by Jay, 12th
Hair
A conversation that flows smoothly in a conversation between black girls
So much passion through the words we speak of something so simple
Something we all connect with
Something that lift us up when we are feeling low
A new hair style
Fulani braids, weave, marley twist, singles, Senegalese twist, natural hair
I wear it all
Also a conversation that’s awkward when speaking to someone with no history on black hair
This conversation can become strange when someone other than my fellow black girls ask strange questions
Is that your real hair?
Is it fake?
How long is your real hair?
Do you not like your real hair?
Can I touch?
I am not a pet you cannot touch my hair
Believing I don’t appreciate my natural hair because I wear weave and braids
You don’t deserve to see my natural hair
Hearing girls with straight hair complain about their hair being “nappy”
Sweetie your hair is tangled NOT nappy
I love my real hair which is why I take care of it
Hot oil treatments and deep conditioning
And all the weave and braids I wear it’s called a PROTECTIVE STYLE
Understand the meaning behind these styles
Educate yourself

by Andy Hunter, 12th
10 A.M., Saturday, October 15th, 2016
​     Bzzzzz. BzZZZ. bZZZZZ. I groggily reach for my alarm as the ceaseless monotony of beeps brings me to my senses. I begin to roll out of bed, and then remember I have to be careful. The last time I rolled out of bed super fast, I fell on the floor onto a Lego. Ouch. I sigh. Today’s the first day of track practice, and I should be excited, but instead I’m just really tired. I slowly rise and shake my head to clear it before stumbling to the bathroom. “Hopefully, I’m not this clumsy at practice,” I mumble to myself.
     As I wash my face and finish brushing my teeth, my mom calls up the stairs, “Josh! You’re gonna to be late for practice!” Stumbling with my duffel bag slung over my shoulder, I hastily grab my keys off my desk and manage a “Coming!” before flying down the stairs. I yank open the door and take a deep breath of fresh air before running to my car.
     I look at the dashboard as I pull up to a red light. 10:35 AM. I glance away, then do a double take. 10:35?! I’m already 20 minutes late! My hands are jittery. I didn’t get much sleep last night, so I’m even more jumpy than usual. Nervous thoughts begin running through my mind. Coach is gonna kill me! I’m supposed to be the team captain, the role model. What if he demotes me for setting a bad example? The state championship race is tomorrow! Will he still let me compete?!
     As the light turns green, I push the gas hard. Way too hard. I ram into the car in front of me, and my body lurches out of the seat. The last thing I see before I pass out is the blinding brightness of the sun as I’m laid out on my back among a wreckage of glass.
                                                              * * *
                                       1:30 P.M., Saturday, October 15th, 2016
    My first thoughts when I awaken are that my whole body hurts, but my right leg is particularly painful. There are shockwaves of pain from my right knee down to my foot when I move even a little bit. I feel an odd sort of apprehension, like something terrible happened, but my brain is fuzzy and I can’t really put my finger on it. I groan and lay back on my pillow, then do a double-take as I look around the room and see the IV tubes and other foreign beeping machines around my bed. Slowly, I come to my senses and realize I’m in the hospital. But for what? I can’t remember. I lay back gently into my pillow, and drift off to sleep again.
The next time I awaken, I open my eyes to the sight of a middle-aged man who appears to be my doctor. He says quietly, “Josh? Are you awake?”
“Uh, yeah,” I respond slowly, still half-asleep.
“Okay. Do you know why you’re here, Josh? Do you remember anything that happened?”
“I’m not really sure, sir. My memory’s still fuzzy, but I remember being in a car and worrying about being late to soccer practice.”
     “Ah, I see. The story is starting to come together a bit. Well, I’m sorry to tell you this, Josh, but at the intersection of 12th and 3rd Street, you rear-ended a car and flew out the windshield. The passengers in the other car were all okay. You were found unconscious, and transported here. You’re currently at Bellevue Hospital in New York.”
     Whoa. I must’ve hit the other car really hard. Suddenly, everything comes rushing back. Being late to practice. Pulling up really close to the car in front of me. Seeing the green light too late, and panicking. I don’t think I had my seatbelt on either. No wonder I flew out the window. I sigh quietly as the memories slowly recede, then speak up again.
     “Doctor, what’s happened to my leg? I can barely move my leg without it feeling like there’s a thousand needles shooting up my thigh. Is there any serious injury to my leg?” My thoughts turned to my track career. “Will it impact my running at all? Can I even run? I’m on the track team, you see.”
    The doctor puts up his hands, palms facing me like stop signs. “Whoa, buddy. Calm down. You have a fractured kneecap from the crash, and we’re going to have to cast it. You won’t be running anytime soon. Probably not for 6-8 weeks. Sorry, buddy.”
    A slight sense of panic begins to rise in my stomach. What am I going to do? How am I gonna tell Coach what happened? Will I be kicked off the team? I have no idea what’s in store for me now.
                                                                 * * *
                                        4 PM, Monday, October 17th, 2016
    I’ve been in the hospital for two days now. The state finals finished up yesterday, and the champion was someone I beat consistently for the last three years. What a perfect way to cap off a horrible weekend. They casted my leg about an hour ago, so I’m trying to learn how to walk with crutches. It takes me a bit, but finally I get the hang of it, and I sit back down on the bed, waiting for my mom to arrive so I can be dismissed from the hospital. I hear a ding from my phone, and reach across the bed to check the message. It’s from my mom.
    Hey Josh, I have some bad news. I talked to your coach about your injury and what’s going to happen to you moving forward, and he told me that he can’t justify putting you on the elite team anymore. He said he thought your injury would really hold you back from reaching your full potential now, and that the best choice forward was to drop you from the team and put you in the lower level team. He said he hopes that you find the new team satisfactory, and wished you luck in your recovery. I’m really sorry, Josh, but there’s not much we can do. We’re in no position to argue with him, as he told me already that he thought about dropping you from the organization altogether, after your teammates expressed that they didn’t think you should continue to be captain. We’re out of luck, hon. Text or call me when you’re up or if you need anything.
    I stare at the screen, dumbfounded. Did this really happen? There’s no way. Just as everything seemed to be trending up in my life. My grades were surviving, I had just asked a girl to Homecoming, and I’d just made the elite team of one of the best track clubs outside of school. And suddenly, I’m in a cast for six weeks, I’ve wrecked my car, and my own team has betrayed and shunned me. Who would’ve thought, in the fraction of time it takes to press your foot against the gas pedal, the state of one’s entire life could be changed forever?
                                                               * * *
                                5 P.M., Saturday, October 22nd, 2016
    I’m finally done with my homework. Time to research more teams that I could possibly join. As soon as I got out of the hospital, I called Coach, telling him that I would be dropping out of the organization. I’m not planning to tolerate a hostile environment where I’m not wanted, much less recover in one. Munching on my favorite snack of cashews and honey roasted peanuts, I browse casually through the results of a Google Search, scanning for any opportunities that seem worth checking out. As I scroll down the search results, my eyes catch onto one particular link and I raise my eyebrows as the page loads. Team Eagle. That name sounds oddly familiar. As it dawns on me, my eyebrows raise even higher. They are division rivals of my old team, and there is quite a heated competition in town between the two squads. Their coach has tried to convince members of our team to join theirs several times over, and their members have taunted ours endlessly. With the rising tensions and animosity, there was nearly a brawl at the final meet of the season last year. To join them will anger my old team to no end, and will cause even more chaos between the two teams. But I have no choice. They abandoned me, and I need a team. I can’t worry about them; I need to focus on myself. I navigate to and slowly click the “Contact Us” link.
                                                              * * *
                                   6PM, Sunday, December 15th, 2016
    I anxiously pace up and down the length of my room, glancing every few minutes at the fluorescent glow of my laptop. I’m wound up so tight right now with nervousness I could pass for a jack-in-a-box. I’m awaiting an email from the head coach of Team Eagle, who said he’d respond by 6PM in his latest email. I’ve been contacting him for a while now, nearly two months. Although they are division rivals of my former team, and I don’t want to cause any trouble, Team Eagle has done something no other team has done for me recently. Team Eagle showed interest. In fact, they were the first team to even respond to any of my emails or phone calls. By talking with the head coach, and presenting my track resume with my old team, I’d managed to convince them to give me a tryout. Now, I’m awaiting the results of the tryout, to learn if I was on the team or not.
    My brain tells me I didn’t make it, but my gut feels as though I squeezed onto the team. I can’t tell for sure. I’d finished slower than two other guys trying out, but I also think I’ve made enough of a good impression on the coach that he’ll attribute my slow time to my injury. Hopefully he won’t forget my past times.
    A loud Ding! causes me to jump a little, before rushing over to my computer to check my inbox. Sure enough, there it is. “Tryout results,” the subject line reads. Apprehensively, I click the email.
    Hello! If you’re reading this email right now, congratulations! You have been accepted to one of the biggest track organizations in all of New York. You’ve accomplished quite a prestigious achievement! Check down below to see which team you’re on.
    My heart skips a beat, and I feel a slow sense of joy rising, but I’m careful to check myself and not let my hopes get up too high. I could still be on the lower team. I scroll down a little further. JUNIOR TEAM reads a large heading. I pass by without stopping to read the names. Finally, I reach SENIOR TEAM. With bated breath, I begin to scan the names. Halfway through the list, my name still hasn’t shown up. Disappointment builds up slowly. Three quarters down. Still no name to be seen. Maybe I am on the junior team. Maybe I didn’t really make the senior team. My apprehension only grows as I continue down the list, fearing with each scroll that the list will come to an end. At last, I see my name, etched in black text. My heart swells as it dawns on me that I’m back on an elite team, with a chance to compete. Finally!

