THE BOX By Lauren Yanku
This is the sort of story you should never read at night, because it is full of things that are frightening to think about when it is dark, such as a hungry wolf, a bottle of poison, and a locked box with a terrible secret inside.
However, the story is not at all frightening at the beginning, when a young girl names Roweena is living in a small cottage in the middle of the forest with two lumberjacks who are both named Tim.
One evening, when Tim, Tim and Roweena were all having dinner, there was a knock on the door, but before anyone could answer it, there was a loud, screeching howl from outside.
“The wolf!” cried both Tims. They ran to the closet at the back of the cottage to grab the sharp axes they used everyday at work.
“Roweena, we are going to hunt the wolf! Lock the door and do not go outside! We’ll be back soon” said Tim.
Tim and Tim grabbed their dark, flowing cloaks they wore when hunting, opened the door and ran out into the woods toward the howling. Whoever had been knocking on the door had vanished. Before locking the door, Roweena noticed a pouch on a ground.
“Whoever was here must have run away and accidentally dropped it when they heard the wolf” Roweena said to herself.
Roweena sat the kitchen table and dumped the contents of the bag out. Inside, was a note, a small bottle of liquid and a box. She read the note.
“My dearest Roweena, I have heard news of a wolf terrorizing the good people of your village. I’ve had my messenger send a bottle of poison that you shall use if you ever encounter trouble. I know it is not much, but it is all an old woman can afford. The box, I bought from a wandering merchant the other day. He said it plays the most wonderful music when its opened! It’s locked though, so you have to figure out how to open it. Stay safe. Love, grandmother”
Roweena picked up the box and tried to pull it open. Nothing. She banged it on the table. Nothing. She stuck a clip through the key hole. Still, nothing happened. She wasn’t allowed to touch the knives the Tims used to cut dinner, so she sat at the table thinking.
She turned the box over and over, examining every side. She held it up to the light from the full moon shining through the window. When the light hit the key hole, the box opened.
Inside the box, a little circle with a small wooden wolf on it started to spin and play a beautiful song. Roweena was mesmerized. She couldn’t close the box because the sound was too enchanting.
She grabbed her doll and danced around in circles. Finally, she grew exhausted and even though she didn’t want to, she closed the box and the music stopped. She looked out the window. There were no signs of Tim and Tim and it had gotten darker since she had first opened the box.
There was a knock at the door. Roweena peeked through the window and saw a large figure wrapped in a large cloak. She couldn’t see its face, but figured it was just one of the Tims. She opened the door.
“Hello darling,” came an old, voice from under the cloak “can you spare some water for an old traveler?” It was definitely not one of the Tims. Tim had told her not to open the door and let strangers in, but she felt bad for the traveler. She led the traveler to the kitchen table.
When she turned around to go get water, she noticed the reflection of the stranger in the window. From underneath the cloak, a furry tail stuck out. She let out a shriek.
The traveler laughed and tore off the cloak to reveal the body of a huge wolf. The wolf smiled at her and said, “You’ve found my magical box, I see. The one that plays music when a child figures out that moonlight opens it. The music, that leads me to my dinner.”
Roweena, after growing up with two lumberjacks, was not the type of girl to surrender without a fight. She looked around for a weapon. Her eyes locked in on the bottle of black poison sitting on the table next to the wolf.
“Please, if your going to eat me, let me write a goodbye note to my friends first.”
“Well I guess I can let you do that. You’re the first child to not start screaming for help.”
“Oh thanks you so much! Can you hand me that bottle of ink that’s on the table?”
The wolf handed her the bottle of poison thinking it was ink.
She uncapped the bottle, pretended to write a letter, and then walked back to the wolf.
“I’m ready.” Roweena said, sounding defeated.
The wolf gave her a sinister smile. Roweena threw the poison towards the wolfs mouth. It trickled down the wolfs throat. He fell to the floor.
“Roweena!” Tim pounded his fist against the door. “Roweena are you ok? Open the door!”
