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Awesome Authors

2012-2013

Nandua High School

Founders: Emma Hollandsworth, David

Mamahit, and Bethany Meissner

Editor: Emma Hollandsworth

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Table of Contents

Biographies Pages 4-8

Columns and Reviews Pages 10-18

Prose and Poems Pages 20-35

Mythology_____________________________________Pages 37-38

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Well, my name is David

Mamahit and I’m one

of the co-founders of this

amazing writing club. I’m

a senior and one of the

varsity cheerleading

captains. Next year I plan

moving to Maryland with

my best friend to broaden

my horizons.

Hi! I’m Emma Hollandsworth, I’m 16 and in the eleventh grade, and I really enjoy writing! As a cofounder of the club, I think we bring a lot to Nandua and provide an outlet for out writers. I like writing articles, poems, and short stories.

My name is Sam

Nicholson, and

I’m a 17 year old

senior. I enjoy

writing because it

allows me to

explore wild,

usually

disregarded

recesses of my

mind.

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Hi, I’m Sarah Mychael and I

am a junior. I love to write

because I just have so many

creative ideas and odd ways of

thinking that I want to write

down my thoughts so I don’t

lose them. Random facts- I’m

obsessed with Star Wars,

Justin Bieber, and I have 8

cats!

I am a fifteen

year old

partially deaf

freshman at

Nandua High

School. I like

reading and

long, romantic

walks on the

beach. My

name is Chloe

Custis and I am

going to write

amazing books

some day.

Howdy, I’m John Wagner. I was born in

Houston- That’s in Texas for you non

geographic fools. I write and draw and

do other things for fun or out of

boredom. I spend most of my time on

desolation row or in a kayak in the

middle of the bay.

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My naMe is arial Walton, and i’M

a 16 year old Junior. I like to

write about anything

supernatural-mainly vampires

and witches. My characters are

usually girls and they dress

mainly in the emo or goth scene. I

plan on being an author and i’M

very awesomely weird.

Hello, I’m Mary Katherine

Holmes and I am a

freshman. I write fiction,

exclusively novels (not short

stories), though I have

written some for English

essays. I have several series

going on right now. I love all

of ancient history and every

bit of mythology. I am a

pretty good archer and am

going to be learning fencing

and horse-back riding.

My name is

Ashley

Blankenship. I’m

an 18 year old

senior. Mainly I

write fantasy

romance stories. In

the future, I plan to

use my stories for

the literature

world.

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Hi, I’m Ember

Ethington, a spunky

redhead with a passion

for writing and being

creative. I love to

read, as well as cooking

and making people

laugh.

Hi, I’m Hannah Perez. I am a

freshman and I love to write! Hello, I am David

Rogers, a junior here at

Nandua. I like writing

because it is a way to express

myself; I have a wild

imagination. I like to write passionate

love stories.

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Hi, I’m William Grabowski.

I like to write because it

is an outlet for my

aggression. It also provides

insight on how I see the

world around me. It

expresses how I feel without

me having to speak out loud.

Hi! My name is Ryheem J. Wharton I am a fairly outgoing seven-teen year

old student. I was born on November 24, 1995,l in outer space, 6

minutes before my identical twin Taylor Lautner, to my proud father Bill

Gates.

Since the wondrous occasion of my birth, I have set seven Guinness

World Records, including the longest mechanical bull ride and the longest

period of time without bathing. I am a champion equestrian and have

won six Kentucky Derbies on my pony “Bubble.”

My hobbies include dancing ballet, building bird houses, and going to

screaming alternative rock concerts. In my free time, I watch “Pretty Little

Liars” and read romance novels. Nicholas Sparks is my favorite author. I

have already gained my Ph.D. in writing at Harvard and J.K. Rowling is my

pseudonym. I have also written the scripts for “The Hunger Games” and

other famous movies. I am currently an ambassador to seventeen

countries and plan to become leader of the U.N. I regularly visit the

International Space Station, advise the President, and run marathons. I

also hit the court with my girls Serena and Venus Williams ( I normally

win) and occasionally get in my swimming laps with Michael Phelps, but

not too often because he is slightly immature. I have a private jet, so I

travel the world pretty much every day and when I visit Korea they all

bow down to me…. It is a little weird, but I enjoy the fame. I’m a pretty

average guy!

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Columns and

Reviews

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Les Miserables

Les Miserables was overall almost excellent in my opinion. The expansive cast of

both renowned actors and actresses; such as Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, and Ann

Hathaway, and up and coming actors and actresses, such as Amanda Seyfried, Eddie

Redmayne, and Samantha Barles included both superb acting and singing. The only

flaw that I found was that some of the singing scenes were overly prolonged and

focused on only one character, which was a bit dull at times. The scene in which

Eponine (played by Samantha Barks) sings “On My Own” is a prime example. Besides

this one flaw, the 2012 film adaption of Victor Hugo’s novel “Les Miserables”

proves to be one of the most stunning films of 2012.

-Sam Nicholson

Source: mormonmovieguy.com

The Sea of Trolls The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer (a three-time Newbury Honor Author) is a thrilling story about a young boy

by the name of Jack and his younger sister Lucy, who together take part in a long voyage being kidnapped from

their home in Anglo-Saxon England. After being kidnapped the two are taken to a market to be sold as thralls

(slaves); however, after the lead “berserker” (hound-like creature) Olaf discovers Jack is a bard he keeps Jack for

himself, while Lucy is kept by Thorgil to gives to the half troll half human Queen Frith. Jack mistakenly causes

Frith’s hair to fall out and must go on a quest along with Thorgil to find a mystical well to drink from to gain

the power to reverse his mistake for his sister’s life is at stake. Jack fortunately finds the well, drinks from it, and

saves his sister, and they eventually return home. If you are a fan of non-fiction with lots of exciting twists, I

would strongly suggest that you read Sea of Trollsby Nancy Farmer.

-Ryheem Wharton

Source: www.blackgate.com

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Born to Die- Lana del Ray

Lana del Ray’s voice brings a unique and retro

feel to modern pop music. The twelve songs

maintain her style, but the listener never gets

bored or feels as though the songs are

repetitive. She opens the album with the song

“Born to Die” a catchy song with intelligent

lyrics about our numbered days and true

meaning of life. In addition, Video Games and

Summertime Sadness are obvious album

standouts. However, each song is worth

listening to and falling in love with!

