SHREYA GOT ONE OF HER POEMS PUBLISHED!!!!

SHREYA GOT ONE OF HER POEMS PUBLISHED!!!!!

Read it online here: https://alphabetsoup.net.au/

Image: http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/images/270x224/animals/rabbits/rabbit_gray_in_grass_270x224.jpg

Red by Amanda Bratsch and Taubie Sanders

Anger is burning red consumption
Taking over me.
I want to scream, I want to throw something
But I manage to control myself.
How can such a little person
Be so aggravating?
Why do I let little things get to me?
Why do I just stand there and burn?
Why does the red drip over my face and fall to the floor?
Why am I SO MAD?!?!?!?!?

Dreng: The Elemental Legion by Samay Gandhi [Sneak Peek!]

[The following is an excerpt from the novel]

Dreng

Life. That is the last word of my book. To revive life. I look up, proud and feeling achieved by the fact that I had finished this book. It was the longest book I had read, and it made my family happy that I was studying my language. The book was an old one, handed down through the generations of our family, but eventually it reached my brother and I. My brother, obviously the less smart one of us, let me read it first. Before I get out of my room, I walk to the mirror. In the mirror, a young boy with black hair combed down the left side of his head stared back to me. 15 years of life grew on his face as stubble, and he was about 5’ 9”, just a tad bit shorter than his twin.

His eyes are eyes that are worn out and tired, yet still jubilous in a light way. The sparkling gleam of naughty mixed with calm genius in his eyes combined to a dark brown. According to the books, my appearance is apparently known as “Asian,” by old civilizations and books. As I walked out of my room and trudged down the stairs of my house, the floor creaked. I threw the book at Baron, who was sleeping on our hammock. “Umph,” He muttered as the book collided with his stomach. “What was that for?” He said groggily.

I laughed. the sun was already setting, and I was going to bring Baron inside to eat anyways. “Hey Dreng?”  He asked quietly.

“Yeah?”

"Why don’t you look behind yourself.” He said nervously.

“I’m not stupid Baron, let’s go in.”

“DRENG LISTEN TO ME!” He yelled with a tone of desperation.

“NO. JUST SHUT UP AND COME INSIDE BARON.” I screamed.

The night became quiet. Baron didn’t make a noise. Wait. Baron wasn’t the re. He was gone. I turned quickly, ready for a fight. Instead, I saw Baron in our field. His muscular arms were stretched out, and his face was towards the sky. No. His face was staring at a red blur in the sky. Moments later, his black hair was flying in the air. He began to levitate, higher, higher, higher. What was happening? the red blur speed up to celestial speeds, and smashed into Baron. I screamed and ran towards Baron. He was already flying through the air. Instead, I look up. A yellow streak is coming towards me. I know I can’t run, so I sit. And I sit in a calm, meditative position. 3. 2. 1. It’s on me. I am levitating towards the thing. What is it? I don’t know. But when it sped up, it collided with me. And it hurt. A lot.

 

 (CHAPTER 2)

I awoke to my brother shaking me up. “Get up Dreng, let’s get home.” I groaned, I was 100% sure that I had broken something. I opened my eyes painfully. I looked at my brother. His hair was messy, and he had something different about his face. Was it the color of his hair? No. I knew what it was. His eyes were red. It didn’t scare me. It was just too fierce for his personality. I stared at my reflection in his eyes. Yellow? Yellow eyes? I looked like a bug!

“Dang it! Why did you get the cool eyes?”

Baron laughed. He’s still the same. Both of us must’ve grown a bit taller and a bit more muscular from when we got blasted. What was going on.

“Hey Dreng. Check this, I figured it out when you were asleep.”  He slowly held his newly muscular arms out and faced his palms at just an angle above the field. His body was enveloped in a red hue. It was kind of like one of those Star Wars force fields. He then tensed his core. Almost immediately, a blazing red flame came out of his hands, and he angled them differently. He could even spell his own name. I stood up. I must’ve gotten something too. “What are you doing to get the fire, Baron?”

“Just flex like you’re constipated,” He chuckled.

I forced for what felt like an hour. Nothing. This was ridiculous!

