1

Moreno Valley High School

Scribbling Madness









2013-2014
Annual Creative Writing Magazine

2


About Us:
My name is Angela LeBlanc. I have
been teaching English at Moreno
Valley High School since 2005. The
Creative Writing Club has been
putting out a Creative Writing
Magazine since 2007. Students are
encouraged to creatively document
their experiences, views on life, on
death, imaginary ponderings, and
put them on paper. Some of the
poems are responses to Langston
Hughes I too, sing America.

If you love to write, doodle, and
create new and interesting things and would like to actually get credit for it,
sign up for Creative Writing. If you want to be a voice for our school and help
to document student life, join Journalism!
movaleblanc.weebly.com #movalspeaks #movalcreative

Special Thanks:
Rachel Reyes, Moval Chronicle Newspaper
Alexandria Ott , Creative Writing Editor
Ben Necochea: ACT Canyon Springs High School
Journalism Club
Creative Writing Club
Students who were willing to participate and
let us into their world.


3


Table of Contents
Honors
First Place
Eunice Shin-Stargazing
Second Place
Alexandria Ott-26 Letters
Third Place
Cristina Canales-Youre Smarter Than People Assume
Honorable Mention
William Solis-Life of Will


Section One: American Identity
7
Section Two: Letters from the Earth
14
Section Three: Heart Strings
23
Section Four: Scribbling Madness
31
Section Five: Journaling with Picasso
39
Section Six: Storytellers
45




4


First Place Winner
Stargazing
-Eunice Shin Illuminate your surroundings like the dawn, like Liberty and her torch
Blind me with your radiance
You are more than the sun, more than the stars, more than the galaxies
Your light permeates the darkness within
Both coexisting until there is a struggle for power
Darkness reigns, suffocating me with velvet
Pushing me so far away, so far back
The only way I can come back to you is when light overcomes the darkness
Overtaking it, stripping it down to nearly nothing
I go back to you even when it hurts
A million stars burn me to ashes
Your brightness leaves me basking in your glow
And I pay no mind to the fires blazing around me
Latching on and consuming me, branding me as your victim
Yet I still hold on, wondering why I stay
With this equivalent to murder, to madness
Until I lose my grip to the night, falling into insanity
Pushed by you once more
Into the blessed cooling numbness that accompanies the darkness
In exchange for each breath that I take
How can I heal from this ordeal?
Yet how do I stay away?
Like Phaeton chasing the dawn and getting struck down by lightning
Like Icarus spreading his wings and flying too close to the sun
I too am drawn to my life source, to the unattainable
And as I plummet back to earth
I feel as if I was stargazing again
Distance is both a blessing and a curse
Now that I know how it feels to chase the dawn and fly too close
To feel your dangerous glory captivate me
It hurts to be away from the scorching warmth
I used to gaze at the distant stars gracing the darkened sky,
Disregard the chill as I drank in the splendor of the night
And be content with safety and ground
You burned all that caution and sense away the minute you caught my eye
All semblance of me was caught in that whirlwind of flames
You illuminate my nights, enlighten my dreams
And I prefer it to stargazing a thousand times over
5



Second Place Winner

Always will I have
these twenty-six letters
bound
chained
fettered
to the pencil beneath my fingertips.
And armed with these twenty-six letters
I will write.

I will write late at night
or early in the mornings
while the valley still sleeps.
I will write of your light brown eyes
and of your long dark hair.
I will write about the sparks on your tongue
that ignited empty expectations.
I will write about every missed call
and every sent text
that was left
unanswered.

I will cling to this pencil
and to these blank pages
and spill my heart
in silence.
I will write.
And every word
will ache
for you.


-Alexandria Ott

Third Place Winner
Youre smarter than people assume you are
You try to challenge authority
They always knock you down
You take too many pills for all the wrong reasons
6


You cant sleep because the moonlight distracts you
You dont have writers block
Theres just not much to say to yourself anymore.

I can believe this is happening
Remember when you thought feelings could be mutual
And you took a dare
And when all the lust left your system
You came back to yourself and your senses jumped off
Of a bridge

Theres no loop hole to get out of lifes nuisances
Just take things as they are
Your spirit cant die unless you let it
And when the world turns
Your soul churns
And you can go back to sleep
-Cristina Canales
Honorable Mention
Life of will
I awoke from dormancy inside the womb
Given to a mother and father
The early years a summers breeze

The hibernation was over, now conscience
I realized winter was not over
With its breeze bitter and cold

Winter has not left, but spring will come
I will sow the seed and
Summer will be mine to reap


-William Solis

Section One: American Identity

I, too, sing America
I am hardcore
They send me out
7


when company comes.
I am tough.
And rough,
And no one will mess with me.

Tomorrow,
I'll be out again.
When company comes
Nobody will dare say to me,
Youre nothing. You will never do any good.

--Christian Montes




I am from the beautiful breeze
From the beautiful windy air and the beach
I am from the smell of good Chinese food
Where the beach is beautiful and the people to
I am from the know it alls
Who judge you no matter what
And speak behind your back
I am from where family can be your own enemy
I am from where stories are told
Where stories turn into scary ones
Where my parents walked so far for their childrens future
When I close my eyes I dream of all hopes I wish for
I am from the present and future
With dreams held high
I am a believer in dreams
But dreams can be snapped easily if only you have faith...

-Erika Fuentes



I am Mexican
From corridos to banda
to tacos de asada
Im from a place where we
are unwanted
but there is an exception for me
8



Trust in god
She used to tell me
he will give you the strength
but where was he
when my pop was falling fast asleep
where were you, I plead

try this, it will all be better
but soon after they were all gone
the smell did not go
neither the taste
I had thought it shattered my dreams
Of ever being anything

Believe and you will achieve
But what if you no longer believe
What if you cant achieve
Knowing you must leave
But yet they say trust in god
BUT WHERE WAS HE!!!!!
- Oscar Ramirez



I am Mexican American
I have a song in America
It plays loud and proud
It sings about our hardships
It sings about discrimination
But it also sings about success
It sings about our hopes
It sings about our dreams
This is my America

-Gretel Garcia

I believe
in low voices
in shaky hands
in quick decisions
and hasty movement

I believe in lost years
in lost toys
in hazy visions
and muffled memories
9



I believe
in difficulty
in starvation, nearly
in dissatisfaction
in awkward laughs
and strange perception

I believe
in pretense
in niceties
in good intentions
in I want to hold you forever goodbyes

I believe in solidarity
in watching ghosts
in you eyes
in holding your
hearts in my pockets
and mine on my sleeve.

I believe in divine intervention.
-Angela LeBlanc




Hunger

I hunger for comfort
for chicken noodle soup
and fat cheeks
for late night pizza and Doritos
and cuddling, sleep
for biscuits and gravy
early morning Amazing Grace
I hunger for a place to belong.

I hunger for peace
for sweet chariots coming to carry me
home
for that still small voice
to whisper sweet
Nothing
for manna from heaven to
sustain my longing
empty
I hunger for a place to belong

I hunger for strength
for dark chocolate, bitter
power in the afternoon
for the chains to remain in their place
undone
for the wings to spread
and escape into vast open sky
I hunger for a place to belong.
--Angela LeBlanc




Thank you so much
for being part of my journey.
I will cherish this
year of creating,
sharing, and collaboration.





I am petite.
They send me food
When company comes
I starve
10


and watch others eat
smile my hunger away
Tomorrow,
Ill be eating
When company comes
I will grub, no one will dare say:
Jasmine youre getting fat.
Besides,
Theyll see I am not always hungry
And be understanding
I, too, am America
-Jasmine Valdovinos


I am shy
My childhood smells like a rose in a lonely field
the rain tastes like salty tears
I see in the morning, a lonely girl
The first thing I see in the morning is the sun and racing cars
The last thing I see at night is the stars and headlights
The wind moves in a lost circle
I laugh dumb, like at nothing
I come from loving parents to a better future
I open the door with a positive attitude
I would go to a land far from evil where peace is a rule
-Nicole Carnes
From Where they Roam
Rivers, creeks, mountains of ease
Roam about the flowing breeze
Traveling far past the east
A man stuck in days dream
Hitchhike to citys that begin to lean
I roam to places I havent seen
From Where they roam is a mystery
-Ryan Arballo


Who am I America?
Will I ever sing?
Today i'm insignificant.
11


To authority I may only be a number to them-
But tomorrow I'm going to impact you more than any natural disaster
And you will recognize I'm not a number
I will be the best in my field
Maybe I won't be on textbooks
But you will know who I am America
So tell me now America, was I just a number?
-Jessica Lopez





The anthem of America

America I sing for every child.
Who has nothing to look forward to,
But still has a bright future.
If he is willing to try and succeed
America I sing for them

Because life is survival
It is not easy for them
But you offer them an opportunity to thrive
America I sing for the minimum
Because there is a standard
And that is a bed and food and clothing
But extra comes at 9:50 an hour

I too sing America for this is the home of the brave
Because only the brave survive
In America
My land of opportunity!

-William Solis



Mi Barrio de Oro

I am from the golden state
12


Where not everything is made of gold
Were the struggle is real
And if you want to eat you got to hustle

I am from where the old fool buys his fix
Where the street lights flash
Over an adolescent man
Where women work double shifts

Where the men are grown out of boys
Where there is no gray area
It just is or isnt
Out of the place where you make it or break it.
-William Solis






Dream

I wake up, I already hear music.
Birds chirping, noises of life and birth.
The R&B I hear from the Good morning of my Mothers voice
The rap of fatherly advice
the poetry in my sisters stories
The alternative rock plays in my brothers jokes
the blues from my friends stories of joy and depression
With endless genre, endless lyrics,
I wouldnt live a day without hearing
the music from my loved ones.

--Joshua Alexander


Waiting

Waiting means to have
13


patience, to have patience
for long periods of time,
to have a patience I
acquired years ago.

when I said I'd wait
for you, I meant I
would be patient until
it was our time. For
however far away our
time may be. I said
I would wait.

and though waiting
isn't the smartest thing
to do, I will continue to
wait.
For I know I am not
smart, waiting is something
I would do for you.
-Pedro Hernandez



Section Two: Letters from the Earth

Where do I belong in this world of hurt, of cliques
and ideas?
Not here, not there, not at home, not anywhere else
No place to rest my wings from the flight
The course I have chosen is anything but easy
Filled with amiable strangers who know my name
But not the real me, the unlabeled, the true essence
of my very soul
I was born into this world to die alone
But remaining solitary all my life frightens me
Familiar faces are abundant, safe places are few, but
14


There is no place where I can ever be accepted,
where I can truly be myself
The odds were stacked against me, always stacked
against me
Everyone else belongs, everyone but me
This is no way to live.
Is it the way to live?

Does it ever get better in this world of hurt, of
rejection and pain?
Unwanted, unloved, trying to grasp on what is real
But clinging to comforting illusion
I cannot fathom ever hitting a cusp on this graph I
call life
The upward curve after hitting the minimum.
Change occurs but only seems to worsen the times
Pushed away at my most vulnerable moments
Left alone when the tears fall freely
I reach out to others and find no one
Willing to help me with myself
Rejection hurts, so deeply ingrained into my soul
As if it were a scar from the inflictions on my self-
worth
They say Ill be okay, Ill always be fine
Im not significant enough to matter, to know what
it feels like
To be truly hurt and afflicted
A fever runs through me, a blue haze settles down
I streak it with red for lack of color but the blue
only intensifies
And forever wonder at the blindness of everyone
Who never notice the state Im in, the dark eyes that
never smile anymore
The falsity of the faade I have, so painfully
obvious with effort
This is no way to live
Is this the way to live?

How can I live in a world of hurt, of suffering and
strife,
Of wickedness and sin, a world of knowledge
And still remain good, nave and pure,
With unstained hands and unblemished conscience?
One cannot exist without the other
I feel corruption seep through my flesh, taint my
blood
I feel words enter through one ear and stick around
in my brain.
I feel myself being pushed farther and farther down
the rushing river
And yet
I sit at the edge with only my feet dangling above
the water
Not quite touching, the river repulses me
The words are scattered, strung together
Not quite making sense, a jumble of syllables
My blood is purified by the light
Entering through my permeable skin as the
blackness had.
The world is extrinsic, outside forces that influence
me, my thoughts, my life
Am I so affected to let it rule my life, ruin my soul,
blacken my heart?
Its a cold place to live and a cold place to die
This is no way to live
Is this the way to live?

