Daughter of Good: Decorated Soldiers

Prompt: Write a story based off of a line or title of your favorite song.
Song: "1,000 Ships" by: Rachel Platten
Line: "I'd go beyond our fighting boarders if you needed that from me. I'd march with decorated soldiers to get your pretty eyes to see."
_________________________________________________________________________________

Our friends don’t get along. Her friends avoid us when they can and the same for mine. So when Darren Simmons approached us in the hallway before school I knew something was wrong.

“She needs you,” was all he said. Darren is tall for a level one; standing at about six foot two he towers over us in his leather jacket and messy hazelnut colored hair. I looked from him to all of my friends; they all nodded.

I started marching towards the front door. Everyone moved out of the way as I powered through the hallways; almost like a scene from a movie. Behind me I could hear the sound of high heels hitting the titled floor and knew that my friends were with me. We walked in a V-formation; me and my decorated soldiers. They’d all had experience dealing with drama; being friends with girls will got you lots of experience.

Throwing open the front door I stood on the steps and looked around. Kids climbed off big yellow buses, gathering in scattered groups around the outside of the school.  Some walked across the gravel parking lot towards the Junior High School; more scattered groups of pre-teens waited by the back doors for the first bell to ring.

“Where is she?” I ask sternly and seriously. Turning to my right I stared up at Darren, placing my left hand on my hip and using my right hand to shield the sun from my eyes.

“Over here” Darren replied, walking calmly down the steps with us not too far behind. When I realized where we were going I wanted to run ahead of him to her but I didn't because this isn't my territory. We are on either side of a fighting boarder and I'm about to cross it for the first time.

Rounding the corner of the school I see the dumpsters. Why are they not in front of them?  I wonder. They always hand out in front of the dumpster. I've never seen them go behind. But when we turn the corner I understand. Along the sides, by the dumpsters and the chain-linked fence were her friends. They stood stiff; hands by their sides.

Crouched against the brick wall of the school, head in her hands, shoulders shaking, was Katie. I looked at all of her friends and knew, none of them knew what to do. In her group nobody cries, at least not around each other.

Getting a nodding approval form each of them  I approached her and knelt down in front of her, laying both of my hands on her knees, Behind me I heard the loud sounds of combat boots stomping away and the clicking of high heels coming closer.

"Katie, what happened?" I whispered, tucking a loose piece of curly brown hair behind her ear. When she looked up from her lap my heart broke. Tears streamed down her cheeks, both eyes red and puffy beneath her thick rimmed glasses. Katie looked broken.

"It's... it's nothing" she muttered, hurriedly taking off her glasses and frantically wiping away the tears. I sighed and grabbed her wrists, moving them away from her face.

"Talk to me." I demand, looking at her; my heart breaking even more. I studied her, looking over her face, collar, and arms, noticing that her sleeves were down. They were never down; she hates sleeves. When I went to roll them up Katie shoved my hands away, grabbing the ends of her blue sleeves to make sure they were down.

"Okay" she sighed, "it's something" Katie muttered, looking to her left up at Emily and Heather. They smiled at her, an attempt to get Katie to as well; it didn't work. "It's ah... it's kind of everything. Just hitting me all at once. Um... the never-ending teasing from the Needles and the fact that I can't rely on my friends..." she put "friends" in quotations, "...to make me feel better. You saw it, they don't know how to deal with it. And it sucks!" She yelled the last part, the pain evident as more tears sprung from her eyes.

"Katie, what did they do?" I know I should have waited but I'm a rather impatient person. Gently I pulled up one of her sleeves until it reached her elbow and immediately I felt tears in the corners on my eyes. Light yellow bruises, the size and shape of a grown man's hand, wrapped around her wrist. In some areas I could see purple starting to appear; these bruises weren't that old. I quickly rolled up the other sleeve to see the exact same bruises wrapped around her left wrist. 

"They didn't do that." She said clearly, making sure I understood they didn't physically harm her (which would have meant expulsion). "They said really bad stuff about Andrew and the bruises though; it hurt more than usual," Katie sighed, making a move to stand up but then falling back down with a little laugh when all of us caught her. "I guess my legs fell asleep" she smiled, which made me smile. 

I figured the problem ran a lot deeper than the Needles making a horrible connection between her father and these bruises; which would impose abuse and if that was the case, then school would not be the best place to talk. I decided to wait until we got to my house after school; I hoped she would open up. I really hoped. 

Drop of Water

Prompt: Write as if you were a drop of water. Describe your journey whether through oceans. rivers, mountain streams. forest creeks, house pipes, city sewers, rain storms and hurricanes, whatever...
_________________________________________________________________________________

We move fast. The currents make it so that we have no other choice. They decide which direction we travel in and how fast. It's our job to follow. 

I see many interesting things while traveling, although nothing lasts long enough to fully understand what it was. Everything whisks by so fast I don't bother to look anymore. I wish the currents would slow down. They move so fast as if they're in a hurry to got somewhere, but that somewhere never comes.

Right now I'm in a place with a lot of trees and plants. It's very green and colorful. Animals appear along the shoreline. Big ones, small ones. Some of them even have WINGS! They fly above me and look for food below me.

Here, among the trees, the currents are more patient. They slow down and allow us to see the beauty all around.  I think that in this place, surrounded by all of the wonders and colors and wonderful colors, they find serenity; a peace and calmness to the reckless and distress of the world. Here the wind blows softly through the trees, never hitting them too hard, always a nice little nudge; letting them move and sway.

As the currents take me away from the green and the calm and the color, I feel a numbness. We are re-entering the real world. The one full of war and hatred and ugliness; the one water spends most of its time. We look forward to the little amount of time we get to admire the places and things that have yet to be corrupted. The places still full of wonder and excitement.

