Daily 29!!
Orion

Theo and I ran up the hill, our hill hand in hand. It was our favorite star-gazing spot. Once we got to the top we lay down and gaze up at the stars. I loved the stars. They were so bright and beautiful. I just loved them! Theo knew this. I paid close attention to the stars looking for any pattern or art work. Then I saw it.

“Theo, look!” I said and pointed to a group of stars.
“What is it?” He asked.
“That group of stars! They look like an archer!” I say excitedly
“Whoa! They do!” Theo remarks
“I wonder what his story is-” I wonder out loud
“His what?” Theo asks
“His story! Mom says that every group of stars has a story!” I explain.
“Oh” Theo replies
“I think he’s one of Artemis’s hunters.” I say
“But all of Artemis’s hunters were girls!” Theo says
“I know.” I said
“Then how is he a hunter?” Theo asks
“Maybe Artemis liked him.” I replied
“But Artemis is a maiden goddess!” Theo replied
“Maybe his archery skills were so good that Artemis admired him.” I said
“Huh, maybe.” Theo said
“How did he get up there then?” Theo asked
“Maybe Gaia killed him.” I suggested
“Or maybe Apollo killed him to protect his sister.” Theo suggested
“And Zeus or Artemis took pity on him and put him in the sky.” I suggested
“Yeah!” Theo said
“Wait.. How would Gaia kill him?” Theo asked
“She’s Mother Earth! She could do anything!” I said
“But what exactly did she do?” Theo asked
“Maybe she sent a scorpion to kill him” I suggested
“But why?” Theo asked
“I’m not sure.” I admit
“Alright, what's his name?” Theo asked
“Orion. Orion the hunter.” I say
“Orion?” Theo asks
“Yes, Orion.” I say
“Alright, so Orion was a skilled hunter that earned the favor of Artemis and Gaia sent a scorpion to kill him for some reason and Zeus took pity on him and put him in the sky?” Theo asked
“Yes!” I confirmed
“Alright, Zoe!” He said, “It's getting late. I’m going home.”
“Alright, Theo!” I say
“Are you going home?” He asked
“Not yet.” I said and redirected my attention to the stars once more.

~375 words!

Critique for Bookie!

Hey, Bookie! I read it all the way through and think this is an amazing start to your novel! I think you captured school perfectly! It was really good!! I do have some grammar suggestions and some things that might help the flow! Let’s get started!


This should be pretty easy because Layla and I have almost the same personality! Ok, first off, maybe describe the school a little more from the inside. Like at my school, in between classes (also in the morning and when it’s time to go home) kids hang out and chat at their lockers. Mainly the ‘popular’ kids. This is REALLY annoying for people like me because they stand in front of my locker and I’m too shy to ask them to move. Also, I love the flyers' detail! It shows me that you have some activities in the school! Our school has A LOT of extra curricular activities! Like: Archery, Football, Art club, Drama club (Which you included), Basketball, and a LOT more! So, later in your story I would include that! Also, If you haven’t watched High School Musical you should! It should give you an idea of what the inside of a school is like! (Not trying to be rude! You might know what the inside of a school looks like!) You told me about the two extra buildings, if I recall correctly you said one was for sports and other you didn’t know. I would use the other building for the club fair! Unless you wanted it in the gym or cafetorium (Lunch room). It’s fall so the football season is taking place. In our hallways at school there are normally posters, banners, or signs that say “GO EAGLES” or something like that. Some say “GO! FIGHT! WIN!” but yeah. So you could have signs that say “GO WILDCATS” and stuff like that!


I can’t fit all of my grammar suggestions into this critique because I’m about to leave for a family reunion but, if you look up “Grammar checker” Or something they could help! I find that QuillBot works! https://quillbot.com/grammar-check


Wild cats are always:


Wondering
Intrigued
Listening
Daring
Caring
Asking
on Time
Serving


Ok! Honestly I LOVE this poster! But I would make two changes.
You could change “Intrigued” into “Inspiring”
Instead of “on Time” I would put “Thinking”


Ok, at the beginning of your story, you had an in-text conversation. I think just to make it more clear I would put the text in Italics.


I hope that helped some! I really have to go now though! I really enjoyed reading and coming up with ideas for your novel! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, contact me! Also if you lack ideas, CONTACT ME!!!! If you have more things you’d like me to check, please let me know! I’d love to read more of your stories! <3

Writing comp entry!!!


I walk up to the casket. Every step is harder than the last. Tears falling down my face like miniature waterfalls. I had hoped this day would never come, but unfortunately, all good things come to an end. Countless regrets fill my head.I wish I had spent more time with him. He deserved my time, not this. I would do anything just to have him back. I wish I could have another grandpa hug. Those were the best kind. I wish we could have written our story. I always promised him that I’d work on it. I would come up with ideas, but I never put them on the page.

Then I realized I was trapped in my head again. I pushed all of my thoughts away for a moment, only to find myself standing over his lifeless body. I take a deep breath and reach for his hand. When I touch his cold skin, a dreadful feeling enters me. Loss. Deep, painful loss. I try to hold back my tears, but I just can’t. I remember the fun times we always had. I remember playing little games that were supposed to test my reflexes. I remember how invested you were when I talked about school or softball. You were a great listener. You would always praise me and tell me how brilliant I was or give me tips for softball. I remember our swimming lessons. I always loved those. “I wish we had more time,” I sigh. I release his hand and redirect my attention to the small bouquet.

The first flower, a forget-me-not. A promise that I will never forget you. That I will hold your memory close to heart. That I will remember to write our book. That I will remember the dad jokes, the hugs, and the encouragement. A promise that I will remember. I lay the forget-me-not on his chest.

The second flower is a yellow tulip. In remembrance of your smile and laughter. I can’t help but smile when I think of you. Your terrible dad jokes always got a groan out of the family. I remember every time I gave you a hug, you’d always tease me and say how it wasn’t tight enough. That last hug, you didn’t say it. I lay the tulip on his chest.

