November Featured Writers Are Here!! Gobble 'em up!!

Don't forget to comment on at least three --- happy reading!!

Mrs. C

"Selfishness VS. Selflessness" by Sabrina R.

The line between selfishness and selflessness appears blurred at times.  Selfishness is considered wrong, but why is it wrong to want to succeed and appease one’s self-interest.  Selflessness is connected to kindness, but can easily be transformed into weakness.  There have been stories of selfish greedy leaders who have lost their souls and friends, stories of people who have been robbed of their potential greatness.  It is true, your damned if you do, damned if you don’t.  The dilemma between selfishness and selflessness has been present for centuries.  Which is the way to happiness, and which is the moral act.

            The act of being selfish has its perks, but it comes with a price.   Desire to be greater is allowed when being selfish.  When that desire is obtained one can feel self accomplished and on top of the world.  The problem is such success can sometimes only be obtained by being egoistic.  Egoism can isolate people and make them take blinded decisions.  The major problem with selfishness is that it only grows.  It grows until the person is no longer humane.  William H. Vanderbilt once said “The public be damned! I only care about my property.”  These words are evidence of how selfishness can blind and corrupt a person’s soul.

Selflessness is living for others without self-interest.  Living this way does not bring happiness.  Selflessness causes a loss in potential.  With a loss in potential a person can never reach greatness.  It is kind to think of others, but it is also good to care for oneself.  Thich Quang Duc’s suicide-protest is evidence that although selflessness can make a difference to others it can harm the selfless person.  People must care for themselves because other people are busy living their own lives.

            In moderation both acts can be accomplished, but the question is where does one end and the other begin.  One must be selfless because it comes from the heart.  When kindness to others comes from the heart, then it brings happiness to those receiving it and to those giving it.  Selfishness is a more complex act.  In many occasions trying to do something for oneself affects others negatively.  The problem is it’s impossible to please everyone.  The moderation is being happy, pleasing oneself by helping others.  One must be selfish and selfless depending on the situation.  The selfless should beware the selfish that take advantage, while the selfish should become more selfless.  Happiness is unreachable if one is weak or self-centered, there must be a middle ground.  

"The Deadly Cure" by Joel G.

Fifty meters from the Northern Shore, there appeared a rocky crag protruding from the calm sea. The clinking of a chisel against Lawrencium crystal broke the silence and rebounded off the hardened crystal walls of the partially filled cave. The aquamarine stone was very difficult to remove from the roof of the cave, but he needed it. According to the studies he had conducted on himself, the radioactive cells in his brain were about to reach his hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for safeguarding his memories, his most treasured possessions. According to his calculations, the radioactivity of the crystal would decay those cells into a form of heavy metal that wouldn’t harm him.

Satisfied with the results of his expedition, he smiled to himself as he approached his beat up Jeep.

As he reached for the door handle, he heard a taunting voice behind him say, “Good afternoon Professor Felkon.”

His body went numb.

“We were just wondering what a bookworm like you is doing out spelunking.”

Without turning around, the professor responded, “I was just out for a nature expedition.”

“Your gamma signature says otherwise,” retorted the government official.

                  […]

                  That was the last he remembered. The official had left him on the steps of his house, and after taking account of the recent events, he was suddenly aware of the throbbing in his head. The impact of the official’s gun on his neck had aggravated his already dismal situation. He thought about how the new regime had killed all his friends because they believed that the poor were the roots of their problems. Now the professor had to contend with his debilitating ailment, that each moment was getting closer to his hippocampus. In addition, he was the only one who knew about the ultra-gamma radiation that the Lawrencium emits and how to stop the radiation.

Spurred on by rage, he went to the local bazaar and scavenged electrical parts from an old cathode ray tube TV and a radio wave transceiver. He used these to fashion a device that would emit signal that acted as a human EMP, shutting down the human body momentarily.

                  As he approached the weapons facility where he knew that the Lawrencium crystal would be stored, he tried to formulate a plan in his head. However, he found this almost impossible because of the relentless throbbing in his head. He approached the gates.

                  “Sir, you are not allowed anywhere near this facility.”

                  Felkon responded by discharging two “human EMPs” with the whip of his wrist. The charges leveled the two guards and allowed Felkon to take their security passes and enter the premises. Four officials crumpled in the same manner after he walked through the lobby and into the elevator. As he clutched his head from the searing pain, he scanned the elevator directory and found the materials R&D sector. As he stepped off the elevator, he quickly found the storage unit, located the Lawrencium crystal, and collapsed under the unbearable pain, seeing spots. The lifesaving crystal slowly rolled out of his hand and out of his reach…

"A Story of Some Sort" by Ceasar F.

