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On the Surface

Inklings: Literary and Arts Anthology 

Quantico Middle High School

2018-2019

 

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Front Cover Art “A Bear,” scratch art By Alex Lee, 10th grade

Inklings 2018-2019 Staff Editors: Olivia Miner, Annemarie Harlow, Madison Sparrow, Yvana Bellasse, Mrs. Jean Arcuni, and Mrs. Jennifer Woollven Adviser: Mrs. Tana Wood Quantico Middle High School, 3307 Purvis Rd, Quantico, VA 22134

Back Cover & Page Number Art “As the Sun Sets,” pencil on paper By Iileah Davis, 8th grade

“On the Surface,” the theme for this year’s Inklings Literary and Arts Anthology, evokes many possibilities: Taken at the literal level, students explore direct meanings and describe ac-tivities, interests, and hobbies. Taken at the figurative level, students dive deeply to look for as-sociated meanings in life, friendships, relationships, and opportunities. This work is a collection of the many voices and experiences the students of Quantico Middle High School share, and it represents the wonderful diversity, beauty, and uniqueness that encompasses our student body.

The staff of Inklings, and the Creative Writing Club would like to thank Mrs. Jean Arcuni, Mrs. Jennifer Woollven, Mrs. Terri Pearson, and all of the staff at Quantico Middle High School for promoting the anthology and inspiring students in their writing and artistic efforts. We would al-so like to thank the parents of our students and our administrators, Mr. Michael Johnson and Mrs. Carricia Simpson, for their encouragement. Finally, we would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you!” to QMHS’s PEA, Mrs. Lynn Lowe, Ms. Nancy Brown, and McDonald’s MCD Mateos for their support and generous donations. They have helped to provide us with the means to publish this anthology, and we are grateful for them.

Printed by Metro Printing Center, 2608 Dynasty Loop #100, Woodbridge, VA 22192

 

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Front Cover . . . . Lee, Alex “A Bear,” art Back Cover . . . . Davis, Iileah "As the Sun Sets," art

Page #'s . . . . Davis, Iileah "As the Sun Sets," art 4 . . . . Jones, Ethan "On the Surface," poetry 5 . . . . Fenelon, Leika "Butterfly," poetry 5 . . . . Traynham, Tanaia "The Cay," art 6 . . . . Agila, Nicole "Bamboo," poetry 6 . . . . Agila, Nicole "Isolate," poetry 6 . . . . Agila, Nicole "Sunshine Love," poetry 7 . . . . Harlow, Annemarie "The Richest Couple in the World," prose 7 . . . . Schneider, Haygen "The Cay," art 8 . . . . Abbott, Margueritte "An Evening Bike Ride," prose 8 . . . . Ferreira, Brandon "Dirtbike," poetry 9 . . . . Christie, Jason "The Continental Marine," prose

10 . . . . Brown, Mallorie "Home Run," poetry 10 . . . . Calvin, Honesty "Three More Stretches to Go," poetry 11 . . . . Abbott, Margueritte "My Realization," art 11 . . . . Abbott, Margueritte "Why?," poetry 12 . . . . Henry, Keira "Steaks," poetry 13 . . . . Davis, James "Wendy's," prose 14 . . . . Alexis, Kai Asya "Untitled 1," art 14 . . . . Conde, Summer "Sports Day," prose 15 . . . . Park, Jesse "Geometry Poem," poetry 16 . . . . Spencer, TaChanti "Anne Frank Blackout Poem," poetry 17 . . . . Jones, Cori "Last Second Essay," poetry 18 . . . . Anonymous "Insomnia," poetry 18 . . . . Miner, Olivia "A Very Nice Young Man," art 19 . . . . Sykes, Troy "Haiku," poetry 20 . . . . Conde, Summer "Moving Again and Again," poetry 21 . . . . Johnson, Annabelle "Fashion Designer," poetry 22 . . . . Peterson, Najah "Untitled," prose 23 . . . . Bentacu, Lily "Unknown.exe," art 23 . . . . Meier, Jackson "From a Dog's Point of View," prose 24 . . . . Jones, Ethan "Trees," poetry 25 . . . . Meier, Grace "Best Friends," prose