-Eunice Shin






You- the shadow skulking within my soul
concealed behind forced smiles and half-empty laughs;
the existing reality masked behind my bravado.
(Do they know you're there?)
You are the one who lies awake with me;
whose words echo unceasingly
15


inside my head uttering things devised to keep me numb and unfeeling yet
I can still feel you.
(Why do you stay here?)
You are the very thing my parents wished would never be.
An unfortunate result of my mother's anxiety,
her obsessive-compulsiveness, and insomnia
my father's depression.
(Is it no wonder why you're here?)
Whispering over and over again to me that I'll never be good enough
that my emotions are invalid
as if your words were playing on a broken record.
(Will you ever be silenced?)
-- Always will I have these twenty-six letters bound chained fettered to the
pencil beneath my fingertips.
armed with these twenty-six letters,
I will write.
I will write late at night or early in the mornings while the valley still sleeps.
I will write of light brown eyes and of long dark hair.
I will write about the sparks on your tongue that ignited empty expectations.
I will write about every missed call and every sent text that was left
unanswered.
I will cling to this pencil and to these blank pages and spill my heart in
silence.
All I will do is write, and every word will ache for you.
-- Alexandria Ott








My daughter
The words I heard
Through ears and heart
The truth and finality of the term
Mended the cracks in the bond
My daughter
The words that I longed to hear
And am finally rewarded
With my fathers love and pride
Elusive yet stable and dear
My daughter
Will I ever say those words--
16


To a young girl,
Innocent and nave
Just as I had been?
My daughter
You will be loved
Held precious and beautiful
A blessing to the world
As I never was.
My daughter
Anonymous
You didn't allow me
move on and exceed they said
I could have but you didn't let me
but you allowed her
you consider yourself an aid, but you don't assist

The numbers were against you
You allow me to dream
but tell me I cant do what I dream
you say its not right

You don't understand different

You say it's hard to get in that
theyre competition
but who said I was scared of commotion
it only makes me want it more

You, too scared to dream
All the dream killers
you don't allow other dreamers to dream
because your dreams didn't come true
but the dreamers are the brave ones
All you were was racist
All you did was underestimate my potential
You believe a woman can't do a mans job
-Jessica Lopez

Three Questions

Pieces of a broken heart
scatter like colored confetti
swirling in the wind
landing vicariously attaching themselves
hopelessly glued to fleeting remnants of love
Ready to run as far as legs will take
as far as memories will fade
So if broken pieces are in flight
are lost
17


Then gathering them
may be futile.

The light is relative
cousin to the abyss
unsure of genetic connection
In order to remain in its rays to abide
One must know where the ebony walls encroach
where the eternal black reigns
ready to run as far as legs will carry
as far as the golden chariot races
So, if the light is relative,
then finding it without rejection
may be futile.

The night
the dark
is broken
is so long; endless
the dark lashes of Artemis flutter
Persephones tears cascade
through clutching fingers
endless night
Panicked breaths
I n s o m n I a
Ready to RUN as far
as legs will endure
as far as lungs will allow
If life is truly short,
then enduring the
N I G H T
may be futile.

--Angela LeBlanc

Youre smarter than people assume you are
You try to challenge authority
They always knock you down
You take too many pills for all the wrong reasons
You cant sleep because the moonlight distracts you
You dont have writers block
Theres just not much to say to yourself anymore.

I can believe this is happening
Remember when you thought feelings could be mutual
And you took a dare
And when all the lust left your system
18


You came back to yourself and your senses jumped off
Of a bridge

Theres no loop hole to get out of lifes nuisances
Just take things as they are
Your spirit cant die unless you let it
And when the world turns
Your soul churns
And you can go back to sleep
-Cristina Canales

The words never spoken burn through my heart
Leaving only ashes in their wake
What is there left to say
when all you ever do is fade away?
Where do I go
now that you got off the train?
Id follow you off the tracks
if I knew that youd be waiting.
Now that were out of time
I cant help but pile on the regrets.
And on the top of the list is never chasing after you.
Next to that is never telling you how I felt.
Third to the top is letting you go
When I promised to never let go
My wishes are spent
Thoughtlessly invested in the unattainable
Needing you to be here, not there, not everywhere else
Wishing, dreaming, seeking, repeating
Words to remember, words to live by
Dont forget, never forget
I wont forget you, my lovely regret.
- Eunice Shin

2 a.m.

It's 2 a.m.
and I'm thinking of
you. I'm thinking of
the sound of your laughter,
your reassuring smile,
your sweet and gentle voice.

it's 2 a.m.
19


and I'm writing
about you. Writing
words I would never
say in person. Writing
poems, stories, feelings.
Feelings that I hope are
mutual.

it's 2 a.m.
and I want you.
I want you here with me.
lying in bed. Hearing
your steady breath as
you sleep. Feeling the pulse
of your heartbeat as your
chest is pressed up against me.

it's 2 a.m.
and I don't think
I want these thoughts
to leave.

--Pedro Hernandez


Your Loud Silence
-Dedicated to my dear friend Cintia
I hear your loud silence screaming to me
your high pitched ominous pain which bursts my ear drums
plagues me with your pain
feeling every ounce of your pain from each scratch to every stab
piercing your soul
pain so unimaginable to those who cannot scratch the surface of your being
ears bleeding, throbbing from your pain
and I havent even entered the core of your suffering
just scratched the surface
but your pain is not yours to bare on your own
I will share it with you
20


if I must
for eternal suffering is not for a mere mortal
why does such a wonderful person have to endure the greatest pains
driving you to the boarder of sanity and insanity
Ill be the invisible force
protecting your from the barbed wire fence that separates from that threat of insanity
My soul shattered
all the more worth it to help you
stopping the creeping pain which consumes your mind and body
I will find the seed of your misery
and I will burn it
its root will not sprout again
no more loud silence
--Damon Arreola

Dopple Ganger
Always there, never to depart
Living shadow against myself
Always doubtful never reassuring,
Prisoner,
Being never sufficient
Unaccomplished success
Destructed mindfulness
Prisoner,
Impossible to forsaken.
The strength within yourself
Creator of perseverance
Prisoner,
Slave to oneself
Core of my misery
My doubtful mind
Never ending, conflicting
Prisoner.Anonymous
















21
































Journal Entry by Fernanda Arrellano



Would You Rather


Would you rather be a paper bird or a bird with clipped wings?
On the one hand, you would only be a sad imitation, false and glaring so
Yet on the other, you could not achieve your dreams because of a crutch, a disability, a cruelty
Someone else is at fault, the maker, the afflicter
We never blame the creation itself, we pity the poor thing
It could not help its plight of misfortune
Someone else pulls the strings, holds the knife, folds you back in impossible angles
And expects you to fly, spreading wings that cannot bear your weight
Hanging in the air by strings or caged in by metal bars
Which could possibly be better?
What strains the heart less, makes thought more bearable?
Either way, both crumple and fall apart
Whether it is with artificial brightness or desperate cries
22


A choice of death or life, blessed ignorance or tortured awareness
Being created as something of little value, easily thrown away as soon as endowed with life
Or denied your claim to full majesty of flight with the unadulterated mockery of wings on others
How can you live as one or the other
No matter how you approach the question
Drawing up lists of pros and cons
Remember when fate knocks the door down, sends you crashing to the floor
And you will know just who you are
Based off of your regrets as the consequence
Of living a life of Would You Rather. Eunice Shin



Everything That Died

You finally got what you wanted
a final goodbye
and say thank you for everything
Everything that died
The hugs and kisses that you always denied
will be give to the person
that for me,
will forever stand by
and I will know where to sign
that love that was deprived
will one day be mine
way too beautiful or illogical to define
will be the day I walk in a line
in my white dress with my head held high
ready to let the past fully die,
and set free the butterflies
-Sandy Nathaly Calero


Section Three: Heartstrings

Your name
Each heartbeat that passes throughout my heart,
Echoes your name.
Everything about you drives me crazy,
Your touch, your lips, your way with words.
My heart murmurs your name

Each day that passes by,
New memories are created.
Each day that you are not here,
I feel lost
23


Like I was in the middle of the desert
My heart murmurs your name.

You are an amazing person.
Each hug you give me,
Makes my heart skip a beat.
Every time I see you,
I want to scream your name but,
My soul would go along with it.
My heart murmurs your name.
-Jeremy Torres














I hold fragments of you
Memories broken up
The good forever immortalized in my thoughts
The bad ever suppressed in the back of my mind
My hands are not enough to hold you together
I try and piece you together but you arent a jigsaw puzzle
They say you cant be fixed
Say you cant be whole again
Say that youve fallen down one too many times
Too hard, too fast, too long
I dont deserve you as you are
No one does
The pieces dont match up
They dont create the person I loved
The one with scars and flaws
Instead, I see change corroding your body,
Blackening your soul, twisting your thoughts
And I hate what youve become and what youve done
But I still hold the sections that I remember, can never forget
And I dont want to lose the person that caused me to fall
24


Fall as I can hardly believe, falling far too hard for this to be normal
I dont want to lose you entirely
So Ill grip on to you, turn my back to reality and never let you go
And forget the rain, the ice, the distance in your eyes from a distant time
Because it is so easy to forget when Im with you
The past is an open door but we never look back
Ill accept you for the fragments you left for my sake
I can accept them because its you.

-Eunice Shin















yesterday
You leave me hanging
You, deeply rooted and branching out
And I am your sole ornament
Strung up for all to see.
I never get warmer
I always get colder
When youre not here next to me
And if you are, you always flee
I am always quiet
Now I am never silent
Your conversation intrigues me
But you leave me hanging,
Holding on to you
Needing you to set me free.
A swinging pendulum tolls.
I hate this dependency
But I hate the blank spots youll leave when you leave.
You bring out my best qualities.
I need your approval, your validation.
I hang on your every word,
Breathless and enraptured,
Never feeling the color staining my neck
25


Or taking notice of the noises
Wrenched out of necessity and survival.
Youre my life source
My winters chill
My summers warmth
Seasons fade away
As time rolls on
In continuous motion
But when you stay
I always feel the warmth
Seep into my bones
Blocking the cold stiffness
Lingering from a dark encounter
You leave me hanging
And Ill hang for you.











Two Weeks ago

Looking into the mirror
Seeing the stars fade to the backgrounds
The sparkles burn dull
The age multiplies
In countless fold
Haunted, haggard, hidden
In plain view
A small smile steals its way
To the top
It doesnt fool her
But it fools others
An illusion forced up
The mirror shatters.


A few months ago
Meaningless
When did my opinion ever matter?
What is my self-worth?
Worth nothing, worthless
Dont even try
Youll only fail
26


Dont speak, dont dream
Life isnt going to be kind to you
You dont matter
What can you do
That no one else cant?
What does any of it matter?
Meaningless



--anonymous











Love Again

When I stare at you too long
I can feel the tears gather
and when I see though what you have done
I can feel my dreams shatter
You were everything you cursed and screamed
But I thought that you could change
Meanwhile everything wasnt as it seemed
and you said I was insane
But like every foolish girl out there
I believed that this would end
You would see that I was kept out waiting
and youd come back to me then
there would be a time when we would both be happy
and that would never change
but your love is artificial
so then why cant I ever
Finally be over you?
Now that I stop trying to sneak
A glimpse of the real you
All I ever get to see
Is an empty outer room
everything kept inside
Nothing showing outside
27


How could I have believed
that you would bare your heart to me?
But like every foolish girl out there
I believed that this would end
You would see that I was kept out waiting and youd come back to me then
There would be a time when we would both be happy
and that would never change
but your love is artificial
so then why cant I ever
Finally be over you?
With everything you said
can I learn to love again?
-Joyce Shin



































28








-Juan Lopez various slam journal entries










Roads Untraveled

We all walk down some sort of road
expecting to get to the best destination possible
we avoid being hit by cars and every obstacle
but me, I bare a load youve bestowed
crippled by the weight of your world
I walk stumbling, just to reach you

Once in a while, a big rig may pass by that blows me off course
but I never lose sight of you and dont hold remorse
I keep my eyes on the horizon cause it will guide me to you
These crippled feet will never steer off course.
In fact, they will stride.

