I expected to see her any minute.
I tapped my foot impatiently, telling the people at the party to quiet down. I’m hosting a surprise dinner party for Emma Jane, it’s her birthday, but of course the day of her party she decides to stay and work overtime at the office. I sighed, waiting for her old truck to pull up in the driveway. They grew restless, starting to chat and walk around the house. I shook my head. “No! this isn’t supposed to happen,” I mumbled under my breath. “I will take away your food when she gets here! No dessert!” I announced firmly. The sound and movement stopped. I got them now. With a smirk I shuffled them back into the main hall, just past the front door. Not but a moment later, Emma Jane’s truck came rumbling up the road with smoky huffs and puffs. “Places everyone,” I called eagerly, gesturing for them to bend down and hide. I walked outside to greet her at the door, then pleasantly opened it. Our guests jumped and screamed, clapping and cheering for the birthday girl. “Surprise!” We shouted in unison, massive grins on our faces. She smiled lightly, tearing up a bit. “Happy birthday,” I told her. “Let’s get this party started!” I showed the way to the table of fruits and meat chunks, along with the dessert tray. “Help yourself.”
After hours of eating and celebrating, I pulled Emma Jean aside to give her a special gift. “A watch,” I presented. “It’s engraved with the amount of years we’ve been friends, and a special quote, saying our relationship will last until the end of time.” I winked, chuckling at my stupid pun. “Tracyyy,” she said softly, smiling at my gift. “I can’t take this.” Her words hit me like a blow to the face. “It’s your birthday,” I stuttered. “What do you mean?” “I mean… our time is ending. How could I take a watch until the end of time, if it’s over?” I choked back a sob. “No,” I breathed. “No. Why?” She looked at her feet, the shoes I bought her for her last birthday. “I — I can’t explain. I’m sorry Tracy.” She ran off, tears running down her face. “No! I refuse to let it end this way.” I fell to my knees and cried. “It must end my way.” I quickly found my way downstairs and rushed outside to her car with the cake knife in hand. I’m sure she’ll be going home after this scene. Why wouldn’t she? She doesn’t want me in her life anymore. I crept behind her car stealthily. I gripped the knife in my hands tightly, rotating the handle in my fingertips. Come on Emma Jean. Ready to go home yet? Rage bubbles in my chest. How could you abandon your best friend like that? And not give an explanation? You sick, twisted human. I heard the front door creak open and a sly smile appeared on my face.
I expected to see her any minute.

I was waiting for the cupcakes to finish baking in the oven, when a hooded figure appeared at the door. I opened it cautiously, but when I saw the scythe in hand, I grinned, eagerly opening the door. “What’s up? Ready to take my life? Isn’t this the part where you say I have 24 hours left to live then give me a big check to make the final day of life a great one?” He shook his head in disappointment. “That’s my job,” he said in a low, raspy voice. “I give you the instructions! But whatever.” He passed me a 10,000 dollar visa gift card and waved his hand. “Bye.” In an instant, a cloud of fog flooded the kitchen and when it cleared the figure was gone.
I looked at my gift card with a huge grin on my face. “Let’s get this party started!” I grabbed the cupcakes out of the oven (without an oven mitt! who needs that? it’s the last day of my life ;D) and continued on my way. Leaving the cupcakes to cool on the countertop, I headed outside to go to the amusement park. I began driving like crazy, paying no attention to the lines in the road or pedestrians crossing the street. Eventually — like I had planned — cops began speeding after me, the most intense game ever. Lights flashed all around my windows and their sirens were almost deafening as other drivers swerved out of the way. My tires screeched as I quickly turned into an exit, getting off the freeway at 95 miles per hour, faster than I thought my car could go. “What next?” I asked myself, the police still in pursuit. “Car dealership!” I used my phone (yes, while driving) to search up the closest dealership.
After about 5 minutes, I was pulling into one, and asked to test drive their fastest vehicle. “Are you the girl on tv who was speeding on the freeway and being chased by officers?” I nodded, extending my hand. “Nice to meet
you but I need those keys.” I put on my most threatening facial expression I could muster, and they gave in, too fearful of what I might do to them if they refused. “Thanks!” I hopped into a bright red race car and drove away casually. Hopefully the police wouldn’t be able to tell it was me so I could go eat a nice lunch somewhere. Within half an hour, I found myself at a Garden Olive, and ordered a couple rounds of pasta. After giving a good tip, I walked out, ready to continue my adventures. Unfortunately, the hooded figure met me at my car door. “You aren’t supposed to be getting in this much trouble,” he told me, a hint of frustration in his voice. “You should be writing your will and sending sad letters to your relatives!” I laughed. “No no, I’d rather live life to the fullest at the moment.” He sighed. “Then I’m going to have to take you now.” He grabbed me by the wrists, and dragged me through a thick, foggy portal.
“So be it,” I muttered in annoyance.

My alarm went off, screaming at me to wake up for school. I rubbed my eyes and yawned, wishing there was more time to sleep, but I had to get up now if I wanted enough time to finish the weekly. I quickly scrubbed my teeth and put on some presentable clothes after doing my hair, then walked over to the computer. I sat down in the chair and logged into my account to open my beloved Google Doc. I decided I needed music to listen to while I wrote, so I spent about 15 minutes on Youtube to find the perfect playlist. Finally, after I found a nice cafe jazz, I went to work. I got about halfway through part two before it was time to leave, so I popped an airpod in my ear and turned on the Mangoes and Mayhem podcast to catch up on last week’s episode.
By the time I finally arrived at school, I remembered I still needed to do that word war with — who was it? Someone from sci fi? Agh I forgot. Too late now I suppose. The doors opened so I walked inside to set my stuff down in my locker. I signed into my computer once I’d found my seat in homeroom, and clicked on my writing thread.
“Woah you write a lot,” someone behind me said as I scrolled through my many rushed pieces to get to the spot I wanted. “What is it?” I wanted to sink beneath my desk. “It’s um,” I began. “Just a little thing I do with my friends.” Hey, I wasn’t lying, what’s wrong with not telling the whole truth? I pulled my sleeve over the blue swc bracelet on my wrist, cheeks bright red with embarrassment. “Can I read some?” The girl asked. I slowly closed my computer anxiously. “Well, you see, they’re not finished yet, so you wouldn’t know the ending!” “Ah alright, let me know when you’re done.” The bell rang, telling us to head to first period. I quickly shoved my stuff in my bag and rushed out the door.
After 6 long classes, I grabbed my backpack and headed straight to practice with one of my closest friends. I logged into Google Docs through my phone, still trying to finish the daily. I checked the time, 4:48pm. Hopefully I could squeeze out these last 70 words and upload it before midnight. Ah the pressure.

We drove to the art studio together, eager to see what we’d make this time around. We sang songs on the radio, laughing at how bad we were, when suddenly
SCREECH
A car came crashing into us, sending us flying into a ditch. The glass broke, stabbing into my flesh like tiny daggers, and the airbag crushed my lungs. As I gasped for breath while blood poured from my body, I began to feel dizzy. We landed sideways, the passenger side closest to the ground. I screamed for Luke, but everything was so fuzzy, and I couldn’t make out what was happening around me. Tears trickled down my cheeks, stinging the wounds from the shards of glass. I called for him once more. “Luke,” I croaked. The only response was silence. I sat for a moment, all of our memories flashing before my eyes. Sirens brought me back into reality, and I did my best to escape the car. The sirens got louder and louder, making it impossible to think straight. ‘I have to tell them Luke is still here,’ I thought anxiously. ‘They have to save him.’
I pulled myself through the broken windshield, scraping my stomach and legs. The vehicles parked by the ditch and people immediately rushed out to help. “Luke,” I said. They either didn’t hear me or didn’t care because they grabbed me by the wrists and heaved me up onto a bed, doing their best to pull me into an ambulance. I screamed for Luke, the energy slowly leaving my body as my eyes began to close. I felt a weight being dropped into my arms and recognized the familiar warmth of my son. My tears fell onto his limp body as I realized he might be — no. It’s not over. I refused to think that. As time passed, my hope fell through my fingertips drop by drop.
Maybe it’s over.

quaking grass - agitation - Celia
hellebore - madness - Marcus
hyacinth - rashness - Scarlett
daffodil - conceit - Ava
camomile - energy - Benny