“Dreng. Let’s race home. It’s almost exactly 5 miles.”

“Sure!” I knew this would end badly though, since I had no idea how much Baron had grew. Baron started the countdown. Ready? Set. Go! He ran so fast that by the time I had started he was a good 50 feet ahead of me! My face was red and sweat poured down it. I jumped in frustration. Instead of going back down like on a normal day, I went up. The height of which I flew at was so magnificent it punched me directly in the windpipe. I could see my house, and a couple acres of land beyond it. Baron was easily moving around 40 miles an hour, and I just kept going higher. Instead of having my feet down and head up, I tried to awkwardly move my body at an angle towards our house. After a while of struggling, I eventually got to a position I felt was right. Baron had already gotten half way. It was only about 4 minutes until he would reach the house. As my body started to speed up, a faint yellow streak was getting produced. Faster and faster I kept going, until I was cloaked in a dark yellow. The wind was not affecting me, as it went past the yellow bubble.

Baron just looked up. He saw me, and I was getting very close to him. I kept going, and angled myself to the right of Baron. I slowly made myself parallel to the ground. I could hear my heartbeat, and slowly, I adjusted my actions to my quickly-paced heart. One second I was by Baron. The other, our house. However, I couldn’t stop. Electricity began forming around my body. There was nothing I could do.

Except one thing. Constipation. Not literally, of course, but I surged everything that I could muster in my core. Electricity bolts hit the ground in loud “BANGS,” but I kept moving.

Closer and closer to the forest I went. “WHAP, WHAP, WHAP!” My face was covered in splinters. I surged. Almost immediately, I halted to a stop. And I floated there. I dived right at my forcefield and cut straight through. However, I had forgot that I was suspended 100 feet above the forest.  Without knowing at first, I was now plunging towards the ground! For a second I was there, then the next second my back was slamming against the ground. “Oomph!” I yelled.

Baron came running towards me. “First is the worst!” He laughed, and stuck his tongue out. “Get up,” He said while reaching an arm out. “Oh, just be quiet Baron.” I said, annoyed.

“Don’t say that to me, Dreng.” Flames were in his hands.

“I can say that to you if I want, bro.” Electricity coursed through my body and sparks were flying through my hands.

Angry, he held his hands out and blasted two columns of fire at me. I glared at Baron. Using my hands, I slowly formed an electric-ball and threw it at him. “BLAM!” The noise shattered my ears. We went flying back for a while before I hit the ground, out cold…

 

TO BE CONTINUED…

The Bubblegum Problem by Amanda Bratsch

Mr. Adams was insane. That was one thing he knew for sure. Why else would he have become a middle school principal? 

Mr. Adams hated his job. Every day when he got to school, he would mark off a day on his calendar which, rather than featuring images of puppies or flowers or celebrities like a normal calendar, displayed pictures of various types of bubblegum. Mr. Adams LOVED bubblegum. At the end of his bubblegum calendar, on June 11th, large red letters screamed out, “RETIREMENT DAY!” 

Today was June 10th. Mr. Adams should have felt ecstatic about this, but in actuality he was upset. Not because he didn’t want to retire, rather because of the end of the year speech he would have to give to the entire student body that morning. 

He would have to tell the jerky eighth graders how he would miss them and the insanely happy seventh graders how much they had improved over the course of the year. But worst of all, he would have to tell the annoying little bratty sixth graders how special he had made his last year at the school. Blah, blah, blah. None of this was true. Mr. Adams was not looking forward to giving this speech.

And on top of that, he had lost his belt and his pants kept on slipping down. Talk about embarrassing!
Mr. Adams stood backstage, practicing his, “I’m actually nice and love you guys” fake smile. Before going onto the stage, he reached into his pocket for a piece of bubblegum. Finding nothing, Mr Adams panicked and made a beeline for his office. He dug through his desk drawers, searching for his emergency stash of bubblegum. Finally he uncovered it. He popped a piece of BlubboTM bubblegum in his mouth.Catching a glance of the clock, he broke the rule he had been most adamant about enforcing and ran in the halls. Panting, he made it onstage just in time. 