-Emma Hollandsworth

Vampire Academy- Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead has to be one of

the most original stories ever written. Vampire

Academy tells the story of Rose Hathaway, a feisty

half vampire, half human teenage girl that’s totally

dedicated to protecting her best friend from evil

vampires and the tortures of high school. Fueled with

magic, illicit romance, and awesome fight scenes, VA

has Dmama’s stamp of approval.

-David Mamahit

Source: www.readingwishes.blogspot.com

Source: http://lanadelrey.shop.bravadousa.com

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Things Fall Apart-Chinua Achebe

I recently read Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart in AP

English class. The novel follows the Igbo people of Nigeria and

how the spread of Christianity affects their village and the main

character, Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a very traditional yam farmer

who takes great pride in his religion and heritage, and he

refuses to conform to Christianity and of the government that is

slowly integrating his village into the “white-man’s” culture.

The theme of this story is, in my opinion, extremely powerful

and intriguing. The name of the novel comes from W.B. Yeats

poem The Second Coming, and relates to the idea that if you

completely rely on a particular culture or way of life, that

eventually the center of your way of life will not stay together

and slowly your society and culture will “fall apart.” The story

provides very gruesome, graphic, emotional, and tragic insight

of just how much Okonkwo’s primitive and violent yet ancient

lifestyle decomposes and is abandoned for the culture we know

of today.

-Sam Nicholson

A Girl Named Disaster

The book A Girl Named Disaster is such an

amazing book that I have read it once a year

since middle school. When I get lost in this book

I truly feel like I’m in a different country in a

poor African village. Nancy Farmer brought me

into Nhamo’s (the main character) world and

with every twist and turn she encountered, I

felt every emotion as if I was her. Nhamo lives

in an African village where she is often

mistreated because her mother was killed by a

tiger and her aunts resented her. When the

village gets sick a witch doctor say Nhamo will

have to be given as a wife with no dowry to

another village. Her grandmother helps her

escape before she is given to an abusive man,

and has many dangerous adventures on her

journey to true civilization.

Sarah Jackson

Source: bananamagic.wordpress.com

Source: risingpyramid.org

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Many people feel as though they are insignificant. I constantly think of how large the world is, and how small I truly am in comparison. While

everyone has a large network of people who could not imagine life without them, proving their significance, some people crave global recognition.

All around the world people take drastic measure to simply be noticed- from performing great feats to acting violently. Their actions show up on

the cover of every newspaper and are constantly broadcast over major news networks. While horrible, this is sometimes the reason people

perform violent, murderous acts. They see the constant publicity from other offenders and seek to become a part of the action- going to awful

measures for their own personal gratification. On the other hand, some people do extremely positive things that better the world while giving

them the satisfaction they desire. Here are some ways to do that:

1. Start your own brand. Brainstorm something creative that will sell- if you like fashion, start your own brand of clothes. If you like sports

memorabilia design and sell items from your favorite teams. Basically anything you could possibly be interested in has products to go along

with it, and you can easily name your creation after yourself- imagine becoming a household name!

2. Look in the book of Guinness World Records. Honestly, some of the feats listed seem easily achievable- you could start right now by taking

care of yourself to your utmost ability in an attempt to be the longest living person. More realistically, you could find a friend and attempt

the longest hug- the current record is a mere 24 hours 33 minutes!

3. Do something unexpected and creative in public- sing Christmas songs on a busy street in July or buy a billboard and design something

clever to paint onto it. While small, people love and are extremely interested in things that bring them out of the day to day monotony and

you could become a sensation!

4. Think of a cause that really needs help- like limited medical care in Africa or abuse right here at home. Come up with a

meaningful name, organize some friends, get some money from adults in your community to get you on your feet, and

you have a charity. The charity can grow to however big you make it, and you will know that you are making a

difference in the world and gaining acknowledgement all around the world.

5. Climbing a notoriously difficult mountain, biking across the United States, completing a marathon in record time-

notably impressive physical feats are constantly reported in the news and used as inspiration to people all round the

world. Also, training your body to do something so challenging provides you with a sense of accomplishment.

6. One of the most common ways to get famous is through the media. If you are a singer and performer, really put

yourself out there and set yourself apart from others for almost guaranteed success. If you enjoy acting, participate in

as many roles as you possibly can on your path to becoming a big star.

It is so easy to fall into the rut of merely going about your life, and many realize the redundancy and crave more. There is

great necessity for everyone to participate in something that makes you feel significant, whether you get global recognition or

merely self affirmation.

-Emma Hollandsworth

I don’t know where I am going, but I am on my way. -Voltaire

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On Blues

Blues is music that’s meant to be heard, not listened to.

Blues is not for people who are meticulous and see music as

something to be carefully read off a sheet of paper. Blues is

a greasy hamburger eaten on a paper plate on the sidewalk,

not some leafy thing centered perfectly on a shiny plate in

an upscale French restaurant. It is the music in which pain,

depression, sorrow, joy, passion, voracity, lust, guilt, anger,

and love slovenly pour from the harp player’s lips, guitarist’s

fingers, and the drummer’s foot all at once. It’s the music

where the instruments say infinitely more than the singer.

People who were raised in the suburbs with perfect parents

may enjoy the rhythm of blues, and they may see it as

something pleasant to tap their food to when they go to

bars. People who feel and understand blues are people

who’ve experienced genuine, heartbreaking misfortune.

Blues is the poetry for people who grew up in poverty,

people whose parents divorced or died young, people who

had to grow up too young. Blues is not for the naïve or

concrete thinkers, every lyric in a blues song has a double

meaning and is usually a metaphor. Blues is the music in

which if you can truly empathize with it then it’s felt, not

listened to.

-Sam Nicholson

Fun In Space

-John Wagner

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Breaking News: After the Earth’s crust exploded and

overheated the entire world the zombie apocalypse began

due to bath salts and drug addicts. The only survivors were

the psychics, rednecks, and astronauts. The rest of

civilization was either eaten or taken away by the aliens. It

turns out all the crazy people that told everybody that the

world was going to end weren’t so crazy after all.

Wait, they were. The world didn’t end, people. You were all

exaggerating and my Facebook wall was filled with nonsense

about how it just so happened to be raining the night before

the 21st. Please, if you were really worried you wouldn’t have

been on Facebook that night. I didn’t believe from the

beginning because I knew that the hype was just a pointless,

annoying fad that some attention seeker had started

because they wanted to become famous like Lady Gaga or

Miley Cyrus’s new hair or something. If you want to be

famous right now write a book, travel to Mars, become a

singer. You don’t have to make something up to scare

everybody just because you and your pet rock have nothing

better to do.

