"Man on the Moon" by Wine Jie L

“We can’t be friends anymore.” She tells me. “You can leave now.” Teary-eyed and shaking, she slams the door shut.

Looking down, a tear slowly escapes and trickles down my cheek. I don’t want to be alone. The tear escapes my skin and stains the concrete floor below me. What did I do wrong? Lifting my head, I turned away from the house in which I had created everlasting memories–memories that have painfully turned meaningless. Step by step, I began my journey home.

It was cold out. The chilly air hugged my pale skin, still moist with tears. Now that she’s gone, who have I got left? She was my best friend. We did everything together. I guess she grew tired of me. She found new friends to laugh and make new memories with. Our “never-ending” friendship was barely holding on and she decided to let go. Suddenly, I stopped. Gazing up at the luminescent stars and the gentle moon, I took the time to admire their presence. The moon and the stars are my only companions now. Even on the darkest nights, they’re always there to shine their light. My mind trailed off as I began to wonder what life was like up there. Are they alone? Do they know I’m here? Does a they even exist? Realizing how late it was becoming, I continued home.

~

After entering my undisturbed room, I changed into comfortable clothing and prepared for bed. I crawled into the homely sheets with my eyes swollen and my heart aching. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my telescope pointing out towards the uncertain night. Igniting my earlier curiosities, I slowly stepped out of bed and walked towards it. I wanted to see the moon again, as I do every other night. Squatting down and placing my right eye before the glass, I searched for the lustrous moon. After finding its location, I increase the magnification on the telescope. Something felt different. Something was different. There was something there, and not just some junk some astronauts left on the moon’s surface. I was in a trance, hypnotized with awe. It was a house. Why hadn’t I seen this before? Zooming in, I saw it was made of what appeared to be wood. Wood? From where? I continued to watch this house, my curiosity spiking.

Entranced by this finding, I persisted in watching through the telescope. The door slowly moves open as an older man makes his way out. He looks like one of us: a normal human being. What is going on? His hair is grey, and his age makes him seem fragile. He’s wearing a plaid button up and some blue jeans. He has no space suit. He’s holding a blue balloon as if it were his only friend. So that’s where those things go when they fly up. But how? I watch him walk over to a single chair near his house. He just sits, watching the world surrounding him. He’s alone. Does he know what it’s like to have company? How did he get up there? Is he even human? In a way, I empathize with him. He sits and admires the stars, just like I do. He’s alone, just like I am.

The man turns his head towards his house. He gradually rises and walks back inside, still gripping onto his blue balloon. I continued to watch. After a few minutes, the man walks out and this time, holding his very own telescope. He walks back to his chair and assembles the object. He points it to the direction of Earth. I watch him scan my world with fascination. I notice him smiling. Laughing. He looks down. A tear slowly escapes and trickles down his cheek. He doesn’t want to be alone. The tear slowly escapes his skin and stains the floor below him. I feel a sharp pang in my heart. I’m not alone at all–not like he is.

His telescope turns to face my direction. Realization hits. His eyes slowly widen and the corners of his mouth lift up to form a smile. He’s beaming. He sees me. I move my head to the side of my telescope and smile at him. He smiles back. I watch him as he smiles profusely, tears falling down his face. His hands slowly rise up to touch his rosy cheeks. Someone noticed him. I noticed him. He realizes he’s not alone.

~

Every night after that, I looked through my telescope to smile at the old man. It’s beautiful how something as little as a smile could brighten his day. He stopped walking around with his blue balloon but sometimes, I sent new balloons tied to small trinkets to keep him company. The crazy part? He actually received them. As time persisted, the man became more and more frail until he no longer appeared out of his small house. I cried that night. And the night after that. And the night after that.

The man on the moon was alone. He lived a life to himself, constantly wondering what was out there. He longed for company, until I came along. With losing my best friend, I gained an unforgettable friendship that made me realize that I truly wasn’t alone. I’ll continue to create new friendships since I’m fortunate enough to be here on this Earth, surrounded by love. I know that’s something he never got to experience in his life. I know that’s what he would want. I’ll never forget you, man on the moon.