                                                        * * *
                                8 PM, Friday, October 14th, 2017
    It’s been a long grueling season for me so far, with my injury and all. I started the season off pretty shabbily, finishing in seventh place out of eight places for my first two races as I was extremely rusty after having not raced for a while. Over time, however, I’ve improved back to my former strength, after persevering through a couple more races. The races got increasingly more competitive and grueling as the season went on, as I felt the pressure to succeed mounting.

    Tonight, we’re having our annual pasta dinner, the last team bonding event of the year before the final race of the season. Not only is it a bonding opportunity for the team, it's also a chance for everyone to charge up before the last race. As my teammates and I circle around the table preparing to descend upon the delicious mounds of noodles and sauce, I realize I’ve never had a better group of friends in my life. These guys have supported me throughout a rough comeback season, and I grin broadly as I remember the many moments we’ve had together, from placing first in our third relay of the season, to having tons of members qualify for State. I smile even wider as another thought comes to my mind. Not only are these people a great group of friends, they’re my friends. I know they would never turn their backs on me. I wouldn’t want to run with anyone else.

                                                                  * * *
                                      10 A.M., Saturday, October 15th, 2017
    It’s officially been one year since I was involved in the car crash, and oddly enough, I find myself in the same situation as I was a year ago. Twenty minutes late to the track. Except this time, I’m running in the championship 400m race for the State Competition, not watching it on a minuscule grainy television from a hospital bed. I smile as I fondly remember my miraculous recovery and journey back to success. The boys and the coach of Team Eagle took me under their wing, encouraging me when I was down and recovering, and preparing me for the moment when we’d all make it big, together. I’d quickly established myself as one of the strongest runners on the team. After four weeks, I was closer with these boys than I’d ever been with anyone on my former team. I felt like I was following a track that was predetermined for me; I was preparing for a race against the team that left me behind to prove them wrong, a classic comeback story. I became more motivated than I’d ever been in my life to show my old team I didn’t need them to be the best. What an amazing journey it’s been, I reminisce to myself.

    As I snap back into reality, I find myself at the intersection of 12th and 3rd street again. I sigh to myself and think, Who would’ve thought that in just one year, my life could go from rock bottom to nearly the top? I take a deep breath as my thoughts turn to the race. I’ve got to win today. I feel a slight twinge in my heart as I remember just who’s going to be at the race. My old teammates who believed that I would let an injury hold me back. Rather than support me and help me get up, they left me behind to fall even further. I grit my teeth in determination. I need this race. I need to prove to myself, and to everyone else who believed I’d never be able to compete again, that I am strong enough and powerful enough to rise once again. It’s not enough to just compete again; I absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, have to win. My mind sharpens, my eyes narrow, and my full focus locks onto the race. I’m not going to try to win. I will win.

by Vida M. 8th
I am not a doll you can label with lies
I am person who has just a few words to say
Being born into a certain race
Does not make me dangerous
And it does not make me a criminal

Just because I am Salvadorian
Does not make me a gang member
Just because I am Mexican
Does not make me a drug dealer
Just because I am a woman
Does  it make me irrelevant
I am what I say I am
I am a tree that is rooted to the ground

I am a Salvadorian
With an education
I am a Mexican
With a dream to become a doctor
I am a woman
With an option that matters
An opinion that will be voiced

I am who I say I am
I am Vida

by A.Hernandez, 8th
My parents came here searching
For a better life
Not for them
For us
My mother came here looking for shelter
A dream home
The perfect one
Pregnant
On the edge of survival
Only to be confronted by reality
Suffocating walls being built by ignorance
Because she wanted her daughter-
Soon to be one of many
To be raised in fantasy
Without the walls they want to bring upon us
My father came here carrying dirt on his hands
Supporting his family
Us
His babies
So that we can carry on his legacy
My parents came here searching for a better life
When will we find it?
These walls of ignorance keep repeating
Hatred
Guilt
In the form of a simple question
What’s your status? Illegal ALIEN?

