Daily, March 8th
Share one of your unfinished stories! It doesn't have to be overly complete, nor well-fleshed out, but try to pick one that at least has a basic concept established. Now, pick someone else's unfinished story and write 400 words continuing it! For your 400 words, you will receive 700 points, and 200 bonus points if you share your writing!
I'm continuing @xX-Mimi-Xx's writing, which you can find here. 1136 words OωO

A shiver dashed down my spine. My blood ran cold.

I moved toward the window cautiously, my breathing getting heavier and heavier with every step I took.

The window was only a few inches away from me now. If I wanted to, I could reach out and open it with ease…If I wanted to…

Did I want to?

A sharp wind tapped the window, and I found myself jumping back, my eyes widening involuntarily.

“I…I have to find my son,” I tried to encourage myself, taking a hesitant step forward. “I can't lose him, too. Hun, Mom's coming to get you, okay? I'm coming…”

*

The voice seemed to get farther and farther away. I couldn't hear it properly, but something — some sort of instinct — told me that it had been my mother's voice.

My heart began to pound faster and louder in my chest.

“Mom? Mom! Where are you?”

I couldn't see anything. All around me, the world had turned into a sea of black, as though shadows had engulfed everything that had ever been there.

The deafening sound of silence made my hands tremble.

“Mom? Anyone?” I yelled. My voice echoed out around me, distorted. Tears pricked at my eyes as I whispered, “please?”

Nothing.

Then footsteps, quiet at first but getting louder, closer, with every second. They came to a stop behind me, their echo still resounding on the invisible walls.

My lip quivered.

I didn't dare turn around. I couldn't.

I was frozen in place.

*

What kind of mother hesitates to save her own son?

The question wouldn't stop forcing itself into my mind. I stared at the window, as though I was expecting it to open any second, and my son would walk out, telling me it was all some sort of prank.

That's what I hoped for.

Almost as though it had heard my thoughts, the window creaked open, slowly.

“Hun?”

My son didn't step out. The window continued to creak. It seemed to be moving in a pattern or maybe even a code, on that I couldn't — and didn't want to — decipher.


M̷̢̛͚̳͇͕̤̈́̈́̇̎̓͘͜͠i̶̡͎̬̒̌̋̈́̒͐̀͗͠ͅr̵̛̛̙̎͆͂͑̚r̶̛͖̫̯̳̣͉̼̮̩͗̋̎̽͐͘̚͠o̶̢̰̖̠̦̮͑̀͌̌͝r̷̡̧͎̫͖̫̩̞̰͚̈́.̷̛̜͖̐̎̊͐̈́̀


You want to see your son again, don't you? Or will you abandon him when he needs you, just like you did to your sister? The voice in my head only spoke louder, and the more I tried to silence it, the more its volume increased.


M̷̢̛͚̳͇͕̤̈́̈́̇̎̓͘͜͠i̶̡͎̬̒̌̋̈́̒͐̀͗͠ͅr̵̛̛̙̎͆͂͑̚r̶̛͖̫̯̳̣͉̼̮̩͗̋̎̽͐͘̚͠o̶̢̰̖̠̦̮͑̀͌̌͝r̷̡̧͎̫͖̫̩̞̰͚̈́.̷̛̜͖̐̎̊͐̈́̀


I found myself walking to my son's mirror, covering my ears in a useless attempt to pretend that the voice in my head didn't exist.

My reflection in the mirror stared at me, covering her ears with her hands, her eyes wide and uncertain.

Within seconds, our eyes had met. Hers were so familiar, so, so familiar and yet unrecognisable at the same time. I looked away. The last time I saw my sister, I…

“I won't wish…-”

My heart skipped a beat when our eyes met again.

*

A strange voice began to whisper in my left ear. I tried to stay as still as possible, not daring to breathe.


̷̨̧̢̢̹̰̗̙͉̪̎̆͗Ŝ̶͚̲̜̻̇̾a̸͓̅̎̄̕v̸̬̩͈̣̯̥̦́̌̅̀̕ͅͅͅe̷̙͐̀͂ ̶͔̣̤͛́m̶͈̭̜̓̓̿̐̉̊͊̔͝é̵̬͐̈́̕͘.̴̨͈̥̝̇̿ ̸̪͈̙̦͕̜͓͉̐̃̂̄͛͗̈́͠P̸̹͚͛͆̍͋̏̕l̷̢̬̳̟͎̰͉̽͑̆͘͜͠e̸̡̨̟̻̪͚͔̰͊͊̍͐̓̃͊̓̕a̴̼̫̼͎͋̇̃̏̃͛̿͊̆̕s̴̨̯̲̟͑̾̈̂̃̇͗̕͘͠ë̷̪̱̤̤̝͇́̀̅̽̅͂


It almost sounded sorrowful. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block it out; trying to pretend it wasn't there in the first place.


P̸̹͚͛͆̍͋̏̕l̷̢̬̳̟͎̰͉̽͑̆͘͜͠e̸̡̨̟̻̪͚͔̰͊͊̍͐̓̃͊̓̕a̴̼̫̼͎͋̇̃̏̃͛̿͊̆̕s̴̨̯̲̟͑̾̈̂̃̇͗̕͘͠ë̷̪̱̤̤̝͇́̀̅̽̅͂


“I don't understand you,” I replied, my eyes still shut. “Go away. Leave me alone.”


P̸̹͚͛͆̍͋̏̕l̷̢̬̳̟͎̰͉̽͑̆͘͜͠e̸̡̨̟̻̪͚͔̰͊͊̍͐̓̃͊̓̕a̴̼̫̼͎͋̇̃̏̃͛̿͊̆̕s̴̨̯̲̟͑̾̈̂̃̇͗̕͘͠ë̷̪̱̤̤̝͇́̀̅̽̅͂


A distressed hand grabbed ahold of my sleeve and I shrieked in surprise, moving away. “I said I don't understand you!”

I spun around and in that moment I felt my heart stop.

“Please-”

“No”
I caught sight of the window up ahead, the only source of light in this strange place. All I knew, right then and there, was that I wanted to get out. I wanted to go home.

So I didn't hesitate.

I started running.

My reflection was frowning at me.

Your reflection is frowning at you.

I blinked. She started to smile, tilting her head to the right, not like she was regarding me but as though she had just made some sort of twisted calculation.

Instinctively, I took a step back. My reflection stayed in place, not mirroring my actions.

A scream left my lips as I rushed forward and struck the mirror to the ground, panting for air, only realising what I had done when the shattered glass scattered around me.

I stumbled back, happening to glance into a nearby shard.

This time, there was no reflection. Instead…

A different kind of shiver dashed my spine. No. No, no, no, this can't be real. It can't be…!

My eyes darted from shard to shard, my heart beating harder with every second that passed.

There were people in every shard, all of them enveloped in darkness, running toward a light I couldn't see. They all seemed to be repeating the same word over and over, and Is as almost certain that I could hear their voices.

Then I was certain.

“Stop!” I called out, trying to speak over them. But just like the voice in my head had done before, they only got louder and louder. Tears began streaming down my face. My ears were ringing, failing over and over to block out the sound as it continued to get louder.

Louder.

Louder.

I catch sight of two shards beside each other, the two people trapped within them having faces that I knew all too well. “No…!”

I lost my balance, stumbling backward, toward the window as it creaked ever so slightly more.

Involuntarily, I opened my mouth to scream.

No sound came out.

***

“Here we are everyone! Our new house!” Daniel beams at his family, showing them to the door. “It's one of the ones that they just recently renovated so, you know…it should be comfortable, and…well, you all saw it when we were searching for a place to move to.”

“It's perfect,” Cynthia smiled, wrapping her arm around her husband's shoulder. “I can't way to unpack!”

Daniel smiles, nodding at the kids. “Come on you three, let's go inside.”

The family start to grab hold of their suitcases, when one of the kids stop abruptly, looking around. “Um…did you guys hear that?”

“Hear what?” Their brother asks, tilting his head in their direction. “It was probably the wind.”

“Yeah…”

"Hey, look at that window! I hope that's going to be my room!“ The sister points excitedly at a window above them, creaking so quietly that the children don't hear it at first.

”I don't know, it kind of gives me the creeps…“

”Then I can have that room, and you guys can do whatever,“ the sister rolls her eyes, grabbing her suitcase. ”Do you think I should get a mirror next to the window, opposite it, or not at all?"

A light breeze whistles behind them, slowly rocking the window to and fro, still so very quiet.

Quiet indeed.

Daily, March 8! My partner for this was @Airfairy934 <3
(Note: their piece of writing is in the first quote box, and mine is in the second!) (Word count: 512)

Laughing, i hug my Mum goodbye, “it’s just this month Mother! I’ll be back before you know it.”
She holds me tight for a good few seconds before pulling away. “I do wish you would call me Mummy,” she says smiling as she referenced a recurring quarrel between the two of us.
At this, i grin and fingergun “Not a chance!” and put my hand over the sensor by the airship door before i’m tackled by two small humans. “Hey! “ I tap both of my little sisters lightly on their heads, “you’re going to make me fall out of the ship and starting camp with a broken limb would not be the best thing i’ve ever done.”
“I’m not entirely sure they would let you in,” Callie reflected, her brow furrowed in thought.
At that, Iris’ face lit up, “ yes! Break your arm so you don’t have to go! It’s perfect! Thanks lil sis!” she pats a smug Cal on the head.
I hurriedly detach myself from the small ones , “No that would not be a good idea Iris. Besides,” i say happily, “i’m sure they’ll be able to mend broken limbs in whatever cabin i’m in, isn’t that right vines?” The tiny green snake poking out of my head hisses in agreement . Callie shies away to hide behind my mother the moment Vines moves and i vow to get her more comfortable around my slithery friend the moment camp is over.
I finally bid them all goodbye, exit the airship and am plunged into darkness.

I fall a short drop, jarring my ankles as i land. I start to freak out before the cool edge of a crystal against my chest reminds me why i don’t have to stay in darkness, I focus on the work light and sure enough a pale, white glow emits from under my jumpsuit, a courtesy of living in the sci-fi universe , and i fumble around to produce the crystal i found all those sessions ago: back when i didn’t have Vines or the small zipline pin that rests on my collar and i was just starting out on my swc journey. A cool lick brings me back from my reminiscing session, “you’re right Vines.” I admit, “ task now, nostalgia later.”
A quick hiss tells me i’ve chosen the right decision and i proceed to fumble through the darkness.

After a while, the light from the crystal gets brighter and It illuminates the carvings on the floor i stand on showcasing, books, trees, statues, all made out of tiny intricate words. And strangely, white crystals that start to glow slightly when they come into contact with the light. I take a few more steps before the floor beneath my foot sinks slightly and a net sweeps me up.

*! A boobey trap??? I sign and look at the net i’m tangled in to see if any plausible escape ideas decide to present themselves. Unfortunately, before i’d had time to fully think up a plan, a sharp light comes on and I’m greeted by a tall figure with grey-blue hair, round glasses and a green blouse striding towards me.
“Add boobey traps she said, they’d add more risk she said. God Honey In the dark! What were you thinking??” she talked to herself exhasperatedly before noticing me starting at her. “Sorry about this, I’m Birdi the host for this session and i promise you it was not my idea to bring in boobey traps.” she stamps her foot down onto a pressure plate, releasing myself from the net and sending me sprawling on the floor.
“Not to be rude, but i have alot of things to be planning , a Host’s work is never done! The choosing ceremony is over there and this time, stick to the glowing crystals” she gestures to an archway on my right and hurries off as the lights go out again.

I awkwardly pick myself up and shake my head laughing softly. This was going to be one heck of a season. My gaze then flits to the crystals on the floor, now glowing softly in the pitch blackness. “Stick to the glowing crystals.”
I walk along them, eager to not get caught again and soon find myself in the wake of a tall stone archway, similarly carved with symbols portrayed by intricate words and surrounded by the white crystals that light up the dark room. I walk in beyond it and the ground sinks beneath me again.
Panicking, i scramble to the side, anticipating the oncoming net. Instead, it englufs me in light and the temporary blindness sends me spinning to the floor.

When at last i open my eyes, I’m in quite a different location that the one i was in a second ago. The ground below me is covered in grass and layers upon layers of moss cover the walls with thick vines hanging down and a silvery substance swirling in the air. Along all the walls of this round room, i see trees. Some high and tall, some squat and sprawling and at the roots of each, a glimmering gem with an inscription on it that ,as i come closer to a dark oak with shimmering green leaves and weird carvings of chicken feet, says ‘fairytales’. Another made of out acacia with deep blue leaves and questionmarks dotted all over is ‘adventure’ and ,although i can’t read it from here, the tall, metal birch with jagged white leaves can only be sci-fi .

