Daily 1:
Heyyyy I’m rockie, she/her. I’m in real-fi and this is my fourth-ish session as a camper, and I’ve been a co twice. Super excited for the session!!! Real-fi FTW!
30 words

Daily 2:
“What planets in the solar system have no moons?” Bennet’s little sister, Cassidy, asked her. Bennet thought for a moment. “Mercury and Venus?” She asked eventually, not 100 percent sure. Cassidy frowned disappointedly, her brown curls shaking as she nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “I really thought I could stump you with that one.”
Bennet smiled, relieved, and tugged on her sister’s hair. “I’ve been studying for five months, do you really think one little question can defeat me?” She said confidently, even though she had almost gotten it wrong. She was going to say just Venus, but Mercury came to her at the last second.
“Okay,” Bennet’s dad said, “I bet this one will stump you. What was the 31st US state?” Bennet smiled. “Easy. California.”
Dad shook his head. “What are we going to do with you?” He reached toward the backseat and messed up Bennet’s hair. “Colin!” Bennet’s mom scolded. “She’s about to be on TV! Don’t ruin her hair!” Dad held his hands up in surrender. “Sorry!”
Six months ago, Bennet had gotten an email that changed her life. It read,

Dear Children of The USA,
Disney is hosting a national general-knowledge trivia tournament this coming September in New York City. The prize will be $50000 to the child and an additional $50000 to a charity of your child’s choice. All children under the age of fourteen are invited to attend. Auditions will be held this May 21 and the top thirty will be invited to the televised event. More information shall be provided shortly. Good luck!

The auditions had been stressful, the amount of work enormous, but somehow she had managed to become the 11th out of the 30 moving on, and now she was driving to New York City to compete in the tournament for 50k.
The beat-up SUV pulled into the airport, and after a surprisingly quick line through security, they were boarding. “Okay, guys, since we bought tickets pretty early, we aren’t that split up. Cassidy, Dad and I will be row 26, seats F through H. And Bennet, the thirty trivia contestants have a special cabin in first class. Meet us at the baggage claim and we’ll find you. Have a good flight, sweetie.” Mom kissed her on the forehead and Bennet took her bag and hurried to her cabin.
First class was awesome! She got free food, free headphones, free movies… you name it, they had it-FREE!
After the two-hour flight from Iowa to New York, they were settling into a fancy hotel and getting a good night’s rest for the challenges ahead. The morning passed in a blur, and all too soon Bennet was standing in front of a podium, while makeup artists primped her and the film crew flashed lights in her eyes. The announcer, Auli’i Cravalo, counted down.
“We start rolling in 3… 2… 1…”
477 words

Daily 3:
563 words, I decided not to share it because it had a lot of personal stuff

Daily 4:

Vague:
“Did you hear that?” I asked. “Hear what?” He replied. “Uh, the noise. From somewhere around here.” He rolled his eyes. “That’s helpful. I don’t hear anything. What does it sound like?” I shrugged. “A noise.”
He sighed exaggeratedly. “Well then, no, I don’t hear anything. Can we get back to what we were doing?”
“Uh, sure.” I replied. “What were we doing again?” I asked. “All I remember is that we were doing… something.”
He sighed again. “We were exploring somewhere. Where should we go next?”
I hooked a finder towards the right. “Okay, girl, there are ten billion things that way. You gotta be more specific.” He said annoyedly. I smiled. It was fun making him mad, so I hooked a finger over to the right again. “I dunno, anywhere over there, I guess?” He groaned. “You are so annoying!”
I grinned. “I try.”
“SO, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?” He yelled at me. “EXPLORE SOMEWHERE, I GUESS?” I screamed back at him.
“Okay, heck this. Let’s do something else instead of standing here doing this.” He said, staring daggers at me. “What do you want to do? And please don't say ‘exploring somewhere’.” I grinned, knowing I was about to make him even more mad. “How about we do this thing?” I said, gesturing to my phone. “See?”
“NO, I DON'T SEE!” He screamed, tearing his hair out. He took a few deep breaths. “What do you want to do with your phone?” I looked at him. “This.” I repeated.
He growled angrily and stormed out of the room.
I chuckled.

Ambiguous:
“Mom!” I have nothing to doooooooooooooo!” I sang. She raised an eyebrow. “How about some chores? I’ll give you five dollars for everything you do.” I groaned. But… five dollars seems like a good deal. Maybe I’ll finally have enough to buy that doll, even before my eighth birthday! That’s in TWO MONTHS! “Okay… what should I do?” I asked her.
She thought. “How about you fix your bed for tonight? It’s horrible!” “Okay!” I said! I hurried to my bedroom and started jumping on the bed as hard as I could. I heard a crack, and my mom yelled, “WHAT WAS THAT?!” She hurried into the room. “Dear, what the HECK are you doing?” I smiled. “You said to fix the bed, so I had to break it first!” She groaned. “Dear, I meant to fix the sheets.” My eyes widened. “Oops.” I said. My mom smiled. “What you just did is called ambiguity.” I frowned. “Am-big-you-itty?” I asked. “Ambiguity. That means I said something that can be interpreted two ways, and you interpreted it a different way than I meant you to.” “Ohhhhhh, cool!” I said. “Now, let’s actually fix your bed.” My mom chuckled.
We nailed and hammered and sawed and cut and glued and measured and when we were done, my bed looked completely back to normal. “Thanks, Mommy.” I said, hugging her. She smiled and said, “You’re welcome.”
But there was one thing I needed to ask her.
“Now, Mommy…” I said slyly. “What about those five dollars?”

522 words

Daily 5:

Sophia ran through the forests, branches whipping around her and sticks scratching her legs and arms, almost making her trip. She dared not a glance behind her, for fear it would slow her speed. But she needed to make sure she was still being chased.
Spoiler alert: she was.
The woman floating gracefully behind her was a witch. But she wasn’t what you’d expect. With milk-white skin and glittering sapphire eyes, she would be what most considered beautiful, and she was. That was the problem!
Her clothes fluttered gracefully in a nonexistent wind, a black shawl with glittery flecks of blue diamonds catching the light. Her expression was well-meaning, albeit mischievous, but Sophia could see past the facade of a beautiful trickster, for this was Draven: the worst witch in the Dusk Forests.
Although the legends have admittedly gotten a bit convoluted, every nation of the Dusk Forests agree on one thing: She fed of the beauty and youth of the children that lost their way in the forests, and if they weren’t beautiful and young enough, the were sent back to their village, trembling and shaking and never speaking again.
But Sophia was determined for that to not be her fate. She ran and ran and ran, but eventually her tired legs gave out and she tripped on a particularly hard and big rock, twisting her ankle and landing on the ground. The witch loomed over her, ready to turn Sophia into one of the shriveled bodies she’d seen being buried in the village, for Sophia was about as beautiful as they came.
“Please, please… don’t hurt me!” She begged. Draven laughed, a dark, evil sound. “And why should I do that?” Draven asked.
Sophia fought her way into a sitting position. Her ankle seemed to be broken, but she didn’t focus on that. “I know a lot about you. I know that you were blessed with the gift of magic, and you fell in love with a handsome man who loved you more than anything. But you accidentally let your magic get out of control and the villagers tried to burn you at the stake, but your husband sacrificed yourself for him and you escaped into the forest. His death made you bitter, and you decided to become Draven. You feed on beauty hoping it will make another love you, but the true key is love and hope. You don’t have to be lonely. You can be just Amber again.”
Draven froze. She seemed to debate herself and eventually said,
“Ok.”

423 words

Daily 6:

“I’m up!” Peter yelled to the empty house. “Someone come dress me!”
No one replied. That was odd. Everyone always listened to him. He lay in bed, waiting for someone to come help. He could do it himself, of course, but why would he? His father had servants for everything he didn’t want to do. But still, no one came. “SOMEONE HELP ME!” Peter commanded angrily. “Where is my manservant?”
STILL no one answered him, so for the first time in years, he got out of bed himself and put on his clothes. He decided that since he was up he might as well find out what had everyone so preoccupied that no one would help HIM: the prince, the heir to the throne! He might be more important than the king!
He crept through the vast halls, getting more creeped out by the second. No one was there. The halls were usually bustling with servants and butlers catering to the royal family’s every need.
He decided to check in his father’s quarters. If the king wasn’t there, he didn’t know what to do.
He wound through the castle, still a little dazed from sleep, so he took a few wrong turns on the way. He finally arrived at a great big pair of carved oak doors. He pushed them open with a little effort (he was used to the servants opening the heavy stuff, and plus he didn’t get exercise. Who needs it?)
Peter groaned. No one was in there. He was the only one in the castle! (Or so it seemed.) Where could everyone be? On an urgent assignment? Meeting potential princesses? No one had ever left him alone before. He wasn’t sure exactly what to do.
He decided to get breakfast, except he had never made it before. He decided to eventually have one of the cakes left over from last night's feast. The feast! It was celebrating the kings’ 78th birthday! He must be on a trip!
But why would he leave his son?
He decided to turn on the TV, and the news flashed on. It was incredibly boring, and he was trying to figure out how to change it when a small servant girl crept into the room. “They left me too.” She explained as he jumped. “There was a boy who looked exactly like you and they took him instead. I was left behind as well.” He frowned. “No one should be impersonating me! That’s treason! Fetch my phone at once so I can inform my father!”
She gave him the side eye. “Can’t you do that yourself?”
Peter rolled his eyes. “Yes, I can, but the point of being a prince is that I don’t have to! Now get it!”
The girl, who couldn’t be older than ten, rolled her eyes and left, coming back a few moments later with his phone.
Peter wrote a quick text to his father informing him of the situation, but then he checked his other texts from his friends, other princes from neighboring kingdoms. They were all gossiping about some girl who had apparently turned up in one of their castles and begged for a place to stay, saying she had lost her memory. One sent a picture.
Peter shrugged. She looked about their age, and she was very cute, but…
“She’s not a princess!” He texted to the other boys, who were figuring out ways to win her over. “Who cares?” One texted back.
Peter eventually turned back to the TV. He and the servant girl watched in silence, waiting for someone to come back.

602 words

Weekly 1:

Activity 1:

Arthur- (The Land Of Stories) character sheet (books 1-6) Series continuing or ended? : Continuing

Pronouns - he/him
Sexuality - straight
Species - human
Strengths: Smart, brave, a good leader, has powerful friends
Weaknesses: obsessed with Alex, sorta doubts himself
General view on life (free, not hateful, hateful): not hateful,
Tendencies -
Obsessed with Alex instead of the rest of his life
Improving or staying the same? : staying the same
Always one of the leaders or the one making the plan
Improving or staying the same? : staying the same
Gets depressed about Alex
Improving or staying the same? : improving
Situations -
1. One of his friends gets hurt :
Emotions: doubt, sadness, sometimes anger
Next step: tries to help them any way he can, silently blames himself, doubts his abilities
Outcome: needs a pep talk
2. Starts liking a girl :
Emotions: excitement, charm
Next step: flirts with her, than maybe asks her out
Outcome: if the girl likes him, they start hanging out, if not, he pretends to brush it off but is secretly hurt
3. Making a plan :
Emotions: determination, a little self-doubt, bravery, leadership-ness
Next step: makes a plan, delegates
Outcome: usually ends up working

Scenario: Arthur meets Alex (two years after TLOS6)

“Mother Goose?” Arthur shouted eagerly. “Where are you?”
“Artie? Is that you?” Mother Goose called from somewhere to his right. “Are you all right? I was feeding Lester. You know how he is, he gets all cranky if he doesn’t have his vegetables.” The giant goose rolled his eyes.
Mother Goose seemed to realize Arthur’s elated expression. “What happened?” She asked, stretching a little. “Did you get invited to Pilates class with the Mists of Avalon? Are dragons invading the forest? If so, you’ve come to the right place!”
Arthur shook his head amusedly. “No, Mother Goose. I finished everything Alex told me to! Today I found the Holy Grail!” I’m ready to find her! It’s been 22 months later than I’d planned and I can’t wait to see him again! Please take me to her!”
Mother Goose raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? She might have… found someone else… while you were gone. Plus, she’s grown up so much! She’s eighteen now.” Arthur wasn’t deterred. “Please, take me! I promised her I’d find her after all of this was over!” he begged. His eyes were shining happily and Excalibur was sheathed by his side, showing how much he’d been through, and if after all that, he was still loyal to Alex, then maybe he should see her…
“Okay, Artie, here’s what we’re going to do.” Mother Goose said, fixing a strand of Arthur’s hair that had been covering his eyes. “I’ll take you to Alex, but only for the rest of the day. Then you two have to have a long conversation about your futures. And then, if you want to stay, you’ll stay. But I have to ask Merl if that’s okay. MERL!” She called, and Merlin rushed out from where Mother Goose had been moments before, making Arthur wonder if she had been doing more than just feeding Lester…
After a hushed conversation between the wizard and whatever-Mother-Goose-was, Mother Goose finally said, “Okay. See you soon, Merl.” She kissed the wizard on the cheek, and stretched her joints out, preparing for the biggest piece of magic she’d done in two years. She grasped Arthur’s hand as wind whistled around them, and he could feel magic thrumming in his veins as they were transported to the Land Of Stories. As the wind around him cleared, he saw…
Froggy and Jack joking around, Red playing with Hero, Goldilocks teaching some villagers sword fighting lessons, and…
“Alex?”

607 words

Activity 2:

Bree Campbell speaks as if everything she says should be obvious. She doesn’t show much emotion and is only half interested in what you have to say. She doesn’t lose her cool very often, and when confronted, she uses logic and her knowledge of mystery novel techniques to deliver an effective argument. She is only excited by adventure and mystery, and she is very witty and sarcastic, but she can deliver a pep talk or actually be nice and understanding if she wants to (which she doesn’t often). She hides her feelings well, and she’s not interested in some of the stuff others girls her age are. She is almost always bored, and if you really understand her, she can be a helpful asset and friend. (or maybe more, in Conner’s case!)

Keefe Sencen is very funny and witty, and he hides behind a mask of jokes. If you don’t know him, you’d think of him as the confident and self-assured trickster who most would say is incredibly handsome, but if you know him well, he is a scared, angry boy trying to prove himself and separate himself from the mistakes of him and his parents. He tries to act as if nothing bothers him, but he’s really just good at hiding things. He is very understanding and helpful when he chooses to be, but he has trouble taking advice, even if it’s in his best interests. When confronted, he tries to defend himself, but knows it’s a lost cause and tries to win their trust back. He tries to be the thing others want him to be, but secretly he’s cracking, and when you see that, he doesn’t want your pity.

Bree scene:

I sat in the plane right next to Conner, and I was hiding my excitement. I only half liked him at that point, but I could tell he definitely liked me, so….
Anyway, so we talked a little bit about the Book Huggers and our short stories, and then he mentioned that he hadn’t flown on a plane, hinting that he had flown. Now I know he flew on Lester, and also on a flying ship, but he mumbled some weird excuse about ballooning in her sister’s state. (which I know knew is actually a different dimesion-ha!)
All I knew then was that there was something mighty suspicious about him, and it made me like him even more. After awhile I went back to my mystery novels for a few hours, but I wasn’t really paying attention to it, because it was my first time on a plane and I was really nervous we were gonna crash, and plus, I was mustering my courage to ask a very important question. I arranged my face into my blankets possible expression, made my voice as bored as possible, popped an earbud in and asked, “So, Conner… Do you have a crush on me or something?”
He turned as red as a tomato, and that gave me my answer, but he replied, “NO! Why would you think that?” I pretended to think. “Well, you turn bright red and ramble when you’re around me.” He laughed awkwardly. “That’s just my sodium allergy.” SODIUM ALLERGY, CONNER? That’s almost as bad as Buckinghamshirevilleton! But he was cute when he was trying to deny it, so I let him keep going, so when we finally finished, I went back to my books with a half smile on my face. The rest of the flight passed in silence, giving me ample time to think. And that’s the story of the time I realized Conner liked me.

