Destructive Decisions While Driving

I find that people either take this sort of discussion way too seriously or not seriously enough.

Every year right before the senior prom, my school's division of the SADD program puts together a mock car crash where they have real students all done up and have our townships police and fire department use real tools to show what it was all really like. For the following 36 hours the students are not allowed to have any communication with the outside world and it is all meant to be as if they all were actually killed or thrown in jail. Parent's put together obituaries and sometimes they even have a teacher die as well.

The students in the school disrespect the people that agree to participate and it is very saddening. Some students on the other hand, get so overwhelmed that they are stuck in a trance for the proceeding week.

Every one should know of the dangers and take it seriously; it could be you that is ending somebody else's life because of a stupid choice, or are even killed because of somebody else's who you don't even know.

Every thirty minutes somebody in the United States is killed by a drunk driver; even more are killed when you add in all the forms of destructive behaviors.

Please think before you act, you may just save a life.

Caffeine!!!!!

Now, normally I denote staying up till the early hours of the morning; but I myself have done this on occasion; especially recently.

Without good reason, you should not stay up too late; not getting proper sleep can mess with your mental state. Even with good reason, it still messes with your mental state; some times it is worth it however.

For instance, exams are slowly approaching and anxiety is high; the only logical solution seems to be every available second to prepare for it. With everything else going on though, there isn't enough time. And so, time is taken away from where it is most important just to make yourself feel more confident.

With caffeine pills or in my case, hot chocolate at the ready; the hours tick by as you down every bit just to stay awake a hour or two more to get that extras studying in.

Don't get too crazy however; you can risk some serious damage. Maybe you'll even be too tired to even complete the task you worked so hard for.

Plan ahead. Don't be a crazy risk taker.

Unexpected Friends in Unusual Circumstances

I've never been one for having lots of friends, I usually just have two or three really good friends for short periods of time. This is normal for teens, so is having rivals and having people you just never ever seemed to talk to even though you saw each other every day.

It surprises me when one of these people I have known for so long, starts talking to me and wants to hang out of the blue.

While being assigned a project today, a person I have known since seventh grade yelled across the room and asked if I would be their partner. I didn't know how to respond! Of course being at a loss of words just committed me to the partnership... For the rest of the day and for the past hour or so; I have been casually chatting this person and it weirds me out a little. Only in the slightest though.

There's a part of me that can't wait for everything to go back to normal and have them stare at me in a demeaning way but then there's also this little part of me that wishes we could become really good friends and some of their popularity and glamour will rub off.

Turns out however that she only asked me because her usual partner hasn't been speaking to her and she needs somebody artistic. Oh well. So much for that idea.

Sticks and Stones May Break Bones

I have a close friend who always seems to find a way to break her bones. Only knowing her for three years has limited my knowledge of the causes but from word of mouth, I have come to learn that she has broken a bone in the same leg every year for at least the past seven years..... That implies that it all started in fourth grade!!!! (that may be a slight exaggeration...)

Her causes range tremendously. Our freshman year it was because she jumped off the stage during a practice. Last year it was due to some weird game involving slight movement sin an attempt to touch one another. And just this past weekend she chipped the bone while playing soccer with her boyfriend.

This marvelous person has a serious problem of injuring herself no matter what she tries to do. But she doesn't let it affect her; she swallows a hand full of cashews and continues on as if nothing happened.

420

Usually I don't care to comment on the habits of others pertaining towards drugs and alcohol but some things go a bit too far. Students should not be taking advantage of the date to mean that they can go into school high and then continue it throughout the day by going to the bathrooms. You also should not feel the need to fill everyone's day with posts involving pictures of you with blood shot eyes and a boul in your hand.
From a personal experience with my older brother I know the damage that can be caused to families all because somebody smokes pot. My brother even got his close friend of seven years to smoke too and now that friend is in and out of half way houses because he committed serious crimes to aid his addiction.
It's your choice what you do with your life but think of the consequences not only you will face but also everyone that is around you.

Our Social Media Accounts

Everything has a social media outlet anymore. That's right, I said thing, not person. And so there is now a Twitter for this blog; I hope to make a Facebook page as well but for now we will stick to Twitter. Obviously I won't today but starting tomorrow I shall post updates of the daily topics and take recommendations for others. It would also be interesting to start an Instagram to post pictures of the books I read and possibly the situations I face, but we shall see. That is all, for now.

Twitter: @NightDweller013

Email: NightDweller013@gmail.com

Child Custody Issues

It would quite honestly take forever to tell you the entire story of what has happened with my older sister so I shall just skip all the non-sense for now and tell you what is important at this moment.

This past summer she was forced to come home to stay with us and bring my nephew with; she however disregarded this and moved around willy nilly until she met a new boyfriend, let's keep in mind that she is still married to my nephew's father. Her new boyfriend absolutely hates kids, in fact he has paid for her to have an abortion already; this being said, I partially blame him for my sister sending my nephew away but it's mostly her stupidity.

We all came to the realization that we were never going to see my nephew again; I thought she had come to those terms as well. Apparently however she has been given a notion to return to California to see her abusive in laws and take back my nephew. This could very well be the end of my sister, her past has been filled with life threatening situations all because of them and now that that she has given them what they wanted all along, they won't stand for her to just change her mind.

Normally it's the mother's right to keep the child but due to some legal disputes with her mental state, the father and his family were given complete custody once she gave him up.