He couldn't see clearly. His vision was blurry thanks to that blow to the head. All he could
see were the flames eating all the homes in his father’s kingdom. “What’s going on,” he asked
himself. Everyone was screaming but the children’s screams were the worst. He felt as if sirens
were blowing right into his ear.
He was finally able to get his head straight and stand. His vision came back and he
couldn't believe what he saw. The castle was burning with fires that looked like hell. Everyone
was leaving, rushing towards the exit, but he had to find father.
He saw Daiki and ran towards him. “Where’s my father,” he asked.
“He still inside, getting the others out,” Daiki responded. Hikari started to run inside but
Daiki pulled him back.
“What do you think you’re doing? I can’t let you go in,” Daiki said.
“What if he needs my help. I can’t just leave father in there,” Hikari responded. “ I am to
protect you and not let any harm come to you as the kings guard. I can’t let you go especially
since we don't know whether the ones that caused this are still in there,” he said.
Hikari said, “ Then thats all the more the reason to go in and help him.” Hikari looked deep
into Daiki’s eyes and Daiki knew he was right.
“Fine… but take this.” Daiki tossed his sword to him. He saw that it was the Great Lizard
Elders sword. “I trust that you will use it properly.” Hikari nodded and ran in. Daiki saw Hikari
disappear into the flames.
Hikari was running as fast as he could but the flames weren't helping. Everything was
being engulfed by the flames. Hikari began to notice that these weren't any ordinary flames. They
burned brightly with real intensity that seemed to never stop until it engulfed everything.
He could hear the screams of the peoples pleads for help but all he cared for right now
was his father. He made it to the main chamber and saw his father. “Father,” he screamed out.
“Hikari get out of here now,” his father yelled.
The ceiling began to fall and hit Hikari. His father ran to him to help him. Hikari felt as if
there was a giant sitting on him. His father lifted the pieces off him one by one till he was free.
His father helped him up but the flames were everywhere. “We have to get out of here now,” said
his father.
“Who could do such a thing,” he asked his father.
“ You’re…” Hikari heard his father’s words cease and his father all of sudden became
heavy then plummeting to the ground. He saw a hole where his fathers heart should be. Hikari
turned around and saw something in the air on a cloud of flames but he couldn't quite see who it
was. Then he was finally able to find the image and saw that it was his brother, Natsuko.
“Na.. Natsuko,” Hikari asked
“ Why yes it’s me brother,” Natsuko responded.
“ What are you doing? Are the one causing all of this mayhem,” Hikari asked with furry.
“ Of course little brother. Don’t you like what I've done with the place. Much warmer than it
was before,” Natsuko said with a sinister grin on his face.
“Why,” Hikari asked.
Natsuko responded, “ I was bored so I wanted to see the extent of my powers, but you
should be more concerned with father. He doesn’t look to good.”
Hikari turned down to see his father on the floor now on top of a puddle of his own blood.
Hikari became engulfed with anger. He turned to Natsuko. “ You bastard,” Hikari screamed.
“Well that’s not very kind Hikari. You should be grateful that father had a painless death.
Now mother was not so fortunate,” Natsuko said bursting with laughter after.
“ I’m going to kill you,” said Hikari.
“Hey she had it coming. She was a whore anyways,” Natsuko said.
“Don’t talk like that about mother,” Hikari yelled.
“It’s true. She betrayed father on multiple occasions. I saw her and father knew about this
too but no. He wanted to keep the perfect fairy tale going so he forgave her. What a coward,”
Natsuko said with a sigh.
“Liar,” Hikari said.
Natsuko responded with, “ Oh no it’s true brother thats why they had to die. Now
everyone else were just mere casualties. I apologize.”
Hikari grasped the Great Lizard Elders Sword and pulled it out but Natsuko shot it out of
his hand with a great ball of fire.
“Well if it isn’t the Great Lizard Elders Sword. Silly brother you know it’s quite useless
without having any elemental powers such as myself.” Natsuko smiled rushed towards the
sword on his cloud and grabbed it. “ Lets see what it can do.” Natsuko glided towards Hikari
landing on top of him and impaling his gut. Hikari crashed to the floor blood spitting out of his
mouth as the hit the ground. Natsuko chuckled and heated the sword up with his powers. Hikari
could feel it getting hotter but then he felt a pain like he never had before. Natsuko was twisting
the blade and Hikari could feel his insides shred. Hikari let out a scream of terrible pain.
“STOP IT,” Hikari yelled at the top of his lungs and then all of a sudden Natsuko was
pushed off into the air landing on the ground. Natsuko had no clue what had just happened. He
looked towards were his brother was but saw that there was an aura of water surrounding Hikari.
Hikari pulled the blade out. The blood dripping off the edge.
“What is this? Since when do you have elemental powers,” Natsuko questioned loudly.
“Since right now,” Hikari responded.
Hikari felt great power and his wound began to heal. The water surrounded him not even
evaporating even with the flames around him. Natsuko couldn’t believe it.
“You don’t expect to fight me do you? I have much more experience than you do little
brother. You're no match for me,” said Natsuko.
“I might not be but I am your weakness so i don’t think it should take me much to defeat
you,” responded Hikari. Natsuko chuckled.
Hikari held the blade and began to use his powers with it. The blade cooled and had an
aura of water around it which then turned to ice the sharpest you'd ever see. The two brothers
faced each other. Both of them powering up with their elements surrounding them. They both
rushed towards each other and great explosion occurred that caused all the flames to extinguish
but with no sight of Hikari or Natsuko.

"The Good Life" by Jocelyn L.

According to the United Nations Children's Fund, more than 70 percent of almost 11 million child deaths every year are attributable to six causes: diarrhea, malaria, neonatal infection, pneumonia, preterm delivery, or lack of oxygen at birth. Some of the deaths occur from illnesses like measles, malaria or tetanus. Others result indirectly from marginalization, conflict and HIV/AIDS.  Malnutrition and the lack of safe water and sanitation contribute to half of all these children’s deaths. But disease isn’t inevitable, nor do children with these diseases need to die. We can be the change by donating to organizations such as the United Children’s Fund to stop these deaths from occurring.                                          

She was a pretty little girl six years of age who lived a good life.  She had an emaciated face that consisted of sunken cheeks and bulging eyes popping out of her head.  Her brittle unnourished bones showed through the folds of her skin. Her black hair was very thin from her untreated lice. She had a great tan; her skin tone two shades darker from the residue of dirt on her body. She had a beautiful smile only missing the top row of her teeth from the rotting cavities. She lived a good life.