Roweena opened the door and led them to the wolfs dead body.
“We were so worried, Roweena. The wolf ran by, shoved me to the ground and ripped off my cloak. He ran this way and we thought…he might have gotten you.”
“Don’t worry. Im fine and the wolf is dead!”
The next day, the three took the wolfs body into town to show everyone. Roweena was a hero.
“Nico” By Arianna Mickelson
The quintessential summer warmth of the sand under Nico’s towel brought a halcyon smile to her face. She absorbed the rays late into the afternoon. She kept her cell phone nearby, so she could her the alarm she had set to remind her to head home.
The waves were coming further and further up the beach, making the dry sand form hot, wet rock like patties. A little girl ran down the beach behind Nico, and tripped. She ended up tumbling down the beach, and right onto Nico’s towel. Nico asked the girl if she was ok, and offered to play in the sand with her. The cantankerous toddler refused, and stormed off in the opposite direction. Nico was so taken aback from the turn of events that she started to giggle. The more she laughed, the harder she laughed, and soon she was curled up in a ball, rolling around crying because her laughter was hurting her stomach. The joyous moment was interrupted by the assiduous moaning of Nico’s cell alarm.
Nico ran home to get ready for her date. The juxtaposition of her small home just across the street from the beach to the large ocean-front houses was quite amusing. Nico’s home was nothing to sneeze at, having three bedrooms a bath and a half, but it was dwarfed by the three-story houses that surrounded it.
As she neared her house, she saw Alberto’s car out front. She immediately began shaking, and sweating. Seeing his car was the nadir of her week. She had been so happy all week, and excited for this first date with her friend from work. But he would try to stop her, she was sure. He had always been confident in his actions, a little too confident at times, but this act of showing up at her house after their nasty break-up was just audacious.
“What are you doing her Alberto?” Nico asked.
“Just wanted to see where you were heading to in such a hurry. I saw you at the beach, and you ran up here before I could come to say hey.”
“Hi. I’m going out, so leave, please.”
“Yeah, but you’re not going anywhere. I slit your tires, and busted the windows out of your car. Bye.” Alberto chuckled as he got into his own car and peeled away. It was then Nico noticed the broken glass that was all over the driveway. Nico whipped out her cell phone, and called the police. Then she dialed her date’s number to reschedule.
“Wow, that’s horrible! Are you okay?” he wondered.
“I’m fine. I’m sorry, this date has been horrible!!”
They laughed together over the phone, while Nico waited for the police.
“Should I Stay or Should I go Now?” By Arianna Mickelson
No matter where you went, there was no escaping the constant lull of seriously depressing conversation; and all of the conversations were centered on the big question: Were you staying in the new Society or moving out and back into the Hell Zone?
~
Katherine is my best friends, and had been for years now; when we met in seventh grade, we dovetailed. Our school teachers and bosses always thought we were at least cousins if not sisters. I knew Katherine better than just about anyone; and I realized just by her demeanor that she was about dive into a deeply altruistic speech. She sat up pin straight in her chair, pushed her hair behind her shoulders, and folded her hands on the table top. I put my fork down and sat up, too, imitating her. She rolled her eyes in a very dramatic manner. I laughed and she shot me a caustic look.
“We should talk,” she began, “about the new Society.”
“We do?” I asked, but I was cut off before I could finish.
“Yeah, do you know whether you’re staying yet? I am. My mom and dad were talking about it yesterday. They were saying stuff like: ‘the current debts America bears have derailed her citizens from achieving the greatness we possess’; and I agree. The government continually gives us spurious explanations and reasons behind too many idiotic laws. How do your parents feel about it?”
“I don’t really know, actually. They said they were leaning towards leaving here, and ‘staying American’, but I still don’t know what I should do.” I was really confused about the entire thing, which I told her.
“My mom invited you to live with me in that upstairs apartment. We can stay there and still go to college and everything. How would your parents feel about that?”