-Chloe Custis

Source: elusianmysteriesofwriting.blogspot.com

Grumpy Cat

Nowadays cats are an internet sensation. One of the most

famous cat memes is Tard, the Grumpy cat. Tard is short for

Tartar Sauce. Tard has a jaw mutation that makes her look like a

sour puss at all times. In reality this grumpy cat is actually quite

content. She loves belly rubs and afternoon naps. Tard only gets

more odd though. This cat, as fierce as she looks, is indeed a

scaredy cat when it comes to jumping. This cat is most likely

one of the sweetest pets you’d ever find.

-Sarah Jackson

www.blog.catmoji.com

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Congress decided that a law must be passed that forces employers to extend the answers to personal questions about race and ethnicity on job applications. They are proposing this law because it will help further prevent discrimination by job employers. As for race and ethnic backgrounds, Congress first decided that it should now be a requirement for all applicants to specify what specific country or countries the applicant is descended from. Upon further thought, Congress decided that specifying what specific country the applicant is descended from was not specific enough. They agreed that it would be much more appropriate if the applicant were to specify their specific ethnic group or groups of the specific country or countries that they had previously specified. After considering the feud between the Capulet and Montague families that took place in “Romeo and Juliet”, Congress then agreed that it would be much more satisfying if the employer added a list of all of the last names in the world so the applicant would be able to specify their specific last name that belongs to the specific ethnic group or groups of the specific country or countries that they had previously specified. Upon considering the results of the blending of cultures, ethnic backgrounds, and last names, Congress decided that it would be only necessary if the employer were to include a list of all the first names in the world next to all of the last names in the world so the applicant would be able to specify their specific first name and specific last name of the specific ethnic group or groups of the specific country or countries that they had previously specified. After the Congressman finished reading the list of first names and all of the last names of all of the ethnic groups of all of the countries, he thought about naming his newborn son “Ticklefricklemontonson.” He searched through the list of all of the first and last names in the world and found that there was in fact, no one named Ticklefricklemontonson. After adding the name to the list, he started thinking of other names that weren't on the list, like “Nickshackleucksburg” and “Flarepickleflungshung.” He kept adding the names that were coming to his mind, but every time he added what he thought was the last name, he thought of another name. The congressman kept thinking of new names until he died, and thus the bill was never passed. -Sam Nicholson

Sam Nicholson

-John Wagner

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Dieting Do’s and Don’ts

Many of us have gone with the ever

popular weight loss resolution over

the past years, constantly yo-yoing

back and forth. Everybody yearns for

that perfect body size and the only

way people think they can lose weight

is through dieting.

Keep in mind that most people don’t

realize that with a diet, you’re

eventually going to come off that

diet. Don’t. Change your eating

lifestyle or eventually you’ll be

back at square 1. Here are some

dieting do’s and don’ts to keep

yourself on track:

1. Drink plenty of water. H2O is

good for your waistline, colon

system, your skin, etc.

2. Drink green tea.

3. Portion control.

4. Watch yourself for six days and

give yourself a rest/cheat day.

-David Mamahit

Being Tall

Pros Cons

You will never get lost in a crowd. People will always notice you.

People notice you and are less You have to duck when to

forget you. exiting or entering doorways.

Better luck with romantic interests. Generally less coordinated.

You can reach the top shelf at the Live shorter lives (heart has to

grocery store. pump blood throughout body.)

People are always looking at and Everyone expects you to be

paying attention to you. good at basketball.

More successful (a large amount of Hard to find a car that you can

CEO’s are taller men) fit

You don’t have to use a ladder. Hard to find jeans

-Ryheem Wharton

metabolismboostershq.com plushlifestylemagazine.com www.eating-in.com

www.tallshirts.com baileyandme2.com bigfootevidence.blogspot.com

I just want to be wonderful.- Marilyn Monroe

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Religion in the Schools

Since the tragedy of 9/11, many children have grown up hearing the misinformed adults in their lives berate the Islam religion and

associate all Muslims with hate and terror. Religion is an enormous part of the human experience; each culture takes its own beliefs into

consideration each and every day. So many people have become religious extremists after gliding through life without exposure to religious

diversity, believing that the theology they have involved themselves in is supreme and all followers of other religions must be immoral.

Beginning in elementary school, students should be taught objective views of each major religion to promote tolerance, knowledge, and

ultimately respect for those in different cultures.

The U.S. is already such a progressive society, ideals and values that would have been taboo a couple of decades ago are incorporated

into our lives every day. The next step is for future generations to truly understand the difference between members of other religions and

religious extremists. One of the only ways to teach children these values is to give an objective view of major religions to young, impressionable

minds and hope for reasonable responses. The curriculum would solely teach about, not promote, other theologies while being incorporated

between lessons for only a few minutes each day. Teachers would also go through training to understand what they are teaching, and have a set

curriculum to refrain from any personal biases. Children would know exactly what and how others worship and be encouraged to come to their

own non-judgmental conclusions. By giving children factual information at an early age, a large amount of ignorance could be minimized.

So much hatred in today’s society is caused solely by misunderstanding and misguiding by trusted adults at an early age. Many people

cringe when they see a Muslim in traditional dress, a Hindu with a marking on his head, an atheist respectfully refusing to worship, or even a

Christian praying in a public place. A belief in personal supremacy has always been widespread, and alienation and automatic judgment of others

is a common trait. While this characteristic will always be at least a minor part of human disposition, teachers in schools can strive to decrease

this intolerance by teaching how to practice open minded attitudes.

A moral and ethical way of life is a unifying theme in most religious texts, and many ideas seem to overlap. In addition to the stories,

school children will absorb the moral and learn to be good people, regardless of religion. Most stories in religious texts, while entertaining,

provide a theme of kindness and an honorable suggestion on how to live life. Children will take in at least some of the information and learn

qualities that will make them better citizens in the years to come.

Society is full of skeptics, intolerance, and ignorance of those who are different. One of the only ways to reverse this for future

generations is to teach children about the differences in an objective way and to allow them to come to their own conclusions. Educated

adolescents will become the stepping stones to tolerance, understanding, and most of all, a more ethical way of life.

-Emma Hollandsworth

The highest result of education is tolerance- Helen Keller

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Prose and

Poetry

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Every morning I fear for my life. It’s dark and cold in

here. I’ve watched my friends die mercilessly. When

they pass my eyes I can see that their bodies are

snapped in half. They all had different personalities.