Ava
The Callings have begun.
Each year, the mayor randomly picks a day without the townspeople knowing. On that designated day, the Trumpet Blowers played the Callings’ tune, signaling it is time. When the tune is played, everyone has to drop their things and get to the square as fast as possible. The last five citizens that make it are assigned a flower, which gets tattooed on their forearm. The flower’s meaning, which they don’t know either, is what causes them to die. They have 5 days to find out the meaning of their flower in order to survive, and if they fail, they die a slow painful death.
I was out at the market, trying to get the best deal for a bundle of herbs when the trumpets began to sound. Everyone scrambled out of their booths and through the large crowd, desperate to get to the square fast enough. I was pushed and shoved, screams of terror and derogatory yelling was all I could hear. Dropping the herbs, I slowly made my way through the mass of people, getting bruised as they threw elbows and punches to get past. When I was finally out in the open, I sprinted towards the square, catching a few people alongside me from the corner of my eye. Guards reached toward gates, shutting down the square and not letting anyone else in. I pushed my legs as hard as they could, doing everything in my power to get through before I was cut off, before my death came. By the time I reached them, I was pushed onto the ground by a guard, who shook his head and locked the gate, shutting me out and separating me from the community. I was last. A single tear slid down my face, but I refused to let them have the satisfaction of seeing it. I looked around, trying to spot the remaining contenders of their little ‘game.’ Was that — I squinted my eyes — was that Benny? And Celia?

Benny
I was preparing dinner for my little sister, Lulu, when we both froze in fear at the sound of the Trumpet Blowers. I scooped her up in my arms and raced out the door, scared for both of our lives. My heart pounded louder than a ripping wind storm and Lulu screamed and kicked as I held her close. “It’s going to be alright,” I told her between breaths. People ran beside me, doing anything they could to get inside the square fast enough. I risked looking backwards to see the odds of beating everyone, and a flutter of hope rose up inside of me as I saw lots of people behind us.
Then I fell. I slipped on a rock and came crashing down. I tried my best to rotate my body so I landed on my back and Lulu could use me as a cushion. Tears stung my eyes as that hope once inside of me drained out. I got up slowly, limping on my bloody knee. A woman on the other side of the gate pointed to Lulu, and I nodded. Her arms opened wide, ready to catch her. As the guards closed the gate, I knew it was time. I gave her one last kiss on the forehead and whispered, “I’ll be back in a little while.” Mustering up all my remaining strength, I threw her over the gate, and the lady pushed people aside to grab her. Lulu shrieked and cried as she reached out for me, but all I could do was lay down and try to cancel out the pain.

Scarlett
The trumpets blew and I immediately knew my fate. Tears slipped down my cheeks as I pushed the ice pack back onto my forehead. I was sick! How was I to fight those people into the square? I slowly got up from bed, carefully removing the blanket from my body. My vision blurred as I got up to my feet. I shook my head as each memory of my mother flooded through my mind. “Goodbye,” I muttered under my breath. After I was sure the majority of people were done scrambling around outside, I left the house, one slow step at a time. By the time I made it to the square, I was dead last, just as I suspected.

Celia
I was hunting in the woods, hiding in a bush and waiting for a rabbit to waltz right into my trap, when people came rushing past. My step father grabbed my wrist, but I pulled it back in disgust. He signed to me, telling me the trumpets were blowing. I screamed, jumping from the bush and running as fast as possible to the square. I was shoved to the ground, and people sneered at me, excited to watch how the deaf girl would die. I sprinted as fast as I could but didn’t make it. The gates were closing and they had pushed down one too many times. I looked through the gate in despair, praying for survival.

Marcus
At the sound of the trumpets I rose to my feet with eagerness sparkling in my eyes. I’d always wanted to be part of the game, now was my chance. After a summer of training, I was ready. Slowly walking through the mass of people, I was trampled and scoffed at, but oh so excited to finally have my shot at beating four other weaklings.

Benny
The next morning, after the guards drug us to our cells, I woke up with a sensitive arm and a stitched up knee, then noticed a white camomile tattoo. I had been assigned my flower.

Marcus
That night, I asked the doctors not to put me under. I told them I wanted to watch the tattooing process. They warned me about the immense pain, but I shrugged it off. “Let me watch,” I insisted. By the time they were done, I inspected my arm. “Hellebore,” I remarked. They nodded, slamming my cell door. I began to think while the night dragged on. “What could it be,” I mumbled to myself. “I mean, they let us out tomorrow to try to find out, but I want to know before anyone else! I want to know the meaning of hellebore.” The word rolled off my tongue nicely. I repeated it, cackling to myself. “Hellebore!” I screeched. “My flower is hellebore!” I gasped for air in between my set of mad laughter. “Hellebore!” I chanted. “Hellebore! Hellebore!” I’d become delirious. My journey of life ended that night. It ended because of my mad obsession over hellebore.

Scarlett
I awoke to a scratchy arm, realizing while I was asleep they’d tattooed me with my flower. My head tilted as I was flooded with confusion. Hyacinth. What could that be?

Ava
When we had all been awake for half an hour, they’d announced that Marcus, with the flower of hellebore, was found dead that morning. I gasped, surprised that it could happen so quickly. I thought we had five days. With a shake of my head, I finally understood how twisted this little game was and determination filled me. I needed to find the meaning of my flower, and fast. What could daffodils symbolize?

“Sit down child,” I told Abigail, gesturing to a seat at the table. “Sit and I will tell you the miraculous tale of how the constellation Lyra came to be.” Eagerness sparkled in her eyes as she quieted down. I smiled, then began the story.
“Once upon a time there was a large kingdom. One day, the kingdom’s first princess was born so they decided to hold a celebration. That night, each citizen came to the castle to wish the baby well, then partied and had a fantastic feast.
Everything was going as planned, and the people were having an enjoyable evening, when two people at the same table dropped their fork one after another, a water glass toppled over, and someone’s plate shattered. The eating paused, and left the room in complete silence. The mistakes formed a… strange melody. Something the people had never heard before. ‘Do it again,’ someone asked, eager to see what would happen. They tried, moving the silverware and dishes around in hopes they could accidentally repeat what had taken place just a moment ago.
“As the sounds continued, more people joined in, creating a series of harmonic clangs and clashes. This continued all night long, and the citizens of the kingdom were united in sound.
“That night, a beautiful set of stars appeared in the sky, symbolizing how precious music is, and how much it can impact a group of people. When the castle created music that night, everything changed.
“You see Abigail? Lyra came into the night sky that night, not because of music, but because the people came closer together than ever before. Music makes people a family. That’s why it was written in the stars. So everyone can remember.” She nodded, eyes filled with excitement. “I will always remember,” she whispered.

Pepper stood up on the pedestal, ready to make an announcement. “Listen up my lovely swcers!” She called. Campers and (co)leaders didn’t stop moving about the main cabin, rushing to post their dailies up on the bulletin board and check cabin standings. “I have a special game you might be interested in playing!” Even still, the crowd of writers didn’t slow. “The winners will earn mangoes for their cabin,” she bribed with a smile on her face. Everyone stopped. “I want mangoes!!” Someone shouted from across the room. “Mangoes!” The mass of people began to walk over to Pepper, now very interested in what she was saying. “What’s the game?” Someone questioned. She smirked. “It’s a race. The first person who crosses the finish line is the champion! I’ll be picking five lucky people out of a bowl of names, and only those cabins will be participating, so cross your fingers!” The crowd cheered, patting their hands on their legs, making a drumroll sound. Pepper reached her hand into the bowl and grabbed a slip of paper between her fingertips. She slowly unfolded it, creating suspense. She grinned and showed it to the writers. “Chloe from fairy tales!” Claps and whoops nearly deafened her as she walked up onstage with a slight bow. “Now now,” Pepper cooed. “We still have 4 more lovely people joining us. Once again, she reached in to grab a name. “Next, Vi from poetry!” She quietly shuffled up on stage with a smile on her face. The name calling continued, and eventually Pepper had 5 campers from different cabins onstage with her. “Give a final round of applause for our players!” They began hollering and clapping louder than ever before, so excited for how the game would go. “Congratulations Chloe, Vi, Nova, Faith, and Tilly! Best of luck.”
The next day, the main cabin was filled with a huge obstacle course looking race, with chairs on either side of the borders so other campers could witness the event. As swcers piled into the main cabin with their cabin bling on, the competitive spirit rose. The contestants lined up at the starting line, eyes sparkling with determination and excitement as they looked at the monkey bars and balance beams they would have to conquer. Pepper grabbed two frying pans and smiled the biggest smile ever. “Ready,” she began. “Three…two…one… GO!” She banged the pans together, making a clashing and clanging noise. Chloe sprinted to the monkeys bars and lept up onto the first bar, then started swinging to and fro, from one bar to the next. Tilly ran up and fell short when the jumped to reach it. She flung herself up and once again landed in the squishy mat below her. Nova felt a pang of sympathy and ran to help. After Tilly had successfully grabbed hold of the bars, Nova ran back to her own set, doing her best to get back into first. By the time Chloe had finished climbing the monkey bars, Vi had already moved onto the next course, with Faith not far behind.
The next obstacle in the writers’ path was a long balance beam. Nova quickly sped across it, proving to everyone that noodle eating penguins have excellent balance. Next across was Faith, and she was slowly but surely gaining on Nova. Vi, Chloe, and Tilly were all right behind them. “We have a game now!” Pepper announced. The final stretch of the competition was the Gurtle Link Eating table, where each person would eat as many links as possible in 30 seconds. As each person arrived at the table, Pepper set a timer, and handed them a bowl full of delicious links. Silence filled the main cabin, as each spectator anxiously awaited the results.
After 30 seconds, which felt like eons had finally passed, Pepper looked at her notecard with the score. “I am so excited to present to you the winner of mangoes for the march 2024 main cabin race! Congratulations to… drumroll please.” The main cabin erupted with sound as each person patted their hands on their laps eagerly. “EVERYONE!!!” Pepper threw mangoes into the crowd, and everyone cheered and blew their confetti as they bit into freshly picked mangoes.

