Proud and Free

Author’s note: This is my theme essay on “I’m Deborah Sampson: A soldier of the American Revolution”, by Jodi Clapp, and “The Hunger Games”, by Suzanne Collins

Deborah Sampson in “I’m Deborah Sampson: A soldier in the American Revolution”, by Jodi Clapp, has had to suffer from the effects of war throughout the entire book. In the beginning, she’s forced to move away from her mother and move in with her Aunt, and when her Aunt passed away, she was forced to live with a head of a church. After this woman was close to dying, she then was forced into an 8 year tie with a family called the Thomas’s, whom were to take care of her throughout the rest of her childhood. This is not only an effect from the war, it is also the effect of abandonment, from her mother. The effects of war also make themselves apparent in the novel “The Hunger Games”, by Suzanne Collins. Katniss Everdeen has struggled with her country since she was a child, and when she is forced into being a participant in the Hunger Games for a second time, enough is enough and a war begins.  

When Katniss Everdeen’s Father dies in a coal mine accident, everything changes for her. She gets less and less food, and soon she has to resort to breaking the law to provide for her sister and mother. Katniss takes on the role of a father for her family, and this is all because her father died. If Katniss had been living when Deborah Sampson was, she and her sister would have been taken to a new family, and forced to be separated from their mother. That’s what happened to Deborah Sampson after her father died. She was forced into living with a different family, even though she wanted to stay with her mother. Deborah almost took on a more manly role while she was tied to the Thomas’, who where a family of boys. I suppose that’s how Deborah was able to live in the war, because she grew up with boys.

Even though being removed from their families isn’t something they have in common, what they do have in common is that they both participated in war. Even though for Katniss it’s perfectly fine for woman to participate in war, for Deborah, it is considered abnormal for women to participate in war. After Deborah’s boyfriend Robbie died, she decided she needed to do something to avenge Robbie. So, she joined the war to finish what Robbie started. She stayed in war for 17 months, and then she was honorably discharged. Even though Deborah participated in the war, she didn’t look like a girl. She dressed like a man the entire 17 months she was a soldier.

While Katniss’s story is all about rebellion, and fighting against your country, Deborah’s is about fighting for her country to free them from the British, the people who are holding them back. Deborah joins the Continental Army to fight against the British, who are in a way, like the Capital. They are people who have a warped sense of government for people who aren’t them, and only do things that benefit themselves (in this novel). When Deborah dresses up like a boy to be a soldier, she realizes that she’ll have to kill a man, and at first, this goes against all her morals. But when she’s on enemy lines, she realizes that she has to kill in order to be a proper soldier. When Deborah is discharged, she has to return to watching and waiting for the war to be over. And when the war ends, and the Americans are successful, she does as much as she can for her country by dressing up as a man once more and traveling about, giving speeches to every state.


Both of these women have had to suffer from the effects of war in their own way, and both stories are quite tragic at times. But both of them power through it with the help of the people they love, and a strong will to make their country proud and free. When Katniss ends the rebellion and their country is a free nation, she is still haunted by nightmares of killing people, and seeing people she loves die right before her eyes. Deborah has these to, by seeing faces of fallen soldiers on her side, people whom she had grown fond of. The effects of war ring true throughout these girl’s lives, but they power on in their free country.

Ripper: Epilouge

Author’s note: This is my prediction piece on the novel Ripper.

