Speech

Author's Note: This is a speech about how lines from my zombie apocalypse piece help propel the story forward. 

The first line I chose from my piece is:

"What have we become, we feeble humans, where we let the dead take over us?"

I chose this line because I believe it sets up the whole story. It kind of calls for an explanation. 

The second line I chose is:

"I'm just...hollow. Why is this happening? What have I done to deserve this? A feeling of pure hatred bubbles up inside me."

This line really tells you a lot about the main character, because it shows you how protective and brave she is to want revenge. 

The last line I decided to use is:

"My cries catch in my throat and I feel completely helpless. I suck it up, grab my gun, and kick the doors open, where the zombies await."

This is the last line in my story, and I chose it because it's open-ended. Anything can happen after it. It leaves you hanging, but you can imagine whatever you want. 

A Breezy Day

The gentle wind blows
through the trees
stirring leaves
above our heads or below our feet
With a light drizzle
mixing with the breeze
spraying in your face
refreshing

It's Happened...

Author’s Note: A zombie apocalypse story...thank you for this assignment Mrs. Reagles. It's still a WIP, so if it feels incomplete/rushed, I know.

They rise out of the rubble.

They climb out of the sewers.

They crawl from under fallen buildings.

The zombies have taken over, and the rest of my family has gone with them. Now, being the only sane human left within a 50 mile radius -as far as I can tell- I have no one. Not a single person to help me in this disaster of a world. What have we become, we feeble humans, where we let the dead take over us.

-*~*-

Tears stream from my eyes as I try to keep the door shut against the pounding on the other side. If I could just get rid of these things, I would be happy. No, not happy. Because my family is gone. Where is everyone? I feel so alone. I think I’d rather be dead than in the situation I’m in now. I push a flat slab of rock towards the door, when I see something that makes me stop in my tracks.

It’s her.

She’s right there.

So close, yet so far away

My little, fragile, 4 year old sister, had been under that rock this whole time. My sobs choke me as I realize she’s still alive. Broken, bleeding, and in some form of unconsciousness, but still alive. How? It’s been at least 2 days since this place caved in and the zombies took the rest of them. Her breathing is shallow. What do I do? I think frantically. My heart drops through the floor as I realize there’s nothing I can do. I have no medical experience, not even a measly first aid kit. All I can do is be with her while she dies.

“I love you,” I whisper to her. “Please...don’t go.” Her breathing’s coming quicker, and I know she doesn't have much time left. I should just put her out of her misery... I eye a gun that I unearthed from the rubble. Unfortunately, the zombies are immune to these things. The only way to get rid of them is to get close and chop their heads off. But I have no other weapons.

I cross back over to my sister and gently grab her hand. She clutches it like a vice. Somewhere, in her unconsciousness, it registers that there is another human being right there. It makes me feel not so alone. But she’ll be gone soon. My tears are coming out in waterfalls now, and I scream as my sister’s breathing stops.

Slowly sinking to the floor, I lie there for who knows how long.

It feels like forever until I can get up. I’m so numb inside that I don’t even feel any sadness. I’m just...hollow. Why is this happening? What have I done to deserve this? A feeling of pure hatred bubbles up inside me. I must get revenge, but how? There are millions of zombies, and only one of me. Plus, these things are practically indestructible.

My cries catch in my throat and I feel completely helpless. I suck it up, grab my gun, and kick the door open, where the zombies await.

Choosing the Right Pet

Author's Note: This is a completely random research essay I just decided to write. It was the first thing that popped into my head when I thought of the word "essay." Aside from that, it might help you decide on the pet you want. My family is looking for a good dog, which is pretty hard considering I'm allergic. But it would be a nice change from the billions of fish I've had. Including the large, slightly overweight goldfish I currently own. 

Looking for the perfect pet, one that suits your family, lifestyle, and home, can be hard. There are so many different options, and just choosing one is almost impossible. When people hear the word "pet," they think of different things. A dog. A parakeet. A chameleon. But picking a pet is more than just having a cute, lovable friend. It needs to fit into your life, and you need to be ready to have the responsibility to care for it.

One of the easiest pets to care for is a fish. Any small aquatic animal, really. If you have allergies, limited space, or maybe just a thing for animals that swim, then a fish is the right choice. A betta fish, for example. Betta fish are one of the easiest fish to take care of. They don't need that much space, and they're quite hardy fish. This means they're able to survive in relatively poor water conditions. This doesn't mean you should let your tank get dirty. The only drawback is that the males tend to get aggressive towards each other, so you shouldn't have two males in one tank. Goldfish are another good option; they don't need much care and they're not aggressive fish. They're just not as hardy as bettas.