I wish she would've thought about her decision some more first and possibly just given him to my parent's and I like we had wanted instead of sending him of to grow up an abusive criminal.

Procrastination

Going off of yesterday's tirade; waiting till the last minute isn't a great way to get where you want to be; unless you're just that good.

We were allotted an extra month to our already month long time to write and essay and I still managed to wait until tonight to complete it. Yesterday I read the book from cover to cover and during church I wrote out a three page report. I managed to finish with time to write this post but the stress having to get the thing done in such short time imposed on me was dreadful.

So trying to keep this as simple as possible so I may still receive enough sleep to accomplish what I need to tomorrow; don't leave anything until the very end, time yourself and get it done step by step.

Update: Still managing to hand the report in on time I received a 83% on it; mostly because I supported my too lengthy of a quote in too short of an explanation.

Hard Work

To get anywhere in today's world you need to be good at a lot of crap and that involves dedication that not everyone has and time. I for one want to major in forensic science with a minor in criminal justice; this involves a lot of prior knowledge and experience.

1. Biology *
2. Chemistry*
3. AP Biology
4. AP Chemistry*
5. AP Psychology*
6. AP Calculus
7. AP Stat
8. Physics
9. Anatomy

(the * mean i have either finished or am in the process of finishing)

This is a lot to focus on accomplishing in so little time, this is all just in high school FYI.

All of this I work hard to pass. I attend all classes weather I am sick or not and take daily notes. My afternoons are dedicated to studying even though I wish to play video games or sit outside in the sun with a good book. My Saturday's involve study sessions with my teachers.  And family time consists of me sitting in the room with a little light rereading the sections.

We can only hope that all this time and effort we put into the things we do will get us to where we want to be. There are many people who end up changing their plans and everything they have al;ready done was for nothing.

Don't be a statistic, a fry-cook, a wanna be; be everything and anything you want to. Give everything your all.

Death in the Family

So tomorrow marks two months since my grandfather passed away. I don't think it has actually hit my grandmother yet, sometimes it doesn't hit people for years. This isn't good though, things need to be done, we need to try and fill the hole he has left behind in our lives. It's hard to move on, especially if others are unwilling to let you.
My grandfather helped everyone with their car inspections, he helped build homes, he kept my immediate family in a somewhat non hostile relationship with the other part. These are all things that are falling apart without him.
We try to help but my grandmother won't let us. My dad is the only one who can come close to fillin the shoes but he isn't allowed to use anything that my grandfather touched. It's ridiculous. We need to start living our lives again. This can't continue, however sad the event was. I'm sorry.

Video Games

Okay, I get it, video games are great, I'm a gamer too. But does anybody else get annoyed when that one person takes complete control? It starts as them asking to help then they suggest things to you and then they try to take your controller but when you dont allow it they just add themselves in and take control of the game. It's rude and extremely annoying!!

My brother is one of these people, and my parents won't correct him on his behavior because he is autistic and it's his way of venting.

Vent on your own time!!!!!

I need a way to cool down too you know! Just because I'm cool and collect in front of the general public does not mean I don't get angered or frustrated like everyone else.

That's exactly why I have all of my books in my room, the old Nintendo systems, a Wii, a stereo, a computer, board games; anything I need to stay isolated, minus food (usually).

Vent. Rant. Relax. Do whatever you have to but leave me be. I can and want to do things my own way. Stop screwing with the system!

Teen Relationships & Sex

It seems that most everywhere you look there are couples; some sweet old couples, others the grossly energetic young couples. Doesn't it ever seem like it's too much?

And then there's when a friend get's into a relationship, they completely blow you off! It's sad, even when they are hanging with you they are messaging their significant other; I hate it with a passion. I vowed to myself the day I finally was asked out that I would not put him above the rest of my social life, and I still hold that; but not everyone has that standard.

You shouldn't build your life around a single person, what happens when they leave? You're screwed that what's.

Then there's the sex. Don't get addicted. A friend of mine declares that they have found their soul mate so they have been keeping track of everything they do..... She told me today that it has been about four months and they have already done it over a hundred times; that's a bit ridiculous. I have been in a single relationship, it lasted six months, we never even joked around about doing it, the only reason we broke up is because i didn't want to have a long distance relationship with him while he went to college; I wanted him to be able to have the full blown experience like I hope to.

Another thing..... Why is it that every year it's starting earlier and earlier?!?! There are third graders at my baby brother's school that dress like sluts and make out in front before they go into class! It's ridiculous!!!!!!

Maybe I'm just jealous of them all that I'm not doing all that crap but \I could also be telling the truth that nobody wants to admit.

Communication in the Technology Era

Have you ever played whisper down the lane? You say something really rude that you want everyone to laugh at but by the time it gets down to the very end its a completely different message, right? Doesn't life ever feel like that? Especially in this new technological era.
Jokes are taken the wrong way and you're punished.
Rumors spread like wildfire. They may not even start like that. Shouldn't we go to the source and figure out the facts?
Everything is getting so jumbled and confusing anymore. Whatever happened to talking face to face or writing actual letters. Now people text each other from across a lunch table and send email.

I long for those days when you actually spent hours hanging with people and TALKED. Or anticipating getting a letter from a friend/relative in the mail. Those were the days of understanding and innocence. Is anybody else with me or am I just crazy?

Take some time away from electronics and do stuff the old fashioned way for a while. Maybe you'll keep some mailmen in a job and actually understand what's going on in your surrounding.