I may have been run over a couple times
but Im ready for this climb
and each hit brings me just a little closer
as I look up, I can see Im halfway there
So is this the point where we give up?

The rest of the way was easy
just not enough to please me
my destination was in plain sight
and I thought my future never looked so bright

but when I was a step away
all it took to finally flatten me
was a girl
she sent me astray
in the end it wasnt a car
not a truck
or a big rig
29


just a girl, a wonderful girl
Now is this the point where I give in?Now is this the point where I
turn myself in?
Or is this the time to ask questions
to seek answers?
to throw it all in
Well, Ill throw it all in
and it the road running
no more mistakes or wrong turns
this is a one way road
and it will lead me straight to you.
-Damon Arreola
The Music Never Sounded Good Without You.

When we spent those
days with each other,
the music sounded
so good.
You turned every clich
love song into a huge
rock ballad and every
rock ballad, you changed
into a clich love song

Every verse,
Every chorus,
filled my mind
with thoughts of you.
And when you left,
everything
sounded terrible.
Clich love songs
were now endless
repetitions
of narcissistic words.
And even though you've
gone, and the music
30


no longer sounds good,

It will always remind
me of you.

--Pedro Hernandez


Section Four: Scribbling Madness


Hidden in plain view of everything
Its funny, really
The contradictions that exist in a single person
Me
My outward appearance is open
Not exactly inviting but
Still accepting and full of mirth
My mind is free
Or at least as free as it could roam
Without the limitations of its use
But my heart is closed off
Unbreakable barriers erected
Impassable boundaries drawn
Do not pass go, do not try to climb the walls
Its a perilous climb, cannot be breached
Outwardly I laugh
Inwardly I cry
All the while flying across and through the seas
Pulled by the current, pulling against the current, not
pulled at all
The outside starts to feel a little forced, a little fake
Masking the sign that cries out
Warning! No trespassing. Risk at your own peril.





















You may think Im like a tangerine
Easily peeled, easily accessible, thin
skin, mostly liquid
31


But Im more like an onion
Many layered, inadvertently harmful
I reach out and try to nourish, try to
feed, try to satiate
Willingly giving myself over to the
knife, the pan, the fire
But when I am all done, prepared,
ready
I am left, alone on the plate
The very dregs of the meal
Once I was whole
But people kept peeling away the
layers
Layer after layer after layer
Ripped to the core, sliced to the very
heart
Used, eaten, and then discarded.
--Eunice Shin









A mans masquerade
Its obvious to you Im wearing my mask
We call it fronting
Thats accurate because behind this mask, wall, cage
We reside in our home front
In safety and security

Comfort is nice but it gets us nowhere
So the bars, bricks, and Kevlar
Need to be removed
To reveal the person inside
Pink, soft, and raw
Is our flesh
Any kind of intrusion or breach though the skin
Is a highly concentrated biological attack
-anonymous






Cold War

Why does the world have to be so cold and raw
full of unpleasant emotions brought towards us
lack of dignity and appreciation for those falling

between outcasts and unseemly characteristics , we fall
fall in a pond of deep discomfort
frightful discussions and compliments shooting directly at us
32



being more satisfies, hidden in a shell
bright sense of persona taken way
slightly from our hands
fear of heights now shifts to fear of individuality
cold world please be vanished
-Patricia Ruiz










Promises

The only things she had left

the bottle
the bolttle of pills snatched her life
from her cold blistering hands

the bottle dangled
happiness in front of her

Whispered sweet words of
eternal beauty
promised
promised her she would be loved
Promised not one more tear would fall
she, the dark of her day
Promised to be her hero.
How can I blame her?
33



-Juliana Roberson




Primitive Marketplace



The brown packed Earth
A primitive place
No sign of rebirth
Only of age

Bright colors and white
Contrast with the drab
And within the line of your sight
A mountain stands

A busy place
And everyone sees
No time to waste
No time to believe

That their lives could be better
That the heavens don't exist
That they could read letters
Sent in their midst

The brown packed Earth
A primitive place
No sign of rebirth
Only of age

Nature at its finest
Inhabitants belted with the same cord
And no one ever realizes
That they could move forward

The wind howls around this standing
mountain


As some of the inhabitants start to climb
A sacrifice in need to be made to the
heavens
To appease the gods and stop the ever
scorching sunshine

They see a dead mountain goat on the
way
Under inspection, dead by a tiny hole in
its neck
Confusion fills their brown faces
And then behind them, they hear a click

They slowly stand and face this man
Pale and with a strange contraption
Pointed straight at them as they stare
back
When this strange man smiles, they are
filled with elation

He wants to be friends and we shall be
They smile back and reach out to him
He recoils as if they were dirty beasts
And then shoots at them at random

One man gets hit in the chest
Another flees to safety
34


Another man rolls off the edge
The rest die by attacking

Poor native souls
They had no chance or idea
They were kind and humble as men go
Never suspected this ordeal
-Joyce Shin




Ever?


The shame and degradation
I have nothing to show
Still not on their level
Never going anywhere
who can say it?
Im going to be great?
Because I know Im not
It was only a dream
But Im still dreaming
Never waking up
Hurts me to think
that I will wake up
and then I will cry
because I can never reach
the best part of life
Andreya Hernandez and the best part of me
no one can feel
no one should try
it takes everything in me
to hide the me inside
screaming to let go
dying everyday
nothing anyone can say
can let these thoughts go away
Im a pathetic loser
after all
just take it and maybe
theyll be wrong
35


but I dont believe that
So I fall asleep
where I can live how I want
without anyone degrading me.
-Joyce Shin




Unknown

Growing up I always felt alone,
abandoned by my parents left in a foster home for adoption
feeling like they shouldve aborted me
so I abort those feelings
thrown out, I cry out
to someone who isnt there
I would tell people my story,
but they dont care or
will it be used against me?
I know the only friend I have is ME.
So, when Im alone, I listen to the voice inside my headphones
the only person who seems to understand me.
Ive been lied to,
backstabbed
used more than hash tags
Im paranoid
Im being followednot knowing its my own shadow
Im at war with myself and problems
so I write these songs to dissolve them,
I hurry before the darkness devours my light
I am a warrior
Im strong and I fight
but I find myself at night
36


in a dark room not ashamed of my tearsI cry
the pain in a cup
that shamepain
I wonder sometimes how would it feel to take my life away today?
Maybe then my problems will go away
but thats not the solution
pain
is temporary
death is forever.


-Osbaldo Blue Zuniga



Zombie

~ the body of a dead person given the resemblance of life,
but mute and will less, by a supernatural force, usually for some evil purpose

Let the music consume you in the development of a melody with such a rhythm that moves your soul back into the place it used to call
home..
and your body, no longer a walking corpse, fills with the breath of life its been longing for since before you could remember.
Your chest swells with the sweetness of life you had forgotten was real.
You get up out of bed, out of the darkness that had enwrapped its heavy hands around your neck,
breaking free and taking your first steps into the brightness of a world that for so long seemed to exist only behind a one way mirror.
Exhale the sigh of relief that had been wedged somewhere within your lungs
and allow your eyes to devour the image of a universe waiting to be explored.
Let freedom be your guide and happiness your fuel;
feel the heart beat inside you and let yourself fall in love with words that will caress you.
Remember how it feels to be alive, and let it enchant you, but

never
look
back.
37


--Stacy Lopez



















art by Andreya Hernandez






Falling
Falling
Hurtling towards the ground
The wind in my face as I drop
Nobody pushed me
I put this on my self
Thought this was best
Best decision I could make
What was the point?
Everything has been done
The fame will never be mine
My head is in the clouds
Dreams I can never attain
Scared to death
But pushed to the point
Where nothing else matters
Falling
I will myself to float
And I do in my mind
My physical body is still gaining speed
But I drift in my thoughts
People gather around to watch
They point but do nothing
They cannot
I wanted this for myself
I wanted to feel something besides shame
Disappointment and tears
Falling








38









I am proud of myself
Even if no one has ever said that to me
Saying everything else that hurts
Crying myself to sleep every night
Im sick of it
Sick of trying to find love
Acceptance for who I am
Not a square pushed into the mold of a circle
I know where my happiness is
Not here
And I need to leave
But this was the only way
Falling
Maybe
I could be reborn
Into someone elses life
And have people who support my dreams
and not dismiss them or get scolded
because when I see everyone else
I am envious of their lives
The loose lines that color it
Instead of the strict ones that make up mine
Falling
Dont look back
You chose this
As my body hits the ground with great force
And my bones break and everything goes black
My mind is still up in the clouds
Finally freed
Falling
--Joyce Shin
Section Five: Journaling with Picasso












Painting by Sandy Calero

39










Journaling by Carissa Marin
Gisella Esparza




Andreya
Hernandez


40








Angela LeBlanc
41


Oscar Cortez
42


Fernanda Arrellano







43


44


Andreya Hernandez
Section Six: Storyteller
45



Intro to Venus
by Eunice Shin

Weariness etched deep in his bones, Andy leaned against the boulder and gasped for breath. He inched his way up from his exhausted
slouch and tried to quiet his breathing. He wasnt safe yet but he was quote close. Just a few more steps and freedom was his. He clutched his
aching side and half stumbled across the line that marked his freedom and escape. The chains that had bound Andys heart snapped open. He felt a
surge of appreciation, relief, guilt, and life. He finds a cave and crawls into the opening just as it began to rain. He leaned against the smooth dark
basalt wall and closed his eyes, dropping off into a fitful, uneasy sleep, despite his newfound freedom
Well this is an odd sense of dj vu, Andy thought to himself, gazing at the landscape. He knew what to do, what was going to happen,
and what would save him. He stood at the edge of the cliff and slowly felt his wings unfurl, ripping his shirt as he extended them. He launched
himself off the cliff and soared for a bit. All of a sudden, his wings vanished into thin air and he felt himself dropping. He cried out in shock as he
plummeted from the sky. As soon as he began to fall, he stopped and found himself on a pile of leaves that he also vaguely remembered. He
instinctively dug to the bottom of the pile and his hand grasped a familiar sword. His hand remembered that this time, he did not grasp the blade
and slice open his hand. He swung it out of the pile of scarlet leaves and then he heard a shout. He instinctively dropped into the pile of scarlet
leaves and frantically burrowed into the leaves, hiding. Three men emerged, running towards him. He could not remember ever meeting them but
somehow instinctively knew them. He stilled, trying not to rustle the leaves. He remembered this scene; one of them, the man with the golden hair
would pull out a gun and shoot him. Sure enough, the gun was pulled out and shot, but not through him. He felt the bullet whiz passed him but not
through him. Andy breathed the minimalist of sighs. He was relieved. He remembered what happened next in the dream. They would leave and he
would run off in the other direction, safe and sound. Andy tensed, preparing to run. Suddenly, one of the men broke from character while the rest
seemed to freeze. He turned around violently and flung a dagger into the pile. Andy saw it land tip first next to him but he felt pain wrack his body,
the ripping sensation, the spreading poison. He puzzled over it for a second before realizing that it stabbed his nonexistent wing. The man
purposefully stomped over to Andy, picked him up by his forearms, and slammed him against a tree. Andys arms hung useless while his hand lost
its grip of the sword.
Why do you keep playing her game? Why fall into her hands? Why try? the man frantically asked, pushing Andy into the tree each time he asked
a question. Andy felt the bark nip his skin, felt his imprint mark the tree.
I dont know what you are talking about, Andy finally forces out. He looked at the man, terrified. He had dark hair that grew around his thin face
like a shaggy mane. Everything about him seemed too thin, ready to snap like a bent twig.
You dont know? Oh, you know, the man growled, his voice becoming deeper and deeper before his dark eyes burned into Andys soul and Andy
could see a glimpse of what had happened to that man. He saw flames licking the skin, burning and tracing fiery patterns, and a long black snake
slowing winding up the body before coming head to head with the man. The snake reared back before striking between the mans eyes and
slithering down the mans throat. Andy blinked, feeling nauseous and overwhelmed. All of a sudden he was transported back to the pile of leaves,
the sword in his hand and he heard the shout once more. He turned and ran to his right, running amongst the trees and the heavy vegetation. He
looked back after what seemed like forever and found that he was not being pursued. He breathes in relief. Then some force gripped his body and
he flung himself on the ground. Just in time or else he would have been pierced by multiple arrows as they flew through the air. Andy felt a few
bounce off the trees and hit him but none struck him with full force. Andy slowly rose, clutching the sword, fully aware that he needed his wings to
win this fight and those were sadly not present. The man with the golden hair had followed him.
So, youve come to take her away from me? Well, she is mine. She doesnt need you; she just hasnt realized that she only needs me to be happy.
So I suggest you leave now. You are not wanted. The man said with a maniacal glint in his eyes.
Look man, Im trying to get away. Just show me where to go and Im gone, Andy said casually, trying to appease the man.
I am more man than you! How dare you insinuate that I am not? the man screeched out before dropping his bow and arrows and rushing
towards Andy. Andy felt the sword being ripped from his hands, saw a flashing and bloody arc above him before the man froze, his hands bloody
from gripping the blade. Andy suddenly saw the woman seated in her throne, leaning over and looking at him in another throne.
You are a prince. Not one of the weak fairytale princes but a strong, experienced prince. And your confidence is a plus as well, she mused, trailing
her hand up and down the mans arm.
I can be everything for you, princess. The man spoke confidently, leaning back and holding her gaze, making promises he wont live to keep.
I am sure you can, she whispered. Leaning closer, she brushed her hand against his eyelids so they drifted shut. Suddenly, the man was bound
and wide awake, his eyes bulging out from the sudden constraints.
But you should know, I dont want everything, she murmured before ripping out the strength and confidence from him in the midst of the high
pitched screams and storing it safely in a large golden ball that was so familiar to Andy
Andy snapped back to himself and saw himself back in the leaves but he took off running towards the castle. Some instinctive part told him that it
was safe to go there. He didnt even hear the shouts but ran anyway.
Not so fast, Andy, a voice floats out before a hand gripped his wrist and spun him back in the direction of the leaves.
Whohow do you know my name? Andy stuttered out.
Never mind that, just get away from that castle. You dont want back in, the man said. Pushing back his long red hair out of his face, the man
started tugging him away from safety.
Wait, who are you? Andy asked desperately.
I am Lysander. And I too made the mistake of running to the castle. I am still here. So run. Run till you cant and even then, run anyway.
I dont know what you are talking about. There is safe, Andy tries to tell him.
Lysander grabbed Andys jaw and stared him in the eyes.
46