by Cam, 8th
Chapter 1
I feel my eyes blink once, twice, as they adjust to the harsh lights, and I take a look around. Where am I? This room is made of solid concrete with an iron door. There is a window with bars over it, not providing any light or any way to look out. As if its taunting you. Saying “Try to escape!” The room is 1, 2, 3… 50 steps wide, and 1,2… 30 steps long. There is nothing in it. Just concrete, a light, the window, and me. Where am I? Who am I? What am I doing here? A million thoughts ran through my mind. What is this place? Then, the word pops into my head. Cell. That’s what this room is. But, don’t cells hold bad people? Am I a bad person? I look at my hands. They look like they haven’t seen the sun for a long time. How long have I been here? I wave my arms around. Something catches my eye. On the door in the very corner is an insect. A butterfly. I wonder what that means.
Buzzzz… my door slowly opens. A man in a white coat steps into the cell.
“How are you feeling?” the man asks.
I don’t answer. I’m not sure I can even talk.
The man continues like I gave an answer. “I’m Dr. Brown. Come, we have a lot to do!”
I follow Dr Brown down a hallway. There are a lot of kids there. They are all in identical cells. They are all wearing black uniforms like mine. The girls have hair unevenly chopped at their shoulders. The boys have hair buzzed almost to the scalp. All of them look at me in fear.
As we walk into a room, Dr. Brown says, “Now, we’re just going to run a few tests ok?”
Then, he proceeds to shuffle with some paper. Suddenly, he throws a book at me. I shield my face with my hands, bracing for impact, but it doesn’t come. Slowly, I drop my hands. The book soars down with them. I look at Dr. Brown, and he nods in approval. Testing myself, I flick one of my hands downward, and the book clatters to the floor. Maybe I should be proud, or happy, but instead I feel pure terror. Where I come from, people can’t do this. But, where do I come from?
Dr. Brown looks up from the notes he is writing. “You did a good job today. Most of the other kids are too terrified to do anything!”
As I walk back to my cell, I take a careful look around. There are guards at every door. They look attentive, but not scared. Not prepared. Because, what’s the worst that could happen? A rat runs down the hall? All of these kids are too scared to do anything. The guards have nothing to be afraid of. I might have to change that.

Chapter 2
“Lia! Wake up! You’re gonna be late for school!” a voice wakes me up. I know that voice. I turn on the hard floor to a more comfortable position. That voice is so familiar. But I just can’t place it. Everybody around here has a soft southern lilt. This voice is sharp. No soft edges. Yet, I know it so well. Most importantly, Who is Lia? I turn to my side and fall asleep again.
“Nice goal T! Go get em!”
I sit up gasping for air. This voice has the same sharp edge as the last one, only, this one is coming from a man. I decide not to sleep anymore.
My door buzzes, and food is dropped in. Sitting on the ground, I try to levitate the tray to me. One arm out, I concentrate on moving the tray, and it moves. Slowly, slowly, I ease it through the air until it comes close enough that I can grab it. That’s when I get an idea. If I get strong enough, my powers can help my escape.
Dr. Brown comes in after breakfast. “I want to try bigger. Metal bending should prove if you actually have abilities.” Dr. Brown puts a few metal rods in front of me. “Now, this is aluminum, copper and iron. Bend all of them into a knot ok?”
I nod. Focusing on the aluminum, I bend and twist it into a knot. I do that to the copper and iron, too. Now I know I can do it, but on a bigger scale… I'm not so sure. I also have to take the guards into account. Each guard is armed with a gun, so I have to escape when the guards switch positions.
Back in my cell, I strain my ears trying to hear the shuffle of guards. 15 minutes after the sun sets, there is only silence. I count the seconds on my fingers until I hear shuffling again. 30. Thats how many seconds I have until the night guards come. I’m going to do it tonight. Then, I’ll find the voices. My voices.

Chapter 3
“Lia, really? You ate all of the candy? That was for both of us, ya know. Dad! Lia ate all the candy!”
I sit up in bed. There is talking outside of my door.
“Yeah, we switch in 15. Hey! Y’all better shut up!” a rough voice calls.
For 15 minutes I strain my ears. I can hear the sighs and yawns of the guards. Some last shuffling, then silence. 30 seconds. I keep an internal timer ticking. I bend the door a quiet as I can and bolt. I just run, and follow the signs on the stairwell until I reach the door. I look behind me. I hoped for an uneventful escape, but when I turn around and look at the building, it is on fire with lights and alarms. Knowing I only have a few seconds until people go out to look for me, so I turn and run towards the lights I see in the distance.
I run through a park, and come to a crosswalk. I cross along with a few other people, and they are all staring at me. I look down. The uniform I’m wearing doesn’t quite blend in with other  people’s clothes. I’ll need to swap. I walk down another sidewalk, and hear a man in front of me say, “Texas is so cool!” I see a store in the distance. So, Texas is where I am.
The store is bright and buzzing with color. I look around for something I like. I see a gray sweatshirt that I like, so I take one off the rack. I also take some jeans off another rack, and a purple t-shirt. An employee comes up behind me and says, “Do you like those? You can try them on in there.” He points to a dressing room. I walk into the dressing room, and look in the mirror. Brown hair, and dark blue eyes. A light sprinkling of freckles cover my nose. That’s what I look like. I never imagined myself. I don’t know if I’m pleased or not. I try on the clothes, and put my uniform over them after I pull off all the tags and sensors.  I walk out of the store. In the corner of my eye, I see a black backpack hanging on the shelf, and use my powers to rip off the tag and drag it out of the door. I go into an alley and ditch my jumpsuit in a dumpster, then take off.
I pass a place with a lot of books and computers. I backtrack and look inside. There are a few couches, too. I look up at the sign, and it says library. I walk into the library and curl up on the couch, and before I know it, I’m asleep.