She had wonderful pets: mosquitos and spiders. Sometimes she witnessed an appearance from a diseased rodent. She liked to play with her little girl toys: a broken beer bottle and a rusted razor blade knife.  If she was not playing with her toys, she often went and ran outside. The piercing rocks on the bottom of her feet made her run faster and afterwards only some bleeding.  She lived a good life.

Dinnertime was the best part of the day, a game. The game was called “will I eat today.” She went to the junkyard and found dried bone marrow or maggot infested apples. She usually wipes the maggots off the apple.  After all, maggots don’t really affect the taste. Many days there will be nothing to eat. Most cases she concludes she did not need anything. She then goes to the puddles of water left after the rain, and drinks bacterial water. To her, the water had a wonderful taste. She lived a good life.

She wore fashionable designer clothes. Her shirts were tattered with moth eaten holes and so were her pants, now shorts. During the wintertime she endured the harsh cold with only a dim fire to keep her warm.  Her shoes were open toed and open sole it felt as if she didn’t have any on at all. Her undergarments were the finest rags or old shirts found in the junk yard. She lived a good life.

She was fatherless and told that her father took a trip and would never return home. Her mother was pregnant for quite some time and finally bore her second daughter into the world. The baby was abnormally small and weak, but a pleasant sight to all. The little girl was elated she had a sister and was no longer alone. She had someone to play with now. She lived a good life.

 Two days later the little girl died in the afternoon of Malaria. She lived a good life. Now her sister will too. The cycle continues.

"Weekend in the Hamptons" by Erin N.

Hampton, Virginia is one of the most historical and beautiful city in the United States. It has stunning scenic view as it sits just off the coast of the Chesapeake Bay, and multiple historical military bases as well as national landmarks.
    I had been invited to visit Hampton University on behalf of a volleyball athletic scholarship that was extended towards myself on the weekend of October 10, 2013. Along for the trip were my mother and father as we boarded the seven hour flight at LAX. Being on a plane for seven hours allowed me eventually become overwhelmed with my emotions and thoughts. Will this school be everything I imagined or will I be disappointed? Will I fit in or feel out of place?
    As the day finally came around to visit the school I was filled with scattered emotions. We pulled up to the campus and had to unfortunately wait until escorted in. Hampton University is a private university that is closed off to public. Once we were clearly identified as guest we were permitted on the campus. Once on campus I was clearly able to identify the buildings from all the research I had done.The library stood long and tall with its six levels of books and research facilities, the cafeteria was alluring as it was three stories high with a view of the water and boats on the bay, The Emancipation Oak tree stood strong with its 130 plus years of history, the Convocation Center was charismatic and filled with the competitive atmosphere which all the athletes contributed, and the student centers were amusing and full of excitement with students relaxing and playing games for fun. All I could say is that the campus was beautiful and compelling!
    It finally came down to meeting the girls who I would be spending my time with for the next four years. I was nervous yet excited at same time. I walked into the into the locker room section of the convocation center and came face to face with the women’s volleyball locker door. I said, “ Here we go” and took a deep breath.I opened the door and came face to face with 14 different pairs of eyes all focused on me. Then I focused less on the eyes and more on the smiles that had arisen from all of their faces. The girls were very nice and very egger to get to know me. They had so many questions like where I was from, what position do I play, what’s my favorite food, and what hobbies I like to do. Our conversation was cut shorts because it was time for them practice and me to watch. As I was watching them I was astonished by the level of play at which these girls competed at, but hey I guess thats division one volleyball for ya! After practice we piled into some of the girl’s cars and went out to lunch. I loved the atmosphere the girls created for me. It was fun, humorous, and laid back. I seemed to bond more with the other California girls but I learned a lot from the international girls on the team. The international girls were from Czech Republic, Puerto Rico,Serbia, and Brazil. They taught me some of their language and international cheers. We then went to a football game and I really enjoyed the competitive atmosphere between the two teams. It was really cool how the school banded together to rally the team to win the game. Later that night we went and got dolled up for the Miguel and Big Sean concert that the school had put together. It was so much fun with all the dancing and laughing! I spent the night with two of the freshmen on the team in their dorms, and couldn’t sleep because of our intense Pretty Little Liars conversation. The next day was game day for the girls. I watched them warm up and smash the other team to get the victory and become one step closer to competing in the NCAA tournament.
    It was finally time to say goodbye to the girls and I honestly did not want to leave because I enjoyed my time so much. On the trip back home I reflected to myself at how I never thought I would ever even so come near Virginia, but I know its were i’m meant to be. While there I saw business majors fully dressed in suits and dresses, athletes working hard to win championship rings, cheerleaders spreading school spirit, journalist collaborating to make the next school magazine, school ambassadors working to make the school even better, navy rotc aligned perfectly in their marching lines, and lastly the student body coming together to make one big family. Visiting the school made me realize that the real world is coming quicker than I know it. In less than six month i'll be graduating and in seven ill be packing up and saying goodbye to loved ones to start preseason training. I learned that you must live life to fullest yet you must work hard to attain successfulness. At Hampton you must work hard if you want to succeed there are no exceptions.Hampton is nationally recognized university and although to some it may seem like nothing compared to bigger universities, to me its everything a place to get a higher education and do what I love to do free of charge, I can’t pass up the opportunity to attend.