Andy saw the girl once again. She looked poised for an attack.
You better run, she murmured, her voice low.
You dont want me to catch you for running away. After all, Andy, you still remember me. You will always remember me
Venus, Andy breathes before seeing the guy for the last time that night. He woke up and tried to repress his past but they kept coming up,
memories in no particular order of his. He couldnt escape these dreams that kept rolling and rolling into him like waves

Run. Just run. Dont you dare look back. Legs, keep running, moving, functioning or else all is lost. Dont look back. Run. There! The exit. Just a little
farther and freedom comes. There, you can taste it. Discover a spurt of energy derived from desperation. And watch as the looming exit starts
receding farther and farther away. Your burst of energy is depleted. You run out of necessity but your body is worn out and tired. It pleads and
cries for you to give it rest. You cant afford to. You give a tired sprint towards the light and feel hot breath on your heels. You run faster, run for
your life, and then feel something heavy, soft, and sharp strike your head. You fall, dazed and confused, still instinctively trying to run, trying to
hide, trying to escape. You gaze in fear at the creature before you. She smiles enigmatically, her eyes glowing purple, her face and figure flawless.
Her beauty is terrifying; it instills a desperate panic into the hearts of the strongest of men. She raises a hand and strokes your cheek with it, almost
affectionately, her eyes still smoldering. They turn black and her face twists into a cruel grin as she raised her hand and lightly pats your cheek. It
stung, burned, and ached where her touch had been. All you see are her eyes, black and smoldering. You black out

Andy is escorted into the throne room of Venus. She is half reclining in the large, cushioned, elaborate gilded throne and only her eyes rise when
she sees him between the two burly men.
Fen, Oak, no need to assist our young man. Hes perfectly capable of thinking and he knows what happens when he runs. You may go. I do not
require your assistance as you well know, she said lazily, her purple eyes the only indication of her anger at the presence of the two men.
Princess, you know our orders, Oak said steadily.
Perhaps I do. But I also know that the very presence of you guards in my house is no honor to me. I do not allow men such as you to exist before
me in such a state. This brings shame to my kingdom. Shame, do you hear me? she said, her velvety voice rushing and pushing the men back. Her
voice alone caused Andy to tremble but the men still maintained their stoic steadiness.
Your brothers kingdoms, you mean, Fen corrects.
The violet eyes narrowed.
You forget, she said softly, never moving from her relaxed position but staring straight at him, You forget these are my lands, my kingdom by
right. The eldest brother thought to deny me my share, I who have toiled far more for this kingdom than anyone else, I who deserved the whole
kingdom, I who is far more capable than my imbeciles of brothers. You know what happened to them. Yet here you remain, a reminder of how
much I loathed all of them and how I won these lands fairly. Her voice carried throughout the room though she spoke no louder than a whispering
hiss.
You killed our king! King Nolan is a far better ruler, a far more benevolent good king, and you, his little brazen hussy of a sister killed him. In your
ignorance, you wronged the people by robbing from them the greatest king who ever lived. Oak said, stung by the words, defending his beloved
king.
Nolan was a pampered brat who enjoyed carousing and entertainment far too much to deal with his kingdoms affair. His people starved. The
lashes on your backs are proof of his petulance and impatience. He wanted me married, said I couldnt rule because I am a woman. Is that a good,
benevolent ruler who loved his people? Then Im glad I rid the world of such scum, She said, raising an eyebrow.
You cant rule with bloodied hands. You shall pay and we will remain until we see that day, Fen said defiantly and strongly.
I enjoy the hunt far too much to not have blood on my hands. It stained them yet they still remain the color of living health. As for you seeing the
end of me, well this is my kingdom. I hold the power, has always held it in these hands, these bloodstained hands of flesh. I tire of your words.
Leave my presence and go back to Nolan. With those words, she raised her hand and flicked it in their direction. Behind them, a door emerged
from thin air and opened, showing blood falling on snow as if from some gruesome rain. With another wave in their direction, they flew backwards
through the wide door and it closed. Andy watched as they fell and as the blood dropped onto them, drenching them ad staining them scarlet.
Well, Andy, now that they are gone, its time for a little test, Venus said, rising at last and striding over to him. She stares at his eyes when coming
up to eye level.
Youve come a long way in coming here. You know that I hold all the answers to the questions in your soul. Ask me one and ask wisely. Ask only
what you truly wish to know.
Ask about how to leave! his mind screams but Andy hesitated. Suddenly a rush overcame his mind and pried open his brain with what felt like tiny
hands before shoving another memory. He dizzily watched it unfold as he saw yet another man ask that question eagerly, without thought. Venuss
eyes had turned black and flooded his mind with the answer. The man had screeched and Andy felt the shadow of the burning the man had felt in
his mind. He stared dazed into those purple eyes before whispering his first question.
Whyare you so unhappy? he asked. Her eyes looked startled for a moment before her lips curved into a smile.
Andy, do you really want to know? she asked, her violet eyes soft for a rare occasion.
Andy found he could not speak. His throat could not force out any sound. He nodded carefully.
Then I shall tell you she said quietly before the story washed over him in waves, immersing him thoroughly into the tale.
There was a girl who lived in a village, unaware, trusting, and unafraid. She had these eyes, large, bright yet opaque. People would say she was all-
seeing, all-knowing. But that was the very thing she wished for. Because all she saw was color. Nothing but blobs of color. Nothing distinct. Nothing
solid. All a mass of indefinite answer. She came to trust that the dark expanse as the rich earth she walked on, the glittering blue the sea. Her peers
and neighbors always helped her, spoke kind words to her causing her to grow up with a complete trust in strangers. Until, one day she fell. No, not
fell, pushed. She was pushed and kicked while she was down. Her world, the peaceful purity she knew, was gone, brought down by raiders passing
through.
47


As someone roughly pulled her up, she stumbled and fell once more. The edges of her world was blackening, her head throbbing with pressure. She
walked the dark path she was forced along. Everything seemed darker. The water turned black, the earth appeared capable of swallowing her up.
She saw stripes and bright colors. Unnatural colors. She was ushered toward these colors. She felt the coarse, rough canvas against her cheek and
the side of her body. This was a tent. But her people did not live in tents. Yells and screams permeated through the thick cloth. The sound
resonated through her ears and the black threatened to overwhelm her.
She stumbled in before being shoved to the ground. Suddenly she felt two bodies landing on hers heavily. She shoved them off only to see streaks
of red in the black and brown they wore.
Treat her with respect. She is a princess, a deep voice growls. She raises her head in the general direction of him and saw a tan blob. She
struggled to stand up and she felt a hand grasp her arm and lift her up.
Princess, you are alive, the man said reverently.
For the first time, she spoke.
I am alive, she rasped, marveling at the sound of her voice. Suddenly, she lurched forward and ripped a chain off the mans neck.
And you came back, she snarled, smashing the crystal to the ground and absorbing the rainbow of colors that were emitted.
Princess, what do you mean? You were kidnapped at birth and the man trailed off in his haste and bewilderment.
Stop lying. Do you think I am blind? she asked.
Well, frankly, arent you? the man said, recovering his confidence in a truth he knew. Unfortunately for him, the truth changes.
Instead of the dark, unseeing orbs from earlier, he saw darkening violet eyes, clear as a cloudless sky and full of life. He gulped.
I am no princess, Nolan. I am Queen. You are no brother of mine. Only the usurper of my throne. She extends a hand and a saber materializes out
of the air and into her hand.
Taking my memory, my power, and my sight? She asked before tossing him the saber. He catches it and looks befuddled.
You killed the people who lived here and polluted the land and waters by your very presence. I hope you live here happily, working to restore it.
She said, erecting barriers around the region.
Exile, princess? Give me a break, Nolan scoffed. Venus merely concentrated before the region started to separate into a separate land mass in
space. She herself stood on solid Earth while Nolan and his men went with the land mass. The bodies of her people disappeared and Nolan didnt
seem too worried until she spoke her last words to him.
I am Venus. This is my kingdom. Rightfully do I take it back. And let the blood of my people rain on you until you are stained guilty the day you
die. With that, a thunder cloud boomed out the fruition of her words. The landmass hurtled into space, a planet of blood and toxicity. Only when
it was out of sight did Venus weep for her people, weep for the awareness, weep for the whole sick world. She dried her tears and traveled her
recovered domain before building her castle and everything in it. Her new life came at a price. She had paid it and there was no looking back.
I went from being in blissful ignorance to haunting reality. Because of me, the people died. They were innocent too. We lived in an isolated, pure
land, Andy. And even that was taken away from us. Nothing pure can stay, Andy. I am far from pure. I guess thats why Ive remained. She said.
Her voice brought him back from the scenes unfolding before him. Her purple eyes regarded him intently, sadly, and with the tiniest bit of
approval.
Thank you, Andy said, feeling the weight of the story she had given him.
No, thank you, Andy. You passed, she said simply before walking away. Andy blinked and found himself back in his room. He rubbed his eyes and
wondered about the answer he received. It wasnt complete but more than enough

Andy was escorted to the dining room. Venus was waiting for him, half-lounging in her chair. She greeted him with a nod and a smile. Silent
servants came and set plates before them. One servant brought in a carafe of red liquid. He poured them both some. Andy raised his glass boldly
and proposed a toast.
To you, my lady and whoever your next victim may be. How callous had I grown in my stay here? I just wanted to get out of here and if
escaping meant more men succumbing to her spell then so much the better, I thought to myself. Her lip twitched in amusement.
To you, Andy and your high hopes which fly like the little bird that you are. They clink glasses and drink before eating in silence. She
regards him with a small, half-smile on her face. Her eyes, purple and hypnotizing, never leave his face, even while she ate. When they were done,
she stood up and gazed expectantly at him. He rose from his seat and stretched out his back muscles. With a small jerk of her head, she glided
across the room and towards the large archway that led to a variety of rooms. He followed her confidently, a faade that covered up his
nervousness and desperation. She waited patiently; no matter how much longer his legs were, she still reached the destination first. She led him
down corridors and hallways. Finally, they reached the room. The door appeared to be made entirely of black granite. She turned to him and softly
kissed his forehead. Her eyes were glinting mischievously and her mouth curled up in anticipation.
Fly well, little bird. The door slid open and she nudged him gently in. Andy walked in and the door slid shut. He surveyed the room. It
had black granite walls as well and had a strange shimmery appearance though the room was dark. And suddenly, without warning of any kind, he
was plunged into his worst nightmare