Chapter 4
“Mrs. Anderson! Would you like to answer the question?”
I sit up, and look around. There is nobody in the library now. There is just the librarian unlocking the door to the library and turning on the lights. She goes to check all of the shelves, and checks the couch area. Somebody pulls me behind the couch.
“If you want to sleep here again, you should hide. We aren’t supposed to sleep in the library. We’re supposed to leave when the announcement comes on.”
It’s dark, and I can’t see the person, but I can tell they are a girl, and is about my age. We sit there in silence until the first person comes in.
The girl pulls me out, and I walk to the computers. I’m going to try to look for my voices. I power one up, and the screen tells me to sign in, so I type in a bunch of random letter combinations. None of them work. “You have to have an account. You can use mine, cause you look totally clueless. I’m Amber by the way.” then, I really see the girl. Blond hair, as uneven and as short as mine, brown eyes, and a black uniform. I point to her uniform, and point to my clothes. Amber’s eyes widen. “Oh! You can help me get those? Do you have money?” I shake my head. Amber nods in approval. “Ok, here’s the deal. You steal some clothes for me, and I sign into my account for you ok?” I nod, and we shake on it.
We decided to go to the store first, because that will be faster. We go to a store closer to the library, and I point to the racks of clothes, then a dressing room. I look around as Amber picks out her clothes. Afterwards, I take Amber to the ally to ditch her uniform, and we go back into the library. Amber signs into her account, and I don’t know where to start.
“You’re looking for your family right?” I nod, and she tells me to look up children who went missing 5 years ago. “I’ve been doing some research, and it seems like the organization only took kids born in 2004. I guess there is a certain year that the children have supernatural abilities or something. They want to turn us into war weapons.” Amber says. I scroll down the list of kids, and some of them look familiar. Wow. Amber was right. All of the kids were born in 2004. “I was one of the original kids. They took in about 50 in the first batch, just to test, while the other kids were sedated until they were needed. They must be pretty great scientists, because based on the fact that you can’t really talk, and are really pale and skinny, they kept you under the Xanax for 5 years. Must’ve enhanced it somehow,” I kept on scrolling.
It was quite overwhelming, hearing all of the news, but it was nice to know what happened to me. “So, what can you do? They organize you into groups based on your ability. What was on your door?” I try to remember. “Butterfly.” I say. “Ohhh, so you can talk! Cool, so you can move things with your mind. Butterflies are supposed to be the leaders of the army. I don’t know why they’re called butterflies. Can you fly?” I nod, then shake my head. “So you can levitate things but not yourself? I’m a ghost. I can become invisible.” She looks around, and disappears. “Woah. I wish I could do that.” if I could become invisible, I would be invisible all the time. It would be way easier to do everything.
​As I scroll, Amber stops me. “That’s you! Click on your picture.”  I click, and I can feel the nerves building up. What if my family doesn’t want me? The site says: Thalia Willow Anderson, age 10 went missing Thursday 4th of July at 7:30pm. She was last seen by her sister Hailey Alice Anderson age 13. If you have any information, call this number: (xxx)-983-6367. I have a sister. She must be the one yelling at me in my dreams all the time.
I smile, but Amber quickly shuts down the computer and drags me behind the couch again. “Check behind the couches!” a guy in a suit shouts. Amber grabs my hand, and whispers, “We’re invisible. Lets go.” We sneak around the men, wait until somebody opens the door of the library, and we run out. Amber and I head into an ally, and we breathe a sigh of relief. “That was close!” Amber says. I never want to go through that again. My heart was racing so fast, I thought the men could hear it. “We’ll obviously have to go somewhere else now. Another library.” Amber says.
We wander through the streets, until we see another library. We walk in, and Amber stops me. “We should call the number on the website. Maybe they can give you your parent’s address.” I cringe. The thought of calling as their daughter is really weird. “Can you do it? It would be so weird if I did.” Amber sighs, but agrees. She goes to they payphone, and picks up a quarter from the ground. She calls the number, and 5 minutes later, she has an address. 13 Eden Park, Long Beach California. “I can get us on an airplane, we just need to get to the airport.” Amber and I work out a plan, and I curl up on the couch hoping for the first time. I roll over and fall asleep.

Chapter 5
“Hailey! Where are you? Help! Help!” my voice rings out from the darkness. “Shut up, will you?” a man turns around in the front. He looks like Dr. Brown. “Help!” I bang on the door Bang! Bang! Amber shakes me awake. “They know we’re here! Gotta run! C’mon butterfly!” We turn invisible and bolt out of the library. We run to a bus station, and Amber makes us visible. “That was close! You were tossing and turning, and the librarian called the police!” I shudder. I can still feel the fear I felt at that moment. “Bad dream.” Amber nods, and we go into a taxi. “To the George Bush Intercontinental Airport please.” the taxi driver takes us there, and when we open the door, Amber makes us disappear before he can turn around. Amber uses her ability to get us past security, and onto an airplane, where we proceed to camp out in the luggage compartment for 4 hours.
When we get to Long Beach, we steal some clothes, and go play at the beach. The water is warm, and the sun is bright. I’ve never felt so content. As we watch the sunset from beach chairs, the last rays of sun beating down on me, and the soft crash of the waves lull me to sleep.
“Thalia? Where are you? Come out! I have somewhere to go!” a girl with brown hair and blue eyes steps out. I giggle. “Gotta find me first Hailey!” I sneak out of my hiding spot, and tiptoe to another. Hailey creeps up from behind and grabs my waist. “Gotcha!” I sit up. The sun set, but the air is still warm. I look over at Amber, and she is asleep. I shake her awake. “C’mon. We gotta find a library.” Amber turns around. “Mmm. I was sleeping.” I laugh. “Lets go.”
We find a library, and right as we walk in, I see them. The men always seem to find us.  We run around them, but even with Amber’s invisibility, on of the men sticks out his arm, and we both get knocked to the ground. I try to push him away with my powers, but the force field is only strong enough to block the man from me. He grabs Amber, and she shouts, “Run!” So I do. I sprint faster than I ever knew I could I run and run. Faster, faster… I take a sharp turn into a crevasse, and the men run past it. I turn into a library, collapse on the couch and fall asleep.

Chapter 6
“Thalia, you need to stop misbehaving. You’re giving Hailey a really hard time.!” I turn, and see her. My mom. “Mom?” I reach out to touch her, but she turns and walks away. I sit up, and walk out of the library. I get a taxi, and the driver drives me to the house. My house. I walk up the driveway, and walk up to the porch. The house is two stories. All of it is white except for the window sills and the roof. I take a deep breath, and knock.
I’ve been imagining this moment for a long time. I want my mom to open the door, and call dad and Hailey. What I didn't expect was a boy opening the door. “Um. Hey. Sup?” I smile. This boy has blond hair and brown eyes. Not us. “Hi, um I’m Thalia Anderson. Do you know my family?” The boy’s eyes widen. “Holy shii- sorry. Holy crap! You’re the chick who went missing 5 years ago!” I roll my eyes. I definitely didn’t imagine this. Anything but this, 15 year old boy commenting like this was no big deal. “Yeah. I’m Thalia Anderson. Do you know them or not?” The boy looks around.
“My parents aren’t home. They can help you. The Andersons moved out about a year after you went missing. By the way, I’m Max. You should come in.” I step into the house, and Max closes the door. I drop my stuff on the floor and walk to the living room. I look at the fireplace. Memory floods me. There were pictures on the mantelpiece. Pictures of my family. And… a loose brick. A brick that came out of the wall. Hailey and I used to leave secret messages there. I run my finger against the bricks until I find it. I take it out, and behind me, Max says “Woah. I didn’t know that was there.”
There is a slip of paper there. I take it out, and it has my name on the front. I unfold the paper, and it says:

Dear Lia,
My dear, dear Lia. I’m so sorry I couldn’t catch you fast enough. By the time I got there, the car was speeding away. I hope you remember the loose brick, because when you come back, you can read this. When. Not if. There’s no way you won’t come back. No matter how long, I know you will come back. Mom and Dad have given up. They say there is no way you’re coming back. But, you are. If you are reading this, you came back. You came back, and we aren’t there. We moved because Mom and Dad can’t bear the memories. 21 Burke Street Salem, Oregon. That’s where we are. Where I am, thinking, or dreaming about you. Missing you. Come home Lia. You have one. We miss you so much. See you soon.
                                Love, Hailey

Then the tears come. All the tears I’ve been holding back these past 6 days probably the past 5 years, they come out. They just keep coming. “Do you need a bathroom or something?” I nod, and walk into the bathroom that I know is down the hall.
After a while, I find some scissors, and use them to cut my hair evenly. I open the bathroom door, and Max’s mom walks into the hall. “Oh! I was just about to knock! You can call me Mrs. Miller. Do you need anything? Why don’t you stay for dinner? Then I can drive you to the airport.” at dinner, Mrs. Miller tells me all the stuff I need to know about getting through security, and getting on a plane. None of this will work of course. I don’t have a passport. She doesn’t need to know that. Then, there is a knock on the door. I jump up, and run into a room. Max follows me. “What are you doing?” I open the window, and say, “Tell me if there are men. They’re looking for me.” I dangle my feet over the edge of the window. The jump isn’t far, I just need to hop down and run. “Yeah. There are like 5 of them coming into the house. Go!”