“I don’t really know; they said that I could decide for myself if we wanted to get an apartment but I just really don’t know what to do.”
“Your parents said you could live here, with me, and you don’t know if you want to? Are you an idiot? Say you’re staying! It’s not like you’ll never see them, current residents are allowed a week out there once every trimester. Please live with me sissy?!” she asked a bit louder than she should’ve, which caused everyone to turn from their conversations to look at her.
I smirked at her, unable to hide the excitement that we might actually be able to move in together. I danced a driveling little dance in the booth. Then I stopped and put on an inscrutable face to look at her, and said: “Well, I can’t shirk my responsibilities as a sister, right?”
“You little jerk! Here I am thinking you don’t really want to live with me!” she complained.
“Oh, shut up, lets go back to work now.” I responded.
“Saturday Night” By Andrew Ounkeo
It was a Saturday morning. I was snoozing off until my alarm clock woke me up. I didn’t want to but I had to because of the big party I was having. I forced myself off my bed and rubbed my eyes. I walk to my computer and turn it on. Meanwhile as that’s happening I walk to the bathroom and brush my teeth. I try to sing while I was brushing but I stopped because toothpaste was going out of my mouth and landing on the sink. I rinse with my mouthwash and gargle for a couple of seconds. Walking back to my room I remember that my mom and dad left to go on a business trip together. My dad said he would check up on me but he said he doesn’t really have to, I mean I had to worry a little bit at least. I went to my computer and went on Facebook. I saw that everyone was writing about my party tonight. I was so happy, so I turned off my computer and walked to my kitchen to cook up some breakfast. I open the refrigerator and took out four eggs, some bacon, ham sausage, and some mayonnaise, miracle whip to be exact. I brang out a frying pan and sprayed it with non-stick spray. I cooked the four eggs sunny side up because I love the yolk. Then I cook the bacon and ham, and put the sausage in the oven. I toast the bread in the toaster and then construct the master piece of a sandwich. It was so marvelous that I had to take a picture of it and send it to my friends. Then I began to devour the sandwich, man was it great the eggs, and all the meats. It is so good that I finished it in five minutes. After that I washed the dishes. I look over to the oven clock and it said eleven thirty.
“Oh my God!”, I said.
I hurry to my phone and call my five best friends.
They all rush over, I get a sigh of relief. My best friends bring out the best in me like Renz he is smart but is really strong. Tyrone is the best dressed one. Christian he’s usually a downer but we usually get him to do things. Devon is cool he is like a skateboarder kind of guy and he makes beats for music. And Alex is my brother from another mother we go way back.
“You ready for the party?”, I said
“Yea it’s going to be epic”, Devon said
“Hopefully”, Christian said
Renz and Tyrone didn’t have a comment I guess they were really excited for the party.
“Alright were going to buy some sofa and chips first and then setup for the music and then were all done.”, I said
“Ok.”Renz drove us to the local Walmart since he is sixteen and has a car he usually drives us everywhere. I got the carriage and started walking to the chip aisle. We already decided on some potato chips. So after we got our chips we went to the soda aisle. We had a lot of choices to pick out from.
“Can we get Sprite?”, Christian said
“No.”, I said
“How about some Mountain Dew?”, Devon said
“Yea Mountain dew will give us a little bit of energy when were dancing.”, Renz said
“Yea well get Mountain Dew.”
“Alright the last soda well decide between is Coke and Pepsi.”
“Coke!”
“Coke!”
“Coke!”
“Coke!”
“Pepsi.”, Christian said
It was always Christian who voted against everyone. I grabbed six packs of Mountain Dew and six packs of Coke. We went to the cashier, she scanned our things and we payed her. We lugged all the bags to the car and drove to my house.
We arrived at my house and now we were hanging out in my living room. I looked at my watch and is said twelve thirty. Six hours until my party. Alex called his uncle and asked for some stereos and asked if he could set them up and he said yes. Now we wait, we watched some TV. An hour goes by and his uncle still isn’t here.