i awoke to a terrified screech as the wind blew the curtains to and fro. just beside my bed was a man in a full face mask to hide his identity, with my baby Celia Rose in his arms. “stop!” i screamed, rousing my husband awake. he rubbed his eyes, but quickly jolted upright, as if he’d finished off his eighth cup of coffee, when he heard the ruckus. he threw off the covers and jumped on top of the mysterious man, doing everything he could to get our child back while i watched as devastation clouded my vision. “don’t take her,” i croaked through sobs. the man skillfully dodged my husband’s attacks, and knocked him off his feet. with no less than a second to spare, the man leaped out of the open window, Celia Rose tucked away in his arms. “no!” my husband cried. “guards!” he called, tears rolling down his face. the soldiers burst through the doors, prepared for battle. all he could do was point outside, cupping his head in his open hand. “i failed us,” he muttered. “she’s gone. Celia Rose is gone.” i held him close, crying softly on his shoulder. “no,” i whispered in his ear. “you have never failed me and you never will. there’s nothing we can do except search long and hard for our baby.” he nodded, determination filling up inside of him.
the next morning, after a night of ordering troops and getting armor set, the search was on. word traveled through the village and the people living in the woods, and eventually the man with Celia Rose heard it. with a frustrated sigh, he looked around at the dying forest, then back at the young girl’s birthmark. “i had to,” he mumbled to himself. “it’s the only way.” he hiked up the to the top of the mountain, where everyone could see, and without a doubt horses and guards immediately raced to his location. “give us the princess!” they called, holding their weapons steadily, ready to use them if necessary. the man didn’t look up, focused only on tying Celia Rose to the boulder in front of him. “are you listening?” they called again. “we will kill you if you disobey!” the man shook his head as he tied the final know, securing the baby to the massive rock “it has to be done,” he told them firmly.
a sudden movement of his arm was all it took, the baby had passed. the man had cut right on her birthmark, which spewed plants and light from her flesh. he grinned happily, throwing the flowers into the air with joy. the soldiers ran up to him and gripped his arms tightly, pulling him away and doing everything they could to save the child. “Celia Rose is dead,” they told him. “but the forest doesn’t have to suffer anymore! you can already see the life coming back to it, birds fluttering around and flowers blooming.” the soldiers screamed at him, some cried at the death of the newborn. “it is finished. everything will live forever! we will be prosperous, despite having to go through pain and sacrifice first. it’s for the good.”

pencils, ink, markers, crayons
anything i can grasp in my hands

cardboard, notebook, phone, napkin
anything i can mark with a pen

sadness, anger, happiness, disgust
all clearly visible with words expressed

writing is my life
all my hopes and dreams thrive on the page
putting pen to paper is how i cope with reality
how i show my feelings through characters
other than myself

i give them pain and sorrow
feelings like my own

i give them horrid injuries
mental and physical alike

how they manage to deal with it
heckons i don’t know
my only wish is it would help people
and show them they are not alone

along with that there’s come a plot twist
a gripping mystery at hand
a little bit or death and murder
but that’s that fun part yeah?

when i sit alone under the blankets
with my rugged journal and mechanical pencil
i can’t help but feel connected
to a fake place
and fake people i’ve created
i love them with all of my heart
and always will, i assure you

good comes with the bad
i’ve heard that saying plenty
but they have my back
and so do other lovely writers
who i will treasure forever

i held her in my arms somberly as the clouds wept, rain soaking my messy hair and slipping down my shoulders. the forest animals around us called out longingly, desperately praying for her life to come back. the leaves on the ground bowed their heads with honor, just as disappointed in her passing. i sat beside her and stroked her chocolate brown hair, pushing her curtain bangs from her eyes. she was the girl without a name, nobody knew what she was called, and we were fine with that. what a fine young woman she was turning into! we all knew she’d be successful and happy, too bad it didn’t last. the moon shone down on us, seeming to mock the fact she was gone. the wind whispered a weary song through the trees, some birds eventually joining in as well. their sad calls did nothing but upset me more as i looked at her beautiful, golden skin, now turning pale. “it’s not right to let you go without a name,” i decided. i thought long and hard, it had to be perfect. as the stars twinkled in the sky, i decided. “it will be alina. because alina means bright and beautiful. not only are you beautiful on the outside, you are even more stunning on the inside.” after a moment of listening to the crickets chatter, i knew my time was up. “it’s time for me to go now,” i told her with a sigh. i plucked an iris from the ground, and softly layed it across her open wound. “my compliments, alina.”

you walk through the twisty, carpeted hallways and make your way to a dead end. the only way to progress forward is to open a creamy white door with a whiteboard hanging on it. a Truman Capote quote is written in scribbly handwriting, and it reads, ‘you can’t blame an author for what the characters say.’ you smile, and twist a smooth black door knob, slowly pushing open the door and allowing you to enter. the first thing you notice is the light gray walls, and the colorful accent wall sitting behind a fairly large white bed. the accent wall is covered in a series of different shaped triangles, painted in whites, grays, a dusty pink, and a dark blue. you smile at the beautiful touch it adds to the room, then continue looking around. next, you see a dark green desk, in desperate need of getting repainted with a color that fits the room. on it, sits a ceramic cup, with a mango and frying pan sitting in the center. the cup holds pens, pencils, scissors, and the occasional piece of candy. the desk is covered in notebook paper and different journals, most of them still completely empty even after owning them for several years. you move on from the desk, and see a closet filled with cardigans, hoodies, and turtlenecks. a young girl with dark brown curly hair quickly leads you away quickly, nervous at to what else you might find in there. she takes you back to her bed, and hands you a pencil and paper. she points to a dark blue comforter speckled with small white flowers. “crawl under and pretend to write,” she says, raising the big blanket. you nestle your way inside, and she leaves you in darkness. you close your eyes, the writing utensil in hand, and take a deep breath. an overwhelming tranquility comes over you, and a smile spreads across your face. “amazing,” you whisper to yourself. “this is my hobbit hole,” the girl explains from outside. “because it’s a place where i’m safe and alone. a place where i can escape reality.” you nod, now understanding how much a simple room can impact someone. you grip the pencil tightly in your hands and begin writing. every single worry you may have had before the ‘hobbit hole field trip’ slowly fades away as you focus on world building and character development. “isn’t it wonderful?” the girl asks.

We laughed and chatted all night long, spending the majority of the time gasping at the beautiful sky as the sun lowered itself into another country and the moon rose to put on a show for us, the stars twinkling like ballet dancers at a performance. I grin as I wave goodbye to some of my closest friends while they exit my apartment. “Thanks again for the wonderful party,” one of them says, pushing her long orange hair from off of her shoulders. “Ah no worries,” I answer, empty boxes of pizza in my hands. After everyone has left, I begin cleaning up. In about a half hour, I finally finish throwing away trash and wiping off the countertops. I sit at the table and sigh. “What a fun night,” I whisper to myself.
Ring Ring. Ring Ring. My phone vibrates against my leg. I pull it out of my pocket to answer, and wish to die when I hear what the caller has to say.

