Hello! I'm Kat and this is where I'll be posting anything to do with my writing or SWC! <3

About Me
Poisonball:
Part 1: link
Part 2: link
Other parts TBR
Daily:
Translated song
Wordle
Map
Give Something Away
Two and a half minutes
Same Phrases
Other stuff:
Cheezy Peaz
Weekly:
Newspaper
Writing Competition:
Entry

About me:
Hello I'm Kat! I'm an avid reader and writer from New Zealand, and this is my first time participating in SWC!!!!
-Basic Facts-
I'm 11 years old, and have one younger sibling. You can find me curled up on the couch reading a book, or online Scratching! Despite my Username, I don't have a Cat, (Or any pet, for that matter.), and I want a Sausage Dog!
-Writing Info-
Where I do have a pretty good skill of writing, I find it hard to find things to write about. It seems like all the good ideas have already been taken. So I resolve to using online writing prompts, and the weird dreams I have that involve poisonous hockey sticks, flying moon hoppers, and a school shed that produces crisp 10 dollar notes. I started Homeschooling back in February, but I still miss school a bit, therefore many of my stories are set at school, or have a major scene that goes on in a school space. Last year, I started writing an unfinished Murder Mystery. I thinks that is probably the best example of my writing. It currently consists of 3 chapters, 23 pages, and just over 5000 words. Like I mentioned earlier, this is my first session of SWC, and it's been awesome so far!
-Activity-
I have pretty much never been inactive on Scratch since I created this account, and I'm not starting now!

LOL that's pretty much all you need to know right now, thanks if you read this far!
<3 Kat

Poisonball.
Part 1 of a story I'm writing inspired by a dream I had. I will be posting parts as the story progresses

Danielle had missed the cake again. While the rest of the class were shamefully being scolded by Mr Wilson for spilling crumbs down the front of their uniform, Dani stood outside of the group, still clutching the envelope that held one of the Very Important Notices she was sent to pick up every Wednesday afternoon.
Now was the fifth time she had missed Mr Wilson handing out cupcakes for good work, and she had never gotten to see what was in what was written on the VIN.
The Cupcake Curriculum had been introduced by the principal, a jolly man who went by the name of Mr White, to boost positivity in learning. Sounds rather corny right? Wrong! The basic idea was that the students got given points for every assignment or test they topped full marks on. Some teachers, like Mr Wilson, gave points for ordinary school work. Once the class had reached 100 points, Mr White dropped in an order at Sara’s bakery for enough cupcakes to feed some hungry kids.
Unfortunately, Mr White was a very forgetful man, and because he was a very forgetful man, he sometimes forgot how many students were in each class. Therefore, the number of cupcakes he ordered for each class varied. Sometimes cupcakes would overflow out of the box, and the students could eat as many as five cupcakes each. Other times they would be 4 or 5 cupcakes short, and the students would fight over who would be lucky enough to get a reward for all their hard work.
Mr Wilson's class was the most obedient class in the school. As expected, they earned the most points by far. They earned so many points that it had become a tradition to treat themselves to cupcakes and Pita-Pits every Wednesday afternoon once they had finished a sweating game of volleyball.
Sounds amazing doesn’t it? Well, thanks to Mr White, they were always one cupcake short. This worked out fine if one or two kids were sick, or had a dairy allergy. But Mr Wilson’s class also has the best attendance record in the school. And on Cupcake Wednesday, one student was always left out. And that student was almost always Dani.
Right now she could see them all giggling at Mr Wilson. She didn’t get why they were doing that until she noticed he; had pink icing all down his front.
Five minutes later the class had lost ten points and stood there in silence. Nobody dared to open their mouths.
“Right.” announced Mr Wilson. “Does anyone remember the farm visit we had a few weeks ago?”
Everyone nodded. That visit was an event that would never be wiped from their minds. Several girls had to sit down from the mere shock of the memory.
“Good. Now for writing today, I want you all to write a narrative about the visit.”
Almost everyone groaned. Dani didn’t. She quite liked writing. And as she stared at the empty desk in front of her, she had the perfect idea for her story…
“Why would anyone want to go to the farm? It’s smelly, unsanitary, and if anyone sees me there it could make a huge impact on my social media accounts! I’d better disable them before anything drastic happens. Right, TikTok, facebook, twitter, Instagram… OMG Nathen just posted a new photo, it’s of him at his family’s farm. Caption reads: Just having a great time as usual at our farm up north. Change of plan girls, we need to post as many photos as possible of me having fun at the farm, in order to impress Nathen.”
Ariel Baker stalked around the quad every lunchtime plotting ways to get noticed by Nathen King. Her loud voice carried around the school to Dani, who, as usual, was sitting under a tree reading her book. Honestly, those girls just sat around gossiping all day, and they were way, way to obsessed with-
“Hi.” A voice interrupted her thoughts. It was Mark. He pushed a strand of shaggy brown hair out of his eyes. A slight flutter went through her stomach. “Dani. I was wondering if I could walk home with you today so you know, we could discuss our plans for the display? I was thinking maybe we could do something to do with outer space? Like the solar system, if you wanted to… um I mean, it’s your display… I’m just helping…”
All of a sudden he turned away like he didn’t want her to see his face. Dani didn’t need to. She could see his ears had turned a warm shade of peach. All in all, she didn’t really want him to see her either. It was like her face had turned into a sunburned tomato.
No Mark. Dani wanted to say. It’s our display, don't you think? I mean I have done the majority of the work… but you’ve helped loads by doing the research. It’s taken the weight off my shoulders, and did you know that Geoff has a jam colored hockey stick, and that penguins can’t fly? Also have you tried the new BBQ pizzas they serve at that new shop? You know the one that sells all the crazy merch for tourists?? And she’d be off. Rambling crazily like she always did whenever Mark was around. Next thing she knew she’d have told him how her bedroom was full of all that “crazy merch”.
Ariel and her crew were staring at her and Mark again. Better get that conversation wrapped up before they were the subject of tomorrow's rumors. Besides, she was only twelve years old, much too young for romance in her opinion.
“Mark?” He turned around to look at her and the butterflies started up again. “I… I… I usually finish my volleyball practice at around four.”
He grinned a crooked grin. “ Great! I’ll see you then, mind if I come a bit earlier? I’ve never seen a game of volleyball before.”
Inside she was hyperventilating. “Sure! We’re practicing for our big game against Hampcourt next Sunday.”
“Great! See you then!” Mark jogged down to a soccer game that was taking place on the field, then stopped to wave at her once she was down there.
“Great. See you then.” she muttered under her breath.
Smiling a bitter smile, Dani pushed her glasses up her nose, and went back to her book. It wasn’t long before she was interrupted again. This time by Geoff, and his purple hockey stick.
“Dani! You are not going to guess what’s happened! Mr Wilson let me use the science room, and I’ve had a scientific breakthrough!”
“Geoff-”
“Of course I have nothing to test it on, so I’ve had to sacrifice Mabel-”
“Mabel?!”
“Yes you know, my stick.”
“Oh okay. Geoff-”
“I think it might work but I still need to test it, and since you’re my science buddy-”
Dani held up a hand to stop him. “Let me guess. You want me to help test it so you don’t singe off your eyebrow and I escape unscathed like last time?” She tried to suppress a scowl.
“Um…. I dunno… signs point to maybe… I…”
“Just get to the point, Geoff!”
“Fine. Yes I do want you to help me test it. I won’t have a chance of winning this year's science fair without something the judges will love.”
“And you think they’ll love this? After you nearly burnt the hall down last year?”
He ignored this statement. “So? Will you help me?”
“I’m really sorry Geoff, but I have a really bad stomach ache.”
He believed every word of it. “Oh no. Would you like me to take you to the sickbay?”
“I’ll manage.” She flashed him a weak smile, and made her way over to the office building playing the part well.
And as she lay there on a cot, she could have sworn she saw a squirrel drop dead after Geoff ran past it with his stick. She blinked and it was gone. Or had it quickly disintegrated? She pushed the thought out of her head.
Half an hour later, she told the nurse she was feeling much better. And she stalled her way back to class, leaving thoughts of disintegrating squirrels back in the sickbay.