My eyes flit from tree to tree, my brow furrowed in thought as i decide. Then, out of the corner of my eye, i spot it. The tree is wide as it is tall and seems to be made out of three trees smushed together. One is a deep brow oak covered in compass points, another is a Laurel covered in tiny golden flecks and the third is a holly bush with the spikes on the leaves made out of what seems to be metal. I walk over to it and -out of habit- tap one of the spikes with my finger “ow!” instead of the normal prick, the metal drives into my finger, drawing blood and making me take a step back ,sucking my now bleeding finger. “This is definitely the one.”
I take a step forward, place my hands on the crystal and am engulfed in light and thrown to the wind

I’m sitting in a tree, fidgeting with my necklace, waiting for other people to start arriving. I’m usually early to things, and it’s a habit people say I ought to break, but I like it. I like the peace and quiet before people start arriving, usually. This time it’s different, though - I made a few friends last time I came to this camp, and I’m excited to see who’s going to be in my cabin this time around.

I arrived here dressed in my chiton, because I’m originally from the mythology universe, but when I arrived, I was magically dressed in a new outfit to represent the universe I’m in now: the fanfiction forest! My group leader, Andy, told me that I’m a warrior, sworn to fight for the honour of the forest. I wear sensible, practical clothes as part of this: leggings and a tight t-shirt, with trainers that are good for running and fighting in. I also have a dagger tucked into a sheath strapped round my waist. I’m really excited to do this - I’ve only done one session of this camp before, and because it was my first time, that was in my home universe.

This time, I’m in another universe for the the first time, which is incredibly exciting. I wonder who I’ll meet…

Right on cue, my friend Zia tumbles in, now magically clad in the uniform of the protectors faction, and I run up to say hi.

“Ziaaaaa! We’re in the same cabin!” I say. (It was obvious, since, you know, we’re in the same universe, but I just had to say it.)

Zia squeals excitedly. “You want to explore?”

“Yeah!”

We dash off through the forest, and I can barely contain my excitement. (That’s cliche, I know, but honestly, this camp is so much fun.)

We get to the main clearing, where we find the three group leaders standing and looking aghast at some kind of pedestal.

I squeeze Zia’s hand, suddenly nervous, because the leaders look really shocked.

It’s not as if I’m trying on purpose to eavesdrop, but, well, the leaders haven’t noticed that we’re here, and I think I can sense Zia having the same thought as me - what’s going on? what happened? - and so, well, it just sort of happens.

“The crests? Stolen?” one of the leaders says.

“Who could have done such a thing?” another asks.

“An interloper, perhaps. We have a saboteur or ten every session, one way or another,” the third suggests.

“Or perhaps it was one of our own,” the first replies soberly.

“You’re not suggesting…”

“That perhaps one faction decided to claim the throne of the Forest for itself?”

A gasp catches in my throat. I lock eyes with Zia, and we dash away.

Something’s going on here, and I don’t know what.

Me and Zia are in different factions, and with the way that conversation between the leaders sounded…

This can’t be good.

But we’re going to get to the bottom of this.

(And, you know. Write enough so that our cabin wins, of course.)

Word War -

The concert was today. ‘God i’m so nervous!' I thought. Its my first choir concert- I should be excited! They all said. I'm done with hearing those words. It's not exciting, and it's not fun! It's dumb, and shouldn't be happening! My parents are forcing me to go, even though I HATE talking or doing ANYTHING in front of people. I mean, who really does? Anyways, the concert was coming up. As soon as I knew it, I was on the stage with my peers. I opened my mount and sang.

You can count on me like one two three and I'll be there. And I know when I need it I can count on you like four three two and you'll be there. Cause that's what friends are supposed to do oh yeah~

When the concert was over, I felt joy. ‘YES!’ i thought. I did it. I ran to my parents and hugged them. When my friend bella, who had done a solo, came up to me, I hugged her, too. “We did it, Bella! I loved your solo, as well!” I said. “Thanks! I loved your singing too!” she smiled. “Oh, and great job on the band concert, as well.” I said. “Yeah, really?” she smiled at me. And then, I knew everything

I was going to say be alright, but I ran out of time. Anyways, I did a word war with @GraceOBrien13 and lost. But for my first word war, I think I did great! 218? Their WPM is I think 59, and mine is 41! They won with 243, and I lost with 218. Goog game, Grace!!!

incomplete story


Moon – My ITWC FtW Entry


Sun woke to her alarm, just like every single other day.

But today was no ordinary day- it was her first year of high school.

According to her grandparents, even years ago before the upgrades the first day of high school was a big deal. And Sun could see how- new school, new teachers, new classmates. But for Sun, and all the other hybrids, there was another massive event- their first pre-ad upgrade.

Sun got up hurriedly, as she knew by now that she had slept in, would be in a rush, the usual. Thank goodness she had set her backup alarm! Throwing on her usual outfit, Sun skid down the stair banister and grabbed an energy bar from the counter. Her baby brother, Cloud, was messing around with his high chair and her mother was shouting over the noise of the multi-washer. Sun paused for a second, disappointed. No words of luck or appreciation on her first pre-ad?

Shaking her head, Sun plastered back on a smile and called goodbye out over the ruckus. Always a sunny face, right? That was what she had been told.

Her mum looked up and shouted something at her, but Sun was already out the door.



==



After a rushed form time at school, Sun and the rest of her year were rushed to the school’s Upgrade Center.

A large, cavernous room in the basement, though it didn’t look like much more than hollowed-out stone and machinery, the Upgrade Center was the most up-to-date you could get. And it had to be- every 12 months, a year group would progress to their pre-ad and ad updates.

The rest of Sun’s schoolmates were stirring restlessly in their places, and so was Sun. This would be the biggest upgrade of their mechanical parts yet.

Sun’s birth upgrades had programmed her to be just as bright as her namesake. She was unnaturally tall, enhanced by metal, and always wore a sunray headband that helped charge her power system, but other than that, Sun didn’t show her mech parts nearly as much as her classmates. Some of them sported eyes programmed to know every person with a record by sight, whilst others had wired legs, ready to spring into a sprint at any second.

Today, though, a huge change would occur. For the better, everybody knew that much. But no one knew what they would be implanted with. Supersonic hearing? A mind that could process millions of data pieces in a second? Or perhaps a personality re-wire, like Sun had gotten at birth. She had never felt anger, or spite, or jealousy. Just…

A false happiness.

“Sun Davidson?”

Jolted back to reality by the shout, Sun raised her hand and was beckoned forwards. A few other students were already lined up, in alphabetical order, in front of their upgrade cylinders- the metal beds where they would be operated on by robotic arms. Perhaps that would have been scary, had Sun not known that she would be fast asleep and monitored the entire time.

She was pointed to a capsule and stood rigidly in front of it, stiff with anticipation. For Sun, her first pre-ad upgrade was a cause for excitement.

Eventually, everyone was lined up before their capsules. The glass lids opened with a hiss and a monotone voice came over the upgrade system.

“Welcome to your pre-adolescence upgrade number one. Please lie on the bed and the procedure will begin shortly.”

Sun nestled herself on the horizontal mattress and waited. It began to tilt, until the cylinder was at a slant. People would have surely fallen off if they hadn’t been entombed in the glass chambers.

The voice came through the speakers within the capsules now.

“The procedure will begin in five-”

Sun noticed people squirming in their beds from her peripheral vision. What were they worried about?

“Four-”

A metal arm, tipped with a needle and syringe, moved to loom over Sun.

“Three-”

Sun could hear the electric current racing through the wires now.

“Two-”

A vague scream penetrated the glass cover. A classmate? Terrified? Should Sun be worried?

“One-”

For the first time in her life, Sun felt an unregistered emotion.

Fear.

“The procedure has begun.”

And the world blacked out.



==



Sun awoke to her alarm, just like every other day.

But today- today something felt different.

There was, in fact, no constant beeping in her ears. There was no sunshine pouring in through the open windows. If fact, Sun wasn’t even in her bedroom.

As Sun regained her bearings, she began to remember what had led her- and apparently, all of her classmates- into this sterile, blank room. The upgrade. Yes- she had slept through it all. Her first pre-ad upgrade.

Wait- she had changed.

Sun jolted upright, instantly wide awake. Did she have new limbs? Better senses? Or perhaps… control over her personality?

Sun scanned her own body, aware of people in white coats entering the room, and her classmates rising to consciousness around her. She noticed no wired machinery on her person and at first was as disappointed as she could be. She could see her friends reacting joyfully to smoother functions, better mech parts. She could see…

Her eyesight!

Yes, that was it, she could see everything- from the dust crowding the doorframes to the doctors taking notes all around her. Finally, a good upgrade! Sun scanned the room curiously, taking in so much more than before.

“Sun?” A voice interrupted her thoughts.

It was Julia, a girl in her form. She’d obviously had her legs upgraded- she was bouncing on the balls of her mechanical feet, ready to sprint. But Julia was peering at Sun- specifically her face.

“You- your eyes…”

Not knowing what Julia meant, Sun peered into a mirror hanging at the end of the room. And she, too, started when she saw her own eyes.

No longer a deep, doe-like brown, her eyes glowed a bright golden, like the fiery star that was her namesake. It was startling, to say the least. A doctor noticed her looking at herself and interjected eagerly.

“Do you like them? We though they would suit you!”

Still not completely sure, Sun put on one of her standard fake smiles. Nope, her programmed personality hadn’t been changed.

“I love them!”

The young doctor grinned and rushed off.

The next few days were much of the same- testing out the new upgrades, which for Sun was mostly boring because of course all she could do was look around and take eyesight tests, which she exceeded. And then finally, the pre-teens were released into the outside world.

It was a relief for Sun, to be outside the white, featureless room, but also a shock. The number of things that she could simply… see. The world was a symphony of blinding colour. Sun could barely take it all in.

The afternoon was a blur of noise and attention. The glowing yellow eyes- yes, they attracted more attention than wanted. But by this point, though she missed her old irises, Sun was used to them. She could barely process her surroundings with her heightened senses. It was a relief when night fell and darkness overcame the blinding light.

Sun went to bed. Her first pre-ad upgrade… she was happy as she fell asleep.

Of course, what other emotion could she feel?



==



There was a rustling in the middle of the night.

An unnaturally tall figure crept through the kitchen. Their movements were unnatural, jolting. Almost… glitchy. From their head protruded what could be seen as sunrays- or blades. It was pitch black, but the figure seemed to have no trouble navigating in the dark.

They looked up, now carrying a blade. As a manic smile spread across their face, they turned to face the door. And their eyes…

One eye glowed golden,

One bright scarlet.

Daily 8 - 409 words. A continuation of this.

Suddenly the whole storm disappeared. It was there and the next moment it was gone.
“Why did it stop?” Vivienne asked the Ice Spirit.
“It has ceased to exist,” the Ice Spirit told her.
“What has ceased to exist?” Vivienne questioned curiously.
“Your powers.” The words were thrown at Vivienne. Her powers had gone. How could she not even make a single snowflake appear around her?
“Why?” Vivienne shouted, “Why have you taken my powers away from me?”
“They are not yours,” the Ice Spirit replied coolly. “When you were born, you stole the power from my friend, as the spirit of spirits decided you deserve the power more than he did. Now he has the power back.”
“Are you allowed to do that?” Vivienne asked accusingly.
“I do what I like whether it follows your rules or not!” the Ice Spirit told her sternly. “Now, follow me!” Vivienne refused to do anything, She stood there, not moving across the ice at all.
“No!” The word had no impact whatsoever on the evil spirit. They continued to skate across the ice. Reluctantly, Vivienne followed, frequently testing her powers. Unfortunately, her powers continued to fail her. She sighed.
“Where are you leading me?”
“Why do you ask so many questions?”
“It’s rude to answer a question with another question.”
“Well, it’s rude to ask too many questions in the first place.” For some reason, the Ice Spirit showed no emotion - perhaps they were a skilled liar or did not care.
Vivienne paused before responding. If the Ice Spirit stole her powers, then what more could she do? The Ice Spirit might be able to do far worse things than just take her powers! After that, Vivienne became much more obedient and did whatever the Ice Spirit said.
“Okay, I lied to you,” admitted the Ice Spirit after a while. “You didn’t actually steal anyone's powers, I don’t have a friend.”
“What?!” Vivienne was appalled. The Ice Spirit had lied to her? “Why didn’t my powers work?”
“Your powers will only work if you believe they will work. When you thought you had lost your magic, it would not operate. There was never anything wrong with you in the first place.” It was news to Vivienne. When she tried, she could, indeed, conjure up snowflakes again.
“Why did you do that?”
“It was a test.”
“A test, that whole thing was a test?”
“Actually, no. It was part of a test.”

