs could take her out of the house. She remembers being outside watching her beautiful 5-bedroom home in Baltimore, Maryland collapse with her parents inside. Raven is quickly snapped back to reality by Mrs. Jenkins’ voice coming from downstairs. Raven quickly heads to the bathroom to freshen up. As she approaches the mirror, she sees herself: tangled curls running down her brown face, big dark brown eyes, the faint scar on her right cheek, and her mother’s gold amulet. The amulet is the only thing she has left of her parents, so Raven never lets it leave her neck. Raven quickly takes off her pajamas, takes a shower, brushes her teeth, throws on an oversized t-shirt with sweatpants and her Nike running shoes. “Raven King, you need to get your butt down here before you miss your combat lessons,” Mrs. Jenkins hollered from downstairs. “I am coming down right now,” Raven replied hastily. Raven rushes down the stairs and quickly sits at the table and starts shoving her breakfast down her throat. Mrs. Jenkins comes by and places a light kiss on her forehead and whispers, “Happy Birthday, Raven”. “Thank you,” Raven replies with food in her mouth. Raven is incredibly grateful that Mrs. Jenkins took her in after her parents’ death, moving her to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Many members of her coven did not want her, which was shocking, since her parents were big

names and widely known in her coven. They turned their backs on her parents…they turned their backs on her. The feeling of hatred starts to circle inside Raven and causes her to stop eating. Raven has always wanted revenge for the person who caused her parents’ death. She has continuously asked her coven for help, but they always turn a deaf ear to her. That does not bother Raven because she knows that after turning 16, she can of�icially get certi�ied as a supernatural hunter, and go after her parents killers alone. She will get her certi�ication later today at the celebration party. Raven stands up from the table and quickly grabs her car keys hanging at the door. “Have a great day, Raven, and remember to go easy on your combat mentor. The last time I saw him he had nasty bruises you caused,” Mrs. Jenkins tells her. “Okay I’ll go easy on the guy. See you later before the celebration party!” Raven exclaimed. Then she rushes to her car, gets into the driver seat, and ignites the engine…

Across the world in London, England, Jake Delourne and his family are outside their private jet. Jake and his sister, Caroline, are forced to leave their home because of their father’s business, which most likely, involved him capturing some humans to be taken back to their court as servants. Being the Prince of the Night Court has granted Jake the power to blend in with the shadows. This power comes in handy and allows him to overhear conversations between his father and other people. Jake was sorry to leave the place where he grew up, the last place his mother and older sister were. It has been a decade since the massacre of supernatural beings, and death of his mother and older sister, Emily. However, while Jake has never forgotten them, Caroline was too young to clearly remember. Her ignorance of the pain of remembering them sometimes causes Jake to envy Caroline. After the incident, his father forbade anyone in their court to mention Jake’s mother and sister. Over the years, Jake has felt his father’s criticism of him growing harsher, turning to beatings. Jake bears scars on his back as proof of his father’s wrath. His father tells him this so that Jake can be a good king in the future. Jake feels no gratitude for this, but rather something else. It is very much like hate, so much that sometimes Jake dreams about his father gone… Jake is snapped back into reality by Caroline’s voice. “Jake, come on and get in here. You're walking as slow as a tortoise,” Caroline complains. “I’m coming, just had to take one more breath of the good old London air,” Jake replies. Jake watches as Caroline shakes her head and disappears in the luxurious plane. Jake then climbs up the stairs and enters the plane as well. He curses

his luck of having to sit across from his father. He sits down and looks at his father’s cold stare and dark, jaded, emerald eyes. Jake looks out the window knowing it is going to be a long �light and he might as well get comfy….

Back in Philadelphia it is nearing six in the evening, an hour before the celebration party. Raven is in her car rushing to get home, to have time to get ready. Raven had to stay late at her combat lessons to mop the �loors as punishment for being late in the morning. She parks her car in the driveway and hops out, running to the front door. Raven takes her keys and opens the door. She is greeted by darkness. She turns the light switch, but it seems to be broken. “Mrs. Jenkins, It's Raven… are you here?” Raven yells into the house. She closes the door and turns on her phone’s �lashlight as she ventures into the darkness. Raven is confused with Mrs. Jenkins’ mysterious absence from the house and the absence of light. As she walks up the stairs, she sees that Mrs. Jenkins’s room is lighted. Muf�led noises are coming from there. Raven removes the small knife she always keeps in her bra, a small weapon, but better than nothing. Raven runs to the doorway, appearing there in her �ighting stance. Raven is appalled by what she sees, Mrs. Jenkins tied to a chair and a knife at her throat. “Chief Jaren… how could you?” Raven says in disgust. “I know you are very confused, but this is the only way I know you will come with me,” Chief Jaren replies calmly. “Come with YOU!? I would have to be unconscious to do that. The rules of our coven says that no one is to cause harm to another. Yet here we are... Chief Jaren,” Raven says, “It is my right to do whatever I want to do to you, now that you've come to my house, my turf. I’ll let you know that I will show no mercy even if you are the chief of the coven.” “No, I don’t think you will, Ms. King,” Chief Jaren replies with a grin. Raven watches as the knife against Mrs. Jenkins throat is pressed deeper to her skin, causing blood to drip from her neck. She watches as fear pours out of Mrs. Jenkins’ irises. “Okay! Stop… just stop hurting her. I will do anything you want,” Raven says. “See, I knew we could come to an agreement, Ms. King. Now drop your weapon and head outside,” Chief Jaren replies with a slow voice. Raven does what she is told and heads out of the house with Chief Jaren, leaving Mrs. Jenkins inside. Out of nowhere, white cloth covers her mouth. She loses consciousness.