You might be looking for something cuddly and less wet, and hamsters are a good option. These cute furry friends are,  like a fish, great for limited space. They don't cost a lot, which is another pro. If you properly care for it, it won't bite or scratch you. One of the downsides is that they're mostly awake at night, so they might make some noise. This goes true for most other rodents.

If you want something you can run and play with, a dog is a great choice. They're friendly, loyal, and playful, so it's no wonder they're called man's best friend. Dogs are loving, and once they get attached to their owner, which won't take long, they're be ready to defend them against anything. Another huge pro about dogs? Some can be specially trained to be your eyes. If you're blind, these are a good pet to put your money on. There are even "hypoallergenic" breeds if you're allergic. But there are some things you'll have to be willing to do: Train your dogs, take them for walks, and give them baths. These are all big responsibilities.

There are many types of pets out there, and these are just a few. What you decide is based on what you think you can live with and what will best suit your lifestyle. You need to be prepared to thoroughly care for it, but it'll be worth it.

http://www.aspca.org/

http://www.bettafish.com/

The Sun Persists

Dense fog blankets the city
early in the morning
Making it impossible to see
fifty feet in front of you
As the sun rises
The fog slowly starts to burn off
Fighting a battle
With the unbeatable light
Fading away
Until it surrenders

Winding down

The school year

is nearing its end

Only a few days to go
The number dropping

Everyone is slowly 

starting to slack off

and shut their brains down

For the summer

We're all waiting

for June 14, 2013

So we can sleep in

Go to the beach

Do whatever we want

The beach of "S's"

Author's Note: Just a random poem, but I added a lot of "s" alliteration without even realizing it until about halfway through the poem! At that point, I just decided to go along with it and make that kind of a second highlight to my poem.

I stand on the beach

feeling the salty spray of the sea

the wind blowing through my hair

soft, squishy sand under my feet

The sun starts to set

slowly sinking under the horizon

Bright light turning to darkness

Lights go on in the distance

Making slight shadows

Against the setting sun

The serene scenery

Smooth seashells, half buried in the sand

A perfect environment

For anyone

Cause/Effect of "Silver is for Secrets"

In the book Silver is for Secrets, Stacey and her friends are relaxing at a beach cottage during summer vacation after high school graduation. She starts having nightmares about a girl named Clara, who she's never met. In the nightmares, someone's out to get Clara. Clara appears to be oblivious to the current events and spends her time flirting with the guys at the beach. Stacey must find out what her premonitions mean, or someone could end up dead.

The climax of this book is near the end, when Stacey and her boyfriend, Jacob are in their room on a cruise ship. Stacey wakes up and finds that Jacob isn't there anymore, so she goes searching for him. She finds Clara instead, on the deck, bleeding and weak. Stacey starts to help her, but Clara fights her off and admits the truth: There really was no one out to get her, it was all a big lie for revenge. She pushes Jacob off the edge of the ship, where he drowns.

It all started in the first book of this series, Blue is for Nightmares, when Stacey has nightmares about her best friend, Drea, getting stalked. It turns out the stalker was a boy named Donovan, who had been in love with her since third grade. He gets sent to a juvenile detention center after being found out. Now, Clara surprises Stacey by saying that she had been a freshman at the same high school that Stacey went to, and had loved Donovan. This was her revenge, making all Stacey's friends uncomfortable and killing Jacob for sending Donovan away.

Let's go back to when Stacey and her friends are deciding whether to go on this cruise ship: Stacey wants to, so they can protect Clara from any danger. Amber and Drea just want to be there for Stacey. Jacob, on the other hand, is reluctant to go because of some nightmares he's been having: In them, he's drowning, his lungs filling up with water. That's exactly what happens. Even knowing this, he still gets on the ship with Stacey because, being her boyfriend, he has to be there for her.

This is why I believe the moment on the cruise ship is the turning point. After all her hard work for nothing, after Jacob's death and the shock of Clara's twisted, cruel lies, Stacey will never be the same. There is no going back for her, or any of her friends.

Stop Waiting

Author's Note: I felt like writing an inspirational poem. My inspiration was the picture.

