Aurora's July 2022 SWC Writing Folder

As you make your way through the myth maze, you sense someone watching you. Who are they? And what do they want? You ponder to yourself, getting ready for combat if needed. You hear footsteps getting closer, and closer, and closer-

“Hello! I'm Aurora, nice to meet you! Oh no, did I give you a fright?” The bubbly girl enquired.

“O-oh, hello! Nice to meet you too…” You stutter, out of fear. Could she be an enemy? What was she hiding?

Aurora beams at you. “Come on! I'm glad I found someone to come with me to navigate this place. Let's get out of this maze together!”

You nod in agreement.

~~

Dailies

01/07: introduction day
02/07: magic 8 ball
03/07: compliment your mirror
04/07: ambiguity vs vagueness
05/07: proverbs
06/07: zodiac sign horoscope
07/07: NIL
08/07: NIL
09/07: Cabin wars 1
10/07: wordle
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Enter The Maze - Daily Challenges

01/07: share nickname, pronouns and one writing goal for the month
02/07: chat with @-Banana-Animator-, chat with @-DesVision-
03/07: defeat the druids
04/07: investigating the club
05/07: NIL
06/07: putting on a musical for the quetzalcoatl
07/07: defeating the Jötunn
08/07: NIL
09/07: Cabin wars 1
10/07: talk to the ratatoskr
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Weeklies

Week 1: fanfiction
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:

Word Wars

Word war with @Coco_animator

Writing Competition

(title)

Other Writing

Character Dump

Character Dump!

1. scarlett

scarlett is of chinese descent. she has light beige skin, brown eyes and straight black hair that reaches her mid back. overall neat and tidy apperance with seemingly no flaws. she prefers monotone colours and usually only wears black, white and grey exclusively. she lets her hair loose most of the time and only ties it up if she needs to (doing some kind of activity where her hair might get caught in something etc). she doesn't use makeup but still looks good without it.
alignment: chaotic good. scarlett seems prim and proper on the outside but is the embodiment of chaos and hyperactivity when with her friends. she is not an athletic person, and prefers staying inside. she is loyal to her friends, respectful to her elders, punctual and excels in everything she does, making her the “perfect one” in her friend group. however, sometimes she gets too carried away with the little details and forgets about the big picture. she sometimes also get overprotective of her friends and never hesitates to stand up for what she believes is right. she has a high tolerance level but once she reaches her boiling point, her fiery temper will explode. many are attracted to her flawless looks, but she's a demisexual bi and is only attracted to those that she's formed a strong bond with. in regards to battle prowess, scarlett is the top mage in the city, even surpassing advanced adult mages. she has proven herself as one of the elite, and is expected to rule the city when she comes of age. (yes this is all my own imagination hehe) this gives scarlett a lot of stress since although she is powerful, she knows that she wasn't fit to be a leader - her shy demeanour in front of strangers shows just that. for now, she's trying to enjoy her teenage life to the best of her ability and tries to live a life as normal as everyone else's.

Daily #2: Magic 8 Ball

prompt: “does she accept?” “without a doubt”

It was bright outside. Sounds of excitement could be heard from outside Valerie's home. Despite the weather, Valerie was staying inside, revising relentlessly for the entrance examination. “I need to be the best of the best. I need to get in,” she repeated to herself for the umpteenth time.

“Valerie, it's time for dinner! Come out for a while and chat with us, you've been studying the entire week…” Mrs Garcia called to Valerie.

Valerie kept her items. “Alright…I'm coming, but just for a while. I need to study for the entrance exam!”

Valerie gobbled down her dinner in a flash.

“Sweetie, take your time. You're not in a rush for anything, and it's bad for your body.” Mr Garcia stated.

Valerie frowned “I need to go-”

“Study…” Her parents chimed. “We know.”

“You need to take a break. This much studying isn't good for you. Be confident in yourself, you're already fit for the exam. You'll pass with flying colours!” Mrs Garcia encouraged her daughter. “Why don't you take a break?”

“No. I MUST study. I WILL study.” Valerie huffed. With that, she left the dining table and locked herself in her room.

“Ring…” The school bell chimed. “Time for the entrance exam. I should be all prepared - I studied all there is to study.” Valerie reassured herself as she walked to the examination hall.

The moment Valerie stepped into the room, she felt and air of nervousness from the students. Each and every pupil was doing last-minute revision, memorising advanced formulas or repeating out complex sums. Valerie was no exception. She laid out her writing materials, took out her textbook and continued her revision. This was nothing new to her - she had already read through every single textbook countless times. Some might even say she was too prepared. However, those two words were not in Valerie's vocabulary. She was never too prepared for anything.

The click-clack of the invigilator's high heels could be heard from outside the room. Immediately, everyone stuffed their books into their bag, knowing well that it would only be a few moments until the examination began. “Good morning, students. As many of you would know, this is the third and final round of the National University Entrance Examination. Once you pass this test, you'll immediately be accepted. I will now distribute the papers. Please do not flip the paper before…”

The droning words of the invigilator were familiar to Valerie. She had heard them countless time already, so much that she had memorised the entire speech. The only word that she really cared about was:

“Begin.”

Almost instantly, the sound of flapping paper and intense scribbling echoed across the hall. Valerie picked up her pencil. This paper would be a piece of cake.

“Val, I have a letter for you!” Mr Garcia called out as he entered the house.

Valerie sprinted to the front door to greet her father. “Dad, you're back from work! Is it from the National University?”

Mr Garcia nodded his head. “Here, take it. You can open it.”

The entire family huddled around Valerie as she slowly opened the letter. She read it aloud:

“Greetings, Valerie Garcia. After assessing your results, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the National University!” Valerie beamed in excitement.

“Congratulations, honey! We knew you'd get in,” Mrs Garcia smiled. Mr Garcia nodded in approval, patting his only child on her back.

“You'd accept the offer, wouldn't you, Valerie?” Mr Garcia asked playfully, already knowing what the answer would be.

“Without a doubt.”

Daily #3: Compliment your mirror

~

“Time for another boring day at school…” I muttered as I dragged my heavy legs to homeroom. The halls were – as usual – bustling with excitement, but I was the only exception. My best friend Katie was absent, and I had no one else to chat with. Grudgingly, I pushed open the door leading to my suffering. This day was not going well for me.

“Ring…” The shrill ring of the lunch bell was a joy to everyone. I picked up my items and headed to the cafeteria. The stench of school lunch invaded my nostrils and I grimaced – thankfully, I brought a sandwich from home. As I was about to unwrap my scrumptious meal, I spotted a girl, likely a freshman, struggling to clean up her spilt lunch. I was in a dilemma – I would get my clothes dirty if I helped her, but I'd be filled with guilt if I didn't. In the end, being the responsible sophomore I was, I decided to help the poor girl.

“Hey, need some help?” I approached the girl, offering some tissue. She shyly nodded. Together, we cleaned up the mess. Getting my shirt dirty didn't even matter to me now - I just wanted to help the girl.

“Thank you so much,” the girl bowed profusely. “How can I thank you?”

I shook my head. “No need to thank me – say, would you like some of my sandwich?”