Keefe Scene:

My joke about Fostering it was supposed to make her feel better, and it did, until Fitz showed up. He doesn’t get it. “How could you joke about this?” he said as every possible negative emotion hit me like a wall: nerves, dread, regret, guilt, anger, sadness, worry…
Foster faked a smile that turned genuine as she leaned on him. I decided to make an exception to my “argue with Fitz whenever possible” policy to keep Foster calm. Even though Foster was wearing her stupid Bangs Boy tunic. But as much as I hate to admit it, she needed both of us. But mostly me. I know she was trying not to give anything away, but I could tell she thought I had helped a lot more, which I know I shouldn’t be happy about, but… I am. No point in really denying it. I have booby traps EVERYWHERE for lord bossypants, there’s NO way he’ll find this!
Anyway, I kinda wanted to punch Fitz when he started hugging her, but it helped her. I could feel the waves of guilt, dread, and sadness from all the way across the room, and I’m glad Fitz could give her some closure before she Fostered it.
When she was all settled, Livvy asked her if she wanted to take the white pill or the green pill. I knew what she was going to choose before she even said it, but Fitz pleaded with her to take the white one. Clearly he’s in denial about Sophie’s personality. I met her eyes, trying to tell her to do what your heart tells you to do without actually saying it. She must’ve gotten the message because she quickly snatched the green pill and swallowed it, clenching my hand (and Fitz’s) hard as she closed her eyes. I smiled sadly. “That’s our girl,” I said. “Knew she was going to Foster it.”

920 words

Activity 3:

Tropes: Soulmate, High School AU, Songfic
Fandom: Harry Potter
Song: Love Story (Taylor Swift)
btw I made Harry much more confident, because if magic doesn’t exist in this world than lily and James don’t die and I feel like if James was around him a lot harry would’ve picked up some of his swagger.

We were both young when I first saw you
“Okay, Hermione, you can do this, first day of high school!” She mumbled to herself, trying to weave her hair into an intricate braid, but of course it wouldn’t listen and she ended up just brushing it. “Class review: Math, Advanced Math, Advanced English, World Language, Advanced Science, Coding… And what was the last one? Oh, yeah, World History.” She absentmindedly traced a finger over the birthmark on her hand, a small curve on the pad of her thumb. Maybe today she would find the matching birthmark, and her soulmate. But she shook those thoughts off, reminding herself that she didn’t want romance, she wanted honors. “I have all my books, right?” Hermione asked herself. “Yup. And lunch, and now let’s check that off my schedule.” She crossed out a box on her planner.
Get ready
Go to school
Find classes
Sit with someone at lunch
Make some friends
Maybe find soulmate
Pass with highest honors
Go to college
A pretty hard list, she knew, but she was determined, and she would do it. So she dressed and got in her mom’s car. “Mom, what was your first day of high school like?” Hermione asked. Mrs. Granger smiled. “Well, my first day was great! The classes were fun and the people were cool. I know you’ll make a ton of friends. Maybe even meet your soulmate!”
Hermione smiled wistfully. She wasn’t too sure there was someone who could like her, with her terrible hair, terrible teeth and too-smart-ness. But it was fun to imagine.
She pulled up to Lumos High School, and got out of the car, almost dropping her overstuffed backpack.
Great.
She stumbled away from the car and disappeared into the vast building, getting ready for what might be the best day of her life.
Or might be the worst.

Harry tried to brush his hair. He tried swooping it. No. Parting it. Ew. Just untangling it. Fine. He wanted to find his soulmate today. The birthmark on his thumb must match someone, and he was going to find her. He wasn’t really nervous for his first day of high school, since he already had a few friends. Ron, Seamus, Dean… sorta Neville? He was all set. As for grades? He was fine. In middle school he was the top of the middle, and he thought his classes would be exactly the same. Math, English, Science and Hsitory, with plenty of breaks. He was good. Now his only challenge was finding his soulmate.
He put on a shirt and got in the car with his dad. They listened to rock songs and talked about James’ adventures, and Harry was feeling good when he got out of the car. He spotted Ron’s mom giving him a big hug and saying goodbye with tearful eyes. Harry snorted, noticing the tomato red on Ron’s face. “Harry!” Ginny called. “Over here!” Harry headed over to them but was stopped when a girl walked past him.
Is this in my head? I don't know what to think
She had chocolate brown hair and brown eyes, and was carrying way to many books. She stumbled and fell, and Harry caught her. She blushed hard as she said “Sorry!” Harry smiled, turning on the charm. “No problem. My name’s Harry. You?”
She smiled, bending over to collect her books. “Hermione.”
Harry knew he was entering dangerous territory, but Hermione was very, very cute and he had to ask casually, “So… found a soulmate yet?” She smiled. “Nope. I have no time for that. I’m hoping to pass with highest honors. But still…” Hermione held out her thumb. Harry’s breath caught.
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
Harry held out his thumb. Hermione gasped. The marks matched perfectly. “So…” Harry dragged out the word.
Just then, the bell rang. “HARRY!” Ron called. Harry looked apologetically at Hermione. “Sorry, gotta go.” He dashed away to Ron. He raised an eyebrow. “What was that about?” Harry smiled widely. “I found my soulmate.”
Ron whistled, smiling as well. “That makes one of us!” he said proudly. “Go get ‘em, mate! See you at recess!”
It’s a love story, baby, just say yes

759 words

Activity 4:
Fanfic of the continuation of our cabin story

“Training starts first thing tomorrow morning. Don’t be late.”
I sigh. This might be hard. I consider myself an okay chef and an okay writer, but this is the most popular restaurant in Scratchville! I’ve only worked in smaller places like the Poison Cookie Bakery and the Magic Mango shop. But I do have one recipe I’ve made before…
“Rockie!” Gee yells at me. (yes gee yells ) “Uh… yeah?” I ask.
“Make some lasagna NOW! The food critics, Birdi and Robin, are coming in an hour and we need everything to be perfect! If they like our food, they’ll give us points and they won’t fine us for breaking other cabin’s ceilings!” She smiles a bit evilly.
Breaking ceilings is the best motivation!
“Okay!” I said. This is my chance to shine. Another chef, Sugar, is working on some neon noodles, so I start boiling and salting another pot of water and I slip the lasagna noodles in. While they cook, I start cooking some tomato sauce. Tomato paste, salt, spices, browned ground beef and oil go into another pot, and once that’s ready, I take it off and start cutting some mozzarella and Parmesan.
I spread the tomato sauce over a baking dish, and add pasta and cheese. Then I repeat that about thirty times. I add the final layer and put it in the oven for a while, then take it out and dust it with basil and more cheese.
“Gee!” I call! “I’m done!”
She looks relieved. “And just in time, too.” She tells me. “Well, let’s get it plated and give it to our guests!”
We take it out of the pan and add the perfect slices of lasagna onto the plates. The other chefs help me carry it to the rental room and we add the twelve slices onto the ever growing pile of food on the table. I see some cookies, lobster, a few different breads and cakes, some ambrosia, and lots and lots of mangos. “Do they really need this much food?” I ask Gee. “We’re giving them a sample of our whole menu. The ambrosia will be the first course along with the raisin bread, then the lobster, noodles and lasagna, and finally our muffins and cakes.” My eyes grow big. “Wow.”
“LILY! GEE! AMY! THEY’RE HERE!” Someone yells.
Birdi and Robin stride into the rental room. We all watch nervously as they take their places at the table. “Lily? What’s all this?” Robin asks.
Lily clears her throat. “We have for you today a sampling of our menu. To start off with, we have ambrosia and raisin bread, followed by lobster, neon noodles (made by Sugar) and some lasagna, (made by Rockie.) For dessert, there’s poisoned cookies, sponge cake, and a mango mousse cake! Enjoy!”
The critics look slightly overwhelmed, but they try everything. The silence is tense until they both smile.
“This is amazing! You’ve earned 500000000000000000000000000 points for your cabin!” Birdi says happily. “And full ceiling pardons.” Robin adds.
We all sign relievedly.
Another day’s work at the Real-Fi Restaurant.

512 words

Weekly Total: 2824 words

Daily 7: Done

Daily 8:
Good for you, you look happy and healthy
Not me if you ask
Good for you, you're okay without me baby
God, I hope I can do that
Lost in my mind, I cried all night on the bathroom floor
But you are so unmoved, I really don't understand
But I think you are beautiful

Translated 6 or so times

“Hey, Josh?” My girlfriend, Rozzie, calls to me. “Can you come here for a sec?” I shrug. “Sure, babe. What do you need?” I head over to her locker, which she’s frantically cleaning right before summer break, and I notice with a frown all the cards I gave her were pushed to the very back, so no one would notice.
We’ve been dating for about eight months now. We’re in the same group, (Mrs. Vanderwaal’s 9th grade class), born in the same month and year (March 2007), and we have a lot of shared interests. We both like sports, (she does cheer-I do football and baseball), we both like drawing (she’s better than me though), we also are both on the magazine staff (she writes articles, I’m the sports columnist and sometimes do cartoons.)
But she looks as cute and chill as ever. She plays casually with a strand of her hair and says, “Listen, babe, I need to tell you something.” I sling an arm around her, devotion in my eyes as I say, “Sure, anything. But first: I brought you a present.” I pull out a black box of chocolates, which I had drawn a deer on (her favorite animal). “This is for you. Happy eight months!” I say happily, pulling her close. “Thanks, babe.” She said, sounding bored. “Listen. I was thinking last night, and I think… We’re not meant to be. I want a boyfriend who cares about me and is sweet, funny and charming, and… that’s not you. It would be unfair to both of us to let this continue. I’m sorry.”
The worst part was, she didn’t sound sorry.
We broke up a week ago, and Rozzie already has a new boyfriend. He’s cuter than me, I’ll allow, but he has a personality like cardboard. He was on the football team last year (wide receiver) and he dropped two thirds of the passes I sent to him. I’m the quarterback. I don’t understand, we were fine! I tried to be the nicest boyfriend, the most charming and sweet, and she goes and breaks my heart! I can’t look at her without remembering the feeling of her body against mine, and I can’t imagine what I did to make her think that I was like that. She’s beautiful, and I still love her… I don’t get why she doesn’t love me.
Did she ever?


461 words

Cabin Wars: all irl in my notebook but 2010 words

Daily 10:

Words:
Story
Rails
Treed
Beret
Berth (correct)

The artist spoke excitedly to a crowd of people. They were gathering to celebrate the famed artist’s birthday, and to watch a special demonstration from her. She was turning 88, and her arthritis made her art…not what it used to be, but she was determined to put on a show for the audience. She had succeeded in one aspect of a show: her paint splatter clothes and lopsided beret made her look adorably quirky and excited.
“Hello, beautiful storytellers. As you might know, my name is Alice Shinatti, and I’m a creator. I don’t like to say I’m a painter, because that’s only part of who I am.” A hush fell over the crowd as she explained. “You see, a painting is just a painting. If you’re a painter, you paint paintings. Congratulations! But if you’re a creator, you’re creating things. I like to think that the paintings I make are creations. I call them creations because they stand for something. A story I tell, a memory I share, a clue I give… those are so much more than streaks of color on a canvas. And that’s why I’m a creator, not just a painter. And if you’re a painter, I encourage you to become a creator. How? Make every single stroke a story you can tell, every single painting a memory you can share, something more than just something you can auction off. Make it special. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what I came to say today.”
The uproar made the old woman smile. They were all clapping for her! She didn’t deserve it, she didn’t need it, but it was nice to know she made people as happy as they’d made her. She woke up with a smile on her face every day knowing she was making people happy.
“Now, my friends, I’d like to do a small demonstration of how I paint. Today I will be painting a walk I had with my beautiful husband two years ago, right before he died. I remember it so clearly: the beautiful trees, the broken train tracks, the wildlife tentatively coming closer instead of giving us a wide berth…”
As she talked, she started painting the background. Flashes of green and brown and yellow appeared on the canvas, and before the audience knew it a beautiful forest was taking shape, green trees and sunlight showing through the leaves. She added some train rails to the foreground and painted some deer and squirrels around a green blob. She then fleshed out her husband and herself, adding details until you would’ve thought the painting was a window. The demonstration had been twenty minutes and already the painting was finished. Alice put down her brush with a flourish. “Thank you! Thanks!” She smiled cheerily. “Now I really must get going, but thank you all for coming! Have a great day!” Alice smiled. She was done. Now… rest.

485 words

Daily 11:

Draven nodded at Ulysses. She was done. Sighing, Ulysses headed out of the sturdy stone cabin, the moss creeping up the walls and the ivy barring the windows revealing its ancient age. The glass shards from a temper tantrum Draven had thrown once when he was drunk still lay hidden in the grass. Ulysses had learned to always wear shoes when visiting Draven, lest she step on a piece of glass from a window or a bottle.
She headed for the creek, putting her hair down for the first time all day. She was required to wear a bun while working as Draven’s apprentice, so she didn’t seem to feminine. The black locks hung around past her waist in soft waves, but the rest of her face was angular. Dark eyes. High cheekbones. Thin lips.
The face of someone who’d been to the devil and spat at his feet.
She carved a path through the wilderness, looking at the trail markers that were subtly hidden. An arrowhead carved on a rock, moss growing in a tree shape, a crystal dangling from the forest canopy. This was the life she’d chosen. And it had all been for him.
After passing roots that grew completely straight across the path, she veered off the main road into a clearing hidden by the wild undergrowth. It was completely empty, save for a small hut in the center, pieced together with wood planks and vines.
She hurried into the house, calling a name in a language no one else could understand, each repetition making her posture sink. He was gone.
Suddenly a wretched cry in the same language echoed through the house, a wail. You didn’t need to understand their language to know something was wrong.
Crying in anguish, Ulysses grabbed a dagger. Glinting with emeralds, with the silver shining in the sunlight streaming in from the cracks in the walls, it looked so out of place in this dilapidated house.
Draven ran outside, heading another wail, listened for a second, and streaked wildly into the trees. She passed oak after oak, juniper after juniper, and birch after birch. Finally she came to a towering oak, and clutching the dagger in her teeth, began to climb upwards.
Jumping from branch to branch, she looked like a monkey searching for bananas. Ulysses finally crested the forest canopy, a sea of green shimmered around her. She did this often, just sat there enjoying being on top of the world. But she had no time for that, for she had finally spotted her target: a baby was wailing on top of the highest branch.
She scaled the final branches easily and grabbed the baby, kissing it and clutching it to her breast. Just as she made to climb down, a little creature appeared right in front of her.
She cursed.
The thing and a face like a monkey, shaggy blue fur, wings, and a spiked tail. Grinning evilly, it pushed both Ulysses and the baby off the tree.