Don't wait for things to come to you

go to them

If your ship is lost at sea

swim out to it 

You might wait forever

but it won't happen
Don't quit if it seems tough
Believe in yourself

Take a chance and go for it

You may never get it again

A Storm Rolling in

Dark clouds gather
over the horizon
drifting closer
and closer
towards you

You hear thunder
booming faintly
after the bright streaks
of lightning
illuminate the sky

A light rain
starts to fall
pitter-pattering
on trees
and rooftops

Then the storm hits
so loud it shakes
the ground
flooding the streets
blowing over trees

The storm finally passes
leaving everything dripping
A rainbow appears
bright and colorful
before fading away

Gym Essay

Balls fly around the gym. Swishing through hoops, bouncing off walls, zipping over nets. Those people who enjoy these activities have no problem with phys. ed and pay no attention to the poor kid standing alone in the corner, Sure, this kid might be a prodigy in other subjects, but in the gym, they might not know what they should be doing. Then there might be some who don’t care at all, so they don’t try. Like any other class, phys. ed has its fans, but its fair share of opposers, too. It’s beneficial to some people, including me, but to others it is useless and a waste of time, or causes social awkwardness. Its advantages and disadvantages vary for everyone.

Physical education is helpful in some ways. It keeps us in shape, for one thing. All those classes spent running on the track and around the gym make us active and healthy. It provides a challenge, for another example. Setting goals for specific activities that push us. Phys. ed also helps us learn about and get interested in different sports. In fact, it got me into volleyball. It helped me learn about other sports that I might want to try. Another thing: a unit on keeping ourselves healthy by staying away from drugs. It really enforces the concept to prevent us from making bad choices in the future.

There are also some downsides to physical education. One thing that some people may experience: Social awkwardness. Being picked last for a team, and feeling like the heavy backpack no one wants to carry. I’ve experienced this a number of times. I understand that it helps us learn responsibility, but really, we can learn that in other classes. Speaking of teams, we do many team activities that aren’t really enjoyable for some people. Sure, when we’re younger it’s fun and helps us learn things. But once kids get older, they start to take different interests and may get a feeling of self-consciousness if they’re not completely confident and into the activity they’re doing in the gym.

Personally, I think our 70 minutes in the gym should be a time to make and meet our own personal goals, not what the charts on the wall say we should be aiming for. Everyone has different bodies, endurance, and levels of activeness, so telling them what they should be doing based on age and previous scores doesn’t necessarily help. Setting your own goal will make you feel like you can actually reach it, and not make it seem like you have to run a marathon across the country.

Physical education is definitely helpful and a great opportunity to some, but to others it feels like a waste of time. It should be made more for each person so they can set a goal to work for. It just depends on how much the person is willing to participate, whether it’s affected by self esteem or a genuine interest. By really understanding someone’s levels, phys. ed can become beneficial to everyone.

A Summer Day

A light breeze blows through the green trees
Scattering the fallen leaves and freshly mowed grass

Kids run with shouts of joy across their yards
Dripping ice cream and popsicles all over

All the houses have the windows and doors open
Parents relaxing on their porches

Warm sun and blue, sunny skies
It's a perfect summer day

Film Critique- "A Clean, Well-Lighted place"

The story "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" by Ernest Hemmingway is basically about finding your way out of the dark and into the light. This is represented by an old man sitting under a shadow cast by a tree in a cafe, an old waiter, and a young waiter. The younger waiter is sort of naive, in a way, and mostly cares about himself. The older waiter is more mature, but-here is more symbolism of light and dark- wants to stay later at the cafe because it is clean and well lit. This means that he does not like the dark, or is afraid of it.

In the film, the first thing I noticed was that the old man wasn't sitting in a shadow like in the story. This takes away a huge part of the symbolism of light and dark. Another thing I noticed was that the people had Irish accents, when they are mentioning Spanish words in the story. To be perfectly honest, I didn't like how they did the adaptation because it doesn't show as much detail as the story.

Reading Response to "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place"

Author's Note: I chose to pick three quotes from A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway, and write about what they mean.

"The old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference."

Even though the man is deaf, it's more peaceful at night when it's quieter and everyone has gone home. it must be hard not to be able to hear anything, so he likes it better with no one else around where he can think in peace.

"How do you know it was nothing?" "He has plenty of money."

The two waiters are talking about the old man sitting in the cafe, who tried to commit suicide. Obviously it wasn't for nothing; you wouldn't just kill yourself because you were bored. But just because you have a lot of money doesn't necessarily mean you're happy. Many people tend to think that because you're rich, you have no problems in life. The man had a reason to commit suicide, which the waiters are kind of overlooking: He has no one except his niece.

"With all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night."

In this quote, the younger waiter is responding in an interesting way to what the older waiter had previously said about liking to stay late at the cafe. It means that he is possibly afraid of sleeping in the dark, and he does not want to go to bed. That he'd rather sleep when it is light outside.

The Magical World of Nighttime

Moonlight shines down from the cloudless sky
Reflecting off ponds, lakes, rivers

Stars twinkle through the atmosphere
Like tiny crystals in the sky

The sounds of nightlife fill the air
Hooting owls, chirping crickets


A perfect night

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Springtime...finally....

