CC vol. 22

Cranial
Chronicle
2018
Vol. 22

Table of Contents
Writers
Pg 3 - Anastasia Moutzalias
Pg 19 - Ashley Shook
Pg 21, 57, 65 - Sarah Szalai
Pg 28 - Carlos Vega
Pg 30 - Justin Gombos
Pg 38 - Devin Basley
Pg 38 - Jake Andrews
Pg 39 - Hailey Woodworth
Pg 40 - Kristina Yaczik
Pg 47 - Morgan Schultz
Pg 49 - Kyle Tucker
11th Grade
12th Grade
12th Grade
12th Grade
12th Grade
12th Grade
12th Grade
12th Grade
12th Grade
12th Grade
12th Grade
Acknowledgments:
Staff Sponsors: Mrs. Lisa Hunt & Mrs. Jelane
Richardson
Special Thanks to: Bill Riggs
Student Editor: Mariam Beltran
Cover Artist: Kelsey Kmita
Back Cover Artist: Christina Smith
This volume of the Cranial Chronicle is dedicated to the memory
of Janet Wasko.
Table of Contents
Artists
Pg 12 - Linzee McLead
Pg 13, 35 - Karen Epps
Pg 18 - Breanna Medellin
Pg 20 - Nina Lange
Pg 26, 56 - Adriana Ruffolo
Pg 27 - Mitchell McCarthy
Pg 29 - Abby Reay
Pg 37 - Kelsey Kmita
Pg 39 - Molly O’Malley
Pg 46 - Lillian Miazga
Pg 47 - Colleen Henterly
Pg 48 - Morgan Schultz
Pg 58 - Lauren Griffin
Pg 58 - Lillian Miazga
Pg 64 - Ashley Smith
Pg 66 - Vanessa Sartors
Pg 71 - Anthony Curcuru
Pg 72 - Aurora Liepe
9th Grade
12th Grade
11th Grade
12th Grade
12th Grade
11th Grade
11th Grade
12th Grade
11th Grade
9th Grade
9th Grade
12th Grade
10th Grade
9th Grade
9th Grade
9th Grade
12th Grade
12th Grade
Pg 1 Pg 2

Rebellion Against Perfection
Anastasia Moutzalias
- 11
The McaVoys knew that as a perfect couple they wanted an intelligent,
law abiding, and perfect child like any other in the country of
Parbelle. It would be the smartest child in class, the straight A, 4.9 GPA,
and class president of Class of 2053 sort of child. Of course, they also
desired a girl, but gender didn’t matter as much as character and future to
the McaVoys (it didn’t matter as much to anyone else living in Parbelle).
They wanted nothing more than a scholar, who would grow up to be the
best doctor or lawyer, who would marry the neighbor’s soon to be son
Johnathan Smith Jr., and she’d have three children and die a peaceful
happy death at age 93.
“It has to be a girl,” Mr. McaVoy, one of those products of the blue
eyed and dark brown hair phase, mentioned over and over again to the
nurse that had visited for the Selection meeting. Mr. Mcavoy was the
type of man who constantly wore restricting suits and always brought
his files from work along with him. This was an immediate sign he was
also a product of the suave and formal attitude that many parents of the
Selection wanted early on; a darling chap who never spoke back. “I won’t
settle for a boy. My darling wife and I have always wanted a little girl.
I’ve planned this out since I was twelve years old like any other citizen of
Parbelle.”
“Yes. The perfect little girl,” Mrs. McaVoy, a product of the red
haired brown eyed phase, repeated and nodded her head as she tenderly
placed a hand on a belly that had yet to bulge. Her face looked like the
image of an angel, that natural glow of a pregnant woman. Mrs. Mca-
Voy was the type of woman to constantly wear modest dresses and kitten
heels and always tied her hair up into a tight bun that seemed to stretch
her face and lips into a permanent smile. “Nothing but the best for us
McaVoy’s. I’ll settle for nothing less. There’s been no mistakes and I’m
not letting them happen. If there’s anything wrong, even the eye color,
we’ll bring that darling baby back and try again until our product comes
out new again.”
The McaVoys exploded in dainty fits of giggles, rich people laughing
at the idea that the Selection would make the silliest mistake like
change the eye color of they’ve requested. The Selection of The Parbelle
was so careful that the scientists had to triple check the specimen before
sending it off for implantation. Then again mistakes had been made. The
Parbelle was honest about them, and they were always willing to have the
child taken to the Parbelle Government where the officials and registration
would take the child to UnWanted Land, where all the Undesirable
babies and Glitches in the system were sent to.
The nurse laughed along with them before she said, “Alright now.
I’ve just about gotten everything you’ve requested. Red-brown hair, blue
eyes, fair skin, tiny freckles throughout, grows up to be a doctor or lawyer,
kind, docile, independent, a leader, the highest intelligence rate Selection
provides, and attracted to the unborn boy of Jonathan Smith Jr. Will
have about three or less children and will die around her later nineties.
Lovely, I’ll send this to the lab and we’ll be expecting to see you next week
to make the implant. Thank you so much for choosing the Selection Process.”
The McaVoys left contented as they went home and dreamt of a
docile red headed child who always said please and thank you and never
ever went against their opinion or that of the Parbelle. The precise little
girl they had ordered and wanted since both of their lives began and intermingled
into a marriage.
“Sweetheart, what will our daughter’s name be?” Mr. McaVoy inquired
of his wife as they finally settled into bed, thoughts of his daughter
on his lap listening as he repeated every law and order of congress so that
his little girl would get all 100s on her law tests.
“Eleanor. Our darling daughter is going to be named Eleanor,” Mrs.
McaVoy answered as she herself thought of telling a little girl every muscle
fiber and bone in the human body so she would pass all her future testing.
* * *
Eleanor McaVoy. Sixteen years old, President of the junior class of
2053, the most highly sought after student in school, winner of over twenty-five
and counting medals for her achievements in science and math,
and the girlfriend of the most perfect boy in school, Johnathan Smith Jr.,
Pg 3 Pg 4

who lived just next door. Eleanor McaVoy, the most accurate and ever
docile member of the ParBelle, felt that something was wrong. Something
in her felt different.
I still look the same, Eleanor thought as she looked in the mirror
and saw that nothing physically had changed. Her appearance was what
it was yesterday and the day before yesterday, and the day before that too.
I still have the same hair, the same eyes, the same skin. I still have everything.
What’s wrong with me? Eleanor inquired to herself, wishing that for
once an addition of self-communication with the brain could be an option
in the Selection Process. Yesterday was a good day. Johnathan took me out
on a date. Every college within range is begging for me to join, and mom
and dad enjoyed that wonderful tofu-turkey dinner I made for them along
with the mashed potatoes. Nothing happened to make me feel this way.
Finally, the word came to her, she didn’t feel just different, she felt indifferent.
Eleanor tried to deny this but eventually as she slipped into her
school uniform the indifference started to wear on her. Her boyfriend
was Jonanathan Smith Jr. So what? Her parents liked the dinner she
made. Meh. She recently got inducted into NHS for the third time in high
school. Whatever. It really didn’t matter….It should have, but now suddenly,
it didn’t.
So what if I’m going on to be a doctor? Ten hundred other kids in
class are going to be one too, Eleanor pondered more with this indifference
as she tucked into a hot breakfast of Cream of Wheat with powdered
sugar and butter. Across the table, her smiling parents were tucking in to
their own bowls and Eleanor mentally felt herself cringe. Goodness, why
are they always smiling? Nothing good has happened. Nothing has happened
to make them smile like that. They look like clowns.
Indifference, cynical attitude, an inner rebellion. Eleanor felt her
stomach drop as she realized what symptoms she was carrying.
It was a Glitch. Throughout Eleanor’s school life, the teachers, parents,
and government officials warned the young little products of their
parents Selection that if they ever felt indifferent or became cynical and
started to feel thoughts of rebellion, they needed to go to their doctor
immediately. Glitchs were serious. Most of the time, it was a temporary
problem, a problem that came up when the body had too many hormones
and drugs pumped into the system. That could be cured with drugs.
But when a Glitch was a genetic Glitch, an error created before
birth, the doctors send you to the Government Officials. The Glitch
watched as their parents signed the waiver to give up their grown child
and send them off to UnWanted Land.
This can’t be, Eleanor denied the realization, but knew already that
denying it was fruitless; She was a Glitch in the Parbelle Government.
Soon after giving up denial, Eleanor didn’t feel so worried. I guess it
was gonna happen eventually...How are my parents going to react to this?
They’ll be disappointed. They’ll think of me as a disgrace the rest of their
lives before they replace me with another product. Why me? This can’t be,
why-
“Is something wrong Eleanor darling?” Eleanor’s father interrupted
her thoughts and Eleanor looked up and realized that the smiles on her
parent’s faces were replaced with concerned frowns. What did she do to
conjure that question up? “You look a little worried. Do you need a Balance
Pill?”
“I have Triple Strength Balances in the cupboard,” Her mother stated,
starting to stand up. Eleanor gave a smile, laughed within herself. How
can a society claim its butchered children were perfect when the children
were constantly asked if they wanted multiple pills to ease their stresses?
How strange. The thick glass society had always been shattered.
“No thank you,” she reassured, finished her Cream of Wheat, and
stood up from the table ready for school. Eleanor shook her head, gave a
fake smile she knew would easily fool her parents. “I’m not stressed. I’ve
just been thinking about my future graduation plans. Those are very important,
you know.”
Eleanor’s parents beamed with pride, and they stood up to bid Eleanor
goodbye for school.
Her father kissed her cheek, her mother tidied up her hair. At the
end of the sidewalk, there stood Eleanor’s pretty blonde haired, blue eyed
Pg 5 Pg 6

