Sunday, March 18, 2012
How My Family Celebrated New Year's by Yvonne White
My whole family was excited about New Year’s Eve except me. I found it kind of boring as a child; there were no songs like Boney M’s Christmas Carols to bring in the New Year and, of course, New Year’s meant back to school.
My elder brother, Ikenna, brought champagne in preparation for the New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Additionally, my parents and my younger brother, Obinna, were watching television while I listened to Christmas carols and other music to make the time to fly by.
In Nigeria, in a city like Lagos State, where my brothers and I were born and raised, people would wait for ships to blow their horns as a sign that the New Year had arrived. In contrast, in the village, people throw bangers (Africa’s version of fireworks) on grasses and sing songs in Igbo.
It was now 10 o’clock in the evening. We watched the New Year’s Eve celebration done at Times Square in New York on CNN and ABC channels. There were celebrities performing live. The time finally arrived when the ball was about to drop. My family and I counted ‘til it was New Year. My family was overjoyed. We said a very long prayer to thank God for allowing us to see another year and we wished to see more New Years. My family and I drank very small glasses of wine because of the alcohol content.
City Visits in Summer by Hillary Mulka
The sidewalk is full of busy people and the sun shines down in the heat.
I search for you, watching for the red hair to stand out among the beige and grey waves of concrete. Cars jostle for position on the street.
Footsteps fall hard and quick on the ground as I run towards you. I see you grinning wide, even from a distance.
We laugh together as I leap into your arms, your breath escaping when I squeeze you too tight. There it is; the smell of you that I hadn’t smelled for months. Your beard tickles my cheek.
Your hand holds mine, tighter than ever before and you never stop smiling.
Your head and body stay turned toward me, like you fear you’ll forget what I look like even in glancing away for a just a second.
We share our favorite celebration drink together. I can taste the sweetness on your lips when we kiss.
It is so warm and comfortable, falling asleep together after staying up too late. Your grip lingers around my waist, even while you sleep, like you don’t want to lose me in a sea of sheets.
Sleeping Beauty Today by Glenn Brooks
If Sleeping Beauty were still sleeping today, Justin Beiber would be called in to kiss her awake. She’d then be exposed to a world filled with technology and interventions once thought unimaginable. Just give her an Iphone, Ipad and watch her post status updates on Facebook and tweets happily ever after.
The Travels of a Bouquet by Ginger Schmandt
White, clean, cold snow… clinging to the old gray stairs.
Up them I could hear footsteps.
Footsteps followed by a quiet tapping on my door.
Music in my living room, children outside screaming into the snow … tap, tap, tap, again.
Cars driving through slush … I am silent … listening … his voice outside, “It’s me.”
I heard his voice and melted.
I opened the creaky front door to the clean smell of freshly fallen snow.
His presence left me temporarily speechless.
“What is he doing - this crazy man!?”
Bright blue eyes meeting my surprised look.
He sported the most loving smile I have ever seen as he witnessed mine.
I pulled him into my home from the freezing elements.
The chill entered as the warmth exited.
He handed me flowers as we hugged like we had never done.
There was a chill on the outside of his coat … his arms were so inviting.
And then the flowers, bright, colorful flowers
A crackling of plastic
Holding together such beautiful colors
Fresh smelling flowers
The beautiful flowers and your lovely words made me cry.
Our hug was as close as the bunched flowers
I did not want to let go
The softness of your hands after removing them from your gloves
Were softer than the bouquet that traveled to me.
Animal Story by Sr. Ann Stamm
HAPPY FARM
LEARNS
TO READ!
One day, not too long ago, there was a very special place called The HAPPY FARM.
Just read on and you will learn why it had that special name!
Many people and animals lived on Happy Farm. The children and the animals had a lot of fun playing together during the summer months. Here are some of their names:
(When I say the name, see if you can learn the sound that animal makes. Then, whenever you hear his name, call out his sound.)
First, there was a Horse named RAY. He said, "NEIGH" (Remember that whenever I say, "the horse named Ray," you will say, "Neigh.") He was very tall and brown and strong, and all the animals loved him.