I grab the next four flowers from the bouquet. A pink camellia, representing my longing for you. A purple hyacinth, representing my sorrow and pain. A dark crimson rose, representing my mourning and how much I miss you. And lastly, a willow flower, representing my sadness. These four flowers are the pain I feel now that you’re gone. I wish more than anything that we had more time. My heart hurts like there is a hole in it. Tears are still falling down my face. I want to believe you’ll pop out from behind a chair and yell “April Fools!!!" but that won’t happen. I don’t want to believe you’re gone. My heart feels as if it’s been shattered into a million pieces. I lay the four flowers down on his chest.
The next two flowers are a zinnia and a periwinkle. Both for the friendship-like bond we shared. We had a lot in common. You were like the friend I could never have. When you passed, I felt like a part of me died with you. I lay the two flowers on his chest.

Then I grab a lavender flower. It represents the relief I feel knowing you are no longer hurting. You are in heaven with your parents and grandma’s parents and God. I’m glad that you are no longer in pain. I lay the lavender down on his chest.

“I love you more.” I say as I lay down the final flower, a red chrysanthemum.



~633 words

Hey, Rose! That was an awesome story! (Even though I haven’t read KOTLC) Ok, Back to the topic at hand. I do have just a few grammar suggestions and some things that might help the flow! Let’s get started!


“She didn’t regret it. She hadn’t really thought it through, “


No comma after “through”


“The idea of a Nobility was stupid and promoted social stratification”


Period at the end of “stratification”


“It didn’t really matter, she would eat outside anyways, but it was a show of how little they cared. How little they truly understood.”


Semicolon after “matter”


“‘Be nice.’ her mother said.”


Comma instead of period after “nice”


“‘Follow the rules’ “


Comma after “rules”


“As her mom would say ‘some things can’t be stopped.’”


Comma after “say” capital S in some


“They could do everything and it wouldn’t be enough.”


Comma after “everything”


“A drop a blood dripped from the corner of her mom’s mouth”


Change “drop a blood” to “drop of blood” and period after mouth


Great piece! Hope this helped! <3

Weekly four!! Sloppily written

Intro:

As I trekked through the bitter cold, one thing became clear to me. I have no idea where I’m going and no way to retrace my steps. I’m lost. I continue to trudge through the snow, which is up to my knees. I wonder how far I am from civilization. It was getting late, and the sun was dipping towards the horizon. I looked around desperately, trying to find shelter or a village. Just somewhere I could stay for a while. Suddenly, I saw something in the distance. Is that smoke? Smoke! That means people! I accelerate, somehow still moving very slowly.


Part 1: Inuit

As I approached the cause of the smoke, I realized that it wasn’t a village. A scaly reptile with two wings lay sprawled up in the snow, smoke billowing out of its nostrils. A dragon. Thought they were just myths! Should I run? It wasn’t fully grown, but it was the size of a horse. And it definitely doesn’t belong here. I slowly approached the magnificent creature.
“Hey,” I say as I kneel down beside it, “my name is Sadie.” I said as I wrapped it in my coat around it and gave it the spare hot chocolate I had in my thermos. Almost immediately, its eyelids fluttered open, and it carefully examined me with its brilliant purple eyes. I reach my hand out to the dragon like someone would a dog. It huffed and laid its head down on his lap. I took this as a sign that it would burn me to a crisp today.
“What’s your name, fella?” I asked, and it roared in response.
“I have no idea what you said.” I admitted. It grumbled and wrote LANDON in big letters in the snow.
“Landon! What a great name!” I said, and it looked pleased.
“Hey, I know we just met, but may I help you? You don’t look like you belong in the middle of the Inuit. I mean, I don’t either, but—" I stopped talking when Landon got up.
“What?” I asked. It fluttered its wings.
“Can you still use those?” I asked, and he nodded.
“Do you think you could carry me and you?” Ladon nodded again. “Are you sure?” He nodded again.
“Ok!” I said as I sat on his back. As soon as I sat down, he took off. Next thing I knew, we were soaring through the night sky.



Part 2: Navajo Nation
Landon and I soared above the south-western US. We both agreed that we needed to stop somewhere and take a break. I knew just the place. We happened to be flying over Navajo Nation, and that happened to be on my list of places I wanted to see. From what I heard, it's a beautiful rocky area with so much to see. I can’t wait!
“Here, Landon,” I said, and we descended just below the clouds. I gasped in awe and marveled at the rocky expanse below me. Red rocky hills and various shrubs. I saw Willow trees, Juniper trees, Sagebrush, and much more. As we dove in closer to the ground, we saw people riding on horseback. We couldn’t land there. Finally, we got to an area that looked like no one lived there.
“Oh! Landon! Let’s land here.” I said, and we slowly descended toward the rocky red ground. While we were in the northwestern US, we had stopped at a small grocery store, and the plan was to set up a small camp somewhere around here.
When we landed, I immediately started setting up camp. The sun was setting, so I had to hurry. Landon was unusually quiet. The dragon usually had something to grump or grumble about. I turned around to see if he was ok and found the dragon sleeping on the rocky ground. I smile and get back to work.
By the time I finished setting up the tent, the sun was no longer in sight.
“Landon? The tent is set up. Would you like to move in there?” I asked. The dragon didn’t respond, so I went into the tent and laid down. As soon as I hit the floor, I fell asleep.
…….
I woke up. I felt very well rested. I went outside. It was a beautiful morning. The sun shining against red cliffs. It was a beautiful sight! As I looked around I felt something was missing. Wait..where was Landon?
“Landon!” I shouted. No response. I looked around desperately for the dragon and instead I found a note.
Dear traveler,
It seems you have stumbled into our territory. People that are not of Navajo descent should not set foot on our land. If you want your beast back then meet us at Smoke Signal at sunset.
Ugh. I should have known this would happen! Only people with a Navajo heritage are allowed in certain areas. I packed up our stuff and started walking towards Smoke Signal, Arizona. Fortunately, they left me a map and they pointed out how to get there.
I arrived just on time. They were standing there with Landon asleep and in a sack.
“I’m here. Now give him back.” I said and one of them stepped forward.
“We’ll give you your beast back if you give us something of yours.” he says
“Yes. anything.” I say this because I don’t have anything of value to me.
“That.” He says and points to my necklace. I pale. Nevermind, I do have something of personal value. That was my grandmother’s locket. I couldn’t lose that.
“Uhh” I say because I'm good with words. It was Landon’s life or a locket.
“Ugh, Fine.” I agree even though I really don’t want to.
“Great!” he says as he snatches the locket out of my hands and gives me the dragon. Before I could even try to get my necklace back they ran off. Of course, Landon choses that moment to wake up!
“Come on, Landon. Lets go”