"How to: Soul Food Mac and Cheese" by Avalon F

Macaroni and cheese. A people's favorite for parties and dinners. Plain mac and cheese is no longer an option with this Soul food Mac and cheese this is simple and easy. This portion can feed up to 8 people.

Ingredients:

1 lb elbow macaroni pasta uncooked
salt
water
½ cup half & half
½ tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp all purpose flour
8 oz cream cheese cubed

8 oz gouda cheese shredded
8 oz creamy havarti cheese shredded
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded
4 oz mozzarella cheese shredded
4 oz colby jack cheese shredded
1 tsp seasoning salt (Lawry’s)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika

Optional:

8 oz muenster cheese cubed ( extra cheesiness)

Steps:

1. Take a pot of water and pour the noodles in.
2. Season the pot with a little bit of salt and  to cook al dente. (Typically 5-7 minutes should be cooked but still with a bite to it)
3. After the noodles are cooked to al dente rinse them in cold water to remove the starch and drain in a strainer.
4. Grab a pan with high sides and add the butter until melted.
5. Add the flour and whisk
6. Add the cream cheese then incorporate the half and half.
7. Slowly add the havarti, gouda and muenster (optional).
8. Add all the spices into the cheese sauce.
9. Put the noodles back into the pot that they were cooked in.
10. Pour the cheese sauce onto the noodles and mix.
11. Grab a large dish and pour the mac and cheese into it.
12. Sprinkle a layer of cheddar, colby jack and mozzarella on top.
13. Bake into the oven at 350 for about an hour.
14. Enjoy your Soul food mac and cheese.

Tip: The top won't get brown so don’t over bake it.

This How to: Soul Mac and Cheese is a collaboration from my family and friends with my own personal twist. This has always made my mouth water just thinking about it and I hope you try this and enjoy it too. Happy Holidays.

“How To Make Nicaraguan Arroz de Leche” by Lauren W

My mom’s side of the family is from Nicaragua. Our family get-togethers always come with all kinds of tasty Nicaraguan dishes, which include a variety of appetizers, entrees, and desserts. A personal favorite of mine is a very delicious dessert called arroz de leche, which is rice pudding. If you’ve ever had rice pudding from the grocery store, it tastes pretty good, but it is nothing in comparison to this dish. I really enjoy making arroz de leche with my mother, aunt, and grandmother, because it’s a great way to bond with them, especially during all the stress of the holiday season. It is particularly special to me because I have an aunt who lives out of state and rarely can afford the plane ticket to come visit, but when I do get to spend time with her, we always make this dish.
In order to make twenty-four cups with eight ounces of pudding in each cup, you will need all of the following ingredients:
➢ Two cups of white rice
➢ Four sticks of cinnamon
➢ Three cans of evaporated milk (twelve ounces each)
➢ One and a half cans of condensed milk (fourteen ounces each) ➢ Three lime peels
➢ Four tablespoons of vanilla extract
➢ Two tablespoons of cornstarch
➢ One fourth of a cup of water

• ➢  Twelve mini boxes of raisins
  
• ➢  One container of ground cinnamon
  Follow these simple steps to make your own arroz de leche:
  

1. Boil all of the two cups rice in water. Do this until must of the water is absorbed by the
   rice. Continue this process for approximately half an hour. Keep adding more water to the pot every time you see that the majority of the existing water in the pot has been absorbed by the rice.
   
2. After you have done this, leave the rice to soak overnight. If you are making this recipe earlier in the day, leave the rice to soak for about eight to ten hours. This step is important because it allows the rice to soak up all the moisture. Do not be impatient with this step; you don’t want crunchy rice pudding!
   
3. Once you have left the rice to soak, add the four cinnamon sticks, three cans of evaporated milk, one and a half cans of condensed milk, four tablespoons of vanilla extract, and three lime peels to the pot of rice. Stir all of these ingredients constantly. You will know you can stop stirring when the ingredients are blended together very well and you do not see separations of the various liquids within the mixture.
   