"How to Create Your Own Unicorn" by Rebeca G.

Millions of people have been deceived. Dogs are not man’s best friend at all. As the wisest and most studied scholars know, unicorns are by far both mortal and immortal beings’ most esteemed companions. However, obtaining a unicorn can be the cause of insurmountable debt for some people; since they are rear and valuable creatures, they are exceedingly expensive even in Diagon alley located in London. Nevertheless, there is still hope for those of you who wish to have a unicorn of your own. If you follow my recipe perfectly, you will be able to create your own living, breathing unicorn.

First, you must make sure that you have the ingredients for this recipe available. The ingredients include: the rib of a horse (preferably that of a mustang), a teaspoon of a phoenix’s ashes, a pinch of pixie dust, food coloring (the color of your choice), a strand of elf hair, a cup of moonlight, sea foam from the mermaid’s cavern, a tablespoon of an unpolluted dream, and an ice cream cone dipped in holy water (I have found that an ice cream cone is the most accessible to humans).  If you desire to create a flying unicorn, be sure to include two owl feathers as well.

1.     Fill a cauldron halfway with water and a pinch of pixie dust. Whisper into the cauldron the words, “Audāx anima, beatus bestia, formella castus caballas”.

2.     Allow the water and pixie dust to come to boil.

3.     Add the horse rib and the strand of elf hair. Mix slowly until the concoction begins to smoke.

4.     Slowly add a teaspoon of phoenix ashes into the mixture along with the cup of moonlight.* Lower the fire and let the mixture simmer.

*Make sure you pour the moonlight into the cauldron quickly or it will dissolve back into the night sky.

5.     Feel free to add the food coloring of your choice (white and black are the most common colors).

If you have chosen to add wings to your unicorn, be sure to add the 2 owl feathers immediately after the food coloring. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.

6.     Pour the sea foam into the concoction as well as the unpolluted dream. Make sure that you get the entire dream into the concoction. Stir the contents thoroughly.

7.     Finally, include the cone dipped in holy water and be sure to cover the cauldron with a steel lid.

·      After 20 minutes, open the lid and distinguish the fire that heats up the cauldron. Whisper the desired name of your unicorn into the cauldron and stand as far away as possible from the mixture. Be sure to stand at a distance that still allows you to see the bubbling contents of the pot clearly.

·      Your unicorn should pop out of the cauldron immediately after you utter the words, “Nascor, crescō, halō, luceō. Audeō, dingus bestia”. (Make sure you are the first person your unicorn sees).

Enjoy your new creation! Remember that besides grass, your unicorn also requires an oompaloompa fruit, found in the Netherlands, in order to be as healthy as possible. Good Luck! I wish you the best with your new unicorn.

"The Quiet Man" by Rachael R.

The quiet man looked through the window, the window that sat on the side of a regular two story, suburban house. Inside he saw them, the smiling happy family that he saw everyday as he passed by walking from the bus station from work. He would stop, just for a moment or two, and look on inside feeling more empty than ever. There they sat cozy in their house laughing and smiling, joking, talking. Sometimes they were still at the dinner table by the time he came walking by, their conversations carrying them till the late hours of the night, sometimes they were sitting on the couch in the family room just beyond the kitchen watching movies or playing games. He wanted that, he wanted a family like that. Sometimes after he left the bus station, and started his lonely trek home o his small empty flat, he would pretend that he was walking to that house as if it were his. He pretended that it was his family that he was going to, he wanted, more than anything in the world to be able to walk in through that front door and smile, laugh, joke, talk, and eat with them. He wanted to say at the end of the meal, “Anyone up for a movie?” or, “Anyone want to play a game?” He wanted so badly for this life to be his but he knew it could never be. He knew it the moment he reached the house, the moment he looked in the window, sometimes he would forget this and when he looked in he remembered, “This isn’t my house, this isn’t my family… This isn’t my life.” Then, one dragging footstep at a time, he finished his walk home.
    Then there came a day when the quiet man no longer walked silently by to the house. There came a day when the seat he always occupied on the bus laid vacant. One day his work put an ad up saying that they were hiring. You see, the quiet man realized one day as he sat up in bed that the life he had led up to that point was no life at all. All in one big, life-changing moment, he realized it. He stood, looked around his small and empty flat and said to himself, “This isn’t my life.”

"Hiking at Sapphire Falls" by Michelle M.

Inspired by a true story.

It was a hot summer morning when friends hood rat Daniah, carefree Cherry, happy-go-lucky Misha, and J Dallas began their hike to Sapphire Falls. However, their excitement died down when the hike became sketchy because for almost two hours, all they saw was the same cliff on the left and rocky hills to the right. J Dallas mentioned that they go back as they didn’t seem to be on the right path. However, the girls were determined to finish what they had started. Luckily, a group of experienced hikers crossed their paths, and thus decided to follow them.

            After hiking through a rocky stream, they reached the top of the falls. Surrounded by the graffiti art and the waterfall, the scene was absolutely breathtaking. Wanting to go down the rocky waterslide, Daniah, Cherry and Misha made their way to the side of the waterfall, while J Dallas stayed behind with all their stuff. They grabbed on the rope and slowly pulled themselves through the water to reach the waterslide. The trio became slightly nervous as it was more dangerous than they had thought. However, the three “yolo’d” and just went for it. They slid down, to the ice-cold natural pool at the bottom.