The girl smiled. “Thanks.” That was the beginning of our friendship.

Vera, as she was called, became one of my best friends. She was forever grateful to me. Soon, we graduated college and continued to be friends. To this day, I continue to keep in contact with her. I learnt a valuable lesson - to help anyone in need.

~

word count: exactly 300 xD

Weekly #1: Fanfiction

1. Character consistency

1a. Character sheet

Amity Blight - character sheet (season 1-2)
Series continuing or ended? : Continuing

Pronouns - she/her
Sexuality - lesbian
Species - witch

Strengths: is loyal and kind to her loved ones, is strong at abomination magic

Weaknesses: is overprotective of her loved ones, is easily influenced

General view on life: hateful, then not hateful

Relationships:

Good: Luz Noceda (romantic partner), Willow Park (best friend), Augustus Porter (friend), Edric Blight (elder brother), Emira Blight (elder sister), Edalyn Clawthorne (Luz's foster mother), King Clawthorne (Luz's adoptive brother)

Neutral: Hunter (same rebellion), Alador Blight (father), Hooty (Luz's house demon), Lilith Clawthorne (former mentor, same rebellion)

Bad: Odalia Blight (mother), Boscha (ex-friend), Skara (ex-friend)

Tendencies:

Is overprotective of her loved ones to the point where the protected gets annoyed
Improving or staying the same? : Improving slowly

Is easily influenced
Improving or staying the same? : Improving quickly

Does not associate with those not of the same status as her
Improving or staying the same? : Improving rapidly

Situations:

One of her friends gets hurt:
Emotions: Grief, vengeance
Awareness of others (beside the friend): little to none
Next step: Get the hurt friend to one side and attempt to heal them before rushing to defeat the one that hurt the friend
Outcome: Defeat the enemy, but gets slightly hurt herself in the process

Completing a quest:
Emotions: determination, courage
Awareness of others: very aware of those that are accompanying her in her quest
Next step: prepare well before setting out on the journey, selects what she needs to bring carefully
Outcome: a good outcome, no matter whether she does it herself or with others

Romantic struggles:
Emotions: shy, awkward
Awareness of others: little to none, focuses all attention to the one she likes
Next step: slowly opens up, maybe goes for a peck on the cheek
Outcome: will immediately distance herself if other shows no interest, will try to get closer if slight interest is shown

Part 1b: Scenario

Your character is invited to two events but can only attend one of them (423 words)


Amity paced back and forth in her room. “Argh, what should I do?” She lay down on her bed, deep in thought. For the past few days, she had been thinking and thinking about it. Why did it have to fall on the same day?

Just then, Emira knocked on the door. “Mittens, can I come in? I need to get something!”

“Come in,” Amity called.

The door creaked as Emira walked into the room. “Almost forgot my cloaking stone,” She laughed.

“Em, I need to ask you about something.” Amity said, pulling back Emira as she was about to leave the room. Emira turned around. “I don't know what to do – If I don't show up for our date, I'll disappoint Luz. But if I don't go to Willow's birthday party, our friendship might be broken again…”

Emira smiled. “Amity Blight, you always come up with the best solutions to all of your problems. I know you can come up with one for this, too. You don't need my help.”

“You sure?” Amity confirmed, doubt in her voice.

“Yup.” Emira laughed as she closed the door.

“Of course Emira won't give me any advice,” Amity thought aloud. “Why was I stup1d enough to ask her? She gave me that ‘You’re smart, you can figure it out yourself' stuff that everyone else tells me!”

Ghost, who had been sleeping the entire time, was rather rudely awakened by her owner's ranting. “Sorry, Ghost! Did I scare you?” The palisman, sensing that her owner was troubled, leapt on to Amity's lap. “What do you think, Ghost? What should I do?”

Ghost mewed softly. “You're telling me to think things through again? Really, Ghost?” Amity grumbled. Ghost nudged her folded arms and mewed again.

“Ugh, I'll think about this later. We still have a week, and it's already late.” The cotton candy-haired girl sighed.

The next day, Amity walked up to Luz. She had made up her mind. She knew what she had to say. “Hey, Luz…”

“My sweet potato!” Luz exclaimed. “What is it?”

Amity giggled when she heard her girlfriend's cheery voice. “So, I had something to tell you…”

“Go on…” Luz prompted.

“About our date, I don't think I can make it. You see, it's the same day as Willow's birthday party, and-”

“RIGHT! I totally forgot!” Luz laughed. “Argh, how could I forget?”

“So…you're not mad at me?” Amity asked.

"Of course not! In fact, we can have our date at Willow's party!" Luz beamed.

Amity nodded her head in agreement.

2. Character Voices

Description

Eda speaks her mind, and is confident in whatever she does. She's never afraid to do anything – unless it puts her loved ones at risk. Although she seems like a rough person, you will find a kind heart if you get to know her well enough. She's always been the competitive sort, and doesn't want to lose to others, no matter what it takes. She cares deeply for those she loves, and would do anything to protect them – even willing to sacrifice herself. She will accept a call to adventure at any time, and sometimes acts on impulse when trying to save a loved one. (107 words)

Raine always thinks things through before doing anything, and always comes up with a plan or a strategy before executing it. They are serious when it comes to protecting loved ones, especially Eda. They never want to unnecessarily harm anyone, and this trait shows when they are planning their attack. They are a skilled bard and can deal massive damage to enemies. They are a kind and loving witch, who will do their best in anything they do. When faced with a conflict, they will try to find a way to appease both parties. Often shy and soft-spoken around strangers, they open up only to those close to them. (109 words)

Scene from Eda's perspective (323 words):

I was the first to wake up. Everyone else was still under the effects of the draining spell. It was the worst – Eberwolf, Darius, Raine…I tried to wake them up, but I was still weak and wasn't used to only having one arm. The sky was bright, and the Boiling Isles were eerily silent. Just then, I saw a big explosion at the Titan's Skull, and some child floating in the air. Where had I seen that child before? They bore an uncanny resemblance to that shadow – the one I saw in my nightmares…Nevermind, that's not important. I heard yells, something about the Owl House? My first thought was of Luz and King. They were the ones that knew our home the most. The entire skull was crumbling into bits at this point, and the first few witches woke up from below the stand. Life was slowly coming back to the Isles, but nobody knew what in Titan's world was going on in the Skull. Just then, I saw King's…what do you call it? Weh? That thing. That last ‘weh’ blew up the Skull completely. Only fragments were left. At that moment, Raine woke up. I called their name. They were weak, but they responded. I embraced them tightly. Now, more people were waking up. All of the other Coven Heads were now awake, and everyone was plain confused. That kid shot up into the sky and dived down, floating on top of the stand. He told us something about Belos being defeated? That was good. More importantly, however, he was holding King. King looked absolutely petrified. I couldn't do anything about it, though – I just blanked out. All my attention was focused on King. I felt so helpless. I don't like to feel like that, y'know. This kid…I could sense it. He was brimming with power. Power that he himself couldn't control. And I couldn't do anything about it.