Next, there was a cow named LOU. She said MOO. What must you do when I say, "Cow named Lou"? Moo. She was a great friend of the Horse named Ray. (Neigh.)
In a pen nearby lived a goat named Flaa. He said BAA.
Let’s share:
A horse named Ray: Neigh
A cow named Lou: Moo
A goat named Flaa: Baa
Oh, I dare not forget the pig named Boink: Oink
Or a little brown duck named Jack: Quack
And the little red hen named Schnook: Book
Oh, yes! Somewhere along the way, you will meet frog whose name is Joke. He says Croak. Don’t forget!
Everything was fine on the farm. The children loved:
The horse named Ray: Neigh
The cow named Lou: Moo
The pig named Boink: Oink
The goat named Flaa: Baa
The duck named Jack: Quack
and
The little red Hen named Schnook : Book
Then summer vacation was over. One day the children told their animal friends, "Today, we have to go away. We will not be here to play. We going to school. We want to learn to add numbers… to write our names… and especially how to read."
The animals saw a huge yellow bus stop in front of the farm house. Out marched the children, carrying their school bags. The children smiled and waved good bye to:
The horse named Ray: Neigh
The cow named Lou: Moo
The goat named Flaa: Baa
The duck named Jack: Quack
The pig named Boink: Oink
and the little red hen named Schnook: Book
After a while, the animals got very sad. What on earth would they do without their friends, the children?
Then, someone got a great idea! Let’s learn how to read!
They started walking to school. They said, "We will join the children at school and their teacher will teach us the alphabet and tell us wonderful stories. Then we will be able to travel all over…. We’ll read about queens and kings and wonderful things, and we will not be sad. We will be glad, and then without end, we’ll read with our friends!
Agreed!
said
The horse named Ray: Neigh
The cow named Lou:Moo
The pig named Boink: Oink
The duck named Jack:Quack
The goat named Flaa: Baa
And the little red Hen named Schnook: Book
On the way to school, they saw a beautiful big building and a sign that read: Library. A frog named Joke (Croak) was sitting under the sign. "What are you doing?" the animals asked. "I’m reading a book about the moon and the stars and about lands afar," said the little green frog named Joke. (Croak.)
"We want to learn how to read!"
said the animals. The Frog named Joke (Croak) replied, "Go to the library and ask them to teach you how to read. You will have lots of fun if you do." …And off they went!
The horse named Ray (Neigh) said, "I am the biggest animal … I will go into the library first." Clip-clop went his feet. The librarian asked, " May I help you?" The horse named Ray said, "Neigh." The librarian thought he said tray, so she handed him a large empty tray. He didn’t know what to do! He decided to sit under a window and think.
The cow named Lou (Moo) waited outside for her friend, the horse named Ray (Neigh). She decided to come in and look for him.
Once again, the librarian asked, "May I help you?" The cow named Lou said, "Moo" . The librarian handed her a bottle of glue. Oh, my ! was the cow named Lou (Moo) ever confused. She sat by the horse named Ray (Neigh), hoping they could come up with an answer.
Next, the goat named Flaa (Baa) ran in. Trip-trap, trip-trap went his feet. "Baaaa" he said. The children thought he was calling them BAD and they began to cry. The librarian said, "Please Mr. Goat, our children are learning to read and they are very good. "
The Goat named Flaa( Baaaa) went trip-trap, trip-trap over to the horse named Ray (Neigh) and the Cow named Lou (Moo). Now there were three who didn’t know what to do!
Who do you think decided to be next? Yes! It was the Pig named Boink (Oink). He was afraid to go alone so took the duck named Jack (Quack). Together, they quacked and oinked all over the place. "Quack-Oink…. Quack-Oink…. Quack-Oink!"
The librarian covered her ears and said, "Oh no! I don’t have a stack of ink!" Now there were five animals sitting in the corner wondering what they should do. After all, they really wanted books and to learn how to read…. But they desperately needed help. There was only one animal left….the smallest animal of all. It was the little red hen named Schnook (Book). She tiptoed in and politely said to the librarian: 3 times (book, book, book).