“Where’s your uncle?”, Devon said
“Let me check on him.”
Alex went outside and called his uncle. I flipped the channel around and went on MTV. The door crashes open…
“Dude my uncle’s truck broke down on the highway!”
“Oh my God”, Everyone said
“I know he said he will be here in another hour.”
“He better hurry because we still need to get washed up and dressed for the party.”, Tyrone said
Another hour goes by and we see a tow truck approaching my house. It was Alex’s uncle.
“Hey guys, sorry I’m late where do you want me to set up?”
“Downstairs.”
“Ok.”
We played some video games until Alex’s uncle left. After a couple of hours napping and playing games with my buddies, Alex’s uncle comes upstairs.
“Alright guys I’m all done now, all you have to do is plug in the iPod.”
“Okay thanks Uncle Vin.”
“Anytime, now you guys go and get dressed, it’s already five o’ clock.”
All my friends left and I went upstairs to take a shower. I get out, dry my hair, and get dressed and sprayed some axe. I bring out cooler fill it with ice and put the sodas in. Its five fifty and my friends come early. We wait until people come, we decide to make a play list of songs for the party. We hear the door bell ring and we open the door a flood of people came in. We lead them to the basement. We play the songs and everyone starts dancing. More and more people come and it starts getting even crazier. People started grinding and kissing. In the middle of me talking to a girl my phone vibrates and I see it’s my dad calling. I run upstairs and go into my room and answer the phone.
“Hi dad.”
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“Nothing just on the computer.”
“Oh, what’s the noise in the background?”
“The neighbors are playing some music.”
“Oh, well were coming home tonight because your mom is very sick.”
“Umm okay when do you think you will be home?”
“Twenty minutes.”
“Okay well I’m going to go eat bye.”
“Bye, love you.”
“Love you too dad.”
I hurry downstairs and yell lat everybody to go home. They don’t so I turned off the music and screamed to everyone to go home. I go up to the girl I was talk to and said I was sorry and asked for her number. I got the goods. When everyone left I started cleaning the basement, I disconnect the stereos and hide them into the closet. I dust the floor and pick up all the trash. I look watch and I have five minutes left until my parents came back. I hide the cooler behind the couch and run upstairs. I get undressed and put on some sweat pants and a baggy shirt. I hear the door open and it was my parents. They come up the stairs and say hi to me and they go to their room. Man it was a fun night, Maybe ill throw another party when my parents go away.
“The Sea Monkey Collector” By Mackenzie Deak
Not too long ago, my father gave my son, Harry, a bunch of unhatched sea monkeys for his birthday. My father had even bought Harry a brand new red tank along with a bunch of needed supplies. I thought this was a very generous gift, considering Harry is intrigued by any sort of underwater creature, and considering they’re pets that don’t make any noise. I was happy my son finally had some sort of pet, and ones that I wouldn’t have to take care of myself.
Unfortunately, I remember when Harry started complaining he couldn’t see the sea monkeys after they had hatched. Harry ended up giving the sea monkeys to me, so now they have become my problem.
We were also moving at the time, and I had absolutely no idea what to do with the sea monkeys. There was no way I was going to throw them out, even though I had no desire for them. I had finally decided after much thinking that I’d just create an add on craigslist. Craigslist was a good place to sell the sea monkeys without a lot of issues, and I would probably get rid of them really fast.
And it turned out, I was right. Let me tell you about how I met George, the sea monkey collector.
I smiled at my craigslist add, happy that I was finally getting rid of those stupid sea monkeys. But not even five minutes later, I received an email. It was sent from someone I’d never emailed before, and the user name was georgeblack@yahoo.com. The subject line read, ‘Sea Monkeys’.
“Wow,” I murmured to myself. “That was fast.”
I clicked on the new email and read what was in the message.
Dear Caroline,
Hello, my name is George Black and I have just come across your sea monkey add on craigslist. I am a college student at Fairfield University and I would absolutely love to purchase your son’s sea monkeys. If we could meet as soon as possible, I would love to sit down with you and discuss with you the price of these sea monkeys. I hope I am not too late in contacting you.