Andy sat limply chained to the wall, his thoughts full of Venus. I never see her anymore, he though sadly before becoming limp and listless. His
wrists were manacled to the wall but he didnt feel any pain. There had been no struggle. Why am I here? Venus needs me, he thought without
emotion. Feeling curiously empty inside, he looked around, trying to spark emotion. And suddenly, an onslaught of voices echoed through his head.
His skull felt as if it would break apart into smithereens. He clutched his head and groaned softly, too weak to do much else. Suddenly, Venus
emerges from the shadows and swiftly unchains him.
You will not have the same fate, Andy, she murmured, her voice giving Andy some solace through the pain.
Carrying him as she would a small boy, she walked to her chamber and forced down some colorful liquid that burned down his throat.
Wiping his forehead, she inquired, Better? to which he nodded.
48


I can heal you, Andy. Would you like that? she asked. Andy nodded once more. His voice seemed lost. He concentrated on her violet eyes until
they consumed his thoughts, consumed his sight, consumed him as a whole. He felt cleansed of all the dirty remnants he imagined in his soul just
by looking at those eyes

Run. Just run. Dont you dare look back. Legs, keep running, moving, functioning or else all is lost. Dont look back. Run. There! A clearing. Lose
those in pursuit in there. Stop! A dead end. A rift, wide and deep, in the earth. You need to get across. But how? There is no bridge, no rope,
nothing that could possibly help you. The sound of multiple branches snapping urges you to make a speedy decision. You step back a bit and get
ready to run. As you prepare to run, suddenly an arrow whizzes past you. You run regardless, willy-nilly, avoiding the arrows as best as you could.
Your feet leave the ground as you leap into the air. The other side of the rift comes closer by the second. A miracle is happening. Youre going to
make it. And suddenly a flaming arrow buries itself inside your shoulder. You hit the edge, clawing your way over to the other side. You instinctively
stop, drop, and roll. It pushes the arrow deeper into your body, ripping through muscles and tendons and striking bone. The flames dont stop their
deadly dance as you lie writhing in pain from the burns and from the excruciating pain of the arrow. The flames lick the clothes off your back and
greedily eat up your skin, leaving a charred mess. You grit your teeth, shut your eyes tightly, grip the arrow and pull. A bloodcurdling scream exits
your mouth despite gritted teeth. There is resistance. You suddenly know what to do. You feel your resolve solidify into steel but your body
protests. Gripping the tip of the arrow, you push inwards. Gasping, screaming, protesting, your body resists the weapon and begs you to stop the
pain, stop the endless burning, stop the ordeal its going through. Finally after several thousand years in a minute, the tip breaks through the skin.
The arrow had been slanting downwards, causing the tip to break the skin between two ribs. You cannot find the strength to break the arrow, to
push yourself past the pain levels. After resting, your resolve comes back and you wearily grasp the tip of the arrow, and break it off. Your body
shudders and protests. Screams and expletives exit your mouth, the tears flowing freely like a rushing river. You pull the arrow out with some
difficulty from your back and immediately drop to the ground on your back. You groan as you feel the blood seep into the ground as you struggle to
roll, slowly extinguishing the flames as the flames slowly ate the skin of your back. Its appetite was voracious and devoured flesh as if it had never
eaten such a delicacy before. Finally, the fire had gone out, its meal cut short. You were left gasping, your back exposed to the world, a charred,
blistered, bleeding, severe mess. Turns out fire isnt the only one whose appetite needs to be sated. A large black bird flaps into the picture and
lands on your uninjured shoulder. Delicately, it started to peck its meal out of you. The sudden pressure causes an eruption of agony and you
instinctively flail around, and roll again, groaning. And then you roll off into the rift. At the last minute you grab the ledge and hang on for dear life.
You feel your weakening arms slide out the ledge and you futilely grip it with all the strength you could muster in your damaged arms and back.
Suddenly a slug slimes its way out of a nearby hole and nonchalantly starts chomping off your fingers. You scream as you let go and you plummet
to the ground. You hit another ledge and it threatens to crumble into a million pieces. You cumbersomely roll to a safer spot and catch your breath.
You gaze upward. Only about ten feet to climb. You struggle to get up but fall back, wincing at the pain. You crawl to the edge in the hopes of
finding a way out of this place downwards. The distance is dizzying. You feel faint just watching the drop. As you struggle to inch back, the unstable
ledge breaks apart, causing you to fall one more. You tightly shut your eyes. Your heartbeat starts running out of control, you start to
hyperventilate, you helplessly fall. The only thing you could do is hope the end will be merciful. The drop ended abruptly once more. This time you
land on a bed of seaweed. It cushioned your fall greatly. You open your eyes in astonishment but wince as your ruined back protests. The seaweed
wraps itself around you, tying you up, confining you. You are trapped in strands of seaweed, making it physically impossible to move. You are too
absorbed in your body and its struggles to see the shark appear. When you open your eyes, the shark is right in front of you. His large mouth
stretches into a menacing grin. Slowly, it circles you until it comes to the injured hand from the slug, dangling quite near the water. It leisurely
swims lazily around it before suddenly striking. You scream as you feel the teeth gnash through your arm. The shark aggressively biting through
your arm and succeeding is too much for you to bear. Pain explodes, the blood comes out faster in spurts, and darkness beckons







Silent Hunter
By James Tootell

Listen! Most people always tell you, dont read this. It catches your curiosity to keep you reading. But I need you to read this to try and
understand this. Dont make the same mistake as we did. Okay. I will start from the beginning. Before my life became a living hell.
My friends and I had been planning a camping trip for a while. This had been our, big escape. You see, we dont really get time to hang
out, so we decided to take some time off of work to go camping.
We decided to meet at our favorite diner, just outside of town. We enjoyed our meal, but ate moderately fast. I dont really know why we
ate quickly. It could have been because we were eager to get to the campsite. But we took the scenic route.
There wasnt very much to see. It was a Friday during the middle of winter. So it was mostly just snow covering trees and mostly
everything really. For us, it was perfect. There wasnt anyone except for the six of us. By the six of us, I mean Danny, Ashley, Brett, Amanda, Zared,
and me.
When we got there, we took everything out of our cars and set up everything we needed. Zared went to go chop some wood while the
rest of us got the tents fully set up and sleeping bags laid out. A little while later, Zared was back with quite a bit of wood (enough to last a few
49


hours) and he set it right next to the rock circle that Danny set up. Danny and Zared were people that went camping all the time. It was good to
have people that knew what they were doing.
Amanda was more of a princess. She couldnt go a full five minutes without fixing herself up. She was dating Brett. They were together
for about five months and honestly, I dont know how Brett could stand her. I wasnt really her friend. But Im Bretts friend.
Brett is a tall guy that loves to go and party all the time. The reason we dont see him much is because he goes and parties whenever he
gets the chance. He always goes for the princess types of girls. He doesnt stay with them long, though. Amanda is the only girl he dated for more
than a few weeks. I still have no clue why.
As Ive already said before, Danny is a survivalist. He is very built as well. Hes been hunting and camping since he was 10. We never really
worry when he is around. Sometimes he kind of scares me. He goes into this quiet state. He wont talk for hours on end. It scares the hell out of
me when he talks too. Since hes quiet, him talking is strange.
Ashley is more of a girl who plays video games constantly. She barely goes outside unless she needs to. That might partially be my fault
because I introduced her to video games. I would sometimes go and hang out, but most of the time, we sat on a chat site while playing video
games. So I got to know her well.
Zared has been my friend since we were kids. He was basically my older brother. He was someone I could count on. He helped me
through everything, even if he was busy. We got into the same college, we work together, and hes my roommate. We are practically inseparable.
And then theres me. A guy who wastes his life away playing video games. I work at a little burger joint part time and Im going to college.
Whenever I have time for myself, I eat, sleep, and play video games. The most of survival skills that I know, is how to climb a tree. I am, on the
other hand, a very fast runner and Ive never lost at hide and seek. I dont know how but I always win.
I should get to the point. Every second I spend writing this, I am postponing the inevitable.
It began to get dark. This was perfect for us. We sat around the campfire, just screwing around and talking about all of our favorite horror
stories and horror story authors. Horror was something we all loved. We lived for it.
This time of year, the forest is a creepy place. So whenever we had the chance, we would try and scare the crap out of each other.
I couldnt believe my eyes when I looked at my watch. It was already 1:30 in the morning. I guess its like they say, time flies when youre
having fun. Although, time seems to go by fast at most times for me.
Brett stood up hastily. Im gonna go take a piss. He said it so casually, but he was in a hurry. I laughed a bit because I had assumed he
was to try and scare someone.
After about thirty minutes, Amanda got up and said, How long is it really going to take him?!
Hes probably going to try and scare us. Im not falling for it. Wake me up in the morning, I said as I went to the tent.
Everyone did the same except for Amanda.
Im going to wait for him a little bit longer, she said quietly. She had said it in a way that worried me. If you knew me, youd know that
Im not a person that worries too much.
I think it may have been a few hours that went by. All I know is that I woke up to a very loud scream. Amandas scream.
I shot out of my tent and saw what looked like blood, but I was too pissed off to care. I kept looking around for Brett, but I couldnt see
much now that the campfire was dying out.
Zared came out shortly after me and so did Ashley.
Brett, quit fucking around! Its late! Zared exclaimed in a very angered tone.
Yeah, youre being a complete asshole, Ashley exclaimed.
Everyone decided to go back to their tents, but they were extremely agitated. I mean, I was too, of course. Why wouldnt we be? But, I
decided to stay back for a minute to check out the blood I had seen. It looked to be from human. At the time I only thought that Brett accidently
cut Amanda or something. Then I looked up.
What I saw scared the living hell out of me. Maybe I should say, what I could see. All I could see were faintly glowing eyes and a normal
size body. But not a regular body. I cant even think of what the body truly looked like. Although, it was mostly just a silhouette. I think what scared
me the most was that I couldnt really see it all that much.
It felt like hours that I had been staring at it. My body wouldnt move as we stared each other down.
I heard a tent unzip and the creature fled.
Why are you standing there like a retard, Danny said as he walked up behind me. You look like youve just seen death itself, he said as
he chuckled to himself.
I think I just did, I said as I looked over to him. Im going to sleep. Im starting to see things. I quickly went to my tent to lie down.
Finally, the morning had come. I had never been so happy to see the morning sky. At least until we started packing up.
When everyone had packed their stuff up, we began to realize that Danny was still in his tent, and so were Amanda and Brett.
I walked over and looked into the tent of Amanda and Brett, only to find nothing.
Brett and Amanda arent here, I shouted to everyone.
All of a sudden, I heard Ashleys scream. I ran over to her and realized she was at Dannys tent.
Whats wrong, I asked her while making sure she wasnt injured.
50