The librarian was very surprised to hear the little hen named Schnook (Book) speak so clearly. "Excuse me…. What did you say?" she asked. The little red hen named Schnook repeated: "Book book, book."
"Oh, I’d be delighted to give you a book… and some for your friends as well. If you come every morning, I will also teach you how to read. Does that please you?"
The animals nodded their heads.
There was the horse named Ray (Neigh).
The cow named Lou (Moo).
The goat named Flaa: (Baaa).
The duck named Jack (Quack).
The Pig named Boink (Oink)
And happiest of all,
The little red hen named Schnook (Book).
And, oh, yes! Their new friend, the frog named Joke (Croak).
Each animal chose a book and home they went, happy, excited, ready to learn the magic of reading. Back at the farm, the animals gathered around their books. The barnyard was filled with all sorts of wonderful sounds. When the children came home, they heard:
(Say the sound you like best.) Reading made everyone happy, so it became known as The HAPPY FARM!
Love by Anonymous
Love
Warm, Strong
Kissing, Praying, Wanting
Heart, Mind, Tough, Gifts
Forgiving, Hurting, Accepting
Vulnerable, Aggressive
Lust
In a Galaxy Far, Far Away by Tywonn Mitchell
I just found three dollars. I wonder what I can get with this. The money on this planet is the exact opposite of the United States money. The coins are in the form of paper, and the dollars are in the form of silver. There is also a weird photo of some alien-type creature on their money. I’m guessing that this creature is the ruler of this planet. He has four eyes and one ear in the middle of his face. Everything else is the form of a regular human being, except his shiny gold skin. I think the only reason he has this gold color is because he is the ruler. There are pictures of other creatures, and their skin colors are all blue.
Their pay phones are expensive on this planet. The regular price for a call is one dollar and fifty cents and three dollars for any calls to another planet. There’s just enough currency for me to make one phone call. This pay phone is so weird. It’s see-through and it’s floating in the air. You have to drop the money in the top of the machine, and you can see it when it drops down. I don’t know who I could call to get me out of a situation like this. There are so many thoughts going through my head right now. Maybe I should call the police, but they probably would not believe me when I tell them I’m stuck on a different planet. I think I’m going to call my brother; he would know what to do in this type of situation. I only get one call, so I’m going to have to make him believe in me.
Hello, Aaron?
Brother: Yes this is him.
I’m stuck on this planet and I need you to get me some help. I don’t know how I got here exactly. It is a small planet with a whirl of stars revolving around it. It’s right by Jupiter because I can see Jupiter from where I am at now.
Brother: Wait, wait, slow down, Tywonn. What are you talking about?
I’m stuck on a different planet. Last thing I remember is being at home, then I woke up here. If you don’t believe me, check the number on your phone.
Brother: My phone says that you’re calling from somewhere called Sage.
Yes, that’s exactly where I’m at. The planet is very bright, and it has more of a square type shape. There is a huge blue and white skyscraper floating, so you can’t miss it.
Brother: Hold on, Tywonn, How would you expect me get you help?
I don’t know. Call the president or the CIA or something. I only have five minutes to talk on the pay phone, so I have to finish explaining how the planet looks. Right next to the building is a huge billboard that says, “Welcome to Sage,” with a picture of a gold creature with four eyes and one ear on its face. You could also tell when you’re close because the planet has a wet-paint type of smell. Also, I don’t have any money, so I don’t know when I can call back.
Brother: Okay, well, I will see what I can do.
I’ll see you when you get here. What am I supposed to do until someone gets here to rescue me from this place? Where are the reinforcements at on this planet? There is no place for me to go and get help. I don’t even see other creatures around here. There’s just one building around here and the rest of this area is just rocks. I guess I’m headed to the one building on the planet.