oyfriend Johnathan who was putting a thin coat of chapstick to his usually
severely chapped lips, a physical glitch that both his parents had. He
gave her a radiant smile worthy of an old time actor as they started walking
to school.
“Hello sweetheart,” Johnathan beamed and Eleanor smiled back.
She cringed though when he bent down and kissed her cheek. “You look
awfully beautiful today, just like you do every day. Our fifteen-month anniversary
is coming up dear and our families are having dinner tonight.”
“Oh, how wonderful I can’t wait!” Eleanor told Johnathan with
pride in her voice. But as she turned her face away from him, she rolled
her eyes. Johnathan took her turned face as another attempt to give a
loving kiss to her cheek. Eleanor hardly heard Johnathan’s compliments
and petty talk as they walked to school, too absorbed in her new cynical
thoughts of everything surrounding them.
Johnathan’s a really poor excuse for a boyfriend. Eleanor realized
this now as they finally arrived at school. Johnathan left her alone, and
went along to his own locker, promising to see her later. Eleanor gave a
wave to him, happy that he finally left. All he ever says are complimentary
things that would make any girl swoon, not just me.
Now that Eleanor was really Glitched, she realized that Johnathan
had never really had a meaningful conversation with her; everything
he said related to her was something about her beauty but nothing was
about what she was interested in, what foods she liked, her favorite things
in all the world. Fifteenth month anniversary? Why didn’t they celebrate a
fourteenth month last month as well? How ridiculous can one's boyfriend
get?
This Glitch isn’t an issue of being cynical, Eleanor figured out as she
connected more dots on the way to her locker. Around her, she could see
every one of her perfectly created friends. Friends her parents assigned
her at birth, enemies she knew to stay away from based on selections
made by her parents. She knew what job she wanted since she could talk.
The Glitch isn’t an issue of having a cynical attitude, Eleanor kept
thinking as her classes went on, hardly paying attention to class. It’s an
issue of finally learning to see the issues in Parbelle and starting to rebel.
* * *
“Hey. You. Yes, you. Eleanor right?” Eleanor was walking home
from school when she heard the voice call to her like the sailor seduced
by the siren to turned towards the voice. There, hiding in the bushes,
was a boy around her age. Based on his poor choice of clothing and the
home cut hair, it was a boy from the UnWanted Lands. Now that Eleanor
thought of it, a lot of Glitches from the UnWanted Lands paid illegal
visits to Parbelle. “Sorry if this seems a little creepy. I’ve noticed you for a
while now.”
“Noticed me enough to figure out I’m Glitched?” Eleanor asked
sarcastically and the boy stood up from the bushes. He looked ridiculous,
with huge ears and a face full of orange brown freckles much more severe
than Eleanor’s. He nodded his head. “Well despite that, I still have my
genetic intelligence and I know if we get caught together we’ll both get in
trouble. Follow me to that alley over there.”
Eleanor really didn’t know what she was doing or thinking, but
based on her assumptions on the boy and the fact that he mentioned spying
on her, they needed to talk somewhere where nobody else would see
them. They settled between the clean alleyways of two tall brick buildings
and Eleanor waited for the boy to begin his explanations.
“Look, I knew you were a Glitch before you even realized it,” the
boy admitted, having this honest look on his face. Eleanor listened intently.
“Today was the day you finally realized you were unhappy and I was
really looking forward to this day. My name is Roberto. I’ve been a Glitch
since birth. I’ve never even had the life you’ve had. I’ve always lived in
UnWanted Land.”
“Parbelle’s a corrupt country, isn’t it?” Eleanor asked, and Roberto
nodded in agreement.
“There’s so many humanitarian laws the Parbelle have broken. And
they’re hypocrites. Haven’t you noticed?” Roberto asked and Eleanor
couldn’t help but think about the pills and the constant stress she actually
had being the 4.9 GPA student when everyone else in the school was a
4.9 GPA student. Yet according to Parbelle standards that was normal. “I
want the best for you because every Glitch knows how corrupt the country
is.”
Pg 7 Pg 8

“Are you suggesting a plan of rebellion? The Parbelle will catch
you before you can say what that is,” Eleanor looked at Roberto and he
shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t have a clue about a plan.
He then looked up, desperate eyes pleading with Eleanor, “I do and
don’t have a plan. The citizens of UnWanted Land do though, and you’re
the first step. I’m asking you to leave by your own will, not just some
unhappy dump that was forced out of the government. I want you to run
away with me to UnWanted Land willingly.”
“Come to UnWanted willingly? No Glitch has ever done that. So
you do have a plan for rebellion?” Eleanor gave a light rebellious looking
smile that felt natural She felt electrified over the idea of being rebellious.
Roberto and UnWanted Land sounded much more promising than a life
of Triple Balance Pills and competition with students who had the same
GPA. UnWanted Land was her first step towards being the first Glitch to
shake up the Parbelle Government.
“Tell me what I have to do. I’ll do it,” Eleanor promised Roberto and
now he smiled and showed rows of teeth that begged for braces. Eleanor
had to admit that the natural crooked teeth and the strange, almost nonchalant
attitude of Roberto’s was attractive. It was honesty, and honesty
was anything but Johnathan Smith Jr. “I’ll do whatever I have to do.”
After Roberto was done explaining his plan, he shyly admitted, “No
other Glitch has ever agreed to do this. You’re going to really shake up this
town.”
“After seeing the truth, I’m ready for change,” Eleanor winked and it
was then she knew that suspicions would grow if anymore strangers saw
them both together, so Eleanor skedaddled her way out of the alleyway,
looking back one more time to see Roberto give a hearty wink back.
It was time to go home and wait for the signal.
* * *
Eleanor had told Roberto that by the time his plan would take place,
she’d be having the anniversary dinner with Johnathan Smith Jr. and their
respective families. Eleanor sat politely, of course, ever the docile child, as
the people around her including her parents spat out nonsense that wasn’t
making sense but was apparently ‘perfect’.
“The Selection has decided to eliminate all creative activities. Now
Pg 9
every child will be able to get a well-paying job,” Eleanor’s father said as
he bit into his expensive steak.
Mrs. Smith, Johnathan’s mother gave a tinkley laugh. “Thank goodness
they did that.”
“Thank goodness for me too. I wouldn’t stand to see any more
parents willingly Select their children to do art as a job. It’s such a low
way to make money,” Mr. Smith, Johnathan’s father, agreed humbly with
Eleanor's father, and Eleanor couldn’t help but notice his almost extreme
obesity (obviously from the amount of rich, creamy food the Smiths ate).
“I can’t stand those parents who make those decisions. Thank goodness
it’s not even a Selection anymore.”
“I heard there was a new Beauty Pill coming out. It’s called the
Triple Beauty Pill. Imagine that Mrs. Smith? Now I’ll be able to look even
younger. The scientists say that along with Selection and Pills, no one will
have to worry about blemishes and acne.”
“Oh, isn’t that wonderful. Mr. Smith had noticed a horrible bump
on my back and it’s so horrible to think my parent’s scientists created a
physical glitch. Hopefully that pill comes out soon,” Mrs. Smith shook
her head at this and then went on another rant on how one day the Parbelle
government should make a pill for thinning hair. “Goodness, at
least your darling daughter was saved with such looks.”
“You look beautiful as always, Eleanor,” Johnathan reminded Eleanor
for the umpteenth time, and when Eleanor looked up ten minutes
had passed since the time Roberto said the plan would begin. Goodness,
where was that boy? Eleanor needed to get out of here fast or her head
would explode with such nonsense as physical changing pills that would
be used for only one bump of acne, parents doing the horror of God’s
work and making life miserable, and a boyfriend who had nothing more
intelligent to say other than Eleanor’s physical beauty.
“When will this nightmare end?” Eleanor worried that Roberto
had been caught and that was why he hadn’t arrived yet. Thoughts of
Roberto being put to the death penalty for breaking the rules of leaving
UnWanted Land, being tortured and served his last meal as the government
officials gave him a pill that ended his life. Eleanor had heard such
stories of rebellion in the little snippets of news that she’d ignored. The
kind of news that was seen but not heard. The news that Eleanor realized
Pg 10

was a lot more serious than she had thought.
If he doesn’t arrive in ten more minutes, I’m running away without
him, Eleanor thought, and she tried to distract herself by eating the steak
and garlic mash on her plate but she couldn’t bring herself into savoring
the flavor and really chewing at her bites. Roberto, where could you be?
Not thirty seconds after this thought crossed Eleanors head, the
door knocked. Eleanor tried to keep the grin off her face as Mr. Smith
groaning stood up from the table and made his way to the door, moaning
about how he told everybody he was having an important dinner and
to not disturb it. Immediately after, he quietly asked hello, Mr. Smith
screamed and Eleanor looked in the direction of the door.
Riding on a crusty silver bicycle was Roberto, making himself and
the bike welcomed in the home. Mrs. Smith screamed, nearly fainted at
the sight of muddy bike remains staining her Persian mink carpet. Eleanor
couldn’t help but laugh. Her parents looked at her in shock, in disbelief.
“Eleanor McaVoy that is not something to laugh about!” her mother
scolded but Eleanor wouldn’t listen as Roberto wheeled himself into
the house and stood across from Eleanor. He held out a hand, the prince
charming to the princess. Johnathan looked positively livid as Eleanor
took the hand of Roberto.
Suddenly, her mother quieted, realizing what was wrong with her
daughter. “Goodness! You’re a glitch aren’t you?”
“I’m sorry. I found out this morning.” Eleanor knew this part wasn’t
going to be good to explain. Now it was her mother who actually fainted
and her father who sat in shock.
“Where do you think you’re taking my girlfriend?” John asked,
breaking the silence, and Roberto gave a mischievous smiled and turned
to wink at Eleanor. The whole house was in chaos caused by the two of
them and Eleanor loved the horrible smirk on her face.
“To a place where everybody belongs. And now, off we go! Goodbye
everyone!” Roberto announced and at that, Eleanor placed her feet against
the poles in between the back wheel and through Roberto’s fast speed and
amazing bike skills, they zoomed out the door. Eleanor could hear her
parents screaming for her to come back, crying from it all.
“Our daughter’s a glitch! Our daughter’s a glitch! How could this
happen to us?” The McaVoys screamed and Eleanor also heard Johnathan
crying that a random dirty boy had stolen his girl (not). Eleanor
looked over to Roberto, who had the world’s biggest smile on his face.
“I always wanted to save a damsel in distress,” he joked.
Eleanor laughed at this before she said, “I can’t wait to start the
rebellion.”
Off they rode, towards UnWanted Land the literal opposite of
Parbelle. A society that accepted all jobs, skin tones, personalities and
quirks. A place where feelings and physical beauty weren’t cured with
pills, but with compliments and therapy. A place where one worked for
their land the hard way. Eleanor had heard horror stories of the poverty
and the kids whose GPA’s were so low they barely graduated. Eleanor has
heard about the drugs that rampaged the land.
But, being smart, Eleanor knew that UnWanted Land was more
realistic and human than that of the plastic Parbelle. She couldn’t wait to
meet Roberto’s family, and finally get to work.
Eleanor had been asleep, but now she felt that she was wide awake,
as she and Roberto rode on a silver old bike towards a land of promise.
Pg 11 Pg 12
Linzee McLead
- 9