Ashley pointed to the tent slowly, in there.
I slowly got up and unzipped the tent.
What I saw was just the start of mercy of everything that would happen. I will try my best of explaining. Imagine a body. A dead body.
Now imagine that it looked so mangled, like it was hit by a truck. Got it? Now imagine that, along with the fact that it looked like it was mauled by a
bear. Thats the best way to describe it.
God, it was the worst sight I had even seen so far. I stared at Dannys dead body in disbelief, too stunned to know what to do.
I got out of the tent, Lets get the hell out of here, I said walking towards my car.
Zared came with me, what did you see?
I stayed silent.
Dude, answer me, please, Zared said in a hushed tone.
What I saw, was Dannys destroyed body, I said without looking at him.
The drive home was the longest Ive ever had. We went into the apartment without saying a word. We live on the top floor, by the way.
All I could think about was what I saw in the tent. What could have done something that horrible? It couldnt be human. Blood covered everything
in the tent. I hope it ended fast.
Throughout that whole day, we were quiet. I stayed on my games and Zared decided to draw. We did that most of the day, until I got a
phone call.
Hello, I asked.
I think something is following me and I am too freaked out to even think about staying home, She said while crying.
Hold on, hold on, I said trying to get her to calm down. Just come over and you can explain everything.
Just stay on the phone with me until I get there, please!
Okay, I will. Dont worry.
She didnt say anything the whole way over to my house. All I could hear was her light sobbing.
When she arrived, I took her into my arms. She couldnt quit crying, which is understandable. We saw our friends completely destroyed
body, and two of our friends still didnt show up, not to mention she was being followed. We didnt even know where Amanda and Brett were. But
I had a pretty good idea about where they were. After what had happened to Danny, I wouldnt be shocked.
It took us a while, but we got Ashley to explain what she had been talking about. She kept saying that this thing, whatever it is, is not
human. Its not an animal either. When she was about to explain she looked behind Zared and I. Her eyes went wide, and then she fainted. It all
happened rather quickly.
When she awoke, she half knew what was going on. When we brought her up to speed, she went pale.
While I was explaining, I I saw it. She went silent.
Zared laid her down on the couch, we need to be careful. Im not sure if shes exactly sane or not.
Yeah. I know. I dont think I want to find out, I said quietly.
Im going to sleep for a little, Zared said as he rubbed his eyes.
Sleep out here. Just in case, I said half-jokingly.
Zared went to his room, and then came back out with a pillow and a blanket. He placed them down and almost immediately passed out.
For some reason, I couldnt fall asleep. I really wish I did, though. When I looked up, I saw those horrible, terrifying, glowing eyes. It stared
me down. Everything about it chilled me to the bone. The worst part about it, was that it was like last time.
It slowly started to emerge from the darkness. I could see what looked to be bladed hands. Its fingers were like knives but made of skin. It
was still crouched but looked about my height.
I didnt see much because it quickly got face-to-face with me. It didnt speak. It didnt breathe. It didnt blink. That fucking thing didnt do
anything! It was toying with me!
It didnt kill me the first time I saw it, like it probably did with Danny, Amanda, and Brett. Why was it towing with me like this?!
The thing fled as soon as I moved my hand. I stood there in awe, trying to figure out why it was putting me through all of this.
Needless to say, I didnt sleep at all. When everyone woke, up they looked at me. I must have looked like a ghost to them. The reason the
two of them woke up was the same reason why I was so pale. Scratching. Slow scratching. We all heard it, so there was no way I was insane. It was
at the front door and I couldnt me.
Ill go check it out, Zared said slowly moving to the door.
I tried to stop him but I couldnt bring myself to move or speak. All I could do was watch.
Zared slowly opened the door and looked around, I think some dumbass kids are screwing around and prank-some impaled him
straight through his stomach with lightning fast speed.
I knew exactly what it was. That thing, whatever it is, wouldnt stop until all of us were dead.
I still couldnt move. I just watched my brother die in front of me. He didnt even die at that moment! He was still alive! I knew it would
kill him. It was only a matter of time after he was taken.
51


Ashley and I just sat there. Quiet. The only sound was our light breathing. Then, I head the scratching sound against the door. I slowly
turned my head to look.
Thud.
In front of the door way, Zareds body dropped. His eyes were still opened and it looked like he was breathing.
I thought it was impossible. His right arm was ripped off, some fingers from his left hand were torn off, his right leg was barely hanging
there connected to a small amount of muscle, his neck was torn in certain places, and his belly was sliced wide open.
Heeeeelp, he said slowly and quietly with a raspy, dragged out voice.
He was still alive. He endured being tortured to end up like that?! How and why the hell was he still alive?!
His eyes slowly began to close and his breathing slowed.
I gained enough focus to run to the door, slam it shut, and lock it. I put my back to the door and stared at Ashley.
Why the hell is it screwing with us, Ashley said while crying.
It gets a thrill from it, I blankly said.
Ashley cried herself to sleep after a short time. So, I walked to the kitchen, grabbed a knife (for protection), and went to the bathroom.
I came back shortly after, and when I came back, I turned on the lights and Ashley was gone. I ran around, from room to room, looking for
her and she wasnt anywhere to be found.
I couldnt stand it anymore. I was going insane and I couldnt stand ANY of it!
I walked into the living room and saw a drip of blood come from the ceiling, and I looked up.
Ashleys neck had been slashed almost all the way through. Her head was barely attached, her right eyeball was pulled out, and she had
what looked like the creatures finger through the bottom of her jaw, all the way through the back of her head.
I would have pissed myself if I didnt already go to the bathroom.
When I gained some focus, I ran around looking for a pencil and paper. I pulled Ashleys body down and Zareds body next to me and I sat
next to both of the bodies. I began writing this to warn you, but there isnt much to warn you about.
Now that I have finished this, I hope someone finds this. I dont have much sanity left, but I have a good window right next to me. Its a
good distance towards the ground. I have to go now. I want to see my friends again.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Anything Can Happen
by Joyce Shin
Im sick and tired of you! Can you not see I dont like you? Get away from me!
Austin pushes Sophia away from him, even though she hardly moved. Her long dark hair falls across her face as she lies motionless on the ground.
At first he thought that he had killed her. But then she hunches her shoulders and begins to cry silently. Austin glares at Sophias pitiful form and
says bitterly,
Id like my stuff back by the end of the week.
He walks off and Sophia continues to cry. Austin had been her boyfriend for a short period of 3 months. The shortest months of her life. She gets up
from the muddy grass, wipes her eyes, and trudges to the cold place she called home. She lives a sad and alone existence. Her parents had been
killed in a car accident a month ago. She was still pretty and charming back then. Now, she looked like a nervous wreck. Her complexion had paled
to a shade that was 3 times lighter than her former color and her big brown eyes always looked worried and anxious. She was impossibly thin and
she had stopped talking for 3 weeks. Perhaps that was the reason why Austin was sick of her. There was a stranger at her door when she walks up.
It was a tall woman with prominent cheekbones and short brown hair. She smiles and shows her teeth as she takes a business card out. It said Julia
Langford, Special Agent. Special Agent of what? Sophia smiles a brittle smile and asks tonelessly,
Would you like to come in?
Julia Langford just nods and does not say anything. They walk in and Sophia gets her guest a cup of water. Julia nods curtly and then Sophia asks in
that same toneless voice,
Why did you come visit me?
Julia gazes around and speaks for the first time in a surprisingly deep voice.
Hello. Im Julia Langford, Special Agent. You might be wondering who I am. Let me explain. I work for a company called Neverland, Inc.
Basically, we try to make a happier place in the confines of our property which we call Neverland. Your mother was my mothers client. That is why
I have come to visit you. You will leave at 4:30 in the morning for Neverland and I will show you around. You will remain there and you do not have
to make any decisions, except if you are going. I need an answer now. Are you on board with us?
That was a lot for Sophia to take in. She thinks and decides that having decisions made for her is the best idea ever and that Neverland sounds like
a happy place. She opens her mouth and says yes. Julia smiles crisply, points to the clock and says,
Get some sleep then. We need you to be well rested.
Julia leaves and Sophia obediently sleeps.
At 4:30 sharp, Sophia is woken up, reassured that she will be provided with things at Neverland, and is walking along with Julia toward a
helicopter. They get strapped in and then everything goes black for Sophia. When she comes to, Sophia is strapped to a bed and Julia is talking with
another woman with long pretty blonde hair and a lab coat. She can hear snippets of their conversation:
52


Why is she out for so long? Maria would wake up like this.
Julia snaps her fingers. The other lady says exasperatedly,
Sophia isnt Maria. Maria was taller and just look at her! Shes tiny and thin. Almost like a corpse. And you gave her such a strong dose
So its my fault? Lucille, you had better not imply
Im not implying. Im stating it.
Julia stomps off and Lucille walks over. She sits down and takes Sophias hand.
Hello, darling. Youre awake. Thats good. Im Dr. Lucille Davis. Call me Dr. Lucille. Sophia Daryl?
Sophia nods and Lucille quickly unstraps her and gives her a bowl of an unknown mush. Sophia looks blankly at it and asks slowly,
Excuse me? But what is it?
Dr. Lucille laughs. She speaks rapidly,
Mostly fruits, carrots, an onion, some black tea, and some white beans. Its healthy and delicious. Let me get you a spoon.
She yells,
Julia! Get your fat butt over here!
Julia stomps inside and yells back,
My butt is not FAT! I am the model body for your information. Im going to win Miss. Neverland again this year.
Dr. Lucille snorts and says,
Give this girl a damn spoon.
Julia frowns and says loftily,
Whos going to make me?
I will.
All three of us turn toward the voice. There was a slightly balding man with a tuxedo on. He walks over and asks Dr. Lucille,
Honey? Is Special Agent Langford giving you a hard time?
Dr. Lucille sighs.
Im not going to marry you, Jim. I dont care if you are the Chief Executive Officer or whatever of Neverland. I do not like you.
Julia snorts and says,
Besides, who would want to marry you?
Jim looks offended. He speaks in a loud voice.
My name is not Jim Carlton for nothing! I am the CEO of Neverland Inc., and I do look quite dashing, in my opinion. I am also your boss
for that matter.
Julia lazily eyes him up and down and says,
That doesnt change the fact that you are still ugly and that you are a desperate 40 year old man.
CEO Jim yells,
YOURE FIRED!
Julia shrugs,
I was a model before a Special Agent. I can always go back. I think you hired me because of my amazing looks and skills on the catwalk.
CEO Jim splutters and snorts. He finally says,
You arent fired anymore. Honey? Would you like a new assistant?
You asked that 4 times already in the past month, and it never happened. Do you think I want to be her assistant?
Dr. Lucille smiles a forced smile and says,
Can someone give me a damn spoon?
CEO Jim runs off and gets a spoon from his office. Sophia eats it all, even though it tastes like wet socks and rotten tomatoes and grapefruit. She did
not know what else to do. CEO Jim, Julia, and Dr. Lucille continue to bicker until someone walks in. He was handsome, with bright blue eyes, golden
hair, and a strong stance. His perfectly chiseled face looks disdainfully at the angrily chattering people and his eyes fall on Sophia. He takes a look at
the bowl and takes it and throws it as hard as he can at the wall. His angry eyes glare at Sophia. His anger made him all the more perfect. He turns
toward CEO Jim and says,
I dont care about your relationship status. I know its forever alone, so shut up.
He frowns at Julia.
You werent that good of a model. More like a fish on sticks.
He looks amused at Dr. Lucille.
And you call this food? Feeding one of Neverlands newest chosen members this slop?
Dr. Lucille stammers out,
It was uncertainWe didnt know she was chosen
His voice comes out as a shout.
DIDNT I SAY SHE WAS CHOSEN TO LIVE IN NEVERLAND! BUT NO! YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR WAY, LIKE DAMN JIM HAS TO HAVE HIS
AND THAT SKANKY SPECIAL AGENT HAS TO HAVE HERS!
Sophia cringed and he whirls around to face her. He grabs her arms and lifts her over his shoulder. She is speechless.
Well be off. One more time, and Ill fire you all and kick you out.
They all stammer their apologies and give her a pitying glance. Sophia does not know what is happening, but she feels the need to throw up.
______________________________________________________________________________
Edmund did not know what was wrong with him. Why? He was the ruler of Neverland. That stupid git named Jim was the CEO but behind the
CEO was someone and that someone was Edmund Avery and no one else. Edmund also had a problem. He was in love with an older woman. The
frail excuse for a human on his shoulder happened to be her daughter. Edmund started to carefully drop her, and then thought a bit, and flung her
53