Sincerely,
George Black
My eyes must have popped out of their sockets. This George Black sounded so serious and professional. I couldn’t believe he actually wanted to just meet up somewhere and discuss the price. I was seriously just going to give them to someone for free. This boy really wanted to pay for sea monkeys. I gave a sigh and began to reply to his email.
Dear Mr. George Black,
I am happy to hear you would like my son’s sea monkeys, but we don’t have to make this a big deal. The sea monkeys are free, you don’t have to pay for them.
Sincerely,
Caroline Wilson
I sent the message and was right about to sign off when another new email suddenly popped in my inbox. My eyes widened when I saw it was from George. I gave another sigh and opened the fresh email.
Dear Caroline,
No, of course I am going to pay for the sea monkeys. You deserve some sort of profit for these fine sea creatures. But as I said, I would like to meet as soon as possible. I guarantee you there are others that would like these fine specimens as well, so I think it would be easier for you if we could meet as soon as possible. If you are not busy tomorrow at lunch, please meet me at Uno’s restaurant at Park Street at 1:00pm. I will be sitting at the bar.
Sincerely,
George Black
I didn’t really understand why this George character was taking the purchase of my son’s sea monkeys so seriously. He was was speaking as if this was serious business, as if this was life or death.
Not really caring, I decided to meet George for lunch anyway. I was pretty interested to see what he was like in person.
When I arrived at Uno’s restaurant the next day, I made my way over to the bar where George said he would meet me. There were only five other people at the bar, four of which were all together, and then one male dressed in a hat and tan trench coat sitting alone.
I took a seat one away from the male. The bartender greeted me and I asked for a water. As soon as the bartender turned away, there was suddenly a white napkin being pushed towards me.
I raised an eyebrow and read the writing on it, written in what looked like black sharpie.
‘You Caroline?’ it read.
I looked over at the trenched coat male.
“George?” I asked hesitantly.
“Shh!” the man suddenly shushed me. “Don’t say it so loud. They might hear you.”
Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into, I thought.
I guessed the man was indeed George, and he suddenly moved to sit in the empty seat next to me.
“What do you mean, ‘they might hear me’?” I asked raising an eyebrow at him.
George ignored my question. He kept his head down low, so I couldn’t see his face due to the shadow his hat was giving off. I could tell he was wearing large glasses though. He was using them to help hide his face.
“Anyway, as I was saying. Are you Caroline?”
I slowly nodded my head, afraid to answer. “Er- yes, I am Caroline. You would like to purchase my son’s sea monkeys?”
“Shh!” George shushed me again. “You can’t talk so freely about them. There are others who wish to buy the sea monkeys.”
Oh my God, he’s crazy.
“Well here,” I replied taking the tank out of my large tote bag. The tank wasn’t too big since there were only a dew sea monkeys, and I was able to fit the rest of the supplies in my bag as well. “I brought them with me. You can just take them. I don’t need to take your money.”
George seemed sort of mesmerized by the sea monkey tank. He quickly grabbed the tank and wrapped his arms around it so no one could see it.
I began to stand up. “Well anyway, thank you for taking the sea monkeys. Have a great holiday,” I said.
George just sort of nodded at me. He was now pressing his nose up against the tank’s glass.
I quickly grabbed my coat and bag, completely forgetting about my glass of water, and ran out of Uno’s as fast as I could. George was just so…strange.
Before I opened the door to leave, I looked back at George who was still sitting at the bar. He was holding the sea monkey tank above his head and laughing like a mad scientist.
That was the day that I sold my son’s poor sea monkeys to George Black.
THE SCORPIO RACES By Maggie Stiefvater
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
“The Apprentice Writer” Periodical 2012 Submission Guidelines
Submission Guidelines
1. Manuscripts must be typewritten and double-spaced on 8 1/2 x 11 pages. The writer’s name, address and appropriate teacher must appear on each page. Please be sure to affix sufficient postage.