Some were travelers, some were chic, some plain,

but they were all good mates!

I am the only one left in this padded room. The

sound of laughter and movement outside are driving

me insane. The echoes of joyless voices haunt me in

my sleep. I am going to lose my mind if I don’t get

out of here soon.

Today, for the first time, I saw the strained

light, filtering through plastic barriers. I finally was

released from the darkness that plagued me. The

man who normally imprisons me allowed my

ownership to be passed to another.

When I thought I would be free forever, I was

handed back to my cruel keeper. Maybe I was made

for suffering. This is my life. My name is David. I am a

pencil.

-Chloe Custis, Ember Ethington, Sarah Jackson

Unknown

I’m stuck and lost at the same time,

If only time was mine.

I’d reverse it all,

With just one call.

I’m surrounded by all this mess,

Just causing me more stress.

I try and find my way out,

I just see everyone pout.

Mom’s a widow,

By says, “It’s okay, kiddo.”

-Stacey Lynn Munford

Gorilla

-John Wagner

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The Challenge

Hell has risen

Heaven no longer exists

All life on Earth

Has ceased to live

The sun does not shine

Nor do the birds chirp

But in the ruins

Of our great cities

A cry does stir

That hasn’t been heard

In a hundred years

A baby cries

Hope is found

In this new life

For it will grow

To be the savior

Of our race

It will face

The greatest evils

The seven deadly sins

But in the end

The toughest challenge

It will face

Is his human nature

-William Grabowski

Let Them

Let them take a chance

Against the beast born of anger

Their blades will blunt

My hate will rule

As long as I breathe

And my anger controls me

I will never surrender

Even if the odds are stacked

against me

For my anger runs deep

While my hate does flow

Those around me

Will continue to attack

But I will always fall back

I will never fall

No matter how many times I

stumble

-William Grabowski

Hate

Hate

A four letter word

But it changes

The world around it

The holocaust

One of the worst

Events to occur

In human history

Was caused by a

Four letter word

Hate

One man’s hate

Caused a notion’s shame

And the near extinction of

A proud religion

Six million died

Because of four letter word

Hate is the real devil

Which ferments and lives in our hearts

-William Grabowski

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Tales of a Richie

by

Sam Nicholson

Characters:

Richard Weiss: A depressed geography teacher who lives in Clifton, New Jersey.

Doctor Wilbey: A tired, informal doctor who is working a midnight shift and doing an intake on Richard.

Abigail Weiss: Richard's autistic daughter.

Kate Weiss: Richard's cheating, hateful wife.

Angela Petrullo: The teenager who is babysitting Abigail.

Scene I

The set is a doctor's office in the mental health clinic in Passaic, New Jersey, in 1995. The stage is lit brightly, the light being similar to the brightness of the

overhead lights at a doctor's office. The set includes all of the objects included in a doctor's office; a table with cotton balls, ear swabs, stethoscope, etc. on the

left and a patient's examination table on the right. Doctor Wilbey, holding a clipboard, leads Richard Weiss on stage, into the office, and offers him a seat on the

examination table. Doctor Wilbey reviews the information on the clipboard, and then looks up at Richard.

Doctor Wilbey: Buddy, do you know what kind of place this is? This is a schizophrenic type of place. This is that kind of place where patients have to have anti-

psychotics pumped through their blood so they won't go chasin' gawdam butterflies. You come in here sayin' you're depressed. Hell, I'm depressed! I got two

whinin' rugrats at home, gawdam mortgage I can't pay, and wife that won't get off my ass about everything. Depressed. You need to go home, get some sleep,

and rest on it buddy.

Richard: Listen, I almost died about two hours ago. I tried to jump off the Washington Bridge, but landed on the damn what-ever-you-call-it. Walkway. I don't

know. I just don't know. I guess I don't know. Christ, can you just let me stay for a night?

Doctor Wilbey: Ok ok ok, so you're tellin' me you're suicidal? You didn't say that before buddy.

Richard: I didn't think I had to. I thought you just walked in and they gave you a bed.

Doctor Wilbey: It ain't that easy bud, we gotta give you an intake first. You shoulda told me more than just “depressed.” Are you taking any medication?

Richard: No, well yes. Prilosec, for heartburn.

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Richard: No, well yes. Prilosec, for heartburn.

Doctor Wilbey: You seeing counseling?

Richard: No.

Doctor Wilbey: How long you been feeling suicidal?

Richard: I don't know, Christ I swear I don't know. Long time. Maybe not. I don't know.

Doctor Wilbey: How bout' telling me what happened? Why did you try to commit suicide?

Richard: I don't know, it's just the little things I guess. Like take this morning for instance. I'm sittin'

in traffic, on my way to work, and this guy in the car beside me is yellin' at this old lady in the

passenger seat. His mother or something. She's just sittin' there takin' it, and he just keeps yelling.

I don't know doc, I think I'm just crazy or something.

Doctor Wilbey: You ain't getting away that easy. Tell me more. You say you work? Where you work?

Richard: I'm a teacher at Montclair High School over on Chestnut Street.

Doctor Wilbey: What do ya teach?

Richard: Geography. I try to teach it, but none of the damn kids bother to learn.

Doctor Wilbey: Whaduya mean by that?

Richard: They just don't care, all they care about is being out, runnin' the streets. I try to teach them about Bosnia, the place where I always dreamed of livin' since

I seen Sarajevo during the '84 Olympics, and what's goin' on over there, but they act like it doesn't even exist.

Doctor Wilbey: Tell me more, are there any kids in particular that are botherin' you?

Richard: Yeah, this one kid right now anyways. His name's Jacob. He embarrassed me in front of my entire class and got me suspended from work for a month.

Doctor Wilbey: Well what the hell happened?Richard: Well, you see, I have a little girl, Abigail, who is autistic. I love her to death, and sometimes I can be over

protective of her. This little shit, sorry, this little “kid” started raggin' on how I take what he calls a “retard kid” to this bagel place every Saturday. He was making

fun of her because all she can do is just sit there, staring at her feet. I kept telling him to get out of the class room and get down to the principal's office, but he

kept poking. I ended up flipping his desk up and jacking him up against a wall. This kid was known already for causing trouble, smoking in the bathroom, slinging

dope in the parking lot, etc., so I just got suspended for a month.