Maybe in time I will learn why the currents move so quickly through this world and so slowly through the other. Maybe I will understand that they mean to take us away from the hurt and disaster and bring us, for what little time can be spent, to a world full of beauty. The currents I now feel, are trying to reach a destination, but it is not one that we can stop at. It is simple one they make sure we see.

Curse of Hell's Rose

Prompt: Write a curse; detailing what will happen to someone who opens this pirate treasure chest without permission.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Hell's Rose plundered many a ship

Captured countless gems, jewels, and gold

The women aboard soon all net their end,

By illness, childbirth, murder, and accident

Whomever fool enough to open this chest,

Will soon learn first-hand the brutality of their ends.

__________ . __________

Victim #1: Jaclyn Shepard, Age 25, Toronto, Ontario

Spring Break. The time of the year when students go wild. Most of the people on campus travel during those few free weeks but I like to stay behind and relax with Netflix and the whole campus to myself. 

It's not that I don't have the money. Ever since we all discovered the treasure of Hell's Rose. The famous ship run completely by women; Jane "Peacock" Ramsey, Betty "Red- Eye" Scott, Gloria "Magpie" Fry, and Maize "Salty Dog" Ramsey. Between Daniel, my former boss, Summer, my former boss's boss, and Emily, my former fellow intern, we'd each gotten enough treasure so we never had to work again. Although I chose to continue going to school to get my journalism degree.

Tonight I was lying on my bed, binge watching Orange is the New Black on Netflix, when I felt the sudden urge to go clubbing. I never go clubbing; I hate drinking in any fashion. But I get up, put on a really tight dress and heels and drove to one of the local clubs.

The music was blaring and sweaty bodies danced close together on the dance floor. I made my way to the bar and ordered a shot of vodka . Then another and another and another. After I lost count I started dancing. I don't know how long I danced for but I know I stopped when I got a phone call; it was Daniel.

"Emily's sick. Caught something in Europe," he said quickly. With the sound of the music pounding in the background I tried to make my way towards the door, stumbling into many people and tables on the way. "Are you drunk?" Daniel asked, surprise in his voice.

"Maybe" I replied, dragging out some of the letters to make it sound longer then it was. Opening the front door a small breeze brushed past my cheek, making me shudder. "Did you say Em's sick?" I asked. Emily was the person I was closest to out of the four of us. After we found the treasure and split ways, we stayed in touch via snail mail.

"They don't know what it it yet, all they know is that it's deadly." I closed my eyes, that wasn't good. "Summer and I are flying out tomorrow. She's at Hospital de I'Hotel-Dieu in Paris, France. Get there as soon as possible!" He said rather loudly. 

"No need to shout. I'll be there in a couple of days" I replied. Hanging up I shook my head and walked towards the road; I needed to get back to my dorm as fast as I could. Stumbling across the wide sidewalk I walked onto the road, in between the parked cars. Sticking my hand out at the taxi coming towards me I stepped out too far and it crashed into me. I watched the sky sailing past above me before everything went black

Victim #2: Summer Moore, Age 35, Paris, France

Airplanes always stress me out. After almost a decade of flying experience and I wasn’t any closer to being remotely comfortable on one. The way I can even remotely get through a three-hour plane ride is with Gravol.  I have to take it a half-hour before boarding the plane in order to settle my stomach. Even with the pill it takes my husband, Daniel’s hand to keep me calm during takeoffs and landings. Now we were on an airplane, on our way to visit our friend Emily in Paris.

After we’d discovered the treasure belonging to the pirate ship Hell’s Rose, she had decided to travel the world; starting with Europe. Jaclyn, being her school driven self, made up her mind that she would go back to school and work for the rest of her life. With the amount of money that we all gained from finding the treasure, this was an absurd thought to all of us. My husband and I had retired early and bought houses in New York, Los Angeles, and our hometown of Wichita, Kanas.

A few days ago Daniel had gotten a call from a hospital in Paris, it was Emily. Her voice was hoarse and she coughed quite a lot. She told us that she had come down with something while exploring the Catacombs beneath Paris’ streets. The doctors had informed her that what she had picked up was very serious and was most likely life threatening. She had called us to ask if we would fly there and be with her when she got the final news. Then Emily said that she had tried to call Jaclyn first but had received no answer; Daniel called her right after hanging up with Emily.

Now we were clutching each other’s hands as the plane touched down in Orly Airport, a little less than a half hour drive to the Hosptial de L’Hotel-Dieu. Getting our bags we ran to the front of the airport and hailed a taxi. Taking out my cellphone I called Jaclyn’s number to tell her we arrived safely but I got her voicemail. I hung up the call and shook it off, she must be sleeping off the major hangover she would have had after the night of drinking she had. After Daniel told me that Jaclyn had been drunk I was honestly shocked, she is not a drinker. Right after I hung up I called Emily’s room number and informed her that we were almost at the hospital.

Emily doesn’t have any family so she considers Jaclyn, Daniel and myself her surrogate family. That’s why she called us with the news. Emily and her parents were in a car crash when she was young and after that she was bounced around from foster family to foster family until she was 18; that’s when she met Jaclyn. The joy in her voice put a smile on my face when I told her we were only a few minutes away.

As soon as we were at the hospital we practically threw the money at the taxi driver and flew through the doors and into the elevator to Emily’s floor. Slowing our pace as we entered her room I immediately sat down in the chair by the door. Being eight months pregnant can be horribly tiring at times and seeing Emily looking so sick and weak just made it so much worse. Her once beautiful, shiny brown hair was now thin and dull, pulled back in a loose ponytail. Emily’s face was paler than usual and she looked so sickly.

Daniel stood next to her, holding her hand when the doctor entered the room. He placed a hand on my shoulder and walked to the right side of her bed. I managed to stand and walk over next to Daniel.