When she wakes up, Raven �inds herself in a mysterious van, tied up with cloth in her mouth. “Finally, you awken. I thought you’d be out the whole drive,” Chief Jaren says from the passenger seat. “I know that you're probably wondering why you're here and where we are going. Well, since we are never, ever going to see you again, I should tell you. Every year, a coven is selected to choose a child to sacri�ice to a boarding school of supernatural beings. It happened that after your birth, you were chosen to be the sacri�ice when you turn 16. Your annoying parents believed that they could run away with you. Well, you know what happened to them… Oh! Also, you should know your memory will be erased from everyone's mind in our coven. So, do not think for a second you can come back.”

“Hey, my name is Caroline Delourne and this brute over here is my brother Jake!” Caroline says cheerfully. Raven does not respond but nods her head. “This human hunter seems to be mute. I think it's better for you to run to mommy and daddy,” Jake tells Raven tauntingly.

Raven digests everything Chief Jaren has stated, as sadness, grief and anger mix together within her. Soon, she allows her emotions to engulf her, leaving her cold as ice…

Raven had enough of this. She grabbed her belongings and swiftly exited the cafeteria with all eyes on her. She �inds an empty classroom and decides to enter it so she can cool her nerves down. Raven knew it wouldn’t be smart to kill someone on her �irst day. Sitting on top of a desk, she �inds herself lost in her thoughts and is snapped back to reality by the sound of the door opening.

In New York City, Jake and Caroline are attending a supernatural boarding school. Jake and his sister have easily transitioned to their new environment. It is not a surprise to Jake that they are popular. However, he hangs out with the other students just for his sister’s sake. Jake is overprotective of her and this gets on Caroline’s nerves. Rumors of a human supernatural hunter sacri�ice getting transferred has caused Jake to be on his toes. The only thing that is not so bad about that school is that he and Caroline are reunited with a vampire childhood friend of theirs, named Malleri…

“Hey… I’m really sorry about my brother. He's always like that,” Caroline tells Raven. Raven does not respond, but quietly watches Caroline. “I know you probably don’t want to talk, so I’ll do the talking. Let me introduce myself. I am the princess of the Night Court of the Unseelie Kingdom. I love caramel salted ice cream. Lastly, I really hate �ighting and want to be friends with you,” Caroline says with a smile.

Raven has arrived at the school, relieved that Chief Jaren had the courtesy to pack her belongings before kidnapping her. Raven changed into the school uniform in the car, which consisted of a grey skirt, white shirt, and royal blue blazer with the school's logo. The boarding school physically resembles Hogwarts and has a werewolf headmaster, both enough to make Raven cringe. After Chief Jaren leaves, Raven waits in the front of�ice for her school guide, whose name is Malleri Hunes. After a while, a tall girl with blue eyes and light brown hair appears in front of Raven. She smiles, revealing long sharp fangs. “Hello Raven! My name is Malleri and I will be your guide of the school before you become comfortable with your surroundings. Let’s head to the cafeteria. You can sit with me and my friends for now,” she says with a smooth voice. Raven does not reply and just nods. When Raven enters the cafeteria, she is met with stares and snickers from other students. Some students look at her more as food than a hunter. This makes Raven’s stomach curl. She hates the way the supernatural beings acted. As she walks near a table, someone sticks out their leg causing her to

trip. It seems that Malleri didn’t hear her, as she continued walking. As other students laugh, Raven wishes that she could show them how deadly she really is. However, even Raven knows she wouldn’t stand a chance against more than a dozen supernatural beings. When she arrives at Malleri’s table, she is greeted by a short, petite, green-eyed and cherry blonde-haired girl. Her shoulder was draped by a boy with a de�ined face structure, a lean yet muscular body, dark curly auburn hair, and dark forest green eyes.

“Friends with me?! A supernatural hunter… why?” Raven questions Caroline. “Well… I was friends with a human slave back at my court. We had to keep our friendship secret, but she was the person other than my family I trusted. I know it is terrible how we treat you guys. It really makes me feel useless that I cannot do anything about that. So, I was hoping the least I can offer you is friendship,” Caroline softly replies. “Okay… we can be friends. Only because I do not �ind you threatening compared to the others,” Raven replies. Caroline smiles. Raven has never met a supernatural being like Caroline and was intrigued. She has never had a friend before, even at her coven. Raven thought it wouldn’t hurt to have something close to a friend, even though she may literally be the death of her. Raven is pulled from her thoughts by �ingers wrapped around her own. Giddy, Caroline drags her back to the cafeteria, hand in hand. She watches everyone in the cafeteria gaze at her and even receives a glare from Malleri. However, she doesn’t dwell on it. Raven starts wondering if being taken to this school was a bad thing or a fresh start… Over the few weeks Raven �inds herself not minding the company of Caroline, Jake, and Malleri. Even though every day she gets an occasional glare from others, including Malleri. Raven never lets this get to her and somehow

becomes more comfortable here then at her coven. As the weeks passed Raven also begins paying more attention to Jake. She forms butter�lies talking with him, captivated by his eyes, wanting to be around him.

she can do that Jake grabs her chin.