onto the couch. Maria was dead. Why should he care? She never made a sound. He observes her for a bit. She had long wavy dark brown hair, a
pale thin face, and brown eyes too big for that face, and a short thin frame. His lip curled. She looked like that pathetic excuse of a husband that
Maria had. He pictures Maria in his mind, with her beautiful and kind green eyes, shoulder length auburn hair, tall and perfectly curved. But back to
business.
Welcome to Neverland. We are making a perfect society and the government cannot stop us because we are privately owned. Now, you
have been chosen because your mother was a temporary resident.
And then her husband Mark snatched her away from me and she died. He shook his bitter thoughts away and says pleasantly,
We will escort you to your room shortly. Your mother had a guardian in a sense. They go wherever you want with you and they help you
fit in. Melanie was your mothers.
Then she spoke.
He was not prepared to hear a voice that sounded better and richer than his darling Marias. It was a little toneless, but it sounded beautiful.
Julias mother?
He shakes himself and says,
Yes, of course. Come this way.
Melanie looked like a plumper and more comfortable version of Julia. She was a great deal nicer.
Hello! You look like Thomas! No wait, Mark? Yes, well, I see you have met Julia. My pride and joy until she became a Special Service, no
wait, Agent just like me.
Sophia did not know what to say. Edmund did not know what to say. Melanie did know what to say, but it was awkward and kept going on and on
and on. Melanie was a big talker. Edmund was not amused. A man walks in with a turban and asks,
Would like me to shut her up?
Melanie continues to talk and Sophia still does not know what to think. She never experienced people like this. Everyone was loud and it seemed
like a power struggle everywhere. Edmund rolls his beautiful eyes and says,
I dont care, Elijah.
Elijah raises his arm and makes a fist. He freezes suddenly. Melanie was still talking to Sophia, but she had a knife resting gently under his ribs. She
smiles and says,
Try to touch me one more time and you will feel the anger from the 5 pitiful years we were together. I dare you.
He lowers his fist and raises his hands.
I was just going to scratch my back. Unless you want to scratch it?
Melanie glares at Elijah and in a second the knife had disappeared. Sophia was at a loss of words again. Edmund rolls his eyes again. Julia walks in
and asks,
Is she rooming with me? Lets go before dinner time then. Im hungry.
Elijah turns around and slaps her. Edmund could feel the level of anger rise in both him and Julia. Julia was his best friend sometimes and he never
liked her father. Elijah cries out in pain all of a sudden. Julia didnt take the liberty of giving him a warning and had stabbed and twisted a knife
underneath his ribs. She pulls it out, pushes him onto the floor, steps on his hand and grinds the heel of her stiletto into the bones, crushing it.
Then she spits at him and says,
How dare you, you worthless excuse of a damn father. How dare you slap my beautiful face? I dont care who you are, no one touches
me. You dont even deserve to be here because all you did was jeopardize mine and Mothers status here with every damn thing you do. Do you
think I care? I dont care if it hurts. You dropped a pot of hot water on me. You tied me to the ceiling by my wrists when I was 10. You robbed every
one of my boyfriends houses. You beat me every day after you came home without the pitiful excuse of alcohol or drugs. And you think you
deserve to even appear in front of me and talk to my mother, much less touch me?
She takes the knife again and makes a jagged cut into his back and then kicks him. He makes a spluttering noise and she walks away with Sophia.
Edmund smirks and extends his hand to Melanie and asks,
Are you alright?
Melanie laughs and says,
Best sight I ever saw. Ive been waiting for Julia to snap like that.
Melanie takes his hand and steps on the other hand of Elijah. An audible crack is heard. She flashes a broad smile at Edmund and then says,
I will be telling Maria about this. She will laugh.
Edmund watches her retreating form as the custodians come and clean the blood up and the paramedics come and take him away from Neverland
to the real world. He was slightly envious. She could freely talk about the love she feels toward Maria. He couldnt even after she was gone. He
couldnt say that he loved a woman old enough to be his mother. A young mother, but still. There was a 17 year old age gap. He walks around and
sits down in a stiff backed uncomfortable chair. After 4 hours of going through the memories of Maria and himself, he takes a vial from his pocket,
downs the sweet icy liquid, and then places it near his lips. He feels the numbness in his mind and then the bitter taste of his memories as they drip
dark and purple into the vial from his lips. He grimaces at the taste when the flow stops and stoppers the vial. He places it in a cabinet among the
multiple other memories. He couldnt get emotional about anything. Not now.
______________________________________________________________________________
Julia led Sophia to her room. It was small and in the shape of a square. Even though it was small, Julia liked living here. She could get away from
everything here. Now she was glad to share it. Sophia sat down and tried not to puke. Julia noticed her expression, thinks about what happened,
and then leads her to the bathroom adjoining her room and pats Sophias back as she hacks up the little she eats. Julia helps her up and flushes the
toilet and hands her a glass of water to rinse her mouth. She then calls the cafeteria and places a request for food to be sent up. Julia helps her into
the bottom bunk of the bunk bed and asks,
Did I shock you?
Sophia nods and asks,
54


So what happens now?
Julia explains about the food that is on its way and then says,
Then you can take a nap and Ill give you a tour and explain what you do starting tomorrow. Now eat before you go to sleep?
Sophia nods and then there is a knock. Julia hands her a tray and says,
Pick what you want.
Sophia takes a bread roll and a glass of orange juice. Julia eats her sandwich and then the spaghetti and then the macaroni and then the salad.
Sophia looks at her questioningly and Julia explains,
We dont like wasted food here in Neverland.
Sophia nods and goes to sleep. Julia then goes to the track and runs. She tries to not think about anything and just runs with her eyes closed. For
about 2 hours she runs and runs until she remembers that she is running and then drops like a dead weight. Her legs were killing her. She lies on
the floor gasping for breath and then she feels a shadow over her. It was Dr. Lucille.
Well, that was very impressive, Julia.
Whatdoyouwant?
Dr. Lucille looks amused and says,
Its not everyday a young woman wearing a business suit with blood splattered on it runs on a track for 2 hours.
Julia closes her eyes and pretends that Dr. Lucille wasnt there. Dr. Lucille continues to observe the sweaty and heavily breathing Julia. Even in the
second worst possible state for someones image, Julia was beautiful still. Life wasnt fair. Julia wheezes out,
Whatdoyouwant?
Dr. Lucille smiles and says,
Thank you for getting rid of one of the nuisances of my life. Elijah has left. Are you psychologically okay?
Yes, I am doing great. Now, excuse me.
Julia gets up and slowly walks away. She then throws up into a trashcan and grimaces. She stumbles into the cafeteria and grabs a bottle of water
and drinks it. After brooding awhile, she sees Edmund walking toward her. She gets up and he looks her up and down and says,
Julia? Youre a mess.
A hot one, I know. Leave me alone, Edmund.
He grabs her wrist and leads her to a shower. He smiles and says,
He isnt coming back. Dont worry.
Julia didnt know what he was talking about. Then she looked at the blood and remembered.
I didnt think I needed to worry. I made sure, he wouldnt be back.
Edmund smiles and walks away. All he thinks is: Is that what Mark thought and did when he crashed the car with my dear Maria?
Julia changes her clothes and wonders why Edmund liked Maria so much. Maria was far too old for him, but she guessed age was just a number.
Maturity was apparently a choice and Edmund sometimes acted like a preppy uptight penny pinching 40 year old. And Maria acted quite young for
her age. She was pretty, lively, happy, and tall. Why did she have to die? Why did anyone have to die?
______________________________________________________________________________
Sophia woke up alone in the square room. She gets up and walks around confused and worried. Where was Julia? As soon as she thought that, Julia
hobbles in. She collapses and asks,
Youre awake, eh?
Sophia nods and looks around the room. She spies a big stack of towels and hands Julia one. Julia puts it over her face. Sophia now was very
confused. Julias hair was wet, her face was dry. Why would she put it on her face? Sophia trots over to the side of the bed, lifts Julias into a sitting
position, and starts to gently rub Julias hair dry. She can remember her mother doing this to her. Julias body stiffens and then relaxes. After
awhile, she takes a brush and brushes her brown hair back into order. She looks at Sophia and grimaces when she gets up. She walks over to a
closet and takes out a pair of jeans, a black shirt, and a baggy sweater. Julia walks around in dark gray sweatpants that were too big and a white
long sleeve that was an extra large to her medium size. Edmund had let her borrow his clothes. Sophia immediately felt comforted by the baggy
sweater. She didnt know why. Julia takes her hand and leads her outside. She curtly nods at everyone. She points and gives her a tour until she
reaches a pile of stones. Melanie was perched on a stone and talking to herself.
And then Julia stabs my good for nothing ex of a husband, I mean, Julias father. Well he isnt really her father. Julia hasnt found her
father yet. Thats why she gets real angry at Elijah. If he wasnt such a horrible person, you would almost feel sorry for him. Oh shes here! And with
your daughter too. Yes, she came to Neverland. It was required since you arent here with us. Say hello!
Sophia looks confused. Julia looks exasperated.
Mom, she isnt even buried her, why do you talk to her here?
You dont understand. This was our place so of course she will be here.
Sophia? My mom claims that your mom is here. Say hello if you wish.
Sophia walks over and places a hand on a rock. She timidly says,
Hi, mom. Its me. Sophia.
Melanie and Julia banter a bit and then they walk around some more. Julia grimaces as she walks but she never breaks her stride. Dr. Lucille hands
her a pair of pants when they stop by.
Wear these. It will help.
Julia wears them under her sweats and she smiles a bit. When they get to their room, Melanie waltzes off and Julia collapses on the bed again.
Sophia asks,
Are you okay?
Julia shakes her head and says,
I feel like death is near.
55


Sophia touches her leg in sympathy and is shocked to find it very cold.
Ice pack lined pants. My muscles are killing me. It helps. Dr. Lucille may be a hugewell she means well and knows what her assistant
needs sometimes. Order dinner?
Sophia picks up a phone and presses 1 on Julias instruction. She hears,
Cafeteria. Room 318?
Yes. I would like to order dinner for my roommate and me?
Laughter and then,
No need to be so formal. Im Mrs. Ross and you must be Marias daughter.
Sophia gives a timid yes. Mrs. Ross says,
Ill send up Julias favorites. I can get to know you better when you get to know my cooking better. Deal?
Sophia says her thank you and hangs up. Julia wriggles out of the ice pants and slips the huge sweats back on. When the food arrives, she raises an
eyebrow and asks,
Lets eat?
Sophia feels hungry for the first time since shes been here. She picks up her fork and says,
Lets eat.
Julia smiles.
______________________________________________________________________________
Dr. Lucilles eyes open. She sighs and gets up for another day. Going over to her closet she picks dark drab colors and brushes her hair. She sticks
her hands in the pockets of her coat and trudges out into the cold crisp air. She pauses at the newsstand and picks up her mail and the daily paper.
She also picks up a pamphlet on the new Ms. Neverland for Julia. As she walks into her office, Julia is hanging up her coat and Sophia is looking at
the floor while sitting in a chair.
Hello Julia.
Julia gives a small smile and rubs her sleepy eyes, smearing her makeup. Dr. Lucille takes out a mirror and slides it and the pamphlet over to her.
She looks at the pamphlet and glances at Sophia and then smiles. She opens the mirror and says in a nonchalant voice,
Well shit, I look terrible.
Melanie bounces in with Edmund and then says airily,
Language, dear.
Edmund smirks and asks,
So what do you propose, Ms. Langford?
Melanie pipes up,
We can give Sophia another tour of Neverland!
Dr. Lucille never liked talking to the always cheerful Melanie, but she liked talking in the conversations Melanie was always in. She was actually kind
of fond of Julia and her prickly personality. She says,
Maybe she can work with Julia?
Julia says,
Maybe I need to fix my face.
Julia walks out and Edmund follows her. Sophia still looks lost, but now she looks curious.
Melanie? Is there something between Edmund and Julia?
Melanie laughed and didnt answer. Maybe her constant cheerfulness and the fact that she only sometimes answered questions was the reason
why Dr. Lucille didnt like talking to her. That and the fact that Melanie was a fantastic cook.
______________________________________________________________________________

Edmund smirked as Julia wiped her face that had makeup remover on it. She really was his best friend. He knew that she was really insecure about
herself and pulled the confidence card to mask it. He also knew that Julia was prettier without makeup on but that he couldnt tell her that. She
would just go,
Youre just a boy, you dont understand.
Then she would sing If I were a boy by Beyonc. He decides to say it just to see if he was right. He tapped her shoulder as she applied mascara.
You know you look prettier without it, right?
She blinks and says,
You might be right.
She takes it off and reapplies eyeliner and says,
Thank you for the tip, Edmund.
Edmund wonders if his world is going insane or crashing yet. What was happening?
______________________________________________________________________________
Her tainted love story
Sophias POV
by Brianna Green
56



Wow. I breathed as the beautiful smiled at me as he walked by. His wonderful scent filled my nostrils. I turned around to see where he had gone. Thats when I see a
beautiful women with blonde hair like his and a tight red dress. He kisses his cheek. He takes a few seconds to look straight at me before he turns back around. I look down at
my baby blue sweet heart neck line mildly tight dress that flows at the bottom. Mine doesnt look anything like hers. I look down at my baby blue sweet heart neckline mildly
tight dress that flows at the bottom. I quickly pull out my mascara out of my hand bag. The thought of me rushing to apply it ran through my mind, so I put it on nice and
slow. That made my blue eyes pop out even more. My lips are naturally a tent of red so I just put Chap Stick on them. My pearly white skin was a bit glittery from my favorite
lotion. I brushed a few tangles out of my naturally curly hair as the rest flowed lightly down my back a pinch above my butt. When I was about to open the door it was pushed
open and I almost fell. The beautiful women in red put her hand over her mouth and gasped Im so very sorry. Gosh Im so stupid. Even her voice sounded pretty. Its okay
Im fine. She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the bathroom. Follow me yes? I nodded at her question even though she was already pulling me. I was out of my
thoughts when we suddenly stopped. I see youve met my clumsy sister. A man spoke with a light I dont know what type of accent. I turned and it was him. My hand started
to sweat from being so nervous. He grabs my hand and kisses the top of it. Stop being a charmer Justin. She rolls her eyes. Be quiet Elizabeth. Music starts to play. Justin
took my hand and we started to dance Im Sophia by the way. He smiled as he spun me out and back into his arms. We swayed a few times. When the music stopped he
grabbed my waist and kissed me. I wrapped my hands around his neck and did the same.