“We just received a call from Toronto, Ontario. It was about a woman named Jaclyn Shepard. The policeman said that one of our patients, a Miss Emily Walker, was her emergency contact.” He took a moment and look down at Emily. “I’m very sorry to say this but she’s been involved in an accident.” Tears formed in Emily’s eyes and fell down her thin cheeks. “They said she was trying to get a taxi and went too far into the road and was hit by a car.” He stopped and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. “I’m so sorry” and with that he nodded at us and left.

“She’d dead?” Emily whispered. This made the realization of the news hit me in the face. I grabbed Daniel’s hand and started balling. I just remember not being able to stop crying and then the pain started. The baby was coming; it was early. With the stress of Emily’s condition and the news about Jaclyn I figured helped with the pre-mature labor.

The doctors figured an emergency C-Section was better than to do a natural birth. Everything was fine until I heard them start scrambling around; the doctor preforming the surgery and all of the nurses were grabbing what seemed like a lot of gauze. Daniel could see the panic on my face so he started trying to calm me down, telling me everything was alright but I knew it wasn’t.

After hearing that Jaclyn had been involved in an accident and knowing that she had been drunk clued me in to the treasure. When we’d found the chest, inscribed on the top had been a curse of some sort. It warned that whomever opened the chest would either die of illness, childbirth, murder, or accident. Of course, there were four of us, one person for each mod of death but like anyone else, we didn’t take it seriously and had opened the chest. Now it seemed as though it was coming true.

Jaclyn had died in a drunken accident, the same way Maize Ramsay had died. Now Emily was sick with a life threatening illness, just like the ship’s captain, Jane Ramsay had. I was having a baby and there seemed to be something wrong so I knew, I just knew it was my turn to die just like Betty Scott had; delivering her baby. And that meant that my sweet Daniel would die by someone else’s hand.

Not too long after the panicking had started it soon stopped. I assumed that everything was alright when I heard my baby crying. It was a lovely sound; it’s how you know they’re alright, when they start crying; it means they can breathe. That’s the last thing I heard before I felt really faint. My head was a light as a feather when I closed my eyes. The best thing to hear as the last thing you hear.

Victim #3: Daniel Moore, Age 33, Paris, France

Both of them were dead. Jaclyn in a freak accident and my poor wife Summer while bringing our gorgeous baby boy into the world. Both of them died in the way the curse had said. It was always on my mind; the curse. Between me and Summer, I was the worrier in the marriage. Ever since we found the treasure and saw the curse I kept bringing it up. I could tell it had been annoying but my mind couldn't stop thinking about it.

Jaclyn went first, just like the drunkard Maize Ramsey. Emily was sick, really sick, just like their Captain had been. Now Summer was dead and I was next. Murdered. That’s what the curse said.

Slowly, I pulled the chair by the door, the one Summer had been sitting in only a few hours ago, over to the left side of Emily’s bed and sat. Looking over at her asleep I sighed. Only two of us left.

“I’m going to go get food. Hospital food always sucks” I say in a whisper, trying not to wake her. Emily’s head turned towards me. “Go back to bed. I’ll be back in a little while.” I stood up and made my way towards the door.

“Be careful out there. You could be next” Emily croaked. Smiling, I turned and nodded. My heart was already racing. I knew the possibility of it happening now was extreme.

Exiting the hospital I made my way around the corner of the block. The sky was pitch black as I passed many buildings. In-between each building was a small alleyway. Into one of them I was pulled. Someone grabbed my jacket as I walked past. They shoved me against the wall of one of the buildings. The lack of light made it hard to see the person but I heard him speak to someone else.

Then I felt a sharp pain in my lower abdomen, then another, and another. It took a whole for it to register that I’d been stabbed. My knees felt weak and they soon crumbled underneath me, causing my body to fall onto the ground. My vision was starting to get fuzzy when I felt hands in my pockets. Muggers. The last thing I remember was footsteps running away from the alley.   

Victim #4: Emily Walker, Age 25, Victoria, British Colombia

They moved me to Victoria General Hospital in Victoria, British Colombia just after Summer and Daniel died. At my request of course. I wanted to be in my hometown when I died; be close to some of the people I grew up with.

Jaclyn was the closest thing I had to a sister, and vice versa. We both were only children when our parents died and we met in a group home at the age of seven years old. After that we bonded fast and had made sure that they put us in the same foster homes; sometimes turning homes down because they only wanted one of us. We made sure the other stayed safe and sane.

Summer and Daniel were the strongest couple I’d ever known. They’d been together for twelve years and married for eight of them. I’m so heartbroken that they’ll never be able to watch their baby boy grow up.

Whoever is reading this might know the story of the four friends that died within a week of each other. Although you might not. Depends on what happens when I die.

Jaclyn died in a car accident on March 8 2014. Summer died during childbirth on March 9 2014, the day after Jaclyn. Her husband, Daniel, was mugged and killed in an alleyway outside the hospital I was in on March 9 2014, only a couple of hours after Summer had passed away. And now, within the next few days, I will die from the unknown illness I caught in Paris.

We all died because we were greedy for pirate treasure. The curse stated that whomever opened the chest would die by murder, childbirth, illness, and accident. The curse of Hell’s Rose had come true.

Mysterious Man

Prompt: "Sometimes at dusk we would see him come out from the hidden interior of his island. For years we had no idea who he was or what he did until..." 
FINISH THE STORY
_________________________________________________________________________________

The man who lived on the island was a quiet man. He rarely came into town and when he did he would buy strange things. Everyone had always assumed he wasn't married and had no children because we only ever sawa him. Yet when he came into town, he would go straight for the women's isle for the tampons.

He looked like he was middle-aged, maybe 45. His hair was already starting to turn grey at the roots and he was always dressed in wool cardigans and beige khakis. We never knew his real name so we all called him The Mysterious Man, for he was nothing if not mysterious.