500 words

Weekly 2:

Latest News:

If you’ve been to Disneyland anytime since September 2021, you might have noticed that the popular attraction Tarzan’s Treehouse is closed. I personally love this attraction, so I was very sad to see it closed. Before we delve into why it’s closed, let’s talk about the attraction as it used to be. From 1962 to 1998, it was known as the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, based upon the movie/book Swiss Family Robinson, a story about a family who was stranded on an island. Disney’s adaptation came out in 1960, and the book came out in 1812. WOW!
But with Tarzan coming out in 1999, the Imagineers decided to retheme the attraction to Tarzan, and the subsequent name Tarzan’s Treehouse. The attraction features the complete story of Tarzan and pages from Jane’s sketchbook, as well as a loud tiger, a shaky bridge that one guest damaged a few years ago at Disneyland, (read about it here on the digital copy), over 3000 fake leaves and Jane’s camp while she’s in Africa. The attraction is featured in Adventureland, right past Indiana Jones and bordering New Orleans Square. It is a primarily walking attraction, much like Tom Sawyer Island. You climb up a lot of stairs in order to get to the top, so this might be an attraction for the children as opposed to the older guests. Another good thing about this attraction is that there is essentially not a line. You just walk through it, again, much like Tom Sawyer Island.
However, the attraction has been mysteriously closed for the past 11 months, and the Disney fan base is begging to know why.
They got their answer. On April 18, the Orange County Register announced that the Tarzan’s Treehouse is getting a new theme. We are not sure at all, because Disney has not released an official statement about what it might be, but many are speculating that the retheme might be Encanto, since Antonio’s room (a jungle with a giant tree) would fit nicely, and the popularity of Encanto. Let’s put this into perspective for a moment. Tarzan made $$448,191,819 in box office sales, which was considerably better than Swiss Family Robinson, which made 40 million in its lifetime, even though Tarzan is 39 years younger. However, Encanto, which has only been out for nine months, made 228 million, meaning that it made half the money of Tarzan in less than a year, and during COVID too, and with a shortened theater run! Not to mention the fact that “We Don't Talk About Bruno'' is arguably the most popular Disney song EVER, reaching the top of the Billboard “Hot 100”, which only one Disney song has ever done before. But I think we can all agree that “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is significantly more popular than “Can You Feel The Love Tonight”. So many are expecting a Tarzan Treehouse retheme to be Encanto. But it’s anyone’s guess.
Onto some more Disneyland news! After a lengthy close for refurbishment, Pirates Of The Caribbean has reopened! It was closed because of some large changes that had to be made to the outdoor queue, due to two giant trees that had to be removed because of disease. They were replaced by two young magnolias. Also, the facade has been rebuilt almost exactly the same as before, with some more lanterns and maintenance. The interior has not changed a bit, only receiving a fix-up.
Another ride that is expected to reopen soon is the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, which had been closed and is expected to reopen on July 25th. It has undergone a few changes, mainly an animatronic of Hank the Octopus and the seagulls back on their buoy. The walls around the attraction during the refurbishment have come down, and the lagoon is filled with water once again after being drained.
Some more exciting news! After announcing that Splash Mountain would be rethemed to Princess and the Frog (years ago) and no change, I am excited to report THEY HAVE A PLAN! We have confirmed that the new ride (well, not technically new) will be named Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and will open in late 2024. After many calls for the ride to be rethemed, due to its current theme of Song Of The South, which many consider racist and to the point where it is not showing anymore, the dissenters have finally got their wish! We are not sure if the ride will be “moved” from Critter Country to New Orleans Square, technically meaning on maps it would be listed as part of New Orleans Square instead of Critter Country. I personally don’t think they will, though, because there is only one other ride in Critter Country, ( The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh) and that might not be the wisest decision to have only one ride in a land.
And our final ride and land announcement: ToonTown is still hard at work, getting refurbished for its reopening next year, which will include a version of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the popular Disney World attraction, among other updates.
And now for some sad news: Oogie Boogie Bash, the yearly Halloween party at Disney California Adventure, is already sold out after going on sale last week. I was really hoping to go, but I guess if you snooze, you lose!
And although there is much Disney news that I haven’t touched on, that’s all for this issue!

Thanks to micechat for the source! https://www.micechat.com/326163-dateline-disneyland-pirates-return-submarine-voyage-testing-more/


Opinion: Encanto

The movie Encanto is one of my favorites. It was a charming, funny and heartwarming story about a girl realizing she is enough. The movie premiered in theatres on November 24th. It was immensely popular, owing to its amazing songs and developed plot. It was directed by Jaron Bush and Byron Howard, with music directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Let’s take a dive into the world of the Madrigals.
Every Madrigal child is given a magical gift at the age of 4, because of the miracle. This ‘miracle’ was secured by Abuela Alma, the matriarch of the ‘casita’, whose husband, Abuelo Pedro, sacrificed himself to let Abuela Alma and the villagers cross the river. As Abuela wept for her husband, the candle that was next to her burned with magic. Suddenly hills grew up around the villagers, safely keeping them away from the soldiers, who many believe were part of the Thousand Day’s War (putting the time period of the main movie squarely in the 1950s). The candle also creates a beautiful, magical, house, nicknamed ‘casita’, and every child of the Madrigals is presented with a gift (talking to animals, making flowers grow, super hearing, etc). Except one.
Mirabel Madrigal is the only Madrigal child without a gift, and she just wants to be special. When her little cousin, Antonio, gets his gift, the ability to communicate with animals, making it even more obvious that she’s the only one without a gift,she just needs a moment alone to sing a song about wanting to be special. (Everyone does, ok!)
But her musical vent is interrupted when a tile falls off the roof of the casita. It scratches Mirabel’s hand as the casita starts to shake violently, cracks spreading through the house. Mirabel, panicked, interrupts the festivities, and when she leads Abuela out to show her the destruction, nothing’s there.
Abuela reassures everyone that nothing is wrong, and invites them to continue the celebrations. That night she can’t sleep, and decided to walk around. She discovers Abuela talking to a picture of her husband, betraying how nervous she actually is. Later, the next day, Julieta (Mirabel’s mother) is seen comforting her after her ordeal, but she isn’t sure about what Mirabel tells her. Determined to find out what the others in her family are content to pretend didn’t happen, she sets out on a mission. When the family is eating, with a few surprises (Mariano wants five babies, Antonio put animals on Abuela’s chair, Camilo shapeshifts into Dolores to get extra food) Mirabel discovers a lead: Luisa. According to Dolores, her eye was twitching. All night. (Flute sounding shrug-sigh.)
After an epic song about the unfair pressure that is put on Luisa (one of my faves!) Luisa gives Mirabel some important information- Bruno’s tower. After he ran away, it had been locked up. But now it was the key.
Mirabel heads to Bruno’s tower, a twisting staircase leading to a chamber filled with sand. She discovers some glowing green glass pieces, and she realises it’s Bruno’s vision. On one side we see the house cracked, and the other it’s perfectly fine. But one thing didn’t change: Mirabel.
After returning from the tower, Mirabel overhears Luisa crying about how her gift is fading. Abuela is upset with Mirabel and tells her to stay out of the way, since Isabella’s proposal is about to occur. Agustin, Mirabel’s dad, talks to her about the vision, but Dolores overhears it and tells everyone. Frantically hiding the cracks and the fact that everything’s wrong, right before rats steal the vision and Mirabel discovers Bruno hiding away. He gives her another vision, one that makes her have to hug Isabella, her LEAST favorite person in the world. But after a song about Isabella discovering her powers’ limits, they’re the best of friends. Looking at the damage the sisters caused, Abuela freaks out and the casita starts breaking, destroying the miracle. Everyone is okay, but Mirabel, blaming herself, runs away. She ends up at the river where the miracle began, and Abuela finds her. She tells Mirabel the story and how she was wrong and is sorry. They hug, and everything seems to be okay. Bruno bursts out of the forest, frantically explaining that it was his fault, not Mirabel’s, but his protests are silenced when Abuela hugs him. There’s a lot of hugging in this part.
The three of them return, and while singing another song, rebuild the house with help from their friends and family. ( without their gifts!) They only need one more thing: a doorknob. They made Mirabel a doorknob for the door she didn’t get. Once she puts it in, the Magic returns, the Madrigals get their gifts back, and they lived happily ever after! More or less. Now, let me show you my top 3 favorite and least favorite things about the movie!
Music
There’s a reason We Don’t Talk About Bruno is one of the most popular Disney songs ever! All the songs in the movie are catchy, well-written and in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s signature hip hop/ rap/awesomeness style. The music is just *chef’s kiss*
Story
The story is awesome! It’s charming, developed, and a really lighthearted way to tell the world that you are enough. It has the signature Disney vibe, and it has the characters and the poetry of a meaningful story.
Representation
The representation of the Spanish and Colombian community is highly present in Encanto, and rightly so. Lately Disney has been on a spree, releasing movies that showcase other countries and nationalities, like Asia in Raya And The Last Dragon. I personally think that’s awesome! There are people of all different skin colors in Encanto, and from what I’ve sniffed out, it seems the same actors in the original are acting in the Spanish version, which I think is great. It’s awesome that they’re keeping true to culture as well.

Now onto my least favorite things!

The Ending
I personally don’t LOVE the ending of Encanto. The song “All Of You” is my least favorite as well. Why do I not like the ending? I personally think that it would’ve been more rewarding if the Madrigals didn’t keep their powers. Instead of oh, you don’t need your powers to live a good life, it’s like I realize I can be myself without my gift but it totally doesn’t matter because in about two seconds I’m going to get my gift back, if you know what I mean.
The similarities
This is just a little thing that vexes me, but I don’t like how Mariano and Pedro look so similar.
The speed
This might just be me, because I’m reading all these things that have a bunch of dead ends, (keeper anyone?) but I think the finding-out part’s a little easy. Like, give it a dead end or two! It’s just bam introduction bam problem bam lead bam hopeless bam figures everything out bam it all goes wrong bam happy ending, y’know?

Anyway, that is my Encanto dissection! Have a nice day!

Gossip: Encanto

Latest new from the Madrigals, right here right now! Let’s give a thorough update from the 7 or so months since Encanto premiered. Each character has done so much since then, it’s amazing what they’re up to now! Presented to you by the Mouse Ears.

Mirabel
Since our favorite Mirabel Madrigal was filmed restoring the miracle in Encanto, the star has had a fairly normal life. She has made peace with the fact that she didn’t have a gift and has even developed a new theory: the reason she didn’t get a gift is because she is the new “doorkeeper”, a term we coined for the matriarch and head of the family and the Magic. She is going to be the new Abuela! Of course, none of that is confirmed. What is confirmed, however, is that she has started a small gift business for family and friends. She loves creating stuffed animals.
Abuela
It seems Abuela has cooled down since the events of Encanto. She has been seen relaxing with Luisa and even laughing at Mirabel’s jokes and accepting her gifts! She’s definitely a different woman. She is, however, growing old, and, coming to the same conclusion Mirabel did, she has been giving Mirabel lessons. On what? We couldn’t find out for sure, but we suspect it is a mix of history about the casita and leadership activities for when she takes over. Things have certainly changed between these two.
Luisa
After Encanto, Luisa has been getting some much needed time off. After spilling a bout the incredible pressure she was under, things have definitely cooled down for her. Prior to her parents’ requests, there is now a “suggestion box” you can use to voice your complaints and requests, and Luisa chooses whether or when to honor them. She has developed a strong dislike of donkeys and a strong liking for coconut drinks. She turned twenty two months ago.
Antonio
Antonio hasn’t been doing much lately, seeing as he’s a five year old. He has been spending a lot of time in his room, trying to discover all the amazingness inside. He has tried to create a map with the help of his cousin, and once or twice he has gotten lost in the forests surrounding his treehouse. He has also been hanging out with the energetic little kids in the village, and being a MADRIGAL, he’s the head of the group. He’s just as shy as always, however. Some things will never change.
Isabella
Isabella has had a busy life in the few months since we last met her. Trying to make up for the years she has hated her sister, they hang out together as much as possible and Isa has created a small business with flower art, something she creates either by growing flowers into a mural or using her multicolored pollen to make splatter artwork. We have several of her “Shattered Perfection” collection hanging in our Mouse Ears offices.
Dolores
Dolores has been dating Mariano for seven months, and it has steadily been becoming more serious, but we are yet to hear the news of Mariano popping the question. He has written some (we’ll say it- terrible) love poems about Dolores, and they seem quite happy together. Dolores, being able to hear all the news, has started a small newspaper about the village, which consists of a gossip column and a cartoon strip. We have subscribed and the editions are highly entertaining.
Camilo
Ahhh, Camilo! He has turned seventeen (maybe sixteen-he loves to lie about his age) in the last month and he has gotten himself a girlfriend! Her name is Rosa, and she is one of the villagers that live right next to the house. Rosa and Camilo love playing pranks on some of the family members and villagers, and they once got in big trouble for ruining one of Isabella’s paintings. They seem really cute though, and we’re excited to see how this couple turn out.
Bruno
Bruno has been a little more open about himself now that he has returned, and he loves to tell dad jokes and hang out with his family. His tower has been completely repaired, although he hardly goes up their anymore. Not the best bedroom. Plus, he doesn’t really do visions anymore. He just doesn’t like them very much. Nevertheless, he sleeps in his wallroom (that’s what we call it) and has set up a little rat park in the backyard. He likes to give them little obstacle courses.

That’s all from Mouse Ears! Send some Disney gossip to us at www.mouse-ears.com/submitgossip for a chance to be featured in our next column!

Recipe:

These Mickey Rice Krispy treats are a spin on the ones you can find at Disneyland, but a little more natural. I just love them! They’re so adorably Disney, and they only require six ingredients!

Ingredients:

6 cups Cocoa Krispies or other chocolate rice cereal
2 cups normal mini marshmallows
2 cups chocolate mini marshmallows
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups red coating chocolate
Yellow MNMs

Materials:
Medium sized saucepan
Rubber spatula
Large Mickey cookie cutters (or biscuit cutters, one medium and one small. If you’re using biscuit cutters you’ll also need a knife)
Bowl
Popsicle sticks (optional)
Parchment paper
Two baking pans

Start by melting the butter if you haven’t yet. Then pour the chocolate cereal into a saucepan over medium heat, along with the butter and the marshmallows. Stir with a rubber spatula until the marshmallows are melted and the mixture is combined.
Add the marshmallows and cereal to a 9x13 baking pan lined with parchment paper, using you hands to flatten it. Careful! It will be hot!
Put it in the fridge and let it set until it is no longer sticky, then cut shapes out with your cookie cutters. If you’re using biscuit cutters, press a Mickey shape lightly onto the rice cereal treat layer, than use a knife to cut out the shape in one piece. Once it’s cut, melt the coating chocolate in a bowl. Dip about half of the main circle of the Mickey into the coating chocolate, than press two yellow MNMs into the red as buttons. Stick a popsicle stick in the base if you’d like. Repeat for all your Mickeys, then enjoy once the chocolate has hardened!