4. When you are done stirring, take the four cinnamon sticks out. Sometimes it is difficult to find the cinnamon sticks within all the ingredients. You can use a large serving spoon or a similar utensil to search for them; run the spoon through the ingredients up and towards the edges of the pot to help the cinnamon sticks surface. If you really cannot find all four cinnamon sticks, don’t stress about it, because they will definitely come out later when
   

you are pouring the pudding into the individual cups since they are so much larger in size
than the rest of the ingredients.

5. Make a mixture of two tablespoons of cornstarch with one fourth of a cup of cold water.
   Proceed to add this cornstarch and water mixture to the pot of ingredients.
   
6. Remove the pot from the stove. Be careful not to spill!
   
7. Boil the twelve mini boxes of raisins in water. Do so until they are plump. You may not
   need all of the raisins; it depends how many raisins you would like to put on each cup of arroz de leche. Should you have extra raisins, there are many other Nicaraguan dishes which also use raisins, and they also make a great snack all by themselves.
   
8. Poor eight ounces of the rice mixture into each container.
   
9. Add as much ground cinnamon as you prefer along with a few raisins to the top of each
   container of arroz de leche. I tend to add just enough cinnamon that there is still the white colored rice pudding showing underneath the cinnamon. I usually put about five or six raisins on top, however, if you really enjoy raisins, you can certainly add more, or if you dislike raisins, you can opt to use fewer raisins or even none at all. Adding the cinnamon and raisins is one of the fun parts about making this dessert, because they serve not only as another source of the delicious taste, but also as a decorative touch to the whole dish.
   
10. Refrigerate all of the containers for at least one hour before eating.
    

Now you’re ready to eat! I hope you enjoy cooking, eating, and sharing this recipe of arroz de leche. It is a great dessert to try out around this time of year and share with all your family and friends should you attend any holiday gatherings. I even made arroz de leche with my mom for

one of my classes having a holiday potluck all the way back in elementary school. It really isn’t too difficult to make. While there is a long wait time when you allow the rice to soak in the water, the time that you must spend to actually prepare the dish is not very long at all. Thank you for taking interest in my recipe for arroz de leche; I hope you will find it easy to follow and that you will love this dish just as much as I do. Happy holidays!

"SoulMates" by Imani C

        

In the beginning, women, children of the earth, and men, children of the sun, were created with one body, four arms, four legs, and one head. On this one head were the two faces of an inseparable duo. This one body of the two mates contained one shared soul. However, the philosopher Plato believed that people became too strong in this form. They became extremely prideful beings and threatened the Gods and their power, by attempting to conquer them. The Gods considered destroying them with lightning, very similar to how they destroyed the Titans, but later decided against it- as the Gods still absolutely, and selfishly might I add, adored the gifts these humans bestowed upon them. So Zeus, being the brilliant problem solver he is, decided to split the beings in half as punishment- into two heads, two arms and two legs each, two separate bodies, and two separate souls. These two separate bodies would then wander the Earth in search of their other half. It is believed most couldn’t survive. They refused to socialize, refused to move, and even refused to eat. They felt as if something was missing, but the inability to find and make whole the unaccounted for drove them crazy. Thus, coins the term… Soulmates.

            In a world that thrives off of the idea of finding the eternal, it is kind of hard to ignore a story like this. We believe our soulmates are those whose hands fit into ours “like a missing puzzle piece”, or someone who picks up what we lack, or even someone who will love us unconditionally. While those aren’t wrong, I don’t believe it is the whole truth, either. I believe a soulmate is someone who uncovers a piece of you that not even your mother knew existed. I believe a soulmate can be someone who may not necessarily be your forever, but can be your fondest memory or even the most painful. What I mean by this is, a soulmate encourages spiritual, emotional, and mental growth. Not the stereotypical verbal affirmations like, “You can do this!” or “I think you’re great”... But the nitty gritty experiences. The ones that force you to take a step back and look at yourself through a brutally realistic lens and come to terms with aspects about yourself you purposefully neglect or hide away from others. We are able to uncover the truth because they reflect who we are. They reflect our strengths, our weaknesses, and our secrets. They are our spiritual mirror without an identical physical countenance.