However, as Misha swam to the ledge, she felt a sharp pain through her fingers. She then knew something went wrong and won’t be able to climb up to the cliff they came from. Trying to figure out how they’re to communicate with J Dallas, much time had passed. They tried screaming his name but the cliff was too high. So they told the people climbing back, to just tell him of the situation, and they would just meet him back in the car.

As they began their trip back, Daniah, Misha and Cherry reveled on the beauty of their surroundings. Still elated by the experience, the trio “stripped” themselves of all their worries and savored the solitude of each other’s company. They pondered on the great things they’ve been blessed with and to put it simply, they were having the time of their life.

Meanwhile, there was J Dallas. Separated from his friends, everything took a turn for the worse…literally. He was lost. He had gone on the wrong path and was now deep in the forest, with no one to be found. Then just as he was retracing his steps, a snake decides on accompanying him. Slowly making its way towards him, J Dallas grabbed a stick and began battling the cold-blooded creature. Struggling, he was able to stab and kill it. He then rushes off and searches for the right way back.

After a few hours of luxuriating in nature, or in J Dallas’ case, fighting for his life, they found themselves back to where they had parked. Relieved of their reconciliation, they began their drive back to civilization and acknowledged the wonderful blessing that had just been bestowed upon them. It was a blessing they’ll forever remember.

"stream of consciousness" by Serena J.

what am I doing, where am I going. Why do I ask myself this every day, why is this question always flowing; its tiring. Every day passes and I’m growing but I am lost and have no aspirations showing what am I doing where am I going! Where are my goals and what is my future I used to be so proud of knowing but I am undergoing such a peculiar shift in the endeavors of life I was once foregoing! I am slowing what am I doing where am I going! I’m plateauing and groaning as I am bestowing this tragic loss of overthrowing my troubles what am I doing where am I—  Here we go yo, here we go yo, so what’s so what’s so what’s the scenario! -- “but why did music just pop into my head?”

well stop drop shut ‘em down open up shop I remember what the heck my life is about! I love being in school I would never drop out! Marching band keeps me straight without a doubt!  This is my snap back to a proper mentality; 50 shades of practicality! I guess it takes the marching bandz a makin’ her dance to get rid of that other lurking personality because I’m winning! My future is bright and my fears are gone because this is just the beginning oh man I’m grinning! Is the room spinning! Have I been rapping?! Who am I and where am I goiNG WHO CARES BECAUSE I AM SOARING!

*checks time*

*3:47a.m.

“dangit, no wonder I’m always tired…”

"A Mermaid's Song" by Haley B.

Captain Charles Hansen was an adventurous man who only had one purpose in life, to sail the seven seas in search for the unknown treasures of the world. Captain Charles was definitely a risk taker willing to put himself and his crew in danger in order to achieve this purpose. So when news came to him that there was an undiscovered mysterious island off the coast of Australia that was said to have the Blood Diamond, Captain Charles was more than willing to make the journey. The Captain gathered his crew and set sail at once because he knew that the sacred Blood Diamond was the key to one of the greatest treasures of all everlasting immortality.

The crew and its Captain had sailed for 40 days and 40 nights until they finally reached their destination, the island was enclosed with an eerie amount of thick fog that blocked out the sun and left an ominously disturbing grey sky. The fearless Captain continued to maneuver the ship towards the islands shoreline while the crew members waited anxiously for what the island had in store. When the Captain and his crew were safely ashore, the Captain instructed “Split up! Search the entire island there is abundant treasure here and we will find it! I don’t care how long it takes. Search!!” The crew members split up into different groups leaving the Captain and two other men named Ray Becket and Jim Winchester to search the reefs along the island.

 On the reef there is a sweet disturbing scent in the air Captain Charles starts to feel a bit shaken. Suddenly there is movement in the water Ray turns toward the others and says “Did you see that there is something in the water, did you see it?!”  Jim replies with “Yeah, what was that?” The Captain with his curiosity walks towards the water, anxiously Ray says “Captain, wait you don’t know what’s in there.” Captain Charles ignores Ray and continues walking, when he gets closer to the water he starts to hear singing but it is only a whisper. The Captain stops abruptly and listens to the singing it is a soft womanly voice he is enchanted by it. Jim seeing that the Captain has stopped becomes worried and runs towards him Ray soon follows. “Captain what’s wrong” Jim says, but the Captain shushes Jim and says “Shh Listen! Listen!” Ray and Jim listen intently they also hear a soft woman’s voice singing they are also enchanted. While they are enchanted a beam of sunlight breaks through the fog and shines on a women emerging from the water. Ray, Jim, and The Captain watch in awe of this beautiful creature she is radiant with eyes as blue as the sea and hair as golden as the sun, a creature of the sea she had a glimmering fish tale instead of legs. Captured by her spell the creature ushers the men forward to join her in the water. 

"Infinite" by Jessica B

It was supposed to be like any other day. The two love birds had no idea that their lives would drastically change.

                  Upon entering a jewelry store, a necklace caught Madison’s eye. She commented on its beauty and how the heart entwining with the infinity sign displayed a touching message of everlasting love. Trent decided that he was going to buy her the necklace and asked the cashier to hold it as they made a trip to the bank.

They were holding hands and smiling at the baby in front of them in line when they heard a gun go off. Instinctively, they all crouched down on the floor and looked at the four men that had just entered the bank in fear. Madison stared at the guns that they held in their hands and felt her stomach sink in fear. The robbers separated the customers into two separate groups. Women and children went on one side and men on the other.