The Last Fight
- Anonymous
Karen Epps
- 12
“Are you ready for take off? The estimated wait time is 5 minutes,”
said a voice coming out of a speaker.
I turned my head to look at Brad and Tony and said, “This is your
last chance to back out. I don’t suggest it, but we will be stuck up there for
6 long months,” I said with a smile on my face.
“None of us are going to back out. We made it this far as a team,
why would we stop now?” Brad said with a nervous smile on his face.
“Okay, I’ll tell the watchtower we are ready for takeoff. Watchtower
come in. Watchtower do you copy?” I said as I spoke into the microphone
inside of my helmet.
“This is the watchtower, we can hear you,” said a female's voice.
“We are ready for takeoff. I repeat we are ready for takeoff,” I said
with a smile on my face.
“Copy that. We should have you prepared for takeoff in T-minus 1
minute,” she said.
As the time passed, we started to get more nervous. “What if the
space shuttle fails to takeoff?” Tony said with a nervous edge to his voice.
“Don’t think about that kind of stuff. We had some of the brightest
minds in the United States of America working on this shuttle. It can’t
fail, it won’t fail,” Brad said with a confident look on his face.
We heard the engines start up. I felt a sickening feeling in my stomach.
“This is going to be a bumpy ride,” I said with a smile.
The engines started to thrust us upwards, I looked to my left to see
Tony throw up.
“Are you okay?” I yelled over the sounds of the engines.
As we took off, we just sat there praying for the best. It took us
three hours to reach the space station, and when we were able to move, it
was truly incredible.
“Would you look at this view. It’s truly incredible. Look, you can
actually see Earth from here,” Tony said with a smile on his face.
We were getting settled in when we received a transmission from
Pg 14

the control tower, “Bravo One, do you copy? I repeat. Bravo One, do you
copy?”
“Yes we copy,” Brad said as he spoke into the microphone.
“We were just told that there’s supposed to be another team on the
station with you. Have you seen or heard from them while you guys have
been up there?”
I came into the room and said, “Hey Brad, who are you talking
to?”
He turned around with a deep look on his face and said, “Have you
or Tony seen any other team on this station?”
“No, we haven’t. We were never told that another team would be up
here with us.”
“I know. The control center just found out about this themselves.”
“Do you copy? We need to know if you have found or have heard
from another group that is on that station,” a man with a deep voice said.
“No we have not,” Brad replied quickly.
“We will need you guys to search the station and get back to us as
soon as possible.”
We started our search and became more worried. “Where could
they have gone?” Tony asked.
We turned a corner and came across a door that was shut. Brad
quickly walked up and opened it. As he did, nothing but complete horror
came across his face.
“Guys, you might want to take a look at this,” he said with a sense
of fear in his voice.
Tony and I walked up and looked inside. To our horror we realized
why Brad was so afraid. We walked inside and found nothing but body
parts spread out across the room. There was blood on the wall everywhere.
“What the hell did this?” I heard Tony ask from my right.
“Whatever it was, we need to tell the command center,” I said as we
walked out of the room.
As we hurried to the communications room we started to hear
some noises. “What could that be?” I heard Brad ask in frightened voice.
“It could be anything. It could simply just be the space station
making that noise or it could be that thing that did this,” I said with a
Pg 15
nervous sound in my voice.
“Come in! Come in! Can you hear us?” Brad yelled into the microphone.
“This is the communications room. What is your problem?” the
man said in a urgent voice.
“We found the other group that was stationed on this space station,”
I said as I pulled the microphone away from Brad.
“Did you? Can you put them on the microphone. We need to know
what they are stationed up there for,” the man said with a sense of relief
coming out of his voice.
“We can’t do that. You need to stop asking questions and let us
speak. We found the other group, but something killed them. We don’t
know when it happened or how, but they are dead. You need to send us
help or get us off this station,” I said with a sense of fear in my voice.
“What did you just say? Did you say they were dead and you found
their bodies?” he said with a sense of doubt in his voice.
“Yes, now hurry up and get us off this damn space station!” Tony
yelled into the microphone.
“We won’t be able to get you off the station for another three days,
but we can check the security cameras that we have installed on the station
to tell you what did that horrific thing,” the man said.
“No. No. No. You can’t leave us up here for three days. You have to
get us off of here sooner. If that thing is still on this station we will all be
dead before you send us help,” Brad said.
“I am truly sorry. We are doing all we can. The best thing I can do
for you right now is tell you what you might be facing off against. I will
need sometime to watch over the video surveillance system. I will report
back to you guys as soon as I find anything, but for now stay where you
are and keep an eye out for anything unusual,” the man said as he muted
his side of the microphone.
“How long has it been since we last spoke to the communications
center?” Brad asked, still clearly horrified from what he witnessed earlier.
“A few hours at least,” I said trying not to show fear.
“Hello. Do you copy? I repeat do you-?” the man said before we cut
him off.
“Yes. Yes. What did you find?” we all said at the same time.
Pg 16

“This thing is something we have never seen before. It’s some type
of alien, but here’s the thing. It has the ability to change sha-”, the man
said as the communications were cut.
“Damn, we lost signal,” I said with a horrified look on my face.
“It sounded like he was going to say that the alien could change
shapes,” Tony said.
Before any of us could react, something started to move towards us.
It was in the shape of another human that looked exactly like Tony.
“Stop right there!” Tony yelled with horror, but the alien didn’t stop.
He just kept walking towards Tony and before any of us could react, he
grabbed Tony and ripped his head off.
“No!” we both yelled at what we just witnessed.
“We need to go before we end up like him!” Brad yelled at the top
of his lungs.
As we started to take off and run, the alien grabbed my foot and
tripped me. Brad quickly stopped and turned around and found something
to hit him with.
“Come on. Get up we need to get moving!” Brad screamed at me
with spit coming out of his mouth. As we ran through the space station
we found ourselves at the scene of the first crew.
“Come on. Get inside,” Brad said as he pulled me. But, just as we
were about to close the door, the alien appeared out of nowhere and
grabbed Brad.
“No!” I screamed as I witnessed Brad’s body get ripped in half. I got
to my feet andfound something on the ground.
It was a note from the past dead crew and it read, “The only way to
kill the beast is to impale it with a solid silver dagger.”
I looked around the room, and I found the item that they tried to
kill it with. The silver dagger was in somebody’s hand. I quickly got to
my feet and found the monster was tearing Brad’s body apart limb by
limb.
As I looked at the monster I said, “Over here you bastard.” The
beast turned its head to me and quickly started to run. I ran towards
him, pulling out the dagger and stuck it in the beast’s heart.
As I fell to the ground, I hit my head and became unconscious.
Pg 17
When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed with doctors standing over
me.
“What happened?” I asked as I started to sit up.
“You were in a coma for 3 weeks. We found you on the space station
with an alien’s body on top of you. We realized shortly after that
some of its blood was injected into your body and you have yet to experience
any side effects,” the doctor said.
I closed my eyes and tried to realize what happened to me when I
heard a scream. I opened my eyes realizing that I had gain the ability to
change shapes just like the monster.
Pg 18

Just One More Try
Ashley Shook
-12
Like a small child looking up at the kitchen counter
The cookie jar staring her in the face
She thinks next year she might be able to reach
Like a senior sending in a college application
Waiting by the mailbox for a reply
It seems as though the news is what makes or breaks her life
Like a college student
Studying day and night for that A
When the report card comes it says 91.8
Like a girl who’s heart was compromised
It was an almost kind of situation
It must have been the wrong guy
Like a life full of disappointments
Trying so hard to make things right
But you are let down again, it’s been more than once or twice
Like giving up
But a voice inside your head says “NO”
You try just one more time because in your head you know
Like your dreams are in reach
You got into a college, not your first choice
You got a C once, but you made it out of the class alive
You met a guy that makes you as happy as can be
Your disappointments turned into lesson learned
And now you know everything you want is in reach
You’ll stumble
You’ll fall
You’ll feel down on your luck
But you just have to get back up
Try a little harder
And always remember, never give up
Pg 19
Nina Lange
-12

Survival
Sarah Szalai
-12
As Christian awoke from his slumber and gazed out at the sunrise,
he was able to see a multitude of animals on the hill outside the gate.
What was left of the human race numbered only in the thousands, but
their compact society was efficient.
After the Divide, the animals were exiled. It had been 106 microyears
of life surrounded by monotone, gray cement. There were no plants,
no animals, only air shooters to dispense oxygen to keep the people alive.
Christian had spent the last three microdays pondering his previous
venture outside of the gate. He had gone for adventure, but returned with
skepticism about the animals’ intentions. While staring blankly out the
window, he asked his most trustworthy comrade, Greg, “Ya really think
they’re trying to come in?” His words spilled out emotionless, but held
weight heavy enough to end the human race altogether.
Greg grew up in Sector 9. Their leaders believed in a future that
could include a mutual agreement with the animals. However, Greg saw
through this; he questioned the credibility of their argument. The more he
delved into the evidence, he realized most of it was propaganda, only trying
to influence the public.
At that point, he left for the only other sector, Sector 7, to fight
against the fiendish animals.
“If they’ve been communicating with Sector 9 then it is highly probable,”
Greg replied.
They both feared what the coming days would hold.
* * *
Greg had been right, the animals had invaded. The next microday
when Christian looked out the very same window as the day before, he
was faced with animals lining the streets, terrorizing everyone they encountered.
Mutant tigers and lions roared as people careened through the
streets, seeking safety. Some of the animals succeeded on their quest and
pounced on the people, clawing and scratching at them as they wailed.
Christian and Greg watched in disbelief.
“I..I, what are we supposed to do right now?” Christian said slowly.
“Well, I think the only thing we can do right now is fight, fight to
Pg 21
save as much of our community as we can.”
* * *
They went to the storage room of their complex. They would need
strong enough weapons to match the animal’s strength and defend the
CCB, Computer Control Building.
The Society’s CCB was the headquarters for their government and
the place from which they controlled the population via computer if
they needed to. They had experimented with mind control among other
things before, but for now the Society was deprogrammed. This was the
main reason that the animals had left; they did not agree with the use of
science to control the people, at least before they didn’t.
Now, the public suspected that when they entered the human
world, their goal was to use the control system to monitor the public.
They did not come to work out an agreement, they came to overtake.
Greg and Christian armed themselves with masks and neutral
clothing hoping that they would remain unseen as they ventured to the
CCB. But, they had weapons in case they needed them; each carried a
gun, taser, and knife.
As they made their way to the CCB, they realized that many of
their fellow comrades had already fallen victim to the vicious beasts.
Limbs and bodies, disengaged, lined the asphalt, blood dripping from
their orifices. If the people lost this battle, they would be gone forever.
* * *
They arrived at the CCB, on high alert from their journey across
the city. Christian reached for the door, but it would not budge. If they
stayed outside much longer, their lives, too would be in danger.
Greg pounded on the door aggravated. After 10 seconds he pounded
harder and screamed urgently, “Someone let us in! We need to be let
in, please, please!”
As their hope of safety dwindled, a young girl, about 9 years old,
came to the door to relieve them.
She looked up at them, frightened, but willing to help. She greeted
them shyly, “Hi there, are you here to help?”
Greg answered, “Yes, actually. Christian here ventured to the outside
just last week but he changed his mind about his decision once he
realized their intentions to take over our entire Society. I’m sorry, I’m
Pg 22