Sometimes at dusk we would see him come out from the hidden interior of his island. He would stand at the boarder of trees, staring out at the water. Looking at him from our homes he was like a sort of Urban Legend; the way the light from the falling sun was just enough for us to be able to see him. Since nobody saw much of him, the older kids had convinced the children that he wasn't really there. That he was a ghost and would take them away in the middle of the night. If only we'd known how true that story actually was.

The morning of December 10, 1986, everyone was awakened by the screams coming from the Samson house. They all rushed into their boots and outdoor coats as the screams continued. Running in through the open front door they pushed and shoved each other to the top of the stairs.

Kneeling on the soft, grey carpet by his daughter's bed was Mr. Samson and Lucy Samson was nowhere to be found. The whole town searched from top to bottom, by both the townspeople and police. They never found her; she was missing for months.

People were starting to give up hope. It had been six months since that day and not a single clue had been found. Many of the people in the town had, had suspicions about The Mysterious Man but he seemed to act as if this lose had effected him as well. He even paid his condolenses to the Samson's, who were still holding on to the last bit of hope they had.

On June 15, 1987, a little boy was playing close to the coast when he thought he saw someone running through the trees on The Mysterious Man's island. He described them as being no taller than himself and quite thin. The boy also mentioned that he thought it had been Lucy; with the way this small person ran and their long brown hair flowing behind them.

At hearing that their daughter could be somewhere on the island, the Samsons insisted that the police investigate into who the man really was. As it turned out, this mysterious man had been the suspect of another child abduction four years prior. It was almost the same case. A twelve year old girl had gone missing on his block and he been the prime suspect. Unfortunatly when the police had investigated, nothing had turned up.

When brought before a judge the next day, a warrent was granted, although rather hestitantly. What the authorites found on that island shook the small town to its very core.

The trees that cluttered the island blocked any light from making it's way to the ground, making it impossible for any new plants to grow. This was reflected in The Mysterious Man's house. All of the shades were drawn making all of the rooms dark, except for the small amount of scattered candles throughout the bungalow.

Searching the house with the man close behind the police came across a locked door near the rear of the house. Breaking down the door a squeal was heard in the right corner of the closet sized room. Turning on a flashlight to see in the pitch blackness, one of the officers shoved The Mysterious Man against the wall and put him in handcuffs.

Inside the room, huddled against the far wall was Lucy Samson. Her clothes were slightly ripped and her hair was a mess. One the floor was a pillow and a single blanket. Moments after they'd opened the door a crash sounded in the next room and a teenage girl ran out of the kitchen. She was wearing a plain green apron and a blue dress with her brown hair pulled back into a ponytail.

Later they confirmed that the sixteen year old was Samantha Wilson, the young girl The Mysterious Man had kidnapped four years before.

Months later The Mysterious Man got a life sentence, and both Lucy and Samantha were doing well in counciling and they'd both been re-united with their families, although it was harder for Samantha.

The man who lived on the island was a quiet man; only now everyone knew the reason.

Under the Stars

Prompt: Tell a story set in the glowworm caves of New Zealand.
_________________________________________________________________________________

It was dark. They didn't have any lights so they felt along the walls of the cave; inching forwards on reluctant feet. There were two of them. Two boys. They clutched each others hand, determined not to get lost in the darkness.

"Zach, why are there no lights?" One of them asked, his right hand slowly feeling along the rock wall. Every now and them his skinny hand would hit a sharp rock and pull away, surprised.

"Just wait a little longer." The other boy replied, giving the skinny boy's hand a reassuring squeeze. "I know how you're afraid of the dark but this will be worth it. Trust me, Justin" Zach continued. They continued to make their way deeper into the cave. "It'll give you something to remember me by when you go n your trip" Just as Zach spoke small blue lights flickered on on the ceiling of the cave. They shone so bright and their numbers were so great that they lit up the whole cave. It stretched back at least another 20 feet and the two boys could see that inches away from their feet, the rocky hard ground gave way to water.

"Justin, here is my secret cave" Zach said, looking to his right. Justin stood stock-still. His hand fell rom the wall to rest at his side as he gazed up at the ceiling.

"Oh my god" was all Justin said. Outside the sun was falling from the sky and the moon's blue light illuminated the woods outside. Cautiously Justin removed his shoes and walked into the shallow water. With his back to Zach he allowed himself to tear up.

"Hey, you alright? I'm not going to regret showing you this, am I?" Zach asked, trying to lighten the suddenly tense mood. He knew that he didn't share much with the smaller kid but his brother was being shipped off to boarding school at the end of the summer.

"Thank you" Justin managed through sniffs and bear hugged Zach, who smiled. "I'm going to miss you while I'm away."

"I will too" Zach replied, returning the hug. To lift the mood, Zach moved away from his brother and back towards the opening. "Let's go for a swim." And with that he was stripped down to his Superman boxers. Pushing his black hair out of his eyes he ran past his brother and swan dived into the middle of the cave. "Coming?" He asked, popping to the surface. Justin nodded, stripped down to his Batman boxers and canon-balled right next to his brother.

I need ideas!

Hey everyone!

I need some ideas for more St. Paul's Adventures shorts. Comment on that page or message me on Tumblr.
Please :)
My tumblr is: livebetter-smilebrighter.tumblr.com

- Emma

Detached

Prompt:  First person point of view. Floating in space. Over a red planet. Timing is running out.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Space is vast; there's no doubt about that. But it's also beautiful, full of bright stars in a near-ending darkness. Very few people really know what space looks like, about all of the wonders it holds. I am floating in front of one right now.

"Oliver, you seein' this?" Liam voiced over the mic. His voice came across staticy and at certain places it broke up. Liam is the ship's driver. He makes sure that she stays on track so he rarely comes out of the bridge; practically lives there.