One day after classes, Raven comes across an abandoned creek located in the private forest grounds of the school. Raven sits down on a nearby log taking in the beautiful wildlife. She’s interrupted from her thoughts from a noise behind her, turning around she saw it was Jake.

Raven watches as he leans close to remove the leaf lodged in her curly Afro. Now they are so close that their faces are a few centimeters apart. Raven’s gaze slides from Jake’s hair to his soft pink lips. Jake �inds himself mimicking Raven’s gesture. Raven was not a girl who would wait for things to come to her. She would get them herself, a true hunter. Before Jake can move away from Raven, she grabs his shirt to crush her lips onto his. Raven starts moving her lips against Jake’s lips. At �irst, he didn't react, but after a few seconds he moved his lips against hers, too. The kiss is broken when Jake pulls them apart, staring at Raven with con�lict in his eyes and breathing hard. Before Jake can fully react to the kiss, Raven quickly stands up from the log and rushes back to her dorm.

“Oh, hi! Is this your spot? I can leave if you want,” Raven said nervously. “No, you can stay, I was just observing the grounds,” Jake replied. “You know you’re strange for a human hunter… you haven’t killed any supernatural yet.” “Well, I am technically not a supernatural hunter. I was going to be one on my birthday but... I got sent here,” Raven replies quietly. “Really? I thought that all sacri�ices made the choice to come here?” said Jake. “If being kidnapped against your own will, being erased from your coven’s memory, and your own parents killed by your own coven was a choice, I’m sure I would’ve declined,” Raven replied. Raven watched as Jake’s green eyes bore pity, something she hated. This was the reason Raven avoided talking about her past life with anyone, even Caroline. Raven turns her head only to �ind Jake sitting beside her on the log. Jake’s supernatural speed startles Raven and causes her to scoot away from him slightly. “Sorry, I forgot you humans are not used to unnatural speed. I am sorry about your parents. I did not know that your… coven would do that to their own. I, too, lost my sister and mother in the supernatural massacre,” Jake said facing toward the wildness. “Sorry for your loss. There is nothing I can do now… what are you looking at?” Raven asks. “I’m listening to the abyss of water… you probably can’t hear it but, I come here often to just listen to the water. It's at the edge of the forest, like about ten minutes from here. The sound of the water helps me calm down and recollect my thoughts,” Jake replies softly. “You got to show me that sometime, because it seems I won’t be leaving this place anytime soon,” Raven replies with a nervous chuckle. “I guess… you don’t seem too bad for a human hunter,” Jake replies with a grin. Raven is surprised by Jake’s comment, knowing that he has faced many tragedies caused by people like her. Raven then turns her head to look at Jake, only to be greeted by his green eyes on her. The intensity of his gaze makes Raven blush and quickly turn her head away from his eyes. However, before

“Wait… there is a leaf in your hair,” Jake tells Raven.

Later that night Raven cannot sleep. Raven starts second-guessing her actions. She was shocked that for the �irst time she let herself be led by her heart, instead of her brain. Raven could not imagine she would be one of those girls thinking about a guy as something more than a friend, and yet… After a while, Raven decides to go outside for a run. After exiting the dorm building Raven runs around the campus and passes two �igures in a dark alley corner. She stops and watches. As much as her eyes can allow her, she sees that the two �igures are having an argument. Then she sees one �igure pull out a knife, stab the other and run away into the darkness. Raven watches the other �igure fall and lie still on the hard ground. When she approaches the �igure, she is able to make out the features and recognizes the body. Raven's face contorts into shock as she drops to cradle the lifeless Caroline in her arms. Tears start streaming down at another person in her life taken from her. Raven picks up Caroline’s body and starts screaming for help around the campus. People start coming out of their buildings, wondering where the commotion is coming from. Raven calls them to help her, only to receive blank stares and gasps as the crowd recognizes the body she is carrying. Raven sees bodyguards with Jake in the crowd and runs to him. Jake watches as Raven runs to him, tear-eyed and stained with a lifeless Caroline in her hands. His worst nightmare coming true, he shuts down and his mind clouded with anger and the past. “Take her away and keep her in the worst cell you can �ind and let her starve,” Jake says. “Wait Jake… I know how this looks, but please hear me out-,” Raven says before being interrupted by the guards. The lifeless body of Caroline is yanked from Raven’s hands and she is thrown onto the ground to get handcuffed. Raven knows how this situation looks to