ambling, but yes we’re willing to help.”
Aliyah listened intently and responded, “Let’s go upstairs then.”
As they trekked upstairs, Greg wondered, “Gosh we are trusting
this girl on blind faith. I hope I didn’t just divulge information to the enemy.”
Once they arrived upstairs, they met Society’s leader, Matthew. He
seemed very down to earth for being such a significant public figure.
Christian uttered, gaping, “Uh, hello sir, it’s, it’s a pleasure to meet
you.”
“The same goes to you,” Matthew said genuinely, “So, helping?”
“Yes, we’re 100% here to help, anything you need to preserve mankind,
sir.”
“Alright well, we’ll keep that in mind. Right now, I’ll have Aliyah
take you to the waiting room while we figure out our game plan.”
Aliyah took the pair to a room that resembled the rest of the Sector;
it was bland and gray and depressing with walls that remained undecorated.
The room fostered isolation and loneliness.
Greg stared blankly at the wall, past Christian’s head, “How much
time do you think we have left?”
“Well, we’re gonna have to do something soon if we have any shot
at saving our people from the animals.”
“I hope we’re able to help in some way. We need to save our people.”
* * *
After four microhours of being alone with their thoughts, Aliyah
came running into the room, “Come, we have to go. I’ll fill you in as we
go, but we have to go now.”
She showed them to the actual computer control room; the one that
they had only heard rumors about since birth.
“Alright, so the animals have been encroaching the CCB for the
past 4 microhours. A bunch of our best trained combat officers are currently
trying to push them back away from the building. But, in the case
that they don’t succeed, we need you to defend this room. Now, you
won’t be the only ones, but we need all you can give,” she said informatively
and with urgency, “If we lose this room, we lose every chance of
survival,” as she looked out the window longingly at the animals in the
distance.
With this last sentence, both Christian and Greg realized the im-
Pg 23
portance of their job; failure was not an option.
* * *
Over the walkie talkie they heard, “CODE BLUE, CODE BLUE!”
They were unsure of what code blue meant, but the looks on the faces of
those around them made it seem like it was not a good thing.
“The front has collapsed, animals will likely be attacking the CCB
momentarily,”
* * *
“Greg, watch out! There’s one right behind you!” Greg turned
around, slicing the neck of his opponent.
As the human sized frog collapsed to the ground, Christian
watched in awe of what was happening in front of his eyes.
After being stunned with the death of the frog for a few moments,
adrenaline kicked in. A seemingly harmless group of butterflies had
swarmed him. He instantly hit his emergency bubble button, the only
defense against the poisonous flying beauties.
He caught his breath, realizing that he did not have time for such
close calls in this situation; he must be on high alert all the time.
He reassured himself, “This will be over soon, we just need to kill
Professor Damian. None of the animals will know what to do without his
command.”
After having this thought, Christian realized that he did not know
if their commanders knew about Professor Damian and his power.
He radioed, “Important message, important message. I, I’m not
sure if you all know this but their leader, Professor Damian, the large
yellow goose, if he dies, they will no longer be able to function. They can
only take orders from him, they won’t be able to do anything. I learned
this when I met him on the outside.”
“So bottom line, kill the goose?”
“Yes exactly.”
“Thank you for this information, it will be very beneficial. Has anyone
seen said goose?”
An unknown voice answered, “Uh I’m not positive but I believe so.
On the corner right outside the CCB, it looks like he’ll be entering the
building momentarily.”
“Thank you, thank you. That will be very useful. Everyone, get him
Pg 24

once he is in the CCB, I know this doesn’t make sense but it will be our
best option.”
* * *
Christian’s thoughts swirled, “Wow, Professor Damian, the one
who I thought was helping me escape our society, but now I will be a part
of his death. This is one weird world.”
Everyone that was defending the CCB lined up, weapons ready to
fire.
First came a few animals, seemingly as a distraction. With the
amount of soldiers they had defending the room they had no problem
holding them off. They saw right through the goose’s plan.
Moments later, a large yellow blob of goose emerged from the door.
He entered, as the guards started charging, he began an extensive combination
of martial arts movements, taking down 4 soldiers.
He was much more agile than expected, the only thing that would
silence him forever would be a direct shot.
As Christian gaped, Greg urged him, “Christian, you still have ammunition
in your gun, shoot!”
Christian cautiously took his gun out of its holster, drew it up, and
looked over the barrel right at Professor Damian. “I can’t believe I’m doing
this,” he said as he released the trigger.
He normally wasn’t a very good shot, but his choice in timing was
perfect; he hit the Professor square in the chest. As the now yellow and
red goose fell to the floor, he screamed, “This is not the end! They can
keep going without me.” Those surrounding him hoped this was not true,
but Christian knew for a fact that this was false. The professor flailed for
a few moments longer before remaining still.
The soldiers glanced around the room at each other, grinning.
They ran over to the window to look at the animals lining the streets to
see if they had stopped.
One by one, each animal collapsed, unable to continue fighting.
The soldiers that were trying to hold them off embraced each other: victory
for the people.
Christian turned to Greg, and as they hugged. Christian whispered,
“We did it. Society will survive another day.”
“All thanks to you Christian, all thanks to you.”
Pg 25
Adriana Ruffolo
- 12

You keep telling me to change
But I simply cannot do it.
Would you like to know what's strange?
I won't until I'm taught it.
I've never seen an example,
Of an overnight change from you
A demonstration is ample,
To change my point of view.
Keep telling me I'm childish,
I see the same in you.
You say that I act like I'm six,
I think you act like you're two.
Peace betwixt us is in our reach,
You just need to shut up and listen.
It would benefit us each,
Before we snap and blood glistens.
- Anonymous
A Blanket
Carlos Vega
-12
Mitchell McCarthy
- 11
I wish I were a blanket
I could wrap my arms
Around my loved ones
Comfort them during their worst
Make them feel safe when
They need it the most
One they won't throw away when it's old
Sew me back together when I fall apart
Support them while they support me
Embrace them in my love
And make them the happiest they can be
Bring them to their special place in their mind
Pg 28

The Storm
Justin Gombos
-12
Abby Reay
- 11
It was 2:47 A.M. and the world outside his home was in a violent
storm. The sky was blackened by dark storm cloud; the only light
was from streaks of lightning flashing throughout the air. Sheets of rain
poured down like a waterfall and the streets were starting to flood.
Stephen was in a deep sleep. The previous night he didn’t get any
rest. With college, work, and helping a close friend of his move, he had no
time to relax. He wasn’t going to let a storm bother his slumber. However,
the storm wasn’t the only thing trying to disturb his sleep.
The alarm clock sounded and Stephen let out a groan. Glancing
over at the clock, he noticed the alarm went off at the wrong time. It was
set for 8 A.M. He reached his arm out to the nightstand, turned off the
alarm, and tried to go back to sleep. Now that he was awake, the storm
would keep him up.
He laid on his right side staring at his wall when a shadow darted
across. Barely awake, he hardly even paid attention or didn’t care. The
storm grew louder and the shadow danced across the wall a second time.
Realizing something strange was going on, the drowsy man rolled over
to see his window wide open. The curtains were flailing around in the air.
Harsh winds blew them all over and rain was soaking the floor.
Stephen jumped out of his bed to the window and slammed it shut.
The storm was once again muffled and the curtains falling to a stop.
“That sure is some storm,” Stephen said to himself, looking out the
window. A dense fog had settled in and made any previous sight outside
disappear. While still looking around at the wall of fog, a dark blur was
moving through it. He leaned in closer to get a better look but couldn’t
see it any clearer. Then the silhouette rushed forward at a great speed
and slammed into the window. Stephen jumped back and fell to the hard
wooden floor. A scream from surprise wanted to escape but he wouldn’t
allow it.
Looking up at the window, he saw a small crack slowly expanding. It
grew outward from the center of the glass pane, in a weird pattern.
Pg 30

After a moment Stephen finally understood what the cracks looked
like:
RUN
“What the…?” was all Stephen could manage to say. The cracking
had stopped. Two small, glowing orbs in the thick fog approached the
cracked window and appeared to be staring at him, like a pair of eyes. The
terrified man stood up and sprinted out of his bedroom and slammed the
door shut behind him.
The first thought he had was to wake up Derrick, his best friend
who was letting him live in his house for a few years, and figure out what
to do. Barging in Derrick’s bedroom, Stephen shouted, “Derrick get your
a** up. Something crazy is going on!”
The tired man in the bed let out a yawn, “What do you want? I’m
trying to sleep,” he softly replied.
“Something is outside in that storm! It broke my window and in the
glass it spelled out ‘RUN’. We need to get out of here.”
“Chill out, dude. You’re sleep deprived and hallucinating. Go back
to bed.”
“How can I sleep with that...thing out there?” Before another word
to slip out of Stephen’s mouth, the lights flickered on and off, then completely
shut off. Stephen walked to the light switch and turned it on but
the lights didn’t work. “Great. The power is out.”
“Well there is a pretty bad storm. Nothing we can do about it other
than sleeping it off.” With that said, Derrick rolled over facing away from
Stephen. He was frustrated with his friend.
“Come to my room and see what I’m talking about. Then you can
decide if you want to sleep or not.” With a groan the man threw his covers
off his body and stood up. As he did so, a ghostly wail was heard. Both
of them turned to the direction of the noise. The same pair of floating
orbs was peering through Derrick’s window.
Stephen back away to the door. “Derrick,” he began to say, “We
need to go. Now.”
Derrick made his way to Stephen when the creature let out another
slow, pain filled wail. The shining orbs backed up from the window but
still glowed in the dense fog. Without warning, they flew towards the
Pg 31
window, stirring up the fog, and crashed against it with tremendous force.
The boys covered their faces to protect their eyes from the glass
shrapnel. Fog seeped in and swirled all around the floating balls. It then
became clear that the fog was taking the form of a humanoid. There were
no details to tell what exactly the being looked like. However, it was clear
enough to be seen as a person.
The monster took one step forward and sent a chill down Stephen’s
spine. He grabbed hold of his friend’s arm and ran out of the room.
“What the hell is that thing?!” Derrick questioned out of panic, not
really caring what Stephen said it was.
“How am I supposed to know?! What do we do?!” Filled with fear,
Stephen wanted to hide and hope the creature would leave the house. But
he was afraid hiding would make them easy targets.
The boys hurried to the living room. “Do we trap it in here and go
outside?” Derrick asked Stephen.
“And how do you plan on doing that? You’ve seen what it did to
that window!” his friend angrily replied. “That thing is made fog or something
and it was strong enough to break glass.”
They sat in silence for a moment, each trying to think of a different
plan. The strange being wailed once more as it slowly made its way
throughout the house. Stephen peered around the corner of the hallway
and saw the fog creature walking down the hall. He quickly pulled his
head back and whispered, “It doesn’t know where we are.”
“Good,” his friend replied back in a whisper. “Let’s keep it that way.”
Slow moving fog began to creep across the floor into the living room.
Once more, Stephen glanced down the hallway to see the monster now
approaching them. “It’s coming!”
“Then go!” Derrick and Stephen ran out and downstairs to the
basement. The space was filled with a maze of junk and boxes. Stephen
hoped they could hide in the mess and wouldn’t be found. He decided to
take the risk.
Stephen told his friend, “Find a good place to hide,” then searched
the aisles of piled items. Looking around, there weren’t many places to
hide.
Derrick moved boxes away from the back right corner and
Pg 32