Song Used: Darkside by Alan Walker.
Original lyrics: “No secrets worth keeping, so fool me like I'm dreaming.”
Translated lyrics: “There is no secret to keep. So deceive me as I did in my dream”
Words: 496

“There is no secret to keep
So deceive me as I did in my dream”
Emily awoke with a jolt. Her nightgown was soaked with sweat, and she was panting as if something had been chasing her in the dark.
Because it had.
Night Terrors. They were forbidden at the orphanage. If any girl complained to Matron that she couldn’t sleep, they would receive a sharp slap to the knuckles with a ruler, and 100 lines. I must not be afraid.
A shiver went down her spine as she absent-mindedly traced her fingers along the scars on her right hand.
She could hear the sound of the pointer hitting raw flesh. Taste the bitter salt of blood from biting her tongue hard enough to keep the tears in.
It was too much. Emily shook her head and sat up. Fingers shaking with the cold, she reached for the ragged, moth-eaten shawl from beside her bed. Wrapping it around her frail shoulders, she then struck a match at the antique tinderbox. Looking into the flame, she once again heard the words the figure had spoken.
“There is no secret to keep. So deceive me as I did in my dream.”
And that figure, of course, was her.
The dream had begun with her clad in a white veil, leading a heavy march. But she wasn’t leading anyone. Except for herself. She had made her way to a tall, shrouded mirror. And then she heard those words spoken. Except they were spoken by her. She stood in front of the mirror until she saw the figure's reflection.
Until the mist had swirled her away to another place entirely…
The flame held as many secrets as it had kept. But with a flicker, her only hope had burned out.
A silhouette passed her door. It looked distinctly like the figure from her dream. She had no choice but to follow it.
The punishment for roaming the grounds after nightfall was the cane, and no breakfast for two weeks. Emily was given the cane many times, and was never hungry. The only thing she wanted was to fill the constant pang of sadness inside her.
And maybe this was exactly what she needed.
Careful not to step on the wrong floorboard, Emily made her way to the door of her cell. It creaked alarmingly as she prised it open, but no one seemed to be disturbed.
The figure wasn’t gone yet, and was floating two feet off the ground.
With a shock, Emily realized that it was in fact a young girl of about twelve. She had long fair hair and pale, pale skin. She pointed towards the gates.
They were open. Emily blinked. Nobody had seen those gates open in the last twenty years. Emily broke into a run towards them.
All of a sudden, her way was blocked by a huge, imposing body.
“You.” said the Matron.
She had been wrong. The figure had deceived her after all.

This piece of writing was inspired by this video! Some lines were also taken. Cheezy Peaz

“Hello Miss, you look like you’d be interested in demonstrating this product for our customers. Please come up to the front so all our viewers can see your pretty little face.”
“Excuse me, I really don't think-” I muttered as the guy with the microphone dragged me away, and someone shoved a camera in my face.
“Now, If you like cheese on your peas, and peas on your cheese, then you’re gonna love this! Introducing: Cheesy Peas! You’ll never have to worry about spending hours grating cheese onto your peas ever again! With just a can of this, you’ll be in Cheesy Peas heaven!”
He produced a bright green can which displayed a picture of chunks of cheese, floating in a bowl of peas. The label read, Eazy Cheezy Peaz.
“Now, if you want just a ready made dinner with absolutely no effort at all, then you must try our latest prototype! Eazy Cheezy Peaz!” The man produced a can opener and a bowl. He opened the can, and upturned it with a flourish. A most disgusting mixture of dark yellow and green slimed out with a pop.
But he wasn’t finished yet. “Now let's hear one of our customers' delightful opinions!” he thrust the microphone at me. “Now Miss… what’s your name again?”
“Umm, did I honestly forget to tell you?” I said, playing the fool. “My name’s Angelica.” No way was I going to give him my real identity.
His voice boomed out of the speakers. “All right! So, Angelica, what do you think of Eazy Cheezy Peaz?”
“Uh…” I stuttered. “To be truthful I think it looks really disgusting. Eating something like that would make me-” He shoved a hand out of my mouth.
“To be honest, I reckon little Angelica here is lactose intolerant.” He improvised. Rude!
The person with the camera hurriedly shuffled me out the way. It wasn’t my fault I was ruining the reputation of Eazy Cheezy Peaz.
As I was led away, I could hear the guy's voice, and the crowds cheers for Cheezy Peaz.
“And if you think we’re finished, you can buy your very own Cheezy Peaz sauce! Squeezy Cheezy Peaz! With the all new, Strawberry flavor!
Doesnotcontainanythingnatrualandnomoneybackguarantee."

Part 2 of Poisonball.
In this, Arianna gets a taste of her medicine.

“Ah hello, Dani! I hope you’re feeling well enough for our spelling test this afternoon? Geoff told me you had a sore stomach this lunchtime.” Mr Wilson welcomed her back.
Dani brightened up considerably. Spelling wasn’t her worst subject. “Yes sir, I’m not missing the test!” She punched her fist playfully in the air. Arianna and her group sniggered. Mark smiled at her and raised his eyebrows.
A hot flush started creeping up her neck, and she made her way back to her seat before anyone noticed.
Mr Wilson started the test without hesitation. “Poisonous.”
P-O-I-S-O-N-O-U-S….
The test went smoothly. At the end they exchanged papers. Dani swapped hers for Geoffs. He received %55. Once he’d swapped them back again, she saw her score was a 98.
“Which word did I misspell?”
“Poisonous. You wrote poisoned instead.”
A sickening feeling slithered down her throat. She gulped. “Oh. That’s just an honest mistake. Anyone could have made that.”
“Yeah, but you’re like, Dani, you always get full marks in every test. Even Arianna got a 100.”
“Did she now?” Dani was suddenly interested in Geoff's conversation. “Who marked her test?”
“Penny. You know, long blond hair, rude-to-your-face Penny?”
“Yes I know that Penny. Mind you, their scores have been rather high for the past few weeks. You don’t think… she cheated.”
Neither of them spoke. The answer hung in the air.
Dani got up calmly out of her chair, made her way to Arianna's table, swung her finger at her and screamed “CHEATER!”

There were four of them. Arianna, Penny, Sara, and Yvonne. Sara and Yvonne mostly just followed the other two around like a pair of sheep. Dani thought they had brains the size of walnuts.
Penny used to be fine. She organised clubs for when it rained at lunch, and was pretty nice in general to everyone. She had long golden-blond hair and green eyes. It was hard not to like her. Then Arianna invited her to sit at the popular kids table. Nobody turned down an invitation like that. Arianna showed her new ways to wear make-up and do her hair. Arianna gave her the information that Brandon wanted to hang out with her. Less than two weeks later they were officially announced as an item. In Dani’s opinion, that made them sound as if they were on a supermarket shelf.
Brandon had the worst haircut, and not an ounce of intelligence in his head.
Arianna was the most popular girl in the school. Everyone liked her, (except Dani.), she had curly dark hair, olive skin, and incredibly dark brown eyes. It pleased her immensely to spread gossip about other students. Her only goal was to impress Nathen, who didn’t think much of her.
Together, they made life torture for any misfits.
Not Dani. It never worked for her. Nothing could creep its way into her head. Nothing.

Arianna looked like a goldfish. Her mouth was wide open, mouthing silent curses, and her eyes were staring in disbelief at Dani.
“Close your mouth, darling, you’re attracting flies.” Penny elbowed her friend. With a snap Arianna's mouth was closed, and no flies were stuck inside it.
“I know you cheated.” Dani seethed. “Cheating is a sin. So is gossiping. You have never heard of respect, and I will never expect it from you.”
“And you, Dani Fieldman, are a ugly, four eyed nerd, who doesn’t know a thing about fashion, make-up, or anything like the rest of us actually have a clue about.” Arianna shot back.
Dani’s lips curled into a smile. “You’re only obsessed with that stuff so you can impress Nathen.”
Arianna’s hand raised up as if she was going to slap Dani. Mr Wilson intervened before things could get physical.
“You two have just ruined our chances of earning cupcakes on Wednesday. Minus 20 points each.”
That brang the class total down to 42. Less than Ms Opires class. And she taught the little kids. Pure embarrassment.
It’s your fault.
You yelled at Arianna. You deserve it
It’s your fault.
These thoughts circled round and round in Dani’s head. Was it her fault that everyone hated her? That they wouldn’t get cupcakes.
But then again, she didn’t really have any friends. And she never got cupcakes in the first place. And it was most likely down to Arianna that everyone was shooting her glares from across the room.
Well, almost everyone.
“It’s not your fault,” said Mark, right on cue. They were making their way to the volleyball court for Dani’s lesson. “You gave Arianna the medicine she needed.”
Dani sighed. “It’s not that. Now I know she’ll be going out of her way to be miserable to me.”
Mark placed a hand on her shoulder. “She’s a bully, Dani, and that’s just what bullies do.”
She smiled. “You’re a good friend Mark.”

Daily!
Words:
-Yodel ✅
-Dream ✅
-Reads ✅
-Tenth ✅
-Tents ✅
-Trade Word goal: 400 ✅

The sound of the Yodel produced by an enthusiast mountaineer pierced the crisp silence of the Southern Alps. I had no idea whatsoever of how they managed to make that noise. I would trade with that guy any day, to be able to sing malevolent songs on a Saturday morning.
Mind you, it was getting rather irritating, having him sing, excuse me, yodel loudly, when all I was trying to do was get some sleep.
What else are you supposed to do while halfway up a mountain?
Taking a deep breath, I unzipped my tent, and upon exiting, found hundreds of other people doing the same. The gentle zip of tourists leaving their tents was getting too much. Right, I decided. Time to get some peace and quiet. In case you didn’t know, I had never coped well with crowded spaces. And nobody told me this place was popular for family vacations!
With nothing else to occupy myself with, I started to remember the dream I’d had last night. Before I was awoken by that insane yodeler.
It started with me falling through the sky. Or maybe the birds were just flying upwards. I don’t know. Anything can happen in a dream. Right before I was supposed to hit the ground, I landed upright on a giant bottle of Maple Syrup. That was probably because I had eaten pancakes in the hotel last night. All of a sudden the bottle tipped straight over, and I was rowing a boat in the thick syrup. It took all my willpower not to lean over, and take a sip. With a bang, more than twenty other rowers appeared in the syrup. One look at them told me I was in a race.
Overall, I reached tenth place in the race. Just as I was about to take a bite into my prize, (One delicious pancake.), the mountaineer decided it was the perfect time to start his morning yodel.
And that was how I woke up. I had a right mind to throw my alarm clock right down the mountain. I certainly didn’t need it now. Not after being woken up in that way this morning.
Maybe I should tell you about my cat. His name is Sam, and he reads books. I think he’s a very smart cat. Sam would’ve known what to do about the mountaineer.
I needed to have a word with this guy myself. Cursing under my breath, I stumbled down back to the hotel.
Everyone seemed to be cheering about a celebrity. I decided to ask the woman next to me who it was. “Excuse me? Do you know who the man on the stage is?”
“Why yes dear,” she replied. “That’s Pierre Gondola. He’s a world famous opera singer who’s staying at the hotel. Didn’t you hear him practicing this morning? Marvelous, isn’t he.”

Hello! this is my completed Weekly!
Words: 2488 (Titles and questions not included)

Part 1: 811 Words.

Six Million Dollar Theme Park a Huge Success!

Residents of Bronkleton have declared our newest attraction, “a complete wonder!” Of course, nothing could be said otherwise. ‘River’, the recent amusement park, is a complete hit!
Tourists are flocking from miles around to spend a day there, and it’s all anyone can talk about! Ever since its appearance back in February, the park has had nearly 5.7 million visitors. Almost as much as Rivers' strict budget it was built on!
Mayor Lewis announced back in January 2021 that Bronkleton was to receive a new council building, improvements on the Philip Bronkle memorial Library, and an amazing whizzer of a theme park. The park would be named River, as a tribute to the Lucas river, which runs through the center of the city. These statements were declared to boost tourism, and give a richer payment to the Workers of Bronkleton. For more information, see Library Improvements, (p.27), and Council Tower, (p.15). ]
River, has six major attractions that makes visiting it worth the while. First up, we can’t forget the spontaneous water activities that give River its name.
Using filtered and chlorinated water from the Lucas river, a speedy and fantastic waterslide is a must-do at River. Crowds of citizens line up every day, to have a good old-fashioned scream! Mrs Lilian Ornill, 84, remarked; “I loved this! It simply was a wild ride!”
And talking of wild rides, who could forget Thriller, the freaky rollercoaster that riders of all ages will be talking about for the rest of their days. With dozens of tight turns and sickening loops, Thriller is for anyone who needs a jumping fright! “Wow. I’m amazed. No rollercoaster has ever been that thrilling for me!’ screamed Rodrick Gonzales (17).
But that’s not the only rollercoaster River has tucked up its sleeve. When asked if River will be expecting any more rides, Mayor Lewis answered; “Well, we’re planning to introduce a new rollercoaster this December! Make sure to look out for that one folks!”
As well as this, River has a wide selection of Family-Friendly activities that everyone can enjoy, from old Grampa, to little Junior. These range from carnival games such as Coconut Shy, and Ring toss, to team challenges like Color War, when teams aim to cover each other in different colored powders.
And if you think you’ve seen it all, River also has a food bar, which has delicacies from many different cultures. No need to lug around a picnic basket all day!!
River is by far the most popular part of Bronkleton, and Mayor Lewis’s most popular addition by far. But does that explain the need for such a large amount of cash going into it.
When the project was first announced, Mayor Lewis requested a loan of 4 million dollars as a maximum budget. When questioned, he answered that he had thought they would only need around 3.5 million to build it. That left $500,000 for the Library.
The final total rounded up to nearly 2 million over the maximum budget.
Ariel Becket, the Mayor's Personal Assistant, shared her thoughts on the matter.
“It was an accident really,” Becket rushed to explain. “In fact, it was the rollercoaster that did it. Nobody expected a rollercoaster to cost that much. Of course, our first instinct was to cancel the ride completely. But, what’s a theme park without a rollercoaster?”
Thriller has generated more than $600,000 from the ticket booth alone. If they used the money from the booths, could they pay it all back?
“We don’t need to pay anyone back really,” Becket replies. “All the cash that went over the budget was in trust. And the Mayor would never go back on his promise to up the rates of the Workers. Anyway, a fraction of the ticket booth money belongs to the council, so we will have enough to pay for the new attachment in December.”
Another question asked was the public's opinion on River.
“I think it’s the best thing our town has ever seen,” grinned Mr Jamie Lockingdale, 43. “I have contributed many of my truffles to the food tent, and the number of people visiting my bakery has gone up by far!”
“My kids are so happy! Jayden, my 10 year old daughter, was quite an introvert, and she’s made so many new friends playing Color Wars!” Ella Jybernaught, 37, told us.
“Are you kidding? It’s impossible not to love this place!” -Kasper Eelstone, 14.
Well, one thing is certain, River is certainly popular, and we can be sure it will receive many more visitors in the coming years.
Mayor Lewis simply states: “It makes my people happy, and what makes my people happy, makes me happy. So I’m happy!” He cracked a smile.
River is the highlight of our town, and it makes Bronkleton, Bronkleton.
Next Week: Giant Pancake exhibition, True or false?

Review: 917 words

Restaurant Review: The Elegant Snail.

Being a food critic is an interesting job. All the famous chefs at the hottest restaurants know who I am. They receive a tip off from a close friend of mine, and all of a sudden they're scared as mice!
The information they receive varies. Sometimes all they know is that I’m coming within the next week, and I’ll be wearing a fancy hat, other times they know I’m just a dark haired woman, and they won’t know I’ve visited until my review appears in the paper the next week!
Today I’ll be collaborating with a fellow food critic, and celebrity truffle maker, Jamie Lockingale. We’ll both be reviewing the new restaurant, The Elegant Snail!
With a very catchy name, The Elegant Snail, is a new and upcoming restaurant downtown. It is rumored that Mayor Lewis himself has dined there already.
Apart from the occasional fast food chain, Bronkleton doesn’t have many dining options. But with a new theme park, and improvements taking place throughout our town, it’s time for a change. -Bella Melrose.

Dinner at The Elegant Snail. By Bella Melrose.
I arrived at The Elegant Snail at 6:30 pm sharp. Nobody batted an eyelid at me, and nobody knew who I was. Of course, nobody but Jamie.
Upon entering, the staff escorted us to a comfortable waiting space with several other families, while we waited to be seated.
The inside decor of the building has a 50s vibe. With bold patterned wallpapers, and nonstop tunes playing on various jukeboxes scattered around. Overall, I loved the feeling of the place, and the crew were incredibly swift at finding us a seat.
Jamie and I were led to a table with a wonderful view outlooking the Lucas river. Combined with the setting sun, and our town's beautiful skyline, we had a breathtaking experience right in front of our table.
The waitress arrived to take our drinks orders. They had such a wide range of delicacies, it was incredibly hard to pick a refreshment. In the end, I decided on a glass of Iced tea, with a squeeze of lime and two drops of vanilla. Jamie had a caffè mocha. Our drinks arrived without hesitation, and before we knew it, we were ordering our starter course. A magnificent dish of German Oysters.
The dish was perfect to every last detail. No Oyster was too salty, nor too bitter. The Elegant Snail’s staff had done an excellent job on our starter.
Before we knew it, our waitress had returned, and was asking us what we would like for our main course. The special for that night was roast lamb, with cream of mushroom soup. As usual, the service was beyond flaw, and I was very impressed with the smoothness of the delivery.
As for our main course, the lamb had been roasted to perfection, and the soup had a perfect texture! This restaurant had done an outstanding job on my dinner that night.
Rounding up, I rate my experience 5/5 stars, and I will be coming back there again!