Doctor Wilbey. Little bastard, I probably would've done the same. Sorry. Tell me more about your daughter, um April?

Richard: Abigail. She's six. She's the most beautiful part of my life, maybe the only great thing in my life. As I said she's autistic, though. She can't do much, she

Apples

-John Wagner

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Richard: Abigail. She's six. She's the most beautiful part of my life, maybe the only great thing in my life. As I said she's autistic, though. She can't do much, she

doesn't respond to almost anything. She's never said a word not a single word. She mostly just sits in the middle of the living room floor, looking down at the carpet.

She's incredible at math though. She can do math at a six grade level!

Doctor Wilbey: She sounds like a good kid. I think she's lucky to have you, Richard.

Richard: Call me Richie, and I'm lucky to have her. I'd be dead if I didn't have her.

Doctor Wilbey: What about your wife? Or are you married?

Richard: You could say I'm married, but I really ain't. She never talks to me anymore, and she's been cheatin' on me ever since I had my accident.

Doctor Wilbey: What happened?

Richard: I was in a bad car accident back in '89, right after Abigail was born. I was in the hospital for about ten weeks and I had to go through physical therapy for

months. That's when Kate and I stopped being close. She even told me that she was ashamed that she married someone as weak as me, someone who couldn't even

make what she sees as a worthy child. I think she wants to divorce me so she can go move in with this guido down in Jersey City.

Doctor Wilbey: That's rough Richie. No one should have to go through that bud. Well, I need to ask you some questions. What triggered you wantin' to commit

suicide?

Richard: Everything, I don't know. Everyday feels worse than the day before. That means that today is the worst day of my life. I can't see a future anymore, I don't

want to think about tomorrow. There is no tomorrow.

Doctor Wilbey: What about Abigail? Will she be a part of tomorrow?

Richard: Don't guilt trip me alright? I'm guilty doc, I already know that. I know that everyday.

Doctor Wilbey: I'm not trying to guilt trip you, I'm trying to help you. From what you're telling me it sounds like you're a serious harm to yourself, and maybe even

your family. I'm taking you completely serious right now.

Richard: Are you implying that I'm a threat to my little girl? Listen to me, I would never hurt her. She's the only the I live for. Nothin' else matters. She's all I have in

this world, and I'm tired of me and her livin' like this. To hell with this and to hell with you. I'm going to my little girl. (Exits)

Scene II

The scene takes place inside of Richards house in Clifton, New Jersey. Richard notices that his wife's car isn't home, and he assumes that she's off somewhere,

cheating on him. Richard enters the house. The set is dimly lit. There is a couch on the left where Angela, the babysitter, is sitting. Abigail and Richard's room is behind

the set.

Richard: Angela, Angela, I'm home!

Angela: Mr. Weiss, where have you been? Mrs. Weiss said I only had to be here til nine!

Richard: Listen, where's Abigail?

25

Richard: Listen, where's Abigail?

Angela: She's in her room asleep, I put her to bed like three hours ago. Why? What's going on?

Richard: (Walks behind the set to where his and Abigail's room is) Abigail, wake up honey, wake up. You and daddy are gonna go for a trip sweetie.

Angela: (Standing up from the couch) Will you tell me what the hell is going on?

Richard: (Richard comes out with two suitcases in his left hand and Abigail in his right) Listen Angela, here's fifty bucks. Abigail and me are leaving. We ain't

comin' back either. When Kate comes home just tellin' me we're gone and she ain't ever gonna see us again, alright? I'm out of here, take of yourself Angela and

make remember what I told you. (Exits)

Angela: Mr. Weiss, Mr. Weiss!

Scene III:

Richard and Abigail are sitting on an airplane that is flying over the Atlantic Ocean, headed for Austria. Richard plans to stay there with Abigail until the war in

Bosnia ends, where he will later move. The set is very dim, with Abigail sitting next to a window and with Richard sitting beside her.

Richard: Hey honey, are you awake? (Nudges Abigail) Guess we are? Right above the Atlantic Ocean. Austria here we come. We're gonna see Bosnia one day

soon honey, one day soon.

Richard: (Startled by hearing his daughter's first words, looks back down at her) I...I love you too.

inspiringbits.com

26

My alarm woke me up at six o clock. I went downstairs and got myself a bowl. It was the green bowl with orange dots. I opened the fridge and got the milk to pour in my cereal. Then I noticed that there was no milk in the milk cart. Instead toy soldiers came out. As I pause and wonder why there is toys in the milk, my brother Blaine, walks by me.

Still in shock I get a bagel to eat. When I was in first block I tell my friends Rachel, and Kurt about what happened with the milk. Rachel said that maybe some aliens from outer space may have put the toys in the milk. Kurt said that maybe the milk came with toys like cereal boxes. When I got home I told my dad what happened.

Later that night my little brother, Blaine, was playing with his toys. I asked did he put the toys in the milk and he said yes. He wanted to see if the toy soldier could float in milk. I laughed and said well I guess they can float in mild. The funny thing about all of this is that there was no cereal.

-David Rogers

Broken

Memories

Of what we had

Pain

Caused by the loss of love

Anger

At the way you stroke the flames

Envy

At the next girl that caught my

eye

Greed

You want me all to yourself

Hate

Because of the pain you caused

Numbness

For I stopped caring

Then I moved on

-William Grabowshi

27

Sometimes having only one friend is a good thing. It’s easy to get away and be alone in your mind for a while without having to explain to a million

people why you want to enjoy solitude for a day or two. A down side to having one friend is that when they move on to other people, or in this case

another life, your lost without the only person you had to talk to when you are down or just felt like being sociable with.

I’m not a shy girl. I just choose to be alone. It’s better that way. I’ve been alone since preschool and it’s never bothered me a bit. I tried having friends

like normal kids but after a few days I got tired of having the same stereotypical teenage conversation. “Boys, boys, boys” “she said this, she said

that” “wow they did what again?!” Admit it it’s the same thing again and again. But there’s one boy who’s different. I’m not in love with him, I don’t

have a crush on him, I don’t even think of him as a brother. He’s just a friend. In fact, in my head, he has no sexuality. I know one thing though. He

understands.

I’m not much of a talker so I let Charlie do it for me. I could listen for hours and not get infuriated, because when he talks, it’s not the same old mush

coming out everyone else’s mouth. When he speaks he has meaning. It’s obvious how much I adore him, which is odd because I hate people so

much. So try to understand how much I went through when he died.