The men made them hand over all of their cell phones, purses, and personal belongings to ensure that the customers had no contact to the world outside of the bank. Five minutes later a phone went off. It belonged to the mother of the baby that the couple had been playing with earlier. Madison grabbed the phone quickly and then felt herself being pulled up by the hair.

“Is the phone yours?” the robber asked

Madison knew what she had to do. She felt it deep inside of her heart. She nodded.

                  She felt the gun hit her stomach and a loud sound go off. She fell to the floor, gasping for air. She watched as Trent flew from the other side of the room to her side.

“Don’t baby, don’t. Just hold on.” Trent pleaded

“I’m sorry. I had to. I couldn’t let them hurt her or the baby.” She replied

She looked at him, her eyes begging for forgiveness. She spoke to him with her eyes, telling him all he needed to know. She was sorry for leaving him. They both knew that she wouldn’t last much longer. They only had a few seconds.

“I know. I forgive you, love. You have nothing to be sorry for. I love you so much. I always will.”

 “Forever and always.” She uttered with her last breath.

Two weeks later

Trent went back to the jewelry store and bought the necklace that Madison had seen. It, along with the engagement ring he had bought her the week prior, now hang from the mirror in his bedroom. Every day he is reminded of the infinite love they had shared and the emptiness he now feels after losing her. In her memory, he lives his life as she would by putting others before himself and always trying to do the right thing. He loves her and misses her beyond what anyone could understand, but he holds on to the idea that one day he will be reunited with her.

"Six" by Jessica M.

I wish I was six again so I could enjoy the time I had with my friends. Ever since I moved I have been remorseful for not spending enough time with them. I always had “something better to do.” I miss my friends and when you move it’s like you have to start all over and meet new people. Back in kindergarten you could share crayons with someone and they would be your friend, but now I’m in high school and you are all alone. If no one wants to be your friend then you really are by yourself. You can meet lots of people, but when you don’t really know anyone, you don’t know who to trust.  There are so many fake people that I couldn’t even say I had a friend until maybe the second week of school.

I wish I was six again, so I could go back and change some things as I got older. As I was a kid a lot of people could say I was a “brat” and wanted everything, literally everything. I wasn’t the best behaved child and now that I am older I wish I wouldn’t have acted like I did.  My mom got me everything I wanted and still does. I just don’t think she knew how grateful I was for everything she did for me, even when she did not have to. My mom always had my back till this day. Since I was the first child, grandchild, and niece I had it pretty easy.  

I wish I was six again, so I could change the way I treated my siblings. I fought with my brothers and sisters a lot. We did not argue or discuss like regular people, we would fight like wrestlers. Not that bad, but it was pretty bad. Now I regret all that, because they are supposed to look up to me instead of fight with me. They see me as a joke and that is my fault. I just wish I could take back some of the horrific things I have said. I regret all the times I said those “I hate you” type of things to my little brother and sister. My siblings mean so much that I just wish they would have known as they were growing up.

What if I was nicer to my sister? Would she actually trust me? Would they have respect for me?  What if I never said those things that I said? What if I treated my brother differently? I have all these “what ifs” in the back in my head, which makes me think you know “what if I did this or that differently?” Now that I really sit and think about it, I’d go back and probably change mostly everything I have ever said or done. I am not happy with how I have been towards my siblings or most of my family. I feel like if I were to go back to when I was six, my life would turn out better.

"and that's the way the cookie crumbles" by Alexis C.

It was a rainy foggy morning in Neverland. She was watching the rain on her window fall from the roof top of her castle. She watched as each rain drop became bigger as another drop joined into it. Penelope was a 14 year old girl with long straight red hair, blue eyes as blue as the sky, and skin as white as snow. Penelope just wanted to be free her room. Her parents didn’t want to let her to the outside world. They claimed she was too delicate and that the outdoors. All her life she’s been in her room finding things to do like invent, learn several instruments and teaching herself how to read and write.

One day, while she was laying in her pink king sized bed and thought to herself “I wonder what the outside world is like.” She had a talk with her parents over dinner and asked for them to let her out of her caged up room. They refused and told her it would be deadly dangerous for her to go outside of the castle. She argued for a more reasonable answer on why they keep her locked up but they gave her the same answer. Penelope stomped upstairs furious. She went to her room and grabbed her journal. She began to plan a way to get out of what she called a “Dog Cage”. She decided with her silky bed sheets she’d use it as a rope. She tied the sheets to her bed legs then she climbed down. On her way down she started to cough. She felt her muscles tighten. Pieces of her hair started to fall off. In seconds she let go and landed on the grass below. She felt lost and scared in an environment she never been in. She went ballistic and hollered for help. She screamed as if she was running from a mass murderer. She looked up and finds her parents looking upon her from her bedroom window. She cries and begs for help. Her parents close her windows that she escaped from and continue on walking away from their helpless daughter. She didn’t know what to do next. Penelope walked to the front gate of her castle and begged for her parent’s forgiveness back. Her parents accepted her apology. She went back into her room and waited for the right moment to leave home.

The message in this story is to be patient.  Many teenagers try to leave home because they don’t agree with their parents rules. They think with one job they could survive on their own. They think they’re stable but as life goes by, the harder it gets for them. Eventually as time passes they can’t pay their rent, food, or bills. They come running home to their parents for their support. In order to become successful you need to make several sacrifices. As life goes on you will decide what path you will take and how successful you choose to be.

"The Goat" by Jade M.