Dinner at The Elegant Snail. By Jamie Lockingdale.
Upon arrival at The Elegant Snail, I waited outside the restaurant for 15 minutes for Bella. It took me ages to find her in the lobby, until I found a woman with a shocking afro of pink hair. In the end, we were led to the waiting space half an hour after our booking was supposed to have started.
The waiting space was hot and stuffy, and filled with screaming children, a sagging couch, and mushy food on the walls. It took ages for the staff to find us a table, and when they finally led us to one, it had a view of the Bronkleton sewage plant. Lovely!
Inside, the actual restaurant was even worse than the waiting room. Rust covered the limp tin frame, and several parts of the rotten roof were caving in. The tables had at least one leg each missing, and there was a roach infestation at the back of the building.
We were getting hungrier and hungrier as we waited for the waitress to arrive. When she finally showed up, it was clear she was more interested in flirting with the new chef, than taking our order.
Shockingly, the drinks menu only had two items on it. We didn’t have a choice but to order an Iced tea for Bella, and a caffè mocha for me. On top of that, the coffee had no flavor, and it burned my tongue. And Bella’s tea had a slug in it.
No sooner had we finished the drinks, we were practically forced by the waitress to order a starter. This turned out to be Oysters, and the restaurant managed to mess that up as well. For a start, they were way too bitter and salty, and the chef had forgotten my Oyster allergy!
Surely things couldn’t get any worse? But they did. The only choice for our main course was roast lamb, with cream of mushroom soup. The lamb was burned so badly it was not for humans to consume. And the soup, like Bella’s drink, was littered with quite a few slugs, and the mushrooms in question were classified as poisonous!
I ended up leaving early so I could enjoy a civilized meal at home with my family.
Overall, I rate my experience 1 out of 5 stars. Take my advice and don’t visit The Elegant Snail unless you want the worst meal of a lifetime.

Column: 527 words

Ask Kat:
Q: A mysterious person has appeared at my house and says “we have come for your nectar”. What do I do?
A: No. You have to be kidding. That person hasn't been seen for nearly 500 years now. If what you describe to me is true, then I am afraid there is not much you can do.
Here are the few things you can do to survive. 1: Lock all the windows, doors, and any way of entry. 2: Stay inside your house until the person goes away. 3. Call all your family and friends and advise them to do the same thing. 4: (Most importantly), HIDE YOUR NECTAR SOMEWHERE THAT REMAINS A CLOSELY GUARDED SECRET.
If these instructions fail to keep you safe then there is only one thing for it: Give up and surrender your nectar. Hopefully, you won’t have to take these drastic measures.
In the meantime, get comfortable, and start reading this column. It explains all you need to know. There, don’t panic.
The person who showed up on your doorstep without any invitation, was a Keexle. They come from the deepest part of space, and depend on nectar to survive.
Nectar, as you probably know, is a rare substance that is only found on earth. For thousands of years, the Keexles used to make the journey here once every ten years for a fresh supply of nectar. This all changed when humans started polluting the earth, and there was a devastating change in the levels of nectar.
Humans started becoming all picky on how much nectar the Keexles took every year. For the Keexles, this meant war! There was a huge battle that lasted years which the humans eventually won. Keexles departed and nobody has seen one since. Everyone assumed they had found a new planet with plenty of nectar supply.
At least not until now. If you are going to sort this out in a peaceful way, you’d better start now. We don’t want another falling out between these aliens.
In the meantime, don’t tell anyone what you have seen. This could lead to crowds of paparazzi camping outside your door for the Keexle. Of course, that would not be helping you get a much-needed rest for the battle ahead.
How forceful the Keexle may be, depends on your quantity of nectar you own. If you have only a liter of nectar, for example, then it will be way easier for them to surrender, and get beamed up back to their home planet.
Alas, if your basement is filled with giant tanks filled to the brim with nectar, then I suggest going back to the bit that tells you what to do if you fail.
Once again, do not, by any chances, exit your house, make any calls to anyone, or surrender yourself to the Keexle. I will now list the things Keexles have a certain weakness to.
The things that scares Keexles the most are mangoes. Yes, I said mangoes. These yummy yellow fruits prove fatal to the Keexle tribe. Hopefully, you have a wide selection of mangoes, or perhaps a mango storehole, and will not suffer in the coming days.
For now, arm yourself with mangoes, and be prepared for the Keexles second appearance at your home.
Best of luck! -Kat

Other: 233 words.

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Sleep habits for 3 of my characters.
I slept 9 hours last night so that's 300 words.
Words: 342.
Please don't copy my characters, I'm currently working on an original story with them, so don't pass off my ideas as your own.

Kat Fisher: Kat has had little sleep for as long as she could remember. In the refugee camp that she grew up in, it was noisy, and she pondered every night if she would ever get across the border. After she started working for VYSPO, a regular night would usually include a call from Shantaia, usually requiring her to spend countless hours working on a critical problem. A busy night was even worse, at times like this she was required at HQ and sent out on a mission, earning her little, or no sleep at all.
This caused her to be bad tempered and on edge for the next day, and Kat had to rely on coffee to keep her awake. One time she was late for work, and as a punishment, had to give up her place on a space trainee program. After the rare nights when she had a full night of sleep, she would arrive at HQ ready to help out on anything that needed doing.

Luca Monroe: Ashamed to admit this to anyone, Luca never drank enough water before bed, and sleep walked on a regular basis. His girlfriend Kat eventually put a stop to this when he was framed for stealing valuables of rich folk in the night. He never remembered his night-time adventures the next day, and generally depended on Kat to help him find his way back to his own bed. Unsurprisingly, his code name at VYSPO was “Sleepwalker”.

Shantaia: Nobody has ever seen Shantaia lay her head on a pillow for a long, long, time. As the boss of VYSPO, a business that trains agents to fight crime and correct evil, she has to be on call 24/7. Like most people who don’t get enough sleep, she tends to snap at her agents, and barely has a happy face.
Most of the time she is shut up in her office, sorting out important things. Is she using this alone time to have a quick nap? Until she opens the door, we’ll never know.

Object: A blue bottle vase filled with daffodils. From clarem12
Words: 523.

The door closed with a hiss, and I was trapped inside with only 25 minutes to escape.
“Help!” I pounded at the door. “Somebody help me!” But it was no use. The room was obviously soundproof, and the maniac who locked me in here would make sure that nobody heard me.
Looking back, I should have never agreed to investigate that strange robbery. If I had known then that it would result in this, I would have lied and said I was nowhere near the scene of crime.
The room had once been an airtight vault. It took 25 minutes for all the oxygen to be removed. The radar on my suit read that I only had 20 to find a way out of here. So much for all my yelling.
I sat down on the cold stone floor, on the verge of giving up all together. A lump in my pocket reminded me of the letter the maniac had given me, before he shoved me into this prison.
Surrender, and you will give us what you stole. Fail to do this in time and we will take your life.
Those words went through me like ice. I couldn’t fail, but I couldn’t surrender. Not after what I’d been through to get it.
Glancing around, I noticed that there was a table in the room. Sitting upon it were a silver-backed hairbrush, an empty bottle of champagne, and a blue bottle vase filled with daffodils.
I stood up, and walked towards the table. 18 precious minutes left, and I was not going to put them to waste.
The hairbrush had a looping inscription on it, but it was too faded to read. Inside the bottle was a note, but written on it was a strange number combination.
It was the vase that got me. Reaching down inside, I found a dirty rock with a sharp edge. Immediately, I knew instinctively what it was. Diamond. And I knew that the vase was the perfect place to hide something you didn’t want found.
My fingers reached up to the top of my suit, and clicked a hidden button. Out popped a capsule, and I lowered it carefully into the vase.
It was critical that no one would find it. My secret was safe for now.
This vase, if anyone found what was hidden inside it, could mean the end of the world. I’m not joking. I had received strict instructions to conceal in a place hidden from the human eye. And, well, no one looked twice at a vase.
If I could find a way to smuggle it out…
10 valuable minutes left, and I still hadn’t discovered how to get out. It was only then that I noticed a keypad on the door. All I needed to do was to find the code.
Lost in thoughts, I wandered around the prison pondering what it was. I was certain the letter in the bottle had something to do with it. I was certain it was a code.
Scrambling towards the table in shock, I had it in my grasp when…
Hiss…
“Get out of here!”