March 8th Daily ~
I continued Lemon (@mynameisleafshine)’s writing, you can find it here: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/582424/?page=49#post-6098590

I watched in shock as my sister went through the door to the physician. And not through as in opening it and walking to it, I mean she went through it like it wasn’t even THERE! I threw the door open and ran inside to see Carmen talking to Elwin.
“What the heck Carmen!” My sister turned around to face me
“What? Ami what’s wrong?”
“You didn’t tell me you were a freaking PHASER!” Immediately, Carmen winced and closed her eyes, a pained look on her face. Obviously she hadn’t planned on telling me this anytime soon. Of course she didn’t! Why would she ever tell ME, her stup!d unimportant sister ANYTHING!? Carmen didn’t say anything, so I did. “Come on Carmen! When were you going to tell me that you’re even MORE perfect now?! Huh?! Do Mom and Dad know that they're ‘little miss perfect’ daughter just manifested as a phaser!?”
“Ami calm down!” Carmen answered, rolling her eyes. As always she was acting like she was better than me, but what else could I expect from Carmen Mc. Perfect Potts?
“I will not calm down!” I exclaimed “When were you planning on telling me you were a phaser!?”
“Ami, you're overreacting about something extremely insignificant!”
“Carmen! This isn’t ‘insignificant’! You MANIFESTED!” I was furious that my already perfect sister had already manifested when I hadn’t yet! It was infuriating honestly! She was always so much better than me! I don’t understand! Why could I do something better than her for once in my life! Just ONCE!? Before Carmen could respond and try to justify herself though, I heard Elwin clear his throat.
“Well girls, I think, if you don’t mind that is, that we should save this conversation for another time? Maybe when Carmen ISN’T supposed to be talking to the physician for reasons I still don’t know since the two of you have been fighting for the last five minutes?”
“Yes. Good idea.” Carmen agreed “See Ami, you’re being dramatic and wasting time too!”
“Agh!” I screamed, infuriated with my sister. I knew I should probably stick around to make sure my sister was ok, I mean, I was just concerned for her life ten minutes ago, but I was too mad at her to stay anywhere near her. So instead, I slammed the door the Elwin’s office closed and stomped my way back to the PE classroom, trying to let my anger steam off, and failing immensely at that.
(414 Words)

~ Incomplete story for daily 3/8 ~
ngl this is kinda depressing

All she wanted to do was run. Her life had been ruined. Her family had been brutally killed, and now she was stuck with her stupid neighbors, the Winstons. They were mean, unhelpful, and didn't care in any way about her. Until one day, she couldn’t take it, that was the day the incident happened. So in the middle of the night, she took a little sack, filled her things with it, and left through the window of her room, which was on the first floor. At first she didn’t know what to do, but then she looked three houses down, to a modern two-story home, with light-gray siding and sky-blue shutters. She then knew just where to go.
She snuck in through the open window on the first floor, the one that had been left open that night. She was going to stay here, for a little while at least. She opened the fridge to see perfectly good food.
“Wow” she realized, “I am starving.”
She grabbed an apple and bit it down to its core. She then stumbled up the stairs, and walked over to what used to be her room. She would have stayed in a different room, where it was more comfortable, but doing that would just be too painful.
She was planning to stay there at least a week, but plans never go how you want them to.
A few days had passed, and all she could do was stay in her house, she knew she would be found if she went outside, and would be brought back to the Winstons. She knew her sister’s room would have things to keep her busy. But when she left her sister's room, tears rolled down her cheeks and fell to the ground, creating little puddles of sadness.
But to be honest with herself, she never really went in her sister's room to find things to do, she went in there for the memories.

Originally from zai ! 400 words exactly

I stare deep into the ocean, and I find a reflection of myself watching back. An intense yet dampened glow in my eyes. Mouth slightly curving downwards, posture leaning downwards, looking down, down, down…

5:58. My watch constantly reminds me of the time, and I know I should jump. I told myself I would do it today. The bridge is busy today, cars racing behind me as I try to not chicken out. Today, today, today…

My sense of time warps when the world loses all meaning. Days seem to merge into a continuous cycle, a cycle without purpose as I try to break the loop. I keep trying to find an exit, only to find this to be my only solution.

Up high, I hear the cranking as the bridge slightly shakes from the wind. I hold firm to the railing, but not even the wind shakes me anymore. Nothing seems to bother me. I do not budge. You learn to stop fearing when you no longer have anything to live for.

The ocean below is tranquil. I watch the waves lap over one another, a constant game of chase, trying to catch up but to no avail. The smoky haze of the sky blocks out most of the light, leaving the water a plain and dull color. The lack of sunlight has caused the world to no longer sparkle.

Birds chirp overhead. Their distinct calls create a dizzying sound. I want to go. I just want to go.

5:59. No more distractions. I have stalled for far too long. Now is the time to act.

I proceed to have one leg over the railing when the faint sound of sirens echoes in the background. I dismiss the blares at first, but they start to approach closer and closer. Somebody must have noticed me after all. The loud noises are just a reminder to act faster.

Both legs are over the railing now. My feet tiptoe precariously on the edge, my hands gripping the cool metal loosely.

Somebody shouts at me to stop. Maroon and blue lights bask me in shifts, taking turns to light me with colors.

I let go of myself. The air blows from behind me, as I brace for impact.

The cold water knocks everything out of me. Everything surrounds my senses, and the sheer shock knocks me out.

At first, there is just blackness.
A space so devoid of color, it suffocates all light and sound attempting to penetrate it.
Then comes Time. With a wave of their hands, the blackness starts to move, to shift, to change. They lift their fingers to their lips to whistle, but no sound emerges.
Then Ice comes, bathing the emptiness in a cool blue light. Her crystalline dress swirls around her as snowflakes fall from her outstretched hands.
Suddenly, I can see a body lying on a stark white platform. Covered in frost, snow drifts around her, seemingly suspended in the blackness.
Next to arrive is Pain. He takes the form of a withered old hag, his gnarled hands gripping a silver cane. He taps his cane once, twice, three times.
Now I am inside the body, desperate to escape. There is nothing but Pain, surrounding me, choking my very being with his constant presence. He is in every part of me, surrounding me, searing into my body and mind. I scream in agony as my limbs feel aflame, ripped apart.
I can't take it anymore.
Just as the pain begins to cloud my vision, the fourth and final figure appears.
Death.
Shrouded in her cloak of smoke and shadows, she walks slowly, almost gliding through the empty blackness.
When she arrives at the platform she looks down at me and shoos Pain away. Immediately I feel him leave, and I emerge gasping for breath as sensation returns to my body.
Death leans over me and reaches to touch my cheek.
“It is not her time yet. Bring her back.”
Pain grabs at me, but his grip is weaker, only a dull ache throughout my body. The blackness begins to lighten until I'm surrounded by a blinding white, sterile and cold.
I become aware that the platform I was lying on has softened slightly, more the consistency of a stiff mattress as opposed to a cold slab of marble. I can't seem to move my hands or any part of my body.
My eyes open slowly, with great difficulty, and my vision swims and tilts before finally adjusting. I seem to be in a hospital room, albeit an empty one. A single IV attaches to my arm, and a single machine beeps to the side of me. I try to tilt my head but immediately get dizzy, stomach roiling with nausea.

8th March- Main Cabin Daily
Continue someone’s unfinished story
Continued from @-seiun’s story :)

_____

I can not believe this. I died. I seriously died. How did it all come down to this? Everything was going well and I was enjoying myself. And I died. But I was reborn again for some reason? Does that mean I still have a chance at life and redemption again? I grabbed my hair in frustration, trying to make sense of what was happening. I knew the whole world didn't revolve around me but I couldn't help but feel as if it did. Like literally every time something didn’t happen the way I wanted it to, it would adjust itself accordingly to produce the results I wanted. Wait, if that’s the case, I’m immortal..? The words run through my head once more. I am… immortal? I gasp as I sit on my bed, thinking things through over and over. But it didn’t make any sense. How was any of this possible? I pull my knees up to my chest, sucking in breaths of air desperately, yet none of the breaths seemed to draw in any air for my burning lungs. Standing up shakily, I walk up to a full length mirror and…
_____

…what I saw was enough to make me go unconscious. I was…in someone else's body- but how? If I was immortal…does it mean that I can change shape? I thought of turning into a woman in her twenties. A rasping sound came and I turned into a woman who was wearing the same clothes but a bigger size. I was confused, so confused but I still wondered how I could have turned immortal. It was absurd, it didn't make any sense. I tried to relax and calm down and kind of not freak out about the fact that I could be immortal. I was so exasperated, I felt like sitting there, crying for an eternity and I was pretty sure it was possible for me.

I thought about how I died in my previous life. It seemed like a faint memory with so many missing parts. It was like a hole had passed through my brain retrieving all the information which was quite frustrating seeing as I could remember what I had for breakfast (pancakes, specially made by my mother) the day I died.

If I recall the last words I heard were “It's been a long time,” which clearly didn't make any sense. I tried to recollect but it was like someone was playing tug-of-war with the information in my brain. I tried to distract myself and looked around the strange room. The bed on which I was sitting was from my house alright but the surroundings were weirder. It felt abnormal but also quite like home. I was sitting in a brightly illuminated room that didn't have many objects. Two chairs were left as if stranded. It felt like someone had moved out of the house and left nothing but a huge bed and two chairs.

The house had a feeling of home. A place you could feel secure and comfortable but it was also quite strange and unfamiliar. As I looked around, I noticed that there was no door in the room. I started to panic, how am I going to go out of this room? The walls looked quite hard and big. As I turned my head towards he sky, there was no roof visible. It was as if the walls went on forever. I closed my eyes in exasperation.

When I blinked my eyes open, I was in a completely different room. My room. I wondered if this was just another one of the weird dreams I usually have. I let put a sigh of relief and some irritation.

+418 words

March 8, 2022
Ty to @-Iilybell for her unfinished story that I continued.
Word Count: 1327 (Total)
TOC: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/582424/?page=31#post-6087486
————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Unfinished:
With my fingers locked in front of me, I stared at the computer screen, thinking about my options.

I had recently downloaded this very recent game called “The Verses of Atem.” It's about this game where you get to design your own character and play as that character to solve quests in the forms of poem verses. It really lives up to the name of the game, doesn't it?

I set a goal with my buddies to reach level 10 before the end of this week to split up 1000 dollars, a bet which I accepted. This might sound easy, but trust me, “The Verses of Atem” is not one of those easy level-up games. Luckily, I had online school, so I got to spend the whole week in front of my computer without anyone knowing what’s up. Except for the evidence of me not turning in a whole week’s worth of homework in, but who cares about grades? Certainly not my parents, they’re busy making millions of dollars every day. Neither do my teachers, I doubt most of them even know I exist. As for me, I’ve got this bet to complete, why should I care about homework?

Alas, for the past seven days, I leveled up my character all the way to level 9. It took the whole * week! I just had one last task to do. It was something about finding this button on a small island. Surprisingly, this last task was easier than the others. I lied, it was actually the easiest, even easier than the first task where you had to guess the code before the time runs out (I respawned many times for that first task, yikes).

However, right when I completed that task and went to the merchant dude to gimme the XP, the game just instantly crashed. I panicked for a moment and hurriedly opened the game up, afraid that I lost progress. Despite the last task being easier than the others, that does not suggest that it was super duper easy. After all, it's like comparing finding a needle in a haystack in the bright of day versus finding a grain of rice in two haystacks at night with a penlight. Yeah, the needle in the haystack is hundreds of times easier, but it's still hard on some level.

The button would probably respawn if my progress didn’t save, which meant I’d had to search the whole island again. Palms sweating, I double-clicked the icon that looked like a disco ball, hoping for the game to load again. Nothing. I double-clicked again, still nothing. I felt like I was going to go crazy, don’t tell me I wasted the whole week only to mess up my final chance!

After restarting the computer twice and clicking on that icon a few hundred more times, I saw a purple disco-patterned box with a loading sign in the middle. I tensley waited at the computer screen, staring at that loading sign, and waited. It felt like forever, and I felt like I was gonna throw up, but right before I was going to throw up, the * game loaded.