Part 3- Aztecs

At this point Landon and I had no destination. We had no idea where we were going. One thing I did know was that we were close to the Aztec ruins in Mexico. That was another place I’ve always wanted to see! So we decided to stop. Once we got close to Lake Texcoco I told Landon to descend. He dove just below the clouds and I saw the Aztec capital city, Tenochtitlan, on lake Texcoco. I saw the beautiful ruins and temples all on lake Texcoco. It looked as if it was all floating on top of the lake. Maybe it was…
“Here is good.” I said and Landon landed right in front of a temple. A great temple made of brick and stone stood in front of me. It was a wonderful sight!
“Hey Landon?” I said and he looked at me, “I’m going inside. You stay out here and rest.” he nodded and I went inside.
In side of the temple looked kinda creepy. There was a faint light coming from the torches. There were paintings on the walls and some sculptures. It sent a shiver down my spine. I saw a skeleton of what looked like a human. I turned my attention to the paintings on the walls. There were a lot of unrecognizable symbols but I found one I knew. One that brought back a memory. Xochitl. I refused to see it. I refused to let it win. I used all of my willpower to keep the memory at bay, but it just wasn’t enough. My vision spiraled as I fell to the floor unconscious.
I was skipping through the meadow picking daisies and dandelions as I went. It was a beautiful sunny day. Fluffy clouds scattered throughout the sky. Trees dotted the outskirts of the field. It was amazing.
“SADIE!!! COME INSIDE!!!” I heard an urgency in my father’s voice so I ran. I ran as fast as could towards my house.
When I got there I looked at him and his face was completely tear-stricken. I was scared. Father never cries.
“W-what happened?” I ask
I wake up and run out of the temple almost as fast as I did that day. I never wanted to go back.

Part 4- Mayans

After our last temple, I did not want to go to another temple, but Landon needed another break so why not stop at the Mayan ruins? As soon as Landon descended we saw beautiful temples; However, this time I didn’t feel the same about them. We landed in this tropical climate and marveled at the huge stone structures. We saw quite a lot of tourists here compared to the other areas. I told Landon I was going to go to sleep since it was getting late. As I lay down I feel something tugging at the back of my head. A memory. It slowly crept its way into my Cerebrum. Everything went dark as I slipped into unconsciousness.
I slowly walked forward holding a bouquet of flowers. I didn’t want to go any farther but I had to. I had to. I didn’t want her to be gone for good. She was all I had left. Mother and Father aren’t around anymore. I couldn’t lose Gran too. When I got to the casket all the tears I had been holding back came out all at once. Tears fell like waterfalls down my face. I stared in shock at my grandmother’s lifeless body and set my bouquet down on her casket-
I skipped through the meadow picking daisies and dandelions as I went. It was a beautiful sunny day. Fluffy clouds scattered throughout the sky. Trees dotted the outskirts of the field. It was amazing- NO! I WOULD NOT SEE THIS AGAIN! I fought against the memory but it was winning. I couldn’t hold it back. No. I am Sadie Nightshade of the Nightshade family and I will not let a memory control me!

Part 5 - Rome

How Landon flew over the entire Atlantic Ocean without needing a break, I do not know. One thing I did know was that I was on a mission. I was going to help Landon find his family. We had already checked all of North and South America so we decided to head east. Landon seemed drawn to the east for some reason anyway. We were nearing our next stop, Rome. Good thing I know a bit of Latin! I’ve always wanted to go to Rome but never got to, so this would be fun!
As we flew over Rome I could see the Colosseum and the tourists gathered around Trevi Fountain. Something seemed off though. I couldn’t place what it was though…
We landed in front of the Colosseum and fortunately, the tourists were too busy staring in awe at the arena to notice. Landon decided he was going to rest then we could go see the rest of Rome later. It was a beautiful sunny day. There were no clouds in sight. I walked closer to the Colosseum that way I could see better. It was an amazing sight. It was built with Marble and Travertine Limestone. How did I remember that, I don’t know. It was used for entertainment purposes. So, instead of worrying about war, the people were watching gladiators die. Yeah, because why not have people watch war to forget about it? I mean, hats off to them, it worked but what?
My thoughts were interrupted by screaming. I turned around to find tourists running and screaming with a giant half-bull chasing them. A minotaur. But how? I thought they were just myths! Well, I thought dragons were myths but here we were. The minotaur was going to kill those tourists if someone didn’t do something! No one was going to do anything. I was.
“HEY MINOTAUR!!!” I yelled, not realizing those might be my last words. It turned around with rage in its eyes and charged at me. I slid beneath its legs and jumped on its back. Worst decision ever. It kept trying to throw me off but I held on with all my might. Everytime it tried to throw me off, my grip loosened. I couldn’t lose. I wasn’t going to lose. I needed to get Landon to his family. With a new-found rage I started fighting back. I punched and hit him. I climbed up to his head, blinded by rage. I grabbed its horn as it bucked wildly like a bull at a rodeo. With all of my strength, I ripped off his horn. It roared in agony and bucked me off. It charged once again and when it got close I stabbed it with its own horn. As soon as the horn made contact with its body, the minotaur burst into flames. I backed away quickly to get away from the flame but surprisingly it only engulfed the minotaur. All that was left of the minotaur was its horn that was in my hand. The tourists and Roman Military stared at me in shock.
“Hey.” I said casually as News reporters started investigating the scene. One dude came up to me and said, “You did good, kid” and walked off. I walked away because I didn’t want to be investigated so I walked away. I went to go find Landon so we could adventure around Rome.