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3. If you are submitting photographs and would like them returned, please include an adequately sized, stamped, self-addressed envelope. You must include your name and address on the back of each photograph. All other work will be destroyed.
4. There are no restrictions on style, subject matter or length (up to 30 pages). We are looking for the best-written work and photography/graphics by high school students (grades 9-12) from the United States.
5. Categories for submissions are:
* Fiction
* Poetry
* Essay
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6. We send copies of The Apprentice Writer to accepted contributors and their teachers.
7. We are unable to acknowledge those works, which are not accepted for publication. If you have not heard from us by May 15, your work has not been accepted.
8. Submit individually or have your teacher send to:
Gary Fincke
Writers Institute Director
Susquehanna University
610 University Ave.
Selinsgrove, PA 17870-1164
Submission Deadline: March 15, 2012
Acceptance announcements will be mailed by May 15, 2012
Publication and Distribution: September 2012
Go to the below site for more information:
via Susquehanna University – Writers Institute: Submission Guidelines.
“27″ By Barbara Hill
I got back to old Pency that night. They gave me the sam room that I had been in before they kicked me out. Not that I missed it or anything, but it was kinda nice to be back in the same room.
I don’t want you to get this idea like I missed being at school or anything because I didn’t. The teachers and other kids there are still just as phoney as they were before. I know this because yesterday, they showed me to where I would be staying when I got back and all these goddamn kids were looking at like me like I had just come back from the dead. Some were even whispering things to other kids as I walked by. I hate people like that, I really do. All they do is go around places talking like they know everything about everyone when all they want is to get a rise out of you. At least that’s what those doctors said and I’ll admit that some of the crap they told me made sense.
The room was dark when I opened the door. I almost turned the lights on to wake up Stradlater, just for the hell of it. But I didn’t. Instead, I walked right over to my old bed and lay right down and went to sleep. I was tired as hell from having to pack all my things from that hospital and I got to fly in a plane back to Pency. It was my first time having been in a plane and it was scary as hell at first. Like when you’re going so fast down those runways and then all you here is this noise that sounds like the whole thing is falling apart. I nearly jumped out the window. The flying part was pretty cool though and I got to sit near the window and watch all the streets and houses pass by below. All they had to read was those stupid magazines that make me wanna puke. So I didn’t read them. Besides, looking at tiny houses and stuff is much more fun.
I woke up to the rustling of the shower curtains and when I sat up I saw Ackley standing right there in the middle of the room like he had always done. I wondered if he did this after I left, on an account of him hating Stradlaters guts and all. Maybe he did it just to bug him. Looking around I noticed Stradlater wasn’t in the room anymore and his bed made up all nice like he was trying to impress someone or something. When I looked back at Ackley had opened my suitcase and was taking all the clothes and stuff out and throwing them all over the room. I nearly yelled ‘Ackley, for csake quit throwing all my stuff around.’ but I bit my tongue.
“Where’d you go all this time?” Ackley said as he stood up with one of my shirts on his head like a hat or something. That killed me.
“I was stayin with a friend; he was helping me with getting back to school”. I really didn’t want anyone knowing that I had been locked up in this crazy people place but I knew I couldn’t shoot the crap like I used to. Those doctors said I couldn’t. They said how it was part of the reason my life got so messed up in the first place. I told lie, after lie, after lie and that’s how I ended up with my life so messed up. I had to promise to not lie anymore, or at least not like I used to. So I asked them what if someone was to ask where I’d been and they told me to say just what I did. That I was staying with a friend until I was back at school.
Now Ackley was wondering around the room like a moron. He kept picking up this lamp and putting it down, then turning it on, then turning it off. “Ackley cut that out.” I said, trying not to show how annoyed I really was. But he kept right on doing it. Up, down, on, off.
“Hey I heard Stradlater’s got a new date, word is that he’s taking her to that park right nearby.” That certainly got his attention. He looked at me with his eyes wide like some little kid in a toy shop.