Scene from Raine's perspective (322 words):

I woke up in Eda's arm. My memory was foggy, but I could still recall most bits – bidding goodbye to Eda, getting captured with Lilith, Hooty and the CATTS, being forced into the draining spell, and ripping off Eda's arm. She looked so relieved that I was awake. She embraced me tightly. Right then, I heard a loud explosion coming from the Titan's Skull. I couldn't exactly see what was going on, but I knew it was something bad. More Coven Heads were waking up now. I slowly sat up with Eda's help. I remained silent, observing everything that was going on. The Boiling Isles were in a state of panic and confusion. I turned my head to the Titan's Skull, and it was shattered into pieces, with what seemed like a child floating mid-air? I couldn't tell. I wondered where Luz, King and the others were. If they were trying to stop Belos, wouldn't they be at the Skull where the portal is? By now, everyone was already awake and gawking at the spectacle that was the Skull. Suddenly, I saw an orange-yellow-blue sonic blast that shattered the Skull into bits and pieces. Everyone was silent – they were too concentrated on what was happening. If Luz and the rest were at the Skull, what happened to them? Did they escape to the Human Realm? Was the portal door closed forever? All of these thoughts were racing through my mind. That child that I saw flew over to us and stationed himself floating on top of the podium. That child…I could feel the power radiating from him. It was almost godlike. He announced that Belos was defeated – which was good – but then, I spotted him holding something. No, someone. And that someone was King. He looked at Eda and I with pleading eyes. We knew we had to save him from this child, no matter what it took.

3. Fanfic tropes

trope used: swap au

(author's note: for those of you that watch the owl house, this takes place *AFTER* yesterday's lie and *BEFORE* follies at the coven day parade)

character swaps (so that you don't get confused!)
luz -> hunter
hunter -> luz
eda -> lilith
lilith -> eda
king -> kiki
kiki -> king

everything else pretty much stays the same! amity is still attracted to luz (as the golden guard)

Luz got dressed and slipped out of the window. “Pssst, Flapjack, let's go!” She whispered to the palisman. “I need to go meet Amity…”

The clock struck midnight. Luz was sneaking out of the Emperor's Castle to meet her girlfriend, Amity Blight. “Hopefully Uncle won't notice…” She muttered as she flew off with Flapjack into the starry sky.

Amity was sitting in front of the mirror, pinning up her hair. “Ghost, we need to get ready. Are you excited? I haven't seen Luz in forever!” She smiled at the thought of seeing her girlfriend again. “We arranged to meet up outside Hexside. Let's go!”

Two witches were seen zooming towards Hexside School of Magic and Demonics. Luz landed first, following Amity. “My sweet potato!” Luz exclaimed, embracing her cotton-candy haired girlfriend. “I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too, Luz!” Amity chuckled.

Luz grinned. “Amity, you up for some adventure? I have the perfect plan…” Luz whispered a plan. Amity smirked. This was going to be amazing.

The two palisman flew their owners towards a house. Not just any house, but quite an odd one at that. Slipping in through the window, they giggled at the thought of what would happen next.

“Ready?” Luz whispered.

Amity smirked. “Always.” She summoned abomination goo from her pouch, steadied it above the sleeping figure, and-

Splat! “HEY! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?” Hunter yelled, jumping up from the mattress. Amity and Luz were at the Raven House to prank Hunter.

“Your expression- priceless-” Luz laughed.

Amity snickered. "This was so worth it, Luz.“

”You two should be heading off now, before Belos finds out that Luz is gone from the castle. Amity, you better clean this. up for me, or you'll find yourself in a bit of a pickle when I send Lily to your house.“ Hunter scoffed.

Amity looked puzzled. ”A ‘pickle’? What's a ‘pickle’?“

Hunter shrugged. ”I keep forgetting that I'm not in the Human Realm anymore. You guys wouldn't know. Anyway, take this goo off of me.“ Amity reluctantly cast a spell circle, clearing the goo off of Hunter.

”Well then, we'll be on our way. See ya later, Hunter! Byeee!“ Luz waved a hand before shooting into the sky with Amity at her side.

”Ugh. Those two…“ Hunter muttered before going back to sleep.

The next day, Hunter met up with Gus, Willow and Amity at Hexside. ”Guys, you wouldn't know what Luz and I did with Hunter last night–“

”OI! SHUT IT!“ Hunter protested, but to no avail.

Willow grinned. ”Go on, Amity…“

”We snuck into the Raven House and pranked Hunter! It was so funny, you should've seen his face!“ Amity burst out laughing, making the others do so too.

Hunter's ears turned red. ”Hey! Don't call me out like that! If not, I'll-"

AHHHH!!! The bell shrieked, signalling the start of lessons. “Saved by the bell,” Gus smiled. “See you guys during lunch?” Everyone nodded optimistically with the exception of Hunter, who was pouting on his way to Potions Class.

Meanwhile, at the Emperor's Castle, Belos summoned Luz. “Luz, we've been waiting for far too long. If we want to save the Boiling Isles, all wild witches must be eradicated. I have a mission for you. Infiltrate Hexside, get close to the human, and seize Lilith Clawthorne for me, once and for all…”

Luz gulped. One one hand, she was excited that she got to see her friends every day, especially Amity. One the other, she didn't want to ‘eradicate wild witches’, especially Lilith. She meant so much to Hunter, and she didn't want to ruin her friend's life. Human or not.

“So, Luz? What do you say?” Belos questioned.

Luz stammered, “Y-yes, Uncle…”

Belos smiled. “Good. I've already enrolled you in Potions – the same track as the human – and reserved a seat next to him for you. Do your mission well, and don't disappoint me. I don't want to hear about what happened at Eclipse Lake again…”

Luz returned to her room, apprehensive. How should she break the news? Should she message Amity through Penstagram? She already got an account with Darius' help, of course. It would be a waste not to use it. She quickly summoned her scroll, and shot a message to her girlfriend.

“Luz sent me a message! Let's see…” Amity, Gus, willow and Hunter were eating lunch together as Amity summoned her scroll. “I'm coming to Hexside. Potions Track. Will fill you in tomorrow. See you!”

“Luz is coming to Hexside?” Willow gasped.

“Really?” Gus' eyes widened.

“She WHAT NOW?” Hunter was in shock.

Amity sighed. “Calm down, guys. She said that she'd tell us more tomorrow. For now, we just have to wait patiently…”

~

786 words!

4. SWC Fanfiction (450 words)

“Good morning, dear campers!” Birdi called out to the assembly of Scratch Writing Campers. Every cabin was eyeing one another, excited for what was to come.

Robin took the microphone. “As many of you would know, today is Cabin War Day! You can officially start warring other cabins at eight o'clock!” The crowd erupted into cheers. Everyone was eager to begin the first cabin war of the July session.

“To officially war a cabin, you must post a notice on that cabin's noticeboard. More details can be found on the main cabin noticeboard!” Bakie smiled.

Honey grinned. “Get ready, guys! Preparation for the cabin wars starts in…three! Two! One! Let's go!”

The crowd immediately dispersed, each rushing to their own respective cabin lodges to formulate a plan.

“Ahh…the chaos of cabin wars. How I missed it so.” Birdi chuckled to the rest of the leaders. They, too, were part of a cabin, but they were staying back to make sure preparations went smoothly.