The flashbacks come pouring in as I get the call, tears blurring my vision before I can even process the news I’d just received.
“She was in an accident,” the lady had told me. “A three car collision…” my hearing stopped. “roads were too icy… driving fast…” I slammed the phone onto the table, my screen protector completely cracked, the cracks ebbing across the surface like an ugly spiderweb. I cupped my face in my hands, a rush of emotions flooding through me like I’ve never experienced before. “Hello? Are you there?” the voice on the phone asked. “Hello?” I angrily pushed the ‘end call’ button, slicing my fingers on the shards of glass, then throw my phone across the room.

After I finally calm down, I find myself on the ground, wishing I was in the car with her so at least we would have stayed together. My door creaks open, so I quickly wipe away my tears and put on a ‘my mom didn’t die 20 minutes ago and I’m perfectly okay!’ face. I look up to see who entered my dingy apartment, and choke back sobs when I see my father, equally as tearstained as me. His hair, once healthy and white with a tint of yellow, showing his pure and happy attitude, is now shriveled and dark, filled with streaks of sad blues and furious reds. I hadn’t even thought about my hair! I slowly rise and peer into the mirror a couple steps away, then collapse when I see the short, dead strands of hair barely hanging onto my scalp. Its colors are drained, and alongside the blues, grays and blacks mix their way into the already depressing sight. I fall into my father’s arms, desperately wanting to feel the warmth I once received from my now deceased mother. “So you’ve heard,” he croaks. I nod, creating a wet spot on his jacket from my crying. “Now now,” he says, rubbing my back. “It’ll be alright.” I shook my head and looked him in the eyes. “No. No, everything has changed.”

We walked through the forest with our weapons in hand, ready to kill off anyone in our way. I pushed my braid off my shoulders, mainly focusing on a way to get water, as our group hadn’t acquired any thus far. Every once in a while, I would catch Peeta staring my way. When I looked back it him, he quickly turned his face, cheeks bright red in embarrassment. I ignored it, no point in having a true relationship with someone out here when they’ll be murdered within a few short days.
Cato suddenly stopped in front of me, and I nearly fell on top of him. “Watch it,” I seethed. He was looking up into a tree, and at first I couldn’t see anything there, but then I noticed a girl, the one from district 12 I believe.
Cato stared at her, his eyes shining with an interest I couldn’t place. “Hey,” I said, getting the group’s attention. “The 12 girl is up there,” I said pointing. After a moment of squinting, I realized she was unarmed as well. “She has nothing to protect herself.” Marvel nodded. “Easy prey,” he said under his breath. He reached for his spear, and I readied my bow. The girl froze in fear, looking down at us and praying for mercy. “Stop, stop,” Cato said, voice shaking. “Let’s make this more fun!” He pitched. “Wait to kill her later, it will be more fun that way. Maybe she’ll have a better chance, then we’ll be able to have a real battle! More entertainment for the viewers.” Marvel shook his head with disgust. “What are you thinking?” He threw the spear immediately, and Clove’s body fell limp to the ground. Cato rushed to her, his eyes watery. “You traitor!” Glimmer shouted. “Now we know where your allegiance lies!” I stepped back, not wanting to watch the vicious scene that was about to enfold. I turned, wincing, and after it was all over, Clato was gone.

love story : taylor swift
We were both young when we met.
I closed it and looked around.
here I am
A summer breeze was blowing from the balcony.
He was in charge of lighting, invitations and costumes.
be careful.
and health
I do not know
Romeo is drunk.
My father said: Leave Julia.
I called from the stairs.
He asked me not to go, but I did.
Romeo Take me where.
I am now awaiting the death penalty.
You will be a hero. I will be a princess.
It's a love story, yes
Then we met secretly in the hall.
We sat in silence. Because if you know, you will die.
Then he closed his eyes.
Stay away from your neighbors for a while.
You are Romeo and I am Rose.
My father said: Leave Julia.
But you are everything to me.
He asks: Go.
Romeo Take me where.
I am now awaiting the death penalty.
You will be a hero. I will be a princess.
It's a love story, yes
Romeo saved me and tried to express his feelings.
And true love is hard.
Do not be afraid, I will save you from evil.
It's a love story, yes
vice versa.
I'm tired of waiting
I want to know when you'll be back
I do not believe it.
Let's meet and talk about the city.
ROMEO Help me, I am alone.
I'm waiting for you, you're gone
I think about it and I don't know what to think.
He stood up and grabbed the ring.
He said: Marry Julia.
You don't have to be alone
I love you, that's all I know.
I want my father's clothes to be clean.
It's a love story, yes
This is great! good month
grow up

I stared at the brick walls in my bedroom. They said it wasn’t a prison, it was an elegant room. I shook my head in disappointment, looking around at the velvet bed sheets and gold framed picture frames. I’d trade this for freedom in a heartbeat. “I’m trapped in here until dinner with the next man you want me to marry, and until I say yes, you won’t let me leave,” I argued, fighting back tears. The guards closed the door in my face. “We’re just following orders.”
Later that night, I heard clinking sounds coming from outside. I peered out my window and noticed a man with a handful of pebbles. When he saw me, he dropped the tiny rocks and waved. “Juliet!” He called. “Come down!” I opened my window as much as the restraints would let me. “I can’t,” I answered. “They made sure I wouldn’t be able to fit through when they added these bars to my window.” He thought for a moment. “Fine. I’ll just come and get you!” “No! Romeo stop! They won’t let you through! They said so last time you tried. They hate you; apparently you’re not deserving of my love.” He shrugged it off. “Whatever.” He ran out of view.
I paced back and forth on the expensive fur rug on my bedroom floor.
20 minutes after, a very drunk Romeo showed up at my door, the guards laying on the ground with cups of wine spilt on their armor. “Just offered them a few drinks,” he explained, clearly a little loopy. I chuckled, leading him to the nearest exit. Seconds later, pounding footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs. “Oh no,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Juliet, what are you doing with… him?” My father asked in disgust. “Meet me at the west hallway,” I whispered in Romeo’s ear. He ran away quickly, trying to get away from my furious parents. “Juliet!” I lowered my head. “You know you aren’t supposed to be with that outlaw.” “It’s love,” I whined. “Your idea of love is difficult,” Mother grumbled. I looked to my right, startled at the sound of nervous scuffling. “Romeo!” I seethed under my breath. He leaned up against the walls so no one could see him. “What was that?” Father asked, raising his eyebrow with suspicion. “Nothing,” I lied.
Suddenly, I felt Romeo’s arms around my waist as he sprinted towards me and swooped up into his arms. “I will always save you from evil,” he told me, a stupid smile on his face. “Stop right there!” Father demanded. He leapt out the open window at the end of the hall and we flew through the air, eventually landing on top of each other in a large bush. “Thank you,” I said. “How ‘bout we stay away from those neighbors for awhile,” he offered with a laugh, taking my hand and leading me through the woods to his cottage. “Indeed,” I giggled.