I did not throw up. I practically jumped out of my chair and began fast-typing and clicking on my inv, checking that everything was still there. Everything was. Eureka!

I was about to do my signature victory dance when this big giant congratulations sign suddenly popped up.

“Congratulations!

You have reached level 10. We congratulate you for reaching this milestone. As of today, only 0.1% other’s have reached level 10. To celebrate this milestone, you have earned a special map.

Special map unlocked: The Verse Atem.

Would you like to launch this special map? You will only be asked once. There will not be another chance in the future.

Yes
No”

My heart finally calmed down, and I read the message again. “What is this special map?” I thought, but I was alone, so there was no one to answer me. I locked my fingers in front of me and stared at the screen, wondering what I should do. Of course, I could just say no to this random special map request, it was too random, too sudden, too… sus. Yes, sus. But… If this special map gives special awards, not only could I win the bet, I could maybe even get some good items out of this game, which I could trade for in-game currency, which could be transferred into real money. If I somehow earn money through this, at least I will be some worth to my rich parents. Right?

However, I still hesitated. I decided to text my buddies and see if they got the same message. Out of the four of them, only two of them replied to the group chat. Weird, I thought they never slept, they should have all been able to reply. The two who did reply admitted that they were only on level 6, and would probably not be able to make it in time. I remember that one of the buddies who didn’t reply mentioned that they reached level 9 yesterday…

What if the two who didn’t reply were busy grinding after level 10? What if they were thinking the same things as me, and not only wanted to win the bet, but also wanted more?

With this on my mind, I quickly turned to my computer and pressed “Yes”

Then everything went black.


Continuing @-Iilybell's: It was dark. It was night. Without the people around to care about water and electricity fees, I was able to freely use the electricity and water supply however I wanted. The only problem was food, but I found a way to bypass it by going to the nearby grocery store and stealing all the food off the shelves. There were plenty of food I could choose: cereal made good for breakfast, a sloppily-made sandwich for lunch was plenty, and a few microwaved chicken wings and legs made do for dinner. Going to the grocery store was also how I would get my exercise- gotta keep fit, you know?

I guess you could say the first year was heaven, and hell at the same time. I was able to eat all that I wanted whenever I wanted. I could do whatever I wanted without anyone stopping me. I had a phone, I had a charger, I had electricity, I had food, I had water, I had shelter, and I had youtube. Even though no one is making content anymore, I was still able to watch the old videos. I found videos I never watched before, and I’m pretty sure I could try to binge watch all of them and yet there were probably too much that I would die before I could watch them all. Simply said, life was best for me, i was not bored, I was safe, and I felt full, despite the fact that I had absolutely no one to talk to.

That was heaven. Or was it?

No, it was absolute hell.

I had no one to tlak to, so I would sometimes go to other people’s empty houses and talkt o their alexa’s, google assistants, and other household appliances with almost-brains. But I got bored quickly. Not to mention the fact that there were rotting bodies all over hte road, inside cars , in caves, under tunnels, even one was in their bed the day they passed. It smelled horrible.

Every time I went outside to do the groceries, I would also often see strays battling each other for a bite of rotting meat, often disgusting me. Luckily, I was a wallflower in my previous life, as I like to call it, so I did not get noticed much, even to animals I was invisible on some sense.

I would also often take showers because it literally stank.

(sorry i had to rush this i will fix everything later and add more to it )

Author's note:

Thanks for reading! ^^

————————————————————————————————————————————————-
©️ Lᴜɴᴀ ✨

Main Cabin Daily 3/8
Topic: Unfinished Stories
Word Count: 417
Redirect to main page
Story used



(don't ask me why things can be locked on the outside. A lot of my stories make no sense at all)

6:37 pm.

Vee's eyes opened to see the inside of the drama room empty. She rubbed her head with a groan, sitting up.

Then the memories flooded back. Ebony and the members of the drama club calling her panic attacks fake, and then, nothing.

Blackout.

Still rubbing her forehead, Vee pushed herself up and sat there for a few seconds, staring at a clock on a nearby desk that read the time, before realizing that afterschool had been over nearly half and hour ago.

She dragged her self to the door and pulled it open.

Or at least, that was what was supposed to happen.

Instead, the door stayed shut.

She tugged it with all of the strength left in her withering body.

Not even a budge of movement.

I'm going to die, I'm going to die, i'm going to die.

She slid down until she was sitting on the floor and rested her head on her knees.

Wait, she realized. My bag has my phone. Sure, it'll be hard to explain to my parents, but that's better than staying here the whole night.

She walked over to where she had left it.

Not a bag in sight.

They thought of EVERYTHING, Vee thought in disbelief.

***

The next hours were spent drearily eyeing the clock and sitting on the beanbag chairs reading bad fashion magazines.

As she went to grab a new one, Vee spotted something shiny on the ground. It was a hairpin, probably dropped by someone from the drama group.

Vee bent it so it was straight enough to fit through the small hole on the doorknob. She wiggled it around a bit before hearing a click as the door unlocked. Vee let out a sigh of relief.

Her heart pounded as she looked out to see the lights off in the empty school hallways.

It was extremely unsettling, like she was an intruder in a mental hospital.

But even quiet was worse, so much worse, because she could hear her own footsteps. Vee felt vulnerable to the outside world, that was, if she would ever see it again.

Tip tap. Tip tap. Her shoes in the halls.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. Her usually silent breath.

A rush of excitement.

The door!

She ran, for she was alone and no one could stop to tell her she was running in the hallway.

Vee picked up speed, faster and faster, ready to burst her way out.

Then she remembered.

The custodians had left hours ago.

She was doomed.

(dun dun dunnn)

461 words- daily (3/8/22) for non-fi.

It was based off of this >>>> https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/582424/?page=48#post-6098413

Also, this is probably for older audiences, so if you're younger or more sensitive I wouldn't recommend you read it.

You want to scream, but your voice can't find the sound. Soon they're injecting you- again, why do they keep injecting you- and you're out again.

***

Except this time it isn't just dark and dreamless. This time it feels like a fever dream, where you try to fly but you can't, there are doctors pulling on your legs and dragging you down to fire, and oh, it's so hot, you're burning, burning…

Dreams never felt this real before.

A part of you, the desperate animal part, screams at you to wake up, but you feel like you're drowning, that you're underwater and you're drowning, and that you can't swim back up, you just keep sinking, down, down, down….

And you can't breathe.

***

When you wake up, everything hurts, and there's blood- is that you're blood? Why is that there?

This time, you can scream, and you do, a terrible animal scream- maybe you are an animal- just like they seem to think. You've never been in this much pain before, you wonder what's happening, you have no idea what's going on, and you just keep screaming.

“Somebody help me, somebody help me, oh please…”

And the doctor's, the cold, heartless, doctor's just give you a hard look.

“Put it back under, it's causing too much noise.”

A sharp pain, and it's back to quiet, the endless quiet, the endless, painless abyss….

***

When you wake up, you aren't in the same room.

You're dressed, but they aren't your clothes, it's a bright orange sweat suit. You look around and you see it isn't really a room you're in, but a truck, with cold metal walls and floor.

You also see that you aren't alone, there are about twenty others with you, some of whom are already woken up and look just as confused as you are, some of whom are not. Over the next few minutes, the sleeping return back to this disoriented state. You still hurt, and the pain is unbearable, but it's not as bad as before…. at least, you think it isn't. Your head aches and everything feels fuzzy, you can't see right and everything is bouncing around.

You hit a speed bump and your head jerks to the side of the car. Another bubble of pain.

“Where are we going?” You ask. You clear your throat, your voice is dry and husky. “Does anyone know where we are?”

You look around for answers, but they all look just as confused as you are. Worse than that, they look scared, and their eyes flit around. You hate how animal they look. You hate how animal you look. You always felt like a person before, but they had taken that away from you. Now, you felt no more than animal

Old unfinished story (feel free to add onto!)

Do you ever wonder if maybe, just maybe, happiness is some kind of hoax that doesn’t really exist? Like it's just made up, some sort of trick to get us where we’re supposed to go but we’ll never get there?
I don’t know. I’m probably just being ridiculous, like usual. My mother says she’s happy. My father says he’s happy. The thing is I’m not sure if I can believe them. If they were content the way things were, then why didn’t they act that way?
School’s starting back up in a week. That means that my tutor, Ms. Wilson has been quizzing me more than usual. “See?” she says, whenever I do a good job. “Won’t you be happy when you go to school and you’re smarter than all the other kids?” I never correct her when she says that. Whenever I don’t do as well, she squints at me through her glasses and then just shakes her head disappointedly.
Maybe I will be happy if I’m the smartest in the grade. Maybe that’s all I have to do. It’s easier said than done. My parents are sending me to a private school, the kind that you either have to be really smart or really rich to get into.

3/8/22 - Journaling about who knows what:
I have a few minutes to journal. Might as well make the most of it. I’ve had the most random songs stuck in my head for the past few days: Bohemian Rhapsody, It’s Not a Moon, Eleanor Rigby, Can’t Stop, and now Take Me Out. I honestly don’t know what goes on inside my head, as you can probably tell by the craziness of this journal entry. It doesn’t flow well, but I need to spit out some of the words in my head. Get them on paper.
I miss symphony. It starts up again next week, but I haven’t gotten any music yet. I’m really excited to. Maybe next week when it starts again I’ll actually talk to someone. Or, more accurately, say that I will but then won’t when I have the chance. I have to improve my symphony social skills eventually… I’ll need to use them when I’m a camp counselor.
I really should be writing this on paper. But I need the word counts, so here we are I guess. It’s ironic: I made this whole essay about how paper books are better than ebooks, but here I am journaling on a computer.
There’s an audiobook playing in the background about flappers and the women’s rights movement and the Roaring Twenties. It’s hard to focus on my journal right now. It keeps interrupting my train of thought, and it’s annoying. I’m sure it’s really interesting, but right now I would just like to write.
I got some new bobbleheads yesterday. Sersi from Eternals and Fennec Shand from the Book of Boba Fett. Clearly I have hoarder tendencies. Seeing the bobbleheads lined up on my shelf makes me happy. I also got a new Lego set. I have to stop writing now, sadly.
Word count: 296
New total: 5572

Was gonna use for a daily, but didn’t finish in time :’)
Anyway this is my unfinished story that I’m sharing for the March 8th daily
It’s an Encanto AU so please don’t continue it unless you’ve watched Encanto
It’s if Isabela had different powers
And sorry if this is a little long and almost finished, it’s the shortest unfinished story I have, hhhh-
It’s 475 words so far
Ok I’ll stop rambling, this is where the actual story starts lol


Isabela is perfect. Everyone admires her. They're entertained by her and they come to the Madrigal house time and time again to hear her play any musical instrument they like. She has what everyone wants: beauty and talent. So why doesn't she like it?

Well, as to what's causing the problem, she's pretty sure she knows. But what it is…is a good thing. It's the fact that she's always asked to perform at parties. Actually, that's inaccurate. She's asked to perform at least twice every day.

One of the things people love to do the most is try to see if they can name a musical instrument she can't play. They know it's pointless, and everyone around them knows it's pointless. Madrigal powers don't ever cease to amaze. But they still do it, day after day.

That's why, when the Madrigal house falls apart, Isabela is more happy than she is sad. She's finally free of her so-called “gift.” Only then does she realize why she hates being perfect. She just wants to be normal. To finally be the one watching someone else perform, rather than always being the one onstage.

She runs into the forest, where she sings her heart out, letting herself hit all the wrong notes at all the wrong times. She sings of her problems. She sings of all the ways she wants to fix them. When she's finally done, she sits down where she is and weeps. What if Abuela heard her? How can she ever fix her problems? Then she hears footsteps behind her and gasps. It must be Abuela.

Who she finds when she turns around isn't Abuela, though. It's her littlest sister, Mirabel. The lucky one. The one without a gift.

“I heard you singing.”

“I guessed.”

“You sounded hideous.”

“Thank you.” Isabela smiles weakly.

“Do you want me to help you?”

“How could you help me?”

“Well, I've got a few friends,” Mirabel says, gesturing to the bushes behind her. All of the Madrigal family – well, excluding Abuela – including her missing uncle Bruno. Isabela narrows her eyes at the sight of this.

“I have two questions,” she starts. “One: How did uncle Bruno get here? Two: It makes me feel good to know that all of you guys are on my side, but how can you help me?”

“One: Bruno's… kinda been living in the walls this entire time. I'll explain more later if you want. Two: Well, we can't exactly. But we can help when you confront Abuela. Which you are definitely doing,” Mirabel answers.