"Yeah. Isn't it beautiful? I respond, not moving an inch from where I float. I'm Destiny's mechanic, i make sure she's still running. There had been a problem with the hyper-drive so I'd gone out to see what was wrong. When I saw the gorgeous red planet behind me I'd gotten a little distracted.

"It is red" he said. I could tell he wasn't as entranced by the planet. "Ollie?" I didn't respond. "Oliver! The hyper-drive?"  It was just so red.

From where I was I could tell that the red color it had was actually clouds. They swirled across the planet's surface, almost like dancing. I was so captured that I didn't notice when it started getting closer.

"OLIVER!" Liam screamed in my ear and snapped me out of my trance. I looked back at the ship and saw that the cord attaching me to Destiny had been cut and I was being pulled towards the planet by it's gravitational pull.

"LIAM!" I yelled back, my voice cracking with fear. I knew that if I entered the atmosphere of this planet I would burn up, unless I ran out of air first.

"Hold on, I've gottcha" he said calmly. The beauty of this planet; the red color and the dancing clouds, melted away and was replaced with horror. I looked down at the oxygen meter and saw I only had a minute of air left in the tank.

"Hurry! I've only got a minute of air left!" I was panicking. Frantically looking anywhere but the planet. It looked so haunting now, so dangerous. With the violent swirling red clouds coming nearer and nearer. Then there was the heat; I was getting close to its atmosphere. "It's so hot. Liam!" I turned my back so I was facing away from the planet. I couldn't watch the thing that was once beautiful in my eyes turn ugly.

"I've got ya. You'll be fine." His voice was cracking up more than it had been before and I shut my eyes. The heat was starting to burn me; I could feel my skin blistering. I began breathing slower, trying to save oxygen. I could feel myself falling unconscious as I relaxed, letting my body float through empty space. "I've got you Ollie." I heard Liam say as two mechanical hands wrapped around my body and brought me safely away from the red planet.

Invisibility Ring

Sun pours through the grey curtains that hung in front of my bedroom window. A small sliver of yellow light made it's way to my bed and onto my face, causing me to open my eyes. I blink and look around my room and then at my window. It's the middle of summer in Newfoundland and the sun was shining bright. The sky, I saw was a light shade of blue and as far as I could tell, there were no clouds. I prop myself up on my hands and blink a few times, attempting to wake myself up.

Finally feeling awake enough to try getting ready, I place my feet on the comfort of the fluffy white rug on my floor and stand. My room hadn't changed much from when I'd rearranged the furniture at Christmas. My bed sits against one of the two outside walls, the only window to it's left. In front of my bed is my dresser and closet and to the right is the door to my bedroom.

Feeling more aware of my surroundings I make my way across the room towards my dresser; looking at the floor the whole time, not wanting to get blinded again by the sun. Finally looking up I did a double-take. My mirror is perched on-top of my dresser, usually I can see my whole face perfectly, but now there is empty space. Grasping the mirror with both hands I bring it close to my face, but I still see nothing. Still in shock, I place it back on the dresser and head to the bathroom. Maybe it's just my mirror that's warped.

Flipping on the light by the bathroom door I walk in and face the mirror. Nothing. I look down at myself and then back at the mirror. I'm shocked when I see that I can see myself. I'm still wearing my pajamas; a pair of flannel pants hang loosely from my waist along with a navy blue tank top. My typical sleeping attire.

I quickly take a shower, surprisingly easy, and get ready for school. I stop when I'm face to face with my closet. What do I wear? Will everyone only see the clothes and freak out? I decide that it's better to check and see. Putting on a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt I look in the mirror. Not completely shocked but still a little surprised that you still could not see the clothes I had just put on. Almost as if I had some sort of cloak around me

"Willow!" I hear my mom say from the kitchen downstairs. Then I remembered, I have school today, its Monday and I have a test!

“Coming!” I yell back. I look back in the mirror, forgetting that I won’t see anything, then I remember that nobody can see me so it doesn’t matter how bad I look. Sighing, I run down the stairs and into the kitchen. I see my mom standing by the sink and my lunch sitting on the counter. “I’m running late mom. See you after school” I say and run out of the house carrying my brown paper bag; I know, so cliché but whatever. 

Arriving at school I go to my locker and open it. Wait, I have my test first period so I don’t need my books, plus I can definitely scare a few people with a floating pencil. Smiling, I walk to my first period class; History, Canadian History to be exact. One of my favorite subjects. Walking through the classroom door I see an empty seat right in the middle of the class, I take it. Laying my book bag down on the ground I look around to see students already looking confused at my book bag. I guess it just appeared when I took it off my back. The plan was already working. Next I took out a pencil; I knew nobody would be able to see it, since I was holding it and all. 

I watched everyone take their seats, some a little weary about sitting next to the mysteriously appearing book bag. Then the teacher walked in and passed around the tests. I guess she figured someone had put their book bag there to save their seat because she placed a test on my desk. I smile again; this was going to be fun.

Looking at the test I could see that it covered World War II, a subject we had just finished learning about. This would be no problem. As I fill in the answers I notice the teacher coming around to my seat. This is the moment I put the plan into full action. When the teacher arrives at my seat I start answering the long answer questions. I figured that since I was holding the pencil, no one could see it, so it would seem strange that words were somehow showing up on the page. 

I was right. As soon as my teacher walked past my desk she came to a stop and looked at my test. I kept answering the questions, looking up once to see if she was still there. She was. All of the color had gone out of her face but it seemed like she couldn't look away. When I looked back at my paper that's when I noticed the ring on my right hand. It was old and looked like it had gone to hell and back. I remember finding it in a box in the attic last night and then going to bed. That gave me a thought. 