26 . . . . Montgomery, Elijah "T A G," poetry 26 . . . . O'Neill, Tanner "The Cay," poetry

27 . . . . Miner, Olivia "Tone.," prose

28 . . . . Arguell, Carsyn "Big Green Dragon and a Cool Knight," art

28 . . . . Owens, Cael "A Fight Within," poetry

29 . . . . Spencer, Caitlyn "A Look on the Other Side," poetry

30 . . . . Alexis, Kai Asya "Untitled 2," art 30 . . . . Mitchell, Bailey "Nature," poetry

31 . . . . Morris, J'elle "The Three Elephants and a New World," art & prose

33 . . . . Conde, Summer "The Cay," art

33 . . . . Sykes, Abigail "We've All Lost," poetry

34 . . . . Abbott, Margueritte "A Quiet Place," poetry 34 . . . . Ingram, Kira "The Forgotten," poetry

Table of C

ontents Page Number Artist/Author Title of Work

 

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On the Surface By Ethan Jones, 10th grade

There is a boy

standing at the water which laps at his feet.

Staring at his reflection is not a simple feat.

On the surface there’s a boy standing at the shore,

but underneath his weak facade there is so much more.

Empty eyes, broken heart,

and to everyone he lies. “I’m just tired.”

“No, really, I’m fine.”

Beneath these words is where he cries. A solemn tear streaks down his face

as he stands upon the shore, regretting looking beyond the surface,

beyond his broken core. So he looks upon the surface,

And only on the surface, So that he may lie, furthermore. 

 

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 “The Cay,” pencil, ink, & marker on paper

By Tanaia Traynham, 6th grade

Butterfly By Leika Fenelon, 6th grade Lungs burning. Feet splashing Don’t stop, don’t stop- One-hundred seventy-five meters to go. Breathe fast. Lungs burning fire. I’m short distance, though. Only fifty meters more would be easy. Beat my time last week. Beat my goal for twenty-five more meters. Last twenty-five meters. Feeling light headed. Not first to cross but got my time. Win.        

 

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Bamboo

Bamboo in the wind. It sways left and it sways right,

As it waves hello.

Sunshine Love

The sun is very bright It radiates warmth to us As it kisses our cheeks.

Haiku By Nicole Agila, 12th grade

Isolate

The desert is silent. There is no movement about As animals escape the sun.

 

 

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The Richest Couple in the World By Annemarie Harlow, 7th grade

 

  The door creaks open and a man walks in, weighed down by loss. He sulks into the kitchen to be greeted by his wife who is innocent to the bitter news that awaits her. “Why are you home so early?” the wife asks, with the slightest indication of fear in her voice. “I think you know,” the man replies, struggling to make up the correct words to say. Both the man and the woman sit with somber looks upon their faces. They stay this way until the man manages to make out a sentence. “We will lose everything,” the man says. Both the man and the woman are surprised that the words are able to escape the man’s lips. “No we won’t,” the woman replies, more than a few seconds later, with confidence in her voice. “What do you mean? I got laid off. We can’t pay taxes, mortgages, we can’t even afford groceries anymore!” the man says getting more confused by the second. The wife replies calmly, “But I have you, which makes me the richest person in the world.” The man looks at the wife with hope in his eyes and starts to cry. The man and the wife sit there together the rest of the night because sometimes, it feels good to just cry. From that day forward the husband thanked God every day, morning and night, for the blessing God gave him. And from that day forward, the couple lived as if they were the richest they had ever been. They were not rich in money, no, but being rich in love is far better. 

“The Cay,” pencil on paper By Haygen Schneider, 6th grade

 

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An Evening Bike Ride By Margueritte Abbott, 6th grade

Swiftly I glide along the path, the wind whipping in my hair. I listen; it whistles as I fly by. I look down at the jet black path I am moving over. I look around at the dark green of the forest around me. I pick up speed as I conquer a hill. Quickly I exit the world of beautiful of sights and smells and reenter society. The marvelous feeling lasts but a moment, but that is what makes it feel wonderful.

Dirtbike By Brandon Ferreira, 6th grade Throat dry. Heart pounding. Speed up - speed up - One hundred meters behind. Deep breath. Excitement through my body. I’m short distance. So close. I was on a speed roll. Beat my time In wheelies. Beat my brother in the race, But not my friend. Last lap. My heart skips a beat. Finish hard. Second to cross. when get my time. Win. 

 

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The Continental Marine By Jason D. Christie Jr., 6th grade

“Thomas, are you sick? It’s 6 o’ clock! Get up!’’ I hurriedly leapt out of bed, dressed in my

Sunday best, and rushed downstairs for breakfast. My wife, Abigail, was making hasty pudding with some bacon for breakfast. I called down my three oldest children, Benjamin, Charles, and Henry. They dashed downstairs and took their places at the table. After Abigail had given us each a steaming plate of pudding, she went into the parlor to fetch the twins, George and little Priscilla. I said grace, and we ate. After we were finished, we climbed into the wagon and drove off to church.

The next day, I decided to enlist for six months in the Continental Marine Corps. I took my mus-ket and rode down to the tavern to enlist. My pay would be £4.75 a month, and my rank would be Pri-vate 1st Class. I went to a farm outside New Brunswick to be trained for three weeks. They taught us to shoot properly - in a line, all at once - because muskets tend to miss. They also equipped us with our uniforms and canteens. The talk of the camp was how many Redcoats each person wanted to kill.

“I’ll shoot them Lobsterbacks to smithereens!” “I’d kill ‘em all just with my bayonet!” “I bet six shillings that I can kill twice as many Redcoats as you!” was all we ever talked about.

Once our training was over, we were assigned to Gen. John Cadwalader’s Brigade. A few days later, we marched from Crosswicks to Princeton. As we marched up to the Redcoats in Princeton, we saw more men running in the opposite direction and heard the Redcoat’s guns, so we too began to flee. After we had gotten back to camp, we saw that General Washington was there, and he called us to get in formation and stand at attention.

“Men,” he said, “Earlier a brigade was defeated by His Majesty’s troops, and you, seeing them retreat, began to flee as well. But you had not fought. Before you retreat, you must put up an honest fight. So - will you be cowards and not fight at all, or will you be brave Americans and fight for our FREEDOM?!”

“Fight for independence!” we all responded. We turned around, muskets at the ready, towards the Redcoats.

“CHARGE!!!!!” General Washington shouted, leading us forward. We all shot the Redcoats as they were reloading, then yelled and attacked them with bayonets. I guess that guy who wanted to kill all the Redcoats with his bayonet got his wish! We eventually defeated the British, taking a large num-ber of prisoners. After my enlistment was up, I returned to my family, who were overjoyed to see me. After many more years of fighting, we eventually won the war and became the United States of America! Semper Fidelis!

 

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Home Run By Mallorie Brown, 6th grade 

  

Ball hit. People running.

Quick sprint. Round the base.

3 more to go.

Heart pounding. Swift feet.

Over through. Run fast.

Last base. Pitcher has it.

Slid. Out.

Win. 

 

Three More Stretches To Go By Honesty Calvin, 6th grade

Heart beating. Sweat pouring.

Fast conditioning. Trying to keep up.

Breath reaching.

I’m almost done with stretching. Body aching.

I am feeling numb.

Handstands. Pullovers.

Back walkovers. Front walkovers.

Breathe fire while finishing. Finishing Strong.

Last Muscle.

I’m Ready. 

 

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“My Realization,” colored pencil on paper By Margueritte Abbott, 6th grade

Why? By Margueritte Abbott, 6th grade     

Our world may seem amazing, but when you look closely and go past the outer surface, it’s actually not so great. I know that seems bad, but this is what I felt when I thought about it.

Why Is the sky so blue?

Why Is the grass so green?

Why

Is this place so full of life? But that place full of despair?

Why Is there peace here?

And war there?

Why Is the world’s surface inviting?

But beneath horrifying? Why

Does our world seem so great? But is still so full of hate?

 

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STEAKS By Keira Henry, 6th grade Sweating. Really hot In my garage. Grilling dinner. Only 20 minutes til dinner. Fire in my face. Smoke in the air. People running away. Dad watching me. I’m not trying to burn the food. Flip the steaks on time. Only ten minutes left. Only two minutes left. Getting a plate. Last ten seconds. I put them on the plate. They are done. Finished.  

 

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Wendy’s By James Davis, 6th grade

    

One day my family and I were going somewhere, but it was one of my bad days. I did not want to go anywhere that day. But, I didn’t know that we were going to Wendy’s! So my dad made me go, and as we were driving, I was wondering, “Where are we going?” Then we parked at Wendy’s! All I could think of was, “Oh, ya, chicken nuggets from Wendy’s.”

Once we were inside, I got so happy. This was the first time I had ever eaten chicken nuggz, and they were juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

My dad made my day way better by taking me to Wendy’s, but if my mom never shared them with me, I would have never known they tasted so good. I want to go there again, and my mom said we are going to go there on my b-day in July. Even though she dislikes it, she would do anything to make me happy on my birthday.

I can’t wait because I really love those nuggs. It’s like, they taste like… I don’t know how to explain it, but they are good. Personally I think that Wendy’s fries are a little too salty sometimes, but not all the time. And it’s my opinion that it is my favorite place to go if we are talking about food places. Every time we go out to eat, I ask my mom if there are chicken nuggz at the place, and if not, then I would always have a sad life at that moment.

We usually go out to IHOP when we eat out. I like it, but the point is that they don’t have chicken nuggets! Frankly I don’t care about pancakes; I just want my chicken nuggz! But I’m gonna tell you, I don’t like them with BBQ sauce. I can only eat them with ketchup.

 

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Sports Day By Summer Conde, 6th grade

“The next event is the parents’ sack race,” Mrs. Smith, my principal, announced. “Do we have any

volunteers?” I watched in horror as my mom slowly made her way to the starting line. My face was as red as a tomato as the race began. All of the other moms jumped swiftly into their

sacks, like professional athletes, completing the 400m hurdle event. My mom, on the other hand, looked like an old lady racing to the bathroom with her pants around her ankles! Everyone reached the finish line, all except my mom. She was still trying to reach it long after the 6th graders had started setting up for the next race!

“The next event is the TEACHERS’ race,” Mrs. Smith announced. There was no hiding my embar-rassment as my mom made her way back up to the starting line. Why did my mom have to teach at my school? All of the other teachers took part, even Mrs. Cassidy - who was practically part of the school uni-form at Timmergreens. She had taught there for YEARS, and the school was her whole entire life.

The race began, and my mom was beating all of the older teachers! Suddenly, it all went silent! Mrs. Cassidy fell and was lying lifeless on the ground! Luckily, my best friend’s dad was a police man, so he called an ambulance.

Why wasn’t she moving? Was she dead? We all had to go back inside. Later that day we found out that she was alive but had hurt her back. On the way home my mom joked, “At least I didn’t come last.” The next day we found out that Mrs. Cassidy had actually broken her back! My mom felt a bit guilty for laugh-ing about her accident. Mrs. Cassidy retired, but when she finally recovered she came back to school to help out. She was lost without Timmergreens. 

“Untitled 1,” acrylic Kai Asya Alexis, 8th grade

 

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The Geometry Poem By Jesse Park, 9th grade

It was another day of school, another day of Geometry,

I was expecting lots of work with shapes, angles, and isometry Moving lines, triangles, and circles keeping their properties the same,

While I can’t follow along, because of my slow brain. We’re learning to construct not buildings but shapes

But I forgot my compass, and my work was turned in late.

I already failed the class, and I didn’t know what to do When the teacher made us write a poem, right out of the blue.

So I thought it would be easy, a boost towards my grades But I couldn’t start writing, and ideas started to fade.

The flow and rhymes were whack, and time seemed to slow down The radius stopped on the clock, and it made my smile frown.

After decades went by, and my weird poem was done,

I ran out of the class to go and have some fun!

(Mrs. Simpson, I hope you know that your class is not boring,

I just needed the rhymes so please forgive me.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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“Anne Frank Blackout Poem,” pencil, markers, paper By TaChanti Spencer, 8th grade

 

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Last Second Essay By Cori Jones, 6th grade

 

Hand burning.

Pencil dull. Quick Writing.

Speed up, speed up--- 10 more paragraphs

to go.

Pencil broke. Slowed down.

Got a new pencil. Thought paragraphs

would be done by now. Picked up pace got a

few more done.

Last paragraph. Hand trembling. Finished well. Just in time.

Done. 

 

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“A Very Nice Young Man,” cardboard, papier-mâché, acrylic

By Olivia Miner, 11th grade

Insomnia By Anonymous, 12th grade I can’t sleep. Thoughts are running through my head. I hear lyrics from ages ago And turn, restless, in my bed. I can’t sleep. Though my eyes are so so heavy, I keep replaying that one argument. Crying now, hard to keep my breath steady. I can’t sleep. And now I know this is the norm. But all this crying every night, It’s like a heavy storm. I can’t sleep. Because the mere thought Of losing you kills me. It really hurts my heart. I can’t sleep. You can’t accept me as the man I am, But I can’t change that, so I’ll leave and end this slam.

 

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Haiku By Troy Sykes, 12th grade

Life is only so long,

Falling into time like dust, Quickly forgotten

Shining sun in day

Turquoise moon pools in the night With the mirrored stars

An hourglass stands

While all the sand lands inside With no noise, only time

Far enough away,

Step forward, now you are free Breath as you will, live

Remember me here,

From when you were gone and lost, Come here, come back home

Faulted with failure,

Mine was filled with hope and faith And now potted ash

Concede they told me,

Lay all your desires to rest, Stand only in the light 

 

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Moving Again and Again By Summer Conde, 6th grade

 

I move. I move a lot.

I love moving. Really, Really -

It's just My friends.

I miss them a lot. But when I move To another place

I make new friends. But now I love it

Here.

I will move again and Again

I love moving Yes I really do.

 

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Fashion Designer By Annabelle Johnson, 6th grade

Erasing.

Fingers tracing. Shreds of eraser. Drawing on paper.

Taking your time. Drawing a line. Making eyes.

Pretty dresses. Fancy necklace,

Bracelets and rings.

I love drawing! 

 

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Untitled By Najah Peterson, 10th grade

 

My name is Random, and let me tell you this now: I got a fear of heights. I don’t know how I exactly got into the Burj Khalifa without running away. Maybe it’s because I didn’t want to look stupid or maybe I had a sud-den burst of confidence to face my fears….Okay maybe it wasn’t the sud-den burst of confidence. There were other people with me in this room; most of them were strangers. My friend decided to take me to this sky-scraper, but I got separated from them at one point. We called each other once this happened and planned to meet up at the observation deck of the building. However, I went a little bit higher than the planned meet-up spot. I look around the room. Some people are looking out the windows while others are sitting on some chairs. As I stay close to the wall, I start to wonder why many people enjoy looking out these windows. I mean, what if there’s some construction that is going on? Maybe the view is horrible? Though even if it’s horrible, why stay and take pictures of it? Little did I know that while I’m thinking, I am slowly, but surely, making my way to-wards the window. I only notice that I am at the window when my hand touches the cool glass. I stare in awe at the most beautiful, yet extremely scary, view that I have ever seen. From where I am standing, I can see a small area of water, many buildings, smaller skyscrapers, highways, and the observation deck. The smaller skyscrapers look different from above and don’t look that scary. If you look at the water long enough, you might notice that there’s a sprinkler in it. Every vehicle appears to look like ants, while the buildings look like parts of a toy set. I continue to look at the amazing view until I hear my phone go off. Once I answer it, my friend yells at me and questions where I am at. Along with her yells, I hear her say that she hopes that I didn’t chicken out and leave the Burj Khalifa once we had gotten separated. I chuckle, tell her what happened to me once I got to the deck, and then hang up. Maybe I can come back here one day. This skyscraper happened to magically change a small portion of my fear. Maybe, with some outside help, I can get rid of it completely.