But, instead of being greeted with applause, instead he was met with uncontrollable laughter. Glancing down, he saw why. He was onstage. His pants were in the hallway.  Worst of all, grinning and waving at him from the audience was Maisie, the school’s number one troublemaker. But what was that in her hand? Mr. Adams squinted in the bright lights and finally understood. Flapping through the air like a proud flag in the wind was his belt.

Life: Prologue PLUS Chapter 1-3 by Evan Moran (Prologue by Nasym Kushner)

Prologue (by Nasym Kushner)

“Quick Your Majesty! We must get you to safety below ground!”

“Are you having a vision again, Arnold? If you continue to do this I will have to demote you to a common guardsman and you know that would pain me to put that onion-brained Schwartz as head guardsmen. You do realize he would probably cross a moat before he remembered to put the bridge down.”

Just then the warning bells rung followed by a chorus of stampeding men. Ahhhhhh.

“See sir! It is Trumbles. they have found us!”

“Oh no… bring me to the universal chamber”

“But Your Highness, it has never been entered before. We have no idea what sort of danger could lie in such a high concentration of magic. Only the legendary Thasedor could possibly control that and he’s probably not even real.”

“Arnold...” the king paused for a great while. He finally let out with a deep breath,“ I am Thasedor.”

Before Arnold could gasp, the door came hurling at them. “Hurry, I can hold the m back,” Arnold said while yanking out his sword.”

The king ripped open a secret door built into his couch and raced down the stairs. He encountered a wall that towered over the small chair sitting beside it. It was littered with thousands upon thousands of miniscule holes. “Here goes,” the king muttered. A light sprayed from his finger. The king concentrated it to merely a laser pointer. He seemingly pushed the light into different holes. Once the light made contact it hardened into small cylinders perfectly fitting in the holes. After filling four holes the door evaporated into floating icicles of all sizes. Instantly, the king was hit with all the universal magic saved up over billions of years.

the voices of the dead and living all rose in unison making a huuuum. the king called upon the soul of the one human he trusted most: Arnold. Telepathically speaking he said, “I shall grant my knowledge upon you. You shall become the new Thasedor.” the room was bathed in yellow light. He the n spoke to the room, “You shall pick the purist four souls to be granted with my power, guide them and they shall restore this land to it’s originality.” Four lights streamed out of the room with the colors of green, blue, yellow and red. “Now, this energy must be stored somewhere safe where no evil can find it.” the humming raised in pitch and volume until it suddenly dispersed. The castle the n exploded killing all except one in this horrible battle.

the young man that was once arnold now pushed the rubble off of his 15 year old self. He then silently walked from the rubble with his head hung.


CHAPTER 1

Cadabyr

I woke fitfully from a dream about the thing I fear most. Death. I shook all over. I was terrified out of my mind. I thought about how I had died this time in my nightmare. then I remembered. I had been locked in an eternal fight with death itself. No wonder I was shaken. I closed my eyes and thought about my appearance. My reflection appeared in my mind, that of an tall 15-year-old boy with a fair complexion, platinum-blond hair, and bright blue eyes. It was hard to tell that I was scared of anything from the outside, thought to myself. You would have to dig deep inside. Though not too deep. I thought about my daily practice routine. No point putting it off. I grabbed my bow and slung it over my shoulder. I picked up my quiver and went outside. I couldn’t see Abner anywhere. I knew that my brother detested my fortune. I was adopted, and my parents by adoption didn’t think that I could be in the fields, even though I was perfectly able. Oh well. I turned my back and walked into the woods.

***

I reached my secret tree and pulled the branch. It opened up and revealed a camouflaged green outfit. Quickly changing, I closed it up and set up the targets. I imagined that each one was a threat to my life. A murderous barbarian. Thwack. A pirate. Thwack. An enemy archer.Thwack. Thwack thwack thwack. A bear, a lion, and a jaguar. Suddenly, I had a strange feeling the others were in danger. I rushed out of the woods, and just as I took in the strange sight of abner hovering, surrounded in colored light, his eyes glowing the same color, when a green blast of light hit me, and I knew no more.