            The only bummer is, some of us never find our soulmate. And if we do, we add layers of the unbreakable on top of our truths. We finds ways to run away from our growth because it isn’t always the most pleasant. And others of us forge the idea of our soulmate, forcing our way into one body, four arms, four legs, and one soul.

"Water" by Daryl B

            The gentle crash and recession of the waves lulled the boy into blissful sleep. That night, he dreamt of sailing on a vast expanse of blue. He dreamt of the sea rising and falling like the chest of some mystical, gargantuan creature. The powerful entity was benevolent; it provided the boy with sustenance from its depths and caused the rains that filled his cup. Even though the creature grew angry at times, and the child had to weather the storm, the creature cared for the boy with great affection. The boy loved the creature in return. He loved it for its comforting presence. He loved it for its general usefulness. But most of all, he loved it for its kindness.

            When the boy awoke, he lied in his bed in his cottage no more than a stroll from this magnificent creature. A sailor. A sailor is what he would be, spending his life as close to this beloved creature as possible. And with this resolved in his mind, the boy arose and went about his daily ritual. He filled a tall glass with water for himself and a bowl for his dog. Water provided the boy and his pet with life. He went out to the backyard and lightly sprinkled his mother’s garden with water. The boy filled a pot with raw rice and water and placed it in the cooker for his breakfast. Afterwards, the child took a leisurely walk to the shore and gazed out into the endless sheet of cerulean. It stretched out, limitless, elegant, beautiful. The boy was drawn to this creature. He took one step closer after another until the waves periodically rushed over his feet and graced his ankles. With a smile, the boy turned around and returned to the oceanside cottage, looking back to take in the glory of the expanse just once more. Water was the boy’s lifeblood. It was his companion and caretaker, and it talked to him when no others would.

            But it was this same substance that took everything from the child. It was water that had filled the lungs of his mother. It was water that had made her scream in agony as it flooded in even faster. And it was water that had made her body convulse as it prayed for some amount of air, for this oppressive being to simply go away. The same creature that occupied the boy’s happiest dreams razed all that the boy had come to love. He felt deceived. This monster cared about neither the existence of this child nor the life of his mother. It did not want to provide life for the people of the world, it simply just did. The monster could not care less about what lives it took. It treated every entity with an air of indifference that, to the boy, seemed arrogant and evil. And for this, the boy hated the monster. He abhorred it for its inherent evil and its use of its power. He hated himself for ever entrusting the monster with his devotion. How could he ever have loved such an awful being?

The funeral was held three days later. As the boy stood, his feet sinking into the damp earth, he stared at the gaping hole that was to be his mother’s eternal resting place. The sky was a dark grey as it rained down upon all of the attendees the same substance that had ripped the life from the boy’s mother. The rain fell upon the boy, who had not bothered to grab an umbrella. It collected in his sandy hair and pooled up until it had the weight to fall down his forehead and past his nose onto the ground. The boy was not aware of the other mourners beside him, telling him that they were sorry for his loss. It was as if the he was suspended in a pool of saltwater, floating in his thoughts. The only thing he was conscious of was the water that collected in his eyes and fell down his face, mocking him in his sorrow.

After that fateful day, the child avoided the beloved life giver turned monster. He refused to look at the behemoth 200 feet outside his door, but the monster was largely unaffected. He did not water his deceased mother’s garden as he had done before. The plants withered in the relentless heat of the sun as they cried for just a single drop. The bowls of water for the dog ceased to come. The whelp whined and whimpered as it too withered away until it was a dry husk. And the boy refused to drink any amount of water. He felt his body fail to work as it craved the substance that had destroyed everything. The boy was horrified, not because he was slowly dying, but because he realized that the monster was killing him even if it was nowhere near him. As he limped to the top of the cliff by his cottage, no tears stained his cheeks. He thought of his beloved mother as he embraced the monster and submitted himself to its eternal ebb and flow.