Jake and decides it wouldn’t be smart to provoke him at the moment. So, Raven allows the big men to take her away without much of a struggle. She has faith that when Jake calms down he will go to her and realize his misunderstanding. As Raven is taken away, Jake goes and takes up the body held by one of the guards. He looks around as the crowd watches. “I WANT EVERYONE GONE THIS INSTANT BEFORE I KILL ALL OF YOU!” Jake yells. The crowd disperses from the wrath of the Prince of the Night Court. Jake then turns back to his sister, the person he swore to protect, now dead. A tear rolls down his cheek and falls onto Caroline’s face. Jake can’t believe that he was blind to what Raven really was, a supernatural hunter. Jake pulls Caroline close and whispers, “I’m sorry.” As months pass, Raven’s hope that Jake will actually �ind out that she wasn’t the culprit dwindles. In the �irst couple days in her cell, she tried to use her intangibility powers, but realized the handcuffs had magical properties to prevent her from doing so. Day and night, Raven is continuously haunted by the sight of Caroline’s lifeless body in her arms. Over the months Raven has overheard the guards saying that after the horri�ic event Jake and his father went back to England, probably never to return. Being held in a rotten cell for many months is taking a toll on her physical and mental health. She can feel more bones than skin on her body and dirt on every surface of her as well. She sometimes �inds herself wishing she could escape her life and that she is truly alone in the world. Raven is snapped from her thoughts by a jingle of keys outside the cell door. She attempts to push herself further into the corner of the wall, hoping it will make her invisible. The guards outside her cell have sometimes found pleasure torturing her. The �irst few weeks in her stay she tried to be resilient, but was quick to �ind out the punishments for it weren't worth it. “Hey, the headmaster has allowed you to come with me to the forest to get some fresh air,” the guard says. Raven replies with a nod They make it out of the dungeons and head to the private secluded forest. Raven feels the refreshing sun and breeze on her skin. She tries to take everything in, not knowing when she’ll see the light again. This sad realization causes Raven’s mind to be �illed with evil thoughts of escaping her life. She remembers Jake saying there is a cliff right at the edge of the forest that leads to an abyss of water. “Sir could you please un-handcuff me for a moment, this might be the only time I will see the light and I want to feel free… you understand?” Raven says with a weak voice.

The guard hesitates, but feels pity for Raven and agrees to let her roam free for a while. As soon as he does this, Raven uses the last of her intangibility power to plunge her hand into the guard's heart. Then she retracts it with his heart in her hand and drops it. She watches the guard make gurgling sounds until there is silence. Raven closes his eyes, feeling guilty, but knowing this is her only chance to have her freedom. Raven quickly runs to the direction where she hears water from the abyss. Once she arrives, she quickly rushes to the edge only to stop hearing footsteps behind her. She turns around to see she is surrounded by several guards. “STAY BACK OR I WILL JUMP!” Raven yells at the guards closing near her…. Jake has returned back on campus after staying 6 months in England with his father. It is customary in Unseelie Culture to mourn for half a year as soon as the death has occurred. Jake knows that he has returned to end the life of his sister's killer, Raven. Jake has never forgotten their kiss, but knows his duty. When he enters his dorm room, he �inds Malleri on his bed scrolling through her phone. “Hey, you never called to tell me that you were coming back,” she replies with a grin. “Malleri, I’m not in the mood. Please leave me alone,” Jake replies. “Okay, I understand that you are going through a hard time. Heck, I would be mad if a supernatural hunter plunged a silver knife in my sister's chest,” Malleri replies as she continues to scroll through her phone. Jake stops moving and carefully takes in the words that come out of Malleri’s mouth. No one knew what knife was used to kill Caroline because it wasn’t found at the scene. The only person who would know would be the killer… Before Malleri can notice Jake’s face, she is being pinned to the wall. “You killed Caroline didn’t you,” Jake replies while putting more pressure on Malleri’s neck, but enough that she can speak. “Yes. I. Did. You know what, I probably wouldn’t have gotten away with it for all this time if you didn’t send Raven to the cells like she deserves,” Malleri replies with spite. “Why… why would you kill her? You were her best friend!” Jake yells into Malleri’s face. “Yes, but it seems after Raven’s arrival, my presence wasn’t needed. Yes, you may call me jealous, but I’ve loved you for so long and you couldn’t even see it. Then my best friend is being stolen from me by a mere supernatural hunter. We argued about this that night and... my emotions got the best of me,” Malleri replies with tears in her eyes.

Jake looks at her with disgust and with his supernatural strength, �lings her to the wall on the other side of his room. While Malleri is unconscious he calls the guards in to escort her to the cells. He would deal with her later. Now Jake needed to apologize to Raven for the pain he has caused her. When he arrives at the cells, he is informed that Raven is at the edge of a cliff, wanting to end her life. Jake’s heart shatters when he hears this, knowing that he has broken her to this point. He uses his supernatural speed to quickly arrive at where she is, only to �ind her being surrounded by guards. He tells the guards to stand down and takes in her appearance. Her eyes look hollow, her body bonier, and her spark gone. It's as if she is a shell of herself. Guilt washes over Jake knowing that he is the cause of her change. Jake tries to approach Raven, but is quickly stopped by the sound of her voice.

where they kissed. Jake acknowledges her death is his fault. He knows that he deserves the guilt on his conscience, but it doesn’t stop him from wishing not to be haunted by the memory of her ending her life. Sometimes Jake �inds himself wondering how life would be different if he had listened to her and believed her…