Chapter 7
I hop down and run. It seems like I run away a lot. I run, get a taxi, and tell him to go to the airport. I sneak around everything. The security, boarding, and I get on the plane. I sit in the cargo area of the plane, and wait. Two hours later, we arrive. I run out of the airplane, and look around. Baggage claim, departures, arrivals.. There’s the exit. I walk there, and take a bus to town. From there, I walk to 21 Burke street. Its late, and I can hear crickets chirping, but I don’t care. I run up to the house, and ring the doorbell. Nobody answers at first, and I’m confused. I can see the lights on in the living room, but nobody is answering the door. I ring again. I hear somebody groan and get up.
A girl with brown hair and blue eyes answers the door. “Thalia?” Hailey says it like she can’t believe it. Like she is in a dream. “Thalia?” I nod I can feel the tears again “It's me, Hailey. It’s really me.” she gasps. She leaps into the air, and tackles me into a bear hug. Like shes been waiting to do this for 5 years. I have too. “Come on! We gotta see mom and dad.” just as she says that, mom comes into the room. She stops, puts her hand over her heart and just stares. Not believing it. “It’s me, Mom. I’m back.” Mom takes a step forward, and then another. “Thalia?” I nod. I take a step forward, and then crash into her arms. There, I melt. I should’ve experienced this for all of my childhood. Those men, they took that from me. I can’t wait to get it back. Mom calls dad down and he nearly falls over. My family is reunited again. It feels so good to be safe.
Hailey takes me to my room. “I clean it every week. I put in new stuff every year that I think you’ll like. I didn’t want you to come home to unicorns and rainbows.” I hug Hailey tightly. “Good night. I love you.” I say.
I step into my room and look at the room. It’s all relaxing. The walls are mint green, and there is a beautiful plant in the corner. My bed is black, and there is a white canopy. I have a white desk and a wardrobe. There is even a white hanging chair in the corner. “Mom gave me that for my birthday. I thought you would like it so I put it in your room.” Hailey is leaning in the doorway. “I really like it, Hailey.” as I get in bed, she comes over. She just stands there and smiles. “I missed you. Good night.” Hailey walks out of the room, and I turn off the lights. I look out the window at the stars. They are so beautiful.I can’t help thinking about Amber. Maybe she is looking at the same stars. With nothing to worry about, I fall asleep.

Chapter 8
I wake up to the smell of waffles and coffee. As I sit up and stretch, I feel content for the first time in days. I walk downstairs, and Mom is sitting at the table. “Good morning! Did you sleep well?” I nod. I did sleep well. Better than I ever have. No dreams or anything. I sit down and eat breakfast. The waffles are warm, and for the first time, I realize how hungry I am. Dad walks down the stairs, and sees me. He smiles. “You know, I think the sun shines a little brighter now that you’re back.” I laugh. It's been a long night. “Or, maybe you slept in, Dad.” Dad looks at the clock in surprise. Then, he looks down at his plate. “I’ll just take these to go. See you tonight.” Dad rushes to work, and Hailey comes down. “Good morning! Waffles! I’m starved.” after breakfast, I’m watching television, when there’s a knock on the door. I turn off the tv, and listen to the conversation.
“M’am, we need to come in. This girl, she’s very dangerous. Why do you think we took her in the first place? Because we wanted to kill her? She was in a place where she could be monitored, but now she can hurt people!” Mom stands in the doorway, her hand on her hip. “She’s my daughter! You have no right to take her away from me.”
The man sighs like Mom doesn’t understand. But I do. Unless I want to go back to that tiny cell, I need to leave. Confinement without a family, or freedom without a family. I’d choose freedom any day. I run to my room and write a quick letter to my family. The family I knew for a day.

Dear Mom, Dad, and Hailey,
I guess this is goodbye. Those men will always find me. The only way I won’t get caught, is if I run. I can only be free if I run. There is no choice. I know you would choose the same. Freedom, or confinement. I’ll try to visit. Maybe I’ll be able to come back. I love you.
                     Thalia

​I put that on my desk, take my stuff, and jump. I jump down and run. I’ll always be running.

by Jade O, 7th
Fire. Yet everything about this place felt cold. Life. But you can't see or know it. A system. One that is impure and dark. These are all aspects of the world, an unforgiving terrible world. This place is incapable of many kinds of love. The residents who live here are forced to live, a punishment. This place is Hell. Since Beginning, there has been a ruler. It has been the same ruler when Hell first started. He goes by many names. His most common title as the Devil, is Lucifer. Today, he surrounds himself with his guards, as he awaits his new arrivals to enter his kingdom. The guards flush in. These are true hounds of blood. The dogs have killed many without thought or hesitation. Dogs who are demons, gifted with wings, so they can find and execute intruders. Their teeth and claws are stained with blood. Four guards gather around the Devil, who sits in his throne, two on each side. The first arrivals enters the room. He is thrown on the floor so that he is on his knees. The guards on the left of the throne, Daku and Bouk, muttered to each other. "This ones gonna be a thief, I know it.” said Bouk.
"We aren't supposed to talk," grunted Daku. "He might hear us."
"You said more than me!" Bouk eared. He eyed his master, tracing his enormous horns with his gaze.
"You are accused with illegal theft, is my assumption wrong?" the Devil spoke.
 "No your assumption is not wrong, but I was wrongfully accused. I am no thief," the boy quivered, face down and teary eyed. The Devil rested his head on his fist, looking so bored that he could've fallen asleep right there.
"Bring him closer." Lucifer commanded the guards holding the accused. The dogs dragged him across the carpet, up the steps, and laid him at the Devil's feet.
“He's gonna say, do you lie to an evil? then tickle his spine." Bouk informs Daku. Daku shoots a sharp look at Bouk.
"Do you lie to an evil, an evil who chooses your fate?" the Devil said. He stroked the boy's spine with his thin sharp finger. Daku grunted a laugh, not even trying to hold back his smile. Lucifer snorted, leaving puffs of smoke coming from his nostrils. He glared at Bouk and Daku, making Daku whimper. "Now, now. It's okay. Just tell me the truth, and everything will be fine," he said calmly and kindly. His eyes looked solemn, he even put on a shy smile. The boy's eyes were gushing with tears.
"I only did for my mother! She was sick and we didn't have food! Please have mercy! I beg of you," he pleaded. Lucifer played and tousled with the thief ́s hair. He clicked his tongue against his teeth, still smiling. The smile went away, and the glaring eyes came back. "Take him away," he directed the guards.
"No, no! Please! Please! NO!̈" the boy yelled. The guards dragged him through the enormous doors, never to be seen again. His last words echoing in the halls. The Devil got up out of his throne to leave the room.
"You are dismissed," he said behind him, and the guard dogs scattered.