6 years later~~~~~



Carver Young carefully opened the door to his girlfriend’s house, shutting it behind him as quietly as he could.
“Oh hello Carver.” Delia, his girlfriend of 6 years called from the kitchen. “I didn’t expect you to be here today!” said Delia cheerfully.
“Oh well... I wanted to surprise you.” Carver said sheepishly, sticking his hands in his pockets and feeling the ring box.
During the 6 years after the Ripper murders in New York, Carver and Delia grew closer, and were now together. Today, Carver had decided he was going to purpose.
“That’s very kind of you Carver.” Delia smiled, coming over to him and kissing him lightly on the cheek.
Carver blushed lightly. Even for a detective such as himself, she was the one person that could crack his emotionless gaze. Every time he was with her, the act would drop and he would be just Carver.
“I try.” He grinned and hugged Delia close, just happy that she was safe.
He’d been a detective for 4 years now, and each time he went out to find a murderer, or worse, he’d worry about her.
“So, do you have any plans for today?” She asked him, pulling away from him and walking into her living room.
Carver followed close behind. “I thought we could go to that one restaurant you like....Delmonico’s, right?” Carver smiled. He had his plan down to a science.
“Oh my goodness! That sounds great Carver!” Delia said loudly, slightly shocked. They hadn’t been doing much lately, since Carver was caught up in a new case, when really, Carver was planning out his proposal.
“Well, get dressed, we’ll be heading out at noon.” Carver laughed, leaning against a wall.
Delia’s eyes widened slightly, but she rushed to her room to get ready nonetheless.
Sometimes, Carver was reminded of that young girl from the orphanage, the one that knew he picked locks and stole things. He sometimes missed those days, when he wasn’t haunted day to day by the horrid thought of being related to Jack the Ripper.
About 20 minutes later, Delia rushed out wearing a powder blue dress, her hair put up into a neat bun.
Carver whistled softly. “You look beautiful Delia.” He smiled and walked over to her to kiss her on the lips.
After a minute or two of this, Delia pulled back and whispered a soft thank you to him.
Carver then took her hand, and pulled her out of her home.

~~~~~~

When Delia and Carver arrived at Delmonico’s, they were seated immediately and handed menus.
After they ordered their drinks (Carver a glass of water, and Delia a Raspberry iced tea), they discussed the average things, how Delia’s job was as manager of the Times, and Carvers job of a Detective.
“You know that case I’m working on?” Carver said, his hand fishing in his pocket for the ring box. Finding it, he stopped fidgeting slightly and pulled it out and onto his lap.
“Yes?” Delia asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I lied.” Carver grinned and got down on one knee next to her seat.
Delia’s eyes widened as he opened the case, revealing a stunning diamond ring.
“Delia, would you make me... The happiest man alive, and marry me?” Carver asked, looking into her brown eyes.
“Y-Yes!” Delia cried, holding her shaking hand out to Carver, her other hand clasped over her mouth.
Carver smiled happily and slide the ring onto her ring finger looking up at her again.
Overwhelmed with happiness, Delia practically tackled him in a hug/kiss.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The wedding

Carver looked over at his best man, Finn, and nodded at him. He then looked at the person who would be marrying them, the president himself, Teddy Roosevelt. Mr. Roosevelt winked at him and pointed down the aisle, where Delia’s maid of honor, Alice Roosevelt was walking.
The wedding march began playing, and soon, Delia’s two other bridesmaids were down the aisle, standing on Roosevelts left side.
Not a second after the last bridesmaid walked down the aisle, Delia soon started walking.
Her adoptive father, Jerrick Ribe, would be giving her away.
Delia had decided on a long white wedding dress, that cascaded to the ground in layer of tool and silk. Alice had insisted that is would be more poofy, so it had a slight poof in the back. Some layers of silk were pinched up by delicate rhinestones, and the top had an elaborate lace pattern. Slowly, Delia walked up the Aisle, meeting her soon to be husband at the top.
Carver looked over at her and winked, with a sly smile, he looked back at the President, composing himself.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness these two wonderful people get married.” Mr. Roosevelt began, his loud voice echoing throughout the church. As Roosevelt continued with saying the vows, Carver couldn’t help but think about having Hawking there. But no, Hawking was a murderer. He was Jack the Ripper for gods sake! But, he was also Carver’s dad.