Part 6 - Greece

Landon and I were flying somewhere in Greece. Epirus maybe? I have no idea. It was another sunny day. There were some clouds, but none threatening to pour rain on us or strike us out of the sky. Below us were the many mountains of Epirus. It was beautiful- AHHHHH!!! Landon started rapidly diving towards the ground.
“Landon! What are you doing!?” I shouted above the wind. Landon didn’t respond. Not even I roar. “LANDON!” Still no response. As we plummeted to the ground, I kept trying to grab Landon’s attention. I didn’t work.
Fortunately, we had a steady landing. From the looks of it we were still in Epirus.
“Did you really need a break that bad, buddy?” I asked and patted his back. He looked surprised as if he didn’t know what he did. “Alright, let’s just explore while we’re here.” I said and walked off with Landon in tow.
That’s when I saw it. I saw some old ruins of what looked like a house. I decided to explore it. I went into the ruins. There wasn’t a roof so it basically looked like one big wall or gate. I went inside with Landon right behind me. The ruins gave me an eerie feeling. Inside of the stone ruins I found a tunnel.
“Whoa” I said in awe as I walked into the tunnel. Landon roared in protest, but I didn’t listen. I was too curious.
As I walked further in the tunnel I started to hear voices. Voices calling out to me, asking for help. I heard screams of agony. I heard final breaths. The floor had turned from smooth stone into something with a rough feeling. It was dark, pitch black. Then I heard a voice. A voice I recognized.
“Mom?” A tear trickled down my face. As soon as I said that, torches lit on fire. As I looked around at my surroundings fear crept up my sternum. The floor was made purely of bones and crystals. Spirits floated around the halls. I gasped. The Necromanteion. We needed to get out of here and fast. Landon knew the initiative. He grabbed me and we left.

Part 7 - Minoan Civilization

Landon landed on a doc in Crete. The clear beautiful water shimmered in the midday sunlight. Small boats dotted the water. Landon took a look at the water, then back at me.
“Go ahead.” I said and he dove in the water. I looked around for a map of the place and finally found one. I started reading it. Thank God! It’s in english. I started looking for things nearby that I could check out while I was here. Ooh! The Historical Museum of Crete! Sounds fun! With that I started walking off to the museum.
Eventually, I made it to the museum. It was a large yellow building with white trim. At the entrance there were two white columns. When I walked in I Immediately was overwhelmed with things to see.I started wandering around the museum. I saw weapons and instruments. I saw paintings, maps and sculptures. There’s so much to see!!! I walked on a little more and found a library of old books. Out of all the books, one stood out to me. It was a scroll and it didn’t look like it belonged here. I wonder how it got here. I grabbed it and unrolled it. I tried to read it but couldn’t. I didn’t know what language it was. I didn’t want to give up though. Something seemed special about it. Since I couldn’t read it, I decided to see if one of the employees here could. I looked around for someone with a name tag and was successful!
“Hey, how can I help you?” He asked politely. Thank goodness he spoke in english.
“Well, I found this scroll and couldn’t figure out what language it was in. Do you know?” I asked. He took one look at it and said, “I can’t read it, but it’s definitely egyptian.” He said.
“Thank you, sir!” I said as I walked off. How could you have not noticed, Sadie? I studied Egypt for years! I should have recognized it! I went back to the library and sure enough, they had an Egyptian dictionary. I looked through to see what matched up with what was on the scroll. Once I finally finished it read:
Whoever can read this was chosen to bring the final land-dwelling dragon back to its people-
The rest was torn off for some reason, so Sadie had no idea what the full thing said, but she knew what to do next.

Part 8- Egypt

As we flew into Egypt I felt different. At first I felt really excited about this, but now I don’t know. Out of all the places I've ever wanted to go, Egypt was number one on the list. I should have been excited, but I wasn’t. I was starting to wonder if I should have just left Landon to figure it out. I mean he can fly and he knows what he’s doing so I think he would be alright. What if I’ve been doing this wrong and I was really supposed to stay home and leave Landon to his devices.
As we got closer to Giza my thoughts got worse. And not all of them were about Landon now. What if I could have saved my mother or my dad or my grandma? What if I spent more time with them than I did out in nature, picking flowers. What if I left Landon out in nature? Would he be ok? No. He looked as if he might die of the cold. There’s no way he would have survived. I saved him. I’m the one that scroll talked about. I was the one that had to bring him home.

Part 9- Mesopotamia

Our next clue led us to Mesopotamia. We flew into present-day Iraq. Unlike the last clue that literally just said go to Egypt, this one told us exactly where to look. It said to go to the ruins of Babylon. Which I assumed were the remains of The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Once we got close enough I told Landon to land. See what I did there? We had a rather smooth landing on the clay roof of the building. I looked around for something that may have our next clue. I didn’t see any- AH HA I found something! Sitting over in the corner of the roof there was a big clay vase. I walked over to and reached inside. I felt something. Paper? I grabbed it and pulled my hand out. Yes! Another scroll! I unrolled the piece of papyrus and it read:
For your next clue
It will be not a what but a who
Go to the Kingdom of Aksum
Find the odd one out and ask em’
Yay! Now we just had to go to Aksum and ask everyone that looked weird where a dragon belongs! Fun!
“Let’s go, Landon!” I say and hop on his back and we take off.