           

"Gumbo Recipe" by Alfred A

Winter has always been my favorite time of year ever since I was a child, but not only
because Christmas is on the way and the morning air is crisp and cool, but because my mom makes my favorite dish of all time. Gumbo is the first thing I think about towards the end of the year, with Christmas second of course. Gumbo is a Louisiana dish that is made of broth, seafood, meat, rice, and the “Holy Trinity” of vegetables (Celery, Bell pepper, and Onion). One of the best things about gumbo is that there is a large variety of ways to make it, the way you are about to learn is how my mom makes. Please enjoy.
Materials:

• ●  110qt.Pot
  
• ●  1 cast iron and 1 normal skillet
  
• ●  1 Large Onion
  
• ●  1 Large Celery
  
• ●  1 Large Bell pepper
  
• ●  4 Garlic Cloves
  
• ●  Flour
  
• ●  Oil
  
• ●  8 Hotlinks
  
• ●  15 Chicken Wings
  
• ●  1 pack Dry Shrimp
  
• ●  8-10 cups of water
  
• ●  1 1⁄2 pound Shrimp
  
• ●  Chicken bouillon
  
• ●  Rice
  
• ●  Optional: Crab
  
• ●  Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Poultry seasonings, Garlic powder, Onion powder,
  seasoning salt, ground sage, Celery seasoning, Paprika, Cayenne pepper
  Notes: This can feed about 6 people. At some point through this make some rice to have at the end.
  Steps:
  

1. Chop up onion, bell pepper, garlic, celery, and throw it into the 10qt. pot, then cook it down till all the water is out of the vegetables.
   
2. In the cast iron skillet add 3⁄4 cups flour and 3⁄4 cups oil, and cook down till the mix is dark, Continuously stir or the roux will burn.
   
3. Then add the roux to the vegetables and stir (should be kinda gummy), Fill the pot with water, then stir till the vegetables separate.
   
4. Add all the seasoning, and dry shrimp to the pot. 1 tablespoon of each seasoning except the chicken bouillon which is 2-3 tablespoons and the Cayenne pepper which is 1 teaspoon. Stir then taste after 10 mins.
   
5. Cut up the hot links into disks and add to a seperate skillet. Fry till they are brown then add them to the pot.
   

6. Bring the pot to a boil and let everything cook down for about an hour so everything can marry.
   
7. Add the chicken and cook for another 30 mins. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. The water level would have lowered alot by now if you want more broth you can add more water but you will need to also add more seasoning.
   
8. Add shrimp and crab(optional) cook for 20 mins
   The end product should be a nice bowl of steaming gumbo over rice, if you want the
   

gumbo to be thicker you can add some gumbo file. Gumbo makes for a superb winter dish or anytime of the year really, I just get it during winter. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to make Gumbo, and if you were able to make please do tell me how it was. Thank you very much for reading this and have a great day!
By Alfred Antee