Goldilocks lay asleep in Baby Bear’s bed comfortably, nestled under the sky blue comforter. The front door creaked open slowly, rousing Goldi from her beauty sleep. She rose from the bed, looking into the slim hallway where the door was located.
Three bears made their way into the small cottage, startling the girl. She silently crawled out of the bed, desperately wishing she wouldn’t accidentally step on a squeaky floorboard. Before she could get through the open window just above the bed, Baby Bear came rushing in after noticing all of his other stuff had been tampered with.
“She’s in here!” He shouted. Papa Bear walked in with a frown on his face, Mama Bear trailing behind him. “Girlipops,” she muttered under her breath in annoyance. “What are you doing in our home?” Goldi gasped. “Girlipops?! More like Goldilocks,” she said, overly confident in her pathetic roast. “That burn was just right!” She said, pushing her thick gold hair from off of her shoulders with a smirk. “Get out,” Papa Bear growled. “I think not.” Mama Bear stepped forward. “Leave now, or we’ll make you.” The ignorant girl laughed at the bears. “What are you gonna do? Eat me?” She put on a fake face filled with shock, hands covering her mouth and eyes wide.
Mama Bear lunged, throwing her body on top of the small girl. With a ferocious roar, she swiped her sharp claws across Goldi’s pink dress, leaving claw marks. Goldilocks’ lip quivered, and the girl did her best to fight back tears. “Scared yet?” The bear asked mockingly. She got off of her, and pushed her away. “Scram!” Goldi got up shakily and ran out the door in fear. “Oh c’mon Mama,” Baby Bear whined. “I didn’t even get to touch her.” Papa Bear nodded. “Yeah! You can’t have all the fun.” Mama Bear chuckled. “Have at her boys,” she told them. They eagerly followed after Goldilocks, ready to have a little scrap.
In minutes the bears had caught up with her, and as soon as she saw them, Goldi let out a terrified scream, sprinting as fast as she could. Baby Bear got to her first, and with a big leap he sent them both to the ground. They fought in the long grass, rolling around until the two found themselves pushing against a huge brick wall. Papa Bear joined in, but instead of leaping on Goldi, he slammed into the wall, sending it toppling down. Mama Bear heard a faint yelling sound, and looked up at the falling wall. She saw a strange egg man flying through the air, and he was about to land on her boys and Goldilocks. “Move!” She shouted. “Egg man incoming!!”
It was too late. Humpty Dumpty had landed on top of everyone, and splattered egg yolk everywhere. The yolk got stuck in the bears’ fur, creating for a sticky mess, but a perfect distraction for Goldilocks to get as far away from them as possible. To this day no one knows if Goldi managed to get away or not, but some have their theories.

“Bobby, wait up!” His father called, running after the young boy. Bobby sat on a rock, marveling at the sight in front of him. “Look at the sleepy bears, Daddy,” he said, pointing to them with his small fingers. “Bobby,” his father whispered, voice shaking. “Let’s go son.” He quietly lifted him off the rock, making his way as far from the bears as possible before they awoke. They pushed past a few big leafy plants and found themselves in a clearing with old, broken down cottages. Bobby jumped out of his father’s arms and ran towards them, screaming with delight. “Look Daddy! See the houses!” His father nodded in disbelief. “I see them alright,” he muttered, tracing his hand along the claw marks and paw prints. “I wonder who made these?” He asked himself, studying the structures. “Oh Daddy,” Bobby said, rolling his eyes. “The animals of course!” Debris and dead plants littered the center of the clearing, tufts of fur and even the occasional fleck of blood could be seen in the sand. Bobby’s father quickly covered it up, not wanting his child to notice the gore, no matter how small. As he was looking around some more, he heard Bobby screech. He whipped around and raced toward him. He eventually found him behind one of the cottages, waving around a robot hand and digging further into the ground, finding more parts. “What the—” “Robot,” Bobby announced, interrupting him. “Robot arm! I found a robot!” He cheered, dancing around in circles. His father ignored him, searching for more, desperately wanting information on what happened in this clearing. He got up and walked to where all the debris sat, poking it around with a stick. After finding nothing useful, he decided to see what was inside the cottages. With a gulp, he walked in slowly, stick in hand. A few dead leaves sat on a shelf, and bloody cobwebs could be seen all across the ground. After more searching, he discovered an assortment of herbs. He pulled them to his nose, giving them a sniff. “Used for healing perhaps,” he observed. “But by animals? How would they know to use them?”

i sat up in my bed, awaking to a strange fog that filled my bedroom. the cool air made me feel an odd sense of calmness, and i sleepily laid back down, wrapping the blankets around my face.
suddenly, a witchy figure appeared from out of the fog and made her way to my bedside. “hello child,” she croaked. “it is to my pleasure that i’ve heard you are struggling with bullies?” i nodded, hypnotized by the fog swirling around me. “i’ve come here to help you with those bullies.” “superpowers!” i declared, feeling a bit loopy. i broke into laughter and the witch let out a couple forced chuckles. “ahaha right. so what power would you like my dear?” she asked me. “super!” i answered, still giggling. “mhm. how about super speed? or invisibility? i can grant you anything you wish.” i thought for a moment, taking a bit too long to decide. “enough of this,” the witch snapped. she swooped a glass jar around the room, capturing as much fog as possible, then dropped four drops of a thick purple liquid inside of it. after a few minutes of shaking it, she dumped it in my mouth and forced me to swallow. “here you are dear! the power to dig very deep holes to escape the bullies. goodbye now!” in an instant, she has disappeared into the fog, and it slowly made its way out my open window. as soon as all the fog had drained from me room, the weird spell had worn off. once i realized what i’d just agreed to, i let out a big sigh. “what the heck is this? this power sucks.”

. character is managing their store and having a normal day
. character goes home after a long day and sits on the couch ready to watch a basketball game
. character’s phone vibrates in their pocket so they answer it
. a woman on the phone tells the character that their grandfather passed away in a car accident and says that he left the character his small house and everything in it
. cries, agony, insert character torture
. character goes to grandfather’s house with sister to poke around and see what he left
. sister sees chessboard in the basement and calls character down to come look at it — it looks pretty vintage and is strange that everything is set up
. character comes to examine chessboard, sister and character talk about grandfather
. sister has to leave for a work thingy, leaving character alone
. character decides to wrap it up too, but not before moving one of the pieces
. the next day, character and sister go looking around grandfather’s house again to get things more organized and notice the opposing piece on the chessboard has been moved
. character is super confused and slightly scared, then realizes grandfather might be visiting from the spirit world and the two siblings set out to find him
. character and sister come up with a plan to do a stake out after moving one of their chess pieces to see their grandfather
. he comes as a ghost figure to move his piece and the three reunite for the last time

Oliver looked up from his book when he heard the bell as a customer walked into his shop. He quickly put a bookmark on his stopping page and slid it in a desk drawer. “Hi there! Anything I can help you with today?” He asked cheerfully, closing the drawer. “I’m looking for a specific box of nails, do you have that type of stuff here?” The man answered. “What brand or type were you thinking?” “I don’t remember exactly,” he said with a laugh. “I’ll know ‘em when I see ‘em.” “Oh no worries,” Oli said, leading him to the hardware aisle in the corner of the store. A moment later, another set of customers walked through the door. “Could we get a small scoop of ice cream please?” They asked him. With a nod, he got out a few waffle cones. “What flavor?” “Two chocolates and a mint please,” one lady said. “Of course!” Oliver scooped up the frozen treat and handed them over. After ringing them up, with the man and his nails shortly after, no other customers showed up for a few hours so he decided to close up early.