“Yeah, we can all answer Abuela one by one and it can be all heroic!” Bruno adds.

“Bruno, this is not one of your rat telenovelas,” Mirabel says.

“What?” asks everybody at once.

“Long story,” Mirabel answers. “Anyway, let's go and give Abuela a piece of our minds.”

SWC Weekly 1 || Myth cabin || March 2022 || 2637 words
I kinda rushed this so don't mind lol

Part 1: Poems, 324 words
acrostic (multiple words)
Scratch writing camp
Counting cabin points
Reading people's writing
Aching finger joints
Ticking time goes by
Cabins of 15
Hosts Birdi, Kat, Bakie, and Honey

Weeklies are tiring
Roaring at Birdi
I don't know what to do
Time for a new daily
It has started
No time to lose
Go to sleep

Cabin wars today
Allies attack
Mangoes hurray
Procrastinating campers

repetition
Summer is here today!
Let's go outside to play!

Summer is here today!
Come on, get out the doorway!

Summer is here today!
Let's watch the leaves sway!

Summer is here today!
Let's drive to the bay!

Summer is here today!
Let's eat at the cafe!

Summer is here today!
Oh no- here comes the rain.

rhythm (kinda weird B))
First I went to China
then I flew up to France.
I went to visit Mexico
then ran back to Spain.
I stayed for a few days
before going to Ukraine
Oh what a trip, oh what a day,
I've gotta go again!
My family was in the USA
My relatives Norway
And now I have to visit them
every twenty days!
My friends were in Japan
And my pets were in Greece.
My wallet is bleeding
and my brain is screaming.
I've been on 12 trips
going back and forth.
When will I stop and
go back home?

haiku (multiple poems, I got carried away)
my heart is beating
as the pattering rain falls down
we rejoice in life

art is expressive
it indicates your feelings
known as pure wonder

love is beautiful
hatred and abuse is not
please, be kind to her

the leaves sway gently
the birds chirp and sing softy
nature is graceful

etheree
My cat sat on my lap purring loudly
He jumped off and wanted to play
He bit my toes, meowed loudly
He somehow found his toy mouse
He ripped his toy and
I screamed, “No, Boy!”
He ran away
sadly.
*meow*

Part 2: Essay: Art, 527 words
Art. It's a thing that I enjoy doing, as it expresses my identity, creativity, emotions. In other words, it is highly expressive. For me, it feels great to just pick up a pencil, or paintbrush, and start drawing. Art is a very relaxing and inspiring activity, even if you're just observing it. Art has a ‘history’ too, like many other objects or things. The first piece of art was created in the Stone Age and since then, art has been on a long journey to become what it is today. I'll be focusing on explaining different mediums of art today, such as paint, pencils, etc. and deciding which medium works best for me.

First I'll start with one of the most common mediums. Paint! There are many different types of paint, and I'll be explaining acrylic, watercolour, and oil paints. First up, Acrylic paint. Acrylic paint is used for not only canvas painting, but also for glass, metal, plastic, stone, fabric, and leather. The paint itself is often thick and smooth, kind of like butter, and dries fast. Because of its versatility, durability, adhesive qualities, and low toxicity, acrylic paint is the top choice for crafts, collage, or mixed media work. Watercolour paints are very different though. It's not very thick, has a wide variety of colours, and is perfect for painting landscapes. This medium is also a fast drier, but unlike acrylic, you can wet the painting over and over again to keep painting. This is not a good paint for beginners as it might be hard to control. I have only ever worked with this paint over the past few years and you get used to the watery substance after a few times. Lastly, oil paints! I've never used them but I hear people describe them as thick and slow drying. It is an advantage because artists have more time to apply more paint before it dries. Oil paints are also a master at blending colours, also an advantage of the slow drying process.

Now for some mediums that are not paint. Pencils are a supplier you have to have to make art. They're used for outlining compositions, creating sketches or bases for art, and applying shade to your artwork and are perfect for beginners as you can easily rub out and change your work or fix your mistakes using a rubber. For the last medium, ink, pen, and marker. Artists use ink for solid outlines but they must have a steady hand as ink cannot be rubbed out. Ink has also been used to create calligraphy and text-based art forms. Based on what you are going to use the pen for, there are many different types of pens such as drafting pens, fountain pens, and graphic pens.

For me, I love using markers. They aren't very messy, and even though I can't blend, there is a wide range of colours. It's quick and easy to use, unlike paint, and for beginners. If I had to choose a paint though, it would be acrylic as it can paint anywhere and can be used to create a similar effect to watercolours, which makes them very useful.

Part 3: Script, 772 words

SCENE ONE

SKY is on stage
DOVE quickly comes on stage
SKY: You came back! I didn't think you would come back!
SKY flings herself into DOVE's arms
SKY begins to sob
DOVE (whispers): Shh. We don't want to wake them up.
SKY stands up straight, trembling as she looks into DOVE's eyes
SKY: How did you do it?
SKY and DOVE hear footsteps approaching
DOVE (whispering): Oh no
SKY shivers
UNKNOWN MAN comes on stage
UNKNOWN MAN glares at SKY and DOVE
DOVE (panicked, shouting): Run!
SKY and DOVE runs
SKY's life flashes before her eyes

SCENE TWO

SKY walks on the sides of the beach
SKY kicks her sandals off
SKY sees a girl and walks up to her
SKY: Hi, my name is Sky. What's yours?
DOVE (instantly replies): I don't like my name.
SKY: How could anyone not like their name?
DOVE: Okay, I'll tell you. Dove.
DOVE sighs
SKY (murmurs): Dove
SKY: It's a pretty name!
DOVE blushes
DOVE (whispers): Thanks. Not a lot of people like my name.
SKY walks away, concentrating on DOVE
SKY trips over a rock and lands in the sea
SKY yells as something pulls her underwater
DOVE stares dreamily at the sea as she heard a yell
DOVE runs as fast as she can towards the sea and dives in
DOVE pulls SKY out of the water and onto the beach
SKY (panting): Thank-you-so-much-Dove, you-saved-my-life!
DOVE smiles
DOVE: Swimming's my specialty. I can teach you if you want.
SKY (firmly): No thanks. I'd rather fly.
SKY grins at DOVE as she walks off stage

SCENE THREE

DOVE is sitting on the grass, letting grey bugs scamper over her
SKY spots her sitting there and came by
SKY hesitates when she sees the bugs
DOVE: Come on Sky, they're only harmless bugs.
SKY sits down slowly, jerking as she reaches the grass
DOVE: What's the matter?
SKY: I've got mild hayfever.
DOVE: Here, this will help.
DOVE stands up to get a picnic mat from her bag. She spreads it over the grass.
DOVE: Better?
SKY nods as she sits down on the picnic mat.
SKY (mutters): Thanks.
DOVE: Why so gloomy?
SKY: I'm moving miles away. I'm going to a new school. We won't be able to see each other again.
SKY bursts into tears
SKY: I'm not supposed to tell anyone yet because we're not sure if we can move yet.
SKY looks down at the grass
SKY and DOVE are silent
DOVE spots a lucky clover
DOVE: Sky! I found a lucky clover! If you hold onto it, we might get lucky!
SKY sniffs and looks up while wiping her wet face
SKY: But . . . it will work, right?
SKY looks hopeful
DOVE: Let's hope for the best
SKY and DOVE go offstage
SKY and DOVE go back onstage
SKY has a huge grin on her face
SKY: I got the news! We're not moving! Looks like the clover helped us this time.
DOVE: Let's go to the beach to celebrate!
SKY and DOVE walk to the beach

SCENE FOUR

SKY lies on the beach
DOVE sits next to her, doodling on a notepad
SKY: What are you drawing?
DOVE: Us two together on the beach.
SKY: Cool! I wish I could draw…
SKY sees the sky getting darker and darker.
BACKGROUND CHARACTERS start to leave the stage
SKY: Should we go soon?
DOVE: Okay, just one more line.
SKY feels her hair stand up
DOVE: Run, Sky, run!
SKY and DOVE run as fast as they can. A lightning bolt strikes where Sky had been sitting.
SKY: You saved my life again, Dove! This is the second time! How can I pay you back?
SKY and DOVE step inside a building.
DOVE smiles
DOVE: You gave me the best thing that I have,
DOVE looks SKY in the eyes
DOVE: You. You gave me my best friend, who is you.

SCENE FIVE

SKY (thinks out loud): Those were the most important memories, the most. I will never forget them. If we die, we'll still be together.
DOVE (whispers): You were great, Sky. The best friend I have ever met.
SKY: Thanks for saving my life, Dove. Two times. I want to save your life this time.
SKY and DOVE are still running down the corridor
DOVE digs into her pockets
DOVE: My lucky clover! I've still got it! If we hold it together we might get lucky again.
DOVE is running out of breath
UNKNOWN MAN is less than a meter away. A big, silver door comes into sight
SKY flings the door open and locks the door

END

Part 4: Non-fi, words

Non-fi Part 1: Tutorial, How to fall asleep quickly, not just quicker, 405 words

Sleep is one of the most important things you need to stay alive, and whether you have insomnia or don't, we've all experienced that time when you just can't fall asleep (especially both swc leaders and campers). I've been there, just staring at the ceiling and counting sheep. But, I've asked myself, how can I fall asleep quicker? Well, today I'm going to write about an amazing method that not only lets me sleep faster but also calms me down.

It's called the military method. Why military? Because to achieve this, you need to lie straight and not move too much, like a military person. First, you want to focus on your breathing. In and out, in and out. Then focus on every muscle in your body, relaxing them. Keep going until you feel completely relaxed and calm. Now, you want to scrunch up your face muscles and hold that for 10 seconds. Release the muscles and while doing this, carry on breathing deeply. Now repeat this with every muscle in your body, ‘tightening’ them and then releasing the tension. Do this all while breathing deep breaths. After you have released every muscle, you shall feel calm and relaxed. But don't stop here! Keep concentrating on your breaths. Focus on them in your head. It helps to focus on one nonstressing thing while trying to sleep because the more you think, the more you're staying awake. After a while, you should feel yourself slipping away and into sleep. If not, keep breathing! If after around 40 minutes you're still awake, repeat tightening the muscles and letting it go. And for the last time, keep breathing.

Now, why does this method work so well? It's because you're relaxing. Relaxing your body helps you to fall asleep easily. Since you are concentrating on relaxing your muscles and focusing on your breathing, you're less likely to worry about anything. Worrying and thinking ‘clouds’ up your brain because you have so many things going on in your head while focusing on one thing clears your brain and makes it lighter. Did you know that apparently, 96% of people who mastered this technique can fall asleep within two minutes of shutting their eyes? And that given the space restraints of a typical plane, fighter pilots were taught to sleep in a seated position with this technique? I hope this tutorial helped with your sleep because it certainly help with mine.

Non-Fi Part 2: Journalism, The world's journey in Covid-19's variants, 546 words

The world has come a long way with Covid-19. It's really hard to believe that it's been around 3 years since Covid appeared! The world is upside down now, with a lot of sick people and boring quarantining. Right now over 1 million people are catching this horrible virus all around the world, and Covid has many mutations to come. The first covid then delta to omicron and BA-2, our world has suffered a lot. Let's take a deeper look at what happened.

There are a lot of theories about how covid began. Some of them include people thinking that scientists ‘experimented’ on bats, others may think that it began by people eating bats or in Wuhan's wet market. Here's a timeline for some information. On the 31st of December, 2019, WHO was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan City, China. WHO was told that the earliest symptoms from these patients dated back to 8 December. A 55-year-old individual from Hubei province in China may have been the first person to have contracted COVID-19 on November 17, 2019. The first confirmed cases in the UK were identified on 31 January, when two Chinese nationals tested positive in New York. They caught the virus abroad. The first confirmed case of transmission inside the UK was registered in Surrey on 28 February and UK's first two patients tested positive for coronavirus after them. Fast forward to the later months of 2020, the first mutation or variant of covid was detected. B.1.1.7, or Alpha, was detected in the UK. Then came Beta (B.1.351) in South Africa, on and on until one of the most ‘recognized and dangerous’ variants came out. Delta (B.1.617.2), poorly nicknamed the ‘double mutant strain’ that was identified in India. Delta was believed to be more than twice as contagious as previous variants, and studies have shown it to be more likely than the original virus to put infected people in the hospital. Delta swept rapidly through India, though not spreading to any larger areas. In summer 2021, some people were starting to hope that somehow the pandemic would recede to the background. That's when Delta resurfaced in the United States. The world was already a mess when Omicron (B.1.1.529) arrived. Omicron was more powerful and tranmissible. ‘Variant of Concern’ was a nickname for it because people were so afraid of catching it. This variant also had a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning. Lastly, Omicron's little sister or brother (BA.2) was discovered in December 2021 in India and South America as the most recent variant so far. BA.2 has more than 20 mutations, about half of them in the spike protein. This is the famous protein that interacts with human cells and is the key to the virus entering the body. It is the most dangerous so far, making people who catch it more likely to end up in hospital.