Bouk and Daku trotted the halls as they goofed off during duty. "How did you know he was gonna say that?" Daku laughed.
"I've been working for him´bout 1000 years now, you start to catch on to his routines." Bouk said.
"Wow. I can't believe it's been like this for 1000 years already. We don't ́t look a day over 650!" Daku exclaimed. He lifted one paw up to his muzzle, making him stand in a regal and fancy pose.
"Me yes, you not so much." Bouk pawed at him making Daku break his stance and fall. Daku got up with his ears all perked up as he licked his paws. He looked up and pounced on Bouk. The two wrestled and play fought until their bout was over.
      The two flew out of the palace on their wings back to their home. Daku and Bouk have lived in the same den since they were pups, for 1000 years now. It was Bouk´s turn to catch dinner, so he headed out while Daku rested. Bouk traced the whole day, like he did every evening after guarding during the day. Wake up. Catch breakfast. Go to the palace. Guard palace. Guard at Arrival Test. Guard again. Go home. Catch dinner. Sleep. Just to repeat it the next day. And the next day. And the day after that. This has been going on for 1000 years now. 1000 years of roaming the palace walls. 1000 years of killings and homicide. 1000 years of nothing new. Bouk sighed in disbelief and in blue devils. He landed in the Fire Grounds, a field of burning scraps and bodies. Food. Dinner. He sniffed for fresh meat in the air, looking for traces of scent trails. He finally caught one and started to follow it, nose in the dirt. Bouk was lead to a fresh corpse, it looked like a cow but the body was to mangled to tell. He ripped through it, trying to tear a piece of the chest out. Bouk teethed on a bone, taking in the juices and marrow. Fresh meat tasted a lot better than the old rotting flesh. While he was eating, Bouk heard a noise. His stance changed, ready to defend his food. Bouk growled madly, drool dripping from his curled black lips. To his surprise, a red kit popped out from the top of the hide. The kit had long tufted ears, and stubby horns. He was teething on a cube of meat. It looked funny because the kit only had one tooth. A larger version of the kit looked down at Bouk then picked the kit. She was beautiful. She wore a crown in between her ears. "Lady Lilith, my apologizes, I did not know it was you." Bouk bowed to the Queen of Hell.
"It's fine, you may rise," she said. Bouk sat down on his hind legs, keeping his back straight. She was wearing a long red silk skirt with an open front and a hooded cape with a pentagram medallion. Lilith was married to the Devil, making her the Queen of Hell. The kit she was holding looked much like his mother, taking on her red fur and long tuffy ears. "I am sorry that he interrupted your meal Bouk." Lilith said ruffling her kid ́s hair. "You always have to keep an eye on kits, or they'll fall off the face of the earth," she sighed. Bouk just nodded.
"You know my name?" Bouk asked her.
"Yes, why?" she bounced her kit to the sky then wrapped him in her arms.
"Because we have never really formally met and there are thousands of dogs in the kingdom and- "
"Stop talking."
"Yes." Bouk snapped his muzzle shut. Queen Lilith looked around him, as if she were inspecting him.
"How long have you been working for the Guard?" she asked him.
"'Bout 1000 years," he said.
"How long have you been alive?"
"1001 years."
"Huh," she scoffed.  "You've been a guard dog your entire life? Nothing else?" the Queen smoothed her hair over her right eye.
"Yes, it's all I've ever known. Why should I be doing something else?" one of Bouk ́s ears flopped. She scoffed again.
"Farewell Bouk of the Guard." She turned around and started to walk in the direction of the palace. Bouk was confused, what was she scoffed at? He watched her walk away for a bit, still very puzzled. Bouk asked her one more question before she was too far away.  "Are you ever tired of doing the same routine every day, wanted to get away from this life and start a new one, break the everyday?" he shouted.
"I had a different life before the crown," she says. Lilith continues to walk away to the palace, and Bouk has an answer to his question.