Honey nodded. “It's real messy, but it's also fun to watch!”

“We should get back to our cabins. They probably need our help,” Robin suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement, bidding goodbye to one another.

“Hey, guys!” Robin greeted the Mythology Cabin cheerily.

“Hey, Robin!” The cabin chorused back. They were engaged in a discussion on how they should war other cabins, who they wanted to team up with, so on and so forth. The tension was high. They really wanted to do well this round.

Soon enough, Birdi headed out to the Public Address System speaker. “Campers, cabin wars are starting in five minutes! Get ready!”

“Oh no, only five minutes!”

“Come on, we're all prepared!”

“Let's do this!”

Excited shouts were heard in every single cabin lodge. Birdi sat back and watched the clock. At fifty-nine minutes, she made another announcement. “Get ready, campers! Cabin wars start in, three! Two! One! BEGIN WARRING!”

The fastest runners from every cabin sped out to pin challenges on others' boards. Even though they had an entire day, the first and last few hours were crucial. Pens and pencils were picked up, and writing began in a frenzy. Page after page, document after document, the campers wrote as fast as they could. It was a manic race against time itself.

“Great! We finished a war!” Excited shouts were heard from a cabin. It was none other than Science Fiction, who had been in the lead since almost the beginning.

The campers sighed. “We can finally have a break…”

“Update!” Robin announced, Science Fiction has completed a cabin war! Three thousand points to them!"

The rest groaned. They really needed to catch up. Or else, their cabin might be doomed forever…

Total word count: 2520!!

Daily #4: Ambiguity vs Vagueness

ambiguity (279 words)

Dax saw Conor waiting in his car. “Hey, what are you waiting for? Let's go!” He called.

“I'm coming…” Conor said as he walked towards Dax. “We're going back home now, aren't we?”

Dax shook his head. “Not exactly. A certain someone has called us to meet her…”

As they arrived at the house, Conor sighed. “Tell me where we are!”

“Nope,” Dax replied. He knocked on the door. “Hey, it's Dax and Conor!”

“Come in, the door's unlocked!” A girl's voice replied – a voice familiar to Conor. The duo walked in.

Conor groaned. “Em, is it you? Dax, why is Em here?”

“Yes, dummy! Welcome to my new home,” Emilia laughed.

Conor looked puzzled. “New home? Wait, you're moved and DIDN'T TELL ME?”

“Haha, whoops…might've forgot!” Emilia giggled.

“What did you call us here for?” Dax asked.

Emilia grinned. “Follow me. I know you can get it done.”

Emilia brought the two to the bathroom. “See that?” She pointed to the ceiling. “That's broken. Help me fix it.”

Conor muttered, “And I thought I was done with my job…”

Soon, the boys got to work. Emilia waited outside, making cups of coffee for them. Knowing them well, she could memorise their favourite blends by heart.

“Done!” Dax called. “Do I smell coffee?”

“Yup!” Emilia answered. “Come out once you're ready!”

Soon, the boys emerged from the bathroom. “All fixed, should be working fine now.” Conor sighed. “What even happened?”

“Oh, I'm not sure. Didn't check it properly, I guess.” Emilia shrugged. “Here, have some coffee.”

The three sat down around the table, sipping their coffee and chatting merrily.

“See, I knew you could do it.” Emilia smiled.


vagueness (252 words)

Dax saw Conor waiting for him. “Hey, what are you waiting for? Let's go!” He called.

“I'm coming…” Conor said as he walked towards Dax. “Where are we going?”

Dax shook his head. “Somewhere…not telling you.”

“Seriously?! Where are you bringing me?” Conor protested. “Tell me!”

Dax simply laughed.

As they arrived Conor sighed. “Tell me where we are already!”

“Nope,” Dax replied. He knocked on the door. “Hey, what did you call us for?”

“Come in, the door's unlocked!” A girl's voice replied. The duo walked in.

Conor groaned. “Is it you, Emilia? Why are you here?”

“Welcome to my new home,” Emilia laughed. “You didn't know?”

“YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!” Conor groaned. “HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW?”

“Haha, whoops…” Emilia giggled. “I thought I already did!”

“Sorry to interupt your banter, but what did you call us here for?” Dax asked.

Emilia grinned. “Follow me. Don't get distracted along the way.”

Emilia brought the two a room. “See that? That's broken. Help me fix it.”

Conor muttered, “And I thought I was finished with everything…”

Soon, the boys got to work. Emilia waited outside, making some drinks for them.

“Done!” Dax called.

“Thanks!” Emilia answered. “Come out once you're ready!”

Soon, the boys emerged. “All fixed, should be working fine now.” Conor sighed. “What even happened?”

“Oh, I'm not sure. Didn't check it properly, I guess.” Emilia shrugged. “Here, have some.”

The three sat down around the table, chatting merrily.

“See, I knew you could do it.” Emilia smiled.


total words: 531

Daily for 05.07.2022 (368 words)

Stacia paced around in her room. “How can I make my group presentation perfect? It's already good, but I know I can take it one step further…” Stacia's group was doing a class presentation – and this presentation was graded. The stress was on everyone. They knew in their hearts that they were all competing with each other, but no one said it out loud. Stacia was a very competitive person herself, and the pressure made her even more so. Since she was young, she was obsessed with being perfect – from how she arranged her desk to getting full marks on an exam. She hated the idea of imperfection.

“Stacia, it's dinnertime!” Mrs Brooks called.

Stacia put down her notebook. “Coming, Mom!”

Stacia took her time to eat her dinner. She was in no rush – the presentation was in two weeks, after all. When she finished her dinner, she went back into her room to finish up her homework and get some sleep.

The next day, Stacia's group had a meeting.

“So, is everyone okay with the slides we prepared?” Stacia's friend, Kayla, asked.

Everyone nodded their heads, except Stacia. "They're good, but they could be better.“

Another groupmate of Stacia's, Jacob, rolled his eyes. ”Seriously? Stacia, the slides are already good enough. We don't need them to be flawlessly perfect.“

”That's the point!“ Stacia stressed. ”They need to be flawlessly perfect!“

”Well then, Stacia,“ Lucas, the leader of the bunch, addressed, ”how do you suggest we make them better?“

”I don't know, make it look better?“ Stacia shrugged.

Kayla sighed. ”Stace, you're too obsessed about being perfect. I agree with Jacob. The slides are perfectly fine. And if you really want to change them, think of a way to do it. Actions speak louder than words, y'know?“

”I guess you're right…“ Stacia confessed. ”I know I love being perfect, but I can't help it; that's just how I feel all the time. I'll try to make a conscious effort to change.“

”Don't take it too seriously, or else you'd end up the worse performing student!“ Jacob grinned.

Stacia shook her head in disappointment. ”Jacob, you seriously need to come up with better jokes next time…"

Daily for 06.07.2022 (604 words)

author's note: Melissa is an Aquarius (based off of me)

~~

Melissa Baker sat in front of her vanity table, pinning up the last stray hair. She picked up her bags and left, making sure to lock the door on her way out. Calling a taxi, she set off to school.