Though some people might think we can defeat Covid in the next year or so, the truth is, we can't. Not for a while at least. There will always be new variants coming and causing more chaos. But if we accept this, we can live with it. Vaccines are coming out, and someday? Covid will just be history.

SWC Weekly 1 || Myth cabin || March 2022 || 2637 words
I kinda rushed this so don't mind lol

Part 1: Poems, 324 words
acrostic (multiple words)
Scratch writing camp
Counting cabin points
Reading people's writing
Aching finger joints
Ticking time goes by
Cabins of 15
Hosts Birdi, Kat, Bakie, and Honey

Weeklies are tiring
Roaring at Birdi
I don't know what to do
Time for a new daily
It has started
No time to lose
Go to sleep

Cabin wars today
Allies attack
Mangoes hurray
Procrastinating campers

repetition
Summer is here today!
Let's go outside to play!

Summer is here today!
Come on, get out the doorway!

Summer is here today!
Let's watch the leaves sway!

Summer is here today!
Let's drive to the bay!

Summer is here today!
Let's eat at the cafe!

Summer is here today!
Oh no- here comes the rain.

rhythm (kinda weird B))
First I went to China
then I flew up to France.
I went to visit Mexico
then ran back to Spain.
I stayed for a few days
before going to Ukraine
Oh what a trip, oh what a day,
I've gotta go again!
My family was in the USA
My relatives Norway
And now I have to visit them
every twenty days!
My friends were in Japan
And my pets were in Greece.
My wallet is bleeding
and my brain is screaming.
I've been on 12 trips
going back and forth.
When will I stop and
go back home?

haiku (multiple poems, I got carried away)
my heart is beating
as the pattering rain falls down
we rejoice in life

art is expressive
it indicates your feelings
known as pure wonder

love is beautiful
hatred and abuse is not
please, be kind to her

the leaves sway gently
the birds chirp and sing softy
nature is graceful

etheree
My cat sat on my lap purring loudly
He jumped off and wanted to play
He bit my toes, meowed loudly
He somehow found his toy mouse
He ripped his toy and
I screamed, “No, Boy!”
He ran away
sadly.
*meow*

Part 2: Essay: Art, 527 words
Art. It's a thing that I enjoy doing, as it expresses my identity, creativity, emotions. In other words, it is highly expressive. For me, it feels great to just pick up a pencil, or paintbrush, and start drawing. Art is a very relaxing and inspiring activity, even if you're just observing it. Art has a ‘history’ too, like many other objects or things. The first piece of art was created in the Stone Age and since then, art has been on a long journey to become what it is today. I'll be focusing on explaining different mediums of art today, such as paint, pencils, etc. and deciding which medium works best for me.

First I'll start with one of the most common mediums. Paint! There are many different types of paint, and I'll be explaining acrylic, watercolour, and oil paints. First up, Acrylic paint. Acrylic paint is used for not only canvas painting, but also for glass, metal, plastic, stone, fabric, and leather. The paint itself is often thick and smooth, kind of like butter, and dries fast. Because of its versatility, durability, adhesive qualities, and low toxicity, acrylic paint is the top choice for crafts, collage, or mixed media work. Watercolour paints are very different though. It's not very thick, has a wide variety of colours, and is perfect for painting landscapes. This medium is also a fast drier, but unlike acrylic, you can wet the painting over and over again to keep painting. This is not a good paint for beginners as it might be hard to control. I have only ever worked with this paint over the past few years and you get used to the watery substance after a few times. Lastly, oil paints! I've never used them but I hear people describe them as thick and slow drying. It is an advantage because artists have more time to apply more paint before it dries. Oil paints are also a master at blending colours, also an advantage of the slow drying process.

Now for some mediums that are not paint. Pencils are a supplier you have to have to make art. They're used for outlining compositions, creating sketches or bases for art, and applying shade to your artwork and are perfect for beginners as you can easily rub out and change your work or fix your mistakes using a rubber. For the last medium, ink, pen, and marker. Artists use ink for solid outlines but they must have a steady hand as ink cannot be rubbed out. Ink has also been used to create calligraphy and text-based art forms. Based on what you are going to use the pen for, there are many different types of pens such as drafting pens, fountain pens, and graphic pens.

For me, I love using markers. They aren't very messy, and even though I can't blend, there is a wide range of colours. It's quick and easy to use, unlike paint, and for beginners. If I had to choose a paint though, it would be acrylic as it can paint anywhere and can be used to create a similar effect to watercolours, which makes them very useful.

Part 3: Script, 772 words

SCENE ONE

SKY is on stage
DOVE quickly comes on stage
SKY: You came back! I didn't think you would come back!
SKY flings herself into DOVE's arms
SKY begins to sob
DOVE (whispers): Shh. We don't want to wake them up.
SKY stands up straight, trembling as she looks into DOVE's eyes
SKY: How did you do it?
SKY and DOVE hear footsteps approaching
DOVE (whispering): Oh no
SKY shivers
UNKNOWN MAN comes on stage
UNKNOWN MAN glares at SKY and DOVE
DOVE (panicked, shouting): Run!
SKY and DOVE runs
SKY's life flashes before her eyes

SCENE TWO

SKY walks on the sides of the beach
SKY kicks her sandals off
SKY sees a girl and walks up to her
SKY: Hi, my name is Sky. What's yours?
DOVE (instantly replies): I don't like my name.
SKY: How could anyone not like their name?
DOVE: Okay, I'll tell you. Dove.
DOVE sighs
SKY (murmurs): Dove
SKY: It's a pretty name!
DOVE blushes
DOVE (whispers): Thanks. Not a lot of people like my name.
SKY walks away, concentrating on DOVE
SKY trips over a rock and lands in the sea
SKY yells as something pulls her underwater
DOVE stares dreamily at the sea as she heard a yell
DOVE runs as fast as she can towards the sea and dives in
DOVE pulls SKY out of the water and onto the beach
SKY (panting): Thank-you-so-much-Dove, you-saved-my-life!
DOVE smiles
DOVE: Swimming's my specialty. I can teach you if you want.
SKY (firmly): No thanks. I'd rather fly.
SKY grins at DOVE as she walks off stage

SCENE THREE

DOVE is sitting on the grass, letting grey bugs scamper over her
SKY spots her sitting there and came by
SKY hesitates when she sees the bugs
DOVE: Come on Sky, they're only harmless bugs.
SKY sits down slowly, jerking as she reaches the grass
DOVE: What's the matter?
SKY: I've got mild hayfever.
DOVE: Here, this will help.
DOVE stands up to get a picnic mat from her bag. She spreads it over the grass.
DOVE: Better?
SKY nods as she sits down on the picnic mat.
SKY (mutters): Thanks.
DOVE: Why so gloomy?
SKY: I'm moving miles away. I'm going to a new school. We won't be able to see each other again.
SKY bursts into tears
SKY: I'm not supposed to tell anyone yet because we're not sure if we can move yet.
SKY looks down at the grass
SKY and DOVE are silent
DOVE spots a lucky clover
DOVE: Sky! I found a lucky clover! If you hold onto it, we might get lucky!
SKY sniffs and looks up while wiping her wet face
SKY: But . . . it will work, right?
SKY looks hopeful
DOVE: Let's hope for the best
SKY and DOVE go offstage
SKY and DOVE go back onstage
SKY has a huge grin on her face
SKY: I got the news! We're not moving! Looks like the clover helped us this time.
DOVE: Let's go to the beach to celebrate!
SKY and DOVE walk to the beach

SCENE FOUR

SKY lies on the beach
DOVE sits next to her, doodling on a notepad
SKY: What are you drawing?
DOVE: Us two together on the beach.
SKY: Cool! I wish I could draw…
SKY sees the sky getting darker and darker.
BACKGROUND CHARACTERS start to leave the stage
SKY: Should we go soon?
DOVE: Okay, just one more line.
SKY feels her hair stand up
DOVE: Run, Sky, run!
SKY and DOVE run as fast as they can. A lightning bolt strikes where Sky had been sitting.
SKY: You saved my life again, Dove! This is the second time! How can I pay you back?
SKY and DOVE step inside a building.
DOVE smiles
DOVE: You gave me the best thing that I have,
DOVE looks SKY in the eyes
DOVE: You. You gave me my best friend, who is you.

SCENE FIVE

SKY (thinks out loud): Those were the most important memories, the most. I will never forget them. If we die, we'll still be together.
DOVE (whispers): You were great, Sky. The best friend I have ever met.
SKY: Thanks for saving my life, Dove. Two times. I want to save your life this time.
SKY and DOVE are still running down the corridor
DOVE digs into her pockets
DOVE: My lucky clover! I've still got it! If we hold it together we might get lucky again.
DOVE is running out of breath
UNKNOWN MAN is less than a meter away. A big, silver door comes into sight
SKY flings the door open and locks the door

END

Part 4: Non-fi, words

Non-fi Part 1: Tutorial, How to fall asleep quickly, not just quicker, 405 words

Sleep is one of the most important things you need to stay alive, and whether you have insomnia or don't, we've all experienced that time when you just can't fall asleep (especially both swc leaders and campers). I've been there, just staring at the ceiling and counting sheep. But, I've asked myself, how can I fall asleep quicker? Well, today I'm going to write about an amazing method that not only lets me sleep faster but also calms me down.

It's called the military method. Why military? Because to achieve this, you need to lie straight and not move too much, like a military person. First, you want to focus on your breathing. In and out, in and out. Then focus on every muscle in your body, relaxing them. Keep going until you feel completely relaxed and calm. Now, you want to scrunch up your face muscles and hold that for 10 seconds. Release the muscles and while doing this, carry on breathing deeply. Now repeat this with every muscle in your body, ‘tightening’ them and then releasing the tension. Do this all while breathing deep breaths. After you have released every muscle, you shall feel calm and relaxed. But don't stop here! Keep concentrating on your breaths. Focus on them in your head. It helps to focus on one nonstressing thing while trying to sleep because the more you think, the more you're staying awake. After a while, you should feel yourself slipping away and into sleep. If not, keep breathing! If after around 40 minutes you're still awake, repeat tightening the muscles and letting it go. And for the last time, keep breathing.

Now, why does this method work so well? It's because you're relaxing. Relaxing your body helps you to fall asleep easily. Since you are concentrating on relaxing your muscles and focusing on your breathing, you're less likely to worry about anything. Worrying and thinking ‘clouds’ up your brain because you have so many things going on in your head while focusing on one thing clears your brain and makes it lighter. Did you know that apparently, 96% of people who mastered this technique can fall asleep within two minutes of shutting their eyes? And that given the space restraints of a typical plane, fighter pilots were taught to sleep in a seated position with this technique? I hope this tutorial helped with your sleep because it certainly help with mine.

Non-Fi Part 2: Journalism, The world's journey in Covid-19's variants, 546 words

The world has come a long way with Covid-19. It's really hard to believe that it's been around 3 years since Covid appeared! The world is upside down now, with a lot of sick people and boring quarantining. Right now over 1 million people are catching this horrible virus all around the world, and Covid has many mutations to come. The first covid then delta to omicron and BA-2, our world has suffered a lot. Let's take a deeper look at what happened.