Oliver opens the front door of his apartment and heads for the couch. “I might just be able to catch the last half of that basketball game,” he mumbles to himself, searching for the remote. After he finally manages to pull up the game, there’s only a few minutes left. He looks down at his bracket. “Yes! Orange is winning.” He grins at the tv, ready to send a message to his friend that his pick won. Purple was slowly catching up, one layup at a time. Oli tensed, his grip on the remote tightening. As the buzzer sounded, someone from orange shot a three pointer, and… SWISH! The crowd went wild, and so did Oli. He pumped his fists in the air. “Let’s go!!” A sudden vibrating of his phone stopped the excitement. ‘Probably just Max upset about his team losing,’ he thought, reaching for his phone. An unfamiliar number flashed on his screen, and he pulled it to his ear nervously to answer.
“Hello?” He asked, a look of concern on his face. “I don’t want any free car insurance,” he said with a nervous laugh. “Unfortunately, I won’t be offering you insurance,” the lady on the other end of the phone said somberly. “I’m calling to inform you that your grandfather has passed away. He died in a car accident earlier this morning, and on his will you are listed to inherit his house and all of the belongings inside of it.”
Oliver collapsed, landing with a hard thud on the dark brown floorboards below him. The phone flew from his hands, making its way underneath the coffee table. “I’m terribly sorry,” the voice on the phone said through the speakers. Oli wept, tears pouring from his eyes like a raging waterfall. All he could think of was the happy memories with his grandfather. Learning to ride a bike, having a glorious snowball fight and spilling hot chocolate all over each other afterwards. He remembered his grandfather’s wavy blond hair, slowly becoming more white as time passed, though he’d wished the time would’ve lasted longer. Oli sat curled up in a ball on the ground, weeping in the silence of the night. “Have a good night,” the woman told him, hanging up the phone to let him be. An hour or so later, Oliver’s sister, Calypso, pushed open the door slowly, her face as equally as tear stained as Oli’s. He looked up at her, and fell back to the ground, crying out in agony. Calypso sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. “He’s gone, and I know it hurts,” she mumbled, tears running down her face. “But we have to stay strong. How about a little exploring tomorrow? Close the shop for a few days?” Oli nodded, feeling a sense of calmness in the presence of his younger sister. “I’m supposed to be taking care of you,” he croaked. “I’m sorry.” Calypso held him tighter. “Oh hush hush.” The two chuckled for a moment, and stayed with each other through the night, fear of letting the only one they had go.
The next morning, Oli awoke to birds singing in the park across the street and smiling neighbors as the city grew alive below his apartment. He grew frustrated with the happiness around him, wondering why he and Calypso had to suffer, while it seemed like everyone else was just fine and dandy. With a sigh, he slowly rose from his spot on the ground to make a bowl of cereal for him and his sister. In a couple minutes, she woke up too, and trudged over to the counter to eat. The cereal tasted bland and soggy, and it barely made its way down Oli’s throat without coming back up. “Why us?” Calypso asked softly, her too, thinking of everyone else’s joy. “I don’t know,” Oliver breathed.
After getting ready for the day, the two stopped at Oli’s shop to put a closing notice on the door, then drove to their grandparents house to see what he’d inherited, and to organize things. Once they’d arrived, Calypso opened the rickety blue door and smiled a sad smile. “I forgot how much I loved this place.” Oliver nodded, tracing his hand on the chipping wood. “Mhm.” They stepped inside, looking around at all the open boxes and little gadgets sprawled across the floor and hanging on shelves. Oli let out a little laugh. “Looks like Grandpa wasn’t the only unorganized one,” he said, looking at Calypso. Calypso gasped. “How dare you?” She exclaimed sarcastically. “I am totally completely not messy!” Oli rolled his eyes. “Mk buddy,” he said teasingly. They both smiled, clearly enjoying one another’s company. “Let’s get to work shall we?”
Calypso started with the hall, while Oliver went to work on the guest room, where their grandfather had crammed all of his miscellaneous doo-dads. After everything was sorted, the siblings met at the cluttered counter for lunch, then decided to go downstairs to conquer the basement after eating. While munching on tuna sandwiches, Calypso pulled out an old crinkled letter. “Look what I found,” she said, handing the letter to Oliver.
Dear Bentley,
life with you these past few years have been quite the dream. I’ve loved every moment with you, and I hope you know how much I hate having to write this letter. The doctors have said it, our family has said it, and now it’s come the time where I have to say it myself. I don’t enjoy having to leave you, but my departure is necessary. I’ll see you soon my dear Benny. My love will always belong to you, no matter how far away I am.
Love,
Melissa
Oli cried as he read it, staining the paper with his tears. “It’s from Grandma,” Calypso told him. “Before she died from cancer.” Oli nodded, handing the letter back. “I miss them.” Calypso nodded in agreement, and they ate the rest of their food in silence until it was time to get back to work. The somber mood had eventually lifted, and the two were quickly back to joking around with each other.
Oli wiped a fake drip of sweat from his forehead. “This is hard work,” he muttered. “Physically and emotionally,” Calypso added quietly. Once below the house, they noticed a chessboard, all of the pieces set up perfectly, ready to start a new game. Calypso didn’t seem to care, and she pulled out her phone to check the time. “It’s 4:30. Maybe we should head back and leave this for tomorrow?” Oli didn’t hear, he was focused on the strangeness of the game. ‘Why is it set up?’ He wondered. ‘What was Grandpa waiting for? Who was he going to play with?’ “Oli?” Calypso said, interrupting his train of thought. “I have to head out for a short work thing. You should be going soon too. I’ll meet you here again tomorrow morning at 8 ok?” Oliver nodded, waving goodbye to his sister. “Well, farewell I suppose,” he mumbled to the chessboard as he gathered his things. He hesitated, but made the decision to move the knight. ‘Maybe me and Calypso can play tomorrow,’ he thought.
The next morning, Oli asked her if she would play before they started working. Calypso narrowed her eyes, slightly suspicious, but agreed. They went to the basement where the chessboard was, and Oli let out a blood curdling screech. “Oli!” Calypso screamed. “Stop! What’s wrong?” Oli’s whole body was shaking as he fell to the ground, raising a wobbly finger to the chess board. “The opposing piece moved. I didn’t do it.” Calypso backed away from the game. “Stake out. Tonight. Meet me here at 8pm. I think it’s Grandpa.” Oliver looked up at her with fear in his eyes, but gave a determined nod. “Okay.”
That night, they found themselves behind a stack of boxes, staring at the chessboard until they found the culprit. After hours of waiting, a strange fog came out from behind a different pile of boxes across the room. Rustling could be heard, and the siblings held back gasps. “Is that-?” Calypso asked. “Hush.”