Once upon a time a goat entered an abandoned building because he could smell a can of soup. He tried entering the building, but it needed two keys in order to open the door. The goat then had a problem, he couldn’t find the keys anywhere and his stomach was grumbling.  He decided to charge through the door and break it down. The first attempt he rammed right into the door and bounced back. The second try he ran back and charged the door. Success! The door broke down and he walked in. There was debris everywhere so the goat tried to diffuse it so he can find the can of soup. He walked through the building for about five minutes and finally he found it! It was his favorite soup, chicken noodle. He grabbed the chicken noodle soup circumspectly and tried eating it. But since he was very cumbersome he spilt about half the soup.  The goat heard a very strange noise. He then remembered it was abandoned and he had no idea why! He had to figure out how he would get out because all of the debris. Just as he remembered how he came in he ran into another dilemma. There was a breach right in the middle of the room that he needed to cross in order to leave. There was no way around it! Then because the building was so old it started crumbling down. Pieces of the roof were flying! He was running as fast as he could dodging each piece. Luckily a piece fell in the breach and got stuck so he could walk on that carefully to get to the other side. He ran all the way out through the area he had broken down the door at. He was still starving and hadn’t finished his soup yet. He drank his soup and enjoyed it. He then went back to were he lived and told all his friends about his adventure. It had gotten late and he was exhausted so he finally went to bed. He went to his room and layed down quickly dozing into a deep slumber.

"Untitled" by Haley T.

Note from Mrs. C:  I overlooked Haley's submission somehow and didn't get it uploaded with the rest of the October entries.  My apologies, Haley!!

Europe wasn’t a safe place anymore but luckily she wasn’t going to be there much longer. She quickly returned to her house and gathered her things, she knew the only way to survive was to get out and get out fast. The consequence of being caught or suspected of doing magic was death. The sun rose but brought no warmth the joy was gone, the day she and her family would travel to the new world, but instead she was alone as she boarded the boat. She found a spot near the bow next to a man she couldn’t recognize; she wasn’t excited for this journey anymore

The forest was still the one place she found comfort, so as soon as the ship docked she found her way to the forest. For days she roamed the forest, surviving off the fruit and water the land provided and eventually stumbles upon people living in the forest. She watches them from a far and notices them chanting in a strange language around a fire. As she got closer she realized they were performing a ritual of some kind, she moved closer until she felt someone grab her, she looked up to see one of the strangers behind her. The stranger speaks a strange language to her, confused she stares back in silence, the stranger then takes her to a man standing near the fire. The strangers push her down in front of the man, afraid of what could happen she closes her eyes and begins to chant the people fall silent. Realizing nothing has happened to her she opens her eyes to see the strangers staring behind her, she turns to see that their fire has grown to half the size of the trees. She stops chanting and the fire returns to its normal size, in awe of what they had just witness the people bow to her.

They took her in and taught her how to survive draw power from the elements instead of her emotions. The chief took her out to the large oak that their tribe considered holy and she healed a an animal they found wounded, as the animal stood to its feet, she saw a man she recognized from the boat, and as their eyes met he turned and ran toward the village. She followed the man trying to stop him, but when she finally caught up to him another man knocked her out. She awoke tied to a tree with a small pile of wood surrounding her in front of the townspeople. They yelled and accused her of witchcraft, and then split allowing a man carrying a torch through. As he got closer she began to scream for help, but they all stood by quietly she closed her eyes and chanted in here head, and when she opened her eyes they were gone, nowhere to be found. She managed to release herself and looked around and found no one.

October Featured Writers Are Here!

Enjoy!   (I did!!)

Note:  The weird white boxes on Kayla G's wonderful how-to article are all my fault.  I tried to get rid of them and they are tenacious little monsters.  My apologies, Kayla!

"How to Bake French Macarons" by Kayla G.

Likely, people do not know what French macarons are. Many identify them as the “pretty patty” desserts. Well, I would like to clear up all of the confusion. Macarons are French cookies made out of almonds and meringue. They are not called “macaroons”. Macaroons are coconut cookies. French macarons are simply made out of egg whites, sugar, powdered sugar, and almonds.

            For many people, macarons are difficult to bake (ex. Kristine Estrada). They take a lot of patience and effort to make. To be honest, the first time baking macarons will result in a flaw in some way. Macaron recipes online and in baking books are helpful, but most of the time, they do not address common mistakes with baking macarons. With my guidance, hopefully you will be able to bake them without a problem on your first time. (:

If you are actually considering using this guide for baking macarons, then please watch this video. You will find it beneficial because it gives you a visual on how to perform some of the needed tasks.      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L1zbAOQ3EI

Things You’ll Need:

Electric Mixer (hand mixers are fine as well)

2 large bowls (either metal, glass, or pyrex)

Food Processor or blender

Fine Sieve

Parchment Paper

Cookie sheets or any flat baking pan

Piping bag (Disposable or reusable) (No Ziplocs)

Ingredients:

Please be precise with your measurements. Every detail in the recipe is crucial! I had to learn the hard way.

2/3 cups almond meal or fine almond flour (Have no worries. I will teach you how to prepare them)

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

3 large egg whites

5 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Food coloring or Gel food coloring

-Gel food coloring can be found at Michael’s or Walmart at the cake section where Wilton products are found

Total Time Duration: Approximately 2 hours (for first timers, likely 3)

Directions:

For dry ingredients:

1. Sift 2/3 cups of almonds. To sift almonds, it would be easiest to use a food processor or blender to break down the almonds. If you want to avoid the brown outer shell of them, then you may use almond slivers, but it doesn’t make a difference in the recipe. Pour the grinded almonds into a fine sieve, and use and spoon to separate the almond flour from the almond chunks into the large bowl that is going to be used only for dry ingredients. When you’re done sifting, pour the fine almonds into a large bowl.
2. Sift 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar into the same bowl that the fine almonds are in. To sift powdered sugar, put the sugar into the cleaned out fine sieve, and let the sugar sprinkle its way into the bowl.
3. Gently mix the two ingredients. Do not press onto them, and do not mix quickly.