Hello! This is my writing competition entry!
It's about this girl imprisoned in this camp for all her life, with only the ID of #45.
I hope the Judges like it! Thank you for reading this story, I spent a lot of my time on it.
Thanks!
-Kat :3
Words: 1140

“Imprisoned like a bird in a cage…”
By koolkatz38

It was no ordinary camp. No happy families pitching tents, and playing games. Maybe it was the fences that made it different. The fences were tall intimidating things that lined the perimeter. #45 looked up at the fences. Many inhabitants of the camp had tried to climb over, but they were thrown back with a sickening zap, and bright sores on their palms.
It was the fences that made it a cage.
#45 had never tried to escape. She knew she would make it out of there. Those who gave up hope hadn’t survived. They were the ones who had been in the camp so long they had gone insane.
Yet #45 had been in this camp for the eleven years of her life, and there was not a screw loose in that brilliant brain of hers. She never knew when she would cross the border and start a new life. The only thing she’d ever known was the tall fences and dry terrain that surrounded her.
There was nothing out of the ordinary to do with her. She had shoulder length black hair, and green eyes with flecks of gold in them. If she wasn’t normal, people would notice her, and nobody did.
As she looked around, it was clear that the others were struggling to swim in the pool of misery they were stuck in. Nobody had time to smile anymore. The wardens picked one lucky human a day to cross. #45 had seen people being forced in one day, and forced out the next. She watched as they frantically signed papers, and made phone calls. The calls that gave them a fresh start. The start she longed for more than anything.
Perhaps the reason nobody had led her out yet, was because nobody knew what to do with her. Dumped on the border as a baby like a sack of potatoes, she had been taken to the newest refugee camp, and given the ID of #45. This, because she was the 45th person to ever enter behind those fences. #1 was long gone.
Like everyone else, there she stayed. Imprisoned like a bird in a cage, unable to have the strength to fly away.
Above the fences was a mango tree. #45 had never seen a mango before. She had heard of them, of course, the sweet juicy fruit that was a luxury of the outside world. It was something she dreamed about, when she actually got some sleep.
This mango tree had a branch that hung over the fence. It hung low, if #45 stretched her fingers, she could almost touch its large leaves. Imagining the taste of the mango on her tongue, she turned towards the tree, with the hope that today might be the day she’d been waiting for.
There, on the branch, was a perfectly ripe mango. The dark magenta fading into a vibrant yellow, that just as quickly changed to green. It was perfect. And it was hers.
Hers. She had never had anything that belonged to her before. The clothes on her back were the same standard duty uniform that everyone else wore.
Looking around, she couldn’t see anyone who might dob her in to the wardens. That would earn her two weeks of emptying bedpans, and the strap.
#45 stretched her arm up, closer to the mango. Just a bit more. You can do it. Her fingers brushed the smooth texture of the skin. With a jump, her fingers closed around the fruit.
“Hey! You girl!” The sudden voice made her stumble and lose her balance. “What’s that you’ve got there? Bring it over here, now!”
It was a warden. The warden she’d thought had finished his duties. Trembling, She picked up the mango and shuffled towards him.
“Quickly girl! Do I have to bring out the strap?”
She hurried up, and before she knew it, his looming shadow was in her face.
“Thank you girl, very good.” He snatched the mango and strolled away.
Her face was hot. #45 had never had anything taken from her before. Nothing.
Fists clenched, she ran back to her tent. It was the only bedroom she’d ever had. Musty and gray, with a limp sleeping bag on the floor, it was the same as all the other tents in the camp.
Still, she had a bed to sleep in and food to eat. Even if the food was mush, and the bed made her wake up sore. Not that she ever slept.
It was easy to have sleepless nights when you lived in a camp. The little sleep she got was clouded by nightmares, and she woke up in a cold sweat, unable to have a peaceful rest.
That night #45 lay awake, stuck in a train of thoughts. Most of them involved a mango. Eventually, she drifted off, stuck in a nightmare involving a warden riding a mango about to crush her.

She awoke suddenly. This was normal, but she quickly sensed something was wrong. Instead of the usual animal calls and sounds of the outside world, she could hear people shouting and scrambling about. Perplexed, she poked her head out of the tent to see what all the drama was about.
Bang! A gunshot echoed across the grounds. Ears ringing, #45 blinked slowly, taking in her surroundings.
The bright flicker of fire was eating up the trees and buildings a few yards from the fence. Frantic wardens were rushing about, making sure that nobody would take this as a chance to escape. The flames rushed closer to the camp, making sure they got the full meal they were craving. There was nothing anybody could do to stop them.
With a sickening crash, the restraints gave way. #45 saw that the fence had given way, and fire was consuming the camp faster than ever. She turned towards her tent, only to see the flames eating that up as well.
The heat from the flames made her eyes water, and her lungs were filling up with smoke. Coughing blindly, she made her way to one of the lines for evacuation. Everyone had given up by now. It was pointless to keep fighting.
A rough hand took hold of her shoulder. She turned around, expecting to see the ugly face of a warden. Instead, a tough-looking woman stared down at her.
She opened her mouth to scream, but the woman covered it quickly.
“Quiet!” she hushed. “They’ll be searching for you. We have to get as far away from here by morning.”
“Who are you?” #45 whispered in a hoarse voice. It was the first time she’d spoken in nearly 3 years.
“Ah, so she speaks.” the woman announced, dripping with sarcasm. “My name is Shantaia, and I’m here to get you out.”
The keyholder was here. The one that would set her free.


Thank you for like the third time if you read this far. Hope y'all like it!
-Kat

2 and a half minutes.

“Ok so,” Kat began, “Did I tell you about the time when I first found out about VYSPO?”
“No,” Luca replied, checking his watch. “You have two and a half minutes to tell me before I have to meet Shantaia.”
“So, it was after this big fire at the refugee camp. The wardens were rounding people up to be evacuated, and I was on the verge of going with them.
“Then this hand got placed on my shoulder and I was like, is this a warden? Am I going to get in trouble? But I saw this woman with that crazy haircut she had two years ago, and I thought I was a goner. Well, I was just about to scream and she, like, pushed her hand in front of my mouth really rudely.
“I asked who she was, and she replied really sarcastically making a big deal of how I was quiet, but I hadn’t spoke in nearly three years so I don’t blame her-”
“Hold on,” Luca interrupted, “You didn’t speak for three years? By the way, 30 seconds gone.”
“It’s no big deal,” Kat shrugged it off. “Anyway, she tells me that she’s Shantaia, and she’s there to get me out… you know. And then we walk for ages and she asks me my name. Being the stupid person I was back then I said #45 which was my ID in the camp.
“I needed a better name, and I’d found this cat which almost died from the fire-”
“Flame?” Luca guessed. “1 minute to go, you know how precise Shantaia is about us being on time.”
Kat rushed to finish her story. “So I say my name is Kat. She gave me the last name Fisher because that was the only available name on the register. We reached the city, and I must have looked a sight from the fire. She crosses the street and leads me into this building-”
“30 seconds.” Luca reminded her, face down at his watch.
“And she tells me that it’s VYSPO, and gives me the same talk she gives every other new recruit. She tells me I have to have my abilities tested, and the rest is history! What do you think of that, Luca?”
Luca ignored her, still staring at the watch. “5… 4… 3… 2… 1…”
Shantaia’s office door banged open. “Glad to see you found my haircut so humorous 2 years ago, Kat.”
Luca entered the room and the door slammed shut. Kat’s face burned with shame.