“STOP! Get away, all of you. Leave me. Let me do you all a favor and jump off this cliff in peace!” Raven says with tears blurring her vision. “Please… Raven I’m sorry I didn’t come back. I’m sorry for everything. Please give me a chance to �ix this… please don’t do this,” Jake pleads falling on to his knees. “Let me guess, Prince, you’ve �inally found out the truth. If only you trusted me, like I had trusted you. Do you know how it feels when you are isolated for months and framed for a murder? No one listening to you… someone you trust not listening to you? Let me tell you something, Jake. It kind of messes with a person’s head,” Raven replies sharply. “Over the past few months, I realized that I have nothing to live for, so who cares if I want to escape this wretched place called life? It's really sad to know I really thought I could’ve had somewhat of a normal life with friends and maybe love… Jake Delourne, you may have stolen my �irst kiss, my heart, and my trust. You will not steal my freedom,” Jake watches as Raven’s gaze never leaves him as she inches closer and closer to the end of the cliff. Raven �lashes a small smile to Jake as tears stream down her cheek… and jumps...splash. “NOOOOOOOOOO,” Jake shouts as she falls. Tears begin to trickle down Jake’s face. He has only shed tears for his mother, Emily, Caroline and now Raven. This time he knew he could’ve prevented this from happening, if he returned sooner. After a while the sadness in Jake transforms into anger that wants to be quenched. An evil smirk appears across his face when he thinks of Malleri. As Jake calls his men to escort him back to the cells, where Malleri’s torture will begin… Several months have passed since Raven’s death and Jake dealt with Malleri, sentencing her to the servitude in the mines of the night court in England for the rest of eternity. Even though she wasn’t killed, marks on her body prove she was nowhere near spared.

After Raven’s death, Jake often �inds himself wondering about the creek

Great Aunt Miriam’s Bible By Emily Trentalance ‘21

s Opal watched her sister’s casket be lowered into the ground, she thought of her Great Aunt Miriam’s Bible. It wasn’t an actual piece of holy text, although Opal and her twin Harriet had acted like it was. It was just a handwritten list inside an old black address book of superstitions detailing methods of warding off misfortune. If Miriam had bothered with any sort of organizational system instead of jotting down whatever came to mind, it could have been divided into three sections. Although Hattie had believed that the mystery stains and near illegible bits scribbled in the margins added a sort of charm, Opal always complained about the lack of a table of contents for the miscellaneous unlucky objects and locations to avoid, small rituals that would ensure protection from wickedness, and actions to abstain from at all costs. The book was the reason Opal consistently slept with a single left sock and three keys under her pillow and never went out in the rain without chewing gum. Opal lived by those superstitions, right down to the letter, just as her aunt had, to her parents’ irritation and Miriam’s delight. For �ifty years of her life Miriam de Vere Cole’s theories had fallen on the deaf, annoyed ears of her relatives until the birth of a pair of easily in�luenced twins at the turn of the century. In return for their paranoid suggestibility, Miriam had spoiled them endlessly, very much against the wishes of their mother and father, and continued to do so after her passing. In her will she left Opal and Hattie not only her Bible, but also her entire fortune. A piece of their great aunt’s advice had slipped Opal’s mind and now Hattie had paid the price. Her sister had crashed her car into a burning building moments before she was killed by a venomous spider that shot her with a revolver point blank. Opal’s �ingers �idgeted with the latch of her purse. Recalling her twin’s �inal moments appeared to be too much for Opal, as she shrugged her weeping mother’s arm off of her shoulder and walked as fast as she could in her black heels away from the de Vere Cole family plot.

Opal pulled herself into a more digni�ied position on the grass and opened the booklets with a gasp, too excited to be irked by the ridiculous aliases. “The passports!” “I smeared yours a bit and had to start over, so it took a little longer than expected, but they’re done,” Hattie said as she sat down beside her with a grin. Misery overcame the elation on Opal’s face. “I said I was sorry. I forgot dropping change around dahlias was bad luck.” “And I said I’m not accepting your apology. But at least now that’s been taken care of, as long as we don’t forget anything else and don’t spill our purses. Metaphorical or otherwise, we’ll be free from bad luck.” Hattie brushed the dirt off of her skirt as she rose. The action reminded Opal of the fact that their family was currently taking turns shoveling soil onto a wooden box. For the �irst time in the twenty six years Opal had lived, she questioned the morality and consequences of her actions outside of their effects on the fortunes of herself and her sister. Opal couldn’t think of any bad luck that could be caused by faking Hattie’s death, but she also struggled to remember any good omens from her aunt to justify doing it. The whole incident only arose because Hattie had gotten the idea for her and her twin to make some fortune of their own in a distillery in their basement. Opal blamed the police �inding their operation and beginning the search for whoever was in charge of it on a shattered plate Hattie had accidentally dropped, though Hattie thought the true culprit was Opal wearing a green hat on a Tuesday. Legalitywise though, Hattie had volunteered to shoulder all of the blame. Opal had no idea liquor was being made under her home’s �loorboards, as far as the authorities knew. She also was unaware of the anonymous letter the police had received suggesting that Hattie was the sole guilty party the day of her unfortunate demise.

Opal’s lip curled. “Harriet, I told you, I’m not taking part in this ‘code names’ foolishness.”

Opal checked her purse to make sure the insurance money was still there, alongside a sock, a small key ring, and a pack of grape �lavored gum, just in case, before the pair snuck out of the cemetery. A quartet of squirrels in front of the church, infamous harbingers of doom in that speci�ic number according to Aunt Miriam, prevented them from leaving through the gate, so they had to climb over the graveyard’s fence. Hattie was forced to remove a shoe since Aunt Miriam had warned against climbing a fence with both on. And Opal took off her heels before she followed her over, a precaution she had learned from experience instead of their aunt’s records. Opal couldn’t help but feel hopeful as her feet hit the ground outside of the graveyard.

She offered a hand for Hattie to pull her up, but her sister only placed a pair of pamphlets into her palm. “I was being serious. Harriet de Vere Cole is being buried right now. Calypso Woodhull is a traveling entrepreneur heading to Nuuk, Greenland, where she will be joined by her cousin and business

Though of course with their luck, the twins never actually made it to their destination, or even out of the state, before they were apprehended by the police for shoplifting from a drug store three blocks away from the cemetery, and later, for tax evasion and insurance fraud. As Opal awaited her trial in the

She glanced behind her to con�irm that none of her sister’s relatives or friends were following her and consequently tripped on the root of a wide willow tree, leaning on the back of which was Hattie. The popped collar of her coat and a pair of sunglasses formed her pathetic attempt to disguise herself.

associate Cassandra Moss.”

county jail, she cursed herself for failing to remember the simplest line of her great aunt’s Bible, “Bad luck will come to you if you help your twin sister fake her death in a �laming car crash spider murder to start a casino in Greenland with the life insurance money.”

Turning Over a New Leaf By Jessica Wescoat ‘24

soft breeze lazily �lew through the lush �ields of greenery. A warm, gentle sun released its merry rays upon the bright spring day. The forest accepted the friendly sun’s gesture, its creatures bustling with joy. Birds twittered with vigor and squirrels scurried through the mighty trees’ branches. A small stream babbled and teamed with �ish just below the �ield’s hill. Although the magni�icence of each individual creature was a marvel in itself, nothing could compare to the beauty laying in the �ield. There, in the center of the �ield, rest Lily, letting herself be coated in the sun. She relaxed peacefully, her �igure bejeweled with soft pinks and pale oranges. She was draped in warm colors, complimenting her eloquence. Lily watched the clouds slowly �loat above the landscape, taking in the beauty of the �ield she was in. It wasn’t every day that could be appreciated like this, so she thought it deserved some recognition. It seemed that everyone in the forest was satis�ied, except for one. Even though the day was magni�icent, the heart of Blade was much more solemn. The beauty of nature hardly appealed to him, not when he was so encompassed in his own personal thoughts. The chitter of the squirrels and talkative birds mocked him. He envied the forest and its inhabitants for their cheer. The birds and their songs, the bugs and their chirps, the stream and its gurgling. Even the trees seemed to be swaying in harmony with the breeze. He longed to be like them, with all their fascinating quirks and talents. Being around all of these wonderful beings only made Blade more disappointed with himself. It seemed everything but him had a purpose in the world around him, or was content living in it, at least. He watched Lily stare at the clouds and longed to be like her: tall, proud, and outgoing. She always spoke with con�idence and encouragement. Lily was considered to be a role model for many people she knew. When she would speak, everyone would listen to what she had to say.

or wisdom, but Blade was different. He actually paid attention to her own personal feelings and kept them private, so well that she trusted him with almost anything. Although he didn’t think much of it, it touched her to know someone truly attempted to get to know her for who she was, and not just as a �igure to look up to. “Hey, Blade.” The sweet voice of the Lily in question brought him out of his thoughts. “Come watch the clouds with me. They’re very pretty today.” Giving her a silent response, he wordlessly thanked her for distracting him from himself and looked at the clouds as well. A small, puffy piece of �luff drifted towards the horizon, just beyond the �ield. Blade sat there for some time, not realizing how much he enjoyed simply sitting there with Lily. Even though the two didn’t speak much, it felt great to relax and take a moment to notice his surroundings. Before long, the bright sun began to set, casting golden rays over the greenery. The white clouds were now painted with pinks and oranges from the setting sun and the sky a motley of reds and dark purples. Squirrels started to rush into the trees as they prepared for the night. The hoots from awakening owls replaced the soft chirps from tired �inches and sleepy starlings as the night was forming. The evening breeze blew chiller winds into the �ield as a sign of approaching dusk. The afternoon had passed by so fast to Blade that he hadn’t even noticed the change in day. “It’s getting late,” Lily commented, voicing what Blade was thinking. “The stars will be out soon.” Blade knew Lily’s favorite pastime was to stare at the stars, recognizing the excitement in her voice. The center of the �ield they were in, gave the perfect viewing point to stargaze, not blocked by the height of nearby trees or the disturbance of arti�icial lighting. Soon enough, the sun �inally went to rest and the moon awoke in its place. A dark shadow was cast over nature as the creatures of the night began to come to life. One by one, tiny white dots appeared in the sky above the two, until the whole night was �illed with twinkling balls of light. “Look at all of the stars out tonight! I think there are even more out than normal.” Lily was almost overwhelmed by how gorgeous the night sky looked. “Yeah,” Blade responded, not as interested as his friend. There was a brief pause between the two, Blade’s underwhelming response causing an awkward pause.