Should’nt  he be there for him?
“Carver, do you take this beautiful lady to be your lawfully wedded wife?” Roosevelt said, looking at Carver, his brown eyes twinkling with childish joy.
“I do.” Carver said, smiling.
“And do you, Delia, take Carver Young as your lawfully wedded husband?” He asked, looking at Delia.
“I do!” Delia smiled brightly, looking at Carver.
“By the power invested in me, and this great country, I know pronounce you husband and wife.” Mr. Roosevelt said, his brown eyes starting to tear up. “Carver, kiss her!” Teddy said, pushing Carver to Delia.
“Finally.” Carver murmured to Delia, and kissed her full on the lips, savoring every moment of their first kiss as husband and wife.
The crowd of people stood up, clapping as Carver pulled away from Delia, leading her down the aisle.
~~~~~~
Carver looked to the left, smiling at the person congratulated him, when he saw the person he hadn’t seen in 6 years, and was expecting his appearance.
Albert Hawking, or as most people know him, Jack the Ripper.
Slowly, Carver got out of the crowd and went to Hawking, looking him in the eye.
“Why are you here?” Carver said in a monotone voice, looking at Hawking expectantly.
“Is it all that bad for a Father to congratulate his son on being married?” Hawking asked, looking at the young detective.
“When my father happens to be Jack the Ripper, it is.” Carver said, looking Hawking dead in the eye.
Hawking sighed and met Carver’s steady gaze. “Right now, think of me as Hawking, not Jack the Ripper.” Hawking said.
“But you are Jack the Ripper, Hawking.” Carver said slowly.
“That name has been long forgotten Carver.” Hawking growled, looking at his son.
Carver shook his head. “That’s not true.” Carver said, “People are still looking for you... The families of the people who were murdered.” He finished, looking around the crowd.
Hawking flinched slightly, knowing that his son had a sharp tongue now has something he was wary of. “Look, if it makes you feel better, I’m sorry about that whole ordeal.” Hawking waved a mangled hand.
Carver glanced over at him, deciding to think of him as Hawking and not his psychopath of a father. “I still live at Blackwell.” Carver said, deciding to bring up the fact that he lived in a insane asylum. He learned that a lot of the people in there where very good men and women, and he judged too quickly when he first got there at age 14.
Hawking’s grimace split into a grin, and he patted Carver on the shoulder. “Good. They need someone like you to keep them grounded... That place can be a little much.” Hawking said slowly, glad in the change of subject.
Carver chuckled lowly. “I know, that’s what I thought when I first got there, Hawking.” He glanced at Hawking, his emerald green eyes glinting.
“I’m glad you're accustomed to it now.” Hawking said, “Congratulations by the way.” Hawking added.
“Thanks.” Carver said with a polite (and rehearsed) smile.
“Your welcome.” Hawking said with a small smile, something glinting deep in his dark eyes. Truth be told, the tough detective had grown to love his son, and wished the best for him. That’s why he had decided to come to his wedding, he thought that Carver would appreciate a relative there, and it turns out that he only half did.
If he weren’t Jack the Ripper, it would’ve been different. Hawking knew it deep in his gut.
Carver put a hand on Hawking’s shoulder and smiled, a genuine smile this time. “Thank you for coming.... Granted, you aren’t the ideal relative, but you're all I have. Thank you.” Carver thanked his mentor, connecting eyes with him. He was finally tall enough to make eye contact, and he was grateful for that.
“It was my pleasure.” Hawking smiled.
As the night wore on, Hawking and Carver talked, covering all the topics that they needed to. Surprisingly, the topic of his mother was never brought up.
After the night ended, and Hawking left, Carver never saw the man again, and was slightly happy with that fact.
2 years later, Delia and Carver had their first born daughter, and decided to name her Hawk. Strange though the name may be, Carver and Delia both agreed they needed to pay some form of respect to Carver’s father, and their first born could fulfill that.
Soon, Carver found out to Delia’s dismay, that Hawk had inherited Carver’s detective skill, and love of dime detective novels.
Their second born child they decided to name Theodore, in honor of Mr. Roosevelt. Thankfully, he had inherited Delia’s knack of writing, and grew up to be a successful writer.
While Hawk...
She grew up and took her spot next to her father in the New Pinkertons, solving murder cases at age 13.