Finally, today
It starts getting warm.
It's about time...
Who ever thought of snow in April?
It's ridiculous.
Of course, this is Wisconsin
so anything is possible.
Let's hope this weather sticks for good.
I miss wearing shorts every day
instead of big coats

All Dried Up

I'm sitting here
mind empty
my inspiration has vanished
My creative thoughts gone

I sit at the computer
hands hovering over my keyboard
But nothing comes to me
My brain is bone-dry

Text Analysis- Fahrenheit 451

In Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag is a fireman, whose job is to set things on fire instead of extinguishing them. He lives in a very messed up world where no one cares about books, and they are actually frowned upon. Hated. Shunned. Montag loves his job of burning books, and believes that he is happy with his life. This changes when a teenage girl proves him wrong, which shows you how much different they are in terms of brainwashing.

Montag has never questioned his happiness, until he meets a seventeen year old girl named Clarisse McClellan, who is anything but ordinary. She asks Montag why books are illegal and hated. If firemen used to put fires out instead of starting them. If he had ever read any of the books he's burned. With her natural curiosity, Clarisse is clearly not brainwashed, unlike most of the other characters in the book. Montag is annoyed by her inquisitiveness, but is still greatly influenced.

After his conversation with Clarisse, Montag now questions what he really wants. He becomes interested in books, and tries to keep them secret. But books are to be burned, not read (hence the title of the book: Fahrenheit 451, which is the temperature that books burn at). If books are found in anyone's house, the house has to be burned down. Captain Beatty, Montag's boss, hints in his own creepy way that he may have once read books himself by trying to get Montag to stop.

Montag's wife, Mildred, appears to be completely brainwashed and doesn't even pay attention to Montag's new interest at first. She sits in front of a tv all day and watches a show that completely has her thinking that the characters are real. She takes sleeping pills every night and has become addicted to them. She finds pleasure in driving at reckless speeds, which is actually not an uncommon thing in this world. Although, if you think about it, Mildred might not be completely brainwashed. After her so-called "accident" with the sleeping pills, she acts differently around Montag and avoids his questions. She might have been so sick of living in this Dystopian world as to actually have attempted suicide by drug overdose.

There is one other man that Montag meets, who isn't ignorant of his surroundings: Faber. He was a retired English Professor, and from his quote "I don't talk things, sir. I talk the meaning of things. I sit here and know I'm alive," you can tell that he really is aware of life and its significance. He even likes books and poetry, just like Montag. Faber was a coward, though, and wanted nothing to do with Montag at first, but eventually warmed up.

Something unexpected happens near the end of the book: Mildred turns Montag in to the firemen for owning books, betraying him. Captain Beatty arrives and orders Montag to burn down his house, so he does. Next, he burns Beatty. "And there he was, a shrieking blaze, a jumping, sprawling gibbering mannikin, no longer human or known, all writhing flame on the lawn as Montag shot one continuous pulse of liquid fire on him." Montag has gone crazy, for his love of books and hatred for Beatty.

Fahrenheit 451 Discussion Response

Mildred is really a special character because you never really know whether she is thoroughly brainwashed or just acting. After her so called "accident" with the sleeping pill overdose, Mildred acts a little differently around Montag. One thing doesn't change: Her intolerance for books. When she finds Montag's large collection, at first she keeps it a secret but then calls the firemen to come burn down her and Montag's house. Montag feels she has betrayed him, but you know that Mildred might have been aware of what she was doing. You wouldn't be able to tell from her addiction to sleeping pills and the parlor, and how she enjoys driving at dangerously high speeds. She may be just acting like this, to blend in, and not arouse any suspicion.

A Dreary Day

Author's Note: It's so dark and rainy and blah outside...I felt the need to express it in a poem.

A raindrop slides down the window pane
Joining with others falling to meet their doom

They splash on the ground
Creating brown, muddy puddles in the grass

More come down from the stormy sky
Falling in endless, soaking torrents

People walking and driving in the rain
Carry umbrellas and slow down

An Excerpt from "We Want Our Country Back"

Author's Note: I've been working on a piece called "We Want Our Country Back" and decided to put one of the most descriptive scenes in a blog post to meet my goal for Word Choice and Context Analysis. The actual piece is six pages long (and counting), so I decided not to post that. 

I woke to an acrid smell. Rubbing my stinging eyes, I looked around me and immediately wished I hadn't. What used to be alive with fire, now sat dead and charred. The city that I used to call home, obliterated and turned to rubble. Only a few of the buildings had survived. Even the hill I stood on had been called home by a layer of ash. That included Luke and I; we were both covered in soot. 