That morning had been pretty uneventful. The only thing out of the ordinary was a cat fight right after breakfast. Something about ‘her taking my

man’. The same teenage crap. Anyway, by the time lunch came around I had settled into my usual nook in the corner of the cafeteria, away from

everyone. I didn’t sit at the loser table or the Goth table. I didn’t have a titled table. It was just a table. I was about to dig in when I saw Charlie come

running at me at full speed. The look in his eyes told me he had something exciting to tell me. Just his aura caused me to get a little giddy along with

him. He had a smile like the Cheshire cat, showing off his cute little gap between his two front teeth. When I saw he that he just wasn’t going to spill

the beans on why he was so excited I asked slightly annoyed ‘ WHAT IS IT ALREADY?!’

That’s when it happened, he LITTERALLY exploded of excitement. I was a mess for the rest of the day. Come to find out his excitement had been over

some girl. I guess it was for the best though, I wouldn’t want to have relationship drama or teenage normalcy in my life.

-Unknown

Full Blown Apathy

-John Wagner

28

Being There

Sam Nicholson

As the capsule of bitter businessmen, sobbing toddlers, cheating wives, cheating husbands, corrupt accountants, thieves, murderers,

hackers, and other assorted plain, pissed off ordinary people soared (possibly to their deaths) thousands of miles above the Atlantic Ocean,

I silently watched “The Godfather” on the small screen before me. As I watched Luca Brasi sleep with the fishes and Peter Clemenza almost

forget his canoli, I realized that the screen before me was the only distraction I had from basking for seven hours in, what my mind

constantly insisted it to be, a coffin of accumulated farts. I couldn't go to sleep, I couldn't converse with my mother or sister since they

were asleep, and I couldn't drink because I was only sixteen. So I fixed my eyes forward and my glare was interrupted only when the scene

arrived when Michael Corleone tenderly stroked his Sicilian wife's breasts and an innocent, fearful part of me looked around to make sure

that no one was watching me look at breasts.

As the plane began to descend, I could feel my chest dropping heavily into my stomach. I utterly despise flying, but my uneasiness

was calmed when I peered out of the window to my left (I was sitting in the middle isle, my mother next to me, and my sister on the other

side of her) to see that the blue, endless ocean had turned into a sea of lush, green earth. I looked to my right to wake my mother and

sister, but decided against it when I saw my mother's disturbing, sleeping facial expression. Her mouth was open wide enough to stick an

entire sandwich in without the crusts hitting any lip at all; her appearance was about as far from graceful as I was from home, to say the

least. I could go on to describe the relief I felt once I entered the airport, the unsettled confusion of my sister's bag not turning up

immediately, and all of that other airport junk, but I think instead, out of respect for your entertainment, I'll proceed to the part when my feet

hit terra firma.

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My mother, my sister, Meg, and I had linked up with my mother's English boyfriend, Russ. Russ is a very tall, gauntly man who met my mother on

the internet a few years back. He visited Virginia the year before last, and at first my jealousy brought on by living with a single mother almost all of my

life had caused me to hate his scrawny, limey stature. As I got older, I began to accept him much more and became less overly protective of my

mother. He is a polite, timid, and with no negative connotation added, a purely weak man. He works for some online company and basically divides his

time between sitting on the couch and rolling cigarettes. He reminds me so much of myself sometimes that I can't tell whether to love or loath him.

We took the tube from Heathrow Airport to Charing Cross. I recall giggling wildly with my sister every time I heard the subway intercom say “This

is the Piccadilly Line to... Cockfosters.” Charing Cross felt like the center of the universe. It's basically the center of London, and almost all train lines

connect there. Russ led us through the glass ceiling station and immediately took us to what he considered to be the most important landmark in

London: the nearest McDonald's. I went inside and used foreign currency for the first time in my life to buy the British McDonald's version of a french

fry: the potato wedge.

We sat there for a bit and absorbed the atmosphere, and afterward my mother and Russ decided to take the train to the suburb of Dartford

(where Russ lives), leaving my sister and I to explore the most populated city in Europe. As the wild, young American that I am, my initial expectations

were that my twenty five year old sister and I were going to embrace this new experience by attempting to drown ourselves in every bottle of Guinness

to be found in the city. My sister wasn't up for it though, and she seemed to carry, what was to me, an unusual, distant demeanor. I had expected her

to be the silly, cheerful, down-to-earth sister that she always was, but she was different. I could sense that a bit of it was caused by egotism brought on

by the fact that she had planned and essentially MADE this trip, but I knew what most of it was caused by. About two weeks prior to the trip, Meg had

temporarily split up with her boyfriend whom she had been in a serious, seemingly sound relationship for about five years. She hadn't told me why, but I

had taken a guess.

We walked aimlessly through Trafalgar Square and through a sea of what seemed mainly like other tourists until we stumbled upon Buckingham

Palace. I stood amazed by the mere essence of what my country-boy eyes were seeing, and at that moment I realized that I was looking at the single-

30

-most beautiful thing I’d ever seen before. I was in utter awe, and the best thing Trod and Scatter

That I’d ever seen before. I was in utter awe, and the best thing that I could think to do -John Wagner

Was to lay down on a concrete slab opposite the Queen’s residence and simply bask in

the blaring August sun. I was completely absorbed with the world around me, and in a

way, for the first time in my then sixteen years of mediocre life, I knew exactly who I was.

I walked with my sister through Green Park, and though she still seemed

unbearably distant, she started to become more relaxed and verbal. We arrived at

Piccadilly Street, and we decided to walk down the bustling road and dive through the

various shops. We entered one particularly posh, out-of-this-world expensive woman’s

clothing store and Meg tried on these goofy mustache necklaces that seemed entirely

out of place. We began to really enjoy ourselves, and I found myself in a state of euphoria that couldn't of been daunted by the most horrific

catastrophe. We continued down the street and decided to take a rest at the Cafe Nero opposite the London Ritz. Megan bought an espresso coffee

(one of many that she would consume during our trip through Europe), and I bought an overpriced bottle of mineral water and a coffee cake.

We sat down outside and expressed our inability to believe our extraordinary circumstances. After we finished sharing our appreciation of the

vacation and after giggling at a regal statue of a man sitting on a horse covered in bird crap, Megan decided to discuss the incident that happened two

weeks before. She told the story that I had already deduced: she had gotten drunk and cheated on her boyfriend with some guy from where she

worked. I listened politely, and responded without judgment. I said that maybe that experience should serve as a lesson, but that it was really none of

my business. She was grateful that I hadn't reacted harshly, and spent another half an hour there laughing and enjoying the simplicity of our state of

minds. This nirvana wouldn't last forever, it wouldn't even last til the end of the day. We would fight, we would hate each other, and we would despise

the presence of one another all soon enough. But that would be later, and this was now. Now was all we needed to live for.