Bouk left the Fire grounds without the meat and flew straight back to the den. It was dangerous to fly this fast in the dark especially with embers falling from the sky, but his willpower burned brighter than all the embers that would fall that night. When he got to the den, Daku was still asleep. "Daku, Daku, Daku!" he grunted as pushed against his neck. Bouk knew that Daku was a heavy sleeper. Whatever he did, his younger brother would not wake up. Please don't be mad, Bouk thought as he took in a bit breath and pushed it right out before he bit his brother on the tail.
"AaAAAaAoOooOoWww!" Daku howled.  "Ehhagrh," he grunted, "-what was that for!"
"Come one, we ́re leaving."
"What? Where are we going"
"I don't know yet, but we need to leave. NOW!"
"No,no,no,no,no, first tell me why." Daku demanded, though he said it with a yawn.
"Because our life sucks, Daku! We live in Hell if you're asking! Wee been stuck doing the same thing for 1000 years now! 1000 years of killing and guarding! We deserve better lives Daku!" Bouk kept on pacing and Daku just stared at him. His smokey white eyes were blank. One of his ears fell.
"What the heck are you talking about?" Daku yelled. "Bouk, we are guard dogs. We were born for this job. Our lives were planned out and chosen for us before we could even breathe! If we were to leave it would be treason, there isn't anywhere the king wouldn’t find us. And like you said, we're murderers! No one no matter what no one will accept us. So go to sleep!" Daku scolded. He laid down to go to sleep.
"No." Bouk told him. One of Daku ́s eyes opened. "I will do anything to live a better life, or to get away from this one. I will leave, whether you ́re by my side or not." Bouk looked Daku, dead serious, in the eye. There was a long pause. Even Bouk looked shocked at the words that had come out of his muzzle.
"Okay." said Daku.
Bouk and Daku shot out of the den and flew like arrows to the palace. When they got there they knew what they needed to do: go to The Hall of Mirrors. The Hall of Mirrors is the only way to leave Hell. It's hidden in an underground chamber, and in the hall are mirrors that lead you to another world. The chamber is guarded, not by dogs, but by Darkness itself. If you look into its eyes, then you´ll die instantly, but not before you feel the Darkness steal your soul and devour it. The two snuck into the palace and quietly strolled the large halls looking for the stairs that would lead to the chamber. They crept around in the dark, the torches lit on the walls every now and then were their only source of light. Bouk found a trap door hidden under a carpet, the entrance to the staircase. They bit onto the silver ring handle attached to the door and pulled. The metal left an unpleasant taste to linger in their mouths and the pulling gave them a toothache. The latch was still nowhere to being open. They bit onto it again.”Wan,oo,ee!” Bouk said through his teeth as they pulled even harder. It didn't budge. Bouk was getting aggravated. They needed this door to open, he needed this door to open. Bouk didn't care how they got the door open, he just needed a way in.  "Stand back," he commanded Daku. He shifted away from the trap door. Bouk lowered his head, tilted his horns, and rammed into the floor. He took his head out of the hole he had made and shook his whole body because on the impact on him made him dizzy. “Lets go,” Bouk said  as he walked down the first step of the stair care.
“Wait, I have to get something,” Daku said.
“What is it?" Bouk asked.
"Just wait here.” Daku said again. He walked around the corner without looking back. Bouk waited in the dark, sitting on his hind legs, long bony tail wrapped around himself. Later he laid down because his legs were so tired from standing. It had taken Daku so long, and Bouk was getting sleepy. His eyelids were getting heavier. All of a sudden, he heard footsteps.
“Daku?” Bouk sat up. Bouk saw a shadow along the wall of a demon dog walking. Their horns were long and twisted. Not like Daku ́s sharp and thick horns. The dog who turned the corner was not Daku, but a different guard dog. “Hello Bouk.” they said as they circled around them.
“Hello Tanto." Bouk answered.
“What are you doing here? You went home hours ago.” Tanto knew what he was doing. He wasn’t light leaded.
“Yeah, why aren you at home. All snuggly in your den?” another voice said. A dog with horns that went straight from the side of her head appeared from the opposite corner.
“What do you want Vexa?” Bouk said annoyed by her snub voice.
“Answer my question first: why are you here?” she taunted. Vexa looked behind him and saw the broken trap door. She smirked. Bouk just took a lick at his very short chest fur. More dogs came from each corner, until it looked like Bouk couldn't escape if he wanted to. One last shadow moved across the walls. This one a much larger than any of the other dogs. The only resemblance was its broad bull like horns. The dogs got rowdy and started to bite the air and bark laughs. Bouk knew who was coming. The Devil himself turned the left hall corner.
“Bouk, you such a good guard, one of the best,” he revised.”-but you had to mess this up by, what are you doing again?” Lucifer asked Bouk.
“Looking for a way out,” was his response, headstrong. Lucifer clicked his tongue against his teeth. Bouk didn’t care about the Devil's pathetic act, he wanted to know where Daku was. Did they find him and kill him? Was he being kept hostage? If his brother was in trouble, then the question wouldn't stop being asked unless it was answered.
"Where is my brother?" Bouk asked the Devil. He bared his teeth, to show how serious he was.
“Oh, why don't I show you instead." Lucifer shifted to the left, smiling, to reveal another dog standing behind him. He did not look like he was in pain, he was not in chains.
"Why? Daku how could you, to your own brother?"  Bouk was not shocked, he was past flustered. There were no words to describe his feelings. Daku swelled up grief in his eyes, he too was feeling things he didn’t know.
"I had to! You-you were- " started Daku but Bouk cut him off. His head turned in anger, but his red eyes were wrapped in sadness, and a tear was the bow on top. That was why Daku took so long. He told them about Bouk’s plan to leave.
"Bouk of the Guard, I charge you with treason. Your punishment," Lucifer paused,"-death." All the guard dogs crept closer, and closer to Bouk, except for Daku who didn't even look at him: Bouk saw no way around the circling guard dogs, the Hall of Mirrors was his only chance of survival. He knew that he wouldn't be able to pick which one he would go in. With his eyes closed, he charged as fast as he could into the mirror. Bouk dived into the latch in the ground and ran, he ran as fast as he could. The last thing he saw was the Devil turned his head and shout "DON'T LET HIM LEAVE!" Bouk heard the other dogs run after him, trying to bite onto his tail. He didn't know how for he had to run so he ran faster and squinted even harder. All of a sudden, Bouk hit something hard, and it felt like glass was cutting against his pelt, only for a second though. He opened his eyes and he saw the ground below him, but he wasn't touching it he was falling towards it. He was falling. He didn't  know how, but he was. Bouk hit the hard dirt, his whole body felt numb, but  when he looked up. Into the sky, he didn't  see a black and red sky, instead he saw pinks, blues, and purples. White shining dots freckled the sky. It was amazing. Bouk smiled. He had made it out of Hell. he closed his and fell asleep. Bouk woke up to something touching his forehead it was cold and it gave relief. He almost didn't wake up it was so soothing Bouk snapped and tried to bite what ever  put the cold thing on his head. He saw a strange creature looking back at him. She looked angry at the fact that Bouk tried to bite her. He didn't know what to do at this point, so he just put his head down. He ran his paw over his head and pulled down a wet towel.
"Put that back!" she snapped. Bouk put it back, he was too surprised to do anything else. Bouk looked around, there were jars hanging from the top of the ceiling that were filled with herbs and spices. The hut had a small stove in the far left that the tall furry creature, who had taken Bouk, was stirring a pot that was boiling. Bouk tried to figure out what she was, but his knowledge was limited.
"Where am I?" Bouk asked her. She didn't respond. "Why did you kidnap me?" he asked. Her big round ears twitched. Bouk sighed. "Who are you- "
"Listen here! You ain't gonna be the one who asks the questions here! If you think your questions are so important then aren my questions are important too! Now, what kind of dog is that skinny and lives? What kind of dog, has wings and horns? What kind of dog has red eyes?" her voice wasn't hard and rough, it was smooth but the way she used her voice was coarse. "I know you are a demon."
"Then why would you help me?"
"Because. You were dying. Anybody would have left you out there to die, a lot of them would have killed you on the spot. You owe me your life." She got to the point.
"Okay. Thank you, I should go now." Bouk got up and went for the door.
"No, why would you go out like that?"
"I just need to go. I have stuff to do." Bouk lied. He didn’t know what to do. He always thought that Daku and him would find a way to hide themselves and maybe dig up a den. Live out their lives in peace, away from their past lives, until Daku betrayed him. Even if he did stay here, it would put the person who helped him in danger. The person who had not killed him on sight, but instead aid to his wounds and help him, even though she didn’t even know her name. She sighed.
"My name is Raine. I'm a kangaroo rat. I live in a small hut in Khantria and I work in Herbology. I found you in the desert outside an abandoned windmill; there was glass in your pelt. I knew you were a demon but you were hurt so I took you home and helped you. If you want, you can stay here as long as you want but if you leave, its okay." Raine looked down as she talked like her fieriness was burning out. Bouk was calm now. He felt like he wanted to talk.
"My name is Bouk, and I used to work as a guard dog for the Devil. I was gonna escape with my brother from Hell to live a better life, but he betrayed me, so I went alone." Bouk told her everything about how he got where he was now. She understood. When Raine wasn’t talking, she was listening. Bouk decided to stay with her like she said he could. But she had one strict rule: he had to always be in disguise. She had an old dog costume that used to be her pajamas when she was a baby.

"A dog in a dog costume? Isn't that kinda um- " Bouk said as he fiddled with the cow bell on the collar. His horns poked through the costume fabric, he couldn't do anything about that.