The empty pit of nothingness I had felt the day before inside me turned to rage, boiling over at the thought of what those stupid soldiers had done. I kicked the ground and sent up a shower of ash that landed right in Luke’s face.

“Hey!” He spluttered, bolting upright and shaking the ash out of his hair. “What was that for?”

“Sorry. I just got really mad about...that.” I gestured to our almost non-existent city.

“I know. I woke up before and saw it, but...I didn’t want to say anything,” he muttered.

I nodded. “But what are we supposed to do now?”

“Well, there’s these things.” Luke reached into his backpack and pulled out two guns.

“Luke, where did you get those?!” I gasped.

“I found them just laying against a tree in that forest yesterday. Even found more ammunition next to them. Come on, we can take out soldiers as we go.” He started back down the hill with his gun up. I shook my head, smiling, and ran after him.

My lightened mood dimmed again as Luke and I entered the city and I saw things I hadn’t before. Everyday items, broken and melted. Vehicles of all kinds, crushed and blackened. But what was worst of all, what made my stomach jump into my throat, were the bodies. Charred, mutilated bodies. Everywhere. Fear filled my heart as we picked our way over the debris. Except for the occasional gunshot, which scared me every time, it was eerily silent and it made me uneasy.

“Dawn, are you okay?” Luke asked. I realized I had been clenching my fists so tightly that they had turned white, and I was sweating.

“Yeah. I just...” I trailed off. “I can’t do this Luke! It’s too upsetting and I feel like puking!” I heard a bloodcurdling scream somewhere in the distance, and suddenly I just couldn’t take it anymore. I slumped down, head between my knees, and cried. I saw my tears fall to the ground, blackened by the ash on my face. 

Luke crouched down next to me, and I felt his hand on my back. “I know how hard it is, Dawn. But I also know you can do this,” he said.

I looked up at him with uncertainty. “Really?” He nodded and smiled.

“Come on. We have to do it for Canada.” He stood and helped me up, then started walking slowly along a path littered with debris. I took a deep breath, gritted my teeth and followed him.

Don't Let Yourself be that Caged Bird!

Freedom has been searched for
Forever
Think of an eagle, for example
Caged up, it's like a prisoner
But when set free, it soars across the sky
Just like if you open your mind
You will see
so many new things
The world will be brighter
full of opportunities
Set your mind free
let your imagination run wild
You'll see some things
in a completely different way

Losing Myself

When I feel stressed, I sit down and draw.
It lets me express myself into art, being creative and honest.

If I feel emotional, I turn on the computer and start writing
I can throw all my anger or sadness or inspiration into a piece.

I read books when I get bored or just in my free time.
Losing myself in a good book is an amazing feeling to me.

A Musical Experience

Author's Note: This essay was an assignment for band class after our spring concert. The assignment was to write an evaluation essay in the point of view of a music critic. 

On Wednesday, March 6th, 2013, the 7th and 8th grade Asa Clark Middle school bands performed. The performance took place in the Pewaukee High School auditorium at 6:30 p.m. Beautiful music was played that night, and it was very moving and sent a clear message. There were some trip-ups, but both bands powered through and kept playing. Overall, the bands performed very well, and there was great expression and professionalism throughout. 

The 7th grade band performed first. They looked very professional through their whole performance, and I enjoyed it very much. In their first piece, the tone was a bit off, but they picked it up and played nicely in the second piece with the recognizable dynamics and flow. The third piece was nice, because the articulation made a big difference in how the piece sounded. I thought the fourth piece was very creative with the clapping rhythm, and the fifth piece was my favorite with the time signature and tempo changes. 

After the 7th grade band, the 8th grade band came up to the stage to fill the auditorium with music. Their performance was magical, because the pieces really communicated the messages they were supposed to. For example, in the first piece, the message was "war" and the band really showed that with their dynamics and expression. The second piece was definitely my favorite piece, because the story behind it was about a locomotive chase, and the band made it sound like there was an actual train in the auditorium! The flutes made a train whistle noise by bending flat, and the snare drums really sounded like a steam engine moving and speeding up. The rest of the performance was great, with good dynamics and expression.

Both performances were amazing, with any mistakes being forgotten by the musicality of each piece. The bands obviously worked very hard to perfect their performances, with a great conductor to pull it all together. The bands acted professional through their entire performance; not one student was out of line. I enjoyed the performance very much. 

Winter Needs to End

Author's note: I felt the need to rant because I am so tired of winter right now!

It's March, but the temperature outside makes you want to not get out of bed.

It's almost spring, yet it still snows nearly every day.