The Idiocy of family Arguments

It doesn't matter who you are, how you're raised, or where you're from; everyone has those arguments that never make any sense. By that, I mean those times when there is no real origin of it, it just kinda happened; and better yet, there's no explanation to it. These constantly happen in my house, especially with all the stress going on. Topic choices range from what show is best, to what what to have for dinner, to what our money goes toward. And depending on our state of mind, the logic put into the conversation differentiates tremendously. But none the less, they are apart of being alive.

Can you imagine what cavemen fought about?
"We are going to have buffalo for dinner and you're going to like it!"
"But we had buffalo two moons ago! I want to have gazelle!"
If that doesn't make your day I don't know what to tell you.

On a more harsh note, these so called idiotic arguments can be what causes families to separate. Some people just take certain topics too seriously to be able to joke around sometimes. So beware what you bring up.
My father for instance is currently frustrated with the fact that we can barely survive because we were without any income what so ever for nearly half a year. Now whenever something comes up that requires money, a war breaks out. I can't imagine what it's going to be like when I want to go to college in the fall of 2016. It's going to be very hard and possibly traumatic.

No matter the arguments, you should always take in the sincerity and seriousness of the discussion; some things could be deadly true. But then again you also shouldn't take some things to heart; like a pissed boyfriend or husband pointing out flaws, try getting to the root of the issue and help them cheer up. You'd want them to do the same, wouldn't you? Or maybe you'd rather break up because they got frustrated with a coworker. It's your choice.

Happy Easter Everyone!!

As time goes on all holidays loose track of their purpose. Halloween for example was original like the day of the dead for the Spanish, all those who passed away could visit the world of the living for one day; not all the spirits were good however which started the need to scare them away. Thanksgiving was meant to be a day of literal thanks because the Indians had supplied ways of surviving that the settlers were not familiar with; it has since become a day to veg and over indulge in food. Christmas was meant to symbolize a day for Christians to recruit new followers and celebrate the birth of their future savior; it has since become a day of spending endless amounts of money. Valentine's day has had multiple purposes, originally a roman day of fertility and then a Christian saint who secretly wed couples because soldiers weren't allowed to; now it's a hallmark holiday full of romance (I won't stress my true opinion but if you wish watch Foamy the Squirrels rant on YouTube, he about sums it up). St. Patrick's day was meant to celebrate the removal of the "snakes" from Ireland; now it's a day drinking and wearing green.
Holidays have come a long way since they were first created. I hope you enjoy your day of excessive eating and pointless egg searching while the meanings behind what we do slowly disappear into oblivion forever.
And may Christ never have to be reincarnated again to experience what this celebratory day has become.

Appearances in Today's Society

In today's society we are pressured to be a certain way, and not just with behavior but also with looks and so many other categories. Our top priorities however seem to revolve around appearing "pleasing to the eye". What is with this?! As long as you are okay with the way you look you're fine! All of the pressure laid on kids by celebrities is getting to be a bit ridiculous. I for one have been led by the kids in my school and my doctors, to believe that I'm too chubby and too tall to ever look decent enough to just do tasks that seem natural. Sure I'm a bit overweight and sure I'm 5'10" but that doesn't mean I should have to conform to make everyone around me happy. It's making me feel like crap whenever I look or even think about myself. Because of the descriptions people use toward me I hate wearing skinny jeans, I hate wearing tight shirts, I hate wearing my sneakers, I hate wearing regular bras, I hate my hair, I hate wearing makeup, I hate wearing dresses, and absolutely dread wearing shorts in public. So I pretty much hate everything about me! All because society has to push having a certain body. I realize they are trying expand their horizons but honestly it's not working and it will not be a thing in my lifetime. Because of society I also feel as if there is nothing in my power to change my appearance and how I feel about myself. Just once I would like to feel loved for my personality and individuality instead of hated for my belly roll or double chin.

Hopes and Desires: Marriage

Standing in line, you can over hear a lot of strange conversations; drug dealing, date nights, sex, parties, engagements. That last ones a bit strange huh? Well there were legit, people arguing over under what circumstances they would get married. One of the girls for instance insists that she will only say yes if the ring is bigger than 2 karat. I've heard of planning out a "perfect" wedding, but seriously? A necessity on the ring?! And her reasoning is that if the guy truly loves her it wouldn't matter to him. Well sweetie, if you truly loved him it wouldn't matter to you! None of it would! If you truly loved each other you wouldn't even care about getting married, you'd just want to spend eternity with him; no extravagant wedding, ring, or honeymoon involved.
The same applies to long distance relationships. Some people complain about the distance but if you truly love each other and want to be together you would forget about the gap in-between you and know that there will be a way for you to be together.
So while yes, I have my own fantasies about my future and how I'd vision my wedding to be; I understand that if you really care, nothing else matters.
Getting married outside in the snow blanketed forest, doesn't matter. Having Termini's make a gorgeous cake for the occasion, doesn't matter. Only having close/true friends and family there, while greatly appreciated; isn't necessary.
All that does matter is that each person is happy living with each other, sometimes it's even better if you don't have the wedding.
Just some food for thought.

Autism Awareness

There's always going to be a controversy to what I say and believe or what others say and believe but there's till going to be a truth to it all.

Every one person out of twenty has autism. One of those people, is my brother, he has aspergers; and so does his best friend. I can't tell you much about the life of my brother from his perspective or the life of his friend, but i can tell you their involvement and impact in my life.