 

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From a Dog's Point of View By Jackson Meier, 6th grade

Yess!!! Finally, time to eat! We run to our bowls for our dinner. It is always the exact same thing, but we love it! They even give us small treats on special days or when we are very, very good! After we eat we have to go to bed. When we wake up, we eat quickly so we can

go out into the yard. Sometimes they throw the ball for us, and we start running like we were getting chased by a vacuum, trying to get the ball. Suddenly one of the owners calls me in. For some reason they begin petting and brushing me. After they stop, they bring me into an-other room that has strangers standing in it.

They say, “What kind of dog is it?” My owner says, “Black lab.” “We would like to adopt him.” My owners say, “Thank you. You can leave now if you would like.” After talking to the

owners, the people leave and go outside. The next day the strangers are back. But today, I go with them! When I get to my new home, I take a good look around their house. They even have a

little dog bed for me! I wake up from a short nap, and they start calling me Oscar. At around dinner time, two little kids come into the house. One tries to trip the other as

they walk in. The taller one of the two ruffles the other’s hair. After observing them with the tall ones, I figure out that their names are Alex and Aaron. The others names’ are Mom and Dad.

Alex says, “Hey, Oscar do you want to go to the park with me?” I get so excited, I jump up and lick his face.

Then Aaron says,” Can I come?’’ Alex says, “Ya, come on!” . And then off we went. At the park we ran around and lots of other kids wanted to pet

me. After a while we came home. Mom says, “Did you have fun?” “Yes!” Alex and Aaron say. I wag my tail so hard, it hurts! And then sadly, we have to

go to bed. And that, is a day from a dog's point of view.

“Unknown.exe,” paint Lily Bentacu, 8th grade

 

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Trees By Ethan Jones, 10th grade

“I am the Lorax, and I speak for the trees” 

-Dr. Seuss  

Who speaks for the trees? What do they sound like? I have sat in the darkness

Alone with the trees The trees have spoken

They have spoken to me The voiceless have whispered

Who sees for the trees? What do they look at?

I have seen for the trees Showing me visions of time’s passage

The trees have seen They have shown me

The eyeless have viewed

Who hears for the trees? What sounds fill their ears?

I have listened with the trees We have heard together sounds of joy and sadness

The trees have heard They have heard with me The earless have listened

See no evil

Speak no evil Hear no evil

They have seen nothing

They have spoken nothing They have heard nothing

They have seen everything They have spoke everything They have heard everything

They have experienced nothing

They have witnessed everything.

 

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Best Friends! By Grace Meier, 6th grade

Tears were streaming down my face, same with Sarina. I had to say

goodbye to my best friend. Sarina and I had been friends for more than two years. We had done almost everything together, from sleepovers to sledding. She is kind of like the sister I never had. I could be with her for hours and never get bored. We were best friends but almost opposites. She loved soccer and basketball, and I did not always like all of that.

We decided that for our last day together we would go to the mall. Out of all the many things we got into, the painting was the best. Painting Penguin is a pottery place. We each painted one pineapple. When we were done, we saw massage chairs and photos booths! We asked her mom if we could go on the massage chairs, and, when she said yes, we went right to them and took pho-tos and got a massage!

We could not stop laughing at the massage chairs! “Make it stop!” said Sarina.