Daily!
Words: 940

“Alas, my powers have failed me. I will have to return to the start of my journey. It is with my greatest regret that I speak these words to you..”
I dramatically placed my hand on my heart, and tried to look as miserable as possible. Obviously, it didn’t fool Mrs Demone. I could tell she was starting to regret casting me as the lead in our annual play.
For some unexplained reason that wasn’t clear to me, her eyelid had started twitching, and her lips looked rather weird. Like somebody had given her a drink of lemon, lime, and chili pepper.
“Are you all right Mrs Demone?” I interrupted my tragic speech to check.
“Yes, fine Jazz, carry on. Just my allergies kicking in.” she waved it off. I went back to my speech without missing a beat. If I couldn’t say so myself, I was the brightest star in the sky.
“Jazz,” she pulled me aside after rehearsal. “I think you’re trying too hard to be a good actress. Just, feel the role you’re playing. Try to embed a bit of yourself in the role.”
Taking her advice to heart, I went home and redesigned my costume, made some minor adjustments to my lines, and didn’t overreact. It was like she wanted the play to be perfect. But how could a play be perfect when the star was as hopeless as a can of beans?
The next day we had a full run through of the script. It had been Mrs Demone’s idea that we collaborated with each other and wrote our own script. She was the best drama teacher we’d ever had. Only problem was, I couldn’t find my script and was running late.
I scanned around my bedroom. Surely it couldn’t be that far, I was editing it last night. My eyes landed on a deserted binder lying on a pile of folded washing from last week. I opened it to find pages of my distorted handwriting. My quest to find the script was complete.
“Jazz, the bus just went by. Are you s’posed to be on it?” My younger brother yelled from downstairs. “Jaaaaaaaaaaazz!”
Shoot! I’d missed the bus and Mom was leaving to take Brian to school. After running the 5 blocks to the middle school, I arrived in the auditorium with 30 seconds to spare.
“Ah, Jazz,” Mrs Demone greeted me with a warm welcome. If you could call being given a tight lipped smile warm. “ Thank you for deciding to actually show up today. If you’ve remembered, we’ll be taking a full walkthrough of the play.”
I looked around the auditorium. If we got a new interior by next week, it would look perfect for the families coming from far and wide to watch us perform. But that wasn’t the case. The chewed gum had made its home on the bleachers, and most of the paintwork had peeled off the walls. If you looked past the wreckage of the basketball hoop that came down to earth last spring, then you would find a nest of rodents that had made their home at the back of the building. Unfortunately, the principal had ignored my request for improvements.
“Okay, so now that you’re all here, it’s time to set up.” Mrs Demone addressed us. “Please place your costumes to the side while we check if you all have your script. Once we’ve finished you will change into your costume, and we will begin.”
Costumes? I didn’t remember her saying anything about costumes. All the other kids were clutching those lumpy black garbage bags, and I cursed myself for not noticing before.
A feeling of dread settled upon me. In my head, I pictured the shopping bag sitting rejected by the front door. I raised my hand, and opened my mouth to explain my drastic situation.
Mrs Demone held up a hand to stop me. “Let me guess, Jazz, you’ve left your costume at home, and need to call your Mom to drop it off?”
“Actually, I’ve left my costume at home and I need to go there to pick it up because my Mom is at work, and nobody’s home.”
A cloud of thunder passed across her face, as she struggled to keep her temper. “Alright, I give you permission to leave school property, and set back our rehearsal by half an hour.”
It sounded so bad when she phased it like that. The guilt started to grow in my stomach, and tears sprang my eyes.
“Mrs Demone? I think you should give my part away to someone else.” I stared down at the ground, praying that nobody noticed how disappointed I was.
“Could I have a word, Jazz?” Regardless of my answer she followed me outside. “Jazz, What makes you want to drop out?”
I held back my tears and replied bitterly. “I’m just not good enough. Everyone thought I was perfect at the auditions. But now…”
Mrs Demone looked down like she didn’t know what to say. “Look, you could use some improvement, but the only thing wrong is that you’re taking things a bit… over the top.”
“So that was my only fault?” I brightened up. “Well why didn’t you say so? I don’t need a silly costume to turn me into a brilliant actor!”
Enthusiastically, I sprang up, and sprinted back into the auditorium. “Right everyone, from the top!” Mrs Demone walked in slowly, and smacked her head with her palm. Meanwhile, I had made my way onto the stage, and was in position for the most powerful scene of the production.
“Alas, my powers have failed me…” I began.

Cache thingy :3

Original paragraph:
Strange things were happening to the city of Tynoky. An imposing shadow roamed the streets at night, searching for its next victim. The government couldn’t explain these disappearances. Nobody went out anymore. Once busy and bustling, Tynoky had turned into a deserted ghost town. It was with a heavy heart, that the mayor closed the gates one final time. Citizens clutched onto their belongings, eager for that familiar feeling of home. The home that had been taken from them. And to this day, the shadow is still there, waiting for unsuspecting humans to fall into its trap.

Translated from: Tigrinya
Strange things were happening in Tainokee City. At night there were terrible shadows in the streets, looking for the next victim. The government has not been able to explain the disappearance and it has not come out. Tainoki became an empty ghost town, once busy and bustling. With a heavy heart, the mayor closed the door for the last time. Citizens, eager for that familiar feeling of home, are obsessed with their possessions. House removed. And the shadow is still there today, waiting for unexpected people to fall into its trap.

My thoughts:
Well, it seems quite similar once you think about it, yet it doesn’t seem to make much sense. I burst into laughter once I saw the final result. Citizens are obsessed with their possessions? That sounds like they pay more attention to things over people. The air of the paragraph sounds like a newspaper article. Maybe it does make sense, but in a sort of cryptic way. I can imagine a city filled with ravenous shadows, looking for a meal. The government perplexed by the sightings. An deserted city, with a heartbroken Mayor closing the door to his office for the final time. In my head, I can picture the parade of people, keeping hold of the things they can carry. Government officials removing houses from the streets. It’s quite sad once you think about it.

SusWC!!
Code: PATHS TAKEN: 5-2, 1-4, 4-2, 2-2, 3-1, 7-4, 6-4, 82-2, 9-1, 101-3 | SABOTAGE RESULTS: 5- S;4- S;3- S;6- S;9- F, 7- S;2- F, 8- S;1- S | ENDING: good
Sorry my image code wouldn't load so I shared it in a project on my alt! My Image!
Words: 3907

Beginning of a story:
Words: 117
The lights had gone out.
Marion shivered, alone in the dark. It had been so long since she’d come face-to-face with civilization. So long, that she’d lost track of the day’s she’d been stuck on the Regina. Drifting into the unknown, the ship showed no signs of stopping.
Luckily, Marion had found that she had enough supplies to keep her alive for at least several months. Regina had been built for a much larger crew, not a twelve-year-old girl.
It wasn’t her fault that she was in this mess. If anything, it was her father, the person who shoved Marion into the storage locker as a stowaway, ten minutes before the launch was about to take place.

Character Motive revealed:
Words: 223
“Stop… it!” Marion struggled against her restraints. “What are you doing to me? You’re supposed to be my father!”
The man forcing her into the locker against her will, tightened his grip. “Shut that trap of yours, or I’ll have to purchase a muffler as well.”
“But the ship is supposed to leave in ten minutes!” She protested. “Is there something wrong with me? It’s as if-” Her Father slammed a hand in front of her mouth.
“No. More. Talking. Do you hear me?” Marion nodded, her eyes full to the brim with tears. How could the person who had raised her all these years, commit such a heartless task?
“Now, I have some explaining to do.” He said as if it disgusted him to speak the words. “Marion, I am positive that it has come to your attention that I am getting rid of you. The Regina is due to launch in…” Her Father checked his limited-edition platinum watch. “Eight minutes and forty-seven seconds. By that time, you will be hidden in that locker, hurtling towards the depths of space. Finally, then I’ll be rid of you.” These last words gave him great satisfaction to speak. “Then when they discover you're missing, they'll pay me the most outrageous amount of money in pure sympathy.”
She'd had no idea he was that evil.

Scratch Team Appreciation!
Member: @natalie
Words: 61
1. I think it’s amazing that you named several Scratch mascots!
2. You are one of my role models on Scratch.
3. You help make Scratch a great place for kids like me to learn how to code!
4. Some of your projects really helped me when I first started Scratch several years ago.
5. You are just a really great person in general on Scratch!


Table chosen: Adventure, Horror, and Mystery
Genre chosen: Mystery.
Words: 92
Locked inside the claustrophobic locker, Marion banged helplessly on the door, even though she knew that would never work. Father would have done everything he could to make sure nobody heard her.
A noise broke her silence. It was a cross between an exasperated groan, and several short beeps. She sat up, hardly daring to breathe.
The noise seemed to be getting closer. It was rather perplexing as to what it was. In her head, she visualized the interior of the ship. Everything seemed so simple when she was picturing a map.

Creative thing done for fifteen minutes: Made up a dance for We Don’t Talk about Bruno with my sibling.