There are a lot of theories about how covid began. Some of them include people thinking that scientists ‘experimented’ on bats, others may think that it began by people eating bats or in Wuhan's wet market. Here's a timeline for some information. On the 31st of December, 2019, WHO was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan City, China. WHO was told that the earliest symptoms from these patients dated back to 8 December. A 55-year-old individual from Hubei province in China may have been the first person to have contracted COVID-19 on November 17, 2019. The first confirmed cases in the UK were identified on 31 January, when two Chinese nationals tested positive in New York. They caught the virus abroad. The first confirmed case of transmission inside the UK was registered in Surrey on 28 February and UK's first two patients tested positive for coronavirus after them. Fast forward to the later months of 2020, the first mutation or variant of covid was detected. B.1.1.7, or Alpha, was detected in the UK. Then came Beta (B.1.351) in South Africa, on and on until one of the most ‘recognized and dangerous’ variants came out. Delta (B.1.617.2), poorly nicknamed the ‘double mutant strain’ that was identified in India. Delta was believed to be more than twice as contagious as previous variants, and studies have shown it to be more likely than the original virus to put infected people in the hospital. Delta swept rapidly through India, though not spreading to any larger areas. In summer 2021, some people were starting to hope that somehow the pandemic would recede to the background. That's when Delta resurfaced in the United States. The world was already a mess when Omicron (B.1.1.529) arrived. Omicron was more powerful and tranmissible. ‘Variant of Concern’ was a nickname for it because people were so afraid of catching it. This variant also had a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning. Lastly, Omicron's little sister or brother (BA.2) was discovered in December 2021 in India and South America as the most recent variant so far. BA.2 has more than 20 mutations, about half of them in the spike protein. This is the famous protein that interacts with human cells and is the key to the virus entering the body. It is the most dangerous so far, making people who catch it more likely to end up in hospital.

Though some people might think we can defeat Covid in the next year or so, the truth is, we can't. Not for a while at least. There will always be new variants coming and causing more chaos. But if we accept this, we can live with it. Vaccines are coming out, and someday? Covid will just be history.

From: TheBookLover_1point0

TheBookLover_1point0 wrote:

~ Incomplete story for daily 3/8 ~
ngl this is kinda depressing

All she wanted to do was run. Her life had been ruined. Her family had been brutally killed, and now she was stuck with her stupid neighbors, the Winstons. They were mean, unhelpful, and didn't care in any way about her. Until one day, she couldn’t take it, that was the day the incident happened. So in the middle of the night, she took a little sack, filled her things with it, and left through the window of her room, which was on the first floor. At first she didn’t know what to do, but then she looked three houses down, to a modern two-story home, with light-gray siding and sky-blue shutters. She then knew just where to go.
She snuck in through the open window on the first floor, the one that had been left open that night. She was going to stay here, for a little while at least. She opened the fridge to see perfectly good food.
“Wow” she realized, “I am starving.”
She grabbed an apple and bit it down to its core. She then stumbled up the stairs, and walked over to what used to be her room. She would have stayed in a different room, where it was more comfortable, but doing that would just be too painful.
She was planning to stay there at least a week, but plans never go how you want them to.
A few days had passed, and all she could do was stay in her house, she knew she would be found if she went outside, and would be brought back to the Winstons. She knew her sister’s room would have things to keep her busy. But when she left her sister's room, tears rolled down her cheeks and fell to the ground, creating little puddles of sadness.
But to be honest with herself, she never really went in her sister's room to find things to do, she went in there for the memories.

Memories that she wishes she was still living in. In the memories she had, everyone was happy, including her. But now that was different. She couldn't be happy, not now. She wanted a family again. Any family. A family that actually cared about and for her. She stopped crying and got up to go pack her things again.
When she was all packed, she went back to the kitchen and stuffed herself with food. She went to the pantry and put some food that would last in her sack, anywhere it could fit. She put it in all the nooks and crannies, pockets and shirts. When she absolutely couldn't fit anything else in the sack, she went back to her room taking one last look before saying goodbye. She went to each room and did that.
When it was midnight, she left the house, and went to her friend's house. She climbed in the window and woke her up.
“Mommy…is that you?” Marissa asked.
“No,” I replied. “This is your runaway friend, Chanasin. I need you to help me get back at the Winstons.”

3/7/22 - SWC weekly #1:
_______

Part 1: Poems

Poem 1: Pantoum that is much more depressing than I intended

I feel like such a stranger
Tears streaking down my face
There is quite a danger
In not knowing my place

Tears streaking down my face
I try to find my way
In not knowing my place
I’m scared I’ll blow away

I try to find my way
Hunkered down from the weather
I’m scared I’ll blow away
Scared I’ll be lost forever

Hunkered down from the weather
A cold wind screams and howls
Scared I’ll be lost forever
Even the sky seems to scowl

A cold wind screams and howls
I cannot help but cry
Even the sky seems to scowl
I wish that I knew why

I cannot help but cry
I feel like such a stranger
I wish that I knew why
There is so much danger

Poem 2: Limerick, based off Will Stanton’s ‘Barney’

A rat with a rather large brain
And a sadistic need to cause pain
Took advantage (he’s smart!)
Of his captor’s soft heart
K!lled the scientist, hid from the blame

Poem 3: Free verse about wanting to belong

i sit
and wait
watching
through the glass
do you see me?
i am watching you
but you never notice
never seem to care

you don’t see how much i’m hurting
all you see is
a girl who wants to belong
heck, you probably don’t even see that
you probably don’t see anything
am i invisible to you?

Poem 4: Sestina. I have no idea what I’m doing, so bear with me.

It’s your own fault, regardless of the circumstance.
You had every chance in the world, but you still took that train.
There was no room for uncertainty.
I don’t give a * about your ‘sickness.’
And you knew it! Forget early retirement.
Because of you, I’ll have to live out the rest of my days as a manufacturer.

I was counting down the days until retirement.
Rain, wind, snow, whatever circumstance,
50 long years, manning that darned train.
I was always there. No uncertainty.
I thought of myself as ‘useful.’ A ‘manufacturer.’
All that went to the dogs when you stepped on board, coughing from sickness.

You hobbled onto the train.
I didn’t know it then, but I would never be the same. I looked at you with uncertainty.
‘Sir,’ I said, ‘maybe it would be best if you didn’t board, with your current… circumstance.’
You didn’t listen, and swung your cane at me. You had no respect for the manufacturer.
You tried to afford yourself preferential treatment, something about a ‘sickness.’
I gritted my teeth and thought about retirement.

You’d been away from your job for a while. Maybe you, like me, were once a manufacturer. Speaking of, you were already well into your retirement.
An old man, body hunched over from sickness.
Your feet shuffled, agonizingly slow, as you walked through the halls of the train.
Your mind, however, showed no such uncertainty.
I gave a shout as I realized the gravity of the circumstance.

It wasn’t just your body that was ill, your brain was poisoned from some psychopathic sickness.
I’m no Einstein. Just your humble railroad operator, a simple manufacturer.
As I figured out what exactly you were doing, I realized I could kiss goodbye to my retirement.
I’ve seen some crazy things in my day, but none as bad as this circumstance.
Bad, bad things were about to happen on this train.
What could I do? I bit my lip with uncertainty.

I had to act now. No time for uncertainty.
But even as I ran, it wasn’t enough to stop your evil, twisted sickness.
Maybe this was my chance to be a hero, be something more than what I was, a manufacturer.
I was about to leave my job for good, but it wasn’t that peaceful, sought-after retirement.
I was too late. We began to fall. You smiled, as if to say, ‘such an unfortunate circumstance.’
My life was ending, and it was happening on an insignificant train.

News report: Train crash. Many victims in retirement.
Exact circumstance unknown. Event surrounded in uncertainty.
Confirmed d3ad include: Old man suffering from sickness, manufacturer.

Poem 5: Haiku

Drinking in the sun
Wish these days could last all year
Too good to be true
_______

Part 2: Essay
(disclaimer - when I’m doing actual essays for school, they are much, much better. Please don’t judge the quality of my essay-writing by this exercise. I’m really just having fun with this.)

Why printed books are better than ebooks:
If you take a look in my bedroom, the first thing you’ll see is my bookshelf. I’m very proud of it; it’s alphabetized and spans many subjects. It has five shelves, all of them full. Overflow books are stacked on the floor. I’m a d!e-hard bibliophile, that’s for sure. One time I spent $100 in one sitting on the Books-A-Million website, ordering books. When I talk about my bookshelf or complain about the weight of my paperback-filled duffel on trips, people will often tell me about how they just use ebooks. I get it, I really do. I’ve taken advantage of my library’s free ebook-downloading software many times. But I think that physical books are better, and I will always think that. After this essay, you will too.
The most obvious reason that paper books are superior is the zombie apocalypse. We all know it’s coming. If and when the power goes out, eventually our iPads and e-readers will run out of juice. You’ll be over in the corner, crying about your d3ad device; I’ll be absorbing information by candlelight. I’ll try not to say “I told you so,” but it’ll be a struggle. It’s also easier to concentrate when using paper books. Electronics are a distraction. Don’t tell me that you’ve never sat down at your Chromebook to do some homework and ended up at the Main Cabin, mindlessly writing Encanto parodies and blatantly disobeying the “school > swc, sleep > swc, life > swc” rule. I may or may not be doing it at this very moment. But that’s my point! With a paper book, it’s only the book and nothing else. You don’t retain knowledge as well with an ebook. Physical books also don’t cause as much eye strain as ebooks. They still cause eye strain, as my thick glasses will show, but there’s 100% less blue light. Another thing that you don’t get from ebooks is that famed “old book smell.” Ebooks don’t really smell like anything. With ebooks, there’s no tangible book for you to hold, smell, lick (if you’re that kind of person; I did see a book at the bookstore that included a special spot in the back for licking)… you don’t really have anything to show for your time spent reading. One of my favorite things about my bookshelf is being able to look at it and see all the books I’ve read. Some of the books on that shelf belonged to my dad, like his illustrated edition of The Hobbit, or my collection of Harry Potter books that he read to me when I was little. I can run my fingers over the spines, fan through the pages, reorganize my bookshelf so the covers are in rainbow order. I can’t do any of that with an ebook. All I have to show for my reading is the “100% complete” marker on my screen, and even that will disappear once my loan from the digital library expires. I just don’t get the same sense of accomplishment and worldliness from ebooks that I get from paper books.
To conclude this essay, physical books are far superior to ebooks because physical books are better for focus, easier to retain information from, and gentler on your eyes. And, when the zombie apocalypse occurs, I’ll have not only a source of knowledge but a big old Harry Potter hardcover to defend myself with.
_______

Part 3: scriptwriting
(original writing here)

The time is after school. Two best friends, JAX and ANDREW, are walking home together and trying to ignore ANDREW’S sister, LIZA.

ANDREW:
Hey Jax!

JAX:
Hey Andrew!

The boys greet each other and walk along the sidewalk towards home.

ANDREW:
Careful, Jax. You step on a crack, you break your mother’s back.

JAX:
Can I break your sister’s back instead?

ANDREW, contemplatively:
You know, that’s kind of a heartless and immoral thing to do. I mean, what did my sister ever do to you?

JAX:
Sorry, dude-

ANDREW, interrupting JAX:
I was joking! Go ahead, break my sister’s neck for all I care.

LIZA, ANDREW’s sister, runs toward JAX and ANDREW.

LIZA:
Not funny, Andrew!

ANDREW:
Sorry, Liza. J and I almost forgot you were there.

LIZA, scowling:
I’m going to tell mom. I’ll tell her that you wanted to break my neck!

ANDREW crouches down so he’s at LIZA’s level and gives her a Hershey bar he had in his pocket.

ANDREW:
Listen, Liza, it doesn’t have to be this way. Here, in exchange for your silence, I’ll give you… this slightly smushed Hershey bar.

LIZA:
Fine!

Liza stomps off toward the house. Jax and Andrew sigh in relief.

ANDREW:
Phew! That was a close one.

JAX, jokingly:
And I’m pretty sure you promised me that candy bar.

ANDREW:
Not you too! Please. I’ve already got one annoying little sister, I don’t need two.

ANDREW turns pale as realization dawns.

ANDREW:
Jax? She never said she wasn’t gonna tell mom.

JAX:
We’re toast.

JAX stomps on a crack in the sidewalk with all his strength.
_______

The two boys go inside JAX’s house. They head upstairs into JAX’s room before his mom can ask any questions about how their day was. ANDREW closes the door behind them and shuts the curtains.

ANDREW:
If we don’t find a way out of this, we are d3ad.

JAX:
Worse than d3ad - your mom will k!ll us, then drag us out of our graves and have my sister bring us back to life so she can k!ll us again!

ANDREW:
Jax, wait! That’s it!

JAX and ANDREW’s best-friend-hive-mind activates. The two grin maniacally like Cheshire Cats.

JAX and ANDREW, in unison:
What if… we get Emilia to use her dark magic to make Liza disappear?

JAX’s grin falters.

JAX:
I dunno man… messing with the supernatural never ends well.

ANDREW, shrugging:
Meh, it’ll be fine. I’ll go get Emilia.
_______

JAX and ANDREW stand in the backyard with EMILIA, JAX’s older sister. She is drawing runes on the ground and sipping a vegetable smoothie.

EMILIA:
Here you go: One genuine spell of disappearing. Just say the incantation and you’ll never have to deal with Liza again.