31

I could go on and tell you about the spectacular two days that followed. I could tell you about how we went to Piccadilly Market and how

Megan accidentally bought a bracelet that had a swastika engraved on it. I could tell you about the night we spent exploring Dartford, watching the

conga line of elderly people in bunny costumes exiting a Greek restaurant or the Chinese restaurant that had middle aged English couples dancing to

“Let's Do The Time Warp Again.” I could tell you about the Crystal Palace football game I went to where a small child behind me was yelling, “C'mon,

put some bloody tackle in it!” I could tell you about the five story bookstore that I spent three hours looking through every WWII novel that I could get

my hands on. I could tell you about the curry houses I went to, and how much I miss eating Tandoori Chicken. I could tell you about how a family of

foxes crossed my path as I was walking through Dartford in the middle of the night. I could tell you about the Montenegro couple who lived in Sweden

that I met on a train going back to Dartford, and how appalled they were while listening to my description of my experience of working at Burger King. I

could tell you a million stories, but I in my opinion, those stories are for you to discover for yourselves. I'm going to to end this, whatever the hell this

is, by saying that the most whole, most complete I've ever felt was while riding on the trains going to and from London. The world would just pass me

by; thousands of different images, different lives, different environments, and different stories, all flashing before my eyes. I had the opportunity to fill

my head with all of those brief glimpses, and now that I'm back home it feels like those glimpses are scattered all over my head, like papers that have

fallen off of a desk, and I have to constantly try to regather them. There's this emptiness inside of me that was filled when I sat on those trains,

knowing that those trains were taking me somewhere and that I was going somewhere. Normally I don't believe in the idea of satisfaction, but when I

was there I was filled to the brim. London, and the trains that brought me to and from there, reversed every pessimistic philosophy that I've ever

dedicated my life to, and I'm thoroughly confident to say that that's where I wish to spend the rest of my life.

32

The Cry

The peaceful night

Ruined by a sharp cry

The soul wrenching sound

Of a mother

Who has lost

And found her

Child dead not alive

A mother should never

Have to bury their young

A life is

Taken before its time

But rest assured

For you will

Hear the same flimsy

Excuse by all priests

“God works in mysterious ways”

-William Grabowski

The Beast and the Harlot by William Grabowski

Hark does the bearer cry No compassion to speak of

For the end is near It has no fear

They all do cry Of weapons mad by a mortal hand

Pain and fear is all we’ll see It blunts blades and stops bullets

When the ten horned beast For seven years it will reign

Does rise from the sea Until God’s armies put them to rest

With the harlot upon its back As the beast and the harlot drift

The bearer of the end of time Into death’s cold embrace

He reared his head again Where they lie

Bloodlust visible in its eyes For the eternal rest

Hate swirling in its heart

Highway Whatever

-John Wagner

33

Fear is a cell phone You have not kept up with the rest of the world!

Constantly begging to be answered , to respond You can’t be a 1.0 anymore, everyone else is a 1.1!

The cell phone is in constant anxiety It even constantly searchers for the almighty update

Craving to hear others of its sort Dreading that the world may move on and leave it behind

Why won’t that phone call me back? The newer cell phones are even more distressed

Has he forgotten about me? The not only worry about texts and calls

The cell phone demands more information But also about tweets, Facebook posts, and Instagram pictures

Pleading to receive the latest gossip Why would that cell phone post that?

It vibrates with excitement when sent data Oh no! Do the other cell phones know what that cell phone said?

And screams out when another calls it But whether it be the new cell phone or the old cell phone

It undergoes intense stress when not updated Neither will be satisfied

It will notify itself everyday Cell phones are perpetually nervous

Warning! Warning! Forever wondering what the other cell phone might say

You have not kept up with the rest of the world!

You can’t be a 1.0 anymore, everyone else is a 1.1! --Sam Nicholson

It even constantly searches for the almighty update

Dreading that the world may move on and leave it behind

Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.

-Arthur Somers Roche

34

An Exercise in Something or Another- John Wagner

The crazy man on the bench was still talking to himself about the pandas that were plaguing his very existence. The businesswomen ignored

him and turned to her electronic device. It was one of those fancy things that could tell you the current position of Jupiter’s moons and stock

in Europe and find a way to correlate the two. The kind of computer we all want but will never utilize, the kind that will solve the mysteries

of life, and we play solitaire on. He was murmuring something about the big fizzy demons under the stair. The businesswoman was staring

intently at the screen using her fingers to navigate the labyrinth of electronic nothingness while the madman was dreaming dreams of

pandas. That was all and nothing more, until the monk no-longer-in-a-funk entered the scene with the tambourine man. They had both

returned from the fair where the magician lost his golden glass globe. It was the talk of the town. "THE PANDAS ARE ENCROACHING"

screamed the mad man wildly. He had a crazed look in his eyes, a look of a man seeking shelter from something in the frightful night. The

man trying to find fire when the wolves are closing in. The Monk and the Tambourine man looked around but saw no encroaching panda's

and were very puzzled indeed, but the mad-man subsided his rageful fear as rapidly as he had started, almost as if hit by a tranquilizer. He

returned to his thoughts and his eyes glazed over once again. The monk leaned over the young businesswomen. "What’s his problem

dearie? I don't quite comprehend" She didn't hear him though, she was too absorbed in her electronic nothingness (which for boredom had

decided to claim her as its own) and unintentionally ignored him. The monk and the tambourine man saw what had happened with pity,

looked around and seeing nothing else for them there, decided to continue on their journey. Meanwhile, Quasimodo and the king were

discussing politics and things under the moonlight. The folks at San Antonio’s Zoo were dismayed by the lack of pandas in the panda exhibit.

The businesswomen was gone, there was just the madman and a tablet. It gleamed his way but he paid it no mind, he had other matters to

attend to. San Antonio’s Biological Institution of Molecular Happenings had worked out an intelligence serum that just worked on Pandas. It

temporarily boosted the animal’s cognitive ability until it could reason equal to, or slightly greater than humans. Twas a beautiful discovery

that was to be left on the shelf and marveled at quietly and from a distance by the type of people who admire that kind of thing.