Oliver opens the front door of his apartment and heads for the couch. “I might just be able to catch the last half of that basketball game,” he mumbles to himself, searching for the remote. After he finally manages to pull up the game, there’s only a few minutes left. He looks down at his bracket. “Yes! Orange is winning.” He grins at the tv, ready to send a message to his friend that his pick won. Purple was slowly catching up, one layup at a time. Oli tensed, his grip on the remote tightening. As the buzzer sounded, someone from orange shot a three pointer, and… SWISH! The crowd went wild, and so did Oli. He pumped his fists in the air. “Let’s go!!” A sudden vibrating of his phone stopped the excitement. ‘Probably just Max upset about his team losing,’ he thought, reaching for his phone. An unfamiliar number flashed on his screen, and he pulled it to his ear nervously to answer.
“Hello?” He asked, a look of concern on his face. “I don’t want any free car insurance,” he said with a nervous laugh. “Unfortunately, I won’t be offering you insurance,” the lady on the other end of the phone said somberly. “I’m calling to inform you that your grandfather has passed away. He died in a car accident earlier this morning, and on his will you are listed to inherit his house and all of the belongings inside of it.”
Oliver’s body felt numb as he fell to the ground, landing with a hard thud on the dark brown floorboards below him. The phone flew from his hands, making its way underneath the coffee table. His hands were shaking, and he broke out in a sweat, heart beating fiercely. “I’m terribly sorry,” the voice on the phone said through the speakers. Oli wept, tears pouring from his eyes like a raging waterfall. All he could think of was the happy memories with his grandfather. Learning to ride a bike, having a glorious snowball fight and spilling hot chocolate all over each other afterwards. He remembered his grandfather’s wavy blond hair, slowly becoming more white as time passed, though he’d wished the time would’ve lasted longer. Oli sat curled up in a ball on the ground, weeping in the silence of the night. “Have a good night,” the woman told him, hanging up the phone to let him be. An hour or so later, Oliver’s sister, Calypso, pushed open the door slowly, her face as equally as tear stained as Oli’s. He looked up at her, and fell back to the ground, crying out in agony. Calypso sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. “He’s gone, and I know it hurts,” she mumbled, tears running down her face. “But we have to stay strong. How about a little exploring tomorrow? Close the shop for a few days?” Oli nodded, feeling a sense of calmness in the presence of his younger sister. “I’m supposed to be taking care of you,” he croaked. “I’m sorry.” Calypso held him tighter. “Oh hush hush.” The two chuckled for a moment, and stayed with each other through the night, fear of letting the only one they had go.
The next morning, Oli awoke to birds singing in the park across the street and smiling neighbors as the city grew alive below his apartment. He grew frustrated with the happiness around him, wondering why he and Calypso had to suffer, while it seemed like everyone else was just fine and dandy. With a sigh, he slowly rose from his spot on the ground to make a bowl of cereal for him and his sister. In a couple minutes, she woke up too, and trudged over to the counter to eat. The cereal tasted bland and soggy, and it barely made its way down Oli’s throat without coming back up. “Why us?” Calypso asked softly, her too, thinking of everyone else’s joy. “I don’t know,” Oliver breathed, tears stinging his eyes.
After getting ready for the day, the two stopped at Oli’s shop to put a closing notice on the door, then drove to their grandparents house to see what he’d inherited, and to organize his things. Once they’d arrived, Calypso opened the rickety blue door with a sad smile. “I forgot how much I loved this place.” Oliver nodded, tracing his hand on the chipping wood. “Mhm.” They stepped inside, looking around at all the open boxes and little gadgets sprawled across the floor and hanging on shelves. Oli let out a little laugh. “Looks like Grandpa wasn’t the only unorganized one,” he said, looking at Calypso. Calypso gasped. “How dare you?” She exclaimed sarcastically. “I am totally completely not messy!” Oli rolled his eyes. “Mk buddy,” he said teasingly. They both smiled, clearly enjoying one another’s company. “Let’s get to work shall we?”
Calypso started with the hall, while Oliver went to work on their grandfather’s room, where he had crammed all of his miscellaneous doo-dads. The two neatly stored away soldier figurines and small tanks. They stacked up his board games and cleaned up his cards and poker chips. Calypso held back tears as she sorted the vintage games, remembering how much their grandfather had loved playing with them as kids.
Oli could barely keep himself together as he folded up his grandfather’s old button up shirts and khakis. After everything was sorted, the siblings met at the cluttered table for lunch, then decided to go downstairs to conquer the basement after eating. While munching on tuna sandwiches, Calypso pulled out an old crinkled letter. “Look what I found,” she said, handing the letter to Oliver.
Dear Bentley,
life with you these past few years have been quite the dream. I’ve loved every moment with you, and I hope you know how much I hate having to write this letter. The doctors have said it, our family has said it, and now it’s come the time where I have to say it myself. I don’t enjoy having to leave you, but my departure is necessary. I’ll see you soon my dear Benny. My love will always belong to you, no matter how far away I am.
Love,
Melissa
Oli cried as he read it, staining the paper with his tears. “It’s from Grandma,” Calypso told him. “Before she died from cancer.” Oli nodded, handing the letter back. “I miss them.” Calypso nodded in agreement, and they ate the rest of their food in silence until it was time to get back to work. The somber mood had eventually lifted, and the two were quickly back to joking around with each other.
Oli wiped a fake drip of sweat from his forehead. “This is hard work,” he muttered. “Mk buddy,” Calypso said, playfully mocking her brother’s catchphrase. Once below the house, they noticed a chessboard, all of the pieces set up perfectly, ready to start a new game. Calypso didn’t seem to care, and she pulled out her phone to check the time. “It’s 4:30. Maybe we should head back and leave this for tomorrow?” Oli didn’t hear, he was focused on the strangeness of the game. ‘Why is it set up?’ He wondered. ‘What was Grandpa waiting for? Who was he going to play with?’ “Oli?” Calypso said, interrupting his train of thought. “I have to head out for a short work thing. You should be going soon too. I’ll meet you here again tomorrow morning at 8 ok?” Oliver nodded, waving goodbye to his sister. “Well, farewell I suppose,” he mumbled to the chessboard as he gathered his things. He hesitated, but made the decision to move the knight. ‘Maybe me and Calypso can play tomorrow,’ he thought.
The next morning, Oli asked her if she would play before they started working. Calypso narrowed her eyes, slightly suspicious, but agreed. They went to the basement where the chessboard was, and Oli let out a blood curdling screech. “Oli!” Calypso screamed. “Stop! What’s wrong?” Oli’s whole body was shaking as he fell to the ground, raising a wobbly finger to the chess board. “The opposing piece moved. I didn’t do it.” Calypso backed away from the game. “Stake out. Tonight. Meet me here at 8pm. I think it’s Grandpa.” Oliver looked up at her with fear in his eyes, but gave a determined nod. “Okay.”
That night, they found themselves behind a stack of boxes, staring at the chessboard until they found the culprit. After hours of waiting, a strange fog came out from behind a different pile of boxes across the room. Rustling could be heard, and the siblings held back gasps. “Is that-?” Calypso asked. Oli’s heart thumped in his ears, and his eyes grew wide as the thought of seeing his grandfather again entered his mind. “Hush.”

overall, i loved this piece. i love the character, sam, and the mysterious vibe that the story captures. you did a great job with it!

“ … my name is Sam, and I guess I’ve always found solace in the hum or circuits and the glow of LED lights.”
i really love the first paragraph and how descriptive it is, especially this nice character introduction. it’s basically the definition of short and sweet, and paints a nice picture in the reader’s head of what sam is like.

in the third paragraph, i absolutely LOVE how you describe his father’s radio, and in the following paragraph it’s super nice as well <3

“ As I ran my fingers over the worn dials and faded buttons, a flood of memories came rushing back - memories of lazy Sunday afternoons spent listening to crackling broadcasts from distant lands, of my father’s gentle smile as he showed me how to tune in to the frequencies of the world beyond our doorstep.”
in the brackets, i added ‘and’, which i think makes the sentence flow a bit better. since the sentence isn’t a list of 3+ things, i think the ‘and’ is more correct.

“Two years since he has been missing and unlike what everyone tells me, every day seems to hurt even more.”
the flow of this sentence seems off to me. a good start to making it flow better might be to add “than the last” at the end of the sentence. i think if you modify the start of the sentence a little bit, it will flow more smoothly, and make a bit more sense to the reader. for example, changing it to something like this, “It’s been two years since he went missing, and unlike what everyone tells me, each day seems to hurt more than the last.” this is mainly just personal preference, and i could see how this works for you, and how other readers might not have a problem understanding it.

i feel super repetitive but this piece, besides a few small preference errors, is absolutely stunninggg <33 paragraph five is so incredible to me and i love the emotion behind it!

“Nervous yet excited, I accepted the invitation …”
another personal preference thing, a comma after nervous makes it more flowy for me haha

“And though I couldn’t fully comprehend the magnitude of his words at the time, something deep within me stirred, a sense of destiny unfolding me before my very eyes.”
i love this ahhh

“With the guidance of Dr. Reyes and the support Sarah and Marcus …”
just a small error, i believe there should be an ‘of’ between support and Sarah <3

STOP THE CLIFFHANGER NOOOO ADSHFKS
this piece is so beautifully crafted, and other than a few small preference things, i love how it turned out! i think it might make a bigger impact if you give Sam more ‘emotion’ i guess? he feels almost like a robot, and other than the few times you mentioned his father and how he connects with him, i think it might be good to add more of how he feels throughout the story <3 overall, this is such a good piece and i love the plot <3 thanks for letting me critique it ;D

swc participants
ok first of all, i don’t know what i would do without you all. i love hanging out with each and everyone of you, reading your stupid funny comments and making some of my own. i love the vibes y’all bring to swc and reading everyone’s works of art, no matter how last minute they are ;D ( wild :eyes: )

softball blurb

heyo! the name’s pepper and i go by she/her. i’m a chaotic christian writer who resides in the lovely timezone of pst and i’m so excited for another session of swc! ;D right now, as you may have guessed, i’m mid softball season where i play first base, but outside of softball i play soccer and basketball <3 besides sports, i also adore camping, and you may find me writing in the woods this summer session of swc hehe ;D moving inside, i also am very passionate about writing (crazy i know xD) and wrote my very although writing has comforted me through my lows, i also find an escape through reading! reading makes me feel absolutely incredible :0 feeling like you’re on the verge of tears after reading heartbreak, then being filled with the hopes and dreams of made of characters is surreal! i love how authors are able to manipulate your feelings through written words ahaha <3 my favorite genre to read is probably real fi, though i’m also a huge fan of fantasy and mystery, with the occasional hi fi mixed in ;D my top five first story in kindergarten, where i created a rather interesting piece about a snowman my brother and i put together in the winter - ah the memories <3 back then, i dabbled in the art of writing every once in while, but since july of 2023, i’ve found myself in love with it more than i ever was before. i’ve dedicated a lot of my time to it, though in the months of march, july, and november i find myself producing a lot more work ;D i love how you can create anything you want by putting pencil to paper <3 favorite books right now, in order from favorite to also favorite but not as favorite ;D, are ‘one for the murphy’s’ by lynda mullaly hunt, ‘a mango shaped space’ by wendy mass, ‘out of my mind’ by sharon m draper, ‘the boy in the striped pajamas’ by john boyne, and ‘the front desk’ by kelly yang <3 lately, my stack of books has been dwindling, so if you have any suggestions please do tell! i’d love to hear what you’ve been reading, and love even more to add it to my ‘to be read’ haha ;D while i haven’t done a lot of art like i used to, i have been turned towards taylor swift’s music due to our lovely swc community’s convincing ;D ah yes, you heard right! your favorite pepper has been listening to the beloved taylor swift recently :> my favorite album so far is 1989, with fearless and lover close behind <3
well on that note, i’ll bring this to a close! i’m so excited for you to see the rest of my app, it’s always so fun to put your heart and soul into an application and finally hit the share button haha