Pressure

Author’s note: Anorexia is a disease that most girls my age deal with. In my story, Pressure, I depict a girl named Vivian, who is struggling with anorexia.

The pressure to be skinny plagues America, or rather, the entire world. Some people even go so far to not eat, or even make themselves throw up to stay skinny. Doing things like this regularly becomes a disease called Anorexia, or Bulimia. This is a life threatening disease, that can lead to depression, or worse. Some people let themselves get this disease, but they don’t know they have it. Some people can overcome the disease, and get healthy again.



I walk into my house, slamming the door behind me. “Hello?” I call out, not knowing if anyone is there.
“Hey baby!” Mom calls from the dining room.
I scrunch my nose slightly. The idea of food makes me sick. I carefully walk into the dining room, taking in my mom’s overweight form, sitting over a plate of food.
“Hey mom.” I say, crossing over to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.
“How was practice?” She asks, looking at my pom poms I had secured in one hand.
“It was fine.” I reply, opening the water and taking a refreshing sip.
“When’s the next game?” She asks again, around a mouth full of chicken.
“This Friday.” I answer, sitting across from her.
“Do you want anything to eat?” She asks.
As always, I reply with “No.”
She nods, swallowing her chicken. My mom is at least 300 pounds, which means she’s overweight. I think she started to gain weight after my dad died when I was 6. She used to be beautiful, the prettiest person you could ever see. But I guess that she doesn’t want to be pretty any more.
For me, I’m considered to be underweight, but I need to be in order to stay head cheerleader. In order to stay thin, I don’t eat a lot, and I work out for at least 4 hours a day. The pressure to stay skinny and maintain my position on the team means a lot. It even means scholarships for cheerleading colleges.
I feel healthy, I look fine, so I’m ok.
Right?
“I have to work on some homework.” I say, and stand up from the table.
Truthfully, I didn’t have homework, I just didn’t want to be tempted by the food my mom was eating.
“Alright baby, ask me any questions that you need!” She says as I’m walking away to my room.
“Will do!” I reply, throwing a smile at her over my shoulder.
Once I get to my room, I close the door behind me with a click, and sit on my desk chair.
Ever since my dad died, nothing has been the same.
My older brother Cory, who’s 22 now, took an interest in drugs and is currently residing in Lakeside Drug and Alcohol Rehab Center.
I see him once a week.
See, he’s not a bad guy.
I love him to death.
He just didn’t have a dad around to tell  him that drugs were bad.
Apparently, he’s going to be out of rehab on my birthday, which is next month.
Hopefully by then, I’ll have a scholarship to my dream college. But, it all depends on if I stay in my position as head cheerleader. I slipped out of my cheerleading uniform and looked at my flat stomach. I could clearly see all my ribs, and I liked it like that. It showed that I was trying to look the part of the head cheerleader. I slipped on a tank top and shorts, and slid into my bed, clicking the switch on my lamp, I fell asleep in an instant.

~~~

“Hey Alice.” I smiled at my best friend and put my lunch tray in the spot next to her, sitting down with a sigh.
“Hey Viv.” She smiled back. I looked down at her tray and scrunched my nose. It was almost like she had taken one of everything the lunch room had to offer.
“Why do you have so much food?” I asked. Like  me, she wanted to be skinny to. She needed to be skinny because of track, and the more she ways, the slower she goes. It kinda relates to science, with drag and stuff.
“I found a trick to get rid of all of it. You don’t gain any weight when you eat this much. Try it, I’ll show you the trick after lunch.” She winked at me and opened up her Rice Krispy treat.
I raised an eyebrow, but nodded and went back to the lunch line, grabbing some more food. Coming back, I looked at how obnoxious she looked. Eating that much food made her seem like an overweight slob. And she knows it. I just don’t get it.
I slowly ate my food, and dumped my tray. The lunch bell rang, and Alice lead me to the bathroom.
“Why are we going to the bathroom? I kinda have to get to History...” I said, trailing off as I watched Alice go into the stall. After a minute or so, I heard the sound of vomiting. Scared, opened to door to the stall and held her hair back. “Alice! Are you ok?!” I squeaked, rubbing her back. She finished, and looked at me, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
“I’m fine Viv. Never been better.” She grinned, and flushed the toilet.
“I don’t understand... Vomiting typically means that your sick Alice.” I said, concern on my face.
“I’m not sick Viv. It’s the trick I was going to show you. You can eat all you want, and if you throw it all up, then you don’t get fat. It’s easy, try it.” Her blue eyes sparkled with excitment, as she said, “Try it! Just stick your finger down yo--” She began in a rush, but I abruptly cut her off.
“Alice. Making yourself throw up is just...” I shook my head, my brown curls flinging in my face, “Wrong.” I finished.
“Is it any different than you and your crazy workout schedule, and the dieting thing?” She said, her voice like ice.
“At least I’m trying to stay fit.” I managed, not being able to say anything else.
“Vivian, not eating anything, and then working out like crazy isn’t staying fit. It’s not healthy.” Alice said, taking my hands in hers.
I yanked my hands out of hers. “And neither is throwing up.” I said, my tone of voice quivering with anger. I stormed out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.