3157 words

Daily 13: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/713938047/

Daily 14:
Conner is used to sleepless nights. His mother has her hands full with her business so doesn’t pay much attention to Conner, who’s just fine with that. He usually gets ready for bed around 9 and just reads or draws until he falls asleep, usually around 11 or so. But sometimes when his mom keeps the light on downstairs he has a really hard time falling asleep, so sometimes he sleeps as late as 1am. His routine is good for him, meaning if he gets a normal night of sleep he’s able to function well and go to school, and he can maintain good grades. He takes a half hour nap twice a week after he finishes his homework, and usually he falls asleep a half hour later those nights. If he doesn’t get enough sleep, he’s usually a bit cranky, but most of the time he just can’t think straight. If he stays up late doing something exciting, however, he is rejuvenated from the adventure. This is his bedtime routine:

7pm: Eats a quick dinner, usually with a book in his hands. He eats with his mother if she’s not too busy, but usually he just heats up some leftovers and eats alone. He reads while he eats, and is very meticulous about not getting any food on the books. He usually doesn’t have dessert.
8pm: Does a small workout of around 10-15 push-ups, 30 jumping jacks and lifting weights 30 times. He likes to be active right before bed and right after he wakes up so he can feel refreshed.
9pm: Gets ready for the night. He brushes his teeth, flosses, and makes his bed. He enjoys listening to music while he does this.
10pm: Winds down. Usually sketches or reads, but sometimes he likes to work on a bigger project, like drawing a map of an imaginary world.
11pm: Starts to put his things away and usually falls asleep.
12am: Sleeps.

324 words

Daily 15:

I wake up with a yawn. My mother was bustling about in the kitchen, making breakfast. I heard the toaster pop from my room.
I jammed on my glasses, turning on the light. My room was beautiful, everything about it reflecting me. There was no nonsense, only business. I had three bookshelves filled to the brim with textbooks and books about science and math and English, and there was a well-used desk in the corner, and my bed was neatly made. I am very neat and tidy, I love school and STEM, and my friends say I have the imagination of a teaspoon. Just the way I like it. Seeing things as they are, instead of holding onto silly notions about magic.
I only remembered it was my birthday when my mother knocked a jaunty tune on my door. “Amethyst, sweetie, wake up! There are presents in the dining room, and I made Nutella toast for you!”
I sprung out of bed. Nutella toast is my favorite!
I quickly force on a T-shirt that says, “It’s Called Science” and open my door, smiling at the decorations. Some ceiling hanging things with beakers on the bottom are taped under the mantle of my door, and the table is filled with presents, with wrapping paper printed with math symbols. “Hawpy Birtday Amy!!!” My brother Mateo screams as the jumps on me, making me stagger. He’s only four. “You’re fowrteen!” He jumps up and down excitedly on my lap as I sit down to a breakfast of Nutella toast, strawberries and vegetarian bacon. I’m vegetarian, because if we keep breeding cows and other animals, the methane they release will heat up the atmosphere and add to the global warming conflict.
“OPEN YOUR PRESENTS” Mateo screams. “Okay, okay,” I laugh. “I’m doing it, I’m doing it.” I start with a big one, unwrapping it to find a brand new chemistry set. “Wow, thanks, Mateo!” I say, once I’ve deciphered the messy handwriting on the card. I hug him.
I also got a set of updated encyclopedias, some math workbooks, a fancy pen, AirPods, and a entrepreneurial starter kit.
“Thanks guys! Those were awesome!” I hug my family. But then Mateo pulls aside a unwrapped box to find one more present. This one is different. It has rainbow wrapping paper with fairy-tale characters. We all look at it strangely for very different reasons. At the exact same time, I ask, “Why would you use this wrapping paper?” As both of my parents turn to each other and say, “Did you get that? I didn’t.” While Mateo points out, “Goldilocks’ nose is missing!”
I stare confusedly at my parents. “Wait, you didn’t buy this?” They shrug. “It must be from one of your friends. They might have left it and we got it mixed up with ours.” They seem to buy that explanation, but I didn’t. Mateo had no such qualms, however, and demanded, “Well, open it!”
I slowly unwrap the paper, pulling out a brand-new book of fairy tales. I open it, turning to the table of contents. Instead of a list of fairy tales, however, there was a letter.

Dear Amethyst Hayfield,
This is a book that could unlock your future. Use it well.
From The Society Of Wayward Academics

548 words

Daily 16

Okay, this is a story about the time I almost died. I’m gonna tell it as if I’m not in it, as if it’s a story about another person, because that’s less painful. It also tells a lot about me: my job, my selflessness, my magic… enjoy!
Agnes stumbled into the clearing, her satchel clinking with potions and her conduit clutched to her chest. She walked to the special tree and felt for the telltale knot in the wood, her breath ragged. She opened the secret compartment and took out the bird-shaped whistle. The shrill birdsong rang through the air, and Agnes’ cottage came, the chimney puffing smoke like an old man’s pipe. She walked up to the cottage, clutching her leg. Red streamed down her shin, rivulets of blood forming a gruesome picture on her leg. She tripped on the last step and the giant gash sung with agony. She groaned, limping into the cottage and hurrying over to her cauldron. She grabbed a few ingredients: powdered mane of Lion, eye of newt, crystallized elephant tusk, spring water, aspen leaf, and a splatter of ink. She boiled it over the cauldron and added gooseberries and stallion blood. The mixture turned into a smooth teal, and the smell wafting through the air reminded Agnes of apples and honey, instead of blood, hair and compost. Agnes poured it into a vial. She was about to take a swig of it when she heard footsteps and two sharp knocks on the door. “Help!” A woman’s nasally voice echoed through the house, sharp and mixed with a little bit of desperation and resignation. “Hello? Is anyone there? I need help!” She said again, rapping on the door a little harder. The house groaned in protest as her next knock almost broke the door. “Okay, okay!” Agnes said as she opened the door, the healing potion laying on the counter, forgotten, her leg still streaming blood. Light-headed, she ushered the woman into the clearing. “Whatdoyouwa…” Agnes slumped, then fought through the haze. “How…how can I help you” She gritted out.
The lady looked at Agnes’ leg and wrinkled her nose. She had salt-and-pepper hair up in a severe bun and glasses perched on her nose. “I need a potion to heal my illness. I sometimes forget things: my name, my age, the date… Can you help me?” Agnes nodded slowly and pointed to the counter. “What you need is on there; it’s a teal bottle. Take it, I’m too weak to get it.”
The lady obviously understood that the potion was supposed to be to heal Agnes’ leg, and that her problem wasn’t as dire as Agnes’ and therefore, she should let Agnes take the potion. Then, after all, Agnes could make her another one.
But instead, she grabbed the bottle and drank the whole thing. “Thank you.” She said, smiling a bit sinisterly. “That will definitely help.”
She walked out.
Stars spotted Agnes’ vision and the fog rushed through her head. She slumped in a dead faint as the darkness swallowed her.

509 words

Daily 17:

Shoot I only noticed after it has major KOTLC vibes oops

Was the darkness her friend?
Allie tentatively approached the door, her mentor, Ms. Lexi, urging her on. “Come now, Allie, what has darkness ever done to you?”
Too much.
Fractured memories slashed through her brain, each accompanied by a stabbing pain in her brain that ached like a lost opportunity.

Allie, a child, no more than four, playing in the forest with her best friend, Cissy. They were laughing and playing together, running around the thick trunks of the dark trees, climbing and yelling. Allie and Cissy had no fear, even though they should’ve been scared to death.
Suddenly, all the light winked out, the shy sun that was peeking through the treetops now a distant memory in the blackness. They both screamed, but no sound could be heard. It was like the darkness swallowed everything. Soon, after bumbling about in the darkness, their heads started to hurt, a dull ache that grew with each passing breath. After a few minutes, Cissy collapsed, the headache too much to bear, and Allie somehow knew that she was alone, her screams growing shriller and more desperate. But soon, she too slumped, the pain like a fire in her four-year-old brain. The darkness swallowed her.

Allie, waking up in a dark room, black as midnight, her head still throbbing. A man in a dark trench coat lighting a candle and coming up to her with an oily smile, a bruised fist, and questions she didn’t have the answers to. The small light seared into her brain, making it hard to concentrate. His questions got sharper and sharper, until finally, he struck her. When she pleaded for help, saying she didn’t know anything, the man seemed to understand. He seemed to talk to the darkness, saying, “Okay. She might not actually know anything. We’ll keep her until she’s useful. For now… do what you want.” And the pain in her head increased again, until she doubled over. The man laughed as she sank into oblivion.

A woman running with Allie over her shoulder, through unlit cobbled streets, whispering, “I’m saving you. Please don’t fight.” Allie was too weak to even think about struggling as the woman veered into a dark alleyway. After what seemed like ages, they finally stopped at a small cottage bordering a forest. She unlocked the door and stumbled into a room, throwing Allie down on the bed. “Sleep, child, don’t fight the darkness.”
She didn’t. She let the darkness take her, wondering if she’d ever see her parents again as she closed her eyes into a fitful slumber.

Ms. Lexi grimaced as Allie doubled over, fighting the flashbacks. “Sorry dear, wrong question. I didn’t mean to dredge up memories. What I was trying to say is: sometimes darkness can be comforting. I know that’s hard to believe, given your, well, history with the dark, but have you ever thought about that? The cool relief of shade on a hot summer day, or the beauty of a dark hiding space that fits just right, or the closing of your eyes as you fall into a restful sleep…” Ms. Lexi drifted off. “Anyways, just try the door, dear. It’ll unlock powers you never knew you had.” She said.

So much has happened in the nine years since her kidnapping. She had been raised by her savior, Ms. Lexi. She had spilled the beans about everything; why she was kidnapped, why she had been interrogated about something called shazottine, why she could do small things with light (make lights flash different colors, turn on the lights without a switch, make small glowing orbs appear in her plan when she was particularly frightened of the dark…), and why she couldn’t remember anything before her kidnapping.

Turns out she was a Shazoflasher. What that meant? She could manipulate light using a special element called shazottine. It ran through her blood, and it was closely monitored by a group called the Oppressors. They had kidnapped her because her parents had hidden her relationship with the element and they wanted to make sure she was registered. (Quite brutally.) They didn’t know, however, that she was the most impressive and powerful Shazoflasher in one hundred years. They were planning to kidnap her, wash her memories, and turn her into the other Oppressors, using their shazottine gifts to serve them. But during the washing process she was stolen back by Ms. Lexi, and that’s why she was only partially washed. They had done the past part of the wash, which erased her memories of everything prior to the kidnapping, but they hadn’t done the trigger or self part. The trigger part erased any inkling of familiarity when someone said something related to her, such as her name, or her parents name, so she basically would’ve lived in oblivion. The self part washed her sense of self, effectively turning her into a robot. As revenge for her escape, however, the Oppressors had killed her family.
Luckily, Ms. Lexi had saved her and trained her, helping her use her powers to do good. But so far she could only do little things. She wanted more.

Which is why she was standing in front of a door, fighting her trauma. The door was open, but instead of leading into the next room, it opened into darkness. Ms. Lexi was encouraging her, but this was a battle Ms. Lexi couldn’t help her with.
Shuddering, Allie took a breath. She stared at the magic doorway, and slowly, carefully, she took a step forward, plunging into the blackness.

Was the darkness her friend?

928 words

Daily 18:

Goldilocks and the Two Hosts

Goldilocks was a little girl with curls of blonde hair, a curious demeanor, and a disregard for the rules. She loved to explore, but this is the story of when it got out of hand.

“Bye, Mami!” Goldilocks kissed her mother on the cheek. “Don’t worry, sweetie, we’ll celebrate your eighth birthday when I get back. For now, don’t cause trouble. I’ll be back at dinner!” Her mother said.
“Oh, I’m not worried about that. See you tonight!” Goldie responded brightly. Her mother grabbed the keys and walked out of their little cottage. It bordered the forest and was the best place for a little girl to explore.

Goldilocks tried not to cause trouble. She made herself breakfast of porridge and stared out the window for a while, imagining some adventures she would have with her mother on her day off. Then she read a book about famous adventures. All the talk of adventures made her wish for her own, so, after trying for five minutes, she surrendered and went outside.

The forest seemed to beckon her, a little path winding through the bright green trees. Red berries grew from bushes, and a shy doe poked her head out from behind a small sapling. Nature and life and opportunities for adventures were all around her. A weathered sign stood battered right on the border of the forest. It read, “This way to SWC.” Why had she not noticed it before? Did they put it up today? Her birthday, July 1st? Was it for her? The possibility made her toes tingle with excitement. Her eyes sparkled as she sprinted up to the path.

She followed the dirt road through glades and trees and clearings and streams, the “This way to SWC” signs dotting the path at regular intervals. After walking for a few hours, she got tired and stopped at a small pond dotted with moss and rocks. The forest was dark around here, everything looking misty. She thought it looked like something out of a fairy tale, or, better yet, an adventure. After taking a drink from the crystal clear water and helping herself to some of the friendly-looking toadstools lining the pond. After eating and drinking her fill, she continued on.

After about ten more minutes, she reached a gigantic mansion that looked like a place a scholar would live in. The house looked majestic, with ivy crawling up the walls and brick walls. Goldilocks stared at it for a good two seconds, then knocked on the door. No one answered, but she could hear voices. Tons of voices. Thinking maybe there was a party, she knocked harder. She knocked so hard that the door opened!

The foyer seemed to be empty, but she could hear sounds from upstairs. A notice board pinned to the top said, “Cabin Intro Upstairs, Everyone Please Head Upstairs.” Whatever that meant.
The foyer was decorated quite nicely, with paintings of people writing, paintings of guitars, and wait… was it a mango she saw on the wall? She LOVED mangos. Plus, the mushrooms had somehow made her more hungry. What she wouldn’t give for a mango…

Just when she was about to leave the room, on a small table in front of her she saw a few… MANGO DESSERTS!
Ecstatic, she hurried over. First she tried a mango cake. “Hmmm… too chewy.” She said with a frown.
Next she tried a mango sorbet. “Ick! Too cold!” She said when she accidentally bit down on the ice. She shivered.
The last thing she saw was a pineapple mango drink. She took a sip and sighed in happiness. “Just right!”

After tasting the mango treats, she hurried into another odd room. It had boxes upon boxes of… pens?
She sat in a comfy chair and grabbed one of the notebooks and one of the three displayed pens from a table. She grabbed one with a pot of ink. It seemed to be a fountain pen. She tried to write with it, but her little hands smudged the ink. “Much too hard.” She decided.
Then, Goldie grabbed a pencil with no decoration on it. Before she even wrote with it, she decided, “Wayyyyy too boring.”
She finally grabbed on with fancy filigree patterns decorating the metal. It could write very well. “Just write!” She giggled at her own joke.

Next, she went to a few rooms with different themes. The first one seemed to be a maze. She was never very good at those. “Much too confusing.” She said with her hands on her hips.
Then she went to a big, open room that looked like a renaissance fair. There was hardly room to walk next to the cluttered stalls. “Much too crowded.” Goldilocks said with a frown. The last room she visited was extremely hot. It seemed to be a restaurant! Goldilocks looooooved food, so she loved this room! “Just right!”
She decided to look around. She accidentally knocked over a pan, and it clattered through the house. She flinched as the voices upstairs grew quiet. They decided to investigate, and quickly, tons of people barged into the room, a person with a name tag saying “Birdi” and another saying “Robin” leading the charge.