This is a Story of a Girl by Alanna Nagi
One day, when Sophia was at the market and walking to the check-out counter, out of nowhere this large, tall, muscular figure rammed right into her. Everything she was carrying went all over the place. With a deep sigh, she began to gather her things. The tall boy couldn’t stop apologizing for not watching where he was going, and also started to assist her in collecting her things. At the same time, they both reached for the pack of Wintermint Orbit gum and looked at each other in the eyes. While they gazed into each other’s eyes, Sophia’s heart was practically beating out of her chest. He too had deep green eyes, with a hint of a golden tint to them. At that exact moment, he knew his life would never be the same. Sophia dropped all her things and ran out of the store. She figured she would never see him again and, even if she did, she thought he would never fancy her.
To her surprise, a few days later, that doorbell rang and there stood the boy. Allison and her father assumed he was there for Allison, but no, Sophia’s name came out of his mouth. For the first time ever, someone had noticed her over her sister. The boy, whom she soon discovered was Ben, and Sophia lived happily ever after.
The Meaning of Valentine's Day by George Sami
Personally, the meaning of Valentine’s Day is the expression of love for one another. It is spending time with the one you love. It is sharing yourself with you girlfriend/wife. There is no price value for Valentine’s Day. It is simply to be with who you love and cherish each other.
(Response to prompt at Valentine’s Day Research/Write-a-thon)
Romeo, Oh, Romeo by the Take 5 Writers
It was only as I reached down to pet him that I realized something was very wrong. He turned into the Tell Tale Heart! Would I hear that hear beat forever? Did I need to confess my heinous crime? But wait! What was my heinous crime? Was it recording Jersey Shore on my DVR? Or was it picking my nose in public and putting it into my professor’s coffee? I believe it was the first one because recording Jersey Shore is a very serious offense.
I was pulled over by a policeman later that day. Watching Jersey Shore is a serious offense to society’s well being. Much to my surprise the officer did not pull me over for watching Jersey Shore; it was for being a nose picker. Then he made me step out of the car, and as he went to handcuff me, I quickly reminded him of my nose picking.
(Traveling story from Valentine’s Day Research/Write-a-thon)
Love Potion Backfires by the Take 5 Writers
“I love you so much. if you ever leave me, I’m going with you,” Eric said, looking at Josephine with his puppy-dog brown eyes.
“Honey, that sounds a little like stalking,” Josephine responded with one eyebrow arched.
“Oh, Sweetie, you’re not going to get another restraining order, are you?” Eric said, the fear heavy in his voice.
Josephine eyed him, considering her options as Eric gazed at her longingly. The last restraining order had done more harm than good, leading to the now infamous Fireworks Incident on July 4th. “Well,” Josephine sighed, “I suppose I would be okay if you came with me to dinner at my mother’s.”
“Oh—you hadn’t mentioned we were going to your mother’s,” said Eric, all the longing abruptly absent from his gaze and voice.
Then Harry Potter apparated into the room, holding a love potion. After he splashed the love potion all over both of them, their love filled the room.
“I could never take you to meet my mother; I love you too much.” Josephine said. As Harry looked flabbergasted, he whipped out his wand and did a countering spell to remove the love from Josephine and ran away on his broom. The cupid came in to correct the wrong, and hit Josephine with one of his arrows.
(Traveling story from Valentine’s Day Research/Write-a-thon)
Knight in Tarnished Armor by Amber Gingiloski
(Response to prompt from Valentine’s Day Research/Write-a-thon)
Crush by Yvonne White
I believe the person would be glad and relieved since he has had a crush on me for a long time and agrees it will be best to get married before having sex.
The Squirrel by Yvonne White
In 2010, when I was going to see my dentist, I was singing because it was a beautiful, bright day. All of a sudden, a squirrel was running to the other side of the road and, without a warning, a Jeep came and knocked down the squirrel. The poor thing was wagging its tail. It was so horrifying that I was not able to concentrate on what the dentist was doing to my teeth. I kept on thinking of the squirrel. I was hoping that, by a miracle, it was cured, or someone picked it up and took it to an animal doctor for treatment. However, the squirrel was still there, still wagging its tail, and blood was coming out of its body along with its intestine. It knew that it would soon die. I had a headache that night, thinking of the squirrel, and did not eat well that day.
We were taught to respect creatures great or small, not kill them for sport or hit them with cars. I just wish that one day there will be animal rescuers on the roads to rescue animals, not just dogs and cats. How long must people, including children, keep seeing dead animals on the roads ‘til enough is enough?