Part 10- Askum
As we wandered aimlessly around the Aksum ruins and saw nobody. We had searched every inch of this amazing kingdom’s remains and found no one. It was getting late and I was starting to lose hope.
“Hey, kid. Over here.” I heard a voice say from behind me. I turned around and saw no one.
“Show yourself!” I said demandingly. A dark cloaked figure came out from the shadows.
“Better?” It asked
“Much” I replied with Landon snarling at the figure from behind me, “What do you want?” I asked.
“It’s more of what you want.” It said, I couldn’t see its face, but I could tell it was grinning. I gasped.
“You’re the next clue!” I exclaimed.
“Sure am.” It replied, “Took you long enough”
“Where do we go next?” I asked
“Well, funny thing about that, I can’t tell you.” It said
“Why not!?” I asked. “The clue sent me here for you to give me information!” It laughed and Landon bared his fangs.
“I don’t do anything for free” It said, grinning.
“What!? We came all this way!” I said
“Well, I don’t care if you came all this way! I’m not giving freebies!” It said, raising its voice.
“Fine! Name your price!” I shouted back
“Perfect!” It said and sat for a minute to think. “The Egyptian magic book. Give it.”
“What Magic book!?” I asked
“The what-do-you-guys-call-it? Hieroglyphics! Hand it over!” I shouted in excitement
“Fine! Deal!” I said and pulled out the book.
“Yes!” It squealed
“But first, tell me where to go next.” I said
“Ok! You need to go to Swahili! There you’ll find someone who can help!” It said then ripped the book out of my hands and disappeared.

“Whelp! I guess we're going to Swahili!

Part 11- Swahili City States

Landon and Sadie arrive at Swahili City States and are looking around.
SADIE: Whoa, Landon! Doesn’t it look so cool here?
LANDON: *Landon huffs in agreement*
SADIE: *Taking all the sights* Look at all of the wonderful ruins and structures! Aren’t they beautiful?
LANDON: *Huffs once again in total agreement*
SADIE: Yeah, that’s what I thought!
SADIE: Hey! Who’s that? *Sadie points to a person that definitely does not fit in during this time period*
LANDON: *Growls protectively*
SADIE: Hey! Maybe he’s our next clue!
LANDON: *Growls once more*
Sadie and Landon approach the weirdly dressed renaissance guy
SADIE: Hey! Are you our next clue?
???: What doth thou mean? *Sees Landon* ACK!! Dragon! *Seems to realize* Oh yes! I doth believe I have thy next clue!
SADIE: Can you give it to me?
???: I believe not my dear friend. Thou must first answer my riddle!
SADIE: Ooh! Yes! I love riddles! Bring it!
???: Alright, I never was, am always to be, No one ever saw me, nor ever will, And yet I am the confidence of all, To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball. Who am I?
SADIE: Ooh! I’ve heard this one before! The answer is tomorrow!
???: Correct! I guess thou shall have thy clue now
SADIE: Yes please!
???: Your next destination is the Great wall of China! Good luck! *Disappears*
SADIE: Ok, Landon! Next stop! China!

Part 12- China

I wasn’t happy about going to China. Yes, I’ve always wanted to see the great wall but I just wasn’t feeling it. In fact I wasn’t feeling myself today. As we approached the snakey structure, I continued to feel worse. Something wasn’t right.

Landon landed on top of one of the guard towers. Fortunately, we went unnoticed. I quickly searched that tower and came up with nothing so we went to the next one. Nothing. The next one. Nothing. This went on for hours and hours and still nothing. I recalled that there were around 25,000 of these towers. We were never going to find it. Once again, I was starting to wonder if I should have just left Landon to figure it out. He might have some sort of natural senses or something that would take him home. I entered the next tower, searched everywhere, found nothing. Landon took me to the next place. At this point, I just wondered if we should forget it and go home. Except Landon can’t go home. I went to the next tower, looked around, and found something. Another scroll. I read it, a big grin spreading across my face.

“Landon! We’re going to Australia!”

Part 13- Australia

It had been a long trip from China to Australia and Landon was exhausted. We decided to take a break in Uluru. Landon loved it there. It was as if this is where he belonged. He looked so happy playing in the tall grass. I recalled when we were in Navajo he seemed so uneasy. Maybe he was homesick. I mean, the red mountains here look a lot like they did back there! I think we did it!

The sun was starting to dip towards the horizon. It was getting late. Landon was still enjoying himself but we should probably go.

“Hey, Landon! Time to leave for now! It’s getting late!” I shouted. Landon looked a little disappointed but he followed directions.

“Leaving so soon?” A thunderous voice boomed from above

“Who are you?” I asked because I was in such shock that I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“You really need to ask?” The voice boomed, “I am Altjira! A sky father and creator deity!”

“What do you want?” I asked
“I have come to claim my child in which the chosen one has brought me!” Altjira thundered
“Your child? Chosen one?” I asked
“You. You are the chosen one. You found the scrolls.” Altjira explained
“Oh” I said “Why couldn’t you just come get him from Iniut?”
“Because my power is not in Iniut, for I can not go there.” Altjira explained
“Oh, ok.” I said
“Alright, come on Landon-”
“WAIT!” I said, my voice shaking. I guess over that past few weeks i’ve grown a bond with this dragon and I didn’t want him to leave.
“What is it?” Altjira asked
“Please let Landon stay! I can take care of him and-” The god started laughing.
“What’s so funny!?” I asked
“Yes! It worked! The plan worked!”
“What?”
“Don’t worry about it!” He said, “You can keep him! Just take good care of him for me!” and he disappeared as Landon tackled me in a hug.

~4504 words without planning (+374 with planning)

Thank-you notes! (I’M A WHOLE MONTH LATE!!!!)

I’m sorry if the thank you note that you received was a little short. I had to get these done today. I just want you to know that I truly appreciate and value every single one of you even if you didn’t get a thank you note! I am truly proud to be a part of the SWC community with you guys!