My brother is a mere one and a half years younger than me, so not much is different between. We've both always been very argumentative. We've both always excelled at math. And we both have always enjoyed being whisked away to magical realms through books. There are some differences however. For one, I love to help my dad out with anything and everything. He however prefers to stick by my mothers side, always a bit more picky. But that's how most kids are. We choose our sides, and stick to them.

As we grew up together we didn't see anything extremely different about one another, nothing out of the ordinary at least. But that's to be expected isn't it? Autistic kids are just like everyone else, or they seem to be from the outside. They do however, take things a little differently mentally.

Everyone gets bullied at some point and for us it was most days. I've gotten used to it and just repress the feelings but it's a little harder for my brother. One day he just couldn't take it anymore. He took the threats toward him a bit too seriously and cracked. He jokingly agreed that he had the resources and would do as they wished. He would go kill himself. This caused him to be unwillingly taken away from my family for a week before my dad was fed up and required they give him back; seeing as we couldn't pay their bill anyway.

During his time away from my family my brother was officially diagnosed. Although everyone tries convincing you that being diagnosed makes you no different, everyone tries to take advantage of it, even the diagnosed. Even if you are told not to treat them any different than a regular friend they get some form of special treatment. Such as extensive video game time or the ability to eat as much as you want whenever you want.

It gets ridiculous.

Now my brother sees two therapeutic psychologists at our house each week and has a "ghost" follow him at school.

Never the less, autism can be a very serious problem and there is no permanent solution. You can be drugged like my brother's friend but then you're like  a zombie.

Be careful what you say and do to people, it could be their last straw.

The Case of the Sudsy Stream

I slowly walk down the edge of the stream looking for any clues that the criminal may have left behind; footprints, residue, anything that seemed out of the ordinary. Like any good detective called to the scene of a crime I questioned any and all witnesses. I had to make sure I had everything straight before I could make any assumptions. This is what I found out.

Jack woke up at 6 o’clock every Sunday morning to go fishing at Clear Creek but when he showed up at 7 o’clock this morning there was a massive amount of suds occupying the water. It seems as if the suds have diminished some what since Jack first discovered them, they only spread out for 20 feet in either direction and are only about a foot high. The closest buildings are the detergent factory three miles down stream and the new art studio a mile up hill. The buildings are not quite close enough to have caught anything on tape so I’m going to have to solve this case the old fashioned way.

First thing I need to do is state what my problem is. And today my problem is who and what caused the bubbles in Clear Creek. Now that I have my goal in mind I can take time to thoroughly exam the crime scene. I slip on my gloves so that I don’t risk contaminating anything and grab my Kodak camera to take pictures with. I walk the perimeter of the stream looking for prints in the dirt, being careful of where I step. On the east side of the stream there was a short trail, as if something had been dragged. *Click* My camera takes a photo of the trail. Being slightly inexperienced I can’t be positive but the print looks as if it was made by something roughly 107 lbs in weight. I follow the trail but it only last for about 10 feet and then it stops, maybe the object was carried but then the carrier became tired and dragged it the rest of the way. Thinking this was a dead end that I could come back to if necessary, I turned to walk away but something caught the corner of my eye. Stuck on a tree limb was a small piece of cloth. *Click* Another photo for the file. Carefully I removed the cloth and examined it, it seemed to be a piece of tarp but there was something waxy on it, the evidence was placed in a plastic bag to be further examined later.

It is starting to get dark by the time I return to the stream. After finding the tarp I stopped at Mike’s hoagie shop to grab lunch then I headed to my home lab to test the waxy residue left on the cloth. The residue was from a bar of soap, not the fancy stuff you use in the shower but the kind you would normally carve things out of. I couldn’t be sure that the person would come back and do the same thing tonight but I wasn’t going to give up a chance to have a stake out. With a video camera hidden in a bush, I climbed up into a sturdy tree and patiently waited for something to happen. Sadly have been staying up the night before playing video games it wasn’t long before I fell asleep. The next morning when I woke the bubbles were there again, sitting on the water as if someone had just taken a very large bubble bath. I climbed down from the tree, my butt aching, and walked to where I had placed the video camera. As I watched the recording all seemed quiet until 6:34 am when a mysterious figure approached the stream and dumped something into the water. If you looked very carefully as the figure dumped the contents something bounced out and landed in some brush.

Slowly I walk over to the brush and I hear some rustling, a squirrel jumps out with white around its mouth. Instinctively I jump back thinking it has rabies but after I get a closer look I realize it is more soap residue. Perhaps the squirrel was eating some and thought it was an acorn or some other type of nut. Just as I’m pulling my arm out of the brush, holding the soap, the deputy walks up behind me. I spin around and nearly whack him in the face.

“What are you doing!? You are supposed to be solving this case not poking in some overgrown weeds,” the deputy spurts out in anger.

Waving the block of soap in the deputy’s face I tell him that I am solving the case. He snatches the object from my hands and questions why I haven’t turned anybody into the custody of the town then. I thoroughly explain what I think is happening to the deputy.

I believe that a sculptor from the new art studio has been practicing on some soap blocks. But all of the ruined ones eventually pile up and need to be moved. Not having any where to stick the soap blocks the sculptor carries them down to the stream and dumps them. Walking up to the art studio I think of what I’m going to do once I find the culprit. Entering the art studio is like entering a college for the first time, there were at least 100 students speeding through the halls. Among those students one seemed to stand out to me, she was an average 19 year old but that wasn’t what I cared about, I was more concerned with the supplies she was holding. With a dozen or so soap blocks in her arms I was almost positive this was the person I was after.