“That guy always has some new date. I really can’t stand that guy. Who’s his going with now?” Ackley was still just as interested in Stradlater’s dates as he was before I left.
“ I dunno, why don’t you go out there and find out.” And almost as soon as I said this, he was out the door and speeding down the stairs like a damn maniac. I’ll admit that I did lie to old Ackley right then but it was my first real day back and I didn’t feel like spending it trapped in a room with him.
It had been a while since I had been back at this old place and I felt like walking around the school. I took my red hunting cap and walked out into the warm spring air. It was a little warm for the hat I’ll admit, but I never went anywhere without it since I left and it felt silly to stop now. I walked around the places me and some other boys used to have snowball fights in the winter. God, those were some good times we had. I keep thinking about all these times before they kicked me out and I damn near walked into the middle of the road and got myself killed. But I didn’t. I walked around some more and ended sitting on this bench under this big tree that stood right outside my window. There wasn’t much to see except the cars driving on the road by the school.
What I did see though was this girl. She knocked me out, she really did. She was the tallest girl that I had ever seen and she was skinny like Phoebe, roller skate skinny. Her hair was what got me though, it was red. Red like Allie’s was, and it was long and fell well past her shoulders. I guess she saw me looking and she just smiled and waved at me. Then I realized I looked like a real phoney just sitting here making faces at her from this bench. So I got up and walked toward her and she walked toward me. She said her name was Molly and that she had just moved in a few houses away from Pency and though she’d see what this part of town was like. We went back to the bench and talked for what seemed like the whole goddamn day. I told her I had to go because I thought this kid in the room next to me was going to take shirts for hats again if I didn’t hurry back. She laughed and said that’s quite alright. Her laugh killed me it really did. It sounded just like a little girl’s laugh and her eyes laugh right along with the rest of her. I told her I’d enjoyed talking to her and if she didn’t mind maybe we could talk again sometime. She gave me this really big grin, like she’d just won a million dollars, and said that if I’d he out here in this same spot again she’d meet me here again . We both said good-bye and I walked back to the room feeling like I’d just won a million dollars. Taking the stairs two at a time with my red hunting hat turned backwards I walked in and didn’t even mind to see my clothes still on the floor from Ackley’s earlier visit. So far it seemed like things were going to be a hell of a lot better now than they used to be. But like I said, I don’t want you getting the idea that I missed it here or anything like that.
“About that Album” By Froylan Becerril
It would be impossible to say exactly what happened. I suppose that’s what your’e most interested in right? I was working on composing the recorded portions of the song and trying to synch in the vocals you provided and thats where it all began. At first I heard a howling coming from the outside, a hurt spirit longing for salvation. I assumed it the wind and continued work but the restless sound seemed to join me in my work.
As I worked my way down the track the sound seemed to grow and grow and grow and grow and grow. It kept coming ever closer while the song still held no true flow. My heart began to play the beat you had me get for the track. You know the one you had me steal of those old tracks laying around the studio. It wasn’t right. The beat was soon growing in synch with the howling wind as the speakers began growing in size. They consumed the entire walls and my ears. It was as if the beat itself was a heartless spirit.
The lyrics for the song you poorly made about all those women you seem to have following you broke into my own spirit! I could no longer control the song it had somehow manifested itself into something evil. It wanted money and fame but when it came across some it only wanted more. It’s thirst could not be quenched, as it ate up all the spirits within the room. All while the beat kept replaying itself within my heart, leaving a dark emptiness inside me. It wasn’t until I got to the second verse that I could hear those darn trumpets echo through the halls of the studio. It was all empty sounds, the trumpet samples looking for a host for they had no soul. They were soulless samples made simply for our gain.
They longed to convey an actual message but all they got was a fake drum kit and a few lines about how amazing you are sir. The song itself was now seethed into my own soul as well. It made me hungry for more. It took over my body asking to be put to rest and to not be completed. But I did not listen and kept going. I continued work on the production of every song on the album and with each a part of myself had died.