SWC: The fall season is such a hard time for me and I- I DON’T KNOW HOW TO BEGIN! Mentally I wasn’t in a good place before SWC. I was depressed and didn’t know what to do with my life. October was the hardest time for me. October was a time of overwhelming grief for me. As some of you might know, my grandfather passed away October 29th 2023. I was devastated. Five months before his passing he had asked me if I would write a book with him. I immediately accepted. Writing a book has been my dream since I was very young. Well, I promised him that I would work on planning our book. Well, five months had passed and I got the news. He was gone and I hadn’t even started writing. I couldn’t bring myself to write. It was all too painful. I just couldn’t do it. Well then one year later I was talking with Lyss. We were talking about writing and she had told me about SWC and how I should join with her. So I did. Today I don’t regret a single second of it. Writing made me feel better. I wrote about how I felt instead of bottling it up inside like always. My point is: SWC changed my life. It made me feel better and helped me write again. SWC has helped me make new friends and tons of good memories. Also, from the very first day you all have been so kind and understanding! You guys literally made me cry on the first day because of how kind you were xD Thank you everyone for being so kind and helpful this session! <333

The hosts (Robin, Moss, Luna, Rocky, and Alana): First off, You guys do an AMAZING job hosting SWC! I seriously don’t know how you guys do it! I really appreciate all the work you guys do to keep SWC running smoothly! You guys do awesome!!! You guys did an awesome job at answering my many questions AND You guys were SO fun to talk to!!! I hope to see all of you next session! <3

The Polar bears ( Alana, Amethyst, Soki, Rocky, Mouse, and Reese): Ok, you guys are so awesome and I love you all so so much! I greatly appreciate how hard you guys worked to come up with the dailies that I’ve forced myself to do xD Love you guys! <3

Campers: I have no idea where to start hehe- Well, First off, you guys are very nice and just wonderful to talk to! At the start of SWC, quite a few questions I had were answered by you guys! I loved talking to you guys. Honestly, I loved every moment of just being in the main cabin with you guys xD Love you all <3

Team Giga: Guys, you did AWESOME!!! I honestly still can’t believe that we won xD I am proud to be a part of team Giga. Even though we were unsure, We didn’t go down without

Fantasy Cabin: AHHHHHH!!! FANTASY!!! WHERE TO START? You guys were awesome! I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful I am to be a part of the Fantasy Cabin this session! I can’t imagine being in any other cabin for my first year! I loved fighting along your side this session! I would stay up till 3 am if I had to just to protect our wonderful haven! You guys were so awesome and even though the session is over, I hope we can still talk. Honestly, I just wish I could do November over and over again if it meant I could be in this cabin with you guys. I am extremely proud to be a part of the Fantasy Cabin this session! I love you guys SO SO SO very much <333

Fantasy’s 24-hour Word War Team (Amethyst, Avia, and Aurora): First off, I am SO sorry I didn’t get to contribute much like I said I would. We had an unexpected outing and I didn’t get back until after the war was due. However, you guys did amazing! You got it done and turned in on time! That’s awesome! Thanks to you guys Fantasy has not lost a single word/cabin war! I am so proud to have written this story with you guys even if I wasn’t much of a help! Thank you guys for the fun collaboration writing!! Love you <3

Amethyst: Amethyst, I don’t even know where to begin! There are no words to describe how awesome of a leader you are! First off, You did amazing this session! You did an outstanding job as a leader and you are definitely one of my favorite people in SWC! You fought very well for Fantasy! You always showed up right when I needed you the most (at 1am xD) in cabin wars and all the time! I’m so honored to have had you as my cabin leader! I can’t think of anyone better to lead the fantasy cabin and I also can’t think of anyone better to be one of my very first cabin leaders in SWC!!! I have so so so much to thank you for! I want to thank you for all the praise and encouragement this session! You and Chuey’s praise and encouragement added kindling to my enthusiasm. I was determined not to let you or fantasy down no matter the cost! Also, you were like a mother figure to me over the session (xD) I’d just like to add that when I read the thank-you note you sent me, I was brought to tears. I’m glad that I made you proud and happy! I literally lit up when I saw that I had made you proud! I just want to thank you for giving me the best first session I could ever ask for! I hope to see you next session! <3

Chuey: AH! Chuey! You were AMAZING this session!!!! I can NOT believe this is your first session as co leader! You did a great job as a co-leader and you are probably one of my absolute favorite people in SWC! You were a tremendous help in the fantasy cabin! You always showed up right when I needed you most in cabin wars or just in general! I’m so honored that I had the great Chuey in my cabin this session! I can’t think of anyone better to have been one of my first cabin leaders in SWC! I know that next session the first person I’ll look for when doing camper sign ups will be you and amefish! Thank you for encouraging me and supporting me throughout the session! You and Amethyst’s praise and encouragement added kindling to my enthusiasm. I was determined not to let you or fantasy down. I just want to thank you for giving me the best first session I could ever ask for! I hope to see you next session! <3

Willow: Willow, I know we didn’t get to chat much over the session because of your exams, but I just want you to know that I really appreciate you! I admire how you made time to co-lead the fantasy cabin! I bet you did outstanding on your exams! I really look forward to seeing you in sessions to come! <3

Wild: Wild, you were very fun to talk to and I’m glad to call you my friend! You were so helpful during wars and you and your NaNo writing was CRAZY!! You had like 1,000 words done in no time! It was awesome! Also, I enjoyed being last minute buddies with you! <3

Nayeli: I know we barely even got to start but thanks for doing the world war roleplay with me! It was fun while it lasted! I hope that maybe we can continue it in the future! <3

Aurora: You were AWESOME this session!!! You were very involved and you fought very well for our cabin! It was definitely fun having you in my cabin this session! Also I enjoyed talking about Wicked with you! I still have yet to watch the movie, but I can’t wait! I look forward to seeing you in future sessions!