Her first lesson was with her Year seven students. They were a rowdy bunch, often getting on her nerves. However, she tried to calm herself down every time to look presentable and maintain her reputation as a ‘nice’ teacher. She certainly did not want the students and her colleagues to think badly of her.

“Good morning, students!” Melissa greeted the class with a smile on her face.

The class shifted in their seats. “Good morning, Miss Baker…” They repeated the standard formalities monotonously.

Melissa shuffled through her numerous papers and worksheets. “Today, we'll be continuing our study of ‘Wonder’. Take out your books, and flip to page one hundred and seven. Here, we can see that…”

The students took out their books and flipped to the instructed page. None of them really paid attention to Melissa's lessons – sure, she never scolded them, but it was just boring. They wanted more fun in their lessons – group work, active class discussions and so on. Melissa sensed that the class was not paying attention, as usual. Her heart sank. She had prepared for each lesson meticulously, yet the students never seemed to appreciate her hard work. She saw them whispering and chatting away, passing secret notes, and reading books under the table – but she never wanted to scold them. She had to remain calm.

“Who can tell me why Auggie felt lonely in this scene?” Melissa asked the class. No one raised their hand. They were far too tired. “If no one will raise their hand, then I'll have to pick myself. Dean, answer my question.”

“I-I'm sorry, could you repeat the question?” Dean stammered. He was obviously not paying attention to what Melissa was saying.

The young teacher sighed. She had to give the students a chance – it was Friday, and everyone was tired from the long week of school. “I repeat, why did Auggie feel lonely in this scene?”

Dean fidgeted with his fingers uncomfortably. “W-which page are we on?”

“For the last time, I will repeat my question. Why did Auggie feel lonely on page one hundred and seven of Wonder?” Melissa repeated, annoyance written quite clearly on her face.

“Because he was…uhh…alone, and he had…uhh…no one to play with?” Dean stuttered.

Melissa shook her head. “Something along the lines of that. Fiona, can you elaborate on Dean's point?”

Fiona looked up. “Oh, um…sorry, which chapter are we looking at?”

“THAT'S IT! You students are CLEARLY not interested in my lesson! Since no one is listening to me, go on and do your own things! Go on, I'm not stopping you!” Melissa stood up, yelling to the now frightened students. They quivered in fear of what was to come. Melissa stood up, packed her things in a huff, and left the classroom.

The class remained silent, still processing what they had just witnessed. They remained still for a good few minutes.

“Is Miss Baker gone?” One student asked, breaking the awkward silence.

“I guess,” Another responded.

“What do we do now?”

“How do we apologise to her?”

The class exploded into murmurs of worry. How could they ever talk to her again, now that she was so mad at them? It felt like there was not much hope left for the miserable class. They would have to come up with a well-thought plan to apologise and make up to Melissa.

Maze Challenge for 07.07.2022

“NOW!” The mages cried, splitting the ground open with a devastating earthquake. The warriors used their blades to stab and stun the Jötunn, while the bards filled the area with a lovely melody to spike the creatures. The mages stood at the side, ready to strike again in case anything went wrong. The warriors and bards, however, did not seem like they needed it – they were handling well on their own. The warriors, with their brute strength, pushed the giants down with the help of their weapons. The mages carefully controlled the earthquake, widening it slowly so as to fit the giants, while at the same time keeping their allies safe. Aurora dealt one final blow with her lute, sending darts flying down at the last Jötunn and pushed it down.

~~

132 words

Word War #1 (187 words, 4 minutes)

Lucas panted hard. Training was difficult. But if he wanted to become the top warrior in the Maze, he had to do it. EVer since young, Lucas' parents had pressured him to be the best of the best. One day, when he received a call from the almighty Moss, Robin and Re, leaders of the Mythology Maze, his parents immediately agreed for him to be sent there without his consent. Now, Lucas was training to be a warrior,and save the world.

“Hey, Lucas! How's training going?” Re chirped, opening the door.

Lucas sighed. “I'm not really in the mood for training today…the past week has been a tiring one.”

Re nodded sympathetically. “I know. With all of the quests that we've had, this week has been a tough one on all of us. Say, how about you go and take a break? You can continue tomorrow!”

“R-Really?” Lucas' eyes widened. Back home, his parents would never allow him to even catch a breath, let alone take a break for the entire day!

Re laughed. “Of course! The well-being of our warriors is of top priority, after all.”

u/c

daily for 10.07.2022! (450 words)

You have arrived in Japan, no doubt, and you are so excited for the journey ahead of you. “Sis, we're here!” Your little sister calls out.


“Yes, we are…” You nod, admiring the view. Your family has just landed at the Haneda Airport in Tokyo, and you are on your way to the hotel that you will be staying in. It all feels too good to be true. The walk from Haneda Airport to the hotel that you are staying in, Royal Park Hotel Haneda, is a short one – and in no time, you reach your destination. Travelling all the way from the States, your entire family is tired from the trip. Once you check in, you immediately rush to your room to get a good night's sleep.

The next morning, you wake up and decide to explore the room in further detail as you were too tired to do so last night. You see a fancy chair with embed diamonds in it. Taking a seat, you realise that it is soft and cozy. Next, you investigate the walls. The bathroom tiles are decorated with majestic cranes. As you exit the bathroom, your parents and sister wake up.

“Papa, Mama, we're going to the Museum today!” Your little sister exclaims in delight.

Your mother nods. “Yes, honey. You'd better get ready quickly, or else we'd be late!”

After getting ready, your father calls a taxi to the National Museum of Nature and Science. Your sister excitedly points to this and that outside the car, but you are too tired to respond. The time difference was really getting to you, and you felt like you were about to fall asleep any second…

“Sis, wake up! We're here!” You little sister calls, shaking you rather aggressively for her tiny stature.

You slowly flutter your eyes open. “Really?” You murmured groggily. “Sis, how do you have so much energy?”

Your annoying sister ignores your question and pulls you up. “Let's go!”

The moment you step into the museum, you are taken aback by the sheer grandness of it all. It looked so posh and well-maintained that you couldn't even guess the age of the building. Your sister drags you over to a flyer with pictures of dinosaur skeletons printed on it. “Dino bones!” She exclaims.

“Shhh…be quiet here!” You whisper to your sister. She was going to be quite a nuisance on this trip. You check the index. There were dinosaurs, Japanese culture, and so much more. Your parents called you over to the ticketing booth. They had printed out the tickets and were about to go off to see the dinosaurs. You gulped in excitement.

This was going to be fun.

Weekly #2!

Part 1: Main Informational Article – Fake Crime (815 words)

WORLD - On July 10th, 2022, many were left in shock as account passwords and private photos on social media platform BookFace were leaked.

The information came from all over the world – 4 million from the United States, 2 million from the United Kingdom and 1 million from India.

This information was shared on a website meant for hackers, making it difficult to locate all of the leaked passwords and photos.

The leaked data provides a gateway for numerous people into innocent users' private accounts, and many were upset by this.

Zark Muckerberg, Chief Executive Officer of BookFace, later confirmed in a chirp on Chirper that the BookFace database was hacked into and the team at BookFace was working hard to fix the issue.