~~~~

“Corey! Your home!” I squealed, hugging my big brother.
“That I am Vivybear.” He laughed and hugged me back.
I pulled away from him and glared playfully. “Don’t call me Vivybear!” I said, pretending to be mad.
“But sis, Vivybear suits you so well!” He laughed.
“No it doesn’t!” I squealed and marched into the living room. “Mom, tell Corey to stop calling me Vivybear.” I pouted, acting like a little kid.
Her green eyes that matched mine widened, and she jumped up, “Corey’s home?!” She yelled.
“I’m right here Mom.” He smiled at her, and crossed over to her to give her a Corey hug, which is where he squeezes you until you can’t breath.
While this reunion was going on, I stood by the door, smiling. I felt like Demi Lavato. She went through an eating disorder to, and now she’s strong, and making awesome music. I’m stronger now that I stopped working out so much, and eating more. It’s my birthday, and I was going to have the best one ever.
Maybe I could be like Katniss Everdeen. She’s everything I would ever want to be. Strong, independent, and pretty. She’s strong enough to not let her insecurities consume her, while with me, I let myself get sad and mad. Hopefully, I can be Katniss Everdeen
~~~~~
“Happy Birthday Vivian!” My family cheered as a blew out the candles on my cake.
“What’d you wish for Vivi?” My little cousin Noah asked me, sitting in the chair next to mine.
“I can’t tell you, otherwise the wish won’t come true!” I smiled, messing up his hair.
He giggled a little boy giggle and swatted my hands away from his head, diving into the piece of cake that was set in front of him.
My wish...
My wish was to become strong again, to be the person I wanted to be, instead of what everyone else wanted me to be.
I really hope it all works out for me.
As I thought this, I took a big bite of my birthday cake, savoring the taste of the frosting on my lips. I knew how much calories this would cost me, but I didn’t care anymore.
My life matters more than being head cheerleader.
~~~Epilouge~~~

3 months later, Vivian received her a scholarship, and graduated high school weighing 120 pounds. She helped her mom lose weight, and her mom now weighs 165 pounds. Corey hasn’t used drugs since he came home, and he’s studying to become a lawyer. When Vivian went to college, her mom cried, and she cried in her mothers arms. At that moment, she realized that her life had changed so much in three months. She secretly thanked her friend Alice for showing her that it wasn’t right, even though she was doing it to. In reality, Alice changed her life around, she showed her that what she was doing was wrong.

Being a Hero

Author's note: This is my Patriots Pen essay

The American flag hangs proudly in the corner of our classrooms. What made this country come together? Was is patriotism? Was it courage? Or, was it the example of a true hero? When a soldier marches onto the battlefield, thoughts will flash across his mind to turn back. But he doesn’t turn back, because he is a true hero. The founding fathers influenced the soldiers to march onto the battlefield, proud of their country, and determined to make our country a better place. 

The general of the first American army, George Washington, led his soldiers into battle against the British. He was an influential leader who controlled his army in a smooth way. George Washington lead America to victory against the British, and made America an independent country. He was inaugurated on April 30^th, 1789. He was the first president and is the Father of our great country.

John Adams, the Vice President of George Washington, and a founding father is one of the true heroes of America, just in a more political way than George Washington. John Adams helped negotiate the peace treaty between America and the British government. One of the things that made John Adams work so hard was his rival, Alexander Hamilton. Adams signed a controversial Alien and Sedition Acts and built up the army and navy. John Adams may have made some bad, or controversial choices, but he helped our country get stronger.

While Abraham Lincoln isn’t a founding father, he is one of Americas heroes. He lead his country through the Civil War, managing to preserve the Union while ending slavery, one of the worst things in America at the time. Abraham Lincoln served as president from 1861, until his terrible assassination in April 1865. Lincoln made our country stronger by ending the Civil War, and ending slavery. He was one of the country’s greatest presidents for all the things he did for our great country.

Heroes are typically hard to come by, but America has a lot of them. George Washington, John Adams, and Abraham Lincoln are only 3 of Americas heroes. They are also police men, firemen, doctors, vets, really anything that helps the community, or America. Americas heroes are some of the best, because they would put their lives on the line to protect the citizens of the united states. The Founding Fathers inspire some of our heroes, and even today, they push our country to do the right thing.

Our Sunshine

Author’s Note: This is my personal narrative about my trip to Disney World last summer

I groaned as I heard the first patter of rain.

“Why does it have to rain the day we go to DISNEY?” I complained to my Aunt Chris.

“I know… “ She paused, then sighed, “Grandpa won’t do well in the rain…” She sighed.

This whole trip to Florida has been all about my Grandfather’s well being, and I hate it.

And of course, the first day we’re here, it just HAS to rain. “Well we’re going to have to stop a lot, and that’s not the best thing to do.” I said.

“Yeah, but look on the bright side, your going to see Ariel today!” Auntie Chris smiled at me.

I smiled. I haven’t seen my big sister for almost 9 months since she joined the DCP, and I missed her like crazy. “I can’t wait to see her!” I smiled and pulled my sweatshirt on over my Hatsune Miku shirt I had chosen to wear.

“Me neither!” Auntie Chris said and put fruit snacks in her back pack.

I crossed the room and grabbed my sneakers, and looked at Auntie Chris. “Do you think the rain will let up?” I asked her, putting on my sneakers.