The Lottery Winner by Jason Mosley
I’ve always played the lottery. I think that’s because when I was a kid, I remember my dad playing it. He was a pro at it. Looking back when I was a kid with him at the store, he would pull his lottery slip out of his back pocket with the slips already filled out. He never let the computer pick his numbers. He chose them himself. He had his lucky numbers book and daily horoscope numbers; I mean, he was really into it. He never won the big one, though. He’s still trying to beat the odds, even to this day. I give him credit for his habit of wasting money on the lottery rubbing off on me, but as the saying goes, "You can never win if you don’t play."
Today, my current lifestyle routine is pretty simple. I wake up, make my coffee, take my shower, feed the dog, and I’m off to work. I work at Sanchez Bar and Grill as a waiter, and it sucks. It sucks in terms of pay: I’m only making 3 bucks an hour, plus tips. Only the women waitresses get tips, so of course I lose there. The atmosphere sucks because the staff is all Mexican and doesn’t know any English. I feel like I should know Spanish by now as much as I hear it for 8 to 10 hours a day. The distance sucks, too, because my job is almost 30 miles away from my house, for a total of more than 60 miles in a day’s commute. Most of all, my boss sucks. My boss talks trash to me in Spanish because he knows I don’t understand him. At the restaurant, not only am I a waiter but also I’m the cook, the handyman, cashier, and the janitor. I’m bald headed, but if I had hair on my head, it would have been pulled out. As it stands currently, I’m working there just to make ends meet.
On my way to work, I always stop at the gas station to grab some snacks, get the paper and of course play my numbers. I owe this expensive habit to my dad. Most people’s bad habits are bad for their health, but mine only costs me about 50 bucks a month. Depending on whom you ask, I guess my lottery habit isn’t so good, but at least I have a slim chance of winning.
On this particular day, I purchased 15 tickets, costing me 15 dollars. The jackpot was for 100 million dollars. I think my 15-dollar investment for the chance of millions is pretty worth it. At the gas station, I will not play the lottery unless the gas station clerk Kim is there to ring up my numbers. I consider her my good luck charm. I told her if I win, I’ll be back to make her day. So far, after five years of playing, I feel my day is coming. Today is the day! I’ve said this phrase to myself every time I play, but I’m still broke, so after I left the gas station, I went on about my day.
At the end of another stressful day, I finally made it home. That night when I got home, I was so tired. I live in an apartment with thin walls, so everyone can hear what’s going on in your place. I lay down on the bed with my numbers on my chest, and turned on the news. Normally after the newscaster says the winning numbers, I ball up my tickets and shoot them like a basketball into the trash can right in front of me. So it was time for me to lose again. As the numbers were being brought up on the screen, I shot the numbers in the trash can. I think I did that so quickly because I expected to lose. After about an hour, I decided to double-check the winning numbers just for the hell of it. I took the balled-up tickets out of the trash, sat down in front of the computer, and brought up the lottery website.
As I looked back and forth between the computer screen and my lotto tickets, a weird feeling came over me. My dog walked into the room with me, and had a "What’s wrong with you?" look on his face. All six numbers on the computer matched all six numbers in my hand. At that moment, at 10 p.m. on a Tuesday night, I screamed, "I won, I won, I won!!" It was 40 degrees outside, and I ran outside screaming, with only my underwear on. Neighbors were yelling at me, and dogs were barking, but I just couldn’t stop.
I got it together and went back in the house. I sat on the couch and thought to myself, "What do I do now?" I finally fell asleep. The next day when the lottery office opened at 9 a.m., I was right there standing with a big smile on my face.
The lottery representative said, "You must have won the jackpot last night."
I said, "You’re damned right!"
After taxes, the 100 million dollars that I won was knocked down to only 70 million dollars. When I walked out of the office, I said to myself, "It’s party time!"