Earlier in winter, I was excited for tubing, skiing, ice skating.

Now it just seems like gray skies and white ground.

Every morning, I freeze outside waiting for the bus to come.

Even with a heavy winter coat and gloves, I still feel like a human popsicle. 

Rides in the car aren't fun anymore, either.

The snow turns into slush that makes the car slip and slide, not to mention it slows down traffic.

Wisconsin makes me want to hurl it into the sun sometimes.

Fahrenheit 451 Quote

"Five, six, seven days. And then, Clarisse was gone."

I think this line is meaningful because it makes you wonder what happened to Clarisse in those seven days. She was a character that really influenced Montag with her questions about if he is happy with his life. She wasn't necessarily brainwashed like most of the characters; that's what made her different. That means she could have had the brains to run away, or commit suicide.

I Am...

I am a paintbrush
held by an inspired artist
creating beautiful art
I am a book
being read by aspiring minds.
sparking imagination
I am a music note
one of many creating beautiful music
bringing people together
I am a volleyball
Creating enjoyment for athletes
scoring that winning point

I am unique
no one else is exactly like me

Just a Highly Descriptive Piece

Author's Note: I felt the need to put some good word choice into a piece, and what better to do it in than a descriptive piece? You will also find some figurative language in here. This took so much more time for me to write than it did to read, even if it is only two paragraphs.

      I gazed intently around my lavish living room, with its enormous, clear windows and warm, plush carpet. Sitting on a smooth but cushioned couch, I felt like lying down and letting my cozy blanket wrap me in its warmth. My adorable little puppy trotted up to me, so I picked her up and let her sleep next to me. She stretched luxuriously and sprawled out next to me in the folds of my fleecy feather quilt.
      Staring at the walls, I inspected a few of the colossal paintings that hung and collected endless amounts of dust. A realistic painting of horses on a farm, with rolling pastures and vast fields. A beautiful one of a bowl of fruit, spilling over with succulent peaches and crunchy apples. A silly one of my dear puppy, in which she is wearing a bright pink, fluffy tutu. I sighed contently and closed my eyes, letting sleep wash over me.

A Hidden Message

Life isn't

Always what it

Seems

To 

Be, it's 

Not always perfect either.

What you're looking at

It can be confusing

Is this world even real?

Or is it...just a dream?

A Midnight Fright

Awoken from my sleep, I slowly opened my eyes.
My mind as foggy as the sky.
My limbs as stiff as tree trunks.
The wind crept in from a crack in the window.
Filling the air with its cold, unforgiving wrath.
Out of one of my ears, I heard a drip...drip...from outside.
I timidly tiptoed to the window, wondering what it was.
Scared to death, hands shaking, I pulled back the curtains.
Peeking outside, I saw it, and laughed out loud.
It was my cat, outside, drinking from her water dish.

Easy as Pie

Author's Note: I was just remembering an episode of SpongeBob I watched once, where SpongeBob says the word "cliche." It inspired me to write this piece, which is just a story with little cliches incorporated into it. See if you can spot them :) Just a note: This story has no plot line (it goes REALLY off topic)

The truth is, pie can be very difficult to make. You may think it's as easy as 123, but when you mess up it's back to square one. If it does turn out right, though, you'll be head-over-heels in love with it. Making bread is no walk in the park, either. If you don't knead it enough, it'll be flat as a pancake. Eventually, if it doesn't turn out, you'll have to give it a rest. One day when my mom and I were baking some bread, it turned out alright and my mom was grinning from ear to ear. But the bread didn't last long, because we brought it outside (where it was hot enough to fry an egg) and it flattened. I asked my mom if we could make it fluffy again and she responded "Of course. When pigs fly." It made me wonder if we could make something else. my mom said we could make cake, so I asked her what goes in it. "Oh, a little of this, a little of that," she said. Unfortunately, many of the ingredients needed to make the cake went into the bread. My mom and I drove down to the grocery store to buy more, but the long arm of the law caught up to her. The cop let her go, though, once he realized our predicament. Once inside the store, we couldn't seem to locate any butter. It was like finding a needle in a haystack. "Any idea where it is?" My mom asked me. I suddenly realized where it was. "That's a no-brainer. It's in the dairy section." We payed for the ingredients and were on our way. Soon enough, the cake was baked, but the oven started smoking. I realized there was a tiny fire inside it. "Abandon ship! Abandon ship!" My mom screamed, making a mountain out of a molehill. I located the fire extinguisher, put the fire out, and settled down to eat some cake while my mom calmed down.

Socially Acceptable?

There once was a time when people noticed you

For your brains, not your looks.

For your kindness, not your popularity.