She sighed, “Well, when we where watching the news last night it said that a tropical  storm was coming in…” She trailed off, and put more stuff in her back pack.

“A tropical storm?!” I almost yelled, my eyes as big as CDs.

“I know!” She said, throwing her arms up.

I groaned again, “This stinks.” I said, making sure I didn’t say sucks. Auntie Chris is sensitive to swearing, or anything remotely close to swearing. But hey, at least she wasn’t as bad as my Grandpa, who cringes when someone says “fart”.

Auntie Chris sighed. “Well, we’re here for a whole week! So, let’s hope luck is on our side and the rain lets up in time for when we go to Universal.” She smiled at me.

My face lighted  up when she said Universal, “I’m so excited for Universal!” I said brightly.

“Your only excited because you’ll go to Harry Potter World.” She laughed.

“It’s called Wizarding World of Harry Potter.” I corrected smugly, standing up.

Auntie Chris and I exited our Hotel room and looked out over the banister. It was raining, and hard. “Do you think we should bring Ariel’s sweatshirts?” I asked.

“We don’t have an umbrella….” She said, a look of worry coming across her face.

“Then we’ll have to layer, right?” I said .

She nodded. “Ariel’s sweatshirts will be nice!” She laughed and grabbed the sweatshirts.

Once she came back with the sweatshirts, we went into my Grandpa and my dad’s room, where we found their eyes glued to the TV, a weather forecast on the TV .

“Hey Dad!” I said and plopped next to him on his bed.

“Hey Sare!” He smiled and gave me a side hug. “Did you sleep ok?” He asked me.

This was the routine for whenever I was with my dad. When I wake up, he asks me how I slept, if I had any dreams, and if I had any allergies. “I slept fine, how did you guys sleep?” I asked, to the general room.

My family all mumbled mixes of ok and great.

“You ready for Disney?” My grandpa asked, smiling.

“Yeah!” I smiled, then frowned. “It’s raining though.” I said.

“Yeah, that’s a downer.” Grandpa sighed.

Auntie Chris, Dad and I shared a look. We where all preparing for  the long day.

Once we got to Disney, the weather got even worse.

Rain was pouring down in buckets,  My dad REFUSED to get a rain poncho (the reason why: unknown), and Grandpa was getting grumpy, which caused Auntie Chris to be grumpy. In essence, I was the only one in a semi-good mood.

“So, what do you want to do first Sarah?” Grandpa asked me.

I froze slightly. I wasn’t good at making decisions about what to do. For example, when someone asks me what I want for dinner, it’ll take me about an hour to figure something out. “Uhm… Whatever you want to do Grandpa!” I smiled at him.

“Well, this trip is about YOU Sarah.” He said sternly.

Oh that’s right, this was SUPPOSED to be a birthday present. This whole trip I guess.

“But I want all of you to be happy to!” I said. That wasn’t a lie at all, I cared more about what my family was feeling then I cared about how I felt.

“Well, Sare, this is for you. Not us.” My dad chimed in, wringing his already soaked shirt off.

“I guess…” I mumbled and looked at my sopping  sneakers.

“Let’s just go straight and see where we end up!” Auntie Chris said, walking forward.

I stepped in time with her, then mumbled to her. “How’s Grandpa doing?”

“He’s already tired. He hates the rain.” She mumbled back to me.

“Greattt…” I sighed and looked at the castle in front of me.

Typically, the castle was supposed to be beautiful, but to me, it looked more like the Beasts castle before the enchantment was lifted.

We walked along, chattering about the sights we where seeing, and debating for the rides.

And that’s when my dad’s phone rang.

We quickly stepped underneath a ledge so his phone wouldn’t get ruined.

“Hello?” He answered, “Oh, Hi Ariel!” He said cheerfully, then let Ariel talk. “Oh, your coming to Disney soon?” Another pause. “Oh, in a couple hours then…” He nodded at whatever she was saying, “So, we’ll meet up at the Space thing?” He nodded, “Cool. See you in a few hours!” He said, then hung up. “That was Ariel.” He said.

I secretly rolled my eyes. No duh!

“What did she have to say?” Grandpa piped up, curiosity in his voice.

“Well, we’ll meet up with her in a couple of hours at the space part of the park.” Dad said, and I smiled.

I was finally going to see my sister again!! I missed her so much, and now, to think I’d see her again in a couple of hours… I couldn’t believe it.  Me being who I am, I kept in my excitement. Grandpa wouldn’t be too happy if one of the reasons why I was so excited for this trip was so I could see my sister.