water blurb

i’d say overall, i have a lot of leadership experience.
i’ll go ahead and start off with my scratch camp experience ;D i’ve been in 4 swc sessions, 2 as a camper, and the other 2 as a co-leader.
script - march 2023 - camper
tragedy - july 2023 - camper
illu fi - november 2023 - co leader
script - march 2024 - co leader
in total, i’ve participated in 20+ camp sessions across scratch, and (co)led in 10 of them. i’ve hosted one session of my own camp, cks, and will be co-hosting camp galatians (hosted by piper and kenzie <3)
offline, i am part of student council, i’ve been team captain for some of my sports teams throughout the past few years, and find myself constantly leading in group projects at school! at least once a month i help out with the kids at church who need a little extra help due to a disability, and i also occasionally spend time with the little little kids, supporting the adult leaders by handing out snacks or helping out with the lesson <3
i enjoy being a leader and role model for others, and gaining a unique experience each time keeps me coming back for more <3

umpire blurb

i honestly wouldn’t mind (co)leading any cabin, they all have such a unique potential and turn out absolutely stunning in the end <3 however, like everyone, i do have some that are at the top of my list ;D some of my favoriteS right now (in no particular order), are adventure, dystopian, poetry, real fi, fantasy, and myth! i have solid theme ideas for two cabins currently, with some other very rough ideas for different cabins. my favorite idea right now is for fantasy (but could also work for myth), where campers would be workers for groups under leadership by the tooth fairy, the leprechaun, the easter bunny, santa, etc. and the groups would have to work together to get rid of the monsters underneath children’s beds! i think it would turn out super cute, but the storyline would be compelling at the same time <3
my second idea is for real fi, and although it’s not very set in stone with what i’d exactly do, i think it’d be very fun to have a real fi safari type cabin, or a real fi zoo of sorts <3 there is always favorite cabins, but along with the good comes with some bad, and although i would be up to (co)leading any cabin, my weaknesses lay in steampunk, contemporary, lyric, and lit fi just because i’ve never been a fan of those genres, and still don’t really know how they work </3
as for the cabin that will not win, i’d be thrilled to (co)lead it! i feel like it’d be nice to have a more relaxed vibe this session, and even with my love of competition, it’s always nice to take a break hehe <3

you can find the link to my writing excerpt in the desc ;D

surprisingly, i am pretty free this june and july! i currently have two camping trips planned, though one is still very up in the air due my brother’s baseball tournament. at the moment i unfortunately don’t know the date of my june trip, but will of course let the necessary people know as soon as i find out. most likely, my july trip will be canceled because of baseball, and that will allow me to be more active that weekend. when i am gone camping, i’ll be in the middle of the woods so my access to the internet will be very limited. however, i have made it work in the past! i’m not sure what the charging situation for my devices will look like, but i plan to bring my phone and laptop. in previous camping trips, i have spent all my battery in the car, not realizing i wouldn’t have a place to charge my devices. this trip i plan to sleep all the way there (oh the joy ;D) and balance my screen time as even as i can throughout the few days i am there. my assumption is that i will get about 30 minutes spread out throughout the day for each day i am camping (2-3 days). however, this all depends on whether or not i can access the internet at all so the majority of this is up in the air unfortunately :’) ok, now that i’m done with the long camping spiel, i’ll move on to my non camping time ;D in june, i’ll still be in school and my schedule will go a little something like the following; each day i have eight hours of school. i usually long on in the morning before i start getting ready, mainly just to respond to my mail and check on things in my cabin and the main cabin. i log in throughout the school day, in between classes, at lunch, etc. after school each day i will have either softball practice (this is on tuesday + thursday) or games (monday + wednesday)! i have about two hours in between school and softball, and spend the majority of that time on scratch. after practice or games, i head back home and usually have another 2-3 hours before i head off to bed. on those days, (monday-thursday), i plan to log on for 2-3 hours. on fridays, i usually have school in the morning and am busy with that from about 7-11am. after that, i rarely have anything scheduled, and spend a lot of that free time online. in the afternoon (4-6ish most likely), i will be with my family doing sports, eating dinner, all the normal activities, but will likely log on again before i head off to bed. overall, my fridays are my most free day, and i will be able to dedicate about 3-4 hours on scratch that day. the weekends look different every week, though for the most part i spend about 2-4 hours online. some weekends are filled with activities such as church and baseball/softball tournaments, while some are more relaxed at home. no matter how busy a day may be, i plan to at least spend 1 hour online checking in on things to make sure everything runs smoothly.

i’ll be quite honest, my pacing sucks. i absolutely love helping out in any way i can, and when i get a task, burning right through it is fun for me! however, it certainly takes its toll when i come back to finish it off (( i find myself struggling with burnout, and although i enjoy working on a project, i need to get better at pacing myself so lack of motivation won’t come back and negatively impact the job. i also will occasionally volunteer for too many things, piling up a long list of tasks on my shoulders, only to later realize i don’t have the time to successfully complete quality work. i’m working on knowing my limits and sectioning my projects out so i don’t suffer the dreaded burnout and lack of motivation.
one of my strengths in time management (yes i do have some believe it or not ;D /lh), is i’m not much of a procrastinator! i like when things are done earlier then they need to be so i can make any final edits if necessary. when i’m not struggling with the rare case of burnout like i previously mentioned, i’m able to get things done in a timely manner and to the best of my ability.

unfortunately, i am a victim of perfectionism :skull: this can hinder my ability to get things done, and although i like things done on time so i can make edits, those edits tend to be tiny little things no one will notice, and when i can’t get it to look just how i want it to, it can be frustrating. i’m really trying to get familiar with the fact that nothing is perfect, and nothing, no matter how many edits, will be. what i’ve found is helpful to deal with my perfectionism is getting feedback from others! getting their point of view can really show me what is worth editing, and give me some confidence when they find that my project is looking good.
ending on a good note, i think that i bring good vibes to the leadership team, whether it be on the leader forum, or in our own planning space. bringing in those vibes to make an atmosphere inviting is something i enjoy doing, and being in that atmosphere is even better. additionally, i love to communicate and think that it’s very important when collaborating. i’m 100% open to new ideas, and i love to hear different people’s perspectives and thoughts about a topic. i always try my best to include at least a little aspect of everyone’s idea in whatever we’re working on. i try to make sure everyone is heard, and that i’m never shutting down anyone’s ideas. i also don’t let my own ideas go unheard, and i love to share what’s on my mind to better improve the task we’re collaborating on.

there are so so many different qualities a good leader should have, but i think the one i come back to the most is passion and dedication. in order to have a cabin that runs smoothly and is an amazing experience for everyone in it, the leadership team has to be passionate about what they’re doing and dedicated enough to follow through with the plans to make it that great experience. and sure, there are 100% going to be a few mistakes made throughout the session, but another thing about being passionate and dedicated, it that you as a team are ready to try your best to fix those mistakes to get everything back on track. being passionate about what you’re doing is so important to me, because if you’re not passionate, then why are you even here in the first place? i know so many swcers who literally pur their hearts into cabin planning and the session as a whole, and although life comes before swc, that is the passion i love seeing every session, and that is one of the many reasons i love collaborating with this incredible community. i will do my best to embody this trait as a (co)leader this session by showing my dedication and passion through the work that i put into my cabin. every time i produce something that connects with our storyline or edit a page on canva, i will be doing my absolute best and showing maximum effort in the process <3

if i were selected to (co)lead, my goal for the atmosphere of a cabin would be something like,
“ an upbeat cabin with fun energy and a nice touch of competitive spirit while focusing on campers’ writing goals and improvement “
127 characters <3

a ) checkboxes
i am applying for both leader and co-leader
i am applying only for co-leader
i am willing to share a promotional project for swc
b ) faq leadership responsibilities
nope! i will be able to complete everything listed <3
c ) plan for unexpected inactivity
if i were to go inactive, i would immediately notify the hosts and my leadership team, doing all i can to not leave until they can find a replacement or a way to keep the cabin running smoothly without me. if someone on my leadership team went inactive, we would find a way to make sure the storyline and needs of the cabin / campers were able to be fulfilled, whether it be by changing our leadership roles around, finding a replacement by going through leader apps again, or making a plan on how to continue without their presence.