When I finished the test I went straight for the bathroom and locked myself into a stall. Looking at the ring I took it off. Glancing down at myself, I sighed, I was still there. But the real question was, was I still invisible? Opening the stall door I look across from myself and into the mirror. There I was, standing in my sweatpants and t-shirt with my hair in a very very messy bun. It was the ring. I had an invisibility ring! This would definitely make school more fun.

Bad People, Good Things

Some people say that you are either good or bad; that you can’t be anything else. Those people don’t believe in gray areas, they don’t like what they can’t understand or fit into a box or under a label. But others believe that people can do both good and bad things. That one person can be a shade of gray that consists of good actions/intentions as well as bad actions/intentions. Before yesterday I was the former. I only thought that I could be bad; that all changed April 3rd 1999. My friends and I had been planning a bank robbery for a couple of months and we had planned it all out.

We all needed the money for different reasons. Rick needed money for this huge bill that, if gone unpaid, the bank would take his house and everything with it. Joel needed tagged along because he was behind on his child support. Me, Aaron, I needed the money because my baby girl was about to be brought into the world and I couldn’t afford to get her anything; not even the basics like diapers. We all needed money and had certain skills that would help pull off a successful heist. Rick could handle a gun no problem so he was in charge of the hostages; Joel was an expert at lock-picking so he could get into the safe deposit boxes without a doubt; and me, you’d be looking at the bagger. Any money Joel brought out I would put in big duffel bags and put them in the truck.

To us it seemed like a flawless plan. We waited until the sky was dark and the bank employees were starting to pack up for the night; this way there would be no customers and just the employees, limiting the number of hostages to handle. Night also provided us with a cover; we were able to wear all black so it was hard to spot us, even with the street lights. We didn’t think of getting a getaway driver because it seemed to full-proof.

Rick waited until he was sure there were only a handful of people left inside and then went in as quietly as possible. He acted like a customer, begging them to help him. When they agreed, he pulled the gun on them, not giving them enough time to hit the silent alarm. I saw him nod for us to enter and I followed Joel inside the bank.

It was a pretty small bank but we knew there was a lot of money in the vault and safety boxes. I followed Rick around behind the counter and started emptying the drawers, being careful not to get the dye-pack or set off the alarm. After about five minutes I heard Rick yelling his head off at one of the hostages. I left the bag on the counter and walked up to him.

“It’s all your fault! This whole thing is your fault you son of a bitch! You think you can take my house! Hmmm? Everything I’ve worked for?” He was yelling. I looked at the bank of the room where Joel had disappeared to but there was no sign of him.

“I’m sorry sir. I don’t know what you’re talking about” The man said simply. Clearly having a raving gunman in front of him didn’t bother him, but it bothered me.

“Stop lying to me!” Rick screamed and aimed the gun right at the man’s head, that’s when I stepped in front of him. His face was red from screaming as I could see tears forming in his eyes.

“Rick, calm down” I stated gently. However, right after I said it I regretted it. You see, you never tell Rick to calm down; it just gets him more riled up.

“Calm down?” He asked rather calmly but I knew what was coming. I pushed the gun quickly to the let just as he pulled the trigger. The sound shot out loudly. It seemed to have stunned Rick a little so I took the opportunity to grab the gun from his hand and flick it across the room away from everyone. That’s when I heard a noise behind me and turned around. Joel had come out from the back and now had the gun in his hands. He looked at the group of us. Rick with his face still beet red and breathing heavily; Me with a worried looked; and the four bank employees, including the man, who just looked plain scared.

“I think it’s time we left” Was all he said. I nodded and grabbed the bag from behind the counter but not before I “accidentally” hit the silent alarm. Walking out I nodded to the man who smiled back and mouthed “thank you”. Smiling, I climbed back into the truck and we drove away.

You see, I could have let Rick shoot that man. A man who probably had nothing to do with his current situation but I could have let him shoot him; knowing that he would regret it and it would haunt him for the rest of his life. But I didn’t. I saved that man’s life when I could have simply looked the other way; something I honestly think Joel would have let happen considering his speedy entrance into the room.

Yes, I may have robbed that bank but when an innocent life was in danger I tried to save it, and I succeed. So, if you’re one of those people who think that you can only be good or bad, I just want you to think about what happened to me. People can be whatever they want to be; good, bad or a shade of gray.

The Play Writer

It was 1594 London, England. It was the opening night of William Shakespeare's newest masterpiece, A Midsummer Night's Dream. From what I gathered about rumors around London was that it definitely was a comedy and that there were fairies included somewhere within it. From what my father's friends have said the writing will surely make us laugh. With this in mind I hold this play, along with any future plays written by Shakespeare to be top notch.

I have gone with my father to many of his plays and enjoyed them so I'm rather excited to get to meet him in person this time around. One of my passions is playwriting, I try to learn from his scripts to improve my ability to write comedies and tragedies. I'm mostly interested in tragedies; making people feel all of the feelings associated with a horrible and maybe try to find a way to bridge the two; to make a tragedy that is also a comedy. So far though, I have had no luck.

The play opened today and I was starting to get nervous. Not just because I was meeting SHAKESPEARE but because of the way everyone always treats me. Everyone always assumes I'm a prostitute, I guess because there aren't a lot of women in that side of the city and the few that are, well are prostitutes. I try not to judge people and their way of life but when so many people assume it about me after denying it numerous times, it gets a little annoying and offensive.

Plays in London usually happen during the evenings but this play was special, or at least that's what Shakespeare had claimed. Therefore had demanded that it be performed at night. When the only lighting is by lanterns hanging from the walls and around the stage. The way the lights shone across the theater set the mood very nicely, creating a warm and comfortable environment. All of his plays sold out and 100% of the people came; there were never any empty seats or seats that had not been sold, or so my father has told me. This night was incredibly full.