I followed her and when she finally walked into a room I shut the door behind me. I needed to ask her some questions without being disturbed. She was very startled when she first noticed me but she answered my questions with no hesitation. She admitted to dumping the soap blocks into Clear Creek but that they weren’t her creations. Just then an older man, around 26, came into the room and was about to make a run for it when I blocked his path.

I walked both of the criminals back to Clear Creek where the sheriff and deputy were waiting. Our small town isn’t big on cruel punishments so the culprits were given two weeks of community service each. After finishing up my report I handed it into the sheriff. My first real case solved and who knows maybe this could be the start of my own detective agency.

Urban Legends: Fraternities and Being Yourself

Nudity.

Drugs.

Alcohol.

Late nights alone in the woods.

Initiations are hazards, but they are a tradition; one that every high school student dreams of partaking in. I was no exception. My name is Alex, and this is the story of how my life ended.

I don’t truly believe it ever began, my life that is. The foster home was the only one I knew, and it was what always set me apart from the group. Sure I could blend into the crowd of nerds or even get away with hanging with the alternatives, but having just that single difference made me permanently different.

I had hoped that my high school graduation would make everything better, it would be my tabula rasa. Nobody would have to know I was an orphan and I could be a whole new person. I attended Carroll College in Helena Montana, it was about as far as I could get from Delaware. Popularity isn’t spontaneous however, and I had to work for my fame.

I stayed in an apartment right off campus, that helped a little. My intense knowledge of the world, did not. It wasn’t until our hectic college freshman lives calmed down towards the second semester that we all started to form cliques. Sororities and Fraternities of all kinds came out of the woodworks and began to recruit new victims. As much as I wished for it, I knew I wasn’t going to be one of the chosen. That’s why it shocked me when I found a black envelope with a deep red wax seal on the back, stuck in-between the pages of my textbook.

As children we hear LOTS of stories of what happens when you join a house on campus. Sometimes you are forced to run around butt naked while the other members record it. Other times, you’re influenced by roofies that leave you vulnerable for all types of violations. One of the deadliest rituals is that of survival; you are dropped off in the middle of an unknown terrain with a potato sac over your head and must find your way through the dark while others are playing tricks on you.

Roar Omega Roar, the house I was to be pledged into, was one of the largest and most popular of them all. The thoughts of what awaited me as an initiation, clouded my mind and my grades began to slip.

Two weeks later, I was standing on a corner ten blocks away from the campus. Alone under a dim street light, I awaited my pickup.

A sleek black truck pulled up beside me with no license plate to be found. A cloaked figure helped me up into the bed and sat me down before tying a handkerchief around my eyes. It was a long car ride, although they were probably just trying to confuse me; first a left, then another, a right, and a left. I was repeatedly offered a drink during the ride; the minute I accepted, the ride came to a halt.

A small drop from the tailgate to the ground and then twenty paces  along the tar pit road to the right. I removed my blindfold and revealed an unusual scene. Everyone was grouped around a conflagration. Why had I needed to be blinded? I wasn’t staying put, that’s why. I followed a trail of twinkling lights through the woods for at least a mile before being given any directions.

Using only what I was born with, I was to find my way back to the campus; that implied that we were in the surrounding woods because I would not be returning to town before hand.

Thunder rumbled overhead and it began to pour but I continued anyway. As I walked my surroundings grew darker and darker vanishing before my eyes. Only the occasional glow of beady eyes let me know that I wasn’t completely unaccompanied.  I felt around and I couldn’t even find a tree to lean on at some point. I was officially alone, and I was in an endless darkness. Struggling to find courage I continued on into the endless black hole. Eventually I started to hear noises again. Soon a faint glow rose on the horizon.

It wasn’t the sun, that’s for sure; I wasn’t nearly fatigued enough for the whole night to have gone by already. Hoping that it was a sign that the end was near I ran towards it. Gargoyles and menacing angel statues greeted me at the brink of the darkness. The back door to Roar Omega Roar presented itself to me. Obnoxious music blared from inside the walls. Upon entrée however, I was greeted with nothing. Nobody filled the kitchen nor did anybody fill the adjacent halls; even now, I was alone.

A squeal reverberated from the front of the house. Eager to end this treachery I bolted through the doorway.

Animals.

Ginormous animals.

That’s what had created the sound.

Cautiously I wandered through the crowd, passing pigs three feet high and eagles that nearly touched the roof. Following a basilisk that glided through the halls like a river, I came across a grand staircase. While ascending this staircase a swarm of flying monkeys engulfed me. Staggering on the edge of the rail, I inched my way to the top.

The clamoring of noise behind me faded as I walked down the ancient hall. Doors lined the sides and as you got further down, it seemed as if you were traveling back in time. Bright florescent lights slowly changed to candles hanging on the walls, the carpeted floor gave way to wood boards, painted doors changed to chipped oak planks.

I peeked into every room I walked past; there was an infinite amount of horrendous mysteries in store for me.

The first room had walls completely covered in spiders, not an inch was bare. The second room was similar to that of a circus tent, clowns entertained each other with new tricks. A third room spilled water as I creaked the door open a smidge. On and on my fears came to life, becoming more and more intensely bizarre. At one point I swore the room contained nothing but a rickety old wooden bridge that led to another door. In yet a different room, blood oozed down the interior with no logical explanation to it. Vampire’s controlled the next room; possibly they were the cause of the bloody walls. That’s when everything took a turn for the worse; My Little Ponies had bedazzled the final room.