***

When I awoke, I was in a 50 foot hole in the ground. That’s odd, I thought to myself. I pulled out a grappling arrow and shot it, praying that it would latch onto something. It did! Pulling it tight, I climbed out. In the distance, I could see the family farm. Abner was not in sight. Bracing myself for the worst, I headed of for the farm in search of the him.

Elvara

I woke up feeling excited for the day ahead. Mamma and Pappa were gone settling public relations with some territory on the eastern ridge. That meant I could eat some more of those cookies I had made. It was an exciting prospect. I thought about the plans I had made. I was going to frolic around in the forest, practice my magic, and go exploring. Our forest village was full of people that i should probably describe to you. They were elfish looking, like me, but they were taller. I was only 15 and wasn’t ready for the outside world yet. I was 7’ 5”, which was short for my people. I had long blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. I liked to freeze stuff with ice magic and shoot stuff with a bow and arrow.

Anyway, that day I went out in the woods and I was freezing things and shooting them when I froze something unexpected. And here is what it was...

Cadabyr

I found him at the pond, staring at the water.

“Abner!” I said. He looked up. I backed up suddenly. His eyes were glowing solid blue.

“Yeah?” he said.

“Your eyes!”

“I know. I was hit with a bright blue comet thing.”

With a sense of dread, I looked in the water. My reflection stared back. I was almost relieved. Almost. My reflection was the same, but my eyes now glowed solid green.

“No,” I groaned,”No no no no no no! This can’t be happening to me!”

“I’m afraid it is.” said Abner.

“But why?”

“You have been called” he said sarcastically.

“I’m in no mood for jokes. Seriously. Why?”

“It’s a plot to ruin your life.”

“SERIOUSLY” I yelled. I don’t know what happened next. All I know is that it seemed like a mountain of earth exploded between us, revitalizing me and grabbing him. When i made a fist it did to. When I slammed my fist down, it slammed Abner down into the ground. Basically, it mimicked my movements.

“Sorry” I said.

“You’re gonna be more than sorry.” he growled. He concentrated hard, and the water exploded, grabbing me and pulling me under. I came up spluttering.

“Truce” I gasped.

“Fine”

He helped me up, and we headed off towards the woods.

CHAPTER 2

Cadabyr

We walk through the woods and I saw where I had been shooting things not 24 hours before. There was one left. Calling Abner to a stop and halting myself, I pulled out my bow. A brightly colored green comet, I thought. THWACK. Bulls-eye. I turned to look at Abner. He was gone. In his place was a 10 foot tall block of ice. And on the other side of that…

Elvara

It was a boy. That wasn’t the weird part. The weird part was his eyes. They were glowing blue. That wasn’t the part that I found weird. The part that I found weird was that my eyes glowed gray whenever I cast Ice magic.

Cadabyr

Was a girl. Her eyes glowed gray. She had a bow and a wand with the wand pointed at me. I ducked and covered my head. I thought that this was the end. Then I looked up. I saw my reflection in her eyes. My eyes were not glowing. The glow in her eyes faded. Her eyes were the same color as mine

CHAPTER 3

Cadabyr

I was amazed. I mean, I was very tall. But this girl was about a whole foot taller than me.

“I mean no harm.” I said.

“Put down the weapon.” She said.

I dropped my bow and put my quiver down with it. Then, quick as lightning, I threw a punch at her face. She raised her wand, and suddenly my fist was encased in ice. It dropped like a stone.

“Apology accepted.” She said indifferently.

Elvara

I knew it as soon as he punched at me. I loved him. He could easily get as tall as me if I splashed him with a potion. I’d save it for when we really needed it.

“Could you let my friend out?” He asked tentatively.

“Okay,” I said, moving to let his friend out of the ice. “I’m Elvara, by the way.”

“Cadabyr, and my friend in there is Abner.”

“Charmed.”

“I’m sorry I punched at you.”

“Don’t be,” I laughed,”It gives me a chance to improve my reflexes.”

The ice shattered at that moment. His friend, Abner, stepped out.

“Want me to bring you to my village?”

“Sure.”

And with that, we headed off into the night.