Avia: Avia, you were awesome! You got SO MANY words written this session! It was amazing! Your efforts during cabin wars were never in vain. We won every cabin/word war thrown at us and we couldn’t have done it without you! Also, thank you so much for getting the 24 hour war turned in on time! <3

Skylar: Skylar, I am so glad that I met you this session. You are an amazing person and I’m so glad that we’re friends! I am SO SO glad that you helped me lead the camper strike! It was so so much fun!!! I’m so glad that we got to strike together and I really hope we can continue to talk with each other! <3

Oak: Oak, you are an amazing friend. You’ve been so kind and fun to talk to! I am personally really glad that I met you! You’ve been such a good friend to me! I love hosting STC with you! You are the best! <3

Ayla: I loved being a part of team Giga with you! You were awesome when it came to helping solve our mystery! I hope that we can continue to talk with each other! <3

Alfie: Alfie, You are AMAZING!!! You’re so talented and kind! I absolutely love talking to you!!! I’m honestly really glad that we met and I’m grateful to have you as a friend! Honestly, sometimes you’re like a mother to me (in a good way xD) You’re so caring! Also, chatting with you is amazing! The conversation goes on for hours! xD I’m just really glad to have a friend like you! You’re always so supportive and kind and I love that about you! Overall, you’re just a really incredible friend! Love ya! <3


Lyss: I honestly don’t know how to start. You are such an amazing friend, Lyss. I could never begin to tell you how grateful I am that I met you. You are an amazing poet and an even better person. I am extremely glad to be able to call you my friend. You are such a kind person and I love that about you. I’m also very thankful that you introduced me to SWC. I’m so glad that we became friends. Love ya <3

Mouse: Mouse, You are amazing! You are SO SO SO TALENTED!!!! AHHHH- You and Bella’s podcast is AMAZING! Your singing is amazing!!! I literally was VIBING the whole time I was working on the weekly!! I am so so so happy that you are my friend!!! You’re kind and smart and funny and caring! You’re just SO AWESOME!!! You’re such a nice person to talk to!!! I really look forward to seeing you in sessions to come! Love ya! <3

Bookie: Hey Bookie! You were awesome this session and there’s so many things I have to thank you for xD First off, thank you for critiquing me! You were actually the last person to critique my writing comp piece and it was extremely helpful! Also, I really enjoyed our chats! You are so fun to talk to and very supportive! Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me this session! Love ya! <3

Luna: Honestly, for a while you terrified me trackbearwise(In a good way xD) You shot up the leaderboard so fast! I was starting to wonder if you got any sleep at all! Also, you were very nice and amazing to talk to! I am very happy to call you my friend! You also fought very well for team Nano and I admire that! <3

Cat: Cat, I’m so glad we have met! You are such a fun person to talk to and you're REALLY nice! I hope that in the future we can continue to talk! I look forward to having you as one of my JWC leaders this year! Love ya! <3


~2088 words!

Author's note:

So I put this in the fanfiction category because it is based off of a children's picture book called “Wolf In The Snow”
For a school assignment, I was asked to rewrite that picture book and this is what I came up with. I hope that's okay. (This note isn't very long because my head hurts xD <3)

Wolf In The Snow

Juneau wakes up to the smell of coffee and the sound of her dog barking. She gets up. Sunlight fills the room, but there’s no sun in sight. As she gets ready for school, she watches the snowflakes dance outside her window. Before she embarks on her icy, chilly, bitter trek to school, she embraces her parents. She stands by the door, soaking up every ounce of warmth she could before starting her adventure.

As she steps outside, a wave of frigid cold enters her. She shuts the door. This leaves her with only her thoughts and the snow. She starts walking. The land looks barren and completely empty except for a few trees here and there. The grass is a kind of Tuscan yellow, and the sky is a salty teal. After walking for a while, the school is within sight, but all she hears is the howling.

The bell rings. The gravel crunches underneath her feet as she walks away from the school. Halfway down the driveway, she pauses. Juneau turns and waves at her classmates, but they just decide to ignore her. She looks at her surroundings before she starts her rigorous trek home. The snow is coming down harder. Regardless of how tough this may be, she is confident she can do it. When she reaches the end of the gravel path, she takes one last look at the school and wonders if she should go back. No, she thinks, I can do this. With that, she walks off.

As the sky grows darker, Juneau regrets her decision. It has been some time now, and she wonders if she will ever make it home. The snow is coming down a lot harder now, and home is nowhere in sight.

Juneau is alarmed at how quickly the snow piles up around her. She looks around desperately, trying to find home but can’t. Then the realization strikes her. She is lost.

She panics. Juneau finds herself wishing she had stayed at school. She notices the snow is coming down harder now. Juneau looks around, trying to find shelter. Then she spots a small forest and decides it is her best bet.
As she trudges towards the forest, every step is harder than the last. Every breath is heavier than the last. Time itself seems to be slowing down. It is getting colder by the minute. The snow is making her walk even harder, but eventually she reaches the forest.
She notices it is not snowing as hard here. She had made it just in time, for when she peeks outside, all she sees is a white veil. As she wanders around the forest, she hears a whimper and looks around for its source. She finds a little wolf shivering, lost, alone, and afraid, just like her.

This is the end, Juneau thinks. Wolves travel in packs. Soon the rest of this cub’s pack will be here, and they will finish her.

She is too late. She hears wolves howling in the distance. A wave of terror washes over her. She is going to die. She wants to run. She wants to hide. Just before she leaves, she looks back at the helpless cub and decides to help it. She slowly approaches the small pup, and suddenly it doesn't seem so threatening. It is lost, just like her. She feels the urge to help this small life. As she bends down, she realizes the cub is more scared of her than she is scared of it….
“It’s ok,” Juneau says. “I’m lost too."

The pup draws closer. When it is close enough, she picks the cub up. Holding the cub in her arms, she feels a feeling she hadn’t felt in a while. Comfort. Warmth. She embraces the pup, enjoying the warmth. She isn’t alone. She has something to live for. Something to protect. Then she gathers her courage and starts off toward the howling.