Beating the Egg Whites: Here, you will learn how to beat your egg whites until stiff with a mixer. Stiff egg whites are egg whites that look shiny and fluffy. They become larger in size when beaten because the mixer creates air in the egg whites.

1. In another large bowl, separate your egg whites from the yolk, and only leave the egg whites in the bowl. It is imperative that your egg whites do not have any bits of egg yolk or eggshells. If there are any bits, then start over and separate more eggs into another large bowl. The bowl has to be either glass, pyrex, or metal because any other type of bowl will not allow your egg whites to become stiff for the next step. If you use plastic or any other type of bowl, you are risking the chance of failed stiffened egg whites. Plastic bowls are known to attract grease and fats. Grease and fats prevent egg whites to become stiff.
2. With only 3 egg whites in the bowl, beat them with a mixer. As you are mixing the egg whites, you will notice them becoming foamy. At this point, gradually add the 5 tablespoons of granulated sugar as you are mixing the egg whites. Soon, you will notice your egg whites growing in size and creating peaks. They are meant to look fluffy and bigger than before. Stop mixing when the egg whites are stiff. To tell if they are stiff, do the bowl test. Flip your bowl upside down, and check if nothing moves at all. If nothing moves at all, then they are considered “stiff”. If they are still moving, then continue mixing and do the bowl test again. This is my favorite part of baking macarons! (:
3. Next, you can color your egg whites. If you are using food coloring, then only use a maximum of 3 drops.
   Warning: Food coloring does not provide the best color for macarons. It is better to use food gel.
   If you are using food gel, then only put a drop or two of it. Too many drops of food coloring or gel will ruin your macarons. This is because coloring is not part of the original recipe of French macarons. Typically, macarons get their colors from the ingredients used, such as the color green for green tea macarons. Do not worry about putting too little of coloring for the macarons because a little comes a long way!

Mixing the ingredients:

1. Now that you have two separate bowls of dry ingredients and wet ingredients, it is time to combine that two. Pour about 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl. Use the folding technique to mix the ingredients. Always be gentle with the ingredients. For help on the folding technique, go straight to 2:37 on the YouTube video link shown at the top of the guide.
2. When done mixing 1/3 of the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, repeat the process by first pouring another 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
3. Repeat the process with the remaining dry ingredients.

Baking the Macarons:

1. Align parchment paper on your cookie sheet or baking pan. Sadly, wax paper cannot do the job. I have learned from experience. You need parchment paper. If you have multiple cookie sheets or baking pans, then use them! Baking macarons take a while, so it would be best to fit as many sheets as possible in the oven to save your self some time. Do not forget to align all of the sheets or pans with parchment paper.
2. In a piping bag (a.k.a. pastry bag), disposable or reusable, twist the tip and place the bag into a cup that can stand strong. Using this method will help you at pouring your macaron batter into the piping bag. Do not use Ziploc bags because they for me are hard to work with. Using gallons bags are acceptable, but their shapes are not like real piping bags. It becomes messy and difficult to work with them.

   

   
   

   Macaron Batter

   WAIT for 30 minutes!

3. Pour the macaron batter into your bag.
4. Twist the open end of the bag, and untwist the tip. Make sure the bag has approximately a .4-inch tip.
5. Pipe out 1in. diameter sized macarons onto the parchment paper. It will take some practice getting used to piping out the batter. Make sure no cookies touch! If they do, then with your best ability remove them from the sheet.
6. After piping out the batter, grab the sheet or pan, and carefully bang it against the kitchen counter. Hitting the sheet on the counter will get the air bubbles out of the cookies.
7. To get rid of the peaks on the cookies, you can dip your finger in water, and gently tap the tips down. Do not put a lot of water on your finger. The water can ruin the macarons.
8. Leave the macarons out untouched for 30 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 280°F.
10. After 30 minutes, place the sheets into the oven. The macarons will remain in the oven for 15-18 minutes.
11. After the first three minutes on being in the oven, open the oven slightly for a few seconds to let the air out. This will allow excess humidity to exit the oven. Make sure you have a timer to keep track of time.
12. After 15 minutes of being in the oven, take the macarons out. Give them time to cool down.
13. Once they’re cool, gently remove the cookies from the parchment paper. They should not be difficult to remove. If they are still sticking to the sheet, then place them back in the oven for another 3-5 minutes.
14. When they’re removed from the paper, pair the cookies with those that fit well with each other in size.
15. For the filling, I find it easiest to use Nutella. It’s tasty, easy to use, and I am always too tired at this point of baking macarons to make my own filling. You can use any filling that you wish! There are many websites that show you how to make your own flavored fillings for macarons; however, that cannot be found here.

Thank you for reading this very long and descriptive guide on how to bake French macarons. I hope that this was very helpful, informative, and not boring for your interests!(:

Do not let this picture fool you! The colors are pretty, but only because they are filtered! Credit: @kisforkani This is what failure looks like! I put too much food coloring in this batch  These were supposed to be orange, but food coloring is not very strong. Instead, these ended up light brown. I decided to change it up, and I used blue butter cream frosting as the filling. You can fill your macarons with anything you like!(: