Remembering

I remember the waves splashing up on us like it was yesterday
I remember when I was 9 years old playing in the freezing water
I remember my adventurous grandma was there
I remember us laughing and splashing each other
On that frigid March day
We were all dressed in sweats
But in minutes the kids were carefree and in swimsuits
The cold air did not bother us
Neither did the water that gave your toes frostbite as soon a you stepped in
But after reaching the water only my grandma and I loved it
The rushing water tempted you as soon as you saw it
The waves would race towards us
Just as the waves were about to hit us, we jumped over them
We were engulfed in the crashing waters
We did this for hours on this sandy San Diego beach

Even though this memory was three years ago,
I remember it vividly
I am glad my grandma and I had this memory
Because this was a time to remember

The Doflin Chronicles Part one

       Justin had never intended to get all mixed up in this adventure, but he had no regrets.  He had enjoyed every second of it and would never forget it for years to come.  The castle that he and his friends had spent so many months attempting to get to loomed in front of him like a massive volcano. It was made of broken, pitch black rock that reflected the light from the bright sun above. 

       Sentil stood next to him, quietly discussing with Brian and Yilder how they were going to get inside and what they would do once they finally managed to get in.  Justin was listening to what he said, but he didn't hear any of it.  He was too busy thinking of everything that had happened so far and the simple thing that led him up to this point, and it was all his sister's fault.
        Well, technically it was Justin's fault as it had been his choice to climb down into the cave in the first place, but Gwen had been the one who had dared him to do it.  Justin had lived a simple life before he had come to the land of Doflin.  He was a newspaper boy, one of those teens that you see riding a bike and throwing out papers, and he hated it, but it was the only job he could get being 15 and not yet having his drivers license.  Gwen had always teased him about how boring his job was and how she would be driving a limo by the time she was 20.
        Justin was always annoyed by how Sally always took advantage of her inborn smarts.  She was one of those miracle kids that you sometimes hear about.  She was only 11 but was already in the 11th grade, and that was one grade higher than him!  Anyway, she wasn't one of those nice ones that are amazed with themselves with what they've done, she was always bragging about how she was so much better than everyone else and all of the accomplishments that she already had, and it drove him nuts whenever she did it!
        Anyway, she was just annoying, but all of the strange things he had seen while in Doflin would easily shut her up when he got home.  However, he had been told that he should never tell anyone about what he had seen, so that would probably never happen.
        Justin had always been a normal kid who lived at the end of Covey lane in a city he had never cared to learn the name of ( I know, lame).  Of all the houses they had lived in being one, and them never having had a lot of money, they had never had a backyard.  All they had ever known was a deep cave that went down about 10 yards until i branched off into some other area of it.  Both Justin and Gwen had always wanted to go exploring down in the dark chasm, but their parents had never allowed it saying that the cave was unstable and that the rock might come falling down at any moment.  Which was obviously true since little parts of rock fell off the edge whenever they stomped their feet around the edges.
        One night Justin had finally had enough of his parents excuses for the cave being dangerous, it had been there for 15 years for crying out loud and if it hadn't fallen down yet, then it never would. Anyway, Justin was going to go down into that dark chasm no matter what his parents said, and he finally had the courage to do it. He set his watch alarm to 11:30 and went to sleep, knowing that the next time he got up, he would be going down into the cave where no one had been before.
        Justin's alarm when off right on time and he quietly got out of his bed and down the hall. He had slept in his clothes and snuck a flashlight into his room so that he wouldn't get caught scrambling through the drawers at midnight before he could even leave for the cave. As soon as Justin got downstair he silently snuck out the back door and slowly walked towards where he knew the edge of the cave was. He silently knew that he had always wanted to do this but had never had the courage.
        Once he reached a point where he couldn't walk any farther without his light, he switched it on, and what he saw before him almost made him scream and run right back to the house.

Part two of The Doflin Chronicles coming next month.

Skylar's Hamazing Essay of Awesome

Imagine talking to your teacher and noticing a black rectangle on their belt. It’s a gun. Teachers should not be allowed to bring guns into a school environment. Teachers carrying concealed weapons are unsafe for students because guns are dangerous and require special training to use. I do not believe guns in schools serve an educational or safety purpose.

The old adage says guns don’t kill people, people kill people. But anyone with a gun on their person has the power to kill. Guns are unpredictable and have the capacity to hurt someone--even accidentally. Guns are subject to human error. The safety could fail, or the gun could accidentally fire.  What if an armed gunman actually got into the classroom, and the teacher pulled his gun to defend the class?  The police could have a hard time distinguishing the criminal from the teacher. They could both get arrested, or the teacher could be arrested and the class left with a gunman.  What if a student got a hold of a gun?

Guns should not serve an educational purpose in the classroom. Gun safety could be taught, but that would mean giving kids guns.  In the chaotic school environment, teaching kids gun safety is the same as teaching kids to pull the trigger.

Even if the second Amendment allows us to bear arms, letting teachers have guns would cause more problems than it would ever solve. Even if a gun is used to help students, the risk of misfire is too high.

For the sake of students everywhere, I believe teachers should not be allowed to bring firearms to school. Guns are far too unpredictable.

Staying Positive

     Staying Positive
Taylor Hatch
       Lately I've had times where it's been hard for me to smile because my dad has been in the hospital for almost two months. He went in because his kidney wasn't working. Then, a few days after he went in they found fluids around his heart. While he has been in there, he's had a surgery pretty much every other day. My family almost decided to take him off of life support a while ago. They decided not to because the doctor did something and said that he could fight because he's young enough and strong enough. He's been hooked up to so many machines and it was scary when I first went in there because everything looked so big and important. When one thing isn't beeping, another thing is. I can talk to my dad but he can't talk to me because he's on the medication to keep him calm so he can't pull any tubes out or off. When I go visit him, I talk to him about what's been going on in my life lately and it's kind of weird because he's not talking back and his eyes aren't open. At home I still have my mom, stepdad, and stepbrother to comfort me and at school I have all of my friends. My grandma has been down here for almost as long as my dad has been in the hospital. If he does get better his recovery will be long and hard. Sometimes I pretend that he's not in the hospital and never was. Even though he's been in the hospital for so long and still is I still stay happy. I've stayed positive through this and I hope I will for however long this lasts. I've learned a lesson through this: Stay positive, don't worry, remember that struggles make you stronger, and you'll be alright. Some great quotes are "Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out" - John R. Wooden, "Promise me you'll always remember that you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A Milne, “We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.” - Kenji Miyazawa. "When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it." - Henry Ford, “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” - Robert H Schuller.

Aspen Colorado

I remember on the fourth of July,

I watched the fireworks fly.

I sat at the base of the hill,

The starry air around me was still.

The mountain was green, and tall,

I sat there amazed feeling small.

The colors so stunning and bright,

Made the darkness turn to light.

The explosions were heard from miles around,

Nothing could top its booming sound.

The fireworks smelt of smoke,

I almost made me want to gag and choke.

After the sky had cleared,

All of the people cheered.

I Remember

In remember the time that Germany beat Argentina in the 2014 Fifa World Cup.

The score was 1-0 and I was so, so, so very happy. I was so happy I almost cried.

I couldn't calm down for ever. It was happier than when I tied my first shoelace. 

Now it is over and I am waiting for the next World Cup to come.

Remembering

Have you ever felt frightened, afraid, lonely, or scared?

Memories to me means something that I remember from the past,

I remember when my mom passed away.

The feeling I was fearful,

I didn't know what was going to happen later on.

My mom was diagnosed with a Brain Tumor

and that what memory means to me.

She was a very kind person with a open heart.

Because of all the support I got from family and friends,

I am now a better person because of it.

Having this memory made me stronger and I'm for 

who I am today because of this.

VETERAN

Veterans are amazing people who risk their individual life for our country’s life and freedom. When you hear the word veteran you automatically think about war but I think of heroism and bravery. American veterans are all around us saving lives by risking their own and I appreciate them for the courage they put forth for our nation. Many types of veterans are fighting for us and our independance every second of every day. Plenty of people think veterans are only the soldiers in combat, but they’re wrong! They are also the people helping the ones in combat by fixing aircrafts, healing the soldiers in combat, and even the soldiers who train others. Many veterans die every day and it is a tragic thing, but if those veterans didn’t die we wouldn’t have the rights we have today. America is the country everyone wants to be in because of our freedoms given to us by those fallen veterans. The american dream is made possible by these valiant men and women. Most veterans are men but there are also women and we should give thanks to them too because they are just as brave as the men! We only think to honor these outstanding heroes on veterans day when we should honor them each and every day because they fight for us each and every day. They fight for you and me so think on Christmas to send them a care kit with some toothpaste and a toothbrush and maybe a nice note saying how much you really appreciate them and all they do for you. Also you can send hurt veterans letters saying get better and thank you for the sacrifices it doesn’t have to be Christmas time for you to do that or send a simple gift of thanks. Imagine all of the struggles they go through with watching friends die, getting hurt, or even running into a burning building just for us. After that don’t you think we should give thanks and be more grateful for those heroic veterans.

BAYERN MUNICH

Did you hear about how Bayern Munich won the champions league. If not then I am going to tell you in this short paragraph on what the teams names were and what the scores to the game were. The team that they were playing was a team called Manchester City. They are a very good team but i think that Bayern Munich is better. The score to the game was 2-1 Bayern Munich. It made me feel like i was on top of the world. But then the next game they lost. That is my paragraph about Bayern Munich.

Class Announcement: Friday, September 26th

Ok, I'm posting this tonight, and desperately hoping that someone will read it tomorrow morning and tell everyone else to 
read it too!

Remember to do the Following:

Today is to help you get caught-up on any writing.  Here is what you should do, in order of priority. These are the monthly writing requirements.  I'm pretty pumped about the high quality writing on the blog so far.

1. Help your group finish your section of the newspaper.  It's going to be printed and posted this Tuesday!
2. Post on the Writing Blog
3. Make comments on 3 other posts.
1. Comments need to say something the person is doing well and one thing they can improve on.  
2. Read the instructions on the first blog post if you aren't sure what to do.
4. Enter 1 Writing Contest
1. TO GET CREDIT FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT, you must print out the entry and turn it in to the class box.  Sharing it with me will not count.  I'll mail it off for you but I need them turned in.  Remember, entry forms for Reflections must be obtained from the office.  Follow the directions of the writing contest specifically!

I'm at a training but I'll be able to check my email if you have questions.  I miss seeing you all and I'm so proud of your hard work!

See you Monday--remember to READ this weekend:)

My Short Story

I didn't exactly remember how I got lost in that forest, or why I was in the forest in the first place, but I did know one thing.

Well, two things.

One, I was lost in a huge forest at nighttime. Completely alone.

Two, I was really hungry.

" 'Come hang out with us in the forest,' " I mimicked to myself as I kicked a pebble. " 'It'll be fun', they said."

I shoved my hands in my hoodie pocket and took a good look around at my bearings. It looked like a set straight out of a horror movie. Tall, thick trees with dark leaves that blocked any moonlight, if any. I could hear dry pine needles snapping loudly under my Vans in the eerie gloom.

It was quiet.

Too quiet.

"Well, this is dandy," I muttered. My iPod was back in my older brother's van, and he 'forgot' to bring flashlights. They (as in he and his football friends) were probably attempting a "ditch-the-sibling-in-the-woods-to-be-rid-of-them-forever".

If so, they were doing good. I was scared out of my mind. Who knew, there could have been werewolves for all I cared!

I huffed and nodded. "Well, there's no point in just standing here waiting for my impending doom." I straightened my back, took a shaky breath, and continued forward into the woods. There seemed to be absolutely no signs of any sort of wildlife anywhere, which made the whole ordeal even more terrifying.

Then the sudden realization hit me:

"I am in a forest. All alone."

~

Sorry it's so long! I guess I'll post the next part soon. I tried to make the main character as unisex as possible so the reader can connect either way. Thanks for reading, I guess...

Prologue: Hidden Power

Prologue

As the snow fell it tickled the nose of the two young six-year-old girls, the cold turning their face's rose red, causing the freckles on the first girl to stand out. They giggled and threw powdery white lumpy snowballs at each other then ducking under their forts, only to pop up seconds later and firing again. Their mini war went of for hours until their hands went numb and they couldn't feel their toes. They hurried inside and pulled off their soaking wet gloves and ice-covered boots. "I'm glad we got a break for once." Sky smiled at her best friend Alice. Little did they know, that was the last snowball fight they'd ever have with each other.
Sky left the next day, they said she didn't make it. The 'academy' said she didn't quite make the cut, she wasn't good enough to get in. We didn't know why. Then.
This academy was for special kids, not like kids that excel, well, it could be that... but... it was for strange children. We had magic, the ability to do stuff others couldn't do. Running faster then a cheetah, or disappearing into thin air, changing into animals, and manipulating elements. If you took everyone is the school, you'd be able to do anything.

But, would you give up everything to know something like this? Would you be willing to trade your friends for endless power? To only have maybe 23 kids ever around? To always have someone watching you to make sure you won't escape? To be Isolated from the outside world? Would you be willing to protect your life to be trapped forever?

My 3 Favorite Poems by Mrs. Robins

Now, I feel that since I'm your teacher, I really ought to post too.  Here are 3 of my favorite poems--each is special for a reason and each had revision, after revision, after revision until I got it just right. These poems have been published and 2 of the 3 presented to audiences in other cities.  Writing is awesome, but A LOT of hard work!  I solemnly promise that these are the only recycled pieces of writing I'll post.  I will be writing new stuff, along with you, all year!

Star Gazing

“Hydra, right?” you smile 

           as light from the full harvest moon illuminates your upturned face.

We trace our fingers on the giant V stretching over the darkened horizon.

“Little Dipper,” you name with confidence while

            sprinkled stars shimmer above, begging you to name them all.

I take your hand, almost as big as mine now.  When did you grow?

“ That bright one, a planet?", you struggle for the name.

            I don’t look up, the solar system can’t compete.

 You are all the wonders in the world, neatly wrapped

in a ten-year-old boy.  Eyes bluer than far-away fiery cosmos, a mind

as big as the Milky-Way, and a heart where all my

love, worries, hopes and dreams orbit.

“Mom, which one?” you ask, gravity pulling me back.

“Jupiter, Saturn, Mars?” I name them, all miracles,

  but none greater than you.

Sano

part of a collection on 9-11

The sun shone

brightly the day hate

sliced down towers, creating

a wound bleeding

falling men,

toppling concrete, twisting

steel.  Splitting hearts open,

stealing beats, snatching breath.

Screaming women silenced by wailing

sirens, smoke-filled terror

sending waves of shock across

a stunned nation. Deaths of countrymen

shown to the masses. Silent

witnesses gaping in horror as a

skyline disappearing,

pain blooming like a rose.

Insomnia

A bear, 
shaggy with midnight
darkness, comes stomping into my 
room at night.
Shaking my bed, he plops down his giant
behind, surveying
me with hunger.
Moonlight reflects off 
his jagged teeth, he opens
massive jaws as I quickly
feed him my insecurtites, flawed
logic, overactive imagination.
Chewing, gorging, inhaling, 
finally burping his satisfaction.

Seeing him clearly now, 
moonlight illuminates 
how silly he looks all 
fat and bloated--
I peer closely, 
he is licking his stained
mouth, swiping a paw
across his wet nose, staggering
in exhaustion.
He moans as his stomach 
distorts, twisting in 
agony with indigestion
of my thoughts.
I begin laughing.  He is huffing, 
sulking his way out of my room.
Smiling, I fall asleep.

Rememberance

Have you ever thought when you've been back?

The state of bearing in mind.

Something that "comes to you."

Or when an awkward moment has hit.

The best memory you've ever experienced?

Memories to me are thoughts that I look back at.

My favorite memory is my first national dance competition,

When I walked in the room and the superabundant energy

Exploding with excitement through the roof!

Now that is just my favorite memory.

But remember one thing:

Remember you are who you are,

Don't change to be someone else,

Don't let other people judge you.

Be you. The real you.

-Shayli Habibian

food

food is yummy,

food is good.

food tastes the way food should.

Food is sour,

food is sweet,

food is good,

no matter what you think.

I Remember

I Remember

I remember the day.

The day when everything turned gray.

It was a day when many people cried.

Many people suffered.

Many people died.

This was the attack of 9/11.

The day started normal.

Birds chirping.

Kids playing.

Adults working.

Then it happened.

The people in the two towers didn't know what happened.

But they were scared.

There was so much smoke in the sky.

People were crying.

People were coughing.

People were dying.

We miss the people that died that day.

But as a country we are stronger now.

In the future we will prepare so nothing like this will happen again.

The Note

It was a warm afternoon and I had just gotten out of school. I was in my in my favorite tree hiding from the other students go home when I saw a strange object sticking out of the ground by the trunk of the tree. I thought to myself  "How did I not see that when I was climbing up?" So I climbed back down and pulled it, it wouldn't budge so I started to dig around it. Eventually I uprooted the thing to the point to where it started to come out, but it was as stuck as a car with a flat tire. After a few minutes of using my brute strength I finally got it out of the ground, it was a dirty old piece of paper, at first I was bummed out because I thought it was going to be something valuable but you know my I have the best bad luck in the world. I looked at the      no-good old piece of paper and realized that it had a wax stamp on it, I opened it and saw writing, I didn't get too excited though but then I looked closer at the note and it said "Dear reader, if you're reading this then you need to dig below and grab the chest and run for your life, they will come if you broke the wax seal, run NOW!!! They will hunt you down and kill you!" I looked away from the paper and looked down the hole I just dug and and started digging and my hand hit something hard I reached down and grabbed whatever it was and pulled it out, it was a small treasure chest just like out of a pirate movie. After I pulled it out I opened the chest and there was a glowing ring, I grabbed it and put it on and looked around and noticed that I could see a little more details in the landscape. I turned around thats when I saw it. Right there about one hundred yards away from me there was a huge beast with a weird creature riding it, the beast had the head of a boar and the body of a panther, the rider was a different story it had the head of a human but it had the body of some kind of arachnid. I turned around and started running for my life! I started running and I realized that I was running a little faster than I thought I could run. I turned the corner that led to my house I stopped instantly, there were five more of the weird beasts and riders. I turned around and started running and I got a weird feeling in my gut, then all the sudden I got a weird tingling sensation. I looked down and realised that my feet weren't touching the ground, and I was still rising. Then I realised that I didn't know how to go down. Then I started to go up faster, after about 30 seconds I could barely see the beasts, and believe me, they were huge. Then out of nowhere I started to fall.(There will be more on next months post)

This is the beginning of a bigger story, I will have more for the story on next months post... 

Remember

Remember that you are awesome,

No matter what others say.

Walk around with confidence,

Don't let worldly things get in your way.

Remember to be you,

Don't change for anyone else,

Be positive and happy,

 And always be true to yourself.

A Year With Cancer

When Lauren Bendesky was 15 years old, she was fighting for her life. She had an intense case of cancer called neuroblastoma. She was facing many challenges such as extreme weight loss, horrible nausea and blisters in her mouth and throat. There were days when she was so sick, she had to be fed through and IV. She has had many challenges but has coped through them. One way that has helped her is the jars on the windowsill. There are two jars, one with pink stones and one with blue. Every good day she put in one pink stone, every bad day she put in one blue.  This helped her to stay positive and feel good when there were more pink stones. Another way that had helped is all the love and support from family. She has gone through so much but her family and friends keep her spirits up. A lot of these challenges have changed her life in many ways. She was a healthy, happy teenager and a competitive dancer. She was also a gifted student who loved playing the viola. When she discovered her cancer, her world stopped and was completely changed. She was going to be spending a lot of time in the hospital with doctors and machines everywhere and wouldn't be able to do the things she loved as often. This was not very fun for her, but she stayed strong.  She has had a rough year with cancer but is getting better. She is a very loved girl who is amazing, brave, and courageous.  