“Cool!” I chirped and put the hood up on my sweatshirt, seeing the rain pick up.

We stepped out of our little shelter and trooped through the Magic Kingdom.

I was irritated with my entire family by the time we made it to the space themed section of the park. I was tired, hungry, and mad that I hadn’t seen my sister yet. Half of the park was meant for little kids, and I had been pushed around tons of times by 40 year old men, who where soaking wet.

I was done.

“So… Do you guys wanna go eat something?” My Aunt asked. It had become very clear that she was going to be the one to lead us around the park, seeing as she’d been there before.

“YES!” I almost screamed, and walked briskly into the Space Café.

We all ordered, then sat down with our steaming hot meals.

“So, anything from Ariel?” I looked at my dad across the table, eating his cheeseburger.

He swallowed and replied to me, “Yeah, we’ve been texting. She’ll be here in an hour or so.” Dad said and smiled at me weakly. He was more tired than me, because he didn’t have a poncho and his clothes MUST be weighing him down. I felt bad for him, but didn’t say anything.

“Yay!” I chirped and ate fries coated with Ranch dressing, my favorite thing to dip fries in.

My family smiled at me and ate their meals, small talk drifting to my ears.

After we finished, we walked back out into the rain and down the “street”. 

“So, the laugh factory seems interesting.” My dad said, looking at the screen of his phone.

Personally, I wanted to go to the Stitch ride, but everyone INSISTED that it was a little kid ride.

“Anywhere I can sit down is good for me.” Grandpa nodded.

So, we trudged to the Laugh Factory and waited in line for about 45 minutes, then entered the Laugh Factory.

We sat in our seats, and looked at the screen.

My family and I exited the Laugh Factory, chuckling about when a little kid said that his age was Puerto Rico.

“So Sare, when someone asks how old you are, don’t say thirteen… say…” My dad began, leaving the end for me to fill in.

“Puerto Rico!” I said, using a Spanish accent.

My family laughed, and I looked over to my left and I saw her

The one I had been waiting to see this ENTIRE TIME

My sister

 Ariel Wiedemann.

“Ariel!” I yelled and ran over to her, latching onto her in a bear hug.

“SARAH! Oh my god your so freakin tall!” She laughed and hugged me.

“I missed you so much!” I cried, welling up.

“I missed you to Sabu.” She said, a twinkle in her eye.

“ARIEL!” Auntie Chris yelled and latched onto Ariel’s other side, making it a three person hug.

“Auntie Chris!” Ariel said, hugging her and me.

My dad and grandpa followed us over, and where watching this with a smile on their face.

As it turns out, my dad had been texting with Ariel while we were in the Laugh Factory, setting all this up.

My dad took his turn to hug Ariel, and we all laughed and smiled, now having a good time. Then, he let go of her and Ariel, Auntie Chris and I all grouped around each other with a smile on our faces, and my dad took a picture.

So, it turns out, Ariel was our sunshine on such a crappy day.

Thank god. 

The rest of the day, we all enjoyed each other’s company and went on ride after ride, my sister and I dancing in the rain, making our selves look like idiots.

Cinder Cause and Effect Piece

Author's Note: This is my cause and effect piece on Cinder, by Marissa Meyer

When Cinder goes to the Market to sell repairs for androids, Prince Kai comes up to her asking for Cinder to repair his android. Cinder doesn't know it's him, because she's looking down into a bucket with spare parts. When she looks up, she realizes it's the Prince and automatically gets embarrassed for how rude she was being, thus starts to stutter and mumble. Prince Kai waves it off easily, but she's still embarrassed about her behavior.

The cause of this scenario in the first place is because Prince Kai came up to her nearly abandoned booth with a question. Cinder had no idea that he was the Prince, thus she used her typical snarky tone of voice on him to. When Cinder looked up at him, she realized he was the Prince and immediately began apologizing and being embarrassed, but Prince Kai just waves off her attempts with a wave of his hand and an easy smile. 

Cinder thought she was braking the law by not bowing to him, which is another part of the effect of her not looking up at him. This little "incident" sets the tone for the rest of the book, but it's more like a back drop to the real story, which is focusing on a politics of her country, and a disease that's plaguing the country. All of the reasons why she got involved are because of this one thing. Because she wasn't looking up, she didn't notice turmoil that was starting across from her booth, at the Baker. The plague is starting to get to the market that she works in, and she's oblivious to it all because she was to wrapped up in her thoughts about "breaking the law". 