I no longer wished to work on the album. Despite how I pleaded to you about the problems you never cared to listen. You just wanted it done and fast. This is how I began to notice what was odd about the album and every other one that iv’e produced for you. Each possessed a different part of you and with each album I lost that part within myself.
The albums were yourself which you had sold and ripped away for profit. Whatever spirit you may have once possessed had been sold. You have sold yourself. The songs you tried to create only followed that emptiness within you. Your’e emptiness is only there because you’ve sold yourself and your music. And now it was eating away at everything like a black hole. People even imitating you. It wasn’t only your soul but your music as well that you no longer owned. When you brought in your empty lyricism it only fed the evil which you had already created.
Now I can only ask you whatever made you choose this path? You have spread these evils to countless people around the world who hold your empty lies to heart. Those who iconize you for selling yourself? Those who fill your empty ego and pocket. Do you even care? Fine then in that case I quit and I hope you understand exactly what your creating.
“The Best Birthday Gift” By Hekmet Haddada
“You cut out the person and I’ll find the pictures,” I told Alexas as I got out art supplies to make a surprise birthday present for Viti. We were making a small person out of construction paper with a cardboard backing, covered in our inside jokes and pictures of us all. I got the idea from asking Viti what she wanted for her birthday, and her sarcastically replying, “A life-size you.” I decided to change it up a little though, as it would be somewhat creepy if I gave her a four foot eleven Hekmet cut out.
“Hah, you’re the one in the honors art class,” she replied in a mocking tone. “I’m not cutting it out.
We went back and forth for a while, but in the end, I had to draw and cut out the two foot four person, whom I named Hekmet Junior. I started by shedding three inches from the construction paper, and gridding the paper into eight equal sections. I used Alexas’s phone to find the picture because she had to find worthy pictures of us three using the computer. I started drawing the legs and feet, which alone took ten minutes because despite my fancy art class, I am horrible at anything that has to do with drawing.
I drew the arms and torso next, which wasn’t so hard, though I rounded off the hands instead of drawing fingers. Hekmet Jr. didn’t have much of a neck, a half inch at best, on top of which sat a big circular head. I showed Alexas the sketch before cutting it out, and she advised to make the legs shorter. I did so and cut out the finished product. I stoop Hekmet Jr. up to admire her, and moved her back and forth, waving at Alexas while she was on the phone. She didn’t appreciate it much, but I couldn’t resist, I threw the cutout at her to give her a hug. She tossed it back at me, and I proceeded to procrastinate by making it walk across the table. I finally got out more construction paper to write down all our inside jokes on. While I was writing “Fitch” on yellow paper, Alexas decided to embrace her cultural side and started blaring rap music.
“You may not like this song,” she warned me before playing a Lil Wayne and Drake collaboration.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I love this song,” I replied sarcastically. I worked on the next word, “Cacaw” that Hekmet Jr. would wear as a belt. I wrote “Red” on orange paper, which would go on the other foot. With Viti and my inside jokes glued down, I started to work on Alexas’s favorite phrases, “Cluck” and “Twit” to put on the arms. I walked around the table to see how Alexas was doing, and was surprised to see how many picture she had found. There were pictures of us from birthday parties, football games, and from just hanging out at each other’s houses. My favorite was Viti and I making the “Cacaw” symbol, and another of her and Alexas from three years ago.
Alexas’s phone rang and she had to go so we would have to finish Hekmet Jr. Friday. I had to promise I wouldn’t work on the project without her, which was annoying because I was on a roll. I printed out the pictures and put away all the art supplies while Alexas got ready to leave. We heard a beep from her dad and she left. I studied out birthday gift for a while, hoping that it would surpass Vitis present to me, a picture frame with a collage of me and her, with a border saying “It’s the Journey, Not the Destination.” She has also got me season one of The Flintstones, which I have been meaning to watch. I knew Viti would love the present, and I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when she saw it.