A Weird Dream

A  Weird Dream

         I woke up to the sound of rain on my window, it sounds like mice or bunnies running all over it. I got up and looked outside and it was pouring. I did the same thing I always do when I wake up on Saturday mornings- went and laid back in bed with a book (The Giver). I guess I fell asleep because the next thing I know I'm sitting in the middle of a bright green field with grass that is about up to my knee. I looked around and saw a house but it wasn't mine it was big and the paint on it was cornflower blue. It looked like my friend Lizzy's house. I looked around trying to find my phone but I couldn't find it. I got up and started walking around to find my key and my phone when it started raining. I started walking towards Lizzy's house when I tripped in a puddle of mud. Great. I sat up and looked at the sky which was a mix between grey and light blue. I saw a flash of lightning that looked like it had just split through the whole sky and a few seconds after that a loud crack of thunder. I better get inside before it starts raining. I got up and ran towards Lizzy's house. Sitting on the porch was a Pitbull I recognized him, it was Chaos Lizzy's sisters dog. He looked up when I got up the stairs and on to the porch. I walked up to the door and knocked right after I knocked I heard what sounded like some plates drop. When the door opened I Lizzy. "Hiii!" Lizzy said. "Hi Lizzy! I don't even know how I got here but I was just in that field and it looked like it was going to start raining so I ran up here," "Come inside" I walked inside and the wallpaper was light blue and light brown stripes. "We can call your mom to come pick you up." Lizzy said. I nodded my head and she walked into the kitchen. "She'll be here in a minute" She yelled from the kitchen. "I'm going to go wait for her outside! Bye and thanks" I walked outside and I walked over to a tree in their backyard that looked easy to climb. I swung my arm around the lowest branch and then swung my legs on to it. Using my other arm I pushed myself up so I was sitting on the branch. I then climbed up the next branch and just sat on it. A flash of lightning and a clap of thunder scared me to death and I jumped which made me fall out of the tree . I hit my head on the branches below me on the way down then hit my head again on the ground. Everything started going blurry until everything was sparkling. I woke up on the floor in my room, I guess I fell out of bed and not out of a tree. It was still raining but I was back home. That was a weird dream!

Shadow

Shadow

I’m awake

I look around

All I can see is a blurr

I try to speak

I make no sound

I feel my heart pound

I hear strange noises

All I can remember is a shadow

A shadow taking me somewhere

It all hits me

My brothers yelling at me

The dog barking

A breeze through my hair

The bell tower ringing

The shadow

I search for it

I start to cry out

Still no sound comes out

I hear something

I freeze

I wait

“Hello Wendy”

I cry out

Its too late

I see a rock

Good night

Peter Collins and the Secret Library - Prologue

Prologue
Nathan's Revenge

It was a cold night in the town called Oakville. Icy wind blew through the streets, pulling on the coats of men coming home from work and rattling the windows of the red brick houses. Cars sat in the traffic, their drivers shivering in their seats with their window wipers on so the windows wouldn't frost. People that were unlucky enough not to have earmuffs could hear the slamming of doors as mothers pulled their freezing children inside so they wouldn’t catch a cold. There seemed to be no escape from the draft. It blew down the chimneys of houses. It blew through the windows of office buildings. It blew through the open door of the Mace & Willa Library.

The library was empty except for the man that closed the place every day. This man’s name was Mace Johnson and he was one of the two people that owned the place. His back was turned from the doorway and he was putting away the boxes that had been checked in that day.

A strange thing about the Mace & Willa Library is that it didn’t hold books. It didn’t hold comics or scrolls or anything of the sort.

It held boxes.

The shelves held hundreds of small wooden boxes. Boxes that had no lid and no opening. Boxes that had a letter and number engraved on the front and a single keyhole on the top. Boxes that people came in and out of the library every day of the week (except Sundays) from ten to six to check in or out.

These boxes was one the towns’ greatest secrets.

After Mace finally put the last box in its shelf and making sure that everything was in its place, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the key to lock the door. He turned around and his face was bathed in moonlight. Anyone looking through the door would have seen an old, old, old man with a silvery beard and black eyes that glistened like beetle shells behind his golden glasses. Mace was also wearing black boots, black pants, and a large black coat.

Suddenly, the moonlight was blocked by a shadow.

Another man was standing in the doorway. He looked about eighteen years old and had a pair of old jeans that reached down to his colorless sneakers and a grey t-shirt. His pitch black hair was slicked down on his pale face and his eyes were a dirty green. The man licked his dry lips.

“Good afternoon, Mace.” said the figure.

Mace’s eyes hardened. “Leave Nathan.”

The man named Nathan looked amused.

“Leave? Mace, where are your manners? I didn’t come all this way to be bossed around by you. I have come to pick up a little something…. I suppose you know what I’m talking about.”

Nathan took a step forward and as he did, his oily voice turned ugly.

“I want D-31, Mace.”

Mace put his hands in the pockets of his coat.

“D-31 is gone, Nathan.”

Nathans pale face went paler. “You lie. You have it. You're hiding it! You’ve hidden the spell! And if you don’t give it to me,” he pulled out a long wooden stick, a wand, out of the jeans pocket. “Then I will make you give it to me!”

Mace Johnson sighed and pulled out his own wand. “I am sorry Nathan, but I cannot give you what you cannot have. I’m sorry.”

There was a moment of complete silence except for the sound of the wind whispering. Then, suddenly, Nathan raised his wand and shouted, “Ignis!”

An enormous ball of fire burst from the tip of his wand and streaked across the moonlit room toward Mace, who raised his own wand and cried, “Aqua!”

A powerful surge of water spouted from Mace’s wand and collided with Nathan’s fireball, extinguished the flames. Nathan’s green eyes flashed with anger. He raised his wand again.

“Electrica!” Huge bolts of lightning streaked toward Mace with a loud crackling noise. Mace pointed his wand at the flashing light.  

“Intercipio!” The lightning stopped at an invisible wall, a foot away from Mace’s nose. One of the bolts knocked down a box from its shelf and he could feel the intense heat, but the bolts could not harm him.

Nathan lowered his wand and the lightning vanished. He was breathing in deep breaths and his eyes looked like they were about pop out of their sockets. Mace calmly lowered his wand as well and bended over to pick up up box that had fallen, his eyes leaving Nathan’s face.  

“As you can plainly see Nathan, you cannot harm me. I advise you leave before…” He suddenly straightened. Nathan had vanished.

For a second Mace stood there, the breeze rippling his hair, staring at the spot where Nathan had stood. Perhaps he had left? Nervously, he turned and put the box back on the shelf.

“Mors!”

Before Mace could react, a piercing bright red light came out of no where and struck him on the back.

The last thing he heard was his wand clattering to the floor and Nathan’s cruel laugh echoing around the building.  

Lauren Writing Contest

        Lauren's life made a huge turn when she had been diagnosed with cancer. She could no longer be social with all of her friends, have much fun, or even attend school. Yet still, while having to bear all that, she made her primary goal of each day to be positive.

        In only a matter of a few days, she went from being a normal teenager to a cancer patient. She had days that were better than others, and she even created a system to measure that. At the end of each day, she would ask herself if the day went good, or bad. If it was good, she would place a blue rock in a jar. Otherwise, she would place a red one in a separate jar. Because she focused on being positive each day, she needed to get a larger jar for her blue rocks multiple times. Due to medication, she lost her all her hair, was sick most days, and spent most of her time in her hospital room.

       However, she gained great experiences. One day, she attended a meeting where cancer patients would meet together and talk, learn, and understand cancer. She learned a lot and made many friends. One day, after several doses of medication, doctors reported that the cancer had been wiped out completely. She had once again took another huge turn in her life.

       After she was given permission, Lauren was able to continue her education, social life, and become a normal teenager once again. Now she is working with a foundation that helps other people who are diagnosed with cancer. When Lauren’s life took a turn, it took a turn for the better.

More of a grammar question...

This is more of a question than asking for feedback on some of my writing. I will make a second post about my writing in case this doesn't count.

Anyways. Often when people are writing short notes, if they don't know if there are more than one thing they are talking about, they add a (s) at the end of the verb. Example : Object(s)

This is to show if can either be 1 or more than one object.

However, when writing an argumentative essay or a story, I am unsure if this would be proper.

Thanks in advance!

-David Cosby.

             The Lauren Contest

          

                   Lauren’s life has changed drastically and that means she has to cope with a lot of new challenges. Laurens life has gotten a lot more emotionally difficult, but at the same time, she has become a stronger person. Dealing with cancer and facing thoughts of death is a life- changing event for most people. She has coped with the challenges she has had very positively. In the article, it says when she was in the operating room at the hospital, she kept two jars with red and blue pebbles in them. Depending how her day was, she would put a blue pebble in if her day was bad, or a red pebble in if it was good. In the end, she had more red pebbles than blue pebbles! That shows that she was very positive and determined to make it through and she was very, very brave. That is how Lauren’s life changed and how she coped with her challenges.

Road Trip 

By: Matt Quigley

That day I will remember

I went downstairs to see

looking at all the presents sitting under the Christmas tree.

All I saw were suitcases not knowing what their for.

All I saw was suitcases sitting on that floor.

Wondering what their for, my parents came down stairs.

They said we are leaving once more.

Where we went was secret.

But I've been their'e once before.

So where I went was special where I went was fun.

Where I went was special playing in the sun.

I will always remember that day.

Playing in the sun.

Where I went was special where I went was fun.