It was all just a dream.
Words: 295

It was getting closer. Eyes wide, Marion sidled up against the wall, urgent to get away from whatever was frightening her.
Emerging from the deep ink of the darkness was a slimy purple creature. It burped and gurgled as it slithered across the locker towards her. Everything had turned out way more difficult than she’d expected.
All of a sudden, things took a turn for the worse.
The wall she’d been cramped up against gave way, and Marion fell backwards into a never ending drop of terror.
Just when she thought she’d be doomed, she surfaced, breathing frantically. The sharp light of the outside world burned her eyes, and a strong hand rested on her shoulder.
“Where am I?” she looked around hurriedly. It was only then she realized that everything had just been a dream. Marion wasn’t locked in a gloomy storage locker as a hostage. In fact, she was slumped on the hard concrete outside of the Regina.
“You blacked out.” replied her rather concerned father. “We need you to be on this ship before it launches. It will be the only chance you have to start over, and get a new life. You never deserved this, Marion.” He gestured at their surroundings. “If you ever make it out of here, don’t put it to waste. Now let’s go!”
She yelped as he slung her over her shoulder. “We only have ten minutes,” she worried.
“Everything is going to be alright.” He reassured her, after settling her down once more into the eternal darkness. “I’m so sorry, Marion. Never forget me.”
“I would never,” Marion whispered, tears rolling down her face.
The door slammed shut one final time, and she prayed that this would also be a dream. Only she knew it wasn’t.

Drank Water in sips for five minutes

Character flashback.
Words: 366

One glance at the thermostat, told Marion that the temperature in the locker was going down fast. It was certain that she had to find a way out before the temperature hit zero.
Rubbing her hands together to conserve warmth, she tried to think of a happy memory. The only one that sprang to mind was the time she and her father had looked at the paintings in Yeltone’s art gallery, one of the most well-known in the world.
“What do you think of this painting?” Father pointed at one with a pale mixture of pastel blues and subtle pinks.
“It’s beautiful!” Marion had gasped. That was her immediate answer to any question to do with art. Father nodded, satisfied with her answer, and they moved on to the next exhibit.
Yeltone was in the prime of its life in those days. Tourists from surrounding cities would flock to experience the sights for themselves, and search for reasons to improve their hometown.
During the years to come, Yeltone would undergo economic crises, and an environmental disaster that proved its downfall. But this was years ago, long before those times.
Marion and her Father had waited months to have a ticket in their grasp. Finally, they had received the chance to view Yeltone’s most prized artists.
To put it simply, Marion was bored.
While Father had been mystified by a used tissue, Marion had slipped away from him. At the time, she was only eight years old, and would have rather preferred visiting the local theme park, River.
Almost the second she stepped out of sight, a violent alarm went off. Looking back, Marion concluded that somebody must have tripped something by mistake. But at that age, she jumped in terror, and rushed straight back to the loving arms of Father.
He then escorted her out of the building, and they brought cookies from the bakery next door.
What had started as a miserable day, had turned out to be perfect after all.
The present Marion smiled bitterly at her thoughts. They were quickly replaced by the sharp jab that she would never see Father again, and she collapsed on the floor in a wave of sobs.

Listen to music, look at abstract art, or look at pictures of landscapes for 10 minutes.
I listened to 4 different songs. Lol

Prompt from the cabin with opposite rankings.
Cabin: Mystery.
Prompt: Someone knocks on your door, and you can hear gentle scratching coming from it. Do you open it?
Words: 210

Marion had never felt so alone in her life. Hugging herself with her frail arms, she couldn’t help wondering what lay in the unknown. All she wanted was a new beginning, but would that be what she’d get?
A knock jolted her train of thoughts. There was somebody outside! Marion wanted to open it, and run far away from Regina.
She couldn’t. She would never be able to deal with the guilt dished out from her Father. Instead, she cowered against the wall, resembling a timid mouse.
Amidst the engines powering up, she could make out gentle scratching coming from whoever had knocked. But it was too late now. In a few minutes, Marion would have blasted off into space, headed for a fresh start.
Unable to bear it no longer, Marion rushed to the door and with all her strength, tried to bust it open. No use. It stood, steady as ever, in front of her.
A violent shake tossed Marion onto the floor, and she screamed hysterically. The force of the ship threw her against the walls of her compartment, and she was being tossed around like a sack of potatoes.
Suddenly, she was thrust against the sharp concrete on final time, and it all faded to black.

Read a book for ten minutes.
I read Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods.

Daily team Member: Zai.
Prompt: “For fifteen minutes you must make a new line for every 8-10 words you write.”
Words: 172. (I have a really slow wpm)

Having found herself drifting in the darkness, she could hear…
Marion awoke in a cold sweat. What just happened?
Faintly, she could make out the noise of a voiceover.
“Welcome aboard the Regina. How may I assist you?”
“Well,” Marion stuttered. “I’m stuck here, by accident.”
The voiceover was unamused. “Yes, I can see that.”
Marion could have sworn she heard sarcasm in the robot.
“I’m stuck in a storage locker!” She tried again.
It ignored her indignant response, and continued with its duties.
“Now as the demander of this ship, I command you-”
“Stop.” Marion interrupted. “Nobody is ordering anyone around.”
“It’s not my fault.” Huffed the voice stubbornly.
“Look, we can talk more once you get me out!”
A flickered hologram suddenly appeared in front of Marion.
It looked strangely like a young girl to her.
“People know me as Kat, the commander of Regina.”
Marion stared at Kat in pure shock. “How?… Why???”
“Oh, it’s nothing, darling.” The robot smirked.
“Will you just get round to letting me out?”

Stop working on this Weekly and write a list of ten awesome things about a person who’s impacted you significantly (either on Scratch or in real life
Scratch Member: Rey_Venclaw (One of my amazing leaders this session <3)
Words: 111

1: You are the perfect example of an SWC leader for me!
2: I love how you had the idea of a great backstory for Adventure!
3: You’ve become a role model for me as a leader!
4: It’s great how you made stuff like the Adventure Raffle, and our Memory book!
5: You contribute so much to Cabin Wars!
6: You have made an impact on me as a leader!
7: I think you are just an amazing person on Scratch in general!
8: This is my first session in SWC, and you are my first ever leader!
9: You have the best ideas for our cabin!
10: You have made this a memorable session for me and other campers!

For five minutes, write so your setting provides an aspect of safety or comfort to your character.
Words: 235

With a groan, the wall Marion was leaning against crashed to the ground. Behind it was a transparent figure with a blue tint to it. Marion realized with a jolt that it was Kat. The hologram stared unamused at the girl.
“Would you like a tour?” Kat asked without a hint of emotion in her voice. That was to be expected, considering that she was a programed software.
“Thank you,” Marion replied, climbing towards Kat. “I would appreciate it if you showed me someplace where I could sleep.
Kat floated towards her, producing a purple beanbag. “Does this suit?” She flashed pink for a moment, and a door hissed open. Marion stared at her surroundings in awe.
Before her stood a room with countless bookshelves climbing up the walls. Several fluffy beanbags like the one Kat had found were strewn on the floor. A coffee table laden with countless delicacies was centered beside a large fluffy guinea pig.
Marion felt a warm feeling in her chest. This room reminded her bitterly of home. Strangely, she didn’t feel the usual pang of sadness. Instead, the room gave her a sense of comfort, and Marion would have loved to stay there forever.
“What is this room called?” She turned to Kat.
“They call this the library.” And if Marion wasn’t tired, she could have thought that the smile she saw on Kat's face was a simple mirage.

Stop working on this Weekly and write a list of at least five achievements you’re proud of.
Words: 29
These are personal, so I hope you don't mind that I don't share them <333 (I do promise I did them)

Change an element of your character's world into a fantastical element. Make sure the change feels natural and is supported by wordbuilding. This must be at least 300 words.
Words: 506. (Yeah I kinda procrastinated)
Kat left hurriedly after that. Not that Marion minded. It wasn’t her idea of fun to have a hologram for company. Instead, she settled down on a beanbag for a short nap, then read to her heart's content after awakening.
It never occurred to her about the mysterious noises occurring near the left bookshelf. Marion was so engrossed in a tale about Wizards and Dragons, that she completely drifted away from the surrounding world. Only when Kat hurriedly rushed in that she looked up.
“Is there something wrong?” Marion was puzzled about the way Kat was floating around that bookshelf to her left, occasionally glitching.
“Nothing, you need to be concerned about.” snapped the hologram. Marion then noticed that she was prodding certain books, and muttering carelessly to herself.
She decided to take her chances. “Kat, there is something suspicious about you. If you just explain everything to me, I could be able to help.”
Kat ignored her, and continued pulling out books. “Not this one… I could have sworn… Ugh! This is impossible!” She flew down in a state, and deposited herself on a beanbag. “Fine. If you really must know. Only if you swear to keep it a secret.”
Judging by the look on Kat’s face, this task was no Joke. She nodded solemnly, and Kat began to speak in a hushed voice.
“This ship is much older than you think. Regina has been used for nearly 400 years. Marion, she was built to last longer, built to journey into deep space to mine precious substances. Alas, it is certain that this will prove as her final voyage. You see, fifty years ago, the crew discovered the most profitable mine ever. They called this Magic, and planned to bring it home to show to the rest of the world. However, they never made it. Regina was sabotaged, and the supply of Magic was quickly dying out. Eventually, the final member of the crew, a young girl, locked the final remains into a vault in this very room. And just in time. Her oxygen ran out, and she was destined to haunt the ship for eternity.”
With a horrible sinking feeling, Marion realized that Kat wasn’t a hologram.
“In the meantime, the ship continued to be fueled by Magic. Even though the crew was lost, it had a determined course back home, where it stayed until it was ready to map its final voyage.”
Not daring to look at Marion, Kat flew up to the shelf, and with one final tug, it swung forward to reveal a compartment.
Marion crept forward, hardly daring to breathe. Inside, lay a clear cylinder, giving off a golden glow. It radiated power, and it was unmistakable.
Kat gave a sigh of relief. “It’s alright. Nothing’s wrong.” Marion looked over Kat’s shoulder, hypnotized as if the only thing important lay in front of her.
“Now that crisis is averted,” Kat announced, “I can continue with my tour!” She slammed the compartment shut, and dragged a moping Marion out the library.