TO BE CONTINUED...

A Short Story Using Unreasonably Complicated Words by Ruby Miller

This is an unreasonably complicated story using words you might not even know. I certainly had to look stuff up while writing it. Read it and see how you do.

I was in motion down a course when I transpired upon an unintelligent fleshy creature. I presumed it rather cuddlesome and proceeded to make affectionate noises. It returned my osculate gestures with ebullient optimism. It sprouted a pair of wings and ascended to my cranium where it commenced burrowing in my locks. I squawked and sprinted, feeling horrifically petrified. The organism bounced off and departed on its direction. 

GLOBAL DAILY HOTWIRE!!!! ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER CAUGHT ILLEGALLY BREEDING SQUIRRELS By Amanda Bratsch

After several long, grueling months of investigation, rumors of illegal squirrel breeding at a local elementary school were proven true, according to Igerna Morgen, chairman of the United States Squirrel Rights Association, who said that the breeding violated Squirrel Rights law number 126 B.

Sixth grade teacher Mrs. Dreadbone Craze was caught using the attic of a local elementary school as a squirrel breeding facility, witnesses said. 

“The way she treated those squirrels was inhumane.” Morgen declared. “It’s a good thing the USSRA caught her before she went too far!”

Morgen went on to say that this was the third illegal squirrel breeder that the USSRA had apprehended this year. 

“Some people are just so cruel,” she announced sadly.  “Fortunately, the USSRA is educating school groups about the importance of being kind to squirrels. Many young children are now wearing buttons and t-shirts that sport the USSRA motto: ‘Squirrels are people too, and they deserve to be treated that way!’ Our hope is that by January 2017, we will have completely rid the world of illegal squirrel breeders.”

Mrs. Dreadbone Craze was not available for comment.

Murder Mystery by Beatrice Chillstrom

Though she was a great detective, Liz Magnhild  could not find sleep. The crime from that day was like a broken record, playing the same tear inducing thoughts over and over again. It was a bitter November morning in Germany when a man falls from the rooftop of a warehouse. It was first thought to be suicide but one bystander pointed out a bone chilling clue. They saw another person on the roof. It was murder. She was only 25, but Lis was a famed sleuth.  "The next week will be interesting" she thought as she rolled off to sleep.

Two days later...

The president of the law firm entered. "We know that the only person that works at the warehouse that was on roof that day was the janitor, but he was seen leaving at 2:00 am. The crime took place at 7:00. The other suspect is the manager. He is thought to have a grudge on the man who was killed. Bjorn Hasberry, aka the man who was killed, married the love of the manager's life. He has been bitter ever since. Those are who you will be interviewing today," the president said.

Lis was growing more intrigued by every passing second. "When will I begin? Who will I interview first?" Lis asked the president.

"It is 2:00, if I'm correct. So, you will begin in 15 minutes," said the president. He left he room. Lis was very confused. Why did he leave? Was he mad about the things she had said? Why didn't he answer her second question? She tried to push these questions to the side of her mind. She got her book and read. 15 minutes later the president came out.  "Miss Magnhild, please come in," he said as he gestured at the door.

She got up slowly watching him, her black silk dress flowing with her every movement.  Her gaze turned to the door. In seconds she could be in the presence of a murderer. She walked towards the door. The solemn gaze upon her beautiful face could not be forgotten. The president opened the door. She walked in and sat at the wooden and copper table. The person sitting across from her was a gruff figure. He had bright orange hair with piercing gray eyes. He had scruffy side burns and amazingly thick eyebrows. The president sat next to her. His stiff suit crackled as it reached the seat.  

"Hello. Who are you?" asked Lis.

 "I'm-"

 "He's Ivo, the janitor," the president interrupted rudely.

"Ivo, what was your relationship like with Bjorn?" Asked Lis.

"We were very close. And I am deeply saddened at the loss of Bjorn," said Ivo.

"Were you on the roof that day?" Asked Lis.

"I was but I left work five hours before the crime, and what reason do I have to kill Bjorn?" said Ivo.

"Just answer her stupid question!" said the president.