To the car dealership I went! I bought the most expensive convertible Porsche 911 they make. It was March, but I didn’t care. The sports car cost 100,000 dollars. It felt so good. Next, I called up a real estate agent. I told him I was looking to move to Florida and I wanted to spend one million dollars on a house. He e-mailed me back with 20 beautiful houses to choose from. I told him I would see him next week.
The next day I pulled up to work in my Porsche at the same time my boss was parking his car. He clearly saw me and I knew he wanted to ask me about it. The whole staff was waiting for me, and when I walked in I yelled, "I quit; I’m rich!"
My family and friends were happy for me. I told them I’d give them a small amount, but after that, don’t ask me for a dime. Everyone agreed, and everyone was happy with what they received from me. I said that we all were going to party in the Bahamas for a week, and the trip was on me. We all had a great time.
When we got back, life just continued on normally. I didn’t change at all. I continued on as I normally do, just with a little bit more money in my bank account. I later went to the gas station and gave Kim 50,000 dollars as I promised when I was broke. She was in tears. I sat down with my dad, and we laughed about our habit of playing the lottery. It changed our lives, and even with us both now having a lot of money, we still continued to play.
Galaxy: Planet Super Stylish by Jasmine Gant
I imagine myself on a planet that places me in the world of the Jetsons. This galaxy world is exciting, with talking robots, non-stop shopping, makeovers, and great galaxy food. On Planet Super Stylish, I can’t help but show off my fabulous galaxy dress and walk on a cyber runway. I am so far away from everyone I know personally. But it is well worth it to explore this place that is different from earth. Everyone on this planet is a free-spirited individual, full of fun. I had no clue that one phone call would make my dreams come true.
On Planet Super Stylish, there is a random pay phone hanging in the cyber waiting room in the models’ coliseum. The models’ coliseum sits in middle of the planet with blinking lights going around the building. It’s a place where men and women come to be pampered with makeovers, all-day shopping, and finger-licking galaxy food by the Planet Super Stylish glam team.
This is an interesting pay phone, with violet-colored coins that are encrusted with orange diamonds. I am only allowed to use three coins for the pay phone. The phone is designed as a fuchsia stiletto. I insert coins in the heel, and it says in a digital voice (from the male operator, with music playing), "Thank you for inserting Planet Super Stylish coins in the stiletto. Call whomever you like. You only have two hours to talk."
Oh, my, I think to myself. Who can I call? Hmmmm (one finger tapping my head)… With uber excitement, I contact the one and only Oprah Winfrey. I contact Oprah to inform her how I got on Planet Super Stylish. I tell her I was abducted by robots that wanted me to experience the life they live as robots. I give her a description of the robots, which look like actual humans (androids), but I can tell they are robotic. They are very friendly with great personalities, and they are the life of the party. There is never a dull moment on this planet with these robots. Oprah begins to ask, with excitement in her voice, what is like to be on this planet? How does it look? I tell her it’s better than being on earth. Everything costs little or nothing, and no taxes included. Planet Super Stylish is designed like a coliseum, with flat-screen televisions, digital microwaves, and electronic shoe boxes one can open by pressing in a code.
I tell Oprah, "You should visit the planet so I can show you around and introduce you to the people who live here."
She replies, "I will take a jet and be there in one hour."
Oprah arrives, and everybody screams and chants, "Oprah, Oprah, Oprah!" As she enters the building, she sniffs the air, stating that this planet smells like fresh-baked chocolate cookies. Oh, how exciting it is to meet her.
Oprah gathers everyone in the auditorium of the models’ coliseum and says her famous line, "I can’t go without giving away something."
The crowd starts yelling, "OH, MY GOD! WHAT IS IT, OPRAH?"
She says, "Everyone is walking away with a red, flying, four-door Lexus hybrid (with her hands pointing towards the audience yelling… you get a car, you a car, you get a car), a digital blender for your beverages, and a year’s supply of clothes for everyone on Planet Super Stylish."
The crowd goes wild, screaming and crying, "Thank you, Oprah! This was everything I dreamed of!"