For your confidence, not your habit of putting others beneath you. 

For your honesty, not your "coolness" factor

Most of that is in the past

It's unfortunate, but it can change
Stand out, be the difference that needs to happen

You can influence people.

Drowning

Blue shadows surround me
As I fall
Into the dark depths
Distorted
By all the lies, the lies
A pit
Inside my stomach
Growing
Bigger and bigger
as I sink
Deeper and deeper
I am
Drowning inside myself

A Horse Ride

Author's Note: This is a descriptive journal response to the art piece Le Blanc Seing by Rene Magritte.

Thick, lush leaves fluttered in the wind as I rode through the forest on my horse. A beautiful brown mare, with a thick mane and tail. The forest had a sense of peacefulness that always seemed to calm me down when I was under stress or otherwise upset. Who wouldn't be relaxed? The forest was beautiful: Vibrant flowers that shimmered with morning dew, fluttering butterflies in the summertime.

I stopped to look up into the trees, where birds were flying around and squirrels hopping from tree to tree. I’d love to live in a forest like this, I thought. My horse started to get restless, so we started moving again. I felt all the small jolts as his hooves connected with the ground. We soon stopped again so he could take a drink from a small stream, so clear that I could see each stone at the bottom perfectly. Around it, standing a little far off, was a small family of deer also taking drinks. They ran away when they saw me gazing at them. I got back on my horse and started riding deeper into the beautiful forest.

Illusions and Nightmares

An Illusion
Life is an illusion
Different from what you should see
Hidden by smoke and mirrors
Is the true meaning of life

Reality becomes muddled by dreams
Dreams invaded by nightmares
Becoming so that you can't tell
What is real anymore


Nightmares
Sat up in the middle of the night

When I woke up screaming

Things that come and haunt me

Never really go away

Dream of a life where nothing

Nothing, goes wrong
But those dreams
Turn into nightmares

Horrifying, ghoulish images
Fill me with terror
Come up in my memory
When I least expect it

The world through Teresa's eyes

Author's Note: This is a response to the book The Maze Runner and a scene from the book in another character's point of view.

Imagine waking up in a strange place, with strange people and strange customs. You have no memory of your life before that, and you're struggling to figure everything out. This is how Thomas, the main character in The Maze Runner, feels as he is bossed around by strangers. He finds out he is in an area called the Glade, where the boys there call themselves "Gladers." The Glade is surrounded by huge concrete walls, beyond which lies an enormous maze. All the other Gladers got there the same way Thomas did: one every month, with concrete memories wiped.The day after Thomas' arrival, a girl named Teresa is delivered to the Glade in the Box: the first girl to arrive. Thomas, Teresa, and the other Gladers escape the maze and find out they are being used by a scientist group called WICKED. WICKED puts them through many survival tests, and in many, Thomas is the hero. 

The book is written in Thomas' point of view, so the reader learns how he feels about everything that happens. If the book were to be told in Teresa's point of view, the reader would see the story in a whole different way. First off, Thomas is obviously a boy and Teresa a girl so the reader would see a more feminine side of things (For example, later in the book it is revealed that Teresa has feelings for Thomas. Just by stereotyping but also from other books you can see that females pay more attention to love, which the author almost always highlights).

The reader would most likely find out where Teresa was before she arrived in the Glade. When she comes out of the box and goes into a coma, no one can find out where she came from. Although, Thomas strongly believes he remembers Teresa from before his memory was wiped. If the book were in Teresa's point of view, the reader would find out a lot about what happened because when she wakes up from her coma, you can tell she remembered a lot from her life in the past. This would probably ruin the book, because one of the main things Thomas tried to find out was where Teresa came from, since he recognized her.

Another example would be when all the Gladers are trying to escape the Maze, and Thomas tells Teresa to stay behind and help the other Gladers get down. The reader gets a little bit of an idea what happens, but not as in-depth as they would have if Teresa was telling the story. 

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          I opened my eyes, slowly, because the light was almost blinding after being cooped up in the box for a while. When my eyes adjusted, I realized there was a group of boys staring at me. 

         Sitting up, I tried to tell them to back off. But I immediately became dizzy, so I had to lay back down. I don't know why, but I felt that I recognized one of them. Looking around me blearily, I felt a faint spot of recognition at the place I was in. Could I have...been here before?

         Using my "telepathic" abilities, I tried to communicate with the familiar boy, but no luck. That's odd...I could have sworn I've seen him before. I suddenly felt even dizzier. But I had a sudden burst of memory: I'd built something with him. Something big. For some organization...
         I whispered something I didn't remember before I fell back into my coma.
         I felt like I was dreaming while I was out, but strange images repeatedly flashed in. Somehow, they felt...familiar. Just like the one boy I recognized...
         Trying to remember everything just caused my thoughts to get muddled, pulling me deeper into my coma somehow. It became dreamless, and after what must have been days, I woke up.