"I am completely outraged at that comment! If you interrupt me or say another word of bitterness I will leave and you will be sued for leaving the case unsolved," Lis said.

At this comment the president was completely stunned.

"If I were you I would keep those thoughts to myself," the president said. "Silly little girl," the president muttered under his breath.

Lis was hit in her heart with a ray of furry. She was disgusted with the president but she knew she had to solve the case.

"I'm so sorry Ivo what were you saying?" said Lis trying to be kind. She was terribly frustrated with the president.

"Nothing ma'am, if you have any more questions, I would be happy to answer them," said Ivo.

"No, I didn't say anything but thank you for coming," Lis said.

Ivo stood up and looked back at Liz. He was so shy. He would have liked to tell her that she looked beautiful. He wished he would have worked up the courage to ask her to dinner. He sadly walked away and out into the busy streets of Berlin.

The president talked into an old model of a walkie-talkie. "Send out the manager" said the president

 A clean shaven man walked in. He had platinum blonde hair and light green eyes. He wore a sly smile that had decided to nest on his vampire pale skin. His cherry tomato red lips looked like fireworks on his fair skin.

"Hello. What is your name?" Liz asked the manager.

"My name is a Mihail," said the manager.

"Mihail, I understand you and Bjord weren't very close," said Lis.

"No, we weren't. It all started when my friend here-"  he pointed to the president.

 "What! You’re friends with the president!" Lis interrupted.

"Yes! Well he set me up with this girl. I fell in love with her. All of a sudden Bjorn stepped in and stole my girl. Though I have to say I don't hate him so much that I would kill him. That sounds like something that would happen in the capital. This isn't the capital," said Mihail.

"Gentlemen may I stop you there. I believe I figured out the mystery."

Epilogue

"Well Ivo I'm so happy that those Greek business men are in prison. I can't believe that they thought that the capital is still Bonn. They changed that about 30 years ago," said Lis to her new boyfriend.

"Me too, I'm also happy that you didn't falsely accuse me of murder," Ivo said.

 Lis giggled lightly.

  

The End

The Girl Who Sits Alone by Ruby Miller

I am the girl who sits alone,
who sits alone
and writes a poem

I truly do not mind it
In fact I seem
to find it quite fit

And I do think it to be true
that if you sat alone and tried, 
you would come to like it too

Ten Reasons Why You Should Play Tennis by Manisha Asrani

    Are you having a tough time deciding what sport to play. Well,  I have got an answer for you. Tennis! These are ten reasons why you should to choose to play tennis.

10. Tennis Helps You Live Longer Scientists and doctors around the world point to tennis as one of the most healthful activities in which you can participate, delivering overall physical, mental and emotional gains. It will add years to your life.

9. Tennis Makes for a Happier Life Tennis engages your mind and body at the same time, unlike a typical workout at a gym. Because tennis players are more confident, healthier, less stressed and more socially interactive, they’re just plain happier.

8. Tennis is Social On court and off, you’re guaranteed to make friends through tennis. The sport encourages interaction, communication, and just plain fun.

7. Tennis is a Family Sport No matter the age, gender, ethnicity, ability level or fitness level, tennis is perfect for families to play together. Few sports can offer the opportunities for families that tennis can.

6. Tennis Teaches Life Lessons Participants, particularly youngsters, develop a work ethic, learn sportsmanship, accept responsibility, manage mistakes, enhance discipline, learn to compete, cope with pressure and adversity, develop healthy habits, learn teamwork, and much more.

5. Tennis Can Be Anything You Want it to Be Looking for competition, social play, team camaraderie, a good workout, time with family or friends, tournaments and national championships? Tennis has all of that, and more. The sport can be anything you want or need it to be.

4. Tennis is Fun At every level of the game and at every age, from 10 and Under Tennis through the most super-senior leagues, players have fun while getting a workout.

3. Tennis Develops Your Mind Tennis requires alertness, tactical thinking, and problem solving, and evidence suggests it may generate new connections between nerves, promoting a lifetime of continued development of the brain.

2. Tennis Develops Your Body The constant movement and action in tennis will burn calories, build muscle, increase bone strength, improve flexibility, fine-tune coordination and enhance overall health and fitness.