Ready for a Road Trip by Ghawana Bennett
I can honestly say that I am worn out! I need a break. I need a break from work, school, answering questions all day, helping others make decisions, housework and just thinking. I want my brain to be “stuck on stupid.” I need a vacation! It would be amazing to go somewhere fun, dangerous and exciting, to be carefree. My type of a vacation would involve aquariums, museums, horseback riding, hang-gliding, zip lining and white water rafting. I want to grab my husband, two kids and go on a road trip!
My family’s road trip would start off with my husband and me taking two months off of work. It would be in the summer so the kids would be out on summer vacation. I would go to the store and purchase a map of the United States. We would sit down as a family, choose five states, research fun activities in each of the five states, with our main destination being the Grand Canyon, and go. My husband loves museums, my 10-year-old daughter enjoys aquariums, my eight-year-old son loves animals, and I am fascinated with any activity that spells danger. We would pack very little clothing because we would shop on our way. Since we can’t afford to buy a RV/Motor home, we would rent a spacious one.
The RV would have a decked-out bathroom, a large bedroom and a washer and dryer because I hate dirty clothes. We would not pack a lot of food because on this trip we are going to eat at all the best restaurants. The best restaurants would be the restaurants with the greatest tasting food, no matter the cost. I would pack family games, make sure everyone had their iPods loaded with music, movies, games, books, and their minds loaded with fun ideas.
When my family goes on a vacation, we never relax. We take advantage of all the fun activities and adventures. A day on the road for us would involve road games, singing songs, and lots of laughter. The only rest that we would get is when it was time to sleep. There would be no hotels because we would take full advantage of sleeping in the RV. My husband and I would take the bedroom, and my children would take the sleeper sofa.
After visiting the aquariums, museums, zoos, must-see sites and eating all the best food in the five states, we would then be on our way to the Grand Canyon. My husband always says, “I want to see the Grand Canyon before I die.” The Grand Canyon would be our final destination so he could check that off his bucket list. Once at the Grand Canyon, we would ride horses down the Canyon to see the beautiful sights, and stand on the glass top landing, looking over the Canyon. My husband does not like heights so I’m not sure he would enjoy that activity. We would definitely white-water raft. I want to feel the water hitting my face and my heart pumping hard from the excitement. My family loves any activity that involves water, so I’m quite sure this adventure would be the most enjoyable.
Once our Grand Canyon adventure is over, we would return the RV and go back to our pre-road-trip lives. My children would return to school, my husband back to work, and me back to saying “I am worn out! I need a break. I need a break from work, school, answering questions all day, helping others make decisions, housework and just thinking.”
Trapped by Josh Belleza
Every day, I watched William from the other side of a closed window. He was always doing something at his desk. One day, he left his window open. He wasn’t there today, but I went in anyway and tried to figure out what he was doing at his desk. I found out that he had written a letter, but I couldn’t read it. I eventually fell asleep trying to read the letter.
I woke up a few hours later because the ceiling had fallen on me! There seemed to be some light coming from the two ends of this collapsed area. It was like I was in a tunnel. I started to head for one end, but the ground started trembling. I thought it was an earthquake! Then I heard this slobbering-like sound, and the light at the end of the tunnel faded away. It was now very dark!
I was going in and out of consciousness. I thought I was dead. I heard some muffled voices in the background. I felt as if the walls all around me and I were slowly being lifted off the ground. I heard a voice again. The voice seemed louder, but it was still unintelligible. I thought I heard the name of William being said. I very weakly opened my eyes and saw a bright light. I heard a loud, ripping sound and air came rushing in. The light had become very bright now. There was someone there. I thought to myself, “Where there are people, there’s food!” I was finally saved!
I literally flew out and into the light. I headed straight for food. I grabbed onto a peach colored object and took a bite. It was still warm and fresh. The sweet, juicy, warm, refreshing liquid was so satisfying after starving for so long. I took in several large gulps. When I was trapped inside those walls, I had thought I was definitely going to die. Now I knew I was going to live!
I woke up a few hours later because the ceiling had fallen on me! There seemed to be some light coming from the two ends of this collapsed area. It was like I was in a tunnel. I started to head for one end, but the ground started trembling. I thought it was an earthquake! Then I heard this slobbering-like sound, and the light at the end of the tunnel faded away. It was now very dark!