Everywhere you turned there was another one. They mesmerized me with their innocence and magical allure.  Slowly I began to lose all sense of time. Eventually I managed to crawl out of the lair and tumble down the staircase. But by that point it was too late for me.

All the animals surrounded me, even the gargoyles seemed to have risen for the occasion. This was it; they were going to destroy me in a cruel and unusual manner. Maybe that’s what they had done to the members of Roar Omega Roar. I was just the last puzzle piece. Left to be demolished by an animalistic society.

As the lights faded from my vision and the animals floated farther and farther away I regained a small glimpse of reality.

The true identities of all the dangers I faced, revealed themselves. They weren’t animals at all, but instead my peers that had already passed their initiation rituals.

My name is Alex, and my demise was my own doing; I beg that you heed my advice and just be yourself. There’s no need to be like everybody else because you aren’t like everybody else. We struggle through our own lives and nobody can understand what it is we go through. Even you don’t understand what you are capable of accomplishing or not.

The Utopian Society of Amicable

Welcome to the phenomenal land of Amicable! In our spectacular world we do not have money. We trade things we have for things we need. Our government is really a council of people who meet at the church and discuss new ideas such as farming techniques. We live as one, and in unity, we will survive.

As our town of Amicable grows older we live and learn from our mistakes. Someone might grow the same crop in the same spot over and over, decreasing the amount of nutrients in the soil to help the plants grow. Learning from our mistakes we would learn that we need to alternate the plants we put in certain spots. Our government tries as hard as it can to make the right decisions and make the memories and experiences of anger and sorrow along with war and death disappear. The less you think about depressing thoughts the less likely you are to cause these things. Our community of Amicable has some special rules. We ask that everyone give each other an equal chance and to not be a nuisance, we also decreed that you may use IOU’s on important things like food and shelter but if you use more than ten IOU’s you will be placed in what we call a service bubble and will have to build new houses for the expanding families of the community. Children who do not know any better will be put into a room and asked to write about what they did wrong. Our town of Amicable grows stronger in many ways everyday.

The phenomenal land of Amicable is very pleasant and vibrant. We welcome new neighbors with open hands and open hearts. While our town grows so does our intelligence. We live as one and respect each other. We follow our motto and do unto others as we would have them do unto us. That is what the land of Amicable is like, the land of peacefulness, forgiveness, and respect! (Caution: the land of Amicable does not yet exist but maybe one day there will be a world without war and misery)

The Adventures of Sarah Mastrul

A bright sky blue mustang roars down the streets of New Jersey, inside are two passengers Sarah and Dale Mastrull. They are on a high speed race to all the lighthouses of New Jersey. They are racing against 2,000 people and climbing 11 different lighthouses. How would they ever complete this within 3 days!

While at the fire department in Levittown earlier that week Dale overheard his fellow firefighters discussing an event they were going to attend that weekend. Sarah wanted to take part in the New Jersey Lighthouse challenge as well, just like she remembers from her childhood but they were in for a bigger surprise than just a lot of climbing. While climbing the first lighthouse Dale Stumbled over a large brown suitcase. The latch unlocked, the suitcase popped open with a thud and women’s clothing flew all over the stairwell and other competitors. They put all the clothes back in the suitcase and took it with them to the other lighthouses. Now Sarah and her husband Delaware on a wild goose chase to return the suitcase to its rightful owner. As they climbed every lighthouse they would kindly ask people if they had misplaced a large brown suitcase. It turned out that people didn’t like this because they thought Sarah was trying to distract them so she could get to the finish line first.

In their mustang as she’s unraveling the map to find their next destination Sarah tries to remember how this all had started. You could probably say that it all started on October 13th 1973, the day she was born. Right away her parents could tell that Sarah was very curious about things and loved to explore. Instead of crying like most babies do Sarah loved to pull on things and stick them in her mouth. She acted just like a true blue detective.

When she was eight, Sarah liked to believe she was a real detective like Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes; she even had a dog for a side kick, Sparkie. (She named her dog Sparkie because her last name at the time, Iskra, was Slovak for Sparkie.) As she grew up Sarah loved to go on adventures with her grandmother but it would be later in life that her real adventures would begin.

Although she liked to pretend Sarah never actually thought that she would be a detective and be called a hero. Instead she imagined herself as a teacher.Sarah’s father,Francis, was a reading teacher atF.D.R.Middle School and her mother,Dorothy, was a secretary so you could say she had a big influence but that was only a small part of her decision. It began around eighth grade; Sarah was constantly being pestered by classmates for help, that was when she had her epiphany and knew that one day she wanted to teach kids math and how you can use it in extraordinary ways. Sarah once said, “Math is used in so many ways; for science, to commit crimes, and to solve mysteries. You can use math in your own ways and maybe even change the world.”

Sarah grew up just like any other kid does; she liked to listen to classic rock, she enjoyed watching reruns of the Monkees, she watched the Phillies, and had a phobia of fish. It wasn’t until she was 16 that Sarah went on a big adventure. Sarah and her mom flew out to California on July 10th 1989 and were going to watch the Monkees receive their star on the walk of fame. During the ceremony there was a dispute between the fans and the band on how and why they received their star.Sarah was very disturbed by this ruckus because she was one of the fans that signed the petition. Some people are still undecided whether the band truly earned their star on the walk of fame or not. This was only one of Sarah’s adventures.