1. Tennis is the Sport for a Lifetime There’s no other sport you can play throughout your life–from the earliest ages to your latest years–that gives you the physical, mental, emotional and social benefits tennis gives you.

Why I Write by Nora Kushner

I write to live, 
I live to write,
That's how I function.
If writing wasn't a thing,
My solution would be to
Invent it because,
I write to live
A world without writing, 
Would add more anger to the world
If you’re angry I know a medicine
A sacred medicine.
If I'm angry or upset I use this medicine
I'm passing down this medicine to you
I write to live 
I live to write.

Grades by Manisha Asrani

Grades

The letters that make you nervous

Will you get an A

And get to shout “Hooray”

Or a D

And feel very bad

Test, exams

Everything gives you grades

But will it be good

Or.....

Will it be bad

The Choice by Amanda Bratsch and Taubie Sanders

I’m so sick of how you treat me
You make me feel so terrible,
Then you act like I’m the bad guy.
I’m so sick of smiling and laughing with you
Like your insults are a joke.
But if I stand up to you, 
you’ll tell people I’m a jerk.
There is no good option.
Do I take your abuse or do I 
Slap it in your face
Then have my courage used against me?
Hobson’s choice.
I know what I must do. 
Mwah ha ha ha ha.
I will regret this.
But I hope that you will too.
We will stand up for what we know is right.

Sound the Bells by Evangeline Gunderman

Sound the bells
The time has come
Gather the town
It’s time to run

To run away
Away from attack
Away from home
Never looking back

Looking back brings pain
Pain to everyone
Remembering the past
But, still, you must run

So sound the bells
The time has come
Gather the town
It’s time to run

Dancing by Manisha Asrani

Dancing
A way of letting yourself loose
There are many different types
Salsa, Ballroom
Oh, how do you choose?
Which one to do
Just try them all
And have some fun
Go skip, spin, and swing

Ghosts by Manisha Asrani

Ghosts
Things that give you nightmares
The white figure
Oooohhhhh
The thing that scares you
The most?.......
On Halloween night

Being Invisible by Manisha Asrani

Invisibility

A time when jealousy rises to the surface

A time you do not like

You want to be seen

Known

And talked about

You want to be liked

So invisibility is your enemy

But do not get too mad

Because one day you will have your moment

Me by Ava Thompson

Me
That's who I am
Nobody can change that
The way I think
The way I write
Nobody can change that
That’s who I am
The way I communicate
And the way I make friends
Nobody can change that
That’s who I am
That’s me

Poem That I Can’t Think of A Name For by Amanda Bratsch

everyone
is searching.
yearning
for something more.
everyone
but me. 
now that i have risen, 
now that my story has ended but i live on, 
i wonder if i am just as bad as you.
 if my intentions for kindness were as false as yours. 
if the reason i was nice to you was just because i needed someone to prove that i wasn’t unwanted. 
and the answer 
is yes. 
i am here.
 i am haunted. 
haunted by my own choices, my own mistakes. 
while everybody’s wishing for a Happily Ever After, 
i’m looking for a way out of mine.
 because i don’t like it here, after ‘Ever After’

Birthdays by Manisha Asrani

“Happy Birthday”
The words you hear
When you are one year older
A little bit better
And a little bit taller
If you just keep enjoying your life
Birthdays will be the best thing that happened to you
A birthday
A awesome day for you

Not What it Seems by Taubie Sanders (746 words)

The sun rose over the mountain at exactly five thirty on Sunday morning.  Mira Albernik awoke exactly at that time.  She crept out of her room and slowly tip toed down the stairs being careful not to wake her fellow orphan children.

“Mira! What are you doing?” Miss Hendry was unfortunately already awake.

“Uh… I just had to go to the bathroom and now I’m going back to bed.” It was a pretty good cover-up.  Miss Hendry didn’t buy it.

 “Why would you go back to bed?  It’s five thirty!  Get down here, eat breakfast and start getting ready for my date today” she said.