Goldilocks screamed. Birdi and Robin softened upon seeing their intruder was eight years old. “Who are you?” Birdi asked kindly. The people behind her still looked anxious, talking in hushed voices.
Goldie stuttered. “I’m G-G-Goldilocks. I’m h-h-here to explore. I found the s-sign outside my house and wanted to follow it. Sorry, I-I-I won’t d-do it ag-g-gain.”
Birdi and Robin looked at each other. “It’s fine.” Robin eventually said. “But please leave so we can get back to what we were doing.”

Goldilocks nodded quickly and ran all the way back to her home. She never disturbed anyone again.

972 words

Daily 19:

Valley sighed in relief, resting her head on Chris’ shoulder. Chris stiffened for a moment, then slowly put an arm around her. “We did it. Finally.” Valley whispered. Chris nodded, a small smile curving his lips. “After two years of trying to kill the snake, and tons of casualties, we got it. We won.”
Remembering their dead, they both whispered sadly, “Sunny.” Valley, Chris, Sunny and Ian had been given a challenge: kill the Serpent Almighty. They had lost everything: the snake had grown more and more powerful, both Sunny and Ian had died in the battle (no one liked Ian, but Sunny was Chris’s best friend and Valley’s sister) and their mentor, Grizzbeth, had died in the inferno, right after promising they would be fine without him. They were older now, sixteen. They could take care of themselves.
They weren’t fine. They were lost and they only had each other. You’d think people would like you after you saved everyone, but now people were looking for them. They were fugitives.
Valley started to cry. “Chris… we saved everyone and now people are trying to kill us. I don’t know what to do.” Tears soaked Chris’ sleeve and Chris slowly, very slowly, pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head. He’d never done that before. He liked it, so he pulled Valley’s chin closer and kissed her. She let out a small ‘oh’, then kissed him back. Hard. They kissed passionately, each wanting to escape their problems for a little while. Valley pulled back, tear tracks on her cheeks. Chris smiled sadly. “What would Sunny have done if she saw that?” He asked. Valley knew her better than anyone. She thought for a moment. “First, wrinkle her nose. Then look away. Then, when we were done, she’d mumble something about it being very cute but not fun to watch. Then she’d tease us endlessly.” Chris sighed. “That does sound like her.” They both descended into thoughtful silence.
Valley broke the moment. “What are we going to do now?” She asked Chris, her delicate fingers skating over his cheek. He took a moment to respond, both from formulating a plan and the discombobulating power of Valley’s touch.
“We stick together. We do what we did before. We fight, we uncover the truth, and we’ll always be together. That said, first we should find somewhere to stay. Before that, though…” Chris kissed Valley again, his rough hands gripping her shirt, crawling under her neck, while Valley grabbed Chris’ shirtless chest, sinking into the beautiful oblivion.
They only had each other. But they’d make do.

435 words

Weekly 3:

Part 1:

Brainstorming
Magical forest
Season oriented
Covens
Cottagecore aesthetic
Council rules
Not very advanced technologically
Family forward
Being indoors for long periods of time is frowned upon
Next to a waterfall
Children aren’t helped very much, taught to be independent
Romance is an important part of society
Animals are revered
Animal pet in all households
Magic related to seasons
Politeness is appreciated but not required
All people treated equally
Everyone given a voice in politics
Very small
Trees and nature viewed as extremely important
Magical careers are the most admired

Connections
Tucked into a giant forest, on the edge of a magical waterfall, you’ll find Cimmermia. It is hidden in the forest, quite independent from anywhere else. In fact, most don’t know it exists!
It is full of dirt roads and small cottages, with wild mushrooms growing along the path and small streams practically everywhere.
Due to the effects of the magical waterfall nearby, over a century, the people there, called Cimmermians (or Cimmies, if you’re lazy) have developed small, nature-related magical abilities. With the elemental nature of their magic, Cimmies are split into covens of air, earth, water and fire. They are sorted at a ceremony when every youngling is eleven, usually right before harvest season. These covens are located in different bases, (underground, behind the waterfall, on top of a windy hill, near a burned area of the forest) and there, younglings are taught the nature and philosophical essence of their ability. They stay there for three years, and, because of that, children aren’t coddled. They are taught to be independent for when they need to go off to their covens. However, not all who get a magical ability use it, and only the top of the class are granted magical careers as healers, scholars, ambassadors and warriors. The rest are content to work closer to home as shopkeepers and other local jobs.
The highest honor in this town is to become a Councilor, because the council are the rulers of Cimmermia. They often have a mix of genders, skin colors, and elemental powers, commonly having 8 members: two of each element, one boy and one girl, and a mix of skin colors. Although Councilors are the final vote, everyone in Cimmermia is given a vote on important matters.
Usually elemental powers have trademarks: air Cimmies have light hair and a washed-out look, while usually being the most energetic. Water is soft-spoken, with blue or green eyes and light skin, and fire usually has bronze skin, flaming personalities and bright hair and nails. Earth has deep brown skin and a steadfast and calm temper, but can be known to put their foot down. There are notable exceptions to these rules.
Additionally, animals and nature are viewed as of the utmost importance, and every household has a magical pet such as a jackrabbit or a turtle with a shell of jewel.
Being indoors for long periods of time is frowned upon, seeing as you’re in a forest! Most Cimmies spend on average 7-8 hours a day outside.

Narrative:

“The Sorting’s today! The Sorting’s today!” Ceremonial bells rang through the dirt roads, children all over Cimmermia (including me) yelling for joy. The main marketplace was bustling with activity, a makeshift stage had been set up, with the symbol of magic, (a tree sectioned into four parts, each showing the tree in one season) plastered across the front. Vendors sold fire hats, water pens, air bird figurines and earth seedlings, and delicacies from each coven: smoke rolls, dandelion salad, wind-whipped chocolate truffles, and flavored enrichment water. I bought my favorites: a bird figure and wind-whipped truffles. I really wanted to be an Air.) Young eleven year olds all over the town put on their best clothes and prayed to the Seasons that they would be placed in the coven they wanted. I had to be an Air, I just had to! The Councilors stood in their dressing rooms, putting on their ceremonial Sorting robes, encrusted with emeralds, diamonds, sapphires and rubies, stitched with shimmering thread, patched by magic. I hoped that one day I would be wearing the silvery robe, stitched with diamonds and blowing about in a nonexistent wind. Of course, I had to be Sorted first. They were going all out with their finery today, for today was the most important day of the year, better even than the elemental festivals. Honestly, those are kinda boring, but everyone likes them so I guess I should say that? Anyway, back to the story I’m trying to tell. Today the young were brought up to the culture of Cimmermia. I was sooooooo excited.
The ceremony started at ten-o-clock sharp, and by nine, three quarters of the village’s youngsters were lined up next to the stage. I was running late because my younger brother was waiting in line for a fire robe, and apparently since he’s seven it requires the whole family to watch him instead of coming to the most important day of my life, so I had to wait for them. When I finally slipped into the crowd, I saw a balding yet energetic man stand with a microphone, getting ready to announce. His Air tattoo shimmered on his temple. I wanted one on the underside of my wrist more than anything.
By ten-o-clock, all was ready. We (the kids) were lined up straight in alphabetical order (that took a while) and the Councilors were seated on a podium on the stage. The balding Air man grabbed his microphone and shouted, “Heeeeeellooooooo Cimmermia! Are you ready for this year’s Sorting? This year we have 65 youngsters ready to find their coven, our biggest gathering in 27 years! Now, without further ado, let’s get started with Luke Amel!”
A dark-skinned boy walked up to the stage. He didn’t look nervous, but his hands shook as he sat down slowly on the ceremony mat. The floating leaf, water droplet, smoldering coal, and kite bobbed quickly in the air. Then a flash of light whited out the world, and when everyone regained their vision, Luke was surrounded by an earthly green glow, the leaf clutched in his hand. “Our first Earth!” The announcer roared.
He went to join his coven of strong, dark men and women. His smooth, chocolatey skin blended in nicely against the bronze.
After that, Cristy Aurelia was sorted into Air, followed by a Fire, Sophie Allen, and another fire, Zarina Botros. Next, there was a Water, Sylvia Blewhammer, and a few more Earths, Alina and Sawyer Clemens. I knew I was soon. In no time at all, the Air man called “Clare Crimson, please come up to the stage.”
I walked slowly, my legs jelly as I nodded to the Councilors and sat down on the mat. I closed my eyes and though air air air air as the elements floated around me. It was so surreal. But then, white light flashed. It burned my eyes, but when I opened them again, I couldn’t help but squeal. The windy kite was in my hand and a silvery glow surrounded me. I was an Air.
After a couple more people (two more Airs and another Water), the process picked up speed. It was like a dance, as people sat down, magic flashed, and elements chose their heirs. After the last person was sorted (Percy Zinchenko, a Water), the crowd went quiet. The announcer jauntily proclaimed, “Well, that concludes this year’s Sorting! Thank you for coming and be sure to swing back next year!”
I was so happy! My dream had come true. My family hugged me and I picked my brother up and swung him around.
My life had started.

Part 2:

What kind of magic is used in your world?
The magic is mostly elemental, and also very small acts of magic. Every person has a small magical ”tic” that involuntarily happens when they’re doing magic. For example, a person allied to the Fire element might have slowly smoldering eyebrows while they’re making a campfire light with wet wood. Or a Water’s fingernails might drip water when they’re drawing the moisture in the air into a floating orb. A Earth’s hair might suddenly get crusted with dirt when they cause a tiny earthquake, and a Air’s hair might blow in a nonexistent wind when they’re blowing leaves off a tree.
What is an important symbol of your world?
An important symbol of my world is the magic symbol, which is basically a tree enclosed in a circle, and the tree is sectioned into four parts, one off each of the seasons. The Winter part is completely bare, with snow drifting through the background, and the summer one is a slightly dry-looking green, with rays of sun beating down on it, and the spring one is very green with raindrops thudding down. The entire thing is bordered by letters around the circle, repeating cinsky dormean cillian du, wensky orman hickory scu. In their language, it (roughly) says, We worship the seasons, we cover ourselves with their magic.
What is the origin of your magic?
The origin of the magic is the town itself. It is right next to a gigantic waterfall, and legend says that the waterfall is infused with magic because the waters run through Cimmerlan, the ancient land in which the Cimmies used to live, but when the War of The Worlds happened, the door to Cimmerlan locked, but the water got through and soaked in the magic, that then was given to the Cimmies. The water lets off magical particles that were slowly scattered through the entire town, so anyone born in it is given magical powers. Some brave souls have tried to find Cimmerlan’s doors and unlock it, but no one has come back. The ones who remain are content to sit back and enjoy their comfortable life.
How common is magic, and are all characters aware they possess it?
It depends on what you mean by common. Everyone in the town has it, but there’s about 120 people in the town, and the rest of the world still exists, but the story is primarily based in the town and doesn’t really meet any other people, so basically everyone important to the story has it. All of the characters in the story are aware they have magic, because magic is an important part of society. The magic is basically the foundation of the town and story.
What are the limitations of your world’s magic?
Magic in my world is not much of a big thing. Most people can only do little things like perfectly toast a s’mores, gather one’s teardrops into snow, make someone’s clothing blow about in the wind, or make a small flower grow. However, some, like the Councilors, are more powerful. They can cause infernos, major earthquakes, floods, and windstorms. That’s one of the reasons Councilors are elected. Better to be a leader than an enemy, so they make sure the people who can cause the most harm are firmly on the right side. Not the best strategy, in my opinion, but everyone sees it as a solution. All Cimmies are confined to their elements of magic.
How is magic viewed in your world?
Magic in my world is viewed as a common fascination. People worship the magic of the seasons, but normal elemental magic is just seen as a facet of life. But people still study it, especially scholars. They seek to understand the gifts they’ve been given and possibly learn how to expand on them. The children think it’s the best thing in the world. Magic is, in their culture, a gift given to them from Cimmerlan, so they treat it as something to be grateful for, a reminder of their true home.
Does magic affect the government in your world? If so, how?
As I said earlier, Magic basically rules the world. All the Councilors have super powerful magic, and when they are discovered on the coven entrance exams, they’re sent to a facility to be trained. They spend five years instead of three there and learn to harness their magic, rule, and make good choices. Councilors aren’t elected, they are born. And when a Councilor turns twenty, they take the place of their elemental and gender counterpart, no questions asked. So far this has worked out pretty well for them, since they think the Magic Of The Seasons is telling them that the new Councilor is better than the older one. Sometimes Councilors can rule for hundreds of years, sometimes as low as two. Councilors complete an initiation ceremony that grants them unnatural age.
How is magic used in the character’s everyday lives? What are the different abilities?
As children ages 0-10, magic isn’t used at all. But when people turn 11, they are Sorted into covens. They spend 3 years at the coven’s home bases, and come back as legal adults. Adults only use magic for sport if they don’t have a magical job, such as a Councilor, Warrior, Scholar, or Healer. If they don’t have those jobs, they use their magic for convenience, such as keeping the rain away from them when they don’t have an umbrella, lighting a few sparks to keep themselves warm, or growing their vegetable garden. The abilities are elemental. People could be allied with Air, Fire, Earth and Water and can do little things manipulating those categories.
Are there any sensations the characters feel when they are using magic? Describe these sensations using the five senses.
Feel: tingly in their fingers, not uncomfortable, but like they fell asleep and you shake them to wake them up. Taste: depends on the element, but sometimes people could taste water, icy air, earthiness, or smoke. Hear: normally, unless they’re doing something really big, in which case they tune everything else out and only hear the crackle, rushing water, wind and shifting earth they’re creating. See: They close their eyes and see tendrils of color that they pull around themselves to do their bidding. Smell: same as taste.
How is the education system in your world? What do your characters learn (or hypothetically would learn)?
A normal person would learn the nature of their magic, how to use it, what it comes from, and other basic things such as math and writing in their three years in their covens, and after that they would learn more depending on their jobs. Councilors, however, spend five years at an elite and disguised building learning how to rule, make wise decisions, keep their immense power from overtaking them, and how to use themselves to make the town a better place. They also learn how to choose who becomes a certified Warrior, Healer and Scholar.