“Not only did the hackers leak public information, but they also made it very hard to clean up,” the multi-billionaire said on his chirp. “The hackers leaked out the passwords for over 80 million BookFace accounts and shared over 500 thousand private photographs stored on the platform worldwide.”

Many chirped that BookFace was down on Chirper, and numerous people took to other social media platforms to ask others what was going on. The world was left in a panic.

According to numerous sources, the hackers have not been found. Some claim that Lucas Miles, an infamous hacker that has evaded capture for years, is behind all of this.

BookFace employee Kris Maxwell says: “We were able to locate the issue almost immediately. However, much damage had already been done, and the actions were irreversible.”

“There isn't much we can do,” Maxwell added. “The data is already out there on the web, and we can't remove it since we don't own the website that the information was shared on. This is a reminder to the public to be wary of phishing scams in the future, so that something like this will not happen again.”

Sarah Lewis, a victim of one of these hackers, said: “I was shocked when I logged back on to my BookFace account when I woke up. Numerous posts were put up on my account by other people, and others were sending me creepy private messages.”

“When I learnt about what was happening, I felt bad for the staff at BookFace. They were working day and night to help us,” Lewis added.

Another victim of the data leak, who wishes to remain anonymous, stated: “All of my private photos, including those of my wife and daughter, were leaked to the public. I was embarrassed as I wanted to keep it (the photos) to myself.”

He added: “I am considering quitting BookFace altogether. A few years ago, my sister's personal details were also compromised in a huge data breach.”

This is not the first time that this has happened. Just a few years ago, in 2019, accounts, bios, email addresses, telephone numbers and addresses of over 500 million BookFace users was leaked on a private website used by hackers.

This load of information was easy to access for those with elementary data mining skills.

In an official statement by BookFace's Chirper account back in 2019, it was revealed that the damage done was near irreversible and many users would have to create new accounts altogether.

This was one of the biggest data compromises in world history. Many users took to Chirper to complain about “the lack of security on BookFace” and “how easy it was to hack into”.

Muckerberg later chirped that they “were deeply apologetic” and would “do their best to provide better service in the future.”

Sadly, this was not true. Even though the current situation is not as bad as it was in 2019, it is still definitely something that we should be concerned about.

The 2019 breach happened due to an error in the source code of BookFace that allowed hackers to access private information with just a few clicks.

This issue was later patched and fixed in early 2020.

Luckily, ThatsApp and Outstagram, other social media platforms owned by the BookFace, were not hacked into.

When Bookface bought Outstagram back in 2012, it sparked a huge controversy among the internet. It was sold for $1 billion, an enormous sum for a small company with only 13 employees at the time.

This escalated even further when Bookface bought Thatsapp in 2014 at the whopping price of $19 billion.

Both of these were acquired by Facebook as Muckerberg believed that there would be “competition against the two big social media platforms”. He also said that “acquiring it (Outstagram) was a huge benefit, as it would increase the revenue of Meta, the parent company of these three platforms, by a huge amount”.

Some on the internet worry that soon, this big data problem will extend to Outstagram and Thatsapp, affecting even more users on the planet.

For now, BookFace will try to patch up any more vulnerabilities.

u/c

daily for 11.07.2022 (511 words)

Chantelle picked up the letter on her table. She had already read it numerous times – she literally memorised the whole thing. Despite this, she still read it every day. Carefully unfolding it open, she read through the text again and again, tears rolling down her cheeks and dropping on the already tear-stained paper. She was already old, and she was living alone in her quaint little home, away from the bustling city. There wasn't much to her life – aside from the occasional chat with a friend, or her children visiting now and then. Her husband passed on in a tragic plane crash a few years ago, and the letter was the last trace of him. She knew that she only had a little more time left, and it was slipping away from her very quickly. She wanted to treasure all of the moments she had left, including her dear children and grandchildren. Their visits were growing less and less often as they grew up, until they only visited her once every few months or so. Her friends would also come and visit now and then, but there wasn't much that they did anyway – just some small talk here and there. She understood why hardly anyone visited her – her house was wildly out of place, and her son had already been pleading her to move in with him so that they could be closer. Chantelle's response was, of course, to stay in her home. She could not bear to leave it, as her childhood memories were all attached to the walls of the small place. She slowly kept the letter back on the table and got up. She had other things to do than moping about something that was already gone. That was her problem, she had figured – she was too attached to everything that was already gone. She made her way to the kitchen to clean up. Not that there was much to clean up – living only with herself meant that she only had to wash up one set of dishes. After cleaning, she headed back to the living room, sat down on her old armchair and flicked on the television. The news was always so depressing – war, famine and such. She never watched the news. Instead, she switched to the comedy channel. Oh, how funny it was! She laughed out loud, guffawing at the hilarious jokes. As an old woman, it was good to have some laughter in her life. Just then, she received a call. It was her son, who was coming by soon. She was excited – she hadn't seen him in months. He was on a business trip and had just returned from China two days ago with his children and wife, and wanted to visit his mother right after he settled down. She smiled from ear to ear. She really wanted to see him again.

Soon, the doorbell rang. Her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren came in, greeting her warmly. She beamed. Her life was not so bad, after all.

Stuck

I crouched even lower as I sheltered myself from the cacophony of noises from the canteen. Around me, everyone was chatting merrily and having fun. I, however, was the odd one out. Why was I so different from the rest?

I'm Haley. Haley Evans. Even though I'm top of the class, I feel like a stranger to everyone. Invisible. Locked up in a prison cell with no bars, but the bars were myself. I stood up and headed to the washroom. Thankfully, no one was around. I heaved a soft sigh and quietly pulled down my black hoodie. Gleaming silver eyes stared back at me in the mirror, reflecting a tall, slender girl with silky brown hair. But there was more to the sad picture. My eyes have been trained, trained to see the darkness behind this beautiful, perfect girl. Imperfections. So many imperfections.

“You have no friends.”

“Nobody wants you.”

I could hear them, repeating to me over and over again, the same few phrases. The voices, running through my head like an endless train.

“Why do you study so hard?”

“What's wrong with you?”

No one could help me. Inside, I saw a trapped little girl. Hidden behind the seemingly flawless picture of Haley Evans. She was stuck. Stuck in this state of mind, an empty void, with no one to support me. I checked my watch. Lessons were starting in five minutes. I donned my hoodie and trudged back to class.

After school, I took my bag with me and walked to the canteen. I put down my bag at the canteen bench and stared into empty space. The obnoxious chatter of students was blocked out. I was used to it now.

“You’re helpless.”

“Give up, there’s no solution.”

The voices came again. There was no way I could stop them. I came to accept the fact that I couldn’t do anything about it.

“Hey, I’m Kaitlyn! Want to be friends?”

I turned around and saw a girl with blonde, wavy hair and deep, mysterious green eyes. “H-hello…”

I was in a dilemma. My mind was torn into two pieces.

“Don’t accept her help, no one can help you!”

“She can help you. Believe in her.”

“So?” Kaitlyn quipped. “Can we be friends?”

I hesitated.

“Okay.”

The voices screamed in agony. “NO!” They pounded my brain, begging me to rethink my choice. However, I had already chosen what I wanted. My life is controlled by me. I could do what I and I myself wanted.