Furthermore, this cause and effect aren't as big of a deal as Cinder make them out to be. This shows that the character over reacts easily, even though she may have the right to, seeing as he's the prince. If Cinder had calmed down, the entire situation would have been different. 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Conflict/Resolution

Author's note: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone has many conflicts, but this short essay is highlighting on one of them. 

In the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, one of the main conflicts of the beginning is Harry and the Dursleys. This conflict has been Harry’s life, and he’s pretty sick of it. The cause of this conflict is Harry’s parents (Lily and James) died in a “car accident” when he was a baby. Thus, he lives with the Dursley’s. One resolution that arises is when letters to Harry start appearing, all the time. But, this resolution is turned down by Vernon Dursley, when he burns them, rips them to shreds, or even EATS them. The second resolution that presents itself is when, after Vernon loses all his common sense and move them to an island, Hagrid, a giant from Hogwarts, comes with a letter for Harry. This is the resolution that makes the story start.

One of the things that could change the conflict, or in this case, the entire story, if let’s say Harry’s godfather, who you learn about in the third book, didn’t go to prison for something he didn’t do, and took Harry in? This could/would change the entire story line, because Harry would be raised differently, his personality could change, his look on life, or even how the story’s climax begins. Harry living with Sirius could be a BAD thing because Sirius is more of a rebel than the Dursley’s ever where. This could change Harry’s outlook on life, or even worse, his courage. All in all, Harry living with the Dursleys may have been bad, but it made him a better person. So, it’s a good thing he lives with the Dursleys. 

May Bird Retelling

May Bird stumbles upon the world of the Ever After. The world of the dead.While trying to get out of the Ever After, she has to fight The Boogey Man, Evil Bo Cleevil, goblins and Sniffing Phantoms, who are all trying to kill her. Why you ask? Because humans are outlaws in the Ever After. 

Flowers

Author’s note: This is a poem about flowers. Pay attention to word choice.

Flowers

They start off small

As seeds.

Then

They get planted,

And grow big.

Then they bloom

And become beautiful.

They stay beautiful for a month

Or week

Then they…

Die.

Unicorn Land

Author’s note: This is a story about where all the unicorns in the world are hiding. Pay attention to the vocabulary.

Have you ever wondered if unicorns exist? Or, if they do exist, then where are they hidden? I, Emma Rorriend, has been to the place where unicorns roam freely.

Unicorn Land.

I went there when I was a little kid, and discovered that unicorns live underneath a never ending rainbow, and eat cupcakes all day. Unicorn land is between Hawaii and North America. This place of dreams, has only been discovered by little girls like me.

I am determined to find Unicorn Land again.

The Zombie Apocolypse

Author’s note: 20 years into the future, zombies have taken over North America. Pay attention to the rich vocabulary.

“Zoe!! Zombie behind you!!” My best friend, and zombie hunting pal, Chad called to me.

I turned around quickly and swung my axe into the zombies head quickly, and smirked in satisfaction when the zombie fell to the ground.

“Thanks Chad.” I smiled at him.

“Welcome.” He said and picked up a health pack that was lying on the ground.

Oh, sorry, never really introduced myself did I? Well, name’s Zoe Chandler.  I am a survivor.

You see, the zombie apocalypse started in 2013, and I was born during the peak of it in 2017, right now it's 2033 and the zombies are still winning. I grew up learning how to kill without a blink of an eye. Luckily, I haven’t gotten infected. Neither has Chad, so we stick together. Our schooling is training, just in case a zombie turns up on you. Of course, I have a house and stuff. But, my dad got infected last year, and I watched my mom kill him with a chainsaw.

“Zoe!” Chad said snapping his fingers in front of my face. “You where in Lala land.” He said.

“Oh sorry.” I sighed and picked up my axe, returning it to the holster on my back.

“I was asking if you wanted to go out sometime.” Chad said.

“Uh Chad, we’re living in a zombie apocalypse. Not much time to go out when you’re killing zombie’s every 5 minutes.” I said giving him a weird look.

“Sorry, just a thought.” He said, sounding slightly irritated.

“Ok Chad..” I said. “Oh zombie.” I pointed to the slow moving mutant thing behind him.

He turned around and shot it with his MCC.

“Nice” I said, then walked down the steps to my house. 

“See you tomorrow then?” Chad asked.

“Course.” I smiled.

“Good.” He sighed then sprinted off across the street to his house.