Thank at least three people in SWC for everything they do.
Words: 117

My leaders this session (Soki, Kat, Jess): You all have been superb leaders of Adventure this session, and I’m proud to be in your cabin! Thank you for making this a memorable first session of SWC for me!
Birdi: I am simply in awe of what you do. You have been one of the best hosts SWC has ever seen, and a great leader of Thriller! Thank you for hosting this session, without you, I wouldn’t even know about SWC lol.
The Daily Team: Aaaaaa! You all work so hard to make the super-fun dailies and Weeklies (Such as this one!) Thank you for contributing loads to SWC, and coming up with the activities for hungry campers!

Right for eight minutes about how a character the main character thought was dead, is actually alive.
Words: 310

The tour was spectacular. And Marion hated every second of it. Once she was sure Kat was distracted, she excused herself giving the excuse that she had to use the bathroom.
For a ghost, Kat could be incredibly pushy. At least she didn’t notice that Marion had escaped in the opposite direction from the bathrooms.
Instead, she was determined to find her way around the ship herself. Marion didn’t need an insufferably annoying spirit to tell her what to do.
While she was on the subject of ghosts, her mind wandered to Mr Jenson, an artist who was close friends with her father. He had passed several months before due to a heart attack.
She wondered what she would say about the whole situation.
There was a door she hadn’t noticed lying in her path of view. It was a dark maroon with a gold handle. Burning with curiosity, she reached towards it and was pulled in.
The door slammed shut. Marion had heard enough doors slamming in the past few weeks.
“Marion. How nice to see you.” A crisp voice pierced the sincere silence. A voice she was certain she’d never hear again.
“Mr Jenkins. It’s impossible.” She backed away towards the door, and felt for the handle.
“I wouldn’t say that.” His pale face came into view. “Who said a man couldn’t fake his own death?” Brian Jenkins smiled a cruel smile.
Marion stood shellshock. “Nobody. I just… assumed…” She couldn’t bring the energy to open the door.
Brain sighed pittingly. “If there’s one thing you should learn, it’s never to assume something. Never assume anything in this cruel, cruel world.”
Something felt wrong. Marion screamed as loud as she could, hoping Kat would hear her. She wrenched the door open and fled as far away as possible, making a mental note to never open that door again.

Take a fifteen minute nap or do nothing for fifteen minutes.
I lay on my bed and listened to the rain <3

For at least 250 words, your character realizes that they aren’t perfect, and attempts to improve throughout the rest of the story.
Words: 366

Father always told her she was perfect. Marion replayed this sentence over and over again in her head. Nothing was wrong with her, and she was his little princess, the joy of his life.
Her mother hadn’t said anything from her picture on the wall. She had died when Marion was three. Marion only remembered her long dark hair.
As she hurried through the hallways of the ship towards Kat, she only hoped his words were true.
“There you are!” the ghost glared at her disapprovingly. “I was worried sick about you, how dare you run off without telling me. Marion, you’re already an embarrassment to me.”
The truth hit her in the gut. Everything she’d ever been told was a lie. Marion had never been perfect. She was a failure, an imperfect creature who everyone felt sorry for. All the kindness in her life was out of pure sympathy.
Kat reached out a hand, which Marion tried to push away. Kat watched Marion wracked with sobs, doubling over onto the floor.
“I’ll never be perfect!” She wailed. Kat had seen enough.
“Marion, I know you’re in shock but…” she tried to break the news gently. “Nobody is perfect. Not me, not you, not anyone really. It’s okay to be imperfect.” Kat smiled at Marion.
Her friend looked up, tear marks on either side of her face. “I know, Kat. Just, sometimes it’s hard.” Marion looked down. “My father always said I was perfect. That everyone would one day look up to me. Yes, it’s true not to become a perfectionist and get too wound up. But, I don’t want to fail him, I don’t want…” She broke off into sobs.
Inside, Kat was perplexed on what to do to comfort the girl. Being stuck as a ghost for fifty years had done certain things to her. But could she calm down somebody in this state?
In the end, she didn’t need to. Marion pulled herself together. “It doesn’t matter if I’m not perfect. The only thing important is getting Regina to its destination.”
But as they walked off to the control room, Marion made a vow to improve herself by the time Regina had landed…

Nicely tie up loose ends and finish your story with a happy ending. Write 500 words to end your story.
Words: 697

There had been one survivor from the sabotage fifty years ago. He had taken nearly the complete supply of Magic, except for the store in the library. The sabotager's name was Brian Jenkins, and he used the Magic he’d obtained for immortality. Brain had been caught and detained in a high-security containment facility, his close friends were given the alibi of a heart attack. However he could still communicate to his old ship through the room with the maroon door, which was only accessible to those who had crossed paths with Magic.
Kat had haunted Regina for years in hope of returning her revenge on Brian. She witnessed him stealing the Magic, and as punishment, he emptied her suit's oxygen.
She later confessed this to Marion, who was appalled to discover that an adult she had looked up to as a child could be so heartless.
It took Marion a lot of talking to convince herself that nobody was born perfect, and that it was alright to be happy with being imperfect. Kat was proud that she’d managed to talk some sense into her friend. Everything was going exactly as planned…

The lights were going out. Marion had given up counting the days she’d been locked in the library. She’d given up hope of ever seeing Kat again. At least she could survive. Regina, designed for a much larger crew, had supplies stocked in every room, - including the Library.
She stood up, and fumbled her way in the darkness. When she reached the bookshelf, Marion ran her fingers along the weathered spines until she found one with several misshapen grooves.
With her pale fingers, she gave a tug and the bookshelf swung open as usual. Marion hurried towards the compartment Kat had shown her so long ago. The pulsing golden glow was still there, but it was slowly ebbing away. Marion’s stomach turned over. She was uncertain of how much longer they had left. If it all faded away…
Turning away, unable to bear the thought of it, Marion clicked the meter away from its place. Kat had given her orders to do so if the level of Magic dipped below twenty. She slipped the meter into her pocket, and trundled back to her beanbag, where she fell into a deep sleep.

Marion was awoken several hours later by horrific shaking. It took her a moment to regain her senses. What in space was happening?
The door of the Library was suddenly thrust open. Kat appeared in her ghostly form looking grim. Marion rushed towards the door, it had been so long since she had seen the ghost.
“Follow me to the front of the ship.” She floated stressfully away towards the front of Regina. Marion rushed behind her.
“What’s wrong? Has something drastic happened?” In response, Kat simply pointed at something large looming in their view.
It was, unmistakably, a planet. A planet with a blue haze around it, masses of velvet terrain strewn over its surface. A planet with lilac seas that housed astounding creatures. A planet that simply radiated Magic.
“We’ve arrived at our destination.” Kat confirmed. “I’ll need to take a reading. One thing I do remember is that it can support our kind. That and it was the terrain where my crew first mined Magic.” Machines started beeping and flashing as Kat interpreted their signals.
“Excuse me?” Marion prompted. They were showing no signs of stopping. If anything, Regina was speeding up the closer they got to it.
The meter in Marions pocket was heating up. She produced it, staring dumbfounded. “According to the meter, our Magic levels are rising!”
“No!” Kat breathed. “It…it can’t be. There can only be one explanation.”
“What?” Marion grinned, even though she already knew the answer.
“Well, since this planet is our main source of Magic, it must be fueling the ship!” Kat started laughing, and Marion forced her eyes straight ahead at the planet.
The planet that was her new home, the home that would give her a new life! Her father would be proud. Proud of her for making it this far.
She hadn’t touched down, and yet it already felt like home.