"Yes, ok so stand in your hind legs. And try to make a puppy face." Raine told him. He did what she asked. He got used to the hind leg thing and he tried to be as cute and cuddly as possible. Bouk was satisfied. "There, you can leave anytime Bouk, I ́m here to help." Raine smiled. Bouk smiled back. He knew that he could never escape Hell and that the Devil would come for him and wouldn't stop until he was dead. But now he wasn't alone, he had a friend. Bouk could go to sleep and wake up to a better tomorrow. Bouk finally found a way out.

Writers and readers! It's August. Only a short time before the school year begins so make the most of the remaining summer days. We would love to know what interesting books you are reading this summer. We will continue to update the reading list from you all at wewritehere.com/books-to-read and keep it collective and anonymous. Send your list to submit@wewritehere.com. Also you can continue to send in writing anytime. We will award and publish the great writing that appears and will resume frequent/weekly awards once school begins again. Thanks for helping create 'We Write Here'. 

by A. Hernandez, 8th
Long live the people who got
Through separation and rough paths

Long live the people who are brave.
Homes, friends, family, and pets were lost far away.

And though it’s not my loss,
It’s reflecting through my life’s mirrors.

Long live my parents
Who are breaking walls by growing flowers.

Long live me
Although I try to break my walls,
I’m still trying to plant my seeds.

by J.Hernandez, 10th
When I pedaled my bike into the redwoods, getting pushed forward by the wind their bodies caught, it felt like their captivating height and never ending leaves were welcoming us with branches that became open arms. They hovered above and gave the sky a new face. All around, the redwoods gave life to any empty space. They told a story
Simply
by standing.

The redwoods slowly seemed to become the sky and were now the creators of the rainfall. Their tree trunks glistened despite there no longer being sunlight.

Every branch and every piece of the redwoods home became a landing point. Making every rain drop seem to fall a little slower. Like it was their way of telling us to appreciate them for a little longer and just a bit harder. Every time a drop landed a new ocean was created with the sound of sharp waves. Splashing, each time louder than the last.
The rain drops decorated
what already was.
Added color
despite being colorless
and provided with chances
for new songs.

When the skies were dry once again, mixing green and blue with a little bit of light, rays of sunshine shot through any opening of leaves covering the sky. They came as stripes filled with warmth. Not everything was touched, shadows still lurked on pieces of the land but every place that was, was splashed with a new shade of unnamed color. The rays of sun gave light to different parts of the trees. Their previously inconspicuous growth marks became the spotlight for many. Layers of brown formed like the stripes on a tiger and patches of different textures were created. The trees growth marks are the leftover stains of threatening fires but also the reminder of the trees constant resilience to just
Keep
growing.

We are not the only ones with beautiful stretch marks.

These redwoods carry a lot on their shoulders and hold many stories all over. The stories grow each time a new one rises. The community strengthens each time a new one climbs through the earth’s soil. The roots spread farther and form more intersections. The roots don’t go deeper than 10 ft but go as far as they need to. Redwoods grow on connection.
Redwoods grow
until they become
the sky.

by EC3, 7th
I am not an only child. I have two brothers, both tall but that’s where the similarity ends. My one sister, whom I love maybe a little bit more than the others, also happens to be the oldest.  Their ages are 17, 25, and 27, and I’m the youngest. While I have no problem with my other siblings, Christina is the best one.  My siblings are forever filling me with knowledge and information, but only one of them stands out. My sister, she is my closest sibling and I admire her. She is the one person I want to be like. We share one thing, our facility with knowledge. From classmates, I’ve been told that I would never make it to college. I’m pretty sure she went through the same thing. So when she walked the stage and received her Master’s degree something inside me sparked.
     It was crowded with people coming to see their loved ones walk the stage. We sat close to the front craning our necks every minute looking for her. People started walking in, but none of them were her. Then I saw her my sister, she was fully dressed in her black cap and gown with the gold tassel at the top, she got honors and I was so proud we had given her lots of lays with candy and money. “Christina Francis” called the man at the end of the stage she looked great walking the stage proud, confident, calm. She walked across the stage, received her master’s degree, and sat down. I was about to cheer and then the scene changed. Suddenly It was me walking in, wearing the gold tassel with the lays on my neck, I walked across the stage and received my degree. I sat in the same spot she did looking just as proud or maybe even more. Maybe it was out of shock but I couldn’t help feeling proud to see myself on stage. I know that that day was about her but I couldn't help but feel it was about me too.
     I felt tingly inside. Like someone got a bucket of butterflies and poured it in my stomach. Was I in a new world I thought, did I finally get the power of teleportation?  Why did it have to be a graduation? Then I see what I think is a bright light, wait am I in heaven? No, it was just my brother’s hand waving me back into existence. Apparently, I was daydreaming. “ Wait did I miss the graduation.” I ask worriedly. “No, you just missed the most boring 10 minutes of my life,” he replies back. Now everything looks so bright. I close my eyes and open them to trying to adjust to the lighting again. “Why do graduations take so long” I wonder out loud. “ Because they do,” my brother almost immediately replies. We sat there for what felt like 5 years (or maybe it was just me exaggerating). I love going to graduations but they are just so long. My back was even starting to hurt. Then finally the closing speech.
     When the graduation was over we all took our pictures and made our moments. “Where do you want to go eat?” my mother asked Christina. “It doesn’t matter” she replied. “I’m just hungry”. “Ok then how’s Texas Roadhouse”. My mother asked her “Actually not there, it’s too dirty.” “Well, then what about the Sizzler”. “That's good”. When we got to the Sizzler me and my brother found a table while my mother ordered with the rest of the family. We ate until we were full and then I asked: “Christina what does graduation mean to you?” She replied “The end of childhood and the beginning of life”. Graduation is a meaningful word. Graduation - a ceremony at which degrees are conferred. That's the definition of the word Graduation. But this word means more than a ceremony for me. It means changes in life, to reach a higher stage of life, the time to become a new person, a time to grow up,  and a time to follow dreams and separate responsibilities from fun. When I graduate I hope for this definition to still be involved. Being grown up doesn’t seem as fun as the idea of growing up.
     As a young adult, all I can think of is growing up and getting to do grownup things. I’ve spent my whole childhood thinking of what I could do when I finally grew up. I’ve painted this pretty little picture in my head of what it’ll be like when I eventually do grow up. When it finally comes time for the picture to be taken off the wall and put into action, I don’t think it would be nearly as fun as creating the painting. Growing old is mandatory. Growing up seems optional. Even though you're growing up, you should never stop having fun. Because eventually you will be old and you will look back and say “I wish I was a child again” to go back and do all the things that you didn’t, to start your life over again.
     Since I’m a young adult there are endless opportunities of where your life could take you. Although watching adults it seems they have one opportunity and they have one choice to take it or be a failure in life. As a young adult I can be fearless, not caring what other people think. I don’t have any responsibilities; I get to watch all the good TV shows; I can fail or mess up but it’ll be fine because we can try again. When you graduate from anything, college, a master’s program, medical school, or even law school your life then begins. You start fending for yourself in the real world. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows. Although if you get the most out of life as a child that won’t be the case for you as an adult, unless of course, it is. All I’m saying is when you're a kid be a kid because when you're an adult you won’t be able too.