squeezed in between the small space he made. He moved the boxes
around until he couldn’t be seen. All that was open was a small gap he
could spy through.
The bone-chilling wail sounded again. With every passing second,
the noise grew louder. There wasn’t much time left. Stephen wasn’t going
to have enough time to get in a good spot so he found the closest mound
of junk and buried himself inside. Blankets, tools, sports gear, and many
other random items covered his body. Something sharp was digging into
his side but he couldn’t do anything about it. Fog was filling the room
and the bright balls of light had made their way down the staircase.
The pair of eyes levitated around the room. It was searching for its
prey but didn’t appear to have great senses. The monster wasn’t moving
any of the trash piles; it was only wandering around and looking for them
with sight.
Stephen’s hip was hurting him tremendously. He wanted to let out
a yell but he knew that would blow his cover. The being began to make its
way back to the stairs when Stephen let out a groan of pain. Quickly, the
monstrosity spun around and wailed once more. The eyes had no pupils
so Stephen couldn’t see where the orbs were looking. However, he had a
deep feeling they were looking directly at him.
Without a second to react, the mound Stephen was buried in was
gone. A strong force of fog shot and scattered the items everywhere. Stephen
flew back and slammed into the wall. His back crashed into a picture
shattering the glass then fell to the floor.
Struggling to get back up, Stephen lifted his head to see a massive,
solid hand of mist reaching for him. His body went into shock and his
muscles tightened. I’m done for, he thought to himself. Derrick broke out
of his hiding spot lunging forward at the hand.
“Derrick!” Stephen yelled, but couldn’t do anything else. His friend
was smacked like a fly and bounced across the floor. For a moment the
fog monster stared at Stephen. It knew how to push his buttons. The hand
turned around and went for Derrick instead. It grabbed the boy by his
legs and dragged him on the floor.
His body was aching and he wanted to give up. Stephen used all his
energy to stand up. He struggled to keep his balance.
Pg 33
Derrick was screaming and grabbing a hold of anything he could.
But the boy couldn’t grasp anything to keep him from being pulled. Stephen
stumbled forward trying to catch up to Derrick but the hand was
pulling him too fast. “You gotta save yourself, Stephen!” he yelled to his
dear friend.
Stephen was out of breath and forced words out of his mouth, “I’m
not...letting you go…”
“You have to! This thing is too strong! Live for us both!”
The next moment his friend was going up the stairs. His screams of
terror faded away. Stephen fell to his knees to regain his energy. He wanted
to give up and cry.
After a minute of rest, he stood up and climbed up the stairs. Fear
was no longer in Stephen. All he wanted to do was find Derrick even if it
meant they would both die, or worse.
The front door was wide open. The sound of heavy rain echoed
throughout the house. Walking to the open doorway he yelled, “Derrick!”.
He was hoping for a response but never got one.
Without another thought, he walked outside. Blinded by rain, fog,
and the darkness of night, Stephen aimlessly wandered around in search
of Derrick. After a minute of walking in circles the horrific wail was
heard. The boy turned around to face the direction it was in. As he did so,
he heard the wail once more, this time to his right. Facing that way now,
more ghostly wails were heard from all around him. “Stop playing your
sick game and get me already! You already took my best friend now come
and take me!” Stephen angrily shouted.
Before another second passed, he found himself surrounded by the
creatures of the storm. Stephen knew that moment would be his last.
Pg 34

Atheism
- Anonymous
You said that I don’t have a soul
But I’m quite sure you’ve stolen mine
It's now you who is in control
You have dug me into a hole
My body is just an outline
You said that I don’t have a soul
You’ve been cast in the starring role
I need a sign, that my body is still mine
It’s now you who is in control
My heart feels as black as coal
However you still appear just fine
You said that I don’t have a soul
In my mind we are whole
My body is our shrine
It’s now you who is in control
I have paid the ultimate toll
I will not say that I am fine
You said that I don’t have a soul
Karen Epps
- 12
Pg 36

Team First
Devin Basley
- 12
Athlete
Strong, sporty
Shooting, hitting, skating
Player, teammate-score, celebrate
Playmaking, leading, winning
Fun, amazing
Team
The Egg
Jake Andrews
- 12
Egg
Tiny, Shiny
Sitting, Growing, Chilling
White, Oval-Roundness, Feathers
Cracking, Chirping, Moving
Happy, Anxious
Chicken
Pg 38

Potato Wish
Hailey Woodworth
- 12
I wish
I were a potato
I could be tasty
Also I could be delicious
Buttered up or mashed
Baked or sweet
Fried or broasted
Cooked to perfection
I could be someone’s favorite food
I could make someone happy
Living in a bag
Pg 39
They Both Went Mad
Kristina Yaczik
- 12
Based on the song Wonderland by Taylor Swift
Two weeks was all it took. Two interesting weeks that all began
when Aubrey embarked on a journey of terror filled beauty that she
would never forget.
It was June 17, the start of her summer vacation, and Aubrey
couldn’t wait to see the minute and hour hand pass the twelve on the
clock. It seemed like an endless wait for her absolute favorite time of
the year. Aubrey instantly was sent into her daydream thoughts, I love
summer and being able to spend the long days making endless memories.
I hope each day is filled with absolute wonder and awe. She left her suburban
rundown, yet spunky apartment complex at seven in the morning
each day, ensuring the totality of a full day. Just with one glance, it was
obvious to see the anxiety and pure beauty that possessed Aubrey. She
had the most vibrant green eyes and scarlet hair that was curled spherically
every morning, and in a messy bun by nightfall.
June passed and July trudged on. The one constant thing Aubrey
knew about summer, was that even when she wanted it to stay, she
couldn’t stop it from leaving; she knew that eventually all good things
leave you. Aubrey’s sensitive, yet carefree personality added to the unique
flair with which she lived her life.
July 14 was the day that everything Aubrey had always known,
changed. It was a typical Wednesday afternoon; Aubrey left her fashion
design studio promptly at three in the afternoon, as she eagerly planned
the night. She thought to herself, What trouble shall I get myself into this
night? Maybe I should go get a bite to eat, or I could walk the beach, and
wait for the perfect sunset to end my day. What Aubrey didn’t know at this
time was how much the answer to this question would change the next
two weeks of her life.
Aubrey’s mother called her, wanting a quick chat before she ran a
few errands.
Pg 40

“Hey mom, how are you doing?” Aubrey questioned.
“I am doing okay sweetheart. How are you?”
“I am about to go out for the day.”
“Huh, this is weird.”
“What’s going on mom?”
“Just be careful sweetie, I have got a weird feeling about you going
out tonight. Always be aware of your surroundings, okay?”
“Of course mom, I am a smart girl. I can handle this.”
“I love you.”
“Thank you for always looking out for me mom. I love you too,”
Aubrey expressed as she hung up the phone, questioning what her mom
had been so worried about. I always go out in the afternoon. What is she
so worried about? What about today is giving off weird feelings? Her feelings
are usually right though, which has me a little worried as well. I will
just be a little extra careful tonight, Aubrey thought to herself.
An hour later, she finished applying her natural yet sparkly makeup,
and she left her apartment. It was a well thought out decision, but she felt
strong in her conclusion; a nice walk to the local coffee shop, and some
window shopping in the city. Aubrey had her bright red hair held back by
her gold aviator sunglasses. She wore her favorite white summer romper
with a light pink paisley pattern and a bow to tie the top on.
After a quick fifteen minute walk to the coffeehouse, she arrived
to find a strange but enticing man staring out the window. He was a tall
guy, maybe about six feet four inches, and he had a black business suit on
with a light pink tie. Aubrey thought to herself, Wow, it’s a little crazy that
me and this guy are matching. I should say something to him, I mean this
doesn’t happen every day. He might think I am a little crazy, but what do I
have to lose?
“Hey, I like your tie,” Aubrey nervously told the mysterious man.
“Oh, thanks. Wow, I didn’t realize it was the same color as your
dress thing,” the man replied with a smile and quaint laugh. “My name is
Austin by the way.”
“Aubrey,” she stated as she reached her hand out for a friendly handshake.
Pg 41
“You come here often?”
“Yeah, it’s my favorite place to get some caramel iced coffee, I swear
I don’t know what I would do without it.”
“It is pretty good. I’ve got an open seat here, care to spend some
time with a stranger?”
“Umm, sure. Let me just get something to drink really quickly.”
“Of course, I am not going anywhere.”
As she walked away from Austin, she couldn’t help but smile.
He was charming, and had the most piercing deep brown eyes that she
couldn’t help but dive into.
In a matter of moments, Aubrey was sitting with Austin, giggling,
smiling, with her favorite coffee in hand. She couldn’t help but wonder
how weird this had all been. She met this man only minutes ago, but she
felt an odd connection with him, like she met him for a reason.
Hours upon hours had passed and the once bright afternoon sun
had turned into a magical sunset.
“We’re closing guys. It’s time for y’all to leave,” the worker announced
as she impatiently cleaned the counters.
“Well, I guess this is goodbye,” Aubrey said with a sense of sadness,
as this once stranger was now the sole reason she had a beaming smile on
her face.
“It could be, but I don’t want to leave yet. You down for a walk
around the county fair? I hear they have some pretty great food there,”
Austin smiled as the words effortlessly flowed out of his mouth.
“Yeah, that sounds really great.”
As they left the coffee shop, they both knew the night was going to
be nothing short of eventful. The walk to the county fair was long, but
hand in hand, and talking they made the lengthy walk into a wonderful
memory. They walked into the fair, and a strange man approached the
two of them.
“Step right up and try the fun house folks! You two look like the
perfect couple, give it a try,” he exclaimed as Aubrey and Austin contemplated
the idea.
“Why don’t we give it a try?” Austin asked Aubrey with a certain
sureness in his voice.
Pg 42