"Michael Tasker" by Chiquitita A

“Is this person based on someone close to you? The way you portray him in your book just seems so realistic."
I laughed at how baffled my publisher was. What can I say? My imagination can run wild.
His name is Michael Tasker. He was born on the morning of July 20, 1992. His hair is jet black and his eyes as deep as the sea. With a height of 178 cm, he weighs 158 lbs of strength and muscle. He’s the perfect criminal. His evil mind hidden by his good looks. He's wanted for the attempted murder of a college student named Arleen. Arleen’s unplanned escape leads to the dark fate of an unsuspecting victim. It’s a very dark story and the ending is still a work in progress, but my publisher seems to like the first few chapters.
I left the office with pride. The streets became brighter as I let my happiness show with smiles and small jumps. My small parade failed to give me notice of a figure walking straight towards me.
“I’m sorry.” said the stranger. He looks familiar.
“This might be a little weird, but you look like a character in my book.” How embarrassing. Did I just say that out loud? He laughed as we stared at each other for what seemed like minutes.
"Michael," he said. My mind was blank, but I managed to give him my name. He led a small talk, and I tried to keep up even though my mind was filled with millions of questions. This isn't possible. Michael Tasker is not real.
I arrived at home just as the sun was setting. The sky was a hue of pink and orange. The sun nestled between two houses. “This view is going on my Instagram,” I thought to myself. I pulled my phone out, and just as I was about to press the button, a person went inside the frame. It was Michael. He waved at me and stood in front of the newly purchased house. What a coincidence. I waved half-heartedly, still left confused of our little encounter, and went inside my home.
I turned the radio on as I organize my manuscript. As I was looking over my writing, I heard a scream coming from outside.
“AAAHH.”
I dashed toward the window and twisted the shades. I saw someone running down the street with tears running down her smeared makeup. It was a young girl. She wore a necklace that held the letter A. I ran outside and tried to talk to her.
“Is everything okay?” I said. Her eyes, which were covered in fear, didn’t even glance at me. Where did she come from? I looked around and saw the door of Michael’s new house left ajar. Blinded by my curiosity, I walked towards him. When I reached his door, I hesitated.
“On three. One. Two. Three.” His door swung open even before I lifted my hands. The scent of bleach and metal greeted me. Michael stood there with his hair slicked back with sweat and his mouth curved into a smile. What was I going to say? No words came out of my mouth. The smell suffocated me. Why am I having deja vu?
"You just missed Arleen."

"I Saw Him" by Carianne L.

I couldn’t fall asleep that night. I mean, which kid wasn’t able to fall asleep on the night of Christmas Eve? Certainly no kids that I knew when I was younger. I was about 6 years old at the time, still full of childhood naivety and wonder. Of course I still believed in certain holiday figures such as the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy (although, I don’t know how much she counts as a “holiday figure”), with my favorite being the jolly old Santa Claus. Going back to that night, it was around 1:30am and I still hadn’t fallen asleep yet. As much as my eager young self wanted to sneak downstairs and see if Santa had come yet, I knew that if I crept out of bed, my parents would surely hear me and give me a good scolding for waking them up. So instead, I drearily tried to fall back asleep and wait until morning. But then I heard it. A loud “thud” coming from downstairs. My heart was racing, and I knew in my heart that it could be only one thing: Santa Claus.

I raced down the stairs as quickly as I could, as to not wake my parents nor my baby brother, whose incessant cries would most definitely alert Santa Claus that someone was awake in the house. Once I got to the bottom of the stairs, I froze. I saw him. Well, I saw something behind our Christmas tree, although I couldn’t quite tell what. I tried sneaking towards the tree closer, as to get a better look at my holiday hero. But then I noticed something... off about the creature whom I believed to be Santa Claus. This...thing was almost as tall as our tree was. Now, with average Christmas trees that are around 5-6ft in height, this fact wouldn’t be so abnormal. However, my family were Christmas fanatics, so we had scoured as many tree farms as we could to find a tree that was 8ft tall. As I crept closer to the tree, I started to notice other peculiar things about the Santa Claus impersonator. He...it... was thin, like, incredibly thin. This thing was nowhere NEAR as large as the Santa Claus’s that are normally portrayed in the media. As I tried to get a better look at whatever this was, I accidentally kicked one of the boxes that was left on the floor, making a quiet, but noticeable “thud”. Whatever it was, its neck snapped immediately in my direction, and that’s when I got a good look at its face. It wasn’t human, definitely not. Its eyes were sunken in and blood red, and loose strands of grey, ragged hair fell lifelessly across its cold, twisted face. I had no idea what this was, but it seemed like something out of a nightmare. This cold, haunting creature slowly made its way towards me, like a doll being dragged by a child. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, but I had no voice to do so. Once it got almost 6-inches in front of me, it looked me dead in the eyes, brought a ragged claw up to its mouth, and whispered, “Shhhhhhh.” In almost an instant after that, the creature was gone. Up the chimney it went, like your typical Santa Claus. I was left in total shock, unable to move. And then I woke up.