Part 3:

Urban:

“You’re here.” I said passionately. “You didn’t write to me this morning, I figured you forgot.”
Lizzie forced her body against me. I wished more than anything I could feel it. “Well… I couldn’t gather the blood today.” I raised my eyebrows. “You didn’t kill anyone today?”
She nodded. The NYC subway rushed past us, and she stopped our passionate hug to admire the place. It wasn’t much. A subway station at two in the morning, with trash in the gutters and graffiti on the walls. But it was all she’d seen of the world for years. Lizzie was a ghost, from a dimension similar to ours. Only, everyone there was dead. Lizzie had figured out how to cross over years before, but had only reached out to me last year. We had been lovers since I met her, but it had reached a new level when she figured out how to turn solid for a few hours. She had finally figured out the only way to do it was blood. Human blood from a fresh kill. And who cares that if you’re killed by a ghost, you don’t come back? Ever. As a ghost or at all.
I didn’t care. All I cared about was that she was there, pressing against me and kissing me. Who cares who died in order for me to get that?
We kissed passionately for a few minutes, her body like a cool breath of winter air. I wanted more, more, more, but she pulled away in my arms. Lizzie looked at me with a frown. “Flint, are you okay?” I smiled, trying to kiss her again, but she pushed me away. I frowned too. “Yeah, as long as you’re kissing me.”
She stared at me. “I need a real answer. I’ve been watching you. You can’t see me unless I’m like this, so you didn’t know. I watched how you’ve become since I met you. You’re the one who killed everyone in the orphanage. Why?”
I kicked a crushed soda can littering the gutter. “Because then I could get more blood for you.” I pulled a couple of gallon bottles filled with blood out for her. Why would she care what I did to get to her? Didn’t she love me as much as I loved her?
Her face shone with horror. “Those… those were kids! You can’t do that for me! I only kill people who are suffering. Those with a terminal illness or who are extremely dangerous!” Lizzie pushed me away. I looked at her questioningly. “Why do you even care? We can be together, that’s all that matters.” I say pulling her towards me again, kissing her as hard as I can. She doesn’t resist. “I just… don’t know what you’re becoming.” She mumbles into my lips. “You killed your entire family so they wouldn’t suspect you! You kill, you lie, you cheat, just to get me! I’m not worth wasting your life away. You're dangerous!” I pull her closer, stumbling into a curb. “They died for a worthy cause. You’re all I want, and I don’t care what it takes for us to be together. I’d kill the whole world to be with you.” I said.
Tears stream down Lizzie’s cheeks, creating small shining tracks through her chocolate skin. She tasted like winter. I wanted to taste her, now. I tried to kiss her. “I did this to you. I made you a monster. Love from a ghost was never a good idea. I made you want so much of me you didn’t care about anything but me. I’m sorry. I have to do this so no one else dies.” She said.
She pulled me in for the best kiss she’d ever given me, tasting her icy mouth, passion traced into every curve of her tongue, and with a small sob, she plunged a knife into my heart.

Steampunk:

“A time machine?” Emma asked in wonder. “Yes. I have confirmed the usage of this very model as of yesterday. Would you like to take it for a spin?” William held out his arm and Emma took it, letting out a pretty peal of laughter. “Oh, Will, you amuse me so.”
The time machine was a masterpiece of metal, copper, brass, bronze, silver and gold bits, cogs and grease working together to create something magical. It seemed to be built around a tree in the grounds, from what Will had told Emma. Will was the mechanic of the Ruewens, Emma’s family, and they had spent a lot of time together, Will being the only servant Emma’s age. Plus, he was very handsome, with a swoop of dark brown hair and golden eyes. He was always spotted with grease, and that made him look like a lion. Emma called him “My Lion.” Emma’s father, Micheal Ruewen, didn’t approve.
Will escorted Emma through the grounds, Emma’s slender body pressed against Will as much as she could without looking like she was in love. If anyone saw them, they would call her father.
They hurried through the trees at the outskirts of the property, and Will lead Emma to one particular tree. It was amazing. The metal seemed to be working hand and hand with the tree, looking completely natural somehow. Will pulled a lever and a hole in the tree opened, with a simmering film covering it. It shifted with the wind, but I; the other side Emma could see only darkness.
“Where shall we go? Will asked, wagging his eyebrows. “Shall we go a few years ahead, find out who you marry?” Emma stared at Will. “You.” She said in a whisper. “I love you, my lion.” Will pulled her close. “I know.” He whispered into her hair, giving it a quick kiss and taking her hand. “Let’s go to the future, then. We can take the Time Tree to the year… 2022.”
Emma clutched Will as they stepped into the hole. It felt like they were passing under a harsh waterfall as they passed the layer, small shocks passing through their bodies. Then it all cut to black as the darkness swirled around them.
They finally collapsed on a small field, Emma on top of Will. She blushed and scrambled up, brushing off her petticoats. Will just laughed. Then he spotted a small farmhouse about a hundred metres away. They hurried to it, laughing and singing together. The farmhand, and old, withered thing, snapped, “What is the meaning of this?” Will bowed. “Sorry, sir, we were just wondering what year it was.”
The man looked at them strangely. “Why, 2022, of course! Have you lost your minds?”
Will and Emma high fived and laughed. It had worked!


Hidden Worlds:

I raced through my chores, washing and drying the dishes and clothes faster than I’ve ever done before. Today I was going to escape. Into a new world, one where I could be whoever I wanted instead of some maid for a stupid rich family. I washed the dishes carelessly, aware that after I was done they couldn’t punish me. “Sir, I’m finished! Mr. Woodrow?” I called through the silent house. A snobby man with a hooked nose entered the kitchen. “Done, I see?” He said, sniffing. “Very well then. Here you go. Two thousand Silvies for ten years of work. Off you go then.” He said, ushering me out of the house without so much as a thank you. I stood on the step with a trunk full of clothes, food I nicked from the kitchen, and a bag of coins. My new life had started. I left the property and descended the stairs into the town. The noblemen probably wouldn’t want someone like me around, with filthy clothes and hair caked with soot, so I decided to go to the main part of town.
I raced through the crowded streets, looking for an inn. However, it was King’s Day Eve, and everywhere I went was full. I was losing hope when I spotted an extremely large building in front of me. Why had I not noticed it before? I was standing on an empty road just a minute before…
It had a beautifully polished sign that said “Yonder Inn: Open!” it looked like it was made of a beautiful black metal. I knocked on the door.
A man unlike any I’d ever seen before opened it. He had startlingly green eyes and pointed fingernails painted black. He had a slightly sinister feel about him, but I told myself that was just my imagination. He said in a suave voice, “Welcome to Yonder. I’m Wellington. I’ll explain everything in a second. First, some tea. Bupkins?” A small man with deep set black eyes and a dark mustache that almost looked blue ran out of the room into a corridor as the other man, the one with the suave voice, (Wellington, wasn’t it?) swept me into a room.
Only, it wasn’t a room. It was a wide open town with cluttered stalls and a beautiful blue sky. Shops selling lovely, mysterious fabric with colors I couldn’t quite place and tantalizing spices that I couldn’t quite name lined the main road, winding off into the distance, where I could see small, uncomfortable-looking houses line the streets. They looked like huts, and I peered through a window and saw just a pile of blankets on a bed, nothing else. But that was impossible! The building wasn’t half as big as this, and it had a roof!
Everyone there seemed very happy, but they had a glazed look about them like they didn’t have any deep thoughts. They moved out of the way when Wellington and I moved down the main road to a small tea shop. We sat down at a table as Bupkins served us steaming cups of something lovely. It tasted like sunshine and a fruit I couldn’t explain, a bit of tart sweetness that made my limbs tingle. When I drained the last bit, I felt… hollow. Like a part of me, the part that longed for adventure, had been chipped off and dumped into a locked chest just out of my reach. I found that I was perfectly content to stay here, with these nice, glazed people, forever. I didn’t need anything. I could just sit around all day and never go anywhere. Wellington surveyed my face as I drank the tea, his sinister smile growing once I finished. My eyes drooped and I smiled cheerfully.
“Now, how do you feel?” He prompted.
“Just fine.” I said happily, albeit a little tiredly. He chuckled. “Now, what’s your name?” He asked. I responded, “Severus. Severus Eagleheimer.” Wellington snapped his fingers at Bupkins, then started talking. “Well, Severus, welcome to Yonder. We’re a magical town. You’ll find it’s quite lovely here-“
“Oh, it really is!” I agreed, and he nodded. “May I have some more tea?” Wellington nodded again. “Certainly. We find that you feel even better after a few cups. Now, as I was saying, Yonder is a place where you can relax and sit around all day. No one ever needs anything here. I am the mayor, Chino Wellington. Now, do you have any questions?”
I definitely had a few, but first, I drank that lovely tea. But right when I pushed the cup to my lips, Wellington wagged his finger, grabbed my wrist, and pushed the cup away from me. “Ah ah ah! Questions first!” He told me.
I wanted that tea more than I wanted anything else before, so I hurried. “Why did your building just appear out of thin air?”
Wellington smiled. “Well, Yonder is called a “cloaked town”. It is hidden from the rest of the world by special cloaking. Once in a while, people from outside, like you, appear and get through the cloaking. We call them the Traveled Ones.”
I nod, trying to grab the cup. He smiled again and pushed it out of my reach. “One more question.” I say. “Why have I not heard of you before if people from my world have been here?”
His sinister laugh echoed through the small shop. “Well, that’s quite simple. Anyone who comes here never comes out.” I smiled. “That sounds lovely.” I was perfectly happy to stay here forever, in this beautiful place with beautiful people. Wellington gave me back my cup of deep purple tea and I drank it gladly, with me growing more tired and happy and complete with each sip. I found I didn’t need to ask any questions. What’s the point of knowing, anyway? It’s quite okay just to be silent and not know. You can live quite comfortably if you don’t do anything. Suddenly I longed to be in those lovely houses outside, sleeping in a small bed. Why did I ever think they weren’t comfortable? They were all I wanted now. Who needs anything other than a bed?
Wellington asked, “Now how do you feel?” I smiled tiredly. I could feel my head getting foggier by the second, and I just managed to say, “Fine…” when Wellington’s assistant put a plate of lovely-looking crumpets in front of me. “Eat those. You’ll feel even better.” Wellington said.
I couldn’t imagine anything better than what I was feeling, this sleepy comfort, but I obediently tasted the pastry. It was delicious. It tasted like moonlight, with a cool, clear flavor and a bit of a deeper flavor I couldn’t quite place. I ate the rest hungrily, and when I was done I realized I felt even better. I looked at the man again. He suddenly looked quite good-natured and not the least bit sinister. Why had I ever thought he was?
“Now, Severus, we just need to-“ “Wait, who’s Severus?” I asked confusedly. I’d never heard of a Severus! I wasn’t Severus, I was… wait, who was I?
Oh well. Why did it matter if I suddenly couldn’t remember anything before this lovely conversation with this man if I had these lovely pastries and tea and a nice bed hopefully waiting for me?
My head grew incredibly tired and foggy. I couldn’t do anything. My head thudded onto the table.
Wellington smiled even more broadly, and whispered to his assistant, “Perfect. Take him to a house and we’ll be done with this. It’s so annoying having to deal with the Traveled Ones, but it’s for the best.” Bupkins gave a curt nod and my eyes closed. I sank into the sweet oblivion just as Wellington said to me, “Don’t worry. You’ll be fixed up soon enough.”
I didn’t worry. I slept.

4892 words

Daily 20, 21, and 22 as scratch comments that I’m too lazy to copy and paste as well as +1041 in my notebook for cabin wars

Daily 24:

Rain

The soft pitter patter of raindrops against my skin
Each drop mixing with my tears in rivulets on my face
The rain does not want to fall
Rain
The smell of wet earth and fresh water drops fill my nose
Soft and comforting with underlying desperation
The rain does not want to fall
Rain
The tapping on my windowpane like a hand
Reaching out for something it could never have
The rain does not want to fall
Rain
The dull gray clouds and people rushing for umbrellas
They do not like the rain, the rain does not like them
The rain does not want to fall
Rain
The tasteless liquid a little cold and a little salty.
Is that the wind or my tears?
The rain does not want to fall
Rain

133 words

Daily 25:

Cabin theme: Fantasy Offices

You stare in surprise at the skyscraper in front of you. You were told that this was the way to the Fantasy cabin, but the building you see can’t be it, can it? I mean, it’s fantasy. Goblins, elves, fairies, magic… not some cramped offices with a bunch of files and a computer. But you decide to check it out.
You consult the paper in front of you, that says, “Fantasy Cabin: Office 101”. You take the escalator with a growing sense of confusion. You decide that if you open the door and its not the fantasy cabin, you’ll try to go to the hosts to get this sorted out.
You open the door to room 101 and drop your paper, gasping.
Where the office should be is a vast forest, dense and leafy. It seems like you came to the right place.
Three figures with cloaks and staffs emerge from the undergrowth. “We are your leaders. Welcome to Fantasy.”

160 words

Daily 26:

Onai in 500 years is beautiful. The people of Onai have long since died out, due to the fighting of the clans and the continued squabbling over resources. But the humans did, in fact, accomplish one very important thing before they surrendered to the land: they grew a tree.
It now stands high and proud in the field, scattering leaves and seeds to the wind. It is a fairly big tree, and around it, there are many saplings. Onai is no longer the hostile field it once was. Now it is on its way to becoming a forest. Rivers flow in between the trees, still thriving, and the sun beats down, but now you can find the shade of the Big Tree for solace. The small houses that the humans once lived in are now ruined, worn down by the sun. The wood in the huts are brittle, and they are missing planks. In addition, the Big Tree has grown around some of the houses, and they are now no more than scraps of wood. But some of the houses are still quite nice, with chests inside of gold, straw and seeds. Many have come past on their way and stayed for a spell, using the houses and food for their travels, but they have always either left or died, maybe by starving or fighting or being killed by some of the creatures that now call Onai home, bizarre things that look like smashed-together versions of the animals we know.
Unattended, some of the crops the farmers had grown are dead, but many, learning to live on their own, have flourished. You need to kick plants aside every three feet.
Onai was once a beautiful plain with rivers crisscrossing the hills, but now it is a vast garden where you can barely see the ground through the greenery.

308 words

Daily 27: won a word war by ONE WORD

Weekly 4:

I used the text based version, and got it from Birdi

First prompt:

“I was having a pretty great day until I died.”
“Woah, woah woah… back it up! What?!”
“Oh, I didn’t tell you? I died.”
“Then how are you talking to me?!”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you! You interrupted me!”
“I’m sorry for asking how you died and are still talking to me…”
“I don’t like your tone.”
“Shut up.”
“Okay, okay… well, a few weeks ago…”
“You died a few weeks ago?”
“Yeah.”
“But I’ve been hanging out with you every day for the last month! It’s not possible!”
“Um, yeah it is.”
“I think you’re lying.”
“Well I’m not, so if you don’t want to hear the story…”
“Wait! Don’t walk away!”
“I knew it. Now, as I was saying…”

Dining hall: hi-fi, non-fi, real-fi

Yesterday was the best day of my summer so far. I went to California Adventure with my best friends. (@artistgoat1500 and @-orchid-art-) We were celebrating Orchid’s birthday, and she had never been to California Adventure before, so Artist and I wanted to show her around. It was absolutely amazing. We started with showing her a shop that had a lot of pins (I really like collecting Disney pins) and we browsed for a bit while her dad was in the restroom. Then we went to Animation Academy, because Orchid really likes drawing, her profile is full of awesome art! Please check it out B)
We immediately started drawing Daisy Duck, and it was… interesting. Mine was okay but the bow was really small. I rate them…
Orchid
Orchid’s Dad
Me
Artist (it looked like a creepy stalker duck quite honestly… we had a good laugh at that)
Next we showed her the rest of the Animation Academy building (Sorcerer’s Workshop and the Off the Page store, and then we went to the Incredicoaster, but first we went to the Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats counter, where Artist and I split a Pixar Pier Frosty Parfait and Orchid had a chili lime mango thing she was talking about all day. Then we went on Incredicoaster. It was THE BEST. (time)

Sabotage 1 (Lights):

I read for 15 minutes

Throne room: Chekov’s Gun (my dad told me about this when we were watching the mandolorian)

I slammed my fist on the hard wooden table. Ow.
I had no idea how to solve this. This might be the one case I couldn’t solve. Jose had disappeared eight months ago without a trace, and he left virtually nothing behind. A piece of yellowed paper lay on the table, my only clue.
What was the missing piece? All I knew was that Jose’s wife had told me she had smelled smoke the night he left, but she went in to check on him and he was gone. Nothing suggesting smoke or fire at all, just this stupid piece of paper for this stupid case to find stupid Jose. I slapped my cheek. Just figure it out! I told myself as I took a deep breath. In, out. In, out. In, out. After three deep breaths I was ready to try again.
I examined the paper. It was crinkled slightly and had a brittle feel, like something was poured onto the paper and then it dried out. The edges were slightly ripped and the paper smelled cloyingly sour, like lemons that had been left out for far too long.
That’s it!
I held my breath and scrambled for some matches. Lighting a flame, I held the heat right up next to the paper, and slowly, browned words appeared. The classic lemon juice/heat method.
I read the paper.