“I mean…” Aubrey started to think about the weird feeling her
mom had gotten earlier, and she hesitated in her answer, but she finally
replied, “You know what, let’s just go for it. What could possibly happen?”
It was that question that would ring in Aubrey’s ear forever, the one
question that changed her mind.
“Well well well, we’ve got some takers. I am Russell, the Fun House
coordinator, it is really important that you don’t ask any questions as you
go through here,” Russell creepily told them.
“Okay, thanks Rus-,” Aubrey began to say, as she and Austin were
suddenly pushed down a long, wide tunnel. It was full of twists and turns
and a checker printed psychedelic pattern that made both Aubrey and
Austin incredibly dizzy. It was after what seemed like hundreds of twists
and turns, that they arrived at their final destination.
“What is this place?” Austin questioned with an incredibly confused
look on his face, yet still tightly holding Aubrey’s hand.
“I have no idea, this is so weird, but this place is pretty cool.”
They both looked around for a moment, taking everything in. It
was a swirling maze of color and wonder. Big, fluffy topped trees in every
color imaginable lined the bright pink brick road. Animals were talking,
and the world seemed to spin. Aubrey couldn’t stop looking around. She
looked at Austin for a moment, realizing he was the only slight sense of
normality and comfort she had left. She hugged him, taking the moment
to appreciate this once stranger.
“It’s going to be okay,” Austin calmly stated even though he was
terrified himself.
Aubrey, scared out of her mind, sat on the green grass and decided
to seize the moment. There she was sitting in the middle of some random
place, with a new acquaintance. In one night, her whole life changed. A
million questions circled around her head, I am so scared and confused.
How am I going to get out? How long am I going to be here? I just want to
go back home.
“Let’s talk a walk Aubrey, maybe we can figure something out,”
Austin began, then seconds later continued, “Maybe we can find someone
to talk to and ask some questions. I sure have a lot of those.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”
Pg 43
They started walking almost immediately, being sure to follow the
path. Aubrey thought to herself, This really is a beautiful place, something
has to be going on here, something must be up.
In an instant, the swirling fluffy trees that once surrounded them
began to fall to the ground as the sky turned an almost pitch black grey.
The clouds were swirling as Austin was swept off his feet, and Aubrey was
grabbed by an old lady and dragged into a house. Aubrey slipped into
complete darkness, but soon was awoken by Austin shaking her to the
core.
“They are coming for us,” he stated with an immense amount of
fear.
“Wait, what? Who is coming for us? Austin, calm down.”
He couldn’t calm down though, his eyes were beating around every
movement, as his body was shivering.
“We need to go, now. Come on! We don’t have time to waste.”
“Austin, we’re stuck, where do you think we are going to go? We
don’t know where we are, and we don’t know anyone. Unfortunately, we
are not going anywhere.”
Austin bolted out of the door, only to run back in with an ax in his
hand.
“Woah Austin, you need to calm down, put the ax down. Please
Austin, let’s talk about it.”
He couldn’t stop moving, as the world around him seemed to crash.
Suddenly, his face turned a pale beige color, as his arms became limp. His
eyes became like an optical illusion, the more one stared into them, the
more hypnotizing they became.
“Look into my eyes,” the new robotic Austin told Aubrey.
She now knew that she could trust nobody, not even Austin.
“No, stop! This can’t be happening,” Aubrey fearfully said as she
found an open tornado cellar, and swiftly climbed in.
Her new surroundings were wooden, dark, musty smelling, and
alarming. She could hardly breathe, but she knew that the longer she
stayed out there, the greater the possibility of her becoming one of the
robots too. Aubrey thought to herself, I can’t turn into one of those robots.
This third dimension world is trying to take over our own. I have to hide
Pg 44

here, I am safe nowhere else. She felt scared, and even though this was
not the first time in that day that she felt that way, this time was different.
She knew that she was completely alone, with nothing to do but fear the
outdoors. All she could hear were the loud clanking footsteps of Austin,
and the ax he had in his hand. She thought to herself, Why did this happen
to me? How am I going to make it out of this crazy place. I don’t know
what to do.
Almost two weeks later, and Aubrey was still sitting in that same
corner, Austin still waiting for her to leave, to change her into a robot too.
Instead, she sat in the far corner of the cellar huddled like a bug, softly
crying, and pleading for help.
* * *
It was two weeks after the disappearance of Aubrey and Austin, and
not a single trace of their existence could be found. A new young couple,
Lisa and Tim, were walking through the county fair, looking for some
innocent fun.
“Step right up to try the Swirly Whirly funhouse! You two look
perfect. What do you say? Want to give this old funhouse a try?” a mysterious
boisterous man said.
“Sure, why not? Russell, isn’t it?” Tim questioned reading his
crooked and faded nametag.
“Yes indeed, step right into the funhouse you too. Please don’t ask
any questions while in the Funhouse.”
Just then, Russell closed the door with a wink and a creepy smile,
as Lisa and Tim, fell into an abyss of darkness with a girl’s terrified
screams crying for help.
Pg 45
Lillian Miazga
- 9

Within My Short Reach
Morgan Schultz
- 12
When you have to ask someone to grab something off the top shelf for
you.
In school knowing everyone is still growing and you're not.
Trying on sunglasses and not being able to see the mirror.
Having to walk twice as fast to keep up with other people you walk with.
In the car you have to adjust the seat every time you get in so you can
reach the pedals.
Not being able to get into the same movie as your friends because you
look too young still.
My younger sibling is starting to get taller than me.
Your family members all being taller than you.
Sitting in a chair having your feet never touch the ground.
Having to jump sit in stools.
On rainy days having to leap across puddles that taller people could step
over.
Reaching for your clothes on the top of your closet, but ending up having
to get your step stool
Pg 47
Colleen Henterly
- 9

The Account of the Star Chaser
Kyle Tucker
-12
Transmission 18946-23
It’s been two months since the initial finding of the strange structures
in the Merope system. Some of my fellow Commanders have taken
to calling them “barnacles” because of how they look. I’ve seen them up
close. They look organic, with sharp ridges and a creamy white coloring
to the tips of the obelisks that surround the main body.
They don’t show up on my sensors, cannot be targeted by my ship
or Service Recon Vehicle. Any attempts to damage these structures have
been unsuccessful, all weapons from multi-cannons to plasma throwers
either just reflected off the surface or were dispersed. Also, around these
barnacles my ship scanner began to glitch quite often.
There have been many reports of other interesting items found
around the Pleiades Sector. These, like the barnacles, seem to also be
organic. There have been a few Commanders who have picked them up
and, according to their reports, these unknown artifacts -I shall call them
UA’s from now on- take a scan of any ship that strays near to it then send
out a rudimentary diagram of the ship in the direction of Merope.
When damaged, these UA’s begin a process of self-repairing and
will rip materials from any nearby ship. This caused quite a shock to the
first Commander who picked one up, as the force of scooping it into the
cargo hold was enough to start the self-repair process. I have not personally
found one of these artifacts, however, I have heard that they are quite
abundant.
Professor Ishmael Palin has an abundance of research into the UA’s,
though after many attempts by the head of the station, he was working
aboard, forcefully stopped his research, then he moved to Obsidian Orbital
to continue it.
I wish luck to Professor Palin and his team, and also to all of you
receiving this transmission. Stay safe out there, Commanders.
Pg 49
Transmission 1659-4
Welcome back, Commanders. As you all will know from my previous
transmission, there has been a lot of news that deal with the recent
alien structures and artifacts found in the Pleiades Sector.
Upon further investigation of the barnacles, they have been found
to grow an ultra-light, strong, and moldable material called “Meta-Alloy”
because of all the different materials that make it up. They were found by
a Commander who shot an abnormal, glowing growth on the side of one
of the tips of the barnacles. The Meta-Alloy fell from the growth and the
Commander was able to pick it up and sell it for a hefty sum at a nearby
station.
There have been strange markings found on the sides of the barnacles.
To me, they almost resemble the Barnard's Loop nebula. Could there
possible be a connection?
Also, there has been additional research into the recent UA findings.
Many of the stations researching the UA’s have been having problems
with systems malfunctioning, however, these Meta-Alloys have
supposedly been used to return the stations to normal.
Professor Ishmael Palin has asked any and all Commanders willing
to collect and drop off as many Meta-Alloys as possible at his current
station, in the Obsidian Orbital.
For any Commanders out there who are going to bring Palin these
Meta-Alloys, be careful out there because there has been word of many
pirates waiting outside of stations to steal the Meta-Alloys and turn them
in themselves.
That will be all until my next transmission. Stay safe out there,
Commanders.
Chapter One
Those transmissions were old now. Three years had passed since the
initial findings of the Thargoids; those had been simple times. Humanity
barely knew they existed. They were just a distant memory from the early
times of human colonization, mostly regarded as fiction. But oh were they
Pg 50

eal.
The first few attacks were small, only a few Commanders who were
carrying UA’s. The Thargoids would pull them out of witchspace and
disable their ships, scanning to make sure they got the right target. Any
normal human would be mortified to see them. Their ships look almost
flower-like, with a center area almost resembling an eye surrounded by
petal-like structures called “hearts.”
Initially they just wanted the UA’s but as time went on they began
to go after higher-value targets: people. The Thargoids would attack and
small people-carriers, usually just some small time Commanders carrying
explorers or scientists. After that, they began attacking large scale ships;
prisoner carriers, colony ships- all large people movers. The last thing
they went after were the stations.
The carnage was terrible, the acid-burned wrecks filled with the
bodies of the inhabitants. Portions of the stations were completely melted
or blown away. Many Commanders have found the video and audio logs
from the time of the attacks- all of them filled with screaming, sirens, and
explosions.
The war that raged after the initial attacks was brutal; heavy losses
on both sides, but mostly on the side of the humans. The humans had
trouble simply damaging the Thargoid ships with their normal weapons,
taking two or four ships to destroy one medium-sized Thargoid vessel.
The situation only got worse as the time went and the Thargoids began
rolling out larger and stronger ships. The Federation and Alliance took
the brunt of the war at the beginning, but they’re just a memory now.
It had been over half a year since the Commander of the Star Chaser,
nicknamed Pew by fellow Commanders, had seen a large human settlement.
He was stuck out in the wastes of the Pleiades Sector in deep battle
with Thargoid ships. When he finally was able to return to a station his
hull was nearly completely melted through, his canopy had been breached
and jerry-rigged to close with plates of scrap metal, and all of his systems
were badly damaged from heat and corrosion.
Commanders and station workers alike were surprised he had managed
to survive out there for so long.
“Welcome back, Commander. It’s good to see you alive and well,”
Pg 51
they all told him.
Pew was not happy to be back, however. He wanted to be out there,
taking down as many of the Thargoids as he could before dying. However,
he understood that even he had to stop his push and go in for repairs.
After a quick refuel and repair, Pew was off again. He quickly took
off in his Vulture, the lights of the station reflecting off the fresh coats of
shiny gold paint.
“All weapons fully functional, Commander,” said a man over the
loudspeakers, his voice distorted by the minor damage that was still not
repaired.
“Ah, Ben, my chief of engineering, it’s good to see you’re still alive
and finally got the speakers back up and running again,” said Pew.
“Even the station couldn’t get them working. I had to rip open all
the boxes and fix the wiring myself.”
“I am here too,” said another man over the speakers, in a much
higher pitched voice than Ben. “I, the greatest explorer in the galaxy, Tio
Fuantes, have fixed the speakers on this side. It seems that Ben has fixed
his too.”
“Tio, have you ever even actually discovered anything yourself?”
asked Ben.
“Of course I have! I was the one to discover the great system of Sagittarius
A*! I discovered the great Formadine Rift,” Tio’s words a mixture
of pride and anger.
Pew cut him off before he could continue his list, “Good to see that
hitting your head on the hull of the ship didn’t break your willingness to
lie about your achievements, mister temporary sensors expert.”
Tio stopped his bantering and his line went silent.
“Alrighty now, listen up. We’re going back out into the Pleiades
Sector for more hunting. We’re going to bring back some Hearts this time
though. Palin asked that we bring some back for him to see if he could integrate
them into our ships to level the battlefield a bit more. Ben, are the
Anti-Xeno weapons loaded?” explained Pew.
“Like I said, all weapons operational, A-X rockets and multi-cannons
included. All systems at your disposal.”
“Good. Tio, how are the sensors and such looking?”
Pg 52