Unfortunately San Antonio’s Biological Institution of Molecular Happenings was overrun with interns, one of whom wanted to see what would

happen if he gave it to a bunch of pandas. But being an intern, he wasn’t the brightest sapien on the planet, and he decided to add some

molecular transfusion goo that rendered the injectee invisible. Beautiful, simply beautiful. The king wasn’t happy about it but Quasimodo

convinced him he needed to prepare for war without the console of the monk and his associate. The fray, who was also mad, stumbled on

to the mad man and he said “Pandas! I see no Pandas, It’s the crocodiles you have to watch out for” After the serum was injected the

pandas broke out of the zoo, as intelligent invisible pandas are prone to do. They were making merry at the pub in the town when they

heard the king’s troops were preparing for battle. They dropped their drinks and dove unto a delivery truck and disappeared into the night.

The count was looked up in his castle and the hurried vassal rushed in and told him the kings men would soon have him surrounded. He

prayed for the Russians. The mad man and the fray packed up and left. They knew what was coming. The pandas were on the truck en

route to the count’s castle when the caravan of troops and knights passed by two madman walking the opposite direction of the action.

Everyone knows madmen are attracted to action, something was up. No time for that now, war was about to happen and Pandas were

waiting for their moment. All the ropes were lined up on either side. Archers in the castle, snipers in the tower, wizards and warlocks on the

sidelines and preachers in the chapel. It was going down tonight. Then monk arrived a minute too late. The first artillery blast was shot from

the king’s side. Ba-Boom, two archers dead. Reload. Just then the invisible crocodiles poured out of the castle walls and attacked the

pandas. The insueing sounds confused everyone, but convinced them it was time for an infantry charge. Boiling oil was prepared. After three

hours of intense fighting no one had gained or lost ground, people were being treated in improv medical tents, Lightning blasts were

35

hours of intense fighting no one had gained or lost ground, people were being

treatedin improv medical tents, Lightning blasts were whizzing from various

warlocks. Twisted bodies were being eaten by zombies, it was a mad house. In

the middle of a power swing that was about to decapitate a poor fool in dragon

scale armor, the king was distracted and looked up in the sky. He thought he

heard a low buzzing sound, like a plane. Yes, there it was again. What was that?

Other fighters heard it too. A panda dropped a gator and joined everyone else in

searching the sky. There it was again. A steady hum of engines in the night. The

lady in red was the first to spot it. It was a plane. A black one. Everyone was busy

staring at it when someone yelled “IT’S THE RUSSIANS, IT HAS THE RUSSIAN

FLAG.” Most ran, but the king (still smoking his cigar grabbed a semi-automatic lightning

rifle, the count stepped beside him and pulled out a .48 magnum. They looked at each

other and then turned toward the sky. They started firing at the planes (there was a

group of them) steady in shot and steady in aim. They knew what was about to

happen. The first plane passed over the field and dropped its load, a small package

fell to the ground. They didn’t even blink.

The light was instant. It glowed with the power of a thousand gods all standing in a

line. The sun was envious and the moon sour. The light beamed and beamed and

beamed and subsided into a gargantuan redness. There was no more castle or

battlefield or king or count or troops or pandas or crocodiles. Only a few fiery

mushrooms very proximal to one another. 5, 25 megatons. Prayers had been answered.

The madman and the fray watched with disinterested glee on a hill several miles away

eating popcorn with the tablet.

Fin. Self Portrait in Green

John Wagner

36

Mythology

37

Apollo and Artemis were two twins born by the god of the sky and all the other gods, Zeus,

and Leto, a daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe. Leto was a very gracious and lovable

deity but was hated by Hera, the wife of Zeus, for having seduced her husband. So when Leto

became pregnant and Hera found out, she explicitly forbade any place under the Sun to offer

shelter to the sinful woman. She even held her daughter Eilithyia, the goddess of childbirth,

firmly in her arms to prevent her from supporting Leto during her labor. Zeus felt sorrow

for Leto and transformed her into a quail in order to give birth to their children. However,

there seemed to be no place in Greece willing to offer a shelter to Leto, so she was

wandering around desperately and aimlessly. Finally, Leto discovered a tiny cycladic island

close to Mykonos named “Asteria” (or Ortygia, deriving from Leto’s transformation into a

quail). This island was beaten by the waves and blown by the wind and didn’t even have a

fixed position in the sea, yet it was willing to accept the woman. When Leto settled on the

island, the island became firm and its name was chaged into “Delos” – “the unconcealed one.”

For nine days and nine nights Leto was suffering from strong pains, until on the tenth day,

Leto went close to a small lake, leaned against a palm tree, unfastened her belt, and gave

birth to Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt. Artemis then acted as a midwife to her

mother to bring her brother Apollo to the world. For this reason, she was declared ast he new

goddess of the childbirth, taking the place of Hera’s daughter Elithyia. Apollo became god of

the sun and poetry.

-Arial Walton and Mary Katherine Holmes

Sodahead.com

38

I grew up in a small village in the country of China. Like everyone else in the village (and all the other villages nearby) I had long, inky, black hair. We all lived off the rainforest. We got our food, water, and weapons from it. The difference is that, while all the other villages trained their young men to defend their village, we trained all our children in the ancient art of warfare. The best were taken away to train as assassins. I was on of these children. We were pushed hard and worked all hours of the day to protect our skills. The food our instructors gave us was… strange to say the least. It seemed to glow a little bit, at least to us. Almost two years passed for us. Over time our skin became black as the night we lived in. Our nails had become sharp as knives. Our teeth were sharp as the fangs in the mouths of any predator. We were silent as ghosts as we ran through the forest. We thought as a group. We were a pack. Everything was a ‘we.’ We had no need to speak anymore. We just looked at each other and understood. One day, as we were running through a stream, thirsty, I stopped and drank. As I was about to leave, I saw my reflection in the water. It was the face of a dark, cat like animal. I was an animal. I ran back up to the group and realized just where we were. We were back at the village we were born in. The village we hadn’t seen for almost two years now. Our people saw us and paled in fear. They rushed at us with weapons drawn and as they did they were yelling one word. “PANTHERS!” That’s what we were now. Panthers.

-Mary Katherine Holmes

www.animalwallpaper.us Flagwallpapers.com

39

It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else,

indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment

passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the

writer scores over his fellows; he catches the changes of his mind on the hop.

~Vita Sackville-West