Me and my father had the luxury of sitting on one of the many balconies that surrounded the stage; we sat directly in the middle of the stage so we could see everything that happened. My father, if you don't know, owns the theater at which all of Shakespeare's plays are performed, that's how we get amazing seats.

When the plays started it was pretty dark out. The stars shone in the night sky as the actors performed their lines; they were a fabulous job. Although I always did find it strange that men were playing the women roles and not women; and it was hard to picture a beautiful women character in his place, as I often tried to do in order to get the full effect of the plot of the play.

When the play was finished I stood and clapped like everyone else in the theater; the play had been marvelous. Now I was getting anxious about meeting William Shakespeare. My palms were sweating as I walked next to my father through the crowd, trying desperately not to get lost. All the way to the back of the stage I heard men whistling and yelling at me; of course I ignored them and kept on walking.

By the time we reached backstage most of audience had left and the theater was filled with silence. I had never been here when everyone was gone, it was somehow peaceful but a little unnerving at the same time. I looked forwards when my father called my name. Then I saw him; William Shakespeare.

I walked up to him, trying to keep my composure, and shook his hand. We exchanged niceties and got to chatting about the play and playwriting in general. I remember asking him about the process he used when writing the different genres; comedy, tragedy, and historical. He answered each one of my questions about writing and descriptive writing and character development.

When it was time for me to leave I stood from the chair I had been sitting in and we said out goodbyes but not before he said that he would like to read one of my scripts. I stood there, at The Theater, standing in front of William Shakespeare who had just asked me if he could read my work. I, of course, said yes, shook his hand and left with my father.

Meeting William Shakespeare that night and listening to his advice on, well, everything to do with writing, gave me new inspiration to try again at writing a combination of comedy and tragedy.

Mean Girls Movie Review

Lindsay Lohan, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Rachel McAdams join forces to create Mean Girls. This movie centers around Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan), the new girl at North Shore High School, who befriends Regina George (Rachel McAdams), the “it” girl. When she falls for Adam Samuels, Regina’s ex-boyfriend, Cady teams up with her other friends, Janis Ian and Damian, to bring her down. It doesn't take long before things get off track and go horribly wrong.

            Mean girls was directed by Mark Waters at Paramount Pictures. This movie was rated PG-13, a rather kid friendly rating, and is classified as a comedy, a very fitting genre and was made in 2004. Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Lacey Chabert, Lizzy Chabert, Daniel Franzese, Jonathan Bennett, and Amanda Seyfried all play important role in this comedy; bringing their quirky, humorist sides into their parts to bring the whole story of Mean Girls to life.

            Although the movie has a pretty big cast the movie really focuses on three characters in particular. Cady Heron, the main protagonist of the movie, is inexperienced with the workings of public school. She soon finds herself caught in the middle of a major war between Regina George and Janis Ian. Regina George, the main antagonist of the movie, is North Shore High’s “it” girl and soon finds her status threatened by new girl Cady Heron. Finally, Janis Ian, North Shore High’s outcast, hell-bent on bringing Regina George crashing down and is okay with using Cady to do it.

            The synopsis of Mean Girls doesn't fully explain what it’s really about. Mean Girls shows the high school experience through the eyes of a new girl; a new girl who knows absolutely nothing about the inner workings of public school. Cady Heron grew up in Africa and throughout the movie she compares high school scenarios with things that she has experienced in the wild. Mean Girls also brings bullying to a new light. The main antagonist, Regina George, is truly a, to quote the clean version of the movie, “witch”. This whole movie is about Cady learning how the real world works and Regina George being brought to justice.

            I give this movie a 4.5 star rating. I would recommend it to both teenagers and adults. This movie shows how to deal with high school and life issues in a funny, comedic way. The humor and language can be a little harsh so I stick by the official rating of PG-13. The situations of bullying, trying to fit in, or just being the new person, are situations that both teenagers and adults can relate to. Overall, Mean Girls is a good, funny movie and deserves the recognition that it has received. 

Making Death's Acquaintance

He's not like I thought he would be; sinister, creepy, and way too in love with his job. Meeting Death is one of those experiences that only comes at that one certain time in your life. You never meet him before that time and once you do, you never forget it. I've met many people over my life that feared Death, they feared "oblivion" as they liked to call it. But they've never met him, there is no such thing as oblivion so they don't have anything to fear. Of course, they don't know that, if they did then they would be dead.

Death, I have found, is more scared of humans than we are of him. Although it's more likely that he hates us; not necessarily us but what we do to each other. It seems like wars are his greatest fear, it seems to me as though he hates his job. Of course these were merely questions that I thought would take a lot longer to get answered but it seems as though they came a little sooner than I'd planned. This is the story about how I died and met Death.

It was May 2nd 2014. I was home alone. My parents had gone out to see a movie and my brother was doing something with his friends, most likely at The Bagel Cafe. This was one of the rather rare occasions that I was actually home and alone for quite a long period of time. I used to treasure these moments with blasting music, dancing around, and singing at the top of my lungs. Of course, this time was no different. With my music on the highest it could go and my bedroom door closed I didn't have any chance of hearing the front door open. The first time I became aware of robbers was when one of them tripped over a set of shoes left in the hallway and cursed loudly. What went through my mind next was panic. People were in my house, strangers. What if they come upstairs? What if they find me? I decided to leave my music on; maybe they thought whoever lived here forgot to turn it off and if I turned if off they would know someone else was in the house.

I carefully walked to the top of the stairs, not very far from my room, and peaked to see who it was. Two people stood in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs. I didn't see their faces because they were wearing all black. One of them was shorter and had a smaller build compared to his partner who was at least six feet tall and looked really strong. I tried to stay silent as I watched them walk into the living room and out of site. Placing my back against the railing (there was a short wall there where the railing was attached) I tried to slow my heart rate down enough to think straight. 