“Nooo!” I said back. The mall was all about “Best Friend things.” In the end though, everything must come to the end. We started to cry

while hugging, and then I walked her home. I watched her go up her driveway, but she turned around and ran right back and said, “One more hug!’’

When she did go inside, I slumped on the grass, and cried until my dad came and picked me up. I remember him telling me, “It’s ok, you will see her again.”

Till this day, I miss her so much. There will never be anybody as amazing as her. Before I moved, I even asked her if I could put her in my suitcase. She said that she wished she could, but we both knew it would not be allowed. I still try to call her as much as possible and send her gifts. I do not know if there will be anyone as amazing as her.

 

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TAG By Elijah Montgomery, 6th grade Throat dry. Fast running. Chest sweating. Get them, Get them. Not far apart. Breathing quickly. Heart pounding. I think I can see them, but really I see rocks or swings. I thought I was doing well, but everyone just vanished. All the time I win, but not this time. Three down, one to go. Run, Run, Run Catch them. TAG! YOU'RE IT! Finally done. All have been found. 

“The Cay,” pencil on paper By Tanner O’Neill, 6th grade

 

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Tone. Olivia Miner, 11th grade

Calm, soft, faint, her ears were subject to the white noise surrounding her. Almost rippling in nature, the white noise calmed her breathing despite her nerves. Her chest rose and fell softly, her muscles loosened, and her fingers coiled around the tub released. Her hands dipped back into the cold liquid, momentarily interrupting the white noise in fa-vor of a slight drip. She could still feel the wires attached to her body, on the base of her neck, chest, hips, and back. High tone, lower tone, high tone, higher tone. The varying tones in the white noise music shifted in a calming melody, relaxing her to the point of not caring about the possibly dangerous procedure. Her body felt numb. She wasn’t sure from what, the cold, white liquid? Her calmness? Or was the procedure al-ready done without her knowing, and this was just her consciousness being transferred into the android body? Was this a mistake? Would she regret this choice? Would it be better just to let herself wither away and die in her fleshy being or save all she knew and was but live as a robot in human-like skin? Her choice didn’t matter now, she knew. She had already signed away her old body in favor of a new. Low tone, low tone, higher tone, low tone. The monitors could probably sense her pensive thoughts, which rattled her heart rate. They needed her to be in a completely serene state, not fully awake, but not sleeping. Lower tone, lower tone, lower tone, high tone. Why do I keep stalling? she thought, adjusting her breathing. Her slow deep breaths, weighted by the liquid, calmed her mind. She thought of nothing, instead, listening to the white noise music. High tone, high tone, low tone, low tone, lower tone. The shifting tones relaxed her body, she felt weightless. She could feel any semblance of an expression on her face soften. The corners of her mouth relaxed as she sank a little deeper, liquid going up to her chin now. Nothing felt real, none of it, but it was. Her body didn’t feel corporeal, she didn’t feel cold, stressed, or pensive. She finally felt calm. And with that, she knew, the procedure would begin. She closed her eyes, hearing the metallic movement of ma-chinery, but blocking it out, to listen to the soft music. Low tone, low tone, mid tone, low tone. The bottom of the tub lowered until her head was fully submerged. There was a moment where she felt the machine grab ahold of her neck, but it faded in her calmness. She wasn’t sure if it grabbed anywhere else on her body, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. Low tone, mid tone, low tone, low tone. The speaker overhead announced, “Consciousness transfer in three… two…” Low tone, low tone, low tone, low tone. “One…” Low tone, low tone, low tone, low tone. A stab and a shock. Electricity coursed through her veins. High tone, high tone, high tone, high tone. Her eyes flashed colors: blue, violet, magenta, violet. High tone, high tone, high tone, high tone. Then white. Low tone, low tone, low tone, low tone. Another shock. Memories. Low tone, low tone, low tone, low tone. Another shock. Cold. Low tone, low tone, low tone, low tone. A stronger shock than before. Her eyes shot open, red swirled through the white liquid. High tone, high tone, high tone, high tone. Her eyes fell, hearing the beat of her own heart mix with the