It amazed Blade how someone could receive such recognition: the praise that he craved. No matter how he tried, no acknowledgement was delivered to him. Although that might have been because Blade hadn’t really tried hard to make himself known all that much. It was already hard enough trying to please himself, much less trying to prove to others that he was con�ident.

“Is something bothering you?” Lily spoke, facing the bejeweled sky. It amazed him how easily she was able to read his mood, but he wasn't sure how he felt about having this conversation.

The only one who ever took appreciation in Blade’s presence was, surprisingly enough, Lily. She considered him to be her closest friend, unbeknownst to Blade. Everyone else only seemed to listen to her for advice

“You’ve been acting distant lately. It seems like you’re often spacing out and when you’re not, there’s a certain gloom about you.” His reaction was halted for a minute, knowing he couldn't just hide something like this from his only

“Why do you ask?” He hoped to avoid talking, at least for the moment.

friend, but he didn't want her to have to worry about someone like him. She was much too important for that. “Blade, please, talk to me. I promise I won’t tell anyone, if that’s what you’re worried about.” How thoughtful was she, to be concerned about his privacy. He hesitated once more, but now with less resistance. After debating in his mind what to do, Blade agreed to himself that it would be more bene�icial to tell her. He didn’t want his distance to harm their friendship in any way and maybe venting his feelings would actually be helpful. “A lot’s been on my mind, lately. About myself, actually,” he mumbled. “What about yourself?” she inquired. He waited a minute before fully letting himself rant. “Negative thoughts, mostly. It just seems I’m not worth anything, that I don’t stand out. There are millions just like me, with no de�inition or personality. It tears at me to know that if I were to die, the world would just pass me by, without even acknowledging me.” His voice began to crack as he spoke, not used to being this upfront about himself. “And I do try to push myself, to attempt to forget those thoughts and make a name for myself, but all is vain. I end up hating who I am for never pushing past my worries and instead trying to make a difference, but I can never muster the courage to do so. Besides, there appears to be nothing special about me. I feel, even if I did try to make myself known, I’d only be forgotten because of my bland personality. I’m restricted by my own thoughts, suffocated even. When I try to make an improvement with myself, it just seems impossible to �ind inner-peace. I feel I’ll never be satis�ied with just being me.’ ‘But, I imagine someone like you wouldn’t understand,” he �inished quickly, afraid of what she might say. The thought of her laughing at him or becoming angry morti�ied him. “You’re wrong, Blade.” Lily’s tone became quieter. “I know exactly what you’re going through.” It took him aback when she said this. He couldn't imagine how Lily could feel so insecure. She seemed so con�ident, so strong, that it wouldn't be right to imagine she was anything but that. “You do?” he asked, still shocked. “I wouldn't lie to you. I myself have my own problems to deal with, every day, if you can believe it,” Lilly responded. “How so?” Now he was intrigued, wanting to �igure out what could make her so vulnerable. “I worry all the time about myself, too. Anxiety is a terrible thing, and I’m horri�ied by the idea of that anxiety preventing me from being who I want to be.”

“But, you don’t seem anxious.” “Not anymore. But, when I was much younger, fear corrupted me. I was shy, never standing out among the crowd in fear of being laughed at, or ridiculed for who I was. I don’t even remember why. But, I felt so small, and so afraid in the world. “However, getting older made me realize how foolish I was to believe in that. I missed out on the beauty of life: friends, entertainment, acceptance of others, with no one to blame but myself. After this realization, I decided to make a change for the better. Later on, I became more con�ident in who I was, knowing that I couldn’t change what I’d been so self-conscious about. I began to embrace my insecurities, even poking fun at myself with new friends I’d made. Often, I regret my past mistakes of not pushing past my anxieties, now having an appreciation for the world around me and seeing what I failed to realize back then. “And upon meeting you, I see a younger version of myself. I see a scared, introverted soul trapped by his own fears. That’s why I’ve been worrying about you, I don’t want you to miss out on living. I want you to experience the wonders life has to offer. I won’t let you do that to yourself.” Blade was speechless, not knowing what to think. He had no idea she felt the same way he did and it was comforting to know that she understood. “I never knew, Lily.” “I know you didn’t. Because I portray myself so well, you assumed I have no problems, that I’m just perfect. Everyone else seems to think so, too.” Blade felt bad about his presumptions about her. It seemed even the proudest could still have weaknesses, something he never thought to be possible until now. “Thank you for telling me, Lily. I never would have guessed that you felt that way.” “No, thank you, Blade. I’ve always known something had been bothering you, but I could never get you to talk to me. It feels great to see you open up to me, for you to feel comfortable enough to discuss your feelings, as well as it did for me to share my own fears. I hope that what we’ve discussed means something to you.” “It did,” he answered, more quickly than he had responded before. A peaceful mood lay over the two as they fell quiet, still watching the stars. Blade hadn’t felt this happy in a long time and it was all thanks to Lily. After some time, he whispered “Thank you,” to her, watching a shooting star that danced across the sky. Things �inally began to feel better.

When the approaching dawn grew near, Blade noticed a thick mist had covered the ground, including himself. He loved the mist, and after the previous night’s conversation, he had a higher appreciation for it. A soft humming could be heard in the distance, the source of it unknown.