Years later, and Kaitlyn and I were still friends. Kaitlyn had taught me how to appreciate life and to socialise more with others without having to trust them too much. She helped me cope with my trust issues and anxiety. Throughout my life, Kaitlyn had supported me and I was so, so grateful for her.

We had been and will be best friends for as long as time exists.

And that means forever.

Daily for 18.07.2022!

Rapunzel was once again locked up in her room. “Argh, I hate writing!” She grumbled, looking out of the window. Rapunzel was a beautiful girl with long, luscious golden locks and deep, mysterious green eyes. However, she was locked up in the Tower, forced to write all day long. There was once a time when she had enjoyed writing, but those days were long gone. After months and months of non-stop writing for Scratch Writing Camp, she got tired of her life and longed to go out and play like her other friends.

“Rapunzel!” The Sorceress called from below. “Let down your hair!”

Rapunzel groaned. She hated the Sorceress. Sealing her up in a small room at the very top of a tower, forced to write for eternity – it was not exactly ideal. Still, she had to follow her mother's instructions. “Coming,” she yelled back.

Deftly tying her hair in big loops around a hook, Rapunzel secured the knot, prompting the Sorceress to climb up the tower with her long hair. Soon, the Sorceress got up, carrying with her a basket full of goods.

“Good. Thank you, darling.” The Sorceress smiled, dusting her dress. “I bought some food for dinner.”

Rapunzel nodded, as she could smell the lovely aroma of basil coming from the basket. She thought of the last time she had basil – it tasted amazing. She had no idea what her mother put in the dish. Magic, she supposed. “Thank you, Mother!”

“You're most welcome, my dear. Now then, continue writing. Those words won't count themselves!” The Sorceress waved her hand, unlocking the door and heading down to her own quarters. The moment she left, Rapunzel's smile instantly morphed into a sneer. That little devil, she thought.

Calming herself down, Rapunzel sat down on her chair and continued writing. It was her duty to do so. She had to serve Mythology – they had to be in the lead, no matter what. Ever since her mother got invested in the camp, Rapunzel had been attending every single session. She always came out in the Top Three in the Writing Competition, and her cabin never failed to get First Place. It was the Sorceress' pride and joy, but it meant nothing to Rapunzel. It was just something that she was forced to do, and it did not bring her a bit of joy.

She logged on the her laptop. Time to count the words. She meticulously proofread her script while keeping track of the word count at the same time, proving that she was an experienced camper. Heading to the Word Count Studio, she added all of her words and grinned in satisfaction. Even though the writing definitely was not fun, the counting was the most rewarding bit.

“Dinnertime, sweetie!” The Sorceress' voice came from downstairs. Finally! Rapunzel was only allowed to get out of her stuffy room during mealtimes, and it was always exciting to see what her mother had cooked for her. She closed her laptop, packed up her things and headed downstairs. Even though she was tired of the routine, it was her life now.

And nothing could change it…

What makes a good rule?

A good rule is a rule that is reasonable, flexible and enforced well.

A rule is put in place for others to follow. If the rule is unreasonable, it is hard or even impossible to follow and the people will end up disobeying the rule. This results in both the enforcer(s) of the rule and the people meant to follow the rule enhappy. One example of this could be “Everyone is only allowed to drink water at designated areas and designated times to reduce spillage.” Water is something that everyone needs to survive. By enforcing this rule, you are taking away something essential to the people. This is a very unreasonable law as you might end up killing someone because of dehydration. This leads to the people being unhappy and disobeying the rule as they can only get a simple need at a certain time and at a certain place, and the enforcer will be unhappy as the people are not following the rule. A good alternative to this would be “Everyone must use a non-spill bottle/straw bottle to reduce spillage.” Not only does this solve the problem of spillage, people can now drink water anytime and anywhere, as long as they use a non-spill/straw bottle.

If someone is unable to follow a rule because of reasons that they themself cannot control, it is an unfair rule. They will be wrongly accused, there is nothing that they can do about it. This may be because of a disability, restriction set by others or much more. In this case, enforcers need to be flexible. Let us go back to the rule previously mentioned. For example, on a particularly chilly day, the water in a bottle might freeze and expand, causing the bottle to break. When the ice melts, the water will leak out. The person is unable to control the weather. How do you expect them to avoid spillage? The enforcers need to make an exception in this scenario. If the rule is not flexible, the person will be unjustly punished and might cause unnecessary controversy.

Rules are enforced so that people will follow it. However, if people choose not to obey, and there is no punishment for it, then what even is the purpose of the rule? Rules must be enforced well with a punishment suitable for the severity of the rule. Once again, we will go back to the spillage rule. If people choose to not follow this rule and they are not punished, they will continue to do it, creating a mess everywhere. In this case, if the enforcers do not care about it, the rule serves no purpose and should simply be removed. If, however, the enforcers do care about this, they would do their best to detect when the rule is broken and deal a suitable punishment.

A rule is an abstract thing and there are many aspects to it. Nonetheless, there are still a few things that we must pay attention to when creating a rule. If the rule does not meet the above criteria, it is not a good rule.

weekly #4!

The stars shone bright, glistening in the midnight blue sky. No matter how difficult my life was, I always turned to them for help and guidance. They gave me a sense comfort that no other human could possibly even give. They twinkled and sparkled, as if they were trying to tell something to my troubled soul. I sat and watched the skies and the stars, before I decided to leave them. Waving a final goodbye, I gently closed the curtains, pulled up my blanket and fell into a deep, deep slumber. Little did I know that those stars were so much more important than what I had thought…

“Wake up, Ashlynn!” my father called out from the front seat. Gosh, I couldn't believe it. I had been having this dream, for countless years now. I would doze off, and wake up in my bed, appreciating the night sky from the window. Of course, it was soothing and calming, but I could never make any sense out of it. Soon, I came to accept it – accept the fact that my conscience was telling me to go to the stars for help. Despite it seeming like a bad thing at first, I came to realise soon after the dreams started that my life was changing for the better.

My grades were falling drastically compared to my past performances. There was no way I was getting into the Elites like this. I was too afraid to seek help – no one would understand my situation, anyway. They were all to busy with their own lives to care about someone like me.Weeks turned to months, and I had lost hope in everything. My life and dreams were practically crushed. My aspiration of becoming an Elitist was long gone by this point. I reached my lowest point. With nobody there to comfort me, I was left alone in the darkness to rot away like the useless peasant I was. Or at least, that was what I myself wanted to believe. The stars appeared like a beacon of hope. I had always treated them as an annoyance, and I was already sick of having the same dream countless times. The dreams started long before I even started school. Like an angel sent by a God, they comforted me, even though they did not possess a voice. They inspired me, brought me back up in my lowest point, and encouraged me to do so much more. From that moment, and that moment alone, I had built up trust in the night sky, and the dreams became less of a nuisance and more of a comfort. I could never even fathom having the stars taken away from me. Life would never, ever be the same again. I would revert back to my past self, struggling, depressed. The damage would be too severe. I had done so much with the stars. They had become my only friends. No one cared about me like they did – not my teachers, not my so called ‘friends’, not even my own family. I would protect the stars. No matter the cost.