ANDREW:
Thank you so much. You have no idea how helpful this will be.

EMILIA:
Whatever. *insert eyeroll* Just get Liza over here so we can begin.

ANDREW:
Okay, I’ll go get her. I can lure her with chocolate.

ANDREW runs out of the backyard and comes back a few minutes later with a disgruntled LIZA.

ANDREW:
Alright Liza, stand in the middle of this circle for me.

LIZA:
Fine.

LIZA stomps to the circle and scowls.

EMILIA:
Let us begin!

EMILIA starts to chant incantations. She throws a lit match into the center of the runes and a circle of fire springs up around LIZA.

JAX, in awe:
It’s actually working!

EMILIA:
Shut up, nerd, or else this won’t work.

Nothing happens. The fire d!es down.
_______

ANDREW gets ready to yell at EMILIA about how it was all a trick. There is a flash of light and JAX and ANDREW find themselves in the middle of the circle instead of LIZA. The two start to fade out of existence.

JAX:
You tricked us!

EMILIA and LIZA laugh.

LIZA:
That’s the last time you make fun of me!

ANDREW, fading away into nothing:
We’ll get the last word, fr3ak squad. You just wait and see.
_______

Part 4: Nonfiction

First piece:
There’s no better place to wax philosophical than your front yard. I know, I’m crazy. But I’m right! And rambling. I am definitely rambling. And talking in fragmented sentences. We’re getting nowhere here.
You see, someone always needs to walk the dog. Dogs love you unconditionally, but unfortunately they don’t have the attention span to walk themselves. They’ll run away, chasing some squirrel. Or maybe that’s just my dog. We didn’t train him very well.
Today, I volunteered to walk the dog, because I knew that if I did, nobody would bother me for the rest of the afternoon.
Wow. What kind of human am I, only walking the dog to gain some peace and quiet? Would I have done it if the reward of alone time weren’t involved? I’d like to answer yes. My defense mechanisms, kicking in to protect my fragile adolescent ego, want to answer yes. But from a bird’s-eye view? Maybe not. My sister could have done it if I asked. My dad could have done it. But I walked Frank today; that’s what matters.
Frank didn’t really want to go on a walk. I took him out, he used the bathroom, and then he tried to drag me back inside. I told him that we were going to walk. I could have just gone back in and continued with my day. I didn’t.
We walked for a while. It was chilly, but the sunlight felt good on my shoulders. Frank looked good in his new creamy white cable-knit sweater. He trotted along the pavement, happy as a clam. I love my dog.
As we were walking, my mind wandered. I thought about my new Lego set I’d finished in the morning. I thought about the weekly I needed to complete, and the homework that was due soon. I thought about the different snacks in the cabinet, and which one would make a good after-school treat. I got so caught up in my own thoughts that I forgot Frank was there - until I felt little puppy teeth chewing at my pant leg.
Frank had decided he was done with his walk. Should I make him continue, and hopefully get some of his endless energy out? Or should I take him home and finish the weekly? I decided on the latter. Frank was very happy with me. We hadn’t gotten very far, anyways. Only halfway around the block.
We made it to the yard. Frank bounded up the steps and dragged me to a corner of the yard. He snuffled around, making me think he needed to use the bathroom again. That was not the case; he wanted to roll around in the grass. It didn’t look like there was anything in the yard that could get him dirty, and he was happy, so I stood back and watched him roll around in pure delight.
Frank’s happiness made me think. Dogs were happy with such little things: A tummy rub, a Milk Bone, a moment spent rolling around in the grass. Did I really need the things that made me happy, like my shelf of bobbleheads or my mountain biking medals? Couldn’t I be like my dog, content with rolling around in the grass?
_______

Second piece - the process of hiding a geocache:
So, you want to hide a geocache? Probably not, but you do seem to be interested in my writing. Written below is the amateur’s guide to hiding a geocache, without spending an insane amount of money or getting in trouble with your local authorities.
-
What is geocaching?
Geocaching is basically a global treasure hunt. Participants use GPS coordinates to find containers full of fun things hidden in the woods, in the city, on the underside of a park bench, in a tree… you name it, there’s a geocache for it!
-
Step 1: Pick your location.
You can’t hide a geocache without a place to hide one. Actually, that’s inaccurate. You can’t currently hide a geocache without a location. So, the first obvious step is to pick a location! You don’t have to go down to the coordinates yet, that’ll come later. For now, find a spot that would be a good place for a geocache.
What makes a good place for a geocache, you ask?
Simple: Almost anywhere can be a good place for a geocache! There are a few things to consider, though, such as:
- Keep it close to home. Don’t hide a geocache in a place that requires a lot of travel to get to, because you won’t be able to perform maintenance on the cache.
- Pick someplace cool. If the geocache is the only reason you’re bringing people to the location, you probably need a new spot to hide it. Try to bring people someplace that has special significance to you, or someplace with a cool history or natural area.
- Stay out of the way. You don’t want your geocache to be “Muggled,” accidentally destroyed by non-geocachers who don’t recognize your hide for what it is.
Once you’ve picked your location…
-
Step 2: Get permission.
You need permission to hide your geocache. That’s all there is to it. If you don’t have permission, you are basically trespassing on people’s property. You can get in serious trouble for this, or have your geocache removed. Therefore, GET PERMISSION TO HIDE YOUR CACHE. Different places have different rules on hiding caches; you can find your local guidelines on the official Geocaching website. There might be forms you need to fill out, so fill out the forms. It also helps to be in contact with someone from whatever organization you need permission from.
-
Step 3: Prepare your cache.
Geocache sizes vary. Here’s a basic rundown on traditional caches. (There are other types, traditional is what I’m covering here.)
- Regular: About the size of a shoebox.
- Small: About the size of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
- Micro: About the size of a salt shaker.
- Nano (when registering your cache, choose ‘other’ and clarify that it’s a nano in your description.): About the size of a thumbnail.
- Large: Bigger than a regular
- Devious: Something that is disguised and might not fit into a size category. If this is the case, check ‘other.’
- Other: Anything that doesn’t fit into the other categories!
The geocaching website sells official containers, but you don’t have to use those. The geocaching authorities encourage using clear containers, but those aren’t always UV resistant so you may want to try something else for your cache. For mine, I got a 7 dollar ammo container at Rural King and put an ‘Official Geocache’ label on it.
You will also need swag for your cache, if your geocache is the size that will accommodate it. Swag are little tradable items that go in your geocache. The rule is, if you take something, you replace it with an item of equal or higher value. You don’t need to overthink this too much - for my geocache, I used old toys (still in good condition), friendship bracelets, color-changing pencils, and other things of that type. All of these I found in my house. I have hoarder tendencies, okay?!
Even if your cache doesn’t have room for swag, it is required that you have a logbook. That is where people who find your cache can put their name and the date as proof of finding it. If your geocache is big enough, it’s nice to put in a pencil or pen. If not, that’s fine! Make sure to specify in your cache description to bring your own pen (BYOP).
-
Step 4: Hide your cache.
Once you have everything ready, take your geocache to wherever your location is. This is the time that you will get the exact coordinates of your hide. Because the Global Positioning System has tiny, annoying inaccuracies, it’s best to do this a few times approaching from different directions, then average out the coordinates you get. While placing your cache, look at it from a few different angles to make sure it’s not too obvious.
-
Step 5: Get it approved.
Your geocache needs to be approved by the geocaching.com reviewers before it is published. You will need an account with geocaching.com for this, but it is free to hide a geocache. Once you are logged in, click the ‘hide a cache’ option. You will have to provide the following information:
- Coordinates of your geocache
- Name of your geocache
- Short description of your geocache
- Hint (optional!)
- Pictures (optional!)
- Attributes - these are icons that you can add in; they explain to other geocachers simple information about your cache, such as how far the walk is, if there’s parking nearby, or if it’s recommended for kids.
You will also need to provide a note to the reviewer. This doesn’t show up on the geocache page once it’s published! In this, you need to provide detailed instructions on exactly how to find your cache. Also include scans of any permission forms you’ve had to fill out. It’s okay to censor out your personal information. Remember: It’s better to give the reviewer too much information instead of not enough. Once the reviewer has decided your cache is good to go, it will be published!
-
REMEMBER: This is not your ultimate authority on how to hide a geocache. This is a nonfiction writing piece for a SWC weekly. If you actually want to hide a geocache, geocaching.com has great guidelines for how to do so. This is just a brief instruction to get you started.
Happy hunting!
_______

Word count:
Poetry:
Poem 1: 130
Poem 2: 31
Poem 3: 58
Poem 4: 438
Poem 5: 16
Essay: 574
Scriptwriting: 700
Nonfiction:
Essay 1: 537
Essay 2: 1046
Total of weekly: 3530
New total: 9102

week 2 daily post!

474 words

check out elfie's writing stan

A faint echo rings in my ears. The skies darken, obscuring the stars above, but stars never disappear. Life and death are inevitable beats of time, dictating our every decision. Soon, every star may fade, leaving an empty sky- my endless monologues under the stars meaningless. But I've been stuck in darkness for too long. I may have forgotten Clarissimus' enchanting rhymes and his vast knowledge of stars, but I will not forget the way his passion shines through. He once told me once stars die, there's a slight chance of rebirth.

Earth, a distant planet where life is breathed into every creature. This is the star where azure waters named oceans bounce to and fro, where vibrant leaves bloom from spiraling wood. Clarissimus told stories of a species named humans- creatures composed of blocks of flesh, sewn together by systems of red rivers. Humans could exchange ideas with their tongues. They could gaze at the stars and name the endless constellations hanging, observing the stars swell and burst. But do they wonder if life exists outside their orbit? Are we simply distant pieces of dust, buried by their life source, which they call the sun?

The stories of Earth may be mere stories, and to them, our existence is a mere myth lost in orbit.

when the world rests as one
dust particles combine
and to the stroke of light
two dyings stars conjoin
in rebirth

What is blinding beam of light that's approaching? The high-pitched and squeaky noises and their red twists bending in, sounds I cannot decipher. Was this Earth, the star I furiously studied every night, questioning its existance? A being- or a human, walks forward, two round spheres rolling back and forth. Its twists are relaxed, curving upwards. A block of flesh and five smaller subsections extends towards me. I watch, as the creature pauses, with a small oscillation in its movements.

Sounds swim out of its mouth, and it tugs me upward, enough to lift my spine upward. Earth's air is wispy and light- here, I bounce with each step, its floor growing more distant as I move forward. Higher pitched sounds follow and their spheres enlarge, blocks covering their curved twist. How do humans manage to pull themselves towards its center?

a single spell, a single verse
isolating the reborn star
by only time
the star will
belong

Throughout my time on this planet, I've learned their language, the way their tongues twist and create sounds. I've learned the expressions they make and the way they decide. Their passion for discovering stars is like Clarissimus'. I have learned that they live in the solar system and the way it expands and shrinks. But in the end, in my time on Earth, I will never be one of the planets orbiting the sun, but a lone, dwarf planet.

3/14: pi day

i know i posted this late but that's because i was rushing

314 words

Running down the hall, zura sighed, her breath running thinner every second. Pi, a number she revolved around. An entity she rotated around, never breaking free from its gravity.

Math math math. Math, the hard subject. Two thick inky arms tunneled through the hallway floor. It squeezed her legs red and limbs began souring. The arms devoured, soaking her bottom legs with black ink. She no longer resembled a person, rather an object tossed in tangled sewer water.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Jolting out of her nightmare, a faint air spread across her fingers. Outside of her history classroom, a small blue door lined in neat plywood stared. She stacked the scattered white papers across her desk and filed them into her folder. As long as she arrived in the classroom, she could live and survive. Nothing had to be terrible.

But what if?

Tiptoing around the desks and the seventh-period students, she grabbed the straps of her backpack. Math class, and it's darned test, the ones that left tens of students crying, lamenting about their scores.

The door peaked open, enough to display the sky blue walls. Except, after the days of worksheets scribbled with red pen, the sight had become nauseating and lost its color quickly. A thin paper sat on her desk faced over her calculator.

The teacher, Mr. KFC wasn't evil at all. He was just a simple man (well, zura disagreed- he was more complex than people had percieved him to be), distributing the test papers. Zura grabbed out the sharpest pencil.

If she could finish this classwork in 30 minutes, maybe 20, and use the remaining minutes to check, she could get the highest score- full, a score only one other person previously had achieved. Furiously scribbling, she wrote the answer to the first problem. But after a few more problems, she hit a roadblock, but wasn't pi's fault.