When she was 20 Sarah took a trip with her mom to Memphis,Tennessee. Sarah was on a tour of Elvis’ house in Graceland. At the time his room was blocked off, they claimed it was being refurbished but Sarah thought that there had to be something else going on in that room. When the group turned around a corner and into another room Sarah snuck into Elvis’ bedroom and found a clean set of clothes lying there as if set for somebody to change into. Now the clothes could have been left there from when Elvis supposedly died but if that was true how would you explain the running shower water that you could hear coming from the other room. The water shortly turned off and Sarah was worried that she would be caught by who ever it was, so she quickly crawled under the bed.Sarah never found out who it was in Elvis’ room because nobody believed her story but who ever it was she described the man as being in his late 50’s early 60’s and had a similar face distortion as Elvis. This phenomenon could be added to the statements about whether or not Elvis is still alive today. It turns out that Elvis’ coffin was air conditioned, calls were made to friends and family of Elvis using code names that only he would know, and there were multiple reasons on why he would have faked his death such as death threats. Coincident? Maybe but maybe not. More mysterious things occurred later in Sarah’s life, only God knew what was in store for her.

After Sarah was married she flew out to Rome and saw the inside of the Sistine chapel painted by no other than Michelangelo. Lying in one of the pews was a couple of spray cans and plans to sneak in and graffiti the walls. With her good will and forever growing heart Sarah turned the plans into the authorities and they caught the perpetrator that night while staking out in the back office. If it weren’t for Sarah the Sistine Chapel probably wouldn’t be the masterpiece it still is today.

Another miraculous coincidence occurred during a trip to Niagara Falls, Canada. If it weren’t for Sarah’s quick thinking a little girl and her dog might not have lived to see her 8th birthday. As they passed under the falls a little girl was pushed by the force and nearly fell of the side and hit a big boulder (the dog was gripping onto the girl’s dress with all its might and wouldn’t let go when it was over). Sarah might never have caught the girl if it weren’t for her keen eyesight (the mist from the falls made it hard to see three feet in front of you) and fast thinking. What would have happened if Sarah hadn’t been there?

Everything in Sarah’s life has been calm lately. She currently has two dogs, Pugsley and his son Teddy. She likes to watch Phillies games and has dreams that she hopes will one day come true, she wants to own a beach house and work as a recorder of baseball statistics.Sarah has some secrets she keeps and others that she is proud of like the fact that in school she was called a nerd and even had a 3.93 GPA. Things in Sarah’s life have seemed to fallen right in place, even her husband who she met at her best friends wedding. Her life is looking pretty ordinary for now.

Sarah still has adventures from time to time like the lighthouse challenge her and her husband just won but for now she focuses on teaching her wild bunch people call classes. Some stories just turn out the way you want them but then again who wants a perfect life!

“Sarah we need you to solve a case, there have been unexplainable occurrences at the Santa Maria Maggiore in Northern Italy. Can you please come to investigate?” an unknown man asks during a call Sarah receives.

A Surprise for Mom and Dad

Our story begins in an ordinary house off the shore of California.

“Alright kids the cabs here which means that its time for me and your father to leave,” Mrs.Snarklewits explained.

“Now you two need to behave and listen to Grandpa Gregory,” finished Mr.Snarklewits.

Mr. and Mrs. Snarklewits were going to Hawaii for a second honeymoon to celebrate their ten year anniversary. Meanwhile the twins, Sabrina and Carol, would stay home and hang out with their Grandpa Gregory.

While their parents were away on vacation Sabrina and Carol wanted to do something really special for them and even though the twins were only eight they had big intentions. With the help of their grandfather Sabrina and Carol wanted to paint Mr. and Mrs.Snarklewits’ room so that it always reminded them of joyous memories. But which memories should they include?

“Grandpa, what memories are mom and dad really fond of?” asked Carol.

Now why would you ask a question like that honey buns?” questioned Grandpa Gregory.

“We were going to paint mommy and daddy’s room so that they could visualize their memories,” answered Sabrina.

“Are you sure that it’s okay with your parents?” replied Grandpa.

“Yeah, mom and dad wanted to redo their bedroom and they said that we could paint it for them,” Sabrina and Carol replied in unison.

Okay, then have I got a story for you, be prepared to take notes!” exclaimed Grandpa.

“This is the story of your parents wedding/honeymoon! It all started when your mom had been asked to represent her company in a debate to be held in New York. It was there that your parents met,” Grandpa started the story.

“Let me guess,” Sabrina contemplated, “mom and dad were going against each other and dad couldn’t resist mom’s good looks.’

“That’s right peaches but do you want to hear this story or not?” Grandpa asked.

Carol just sat there and giggled.

“Now as I was saying before I was interrupted, the debate ended rather quickly, your father took one look at your mom and his jaw almost fell off. Without permission from his boss your dad dropped all charges against your mother’s company and was fired from his job. Once your mom found out what happened with your dad they both fell in love with each other. They scheduled to get married on the fourth of July at the Federal Hall National Memorial,” continued Grandpa.

“What was their wedding like grandpa?” Carol wondered.