The earthquake continued, and I could barely keep my balance. The ceiling had collapsed on me, which further restricted my movements. I was forced to crawl and feel my way around this dark tunnel. It was so frustrating to forcefully crawl my way around that I decided to wait until the trembling earthquake ended.
After several hours of enduring that trembling earthquake, I heard a loud, ear-splitting, squealing sound. I then felt like I was rapidly falling! The falling stopped, and then I heard the loud, ear-splitting, squealing sound again, followed by a loud metallic slam. Then there was nothing but silence.
It was finally peaceful! The earthquakes and falling stopped, so I decided to crawl out of this dark tunnel. As I crawled out of the dark tunnel, I noticed that all the walls of the tunnel seemed sticky with some dried, foul-smelling, tar-like liquid. I definitely had to get out of that tunnel. When I got out of the tunnel, I reached a wall. There seemed to be some space between the walls and the outer walls of the tunnel, so I decided to try to crawl my way through that space.
I crawled and felt my way around the walls, but I found nothing but walls. I noticed that the walls seemed to be clean and free of that foul-smelling, tar-like liquid. I continued to crawl around the walls, but I couldn’t find an escape route. I was trapped!
Every now and then, I would hear that loud, ear-splitting, squealing sound, followed by a loud, metallic slam and some unknown stuff falling on the outside of the walls. This caused the walls to close in. More unknown stuff from the outside kept dropping in and adding more weight. The walls kept closing in on me, and I felt like I was in a vise, slowly being crushed to death!
I was trapped and alone. I was in an unknown, hostile environment. The wall was closing in on me and I hadn’t eaten in a while. I was running out of air. There was no escape. I was frightened and prayed it would end soon. There was nothing I could do, so I slept and hoped that something would happen soon.
I woke up to the loud, ear-splitting, squealing soun,d followed by earthquakes. I crawled and felt my way all along the walls, but my surroundings hadn’t changed! I felt like I was in some torture chamber because I was being crushed and starved. This was no dream. The pain was real. There was no escape.
The trembling earthquakes continued. My stomach wouldn’t stop grumbling, and I was so hungry that I thought about eating the wall. I thought maybe I could eat my way out. But the wall tasted like dry, dusty paper. The wall was definitely inedible, so I decided against eating it.
My poor stomach continued to grumble. The earthquakes stopped and many hours passed. Every now and then, the quaking continued, and I heard what sounded like human voices. Maybe I was just hearing things. Maybe I was just hoping to be found so I could eat some food. I was running out of hope. I needed something to happen to give me more hope.
All of a sudden, I heard a loud cranking sound, followed by that rapid falling again. I heard a loud slam and I stopped falling, probably because we hit the ground level. Then there was nothing but eerie silence.
The only thing I could hear now was a deafening, painful, grumbling sound coming from my stomach. I could hardly breathe, so I decided to crawl around. I was desperately searching for any new holes. I was devastated at my findings. Even though all those earthquakes happened, no new holes formed. I was still trapped and starving. I was definitely going to die! I eventually passed out due to exhaustion.
I was going in and out of consciousness. I thought I was dead. I heard some muffled voices in the background. I felt as if the walls all around me and I were slowly being lifted off the ground. I heard a voice again. The voice seemed louder, but it was still unintelligible. I thought I heard the name of William being said. I very weakly opened my eyes and saw a bright light. I heard a loud, ripping sound and air came rushing in. The light had become very bright now. There was someone there. I thought to myself, “Where there are people, there’s food!” I was finally saved!
I literally flew out and into the light. I headed straight for food. I grabbed onto a peach colored object and took a bite. It was still warm and fresh. The sweet, juicy, warm, refreshing liquid was so satisfying after starving for so long. I took in several large gulps. When I was trapped inside those walls, I had thought I was definitely going to die. Now I knew I was going to live!
All of a sudden, I heard a loud smack. I felt as if I had been crushed by the walls. The last thing I heard before I died was that person saying, “Ouch! A stupid mosquito flew out of that envelope and bit me!”
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