“I wonder what that could be?” Lily questioned, again stating what Blade was thinking, “It doesn't sound like a bird. It almost sounds like a child.” “A child?” Blade sounded shocked, not used to seeing people out in the �ield. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he saw someone out here. The voice became louder, now very clearly to be owned by a little girl. Other voices were now audible as well, these sounding to be of a man and a woman. “Is a whole family out here?” “It seems so, however strange it may be.” The two questioned the source of voices for some time, until their suspicions were revealed to be true. A small girl in a frilly pink dress came bouncing over a hill in the �ield, laughing and dancing to herself. Moments after, a mother and father appeared as well, holding hands and talking to themselves. The child approached them, running closer and closer. Terror surged through Lily, knowing what the child had in mind. “Blade,” she whispered with a frantic tone in her voice. Having not yet grasped the situation, he responded out of worry and confusion at the sudden change of tone, “What? What’s wrong?” Bewildered, he hadn’t yet understood what was going on, but hearing the fear in Lily’s voice allowed him to grasp that something was terribly wrong. “Please, remember the conversation we had. I’m sorry, Blade,” she spoke, her voice trembling. “Huh? What do you mean?” Soon enough, the girl had reached the two of them, a shocked expression over her face as her eyes fell upon Lily. Suddenly, a large smile appeared on her lips as she reached towards her. The girl’s little hands grabbed around Lily’s slender frame and began to pull on her. Everything Blade saw felt like it was in slow motion, as if it weren’t really happening. Lily screamed as a loud snap could be heard when the girl grabbed her. “Lily!” Blade cried as the child lifted her up, sap gushing from her broken body. He watched in horror, unable to prevent his only friend from being ripped away from him. He cried out to her limp �igure as Lily was carried away from him, the �inal moments that he would ever see her again. The girl ran up to her family, boasting about the amazing discovery she made. “Look, Mommy! Look at the pretty �lower I found.” “Wow, look at all those amazing colors. This is just what we needed!” Her mother grabbed her daughter’s hand, the three of them walking over the hill and discussing Lily’s beauty, as well as something about her body being perfect for whatever a bouquet was. Unbeknownst to them, she cried out in pain as the girl held tightly onto her.

Momentarily, the family left as abruptly as they had come, the faint cries of Lily becoming more and more distant, leaving Blade alone and in shock. Waiting there for a moment, he had to take in what just happened. It was all so sudden. One moment he and Lily were talking like normal, and the next, she was stolen from him and taken away, never to return.

He faced the remains of what Lily used to be, some of her stalk still protruding out of the ground. The lasting impression of her screams and the crunchy snap of her body still haunted him. Mourning, he cursed the child and her family for murdering his friend, for taking her away from him. It felt that as soon as things were getting better for him, happiness was ripped from his clutches and stomped upon. It felt unfair to have someone as pure and righteous as Lily to suffer such a horrid fate from Blade’s perspective. He didn’t understand why the girl would do something like that to her. Pondering over the injustice, he lay there confused and hurt without any resolution. For the rest of the day, he thought about Lily and the girl, and why he himself wasn’t killed. After hours of wondering, it �inally hit him. Lily was murdered for her appearance. It would make sense, since she was clearly more noticeable compared to him. Rather, everything else in the �ield appeared dull to her. She stood much higher than Blade and had all sorts of remarkable colors. That’s why he was spared and she wasn't. At �irst, Blade wasn’t sure about how to feel about his insigni�icance being the only reason he was currently alive. A bit of that familiar self-hate nestled into him again, but this time, it was different. It seemed the very things he loathed about himself actually saved him. If he were just like Lily, as he had always wanted, then he wouldn’t still be here. A new feeling surged through him, a much more positive one this time: con�idence. It was because of who he was that he lived on, which to Blade’s surprise made him feel proud of himself. Remembering Lily’s �inal wish to him, he then thought about the conversation they shared last night. By now, it had seemed so long ago, but he hadn’t forgotten what she’d told him. Finding out about Lily’s insecurities was more than relieving to him, but what really stuck with him was her regret of the past. She had said that she didn’t want Blade to make the same mistakes she did, by not pushing himself and letting anxiety consume him instead. It was Lily’s last request to him that he be strong for once, and to overcome his self-doubt. When she’d �irst told him that, it almost seemed impossible to change himself, but now, he was much more con�ident for his future. Blade took her death as a message to himself that even being who he was, small, insigni�icant, unde�inable, there were positive things about who he was meant to be. He’d never thought like that before and now, he felt he could actually experience life, and it was all thanks to Lily. He would never forget anything about his friend: her beauty, her wisdom, and even her unfortunate death. It was because of Lily that Blade was able to �inally accept himself, and actually be proud for once. Looking at the life around him, at the clouds, the �ish, the birds, the trees, he was able to understand why they were so positive: they had accepted themselves. And now, he could �inally join in their glee. He would honor Lily through his memories of her and how he would choose

to carry himself from then on. Self-deprecation would no longer bother him; Blade would continue to follow in her footsteps, later developing an appreciation for even the simplest of life, believing everything had a purpose. After all, even a single blade of grass can be worth something much greater than it seems.