“It was marvelous, like a dream come true. With your mom in her hammy down wedding dress and your father in his customized tux that his mom made for him they looked like a king and queen,” Grandpa explains, “Once your mom and dad had their extraordinary wedding they wanted to have an even better honeymoon, so to top the wedding they left on a month long road trip honeymoon. Their first stop was Vermont.”

Why did you stop grandpa?” the girls asked.

“Because it’s your bedtime silverbells,” he answered.

All through the night Sabrina and Carol dreamed of what their parents honeymoon and what might have happened. Sabrina imagined them visiting museums and discovering new scientific evidence. Carol imagined her mom and dad walking through clubhouses playing hide and go seek.

In the morning their adventure continued.

“Grandpa can we continue the story?” Sabrina practically begged.

“After you eat breakfast and finish your chores,” proclaimed Grandpa Gregory.

Sabrina and Carol completed their chores so fast that you would have thought that they were witches using magic.

“Okay now where was I when we left off yesterday? I remember, your parents were leaving for their first stop in Vermont. Now to make things really special your parents went to a top rated tourist attraction in each place. When in Vermont your parents went to the village of Shelburne, and yes I said village. Shelburne is a reconstructed village with all of its original buildings and services. After exploring the village in Vermont your parents head to a science center in New Hampshire,” Grandpa started the story again.

“Grandpa what did the village look like? Sabrina asked politely.

“It’s hard to describe, maybe we can find a picture later,” Grandpa Gregory answered.

A moment of silence fell upon the room.

“Anyway your parents continued their trip to New Hampshire and visited the Seacoast Science Centre, which is where the giant brochure came from; your parents went on a customized tour and explored the science museum. Soon they were on their way to Maine to try out snowmobiling, neither of them had done it before so they both continuously bumped/crashed into things,” Grandpa broke the silence, “Your parents rested for a night at the snowmobile resort and continued their trip in the morning. Your parents bought passports and crossed the border to Quebec,Canada. One in Quebec your parents (the Snarklewits) drove to Mount Royal Park and climbed 763 feet to the top, there they saw a magnificent view of Montrealand St. Lawrence,” Grandpa Gregory concluded the story.

“But Grandpa that can’t be the rest of the story, we don’t live in Canada!” the girls exclaimed.

“You’re right but we have other things to do too,” Grandpa answered the unasked question.

Sabrina and Carol cleaned the house from top to bottom both inside and out. Then they walked the dog, went shopping, and volunteered at the home for the elderly.

“Grandpa, let’s continue the story so I can finish the wall designs,” Sabrina suggested.

“Alright, after visiting Quebec your parents drove to Ontario and saw Niagara Falls, there the acquired the tee shirts they wear every fourth of July. Following Ontario your parents traveled across the border into the United States and went to Comerica Parkin Michigan. Not long after your parents were on their way to the Science Museum of Minnesota. Then they crossed the border back into Canada again to visit the Spirit Sands of Manitoba, which is where your parents got the glass of sand that you two aren’t aloud to touch.

Being followed by that your parents continued traveling until the hit the T-Rex Discovery Centre of Saskatchewan, while the were visiting your parents helped with a scientific dig even if they didn’t find anything,” the story telling continued by Grandpa.

“Maybe we should stop for now peaches, how about we go get paint and start planning,” Grandpa suggested.

“Grandpa we went shopping for equipment earlier, don’t you remember?” Carol questioned her grandfather curiously.

“We did? I guess we should finish the story then what do you think?” Grandpa Gregory pondered.

“Yeah!” the girls screamed.

“Your parents, the Snarklewits, drove on and crossed the border between Canada and the United States for the fourth but not last time. Once in Montana your parents continued their honeymoon by going by St. Regis and fishing. They didn’t stay there long, your dad was disappointed that he hadn’t caught anything in the first hour and faster than a speeding zebra your parents crossed the border to Canada one last time into Alberta. There your parents saw the Canadian Badlands where they have awkwardly amazing rocks that were formed by wind and water erosions,” Grandpa continued the never ending story, “For the last Canadian trip your parents stopped at the Royal British Columbia Museum in British Columbia. An assortment of natural history displays were out and the Thunderbird Park next door featured totem poles; there your mom just couldn’t resist buying a totem pole keychain.

For the last time during this trip your parents crossed the border into America. Now they were on their way to the Cascade Range in Washington to see a volcano, they didn’t think it was as exciting as the brochure said. Right away your parents were on their way to a ghost town in Oregon. The people who own the town say that millions of spirits refused to leave and now haunt the town, long story short your dad was scared out of his wits and your parents were on the road again. This time, to the San Diego Zoo in California. Your parents thought San Diego was a great place to raise their kids and that’s where a new adventure began. But that’s a story for a different time.”

“Great story grandpa, now we can spend the next two weeks painting!” Sabrina and Carol screamed with excitement.

Together Sabrina, Carol and their Grandpa Gregory finished painting the room for Mr. and Mrs. Snarklewits a day before the parents arrived home and to celebrate they all had pizza and soda.

The next day when the Snarklewits arrived home…

“Mom, dad come see what we painted your room like!” the twins cheered.

Mr. and Mrs. Snarklewits were astonished at the girls’ paintings.

“It’s beautiful girls! But how did you learn about all the places me and your dad went to?” Mrs. Snarklewits pondered.

“Grandpa told us,” Sabrina and Carol replied joyously.

“I read your diary,” Grandpa Gregory said in a hushed voice.

“WHAT!!!!” Mrs. Snarklewits screamed.

But of course that’s a story for another time.

THE END