I turned my attention back to my father, who was waiting for your response. “Yup, I'm awake…” I nodded groggily. My Father was bringing me on a ‘special road trip,’ which I had absolutely no interest in. My father was a weird man. Sometimes, he would shoo me away like an annoying fly when he was busy, but he would also always bring me out on ‘fun activities.’ This time, he said that we were going somewhere ‘really special.’ Yeah, that was what he said every single time he brought me somewhere. He never actually cared about my grades and performance, and it felt like my life would not be affected severely if he were to stop caring about me and just earn money for the two of us. Ever since my mother passed, it had just been the two of us – for almost five years now. I had become accustomed to it. Of course, I never expected her to come back again. I couldn't change the past.

“We're here!” my father exclaimed, pulling up at a small driveway full of houses. I did not recognise this place. I had never ever seen it before. Suddenly, a familiar woman came running out to the car. I alighted from the vehicle, and squinted to make out who exactly it was. No, it couldn't be…

“Ashlynn!” my mother ran towards me, tears in her eyes. “My darling, it's been so, so long…” She embraced me tightly.

Tears welled up in my eyes. “W-what? Mom, you're…alive?” I stammered, too stunned to speak. I hugged her back, scared to lose her again. Before the stars, she was my only comfort. My only friend. “I thought you were…” My voice trailed off.

“Dead? No…it was all a lie. You see, something came along, and I had to leave, possibly forever… but I'm here now, and you never need to worry about it again.” My mother replied in her soothing voice.

What was it? Why did she say she was dead? Well, I had to save these questions for later. Now, I needed to get a good night's sleep. There was still school tomorrow, anyway.

The next day, I saw a young girl sobbing quietly in a corner of the school. I usually was not one to socialize, but seeing her this disappointed broke my heart. Walking up to her, I asked, “Hey, what's wrong?”

“All I ever wanted was to belong…” The girl sputtered out in between muffled sobs. I instantly understood what she meant. My life had been a traumatic one. With the apparent loss of my mother, I felt different. Everyone else had a mother. But not me.

“What happened? Tell me everything,” I smiled.

The girl looked up at me with her bright blue eyes. “I'm the only person with blue eyes in the class…everyone tells me that I look disgusting and that I should wear contacts. I got punched because someone said I don't deserve to be alive…” She revealed a deep black bruise on her arm.

“We need to get you to the Sick Bay now. That bruise looks bad,” I rushed, taken aback by the severity of the punch. We ran to the Sick Bay. Thank the heavens I was not late for class.

Later that night, I had the same dream. I asked the stars for guidance about that girl. Like me, she was stuck. How could I help her…

“Oh, how, oh how could I help the poor girl?

She's so young, so innocent…

She's got so much to do, so much more to be seen,

Yet she stills has much on her plate!

Oh, how, oh how could I help the little girl?

Her life's already miserable…

I want to help her – so stars, tell me please!

How can I help this girl?

I was once stuck, just like her,

But thanks to you, I overcame it…

Now, she needs help, so what could I do?

Oh how can I help, how can I help, how can I help!

This poor girl…”

Suddenly, the stars replied. No kidding – the stars spoke. “Come with us…we'll show you.” I felt myself whooshing through the night sky, teleporting myself to a place unknown to anyone else…

“Thud!” I landed on a rough surface. The pain was enough to tell me that this was definitely not a dream anymore. I was transported to somewhere far, far away from home, and I sat up and looked around. I was sitting on a hard, rocky surface, and it was unbearably cold.

“Hello! You must be the new Guardian.” A peppy voice pokes from behind.

You jump at the sudden call. “Sorry, but…what exactly am I doing here?”

“Oh, well…the stars didn't tell you?” The girl asked. “Oh, and my name is Bella! Nice to meet you,” she chirped. “Let's see…you're first assignment is to clean up this mess!”

“Mess? Assignment? What is this???” I asked in bewilderment. “You still haven't explained to me what ‘Guardian’ is!”

Bella sighed. “Well, there are more important things to do now than to explain what should have already been done by the stars. Now then, get to work. The Moon ain't cleaning itself.”

The Moon? Explained by the stars? Well, if this wasn't as important as cleaning up, I supposed that I should get to work. I sweeped up the pebbles, picked up the litter, and did everything a normal person would do when cleaning. Ah, spick and span. Just how I liked it to be.

“Done!” I yelled out to Bella.

Bella grinned. “Nice! Well then…let me see. Hmmm, it's really been a long time since another Guardian popped up…”

“Can you just tell me what I'm doing here?!” I groan, exasperated and starting to feel a little anxious. What is the world was I doing on the Moon? And what was all this Guardian business? Just when I got my mother back, this /had/ to happen. My heart began to beat faster and faster, and sweat trickled down my palms. What was I even doing here? I wanted to go back, back to the comfort of my own room – just me and the stars.

Bella nodded. “Yeah, okay. Gimme a sec…”

She was not helping at all. I was starting to feel giddy. Well, it's surprising that it's only happening now, considering that I was on the moon for a good half hour now. Or maybe it was just my anxiety. I wanted to go home. Now.

“Bring me home,” I whined, almost scared for my life at this point. “Please.”

“Sorry, I can't…being a Guardian is really important. If not you'll throw the entire universe off balance.” Bella said.

“WHAT NOW?” I yelled in disbelief. I sure was doing a lot of yelling today.. My heart was racing at this point, and my hands turned clammy. I really was frightened and I would rather die than to stay here another single second. Bella was really getting on my nerves. “TELL ME WHAT I'M DOING HERE!” Pouting, I shook out of fear. Or maybe it was just cold.

Bella turned towards me. “I told you, things are busy. I need time to sit down with you and have a talk. Arguing like this is useless.

I groaned. I was going to have to deal with anxiety for the rest of this thing.

”Okay, let's go then.“ Bella gestured for me to follow her into the city. It was a beautiful place. She walked straight into the castle and explained to the guards that I was the new Guardian. They immediately let me through. How important was this ‘Guardian’ business?

She led me up a spiralling staircase into what seemed like her own quarters. ”Are you a princess or something?“ I questioned, looking at the posh state of her room.

”Don't question it. I'll explain it later.“ Bella said.

Later, later, later. She always said that everything would be explained later. But what exactly was ‘later’? And when?

Bella sat down on her bed. ”You can sleep here tonight, on a mattress on the floor. I'll ask the guards to get it set up for you later. Now, I'll need to introduce you to the city and townsfolk. You'll be spending a lot of your time here, so it's best if you were familiar with how stuff works here. It's really different from Earth.

I nodded attentively. This really was big business. I walked out with Bella leading the way, back down the staircase and out into the city.

At least, I sort of knew what was going on. The universe is about to collapse, and I need to save it. Somehow, it has something to do with the stars and all those weird, yet comforting dreams I kept getting every single night. Now, I'm a ‘Guardian’ of sorts, but I still have absolutely no idea what that could ever possibly mean. I really needed to have a firm talk with Bella about this. For now, I would just have to follow her and see what will happen.

Then, I'll make my move.

(2042 words)