Prediction of Delirium series (Creative Ending)

          Lena gazed at what used to be a green, lush forest, Hana by her side. Now, all that was left was a flat, burnt landscape, still smoldering from the bombings.
          "Lena...what happened here?" Hana asked.
          "The resistance. They found the Homestead and decided to blow the whole thing up. I still don't know where Julian and Alex are," Lena said bitterly.
          "Well...what do we do?" Hana looked around.
          "There's only one thing we can do. We have to keep looking for them," Lena said, determination creeping into her voice.
          "All right," Hana sighed. "Look, Lena, I want to find those two as much as you do, but I don't know where else we can look. We've searched this whole area, and not a sign of them. I give up."
          Lena was desperate to find Alex and Julian, but she knew that Hana was right: They were either dead, or had been taken away by the Resistance.
          "Fine. But I'm never going to be happy again." Lena felt like crying.
          "Not even if we showed up?" A voice said from behind her. Lena's heart raced. Could it really be them...? She spun around and ran, straight into Alex and Julian with so much force that they both stumbled backwards. Tears formed in her eyes,
          "Hey Lena," Julian said. He looked at Hana. "I don't think we've met...I'm Julian. Friend of Lena's."
          "They'd been a little more than friends," Alex muttered, but he still looked happy to see Lena.
          "This is Hana. My best friend," Lena said, ignoring Alex.
          "Hey...I think I've heard of you before. You're Julian Fineman right? I've seen you on tv," Hana said.
          "The one and only," Julian said.
          "So...what now? We found you guys, should we go somewhere?" Alex asked.
          "I think you all know where we're going," Hana said, winking at Lena. She smiled. Alex caught on, but Julian looked confused.
          "We're going to Portland, stupid. Let's go," Alex said, starting off in a random direction.
          "Hey Mr. group leader! It's this way!" Lena said, laughing. She led the way, keeping her eye on the blue seas and white sand that marked Portland's beach. The very same where she and Alex had met.

Retelling: Pandemonium

After running away from her home, Lena has to survive on her own in the Wild, where she meets a group of Invalids who take her in. While in New York, she meets a boy named Julian, and falls in love with him. But they are captured by the Resistance, and have to find a way to escape jail. Later, as Lena is showing Julian the Wild, Alex, who she thought was dead, shows up. And he is not happy.

Theme Analysis Essay

Author’s Note: I decided to analyze a poem for my theme analysis, instead of using a story or a novel, to try and do something out of the ordinary, and different. Like the character in the poem.

Robert Frost has written a lot of wonderful poems, but The Road not Taken is my favorite because of its hidden meaning and theme: Choices and decisions. The poem is about taking the safe path in life or taking the risky one. It talks about how lots of people take the safer road in life, and not many take the opportunities that life gives. Taking the easier path does not always mean taking the path that will make you more successful.

One of the major themes of the poem is making choices and decisions. This is demonstrated by the lines “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” and “Took the other just as fair, perhaps having the better claim, because it was grassy and wanted wear.” This shows that not many people take a certain path in life, the risky one. This is because they don’t want to regret anything they did. In the poem, the line “I doubted if I should ever come back” represents not being able to turn back around in life once you choose to do something. Once you make your decision, there’s no going back. The diverging road indicates two different choices that you could make.
 
The poem The Road Not Taken reminds me a lot about the book Delirium by Lauren Oliver. In this book, Lena, the main character, debates for a while about whether or not she should try to escape the city she lives in. She finally decides to do it, a very risky plan which almost nobody has attempted. In this way, she is similar to the person in The Road Not Taken because she makes a choice that could get her in trouble sooner or later.
 
Another book The Road not Taken reminds me of is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. In this book, Katniss’ sister is chosen at the reaping to be District 12’s female tribute for the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss desperately wants to protect her little sister, so she wants to volunteer for her. But she also knows that her sister would never let her do it. Finally, just as the boy tribute’s name is about to be picked, she runs up to the platform and volunteers, which has not happened in decades. She is similar to the character in The road Not Taken because she makes a choice that not many people make, while knowing that this choice could possibly harm her.
 
The choices and decisions that people make definitely affect their lives in one way or another. The character in The Road not Taken is similar to Lena and Katniss: They are all different, braver than most. The poem shows this with the theme of choice and decisions. About how taking the easier path is not necessarily the better path. It shows that the choices you make will affect your whole life.