Phone! was the first thing that came to mind. I had to get to the phone and call 911. I remembered there was one in my parents room at the end of the upstairs hallway. Carefully, I crawled into my parents room. I was almost able to reach the phone when I heard footsteps on the stairs, Damn it! They must have heard me! fing squeaky floors, I thought and mentally smacked myself. Thinking quickly I had tried to hide underneath the bed. Unfortunately for me I no longer fit under it and they eventually found me. 

"Look what we have hear!" Thug One yelled to Thug Two; he must be up here alone, unfortunately he was the larger of the two. I saw him smile devilishly as he reached down and pulled me up by my hair. I didn't feel the point in struggling so I stood as still as I could as he pushed me towards the bedroom door. "Go on, run b**ch!" he whispered in my ear and shoved me onto the floor in front of him. I didn't dare look backwards as I ran for the stairs, almost tripping and falling on the way down the thought of the second robber escaped my mind when I saw the front door. It was open! 

That's when it happened. My back was to the living room door so I didn't even see him coming. He quickly came up behind me, wrapped his right arm across my neck and shoved a pocket knife in my lower back. Letting me go I collapsed onto the hardwood floor in the porch. I could vaguely hear them shouting at each other; I guess the tall guy didn't agree with his partners actions.

My eyes started close as the world grew more and more fuzzy. Before my eyes closed fully I saw something at the end of the hallway. Death. He is roughly seven feet tall and completely black. As he walked towards me I noticed my eyesight improving, one thought raced through my mind. Am I going to live? I remember him looming over me; this gigantic black figure looking down at me. 

No I heard. It sounded like it came from somewhere around the black figure's head. It sound deep and rough but reassuring at the same time. I looked down at the ground in confusion and looked in horror at my bloody body lying on the ground. Then I focused more on "myself", noticing I was wearing the same clothes I died in. I remember thinking about changing my clothes or something like that and hearing his voice again. This time he gave an answer I wasn't expecting. You will. Once you get there.

"Get where? Heaven?" When he didn't answer I started to panic. "Hell?" I whimpered. That's when I felt him pick me up. His hands were rather bony and I worried if he would be able to carry me then I remembered that I probably don't weight much more than a feather. 

You will see, you will know, once you get there. Was all he said. I felt slightly comforted by Death, it was a strange feeling. Here I was, I had just died and was now being carried by Death to some unknown destination. Along the journey I would ask him many questions, not all he asked though. Some he answered in depth, while other were no more that one or two words. I found his point of view on the human world fascinating. He told me about the many different souls he had helped and some I found quite shocking. I'd kind of always wanted to meet Death and when I got the chance, he didn't disappoint.

The Marks Building One

It all started with a simple design. A simple sketch of the building that lead to a scale model and then finally to the construction. I proposed it to the local government not excepting very much to happen; maybe a head nod and a "we'll think about it" but it was accepted with open arms. Let me tell you about that day.

5 years ago
New York City

It was a sunny day in New York City that day. The sky was an electric blu with no clouds in the sky. Some would say it was a sign, that's the way I like to look at it. Traffic was hell that day, usual NYC traffic, completely blocked no matter which street you go on. This caused me to choose the latter, the subway. During that day it's a bad choice but at rush hour it's a really hectic place to be.

My appointment was at 5:30pm in primetime rush hour. It was a miricale that I managed to get on the right train at the right time without much of a delay. I arrived at City Hall at 5:15pm, giving me enough time to go over my presentation.

"Charlie Wax?" I stood from my chair and looked at the women. "They're ready to see you now" She continued, stepping aside to let me pass. "Good Luck."

"Thank you. I might need it" I replied with a smile. Walking through the glass door I saw a long hallway, The wallpaper looked brand new and was a dull red and black pattern. The carpet was a solid baige that ran from the waiting room all of the way to the end of the hall.

I reached the door with the name William Shardner on a silver plaque; opening it I was waved inside. From there I closed the door and pitched my idea. I didn't end up coming out for another hour and a half. Mr. Shardner loved the idea of a safe place for the city's poor people, as well as the homeless. He was especially essactic when I mentioned that it wouldn't cost millions of dollars to build.

Present Day
That day was when my dream of helping people took a step further. Mr. Shardner has asked me to come back in a month with a revised plan and a scale model of the building. He also said to bring a list of material suppliers and a cost estimate.

When I had gone to see him to present a finalized plan, along with the scale model, that same women had been there. We smiled at each other as I had walked past her and through the door. Mr. Shardner has been even more excited at my plans for the building and had said and I quote, "Go home, sleep and wait for my call." I'd figured at that point that it was going smoothly. The call, I thought, would be a confirmation of approval from the council about construction.

Four Years Ago
July 24 2021
New York City

This day was a little more cloudy than the first day. Not too cloudy as to block out the sun but enough that it looked on the verge of raining. Cars still blocked the streets and horns honked in annoyance as I sat at my kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee.

My heart was racing as I waited for the call. The call that would determine the future of my dream.

I took a sip of coffee and jumped when my phone rang. I answered and smiled at the news. The entire council had accepted my proposal and ordered that construction begin ASAP.

Present Day
Today was the day, The MARKS Building One was about to open for business. Months before opening we had held a registration for people living on the street. Making arrangements for different people, depending on their working condition.

I, myself have not seen the finished building yet but everyone outside the car was screaming loudly. I prepared myself and existed the limo. Turning around I felt tears forming in the corners of my eyes.

My dream had come true, I was going to help so many people with this one building. 35 stories high with 118 floors and 10 apartments on each floor, That meant 1,180 apartments in total, which meant 1,180 homeless and poor with a safe place to live. My work though, had only just begun.