‘Thank goodness,’ I thought to myself, ‘It was just a dream.’ I looked at my alarm clock. 7am. My parents and my brother should be up by now. I ran down the stairs as fast as I could to see my entire family sitting on the couch waiting for me to wake up. “Good morning Nathan,” said my dad, “Merry Christmas!” I quickly put that horrible dream aside and began to open my presents. Everything seemed like a normal, happy Christmas morning. However, I noticed one thing that was pretty peculiar: the long, chiseled scratch marks by the opening of the chimney that hadn’t been there the day before...

"Should’ve Stayed Home and Studied" by Ty K

            “Shit.”

            She knew this was it. It was towering over her, its blade-like limb speeding toward her neck. Everything began to move in slow motion, and the events of the evening played over one last time in her mind.

            It wasn’t totally Lena’s fault that it would end like this. She recalled how her mother had pressed her to spend her Saturday like a “normal” teenager.

            “Sweetie, I understand that your finals are coming up, but don’t you think you’ve spent enough time studying?” her mother inquired.

            “There isn’t really an ‘enough’ point with studying.” replied Lena, her head buried in a chemistry textbook.

            “Sure, but I really feel like you need a break. You’ve been working too hard for the past couple of weeks, and it never hurts to de-stress a bit. You know you need a break when your mother is telling you to stop studying.”

            “I mean, I guess, mom.”

            “Isn’t there some kind of party you could go to? Or, what do you guys call them now… a kickback?”

            “I’ll just see what Jax is up to.”

            Jax was one of Lena’s only friends. They met at the beginning of their freshman year of high school. He was taller and skinnier than Lena, and had much fairer skin compared to Lena’s reddish-brown coloration. Unfortunately for him, he decided to pick up the phone that Saturday night that Lena called.

            “Hey Lena, what’s up? Need help with homework?” he asked.

            “Actually, I was calling to see if you wanted to do something tonight?”

            “Wh- What?” Jax’s voice broke. “Um, sure, what did you have in mind?”

            “Just something to get me out of the house, my mom is forcing me to do stuff.” said Lena, seemingly bored.

            “Oh, alright.” replied a disheartened Jax.

            The two met up at a park near Jax’s house, telling their parents that they would walk to another friend’s house from there.

            “So, you think of something to do on the car ride over here?” questioned Jax through chattering teeth.

            It was a cool December night in Ehrenberg, Arizona. Jax tried to dress warmly, but the cold air sliced through his extra jackets like they were nothing.

            “How ‘bout we check out that old high school? The one by the firehouse?” Lena suggested, showing no signs that the weather bothered her.

            “You mean the one that’s all boarded up? With ‘KEEP OUT’ signs on them? Why would we do that?”

            “Because. Why not? What’re you scared or something?” Lena shoved Jax.

            “No. Man, you suck.”

            Lena couldn’t tell if he was blushing or if the cold was turning his face red.

---

            Within B. Dahlia High School, a figure hunched over a small animal, what looked like a dog, mutilated, but still living. This figure was imperceivable, appearing to the dog as its previous, abusive owner. It ripped and tore at the poor animal’s insides, consuming every last morsel. Suddenly, it froze, turning what could be its head away from its food. It heard noises outside of its home, two humans.

---

            “Why did this school ever close?” Jax whispered to Lena.

“Some liability issue, too many kids coming home sick or something.”

“And why do you want to be here again?”

“To figure out more about this stupid place. Don’t the rumors make you curious?”

The two teenagers clambered over nailed boards, through a broken spot in what used to be the door. Lena flicked on her flashlight, and wandered into an old classroom.

“How old is this place? It was only recently closed down right? These desks don’t look too old.”

“Yeah, I think it was only a few years ago when they actually closed this area off.”

Jax was set on finding whatever it was Lena wanted to find and getting the hell out of there. He didn’t like school in the first place, and did not picture himself back in class on a Saturday night.