I’m sorry. I had to leave. Tell Marjorie I loved her.

My stomach sinks. I banged my head against the wall. Hard. Ow.
Did I just give myself a concussion? I thought slowly. Why was I smelling smoke?
Slowly, dread souring my stomach, I turned around.
I hadn’t extinguished the match. The table was on fire and my evidence was gone. But I had bigger problems than my lost proof. The fire spread, and my stomach heaved and my eyes stung. The fire was blocking the door, slowly creeping towards me.
I screamed as the first tongue of flame crawled up my leg. I scrambled to the window and climbed out of the house. Safely away from the fire, which had now encompassed most of my bottom floor, I fell to the ground in a faint. My last thought was, I’ll see you soon, Jose.

Sabotage 2 (Leaderboard)

Earning a medal on beam in my first platinum meet (gymnastics)
Getting first place in a debate competition
Winning a writing competition
Receiving letters from Jane Goodall and Lin-Manuel Miranda and getting to ask Chris Colfer a question
Winning the highest award at my school (one boy and one girl each year in grades 1-7)

Boring Rooms: Theater

“Why?” I screamed, tears running down my cheeks and blood flowing from the wound underneath my lip. “Why did you have to do this?” I sobbed, clutching Allie’s dead body as Silva just looked at me. That total cow! I thought. “Why had she spent two years trying to kill me and my friends? We were from a different dimension! We had never done anything to her!
Silva laughed. “What do you mean, why? Isn’t it obvious?” I screamed in pain, frustration and desperation, a guttural howl shattering my throat. I break down.
Silva seems to enjoy my pain and a smile twists her lips into an unnatural shape, like she had never intended to smile.
“Well, you were the chosen one, of course.”
I frown in confusion. I had no idea what she was talking about. It was becoming hard to concentrate between my grief, pain and blood loss.
Silva smiled again. “Allow me to explain. In my world, there has always been this prophecy.

The two worlds will be joined one day
The Earth will be born anew
When two young girls
Stumble into our arms
They will fix
What has always been broken
And kill
The vicious Three.

So, I had to kill you!” She finished cheerfully. “I don’t want the worlds joined, not one bit. And I do rather enjoy the Three’s company. They have the funniest stories.”

I sobbed again, collapsing against Allie's chest. “Well, kill me then.” I said.
She smiled. “I will.”
A jet of blue light streaks towards me and I know no more.

Sabotage 3:

I drank waterrrrrrrr and had a snackkkk

Bulletin Board: Miscellaneous Posts:

I used @milkysplash’s profile

This was hard so I didn’t write a lot buttttttt

I hurried home, passing many kids who were celebrating with their families, but I had become really tired after the draining Sorting. I decided to spend the night at my best friend Skylar’s house so we could talk. “Mom, can I spend the night at Skylar’s?”
She nodded. “But tomorrow we’re going to celebrate!” I smiled and hurried over to Skylar’s with my bag.
I knocked on the door. Mrs. Firth answered the door. “Spending the night?” She asked. I nodded. “Sky’s in her room.” I smiled.
“Thanks, Mrs. Firth!” I said as I walked up to Skylar’s room and knocked on the door. She said, “Come in” and I hurried inside.
She was reading a book while writing a story when I came in. I smiled. Classic Skylar. She loves to write, read role play and learn, and I consider myself her mirror image. I love reading and writing yet hate roleplaying, and I play sports. She hates them.
So we’re exactly the same in some ways and different in others.
“So, Sky, what coven did you get again?” She turned a page and wrote another sentence. “Air” she said absentmindedly.
I squealed. “Me too, Sky! We’ll be training together for the next three years! Aren’t you excited?” She nodded distractedly. I rolled my eyes and yanked the book and parchment away from her. (Time)

Sabotage 4 (Gas Leak):

I worked on some art for 15 minutes

Other SWC Rooms: Library:

“Josh?” I ask. “Yeah?” He replies absentmindedly, stroking the golden statue. The Cave of Treasures is amazing, but the money is practically shining in Josh’s eyes. He wants the golden statue. I can tell.
That’s a problem.
“Josh?” I ask tentatively. “You okay?” He nods, his face lighting up. He arranges his features into an expression that makes me melt, but being my boyfriend isn’t going to get him out of this. “So… Tay…” he drags out the word. “Our plan is to destroy all this cursed treasure, right? But how bad is it, really? Couldn’t we take some for ourselves and destroy the rest?” He asks.
I sigh. He, like so many others, has fallen under the treasure’s spell. “No. We will destroy it.”
His expression turns ugly. “No. We won’t.”
I quickly evaluate the situation. How to break the spell on Josh so we can do what we came here to do…
I pull him into a kiss, fitting my hand onto the small of his back. I guide him out of the cave. That should break the spell.
His expression doesn’t change and he pushes me away. Then I realize.
He was never under the spell. This was what he wanted all along.

Sabotage 5 (Forums):

Hey ceebee! Here are five things I appreciate about you! 1. You have a great sense of humor! 2. You shared your story, and that’s very brave! 3. You are great at coding! 4. Your projects are really cool 5. Scratch wouldn’t be the same without you!

Host Rooms: Aviary

It’s a poem xD

The crows
And The ravens
Gliding silent
Wings untethered
Across the forest
Through the trees
Casting shadows
Carrying the moon
On their silken wings
When they leave
The forest lightens
When they come
It’s night again

Sabotage 6 (Elevator):

I just listened to Sour by Olivia Rodrigo

Daily Team Booths: Birdi

First five minutes:

“Mom, do I have to?” Barclay asked from the backseat of his family’s run-down van. His sisters, Bridget and Cassidy, were screaming next to him, and he had to yell over the three-year-old twins' shouts. “Why don’t Bri and Cass have to stay with Gran? I’ve never even met her!”
His mom sighed. “Do you really think that an eighty-year old could handle these two human tornadoes? My business trip will only be for three days. Gran’s been so lonely, and I think it’s better that you finally meet your family, don’t you? Oh, we’re here!” She pulled the car into the driveway of a gigantic manor, with sprawling gardens and stained glass windows. However, ivy climbed up the house, and the gardens had grass growing taller than the twins. Barclay would’ve thought the mansion was abandoned if it wasn’t for the old lady hobbling down the path to meet them. The family climbed out of the car, and after some quick introductions and hugs, Mom apologized about having to leave so soon, but she wrestled the twins into the car and drove off to the airport, leaving behind awkward silence. “So, Barclay. I have something to show you that I’ve been waiting a long time for. Follow me.”
Barclay followed her through the home, noticing some old looking books with titles in some weird language. Gran finally stopped at two big doors, and she pushed them open to reveal a library. Instead of stopping at the bookshelves with books in that same illegible language, she motioned for Barclay to follow her to the shadowiest corner, where there was only one book on a shelf, titled A Key. Barclay thought that was a weird title, until she pulled out the book and one of those secret bookshelf entrances rotated through the wall. Huh. Barclay thought. He followed Gran through a corridor into a door with a carving of a gigantic tree, surrounded by forest animals. At the top in big, swirly letters was one word.
Everdell.
Gran pushed open the door to reveal… A book.
Yay.
Gran opened the book. “Why don’t you come see?” She asked. Barclay walked up to the book, and in one swift move Gran pushed him into it. Except, it wasn’t a book. It was a spinning pool of light, only growing brighter as he fell headfirst into… whatever the heck this was.
A sprawling birch forest surrounded him, and even though he was lost, it was very pretty. Being there gave him a strangely satisfied feeling, like he had eaten a great meal, but he didn’t really think about it. After exploring for a few minutes, he found a scroll tucked into one of the tree hollows.

Dear Barclay,
Sorry for pushing you, but I could tell you didn’t trust me and I doubt you would’ve believed me. You’re in Everdell. It’s a secret our family has been hiding for centuries. It has fallen on my shoulders to find someone in my family who was worthy, and now I have chosen you. But you have one more test: get out. If you do that, become and Everdellian. If you don’t, well… Everdell is a great place to live.

Gran

Second five minutes:

Barclay panicked. The forest around him didn’t look like it could have a way out, until… he spotted a hollow in the biggest tree bigger than him with a strangely circular scratch in the wood. That had to mean something, right?

Barclay looked around, yelling “YESS!” when he spotted a crystal medal hidden underneath the leaves. He pressed the medallion into the scratch, and it fit like a puzzle piece. The hollow turned the same pattern of swirling light as the book did, and he stepped through it and emerged in the manor, with an anxious Gran waiting for him. Her wrinkled face split into a big smile as she said, “Congratulations, Barclay. You are an Everdellian.” Barclay smiled too, and he realized that maybe his three day vacation wouldn’t be so bad.

the end


Luca was bored. After breaking all his toys, he had nothing to do!
He knew that he’d better find something, or he would be bored forever.
So he decided to go to the store. He asked his parents to drive him to Paranormal Wares, his favorite place to explore. He wanted to wear a creepy shirt that he was going to use for his Halloween costume, and his parents slammed on the brakes as they pulled into the parking lot. Luca roamed the aisles, and eventually found an ouija board from 1843 that supposedly drove a man insane, leading to his death. For some reason, he felt a magnetic pull to the red-stained board and read the price tag. According to an employee, it was available! He purchased the board and drove home. Luca shut himself in his room and ogled his new purchase. He wondered why the man who had owned the board before died. He questioned if it was actually true, or if the board was fake and just dyed red.
He looked outside his window, and the cool autumn air refreshed him. The red leaves fell from the birch trees, and a fox darted past. It was lovely weather. He was very glad to have bought the board, and he decided to use it. He asked whether it was a good idea to buy the board, and he sat down by it and watched in amazement as it slowly drifted towards “yes”! He asked a few more questions, and then he said goodbye to the board. He didn’t know proper spirit etiquette, and he was delighted as the board also drifted towards “goodbye”!
Luca smiled to himself, and he realized he was definitely not bored anymore! But just as he was turning away to look out the window again, a strange rattling sound came from behind him. The board was shaking wildly, and the board clearly spelled out one word:

DIE.

Sabotage 7 (Door):

Ten awesome things about my brother

He’s very sweet
He’s funny
He helps me with Minecraft lol
He always wants to play with me, even when I don't
He usually compromises
We get along well most of the time
He always does nice things for me
He is a very good friend to almost everyone
He is pretty smart
He’s the best brother ever!

Workshops: Fanfic Tropes

Song: hope ur ok

I knew a boy once, when I was small
A tow-head blond, with eyes of salt
He played the drum in the marching band

“Look at this!” I gushed. The window display in the mall shone with rhinestones and glitter. I decided to check it out. Maybe these amazing shoes would finally have my size. I’ve been telling my friends about them for ages, and they haven’t sold my shoe size in forever. Maybe today they’d finally have them!
“I dunno, Tay… you kinda oversold these.” My BFF, Chee, said as she examined the shoes. “They don’t look that amazing, to be honest.”
I bristled. “Whatever.”
I hurried over to the counter to ask the guy at the cashier what sizes they had, but before I opened my mouth I stopped cold. The cute guy met my eyes and gasped. “Taylor?”

His parents cared more about the Bible
Than being good to their own child
He wore long sleeves ‘cause of his dad

It was Will! He was my best friend (I liked him but I didn’t think he liked me) from third grade to eighth, but then he went to a different high school and hadn’t texted me since. I had been hurt and worried, but here he was, sweeping his dirty blond hair out of his gray eyes. He had gained some muscle, and he wasn’t the vulnerable and sad guy he had been. Instead of wearing long sleeves to hide the bruises and raw skin from his dad’s last beating. In fact, he showed no signs of his dad at all! He must’ve stood up to him (l8ke I’d been telling him for ages!)
I was completely smitten.
We stared at each other for a few minutes, then Will seemed to come to himself. “Let’s go.” He said, and grabbed my hand and placed his other hand on my back, guiding me to a bench behind a door that said, ‘Staff Only.’
He had done this thousands of times in middle school, but this felt different, somehow. I noticed Chee staring and I mouthed, it’s fine, see u later. She narrowed her eyes but didn’t press it, for once.
I met his eyes again, and for some reason, he looked nervous.

And somehow, we fell out of touch
Hope he took his bad deal and made a royal flush

I hugged him. “Will, why weren’t you answering my texts? I was so worried! How’s life? I haven’t seen you in years!” He pulled away, his eyes looking both happy and sad. “My dad forbade me from texting you. I’m sorry.” I traced my fingers over his bare arms. “It looks like something changed, though.” I said, tugging on his sleeve. “Well, yeah.” He admitted. “I ran away. He smashed my phone, though, and when I got a new one I couldn’t remember your number. I’m really sorry. I’m staying at my best mate’s house for a while, and I’m working to save up to buy an apartment.
I smiled. “That’s amazing! Well, I’m sure I’ll see you soon, but my friend’s probably getting suspicious. I’ll meet you here tomorrow and we can talk a little more?”
He nodded and I made to stand up.

Don't know if I'll see you again someday
But if you're out there, I hope that you're okay

But he stopped me, grabbing my shoulders. “One more thing.” He said, his eyes sparkling with passion. “This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.”
And slowly, slowly, he kissed me.

Sabotage 8 (Water):

Birdi!!!! Thank you for being one of the most amazing hosts ever! You are very impressive and slightly intimidating, but thanks for being amazing! You are sooooooo cool and awesome and nice and an amazing writer and leader and all that good stuff!
Geeeeeeeee thanks for being awesome! You’re my word count group leader and I couldn’t have gotten all the words I did without your French pasta motivation. tytytytyty ur awesome!
Moss! Thanks for always making an effort to talk to me and being an amazing camper last session and an amazing leader this session! You have definitely surpassed me congrats for the amazingness!

Rooftop: Match Field

“You’ll never win!” I scream. “I might be lost, but the Slenders will never triumph!”
Alvery laughs. “Nicely said. Unfortunately, your spiel is unheard. Look around!” He raises his spindly arms around him at the destruction. I grit my teeth. Everyone else is fighting their own battles. I’m alone.
I’m as good as dead.
He lazily snaps his fingers and a ball of purple fire appears in his palm. I struggle against the purple bonds around me as he draws closer. My face contorts with fury and I scream, hoping someone will come to my aid. My cries are ignored and he laughs, his long tongue slipping between his teeth like a purple snake.
He is the snake and I am the prey. I scream again.
He presses his hand to my cheek. I meet his eyes and his gaze softens, for once. His black hair, tinted with purple, is covering his eyes. Even I have to admit he’s handsome: strong jawline, muscle, not a blemish on his skin…
“You know, I always thought you were beautiful.” He says softly, his hand dancing over my lips. I recover my senses and thrash, but he waves his hand and I am still. I try to move, but I can’t.
He presses his forehead to mine. “I wish I didn’t have to do this. I can tell, you don’t want to be the good guy. Join me and we could build our empire together. Rule the world.”
For a moment I am tempted by his offer, seduced by his mischievous smile and long eyelashes. Alvery and me, ruling the world… It's a nice thought.
I regain my passion. I spit, “Never!”
His expression turns ugly. He draws back from me, the purple fire still dancing in his palm. “I wish I could have you.” He says. Then all I can see is purple, and all I can feel is pain.
Then nothing.