“The nearby area is clear of any Thargoids, as you’d hope. But I, the
greatest…” Tio was cut off again.
“Just tell me about the cargo hold, sensors, and how the other systems
are looking.”
“Well, like I said, the nearby area is clear. The cargo hold is completely
empty besides the ammunition, space for up to six Hearts. The
shields are fully online. The automated fighter is fully functional. Frame
Shift Drive is online and ready for a jump. Just don’t get caught in the
gravity and heat fields a neutron star like last time and we’ll be fine.”
“That was not my fault. You didn’t tell me that there was one in the
system and the canopy was covered.”
“You still had your close area sensors.”
“Just shut it, Tio,” Ben cut in.
With all systems fully checked, Pew directed the Star Chaser in the
direction of the nearest Pleiades system and jumped into witchspace.
Chapter Two
The trio reached the system within seconds. The lights rushed
past as they went by stars. Witchspace had always been extraordinary to
look at. The lightshow was always spectacular to see. The patterns of red,
green, blue, and black “gasses” as one flew through the fabric of an alternate
space was almost mesmerizing. Nobody really knew what was inside
witchspace, just how to exploit it and how it looked.
The sirens began to scream across the ship. “Pew, we’re being
ripped out of witchspace! What’s happening?!” yelled Tio.
“I can tell, thank you very much. Turn off all inertial dampeners!
We want as much momentum as we can get when we fall out!”
“What? Why?!”
“Just do it, Tio! If you don’t then we’re all dead men, got it?”
The deep, intimidating, robotic voice of the ship’s AI came on over
the speakers, “Flight assist systems offline.”
The ship dropped back into real space, tumbling at extreme speeds.
The ship went dark as all the lights turned off, all the power in the
ship going with it.
Pg 53
“Come on Ben, get the power back up as fast as possible. I know
you can’t hear me but we need to get back up and running,” Pew said,
anxious yet excited.
Minutes passed before the ship roared to life as the power plant
came back online.
“S.I.D., you there?” asked Pew.
“Yes, Commander,” replied the ship’s AI.
“Deploy hardpoints, enable the shields, and give me full control of
the ship. Looks like the prey came to us,” ordered Pew.
“Yes, Commander.”
“What just happened, Pew?” asked Tio.
“We were hyperdicted, our targets finally came to us for once. Get
ready for a bumpy ride guys,” Pew said almost arrogantly.
Pew turned the ship towards the perpetrator. “S.I.D., begin scan. I
want to know what kind this is.”
The scan was quick, “Interceptor class. Thargons already released.
Be careful, Commander.”
“Ben, balance power to systems, weapons, and engines.”
“You got it, Pew.”
The Star Chaser sped towards the thargoid vessel. It was relatively
the same size as the Star Chaser, but looked as any Thargoid ship would
with the petaled Hearts and eye-like center.
Pew dropped the fighter out into the emptiness of space, setting it
to distract the small, drone-like Thargons.
“You picked the wrong ship, you Thargoid scum.” With that, the
Star Chaser unleashed a hail of fire into the approaching ship. The rockets
and bullets tearing through the outer skin of the Thargoid vessel. The
return fire was almost just as bad, however, melting into the reinforced
hull and systems below.
Pew kept firing and maneuvering around his target. “Ben, full power
to weapons and engines. This thing has shield piercing, shields are useless.”
The engines roared as they gained more and more power, heaving
the Star Chaser towards the Thargoid vessel.
The ammunition kept flying, ripping more and more holes in their
target. The Star Chaser dodging and weaving through the corrosive blasts
Pg 54

of the Thargoid ship.
“Tio, drop it a little gift on this next pass. A case of AX rockets
would do,” commanded Pew.
“You got it, Pew.”
As they flew around the ship again, Tio dropped the payload from
the cargo hatch. The explosion blew one of the petals off the ship. The
skin of the rest of the ship began to regenerate back, filling the holes from
previous salvos.
“It just used its emergency shield. Continue to press the fight, Pew,”
said Ben.
Pew did just that, unloading all weapons he could into the ship. The
skin just kept repairing, slowing down as more and more shots hit their
target.
The Thargoid ship stood still. Not firing. Not defending. Waiting.
“Tio, what’s it doing?” asked Pew.
“It’s just stopped. The crew is still alive, but they’re just sitting
there.”
Pew decided to continue his onslaught, unloading more and more
into the ship. The holes multiplied, but no more repairs were being done.
The Thargoid ship still waited.
“It looks like it’s just given up, Pew,” observed Ben.
“They don’t give up, Ben. They’re waiting for something. Whatever
it is, I want to destroy them before they can get it,” replied Pew.
“Gargantuan energy surge in the eye of the target! Pew, get us out
of here! Now!” exclaimed Tio.
Before the Star Chaser could move at all, the Thargoid ship began
to violently shake. The ship exploded in a tremendous fashion; a booming
and almost desperate sounding screech shook the system.
were all laid flat along the length of the vessel. Barnacles grew across its
sharp, ridged surface. The massive ball of biomass, followed by a fleet of
various smaller Thargoid vessels, passed through the system with a oneness
that no human group would ever be able to match.
The colossus passed the still Star Chaser, not so much as acknowledging
it was even there.
“You two are seeing this too, right?” asked Pew.
“What is that thing?” asked Ben.
“You know as good as I do,” replied Tio.
“We need to get back home. Now,” said Pew. “Get ready to jump,
guys. I don’t care if we’re hyperdicted again and again, we will get back to
the others.”
The ship turned back towards their home station.
“S.I.D., kick it,” ordered Pew.
Chapter Three
Space around the star began to shimmer and bend. A hole ripped
open where the star use to be. The titanic thing that came through put
the star to shame in the matter of size. The classic design of the Thargoid
ships was nothing like this massive piece of biomachinery. The petals
Pg 55
Pg 56
Adriana Ruffolo
- 12

Growing
- Anonymous
I used to be pollen
Complacent to the wind
Fragile and light,
No more power than to make one sneeze.
Destined to go nowhere,
Except for the ground.
In the ground it landed,
And it from it sprouted the mighty moon,
For now that is I.
The wind bends to my will.
Luminously I radiate,
Soaring in the cosmos.
Ceilidh
Sarah Szalai
- 12
A brood of strangers,
A band,
And burst of bagpipes.
Kilts and tartan,
Eyes lock - partners,
Strip the willow,
Spin with everyone in the room,
Share a smile,
A laugh.
“These damn Americans,” dancing,
Or attempting to dance.
Drunk churchgoers,
“This girl right here,
She’s my best friend.”
A brood of friends.
Pg 57
Pg 58
Lauren Griffin
- 10
Lillian Miazga
- 9

Drowned Emotions
- Anonymous
The first time Nathan saw him, he was standing beside the windowed
door leading to the school pool. The boy was beneath the water,
coming up for air a few seconds later and Adam caught a glimpse of what
he looked like. Dark hair and a toned body, his eyes seemed to be green
but he couldn’t tell from the distance. The pool was empty except for him,
diligently doing laps.
Normally, Nathan wouldn’t stand near water for this long, but he
was mesmerized by the swimmer. A bell rang overhead.
“Get to class, let’s go,” he heard a voice shout from down the hallway.
He glanced at the pool once more before walking away- the boy was
gone, the door to the locker room swung shut.
Adam’s day was uneventful. His classes dragged on and he tried to
stay awake. It was like any other day.
Walking through the crowded hallway after school, he caught a
glimpse of the boy he saw earlier- he was sure it was him. He got a closer
look and saw the same dark hair and green eyes. He turned away before
being spotted, but he was almost certain those green eyes met his.
He didn’t know why he focused so much on the swimmer after seeing
him once, but a part of him wanted to know more.
He got to school early the next day, telling himself it was just because
he got up early and was ready, not because he wanted to see the
swimmer again.
He was in the pool again, doing laps, swimming with such grace
that Nathan couldn’t help but watch.
“Nathan, bro. What are you doing?” his friend Sam was calling out
to him.
“Oh uh, I got to school early and I was just passing by the pool so I
was taking a look.”
“Why? You haven’t been near water since the incident. Why now?”
It was true, years ago Nathan had a traumatic experience with the
ocean.
* * *
Pg 59
He was 10 years old, at the beach. The tide was rising but the life
guards weren’t counting on such a storm to roll by that quickly. Nathan
was in the water as the waves grew to dangerous size. He prided himself
on going out as far as he could- but now that’s what would almost kill
him.
By the time he noticed the waves, it was too late. They grew and
grew. He was hit with the force of them and pushed under the water. His
mouth filled with liquid as he tried to breathe but every time he came up
for air, a wave would wash over him yet again. There was no escape. He
was certain he would die.
Hours later, he woke up in a small infirmary; the lifeguards had
saved him in time. His lungs burned from the residue of the salt water
and he felt fatigued, but he was alive, and was thankful for that.
* * *
“Uh, I’m not sure. Like I said, I was just passing by and got curious.
That’s all there is to it.”
“Oh well, if you’re interested in getting back in the water, I’m sure
Adam will help you out.”
“Adam? Who’s that?”
“The guy you’ve been staring at, dude. He’s in our grade. He transferred
last year.”
“Oh,” Nathan said. He looked back at the swimmer. His name is
Adam? Nathan felt excited to know something about the swimmer. He
could finally give a name to the guy he was so curious about.
“Hey, buddy? Are you listening to me? You spaced out there. I was
saying that I could talk to him for you. I helped with the swim team last
year, I know him pretty well.”
“No-” He was cut off when he noticed Adam had stopped swimming
and instead was looking at them. Nathan watched as he pulled
himself out of the pool and walked over to them.
“You guys need anything? Coach isn’t here if you’re looking for
him. I can take a message though,” Adam said. His voice was soft, but
deep. Adam felt his heart speed up. My anxiety must be acting up again,
being this close to water is probably messing with me.
“Nah, man. My boy, Nathan, here was just reminiscing about the
Pg 60