“Let’s go check out the main offices. I bet they’ll have the information you’re looking for, or whatever.”

---

The creature followed the sound of the two humans. It quickly made its way from room to room, moving through walls as though they were nothing. Finally, it saw its prey. Two humans. One smaller. One larger. It had been a long time since it got to eat such a glorious meal.

---

“Hey I think I got something.” said Lena.

“It says in this record that there was some kind of experimentation done here prior to the school being built. Some kind of chemical residue was left behind and it ended up getting most of the kids sick. It says that the chemicals had some ‘undesirable effects’ like making students more aggressive, and changing their appearances.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not really sure, it said something about subtle differences in students depending on who you asked. Like the mother of this one student said she saw her son with more freckles than usual, while the same students brother said that his eyes became darker. I don’t get it.”

Jax didn’t say anything.

“And in this report, it says something did happen to a certain student. Not that they died, but that they went missing. I really don’t understand this Jax. Jax?”

She turned around. What she saw was completely different than what Jax saw.

He saw a clown stabbing him through his back, and the knife coming out of his chest. His last thought was fear, he always hated clowns.

Lena watched the blood run out of her friend’s mouth, as he slid off the creature’s arm and onto the floor. Lena saw a dark, lanky figure, with sharp ends for each of its limbs. She began to run, to no avail. The creature moved from Jax’s lifeless body almost as a shadow, cutting off her only exit from the office room.

“Shit.”

Before Lena’s decapitated head had hit the floor, the creature began to feed on Jax’s insides.

           

           

           

           

"Make your own french crepes!" by Jacqueline C

I’m sure you have all tried French Crepes before. If you haven’t then you are missing out! Every year during christmas, my family sets up a stand to sell crepes in our village in Mexico. During those days, many families set up stands and sell what they desire. There is music and dancing and many games for the children. Many people look forward to our crepe stand each year and so do we! We also make these delicious, sweet treats here at home year-round. So stop paying for overpriced Crepes at the mall and make them yourself at home:
Ingredients:

• ●  One cup of all purpose flour
  
• ●  One teaspoon of white sugar
  
• ●  A pinch of salt
  
• ●  Two eggs
  
• ●  Two cups of milk
  
• ●  Two tablespoons of melted butter
  
• ●  Cooking Spray
  Suggested Topping(s) : ● Nutella
  

• ●  Lechera
  
• ●  Cream Cheese
  
• ●  Strawberries
  
• ●  Bananas
  
• ●  Powdered Sugar
  Tools/Supplies:
  

• ●  Sifter
  
• ●  Frying pan (large or small depending on how big you want the crepes)
  
• ●  Large Bowl
  
• ●  Ladle
  
• ●  Spatula
  Instructions
  

1. Mix all wet ingredients (this doesn’t include the cooking spray) together in a large bowl.
   
2. Sift in all dry ingredients and mix together. This step is important to prevent clumps.
   
3. Heat up the frying pan on the stove on Medium-Low.
   
4. Spray pan with cooking spray. Without this step, you will struggle to flip your crepe.
   
5. Poor a ladleful of the mixture you just made onto the pan and quickly rotate the pan in
   circular motions to spread the mixture.
   
6. After 30 seconds, carefully flip the crepe with a spatula.
   
7. Wait another 30 seconds then remove the crepe from the pan onto a plate.
   
8. Add toppings of your choice then fold your crepe and serve!
   

This recipe is one of my favorites because it is very easy and fun to make. My personal favorite toppings are strawberries and Nutella. The sweetness from the chocolate and the fresh tart taste from the strawberries make the perfect combination in my opinion. Go creative with the toppings you choose, or feel free to add a few changes to the crepe recipe itself. For example, you can make breakfast crepes by topping it with ham, cheese, sour cream, or sausage. The possibilities are endless. For more fluffy crepes, add another egg. If your crepe keeps falling apart, add some more flour. And don’t forget to spray the pan with cooking spray oftenly. Keep in mind, you will need practice and not every crepe will turn out perfect. Enjoy!