“Okay” Mira faked.  She slapped a dress on, jumped out the open window and slid down the roof.  Now this was the hard part, jumping off the roof onto the ground.  Mira placed her hands directly in front of her feet and jumped.  Suddenly a sharp pain shot up her shoeless foot.  She looked down; a patch of white sumac lay beneath her.

She shook it off and ran towards the small hole in the landscape off in the distance.  As she got close the hole began to open wider.  When she finally reached the hole tired and in pain a hand came out, grabbed her and pulled her in.  The world swirled around her and a screen appeared.

“Agent Mira, welcome back,” A futuristic computer voice said. “You have ten new missions”.

 “Great” Mira slapped her forehead “let’s just get this over with before Miss Hendry figures out I’m gone for her ‘special date’.  Technically every Miss Hendry date was considered ‘special’ when she was in charge of the Ellikna Hills Foster Home for Children.

 The screen disappeared and Mira stepped into the darkness where the screen once stood.  Then, another face appeared this time it was not recognizable to Mira.

 “Hello, how are you today?” his voice was rough like sandpaper.

 “Uh I don’t talk to strangers”

 “I’m not a stranger Mira” his face turned into a frown beneath his matted brown hair.  Mira frowned along with him.  “I’m your father”.  Mira’s mouth dropped open.  She couldn’t believe it.  After twelve years of knowing nothing it happened now, at this moment, at this time, now?

 “Why?  What?  How?  Who are you?” she didn’t try to say it, it just came out.

 “I told you Mira, I’m your father” his blue eyes pierced her skin.

“Why are you here?”

 “Because, I’m your father Mira.” Slowly his hand wrapped around her wrist.

 “What are you doing?” She slowly began to slide her wrist out of his grasp.  He was silent.  “You aren’t my father, are you?” Silence again.  Mira tried harder to pull her wrist out of his grasp, but he was just too strong.  She pulled again, nothing.  Again, and again, and again she tried.  His face curled into a small smirk.

 Then she saw it.  She recognized that face.  It was the face of the enemy.  Any well trained secret agent could see that, and thankfully the enemy just happened to be an army of robots.  Her hand curled around to the back of the robot’s neck and felt for any type of different surface.  But she couldn’t find one.  It all felt like rough skin.  A sharp pain was felt around her wrist and she groaned.

 “Not this time Mira” the robot knew what she as doing.

 “Great” Mira said slamming her head into his knee “OW!  Why do I have to get so mad?  Suddenly she sensed her body was being let go.  The robot’s head fell onto her head and all of a sudden she felt a sharp pain in her neck.

 “Mira, Mira are you awake?!”  Mira’s eyes fluttered open to an array of head above her. 

 “Oh, thank the heavens I thought you were dead!  No one would date me if I killed a child” Miss Hendry’s face stuck out among the rest of the children.  “Missy, you have a lot of explaining to do”

 “Oh yeah about that” Miss Hendry’s face formed a smile “I’m kind of a secret agent who got attacked by a robot.  Then I Turned him off and somehow fainted.”

 “I’m not dumb it’s kind of obvious that happened to you.”

 “What?”

 “I know you are a secret agent.  Everybody here is a secret agent.”

 “Seriously?” Mira looked around.  Everyone smiled

 “Here, I’ll help you up,” Miss Hendry flashed a smile.  Mira smiled too knowing that everything was going to be okay.

A Haiku Collection by Evangeline Gunderman

The cherry blossoms

Always fall so gracefully

All dying too soon

How do flowers bloom,

With such beauty and power?

Amazement fills me

Watching, the world sighs

At the birth of a new tree

So young and beautiful

Painting the roses

Because the color is wrong

Is anything right?

Colors by Ava Thompson

Colors are the world
They are our life
They represent heat
Blazing burning heat
The snow
Soft and floating snow
The ocean
The Swishing swirling splashing ocean
Us
The unique and amazing us

Falling By Ava Thompson

Falling

Falling

Falling

Down

Down

Down

To where no one can find me.

In the deep dark depths

Of the deep blue sea

Or the bright green leaves

Of the rainforest trees

Falling

Falling

Falling

Down

Down

Down

To the dark stony halls

Of the canyon walls

Or the icy storms

That blizzard's perform