~ 1 year later ~

I guess I judged a book by its cover. I saw a beautiful man on the outside and a repulsive one on the inside. Justin picks me up and slams me on the bed. His huge fists hit me
face. When I get of the bed to run he trips me. The cold hard floor makes my body scream. He kicks my ribs. He never hits the face. He hits me once again in the stomach. He
yells over my cries you dont know what Ive been through! he shouts and he says you dont know what Ive done for you! he hits me again. He steps aside and wipes the
sweat from his brow. The pain subsides. Im able to hold it in for as long as I could. When I try to get up, I fall back down. I decide to just crawl to the bathroom. Justin sits
down and goes to sleep. When I make it there I stare at the mirror. I look less alive and I wondered what the rest looked like. When I lift my shirt I have branded fingers on my
side. My usually pearly white skin has bruises, scars, and blood. My hair it matted with dry blood. I finally feel it now. I dont cry because it seems as though theres nothing
left. I turn on the steaming shower. When I step in, the heat feels great when its not stinging my cuts. I take a peek at the clock and its been two hours. I walk out with a
towel wrapped around me. When I go in our bedroom I feel Justin kiss my shoulder. I love you angel he says so calmly. I know what he wants and I know I cant fight it. I drop
my towel and lay on the bed. I watch as he falls asleep. I stay there a few more minutes until I get up and rush to get dressed with making no sound. I put a little make up on
so no one will suspect anything. I grab as much money I can fit into my boots, shirt, and pants. I rush out closing the door with no sound. I run for a few miles and finally see a
bus stop. When I wait for it to come I watch every which way. When the bus pulls up I sit next to a little old woman. Hello Im Beatrice her voice sounds so innocent. I
introduce myself and she tells me about herself. She tells me stories. Lovely stories. She has a son named Liam. I told her stories but of course I excluded My story. I know Im
probably never going to see her again since she is flying back to Illinois while as for me, Im going to Georgia. We exchange hugs. I hold my eyes tight because her body
presses into my bruises and cuts. I fake a smile and go into LAX. Georgia is boarding some lady said through speakers. I take my seat on the plane and see that no one is
going to sit next to me. My eyes become heavy and I fall asleep.

~2 hours later~

When I blink my eyes open I realize my head is lying on a shoulder. My body jolted and I apologize immediately. Im so so sorry. He burst with laughter. Its ok Sophia. I put
my hands on my hips, should I be screaming since you know my name. Are you a creeper? He smiled and pointed at my necklace. It says Sophia He states. I rolled my eyes
and took my hands off my hips. He speaks up again do you always travel alone? Yes well kind of. Do you? Well I just visit my mom in New York and then she goes back to
her home town and I go to Georgia. Im Liam. I smile because I realize who he is. let me guess your moms name is Beatrice and your guys home town is Illinois. He gives
me a confused look. How did you know? I smile and reply just lucky I guess. He squints his eyes and smiles. Well since we are gonna be in here for a while its confession
time. I nod. My name is Liam Hathaway. I dont have children. Im twenty six. Im single. Im a business man I guess. He points as in its my turn. Im not of course going to
tell him everything. Im twenty two. Im single. I trust people too quickly. I learned not to judge a book by its cover. I dont really have a family. Thats it. He nods and we talk
some more about our favorite things. well Sophia Im positively positive that you can trust me and if you dont just quite yet Ill give you all the time in the world. We both
smile. He grabs his luggage as he looks at me. so are you a run away baby? I just shake my head and he laughs. As we walk with my hand in his arm, a man holding a sign
that read Hathaway stands in front of us. He nods at Liam. We walk again and stop in front of a black limo. I lifted an eyebrow and Liam smiled. Get in. Its safe. Dont worry.
I got in and Liam did the same. Since youre so full of surprises what does your home look like? Youll see. He replied.

~Liams POV~

When I saw Sophia I just knew. I knew she was the one. I know shes hiding something but when shes ready to tell me Ill be ready. I got out of my thoughts when I heard the
driver sir? I nod. I get out and grab Sophias hand. Her hand sweats a bit but mine does too. I open the house door and she breathes wow. She laughs. Sophia dont get
freaked by this question but would you like to live here? I mean I have a guest house or extra rooms in here. She makes a thinking face. If you dont trust me we have plenty
of knives. She smiles. Yes she replies. Youre gonna stay? Get me a knife and Ill stay she replies. Youre not going to kill me right I havent figured that out yet she
laughs and I go get it. I bring her to the guest house and she plops on the bed and falls asleep.

~Sophias POV~

Seven months have gone by and I figured out the difference between love and lust. Liam was the first to say I love you and it came pretty quick. I want to tell him my story but
I dont want him to not want me because Im tainted. I came out of my room which is near his. I feel little arms wrap around me. Sophia! Beatrice squeals. Mom you almost
scared her. Liam said. Oh hush Beatrice replies. Ive missed you Bea. She smiles. Liam I have to tell you something but I will tell both of you Liam looks more nervous than
me. They both take a seat. I lift my shirt a little and show the almost faded bruises but fully shown scars. When I met you on the bus and you on the plane I was running away
from my boyfriend. He wasnt the man I met once he hit me and blamed more for his faults. He would watch me cry and bleed. Im sorry. Tears started streaming down my
face. Liam wrapped me in his arms. he is no man. Your too beautiful Liam stated. Bea joined our hug. Liam kissed my forehead and wiped my tears away.
>
> ~two days later~
>
> I wake up and Liam is standing next to me. will you marry me? he asks. hmm let me think. Yes! I jump out of the bed. He puts an infinity diamond ring on my finger. We
kiss and Bea runs in. Im proud to call you my daughter in law. She kisses my forehead.
> ~4 months later~
>
>Bea walks me down the aisle. I grip her arm a bit tighter. I wont let you fall sweetie she says. When I see Liam, I literally only see him. She drops me off in front of him. He
57


grabs my hands and begins his vows. I cant believe the beautiful gift I have received. You are truly amazing and I know I fell hard quickly. Your beauty is deeper than the
makeup. You gave me the key to your heart and Im lucky. You love my mom and she loves you. Im sure no one has ever heard of that before. Sophia Bertinelli I will be in love
with you for 50, 60, 70, and 80 years. I love you. I wiped a few tears. Let me start by saying you are an amazing man. You helped me believe. I had no hope but now I have
hope and know anything is possible. I know now the true definition of true love. Im glad I get to kiss you anytime I want now. I told you my story and you protected it. Liam
Hathaway it would be an honor for me to have your last name and stay with you until the end of time. Im in love with you and I say that because you can love everyone but
only be in love with one. He smiled. You may now kiss the bride the minister stated. come here Liam pulled me in and kissed me. It was a different kiss though. Its like he
was telling me his story. Mr. and Mrs. Hathaway! the minister shouted over the cheers.

~4 years later~

I dont want to gain that much weight while Im six months pregnant. So I forced Liams lazy butt to walk with me. As our fingers are intertwined, I see a man wearing a trench
coat. He looks up and me and reaches into his pocket. Justin I whisper. A sharp pain shoots through the right side of my heart. I collapse.

~Liams POV~

Sophia whispers something. I hear a loud bang and the coward runs dropping his smoking gun. I catch Sophia before she hits the ground. I grab her face. She cries kiss it all
better Im not ready to go. Her body feels cold to my fingers. She holds her stomach and cries more. Everything is going to be alright I cry. You didnt know she cries. Her
limp body lies in my hands as we both say I love you. In my arms the bleeding love of my life dies. I look over and see the gun. I set her gently down, pick the gun up and start
running. I run as fast as I could until I see the back of him. Justin! he turns. Before he could speak or move I shoot him in the head.

~1 year later~
I got twenty five to life without Sophia in my arms. I lay in my cell and remember Our memory. stay with me until I fall asleep please Sophia stay with me until I fall asleep. I
cry out.
~The end~






































Dear Class of 2014,

Congratulations.
58


I just want to say how proud I am of you and everything you have done for this amazing school year and I
appreciate all your efforts and every single one of you deserve a medal.
Moving on to more realistic dreams, I want to thank you for making this whole high school experience as
entertaining and as exciting as it was.
I mean, I cannot count how many times I wanted to laugh but I could not because that would be considered
inappropriate, wrong, stupid, making me look like an inconsiderate person who has like no friends but knows
like a bajillion people.
I also know that bajillion is not a word, but it sounds really great right now to me.
These memories I shall cherish forever and ever because I consider you guys worthy of my newly made file
labeled High School.
Can we make a Musical on it?
I'm joking but don't be too flattered.
Most people have a similar file to mine and to be honest I should be more sentimental about it. Why? Because I
have a friend who loves me and wants to protect me and makes me laugh and hug her because she truly
cares for me.
Because I have a friend who has fantastic hair and does whatever he puts his mind to and makes me laugh as
well.
Because I have a friend who gets worried that people will get skin cancer and is so cute and loveable and
great at everything she wants to be.
Because I have a friend who will stay with me forever, not because she has to, but because she loves me as
much as I love her and we're a team as a former crush once said to me, back when I didn't care about
anything.
I could list all my friends, but in all reality, they seem to blur after these close friends I have and shall cherish the
memory forever and ever and I know deep deep deep deep deep down they feel the same way too.
High School has been both a blessing and a curse, a never ending cycle of truth and lies and like and dislike.
To one person I want to say I'm sorry. To another, I want to say I really don't like you.
But the one I'm sorry toward has moved on, leaving me behind exactly as I left her behind all those times.
The one I really don't like is bitter towards me and will always be bitter towards me.
I leave with no regrets towards them and wish them the best of luck on their journey in life.
I do have one regret that my close friends know about and to the person who may or may not know who he is,
I want to say I'm sorry for everything that happened and that I shouldn't let everything get sour between us.
I should have just let it die and begin again as it used to be.
To the one standing next to him I want to say I'm sorry for ever bothering you and thank you for all those laughs.
To the one standing next to him, I want to say thanks but no thanks.
End of story.
I could go on and on but you're probably waiting for me to finish.
I came into high school half in love with the former crush mentioned above and who had no clue I was this way
since my half was a lot more than what he had for me.
He said he wanted to go to the place where I am now going to live the next four years of my life and probably
make a new file under the label of College and I would ask if we could make a musical on that one as well but
it wouldn't fit this concept at all.
I don't know if he's going or whatever, but I do know that life works in funny ways and so does fate, but no one
ever talks about that.
I love some of you, like some of you, tolerate some of you, and dislike some of you but we made it through
together as the Class of 2014.
I might not say it much, scratch that, I might not say it at all how much every single one of you has impacted
my boring life but please understand that I might not mean it as much as I should, but I do deep deep deep
deep deep deep down in the bottom of my heart.
Can you hear that noise?

Congratulations. Joyce Shin