Juneau had been searching for quite a while now and hadn’t found the little wolf’s mother. As they approach some trees, the cub starts howling. Her eyes grow wide as a wolf stares Juneau dead in the eye. Juneau is startled by the contact. The pup leaps out of her arms and runs toward the wolf. Juneau recognizes that wolf as the cub’s mother. The pup’s mother picks her cub up by the scruff of its neck and trots off. Juneau feels a bit of relief now that the wolves are gone, but she also feels lonely. With that, Juneau continues her journey.

The sky is getting darker. The evening is getting colder. The sun is starting to dip toward the horizon. Juneau starts to panic. She looks around desperately trying to find home but can’t. Fear washes over her. She wonders if she’ll ever make it home. Just when she thinks all hope is lost, she hears a familiar bark in the distance. She almost cries when she recognizes it. She starts going at a pace slightly faster than walking. Far away, she sees two bouncing flashlights, which gives her a small spark of hope.

She isn’t going to make it. It is dark. The snow is coming down a lot harder now, and Juneau is exhausted. As she keeps on walking, the snow piles up on top of her, and it’s like nature itself is against her. Her arms and legs are starting to fail her, and the world starts spinning around her as she collapses in the snow.

Juneau is terrified. She is filled with fear and regret. She is completely immobilized. She opens her mouth to yell for help, but nothing comes out. She tries to move her limbs but can’t. She hears nearby howling, and out of the corner of her eye, she sees something move. The realization punched her in the gut. Those are wolves, and she was their prey.




Her heart hammered against her chest. She hears the snow crunching around her. This is it. Juneau thought, I’m done for. Juneau waits for them to attack, but strangely, the wolves didn’t attack her. They just sat there howling. The only other sounds Juneau hears are barking and shouting, and those noises are getting louder. As the shouting was getting closer, she recognized those voices. Those are her parents. They had come to rescue her. Her eyes are getting heavier. Come on! Juneau thinks, You made it this far! Why can’t you stay awake a little longer!?

“Juneau!” She heard her parents yell.

It’s too late. At that moment, Juneau’s consciousness decided to fail her. Juneau passed out in the snow.

Juneau wakes up. The smell of hot cocoa and fire fills the air. She hears the crackle of wood burning in the fireplace. She was wrapped in a warm blanket. She thinks back to what had happened earlier. That’s right, she was paralyzed out in the snow. How did her parents find her then? Wait. Did the wolves help her? Had the wolves alerted her family of where she was? Why would they do that? Her thoughts were interrupted by her mother walking in the room. Her mother runs to Juneau and embraces her.

“I was so worried!” Her mother said, “When I called the school, they said that you had left. Then the storm got worse, and you still hadn’t come home, so we got worried and went searching for you. If it weren’t for those wolves, we wouldn’t have found you!”

“I’m sorry.” Juneau replied.

“What all happened while you were out there?” Her mother asked.

Juneau told them all about saving the wolf cub and her dangerous journey home. After that, Juneau decides it is getting pretty late, so she gets ready for bed.


Juneau lies in bed. She was so glad to be home. She once again thought about her adventure. She thinks about saving the cub and then the wolves saving her. She would never forget that day. Maybe Juneau’s kindness to the wolf cub had paid off. With that final thought, she closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep.

~1349 words

My Final Goodbye

I walk up to the casket. Every step is harder than the last. Tears falling down my face like miniature waterfalls. I had hoped this day would never come, but unfortunately, all good things come to an end. Countless regrets fill my head.I wish I had spent more time with him. He deserved my time, not this. I would do anything just to have him back. I wish I could have another grandpa hug. Those were the best kind. I wish we could have written our story. I always promised him that I’d work on it. I would come up with ideas, but I never put them on the page.
Then I realized I was trapped in my head again.

I pushed all of my thoughts away for a moment, only to find myself standing over his lifeless body. I take a deep breath and reach for his hand. When I touch his cold skin, a dreadful feeling enters me. Loss. Deep, painful loss. I try to hold back my tears, but I just can’t. I remember the fun times we always had. I remember playing little games that were supposed to test my reflexes. I remember how invested you were when I talked about school or softball. You were a great listener. You would always praise me and tell me how brilliant I was or give me tips for softball. I remember our swimming lessons. I always loved those. “I wish we had more time,” I sigh. I release his hand and redirect my attention to the small bouquet.

The first flower, a forget-me-not. A promise that I will never forget you. That I will hold your memory close to heart. That I will remember to write our book. That I will remember the dad jokes, the hugs, and the encouragement. A promise that I will remember. I lay the forget-me-not on his chest.

The second flower is a yellow tulip. In remembrance of your smile and laughter. I can’t help but smile when I think of you. Your terrible dad jokes always got a groan out of the family. I remember every time I gave you a hug, you’d always tease me and say how it wasn’t tight enough. That last hug, you didn’t say it. I lay the tulip on his chest.

I grab the next four flowers from the bouquet. A pink camellia, representing my longing for you. A purple hyacinth, representing my sorrow and pain. A dark crimson rose, representing my mourning and how much I miss you. And lastly, a willow flower, representing my sadness. These four flowers are the pain I feel now that you’re gone. I wish more than anything that we had more time. My heart hurts like there is a hole in it. Tears are still falling down my face. I want to believe you’ll pop out from behind a chair and yell “April Fools!!!" but that won’t happen. I don’t want to believe you’re gone. My heart feels as if it’s been shattered into a million pieces. I lay the four flowers down on his chest.

The next two flowers are a zinnia and a periwinkle. Both for the friendship-like bond we shared. We had a lot in common. You were like the friend I could never have. When you passed, I felt like a part of me died with you. I lay the two flowers on his chest.

Then I grab a lavender flower. It represents the relief I feel knowing you are no longer hurting. You are in heaven with your parents and grandma’s parents and God. I’m glad that you are no longer in pain. I lay the lavender down on his chest.

“I love you more.” I say as I lay down the final flower, a red chrysanthemum.

~633 words