Sabotage 9 (Writing Comp Entries):

I read Order of the Phoenix

Basement: Editing room

“Listen, Mei, you aren’t perfect.” Tedros said. “You don’t have to always be the hero. I can’t lose you, and I’m going to if you keep risking your life to try and save everyone. We’re fighting a hard battle, and you can’t do everything. Please stop trying. Like I said, I can’t lose you. You’re amazing just the way you are.”
For once, I believed him.
He kissed me and I sighed, regretting it when a sharp pain stabbed my chest. I was stuck in the Healing Ward at our headquarters, and, according t9 what the doctor said, I’d be there for at least a week. But, for once, I tried to listen to Tedros. I had tried my hardest to save what couldn’t be saved and I didn’t succeed, and to boot, I almost died. I couldn’t do that again.
“Okay, Teddy, okay.” I said, and he stared at me, probably surprised I was actually listening to him. I kinda was too. “I get what you’re trying to say.” He narrowed his eyes. “No. Really.” I said simply. “I tried to save Betty. I ran into a room full of armed enemies when I wasn’t carrying a weapon. I threw myself into a situation where I couldn’t be of any help, and she died and I almost did too. All because I had some stupid notion of being the hero.” For some reason I was crying.
Tedros’ expression softens. “Hey, hey.” He said, guiding my hand to his heart. I felt his steady heartbeat and it calms me down as he says something about how I don’t need to be perfect and I was really brave for admitting that blah blah blah, but I was lost in his eyes. He finally stopped and said, “Okay, you’re probably tired, so I’m going to leave now. Check on you in the morning, ‘kay?” I nodded, and even before he left the room I was asleep.

Finish:

Suddenly, a swirly void appeared with a swish sound.
It looked like blinding white-gray clouds, yet more tangible.
“Now all we have to do is cut a door into the portal and we'll be home!” Emery explained.
“All we need is the Key,” Oliver said. Conner nodded and checked his back pocket, but then his expression turned horrified.
“It’s…not here,”
“WHAT?” they all yelled.
Everyone frantically checked everywhere they could, but to no avail. And with no Key, they couldn’t get out.

Courtney tried to stay calm, but it was hard.
“Where’s the last place you saw it?” she asked.
Conner ran a hand through his hair. “I must’ve dropped it in the ocean somehow…”
“Wait.” A memory pricked Courtney’s consciousness.
A glowing letter opener on the shelves of the Sea Witch's cave.
“NO!” Courtney yelled.
“What?” Oliver asked.
“The Sea Witch has it!” Courney yelled.
Oliver sighed.
“We have to go get it. You two,” he addressed Emery and Conner. “Keep the portal open.”
Conner nodded meekly.
“We need something to breathe underwater,” Courtney said.
“We’ll take care of that,” Mr. Milne said, making them all jump.
“Check your satchels in the corner.” Courtney hadn’t realized that her bag had disappeared when the story started, but she was grateful for the small bag as she found a headgear-like thing, with a shell on her mouth and nose and seaweed wrapping around her neck.
She also found a small pocket knife, and she put it in her pocket. Then, she and Oliver grabbed hands and popped away.
They landed underwater, outside the castle.
Strangely, their clothes weren’t wet. “The mask thing you’re wearing creates a force field around your body, letting you breathe and keeping you from getting wet,” Mr. Milne explained.
“Ah, is that just me, or is everything…blurry?” Oliver asked.
He was right. Everything from the castle to the coral was blurred around the edges, like they were experiencing something unfinished.
Courtney nodded.
“C’mon, follow me.” She led him across the seaweed trail to her cave.
All the while, they discussed a plan. Oliver would distract the Sea Witch and lure her outside her cave by asking about how she got the Key, and Courtney would slip inside and steal it.
She disappeared into the shadows as Oliver called, “Oh, Sea Witch!” The said witch slowly emerged from her cave.
Courtney slipped in. She could hear the faint murmurings of Oliver and the Sea Witch, but she was concentrating on finding the Key. She scanned row upon row of goods and finally found the letter opener. She sighed with relief.
But then the cries of Oliver and the witch grew louder, and she turned around in dread.
She was face to face with the raging Sea Witch.

“HOW DARE YOU STEAL FROM ME!” she yelled, grabbing Courtney’s neck and squeezing.
Courtey slid out of her grip and withdrew her knife.
She stabbed the small weapon into the Sea Witch’s leg and she screamed.
The witch stabbed Oliver, but he fought back with a punch in the face.
The Sea Witch grabbed Courtney’s wrist so hard, she could hear the crack as her bone broke and the letter opener slid to the ground.
The Sea Witch kicked Courtney in the head as she crawled to retrieve the Key, cradling her wrist.
With a desperate cry, Courtney stabbed the SeaWitch in the heart as she grabbed the Key with her last bits of consciousness. She could hear the Sea Witch’s scream, Oliver’s cry, and her own groans.
Then the world went black.

Courtney woke up in her Storydancer’s bed, with Parchment on her chest. She tried to sit up, but collapsed. Immediately, Mr. Milne rushed in. He was ghostly pale and shaking.
“You’re OK!” he smiled.
“What happened?” Courtney mumbled.
“You were knocked out, but you killed the Sea Witch and got the Key! You saved us all,” Oliver said.
Courtney hadn’t noticed him, but she blushed with the praise.
“What did the Sea Witch tell you? About how she got the Key?” Courtney clarified.
“She said she found it on the seafloor,” Oliver said.
Courtney nodded. Then, her exhaustion won over as she drifted off to sleep again, noticing that her wrist wasn’t broken anymore.
When she woke up, Oliver was waiting for her. He looked nervous. “Listen, there’s something I wanted to tell you,” he said.
“Yes?” Courtney asked.
“Uh…well…I…um…I like you,” he whispered.
Courtney stilled. Then smiled. “That’s convenient, ‘cause I like you, too.”
Oliver laughed.
Then hugged her.
And it felt so, so, good.
The next day, Mr. Milne had an announcement to make to Conner, Emery, Oliver, and Courtney. “It’s time to award the book,” he said after everyone was gathered around him.
Everyone gasped. Except Courtney.
“As you may know,” he continued, “The book is given to someone who was the most vital in the mission.” He pulled out the copy of the book they had visited. “So I’d like to present this to…Courtney!”
Everyone cheered as Courtney blushed. Looking around at her smiling friends, she couldn’t imagine a better place to be.
Courtney Alcott had found her happily-ever-after.

THE END

4964 words

Writing Contest Entry:

it was part of a weekly but I fixed it up a bit and I’m pretty happy with it! It’s 848 words heheh

“You’re here.” I said passionately. “You didn’t write to me this morning, I figured you forgot.”
I forced my strong body against Lizzie. She gave a small gasp and let out an “oh” of relief, surprise and love, and another emotion I couldn’t quite place. Shifty… almost…
I wished more than anything I could feel her body even deeper, kiss her even harder. “Well… I couldn’t gather the blood today.” She said, looking at my feet. She seemed to be hiding something. I raised my eyebrows. “You didn’t kill anyone today? Good thing I did.”
She nodded sadly, not seeming surprised. That was a shame, I thought I could give her it as a gift.
The NYC subway rushed past us, and she stopped our passionate hug to admire the place. It wasn’t much. A subway station at two in the morning, with trash in the gutters and graffiti on the walls. I grew impatient as she stared for one, two, three minutes.
But it was all she’d seen of the world for years.
Lizzie was a ghost, from a dimension similar to ours.
Only, everyone there was dead. Lizzie had figured out how to cross over years before, but had only reached out to me last year. We had been lovers since I met her, since she figured out how to turn solid for a few hours. She had finally found out the only way to do it was blood. Human blood from a fresh kill. She didn’t care. Who did? Who cares that if you’re killed by a ghost, you don’t come back? Ever. As a ghost or at all.
I didn’t care. All I cared about was that she was there, pressing against me and kissing me. Who cares who died in order for me to get that?
We kissed passionately for a few minutes, her body like a cool breath of winter air. I wanted more, more, more, but she pulled away in my arms, shaking her head, looking like she wanted to kiss me but needed to say something first. I frowned. We’d agreed a few weeks ago to skip the talking from now on.
Lizzie looked at me with a frown. “Flint, are you okay?” I smiled, nodding, trying to kiss her again, but she pushed me away. I scowled. “Yeah, as long as you’re kissing me.”
She stared at me again, her hands on her hips. I wanted more than anything to grab her waist and pull her against me, but I restrained myself this one time. Lizzie took a deep breath.“I need a real answer. I’ve been watching you. You can’t see me unless I’m like this, so you didn’t know. I watched how you’ve become since I met you. You’re the one who killed everyone in the orphanage. Why?”
I kicked a crushed soda can littering the gutter. “Because then I could get more blood for you.” I pulled a couple of gallon bottles filled with blood out for her. They felt heavy in my hands, just like the weight I had to bear. Sixty two. I’d killed sixty two people. I was just fine with that. Why would she care what I did to get to her? Didn’t she love me as much as I loved her?
Her face shone with horror. “Those… those were kids! You can’t do that for me! I only kill people who are suffering. Those with a terminal illness or who are extremely dangerous!” Lizzie pushed me away. I looked at her questioningly. “Why do you even care? We can be together, that’s all that matters.” I say pulling her towards me again, kissing her as hard as I can. She doesn’t resist, starting to cry as she clutches me tightly. “I just… don’t know what you’re becoming.” She mumbles into my lips. “You killed your entire family so they wouldn’t suspect you! You…you lie, you cheat, just to get me! I’m not worth wasting your life away. You're dangerous! You’re not the man who I fell in love with, Flint.” I pull her closer, stumbling into a curb, trying to make her see it the way I did. “They died for a worthy cause. You’re all I want, and I don’t care what it takes for us to be together. I’d kill the whole world to be with you.” I said.
Tears stream down Lizzie’s cheeks, creating small shining tracks through her chocolate skin. Her breath puffs out in tiny clouds. She tasted like winter. I wanted to bottle her, now, kissing her whenever I wanted instead of these small visits. I tried to kiss her. “I did this to you. I made you a monster. Love from a ghost was never a good idea. I made you want so much of me you didn’t care about anything but me. I’m sorry. I have to do this so no one else dies.” She said.
She pulled me in for the best kiss she’d ever given me, tasting her icy mouth, passion traced into every curve of her tongue, and with a small sob, she plunged a knife into my heart.

Something to critique:

It’s a depressing poem I submitted to a contest btw

Time Is A Burning Curse

A curse of the body, a curse of the mind
The flames of the fire, our lives on the line.
It heals all wounds, but in end takes us all,
The subtle ticking of the rise and the fall.
Our lives tick away as we watch, forlorn,
But we start to die from the moment we’re born.
Impassable, strong, unfeeling and staid,
Watching the world as we cower, afraid.
The burning inferno still stealing our years,
Until we are incapable of facing our fears.
The agony ripping open our wounds, the ticking a stab in our heart,
The feeling of time passing: a burning, cursed art.
Until in the rubble surrounding us
There is nothing left but ash and dust.
But time is ever steady, ever strong,
It will be with us forever, all our life long.
The most complex object in the universe
Is that the blessing of a curse?

Thank you notes:

AAAAA I HAD THEM ALL WRITTEN AND THEN THE FORUM RELOADED SO I HAD TO START OVER, SO SORRY IF THESE ARE BAD I JUST WOKE UP

Lily: Thank you for being an amazing leader! This is one of my favorite cabins I’ve been in, and the theme is just AWESOME. I know from experience being a leader is really stressful, but all you did with the cookbook and the storyline made the cabin really fun and interesting. Thank you so much for the awesome session!

Amy: You are awesome!!! Thank you for all the amazing motivation and humor you brought to the table, it really helped me be my best! This cabin wouldn't be the same without you, and you were an awesome word count group leader! Thank you for being that one person who kept giving us muffins!

Gee: Gee, Gee, Gee… you were an exceptional leader! I loved your personality and humor, and there’s a reason I wrote 30k words! Hint: it starts with ‘French’ and ends with ‘pasta’! The profile pics are awesome too and I just loved being in your cabin and word count group! A few words to describe you: French pasta, goats, weird nicknames, puns! Thank you for being awesomeeeeee

Other leaders and cos: You guys are awesome! Even though I wasn’t in your cabin, I know everyone there loved being in it! Let’s hope you all come back next session, because you guys are truly amazing! I know from experience that being a leader is a bit stressful, but you guys took it in your stride. I really appreciate all of you, and let’s make sure everyone knows how awesome you are! Because of you guys, I could finally relax this session

Robin: Even though this is your first session, I can already tell that you’ll be amazing! You already act with the professionalism and intimidatingness that is the mark of a great host. I can’t imagine the responsibility and awesomeness you have! I mean, I was really busy as a CO, and you’re the HOST?! I mean, IMPRESSIVE! Thank you so much for the amazing session and the cool new things you brought!

Birdi: I remember all those years ago when I talked to you about the land of stories… ahh memories! But thank you for being a great host! I have no idea how you’re able to update the description, write the daily, everything else you do, and still lead a cabin! I mean WHAT?! Thank you for everything! I hope you continue to host for like ten more years

Cohosts: Bakie and Sawyer, you guys are AWESOME! SWC wouldn’t be the same without both of your contributions! You guys are the backbone of SWC, and I hope you know how much we appreciate you! Thank you so much for all you do to make this session the best it can be, and here’s to many more sessions like this! *raises glass of mango juice while humming ‘story of tonight’*

Daily team: I did all but three of the dailies (vacation interrupted my screen time ;- and I wouldn’t have been able to do it if the dailes sucked! All the dailes were great, and how you guys keep coming up with new ones HOW- you guys are just amazing! My favorite daily was probably either the 11th, the 16th or the 17th, but they were all awesome and totally helped me feel like I was actually doing something! Thank you for all the amazingness you brought to this session!

Workshop people: THANK YOU omgosh for all the amazing workshops! Every single one was helpful, instructive and enjoyable to read! I didn’t know half of what you guys were talking about, but once I read your workshops I felt like an expert! I was never confused by reading your workshops, and I hope you continue making them so woefully ignorant writers like me can become as great as you guys! Thank you for the amazingness you brought to this session!

Writing contest judges/Memory book/postscript committee: Even though I haven’t seen any of these come out yet, I know they’ll be amazing, and without the dedication and hard work of all of you these amazing projects wouldn’t exist, and that would be sad. I love the memory book, (especially the screenshots with Hamilton references) and I know I’m going to love the postscript! Plus the writing contest is AMAZING to read, although it makes me sad cause all these people are better than me :0
Thank you guys for working so hard to bring these little books of memories to us! <333

Campers and honoraires and everything else: THANK YOU GUYS for the amazing session! Literally, without every single one of you this session wouldn’t be the same. You truly are the most important part of SWC, and I love each and every one of you! <3333