days he used to swim,” Sam said to Adam.
“Ah you’re a swimmer. We’re looking for a new member if you want
to join,” this was directed to Nathan.
“No, I never swam competitively, just for fun. I almost drowned
when I was a kid so I haven’t been in the water since,” Nathan said without
thinking, he usually didn’t tell people about his fear unless he knew
them.
Adam’s gaze softened. “Well, if you ever want to get back in the water,
I can help you. Just let me know. You can usually find me here before
class if you’re interested at any time.”
“You should try, Nathan. It’s been so long, plus I want to swim
during our senior trip. It’s going to be hype.” Sam said.
“Sam, our senior trip is going to be your mom putting up a larger
pool than the kiddie pool she usually does and getting some sand and
inflatable palm trees. I don’t think it’s that important. But yeah I’ll think
about it, Adam. Thanks. I appreciate it,” Nathan said as the bell rung.
“Well, see you then,” Adam said as they all dispersed.
When Nathan got home, he thought about Adam. Maybe Adam
teaching me how to trust the water wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe I’ll be ok.
He thought about Adam’s kind smile and soft voice and his heart fluttered.
The next morning, he got up and packed the swim shorts he purchased
the day before in his backpack. He might not use them, but this
was a solid first step.
He got to school and made his way to the pool. Adam was there,
like he said he would be, doing his routine laps. Again, it was just him in
the pool.
Nathan was more anxious than usual. The thought of getting in the
water terrified him. He was about to turn around and leave, but Adam
noticed him and gestured him over.
“Hey, you ready?” Adam called out.
“Yeah, I’m not sure I’m ready to actually go in the pool today.” Nathan
called back.
“That’s okay, you don’t have to go in today. We can just get you
used to being around water.
Pg 61
“Okay,” Nathan calmed down a bit and walked over. The walkway
was wide enough that it was unlikely for him to trip and fall in the pool,
but still he worried.
Adam came up beside him, probably seeing his worry, and helped
guide him to the bench.
“If you want we can just sit here, or you can put your feet in,” Adam
suggested.
“That’s fine,” Nathan removed his shoes and socks and walked toward
the edge of the water. Adam was right behind him. He sat down and
put his feet in the water; it was warmer than he thought it would be. The
floor was wet from the pool, soaking his jeans a little bit. His heart rate
sped up. What if I fall in, what if something goes wrong?
Adam sat down next to him. “It’s okay, I won’t let anything happen.”
Nathan found Adam’s presence to be calming. He relaxed a little bit.
They spent the rest of the time sitting with their feet in the water.
Adam was doing his best to distract Nathan, keeping the conversation
going. They talked about nothing, but Nathan felt himself getting closer
to Adam. They were no longer strangers.
For the rest of the day, Nathan felt warm inside. This won’t be so
bad, not with Adam by my side.
The next day, Nathan went back to the pool. This time he changed
into his swim trunks, ready to make his way into the water.
He met Adam outside the locker room. It was colder in the pool
room with only trunks on.
“Hey, you coming in today?” Adam called out to him. He felt exposed,
being in swim trunks for the first time in years. He was vulnerable
and afraid.
“We can start at the shallow end and work up if you’re feeling comfortable,”
Adam grabbed his hand and led him to the stairs going in. He
could feel Adam’s hand on his; his heart beat faster but, he wasn’t sure it
was because of the fear anymore.
“One step at a time,” Adam said as he led him in.
Nathan felt the terror sweep through him as he stepped into the
pool. His breathing came faster in short breaths, he could only think back
to the waves crashing over him and being stuck underwater helpless.
Pg 62

“It’s okay. It’s okay. I got you. I’m here,” Adam reassured him as he
guided him out of the pool.
Nathan took a few deep breaths and realized where he was. Adam
stood close and Nathan felt calmer than he had.
“Let’s go again. I think I can do it this time. Just, hold on to me.
Please,” Nathan said looking to Adam.
“Of course, I got you.”
They made their way into the pool again. This time, Adam put his
arm around him and held him tighter. Going down one step, then two,
then three, until they were in the shallow area up to their waist. Nathan
felt confined, but with Adam by his side, he knew he would be okay. He
could feel Adam’s arm holding him close and relaxed.
“How are you doing?” Adam said, his face close to his, shadowed in
worry.
“I’m good. I’m really good, just distract me for a bit,” Nathan said,
again not sure if his heart was beating from fear or from something else.
Their faces were close and Nathan could feel his heart thumping in
his chest as he moved himself closer to Adam.
“I think I can do that for you,” Adam said as his face moved close
enough for Nathan to feel his breath on his face, and then he kissed him,
once, then twice, and Nathan felt all the fear he had until that moment
fade away.
* * *
Years later, Adam and Nathan were still together, living happily.
Nathan was mostly over his fear of the water having worked hard the past
year to overcome his trauma.
The two would make visits to the beach occasionally so Nathan
could get used to wading in the shallow water. They would walk the shore
line and make sand castles while their dog ran and splashed in the water.
It was these moments that Nathan realized how truly happy he was
to have met Adam.
Pg 63

I Wish I was Back in that Moment
Sarah Szalai
- 12
I wish
I was the person I was then,
Enthralled by the newness,
The people, the scenery, the culture.
Welcoming, accepting, letting me be me.
Late nights, cuddled up.
Feeling the crisp air on your cheeks, eating away at you,
But the company around you, bright enough to keep away the cold.
Conversation, the warm fuzzy ones,
Until the sky sparkled with the colors of a new day.
The ones that pull two souls from opposite worlds together.
And convince you that you will be close forever.
Until that time ends,
And you’re thrown back into the cruel world,
Where other things get in the way,
Other things that are more important than people you care about.
Reality happens,
Tears souls from each other,
And launches them back into their own universes, never to be the same
again.
And now, only wishing to be back in that moment,
Wishing to be that me,
Gazing at the sunset that never dies.
Pg 65
Vanessa Sartors
- 9

Oswald
- Anonymous
I was hunched over my desk, working diligently on my latest project.
I was building a time machine, one that could take me back 54 years
to the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
I had made this small machine out of a broken clock and a chemistry
kit I bought from a science website online. I never thought it would
work, but it did and I was proud of my skills.
There was a knock on my door and I turned around in my chair.
“Hi, mom,” I said.
“Hey, kiddo. What are you working on this time?” she asked.
“Nothing big,” I lied.
“Well, dinner is ready whenever you’re ready to come down,” she
told me.
“Okay. I’ll be down there soon,” I said.
She left the room and I returned to my project. I was almost finished
and I needed to test it out to make sure I could travel back to 1963.
I finished quickly and attached the small machine to my watch. I
made it just the right size to fit there so I could travel with it without putting
myself in danger.
“Time to test it out,” I said to myself.
My family was still eating dinner so I decided to head down there
first before my test.
“Hey guys. Mom, can I go out for a little while? It won’t be long and
I’ll be back before you’re even done with dinner,” I asked.
“That’s fine with me. But at least take some food with you in case
we are done when you get back,” she replied.
“Alright. Thanks mom!” I yelled as I ran out of the kitchen and toward
the garage.
I entered the garage and hid behind my mom’s minivan.
I activated the machine and began pressing the necessary buttons.
The machine whirred and came to life.
“Here we go,” I thought.
I entered the exact date of the assassination into my watch, Novem-
Pg 67
ber 22, 1963, and the room began to spin. It was actually working! I was
time traveling!
The spinning then stopped as fast as it had begun. I noticed that I
was still in my garage and became upset.
Then I noticed that the car I was hiding behind wasn’t my mom’s
beat up minivan, it was a bright red 1960 Chrysler Convertible.
The machine had worked! At only 17 years old, I created the first
ever working time machine!
I was ecstatic and took a moment to myself before I realized that
I had things to do here. I was also in someone’s garage and I didn’t want
them to see me.
I began my journey to the spot where the parade with President
Kennedy would start and glanced at my reflection in a window.
My appearance didn’t match that of the 1960s. I had to change, and
quick, before someone saw me.
I walked into a small clothing store to buy an outfit.
“Good day, young man. How can I assist you?” asked the store clerk.
“I’m just looking for new clothes,” I replied.
“Well, take a look around and pick anything you’d like,” he said.
“Thank you, sir,” I said.
I walked around the shop and picked out a blue plaid shirt and
black trousers. I also chose some shiny black shoes to wear.
“All set, young man?” asked the clerk.
“Yes, sir. Thank you,” I replied.
“That’ll be fifteen dollars.”
I pulled my wallet out from my pocket and paid the clerk with the
money I had made from mowing lawns all summer.
“Have a good day,” said the clerk.
“Thank you. You too,” I replied and walked out of the small shop.
Walking through the streets, I noticed that Dallas in the 60s was a
beautiful place. Besides the racism and the possible inevitable death of a
President in mere hours, it was beautiful to look at.
I wanted to help change one of those things. I’d thought about it for
months when I began building my time machine. I wanted to go back in
time to try and change a major event that could possibly help the world
Pg 68

and make it a better place.
I was aware that I would be altering time and could mess things
up for people in the future. But maybe what I was trying to do would be
worth it. Maybe Kennedy was the key to certain points in history that
turned out not good because he never got to fulfill his potential.
My first thought was to go to the Texas School Book Depository
since that’s where everyone thought the gunshots came from and that’s
where Lee Harvey Oswald was at the time with his gun.
It was a short walk to the depository and I decided to try my luck at
getting in and trying to distract Oswald.
“Hello young man. How can I help you?” asked an older man sitting
at a desk.
“Is Lee Harvey Oswald in yet?” I asked nervously.
“He is. What did he do wrong this time?”
“Oh, nothing. I’m just here to see him. He’s a friend of my father’s.”
“Well, you can go on up. Be careful though, son. I don’t trust that
man.”
“I’ll be safe, sir. I promise. Thank you.”
I made my way to the stairs and started my ascension. This place
was huge and I didn’t have the time to look around. The parade was going
to be starting soon and I had to get to Oswald before it was too late.
“Keep going. You’ve gotta make it to the sixth floor in the next ten
minutes in order to distract him,” I thought to myself.
I finally made it to the sixth floor and saw Oswald sitting in the
room surrounded by boxes.
“Um, hello. Are you Mr. Oswald?” I asked.
I had to be careful of how I approached him. He was, after all, up
here to commit a horrendous crime.
“Yes. That’s me. Who are you?” he asked, eyeing me wearily.
“My name is Anthony. We’ve never met. But I’m doing a school
project on someone that works in a place that I may want to work someday,”
I lied.
“And you want to interview me? Why would you ever want to work
here?”
“I really love books. So, can I interview you? It won’t take long.”
Pg 69
“Listen kid, I have something to do in about twenty minutes. How
quick can you be?”
“I can be done before then. “
“Alright. Ask your questions then, I guess.”
I had him right where I wanted him. I could be the one to change
this period in time and it could have amazing results!
“Okay, do you like working here?”
“It’s okay. It pays the bills and I can provide for my family.”
“Do you like the people you work with?”
“Not really. I’m not much of a people person. I really don’t know
why I’m talking to you.”
I could hear the parade approaching and I had to act fast. I couldn’t
let him get up from this interview and go to the window. If he did, all of
my work would be for naught.
“Hey kid, I wanted to watch the parade from this window. Can you
ask me questions after?” he asked.
“No! I mean, I don’t really have the time. My mom wanted me home
by ten,” I replied.
“Couldn’t you just come back tomorrow?”
“No. You won’t be here tomorrow.”
“What? Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I know what you’re about to do. You can’t kill the President.”
“How did you know my plans? Is that why you’re here? How did you
find out? Who ratted on me?”
“I just knew! You can’t do this. It won’t turn out good for you in the
end.”
“Get out of here, kid. Let me do what I need to do.”
“I won’t let you do that. I’m here to stop you and that’s exactly what
I’m going to do.”
He started to walk away from me and reached behind a large stack
of boxes. I knew what he was doing and I suddenly became scared.
“Can I really stop him? Should I? I could get hurt, too,” I thought.
Maybe this wasn’t worth it and I should leave history the way it is.
“He won’t do it with a witness in the room. Maybe I should pretend to
leave and then do something before the President comes this way.”
Pg 70

Just then, Oswald walked over to the window and stooped down. He
aimed the rifle outside of the window, ready to strike as soon as the motorcade
came around.
“Stop! Don’t do it, Lee!”
A shot rang out and I fell to the floor. I did it. I changed history. The
President was safe and he was going to be finishing his term in the White
House.
I looked down at my hands. They were the same crimson color as the
blood coming out of my wound.
I may have changed history and built a time machine, but I wasn’t
returning home.
Pg 71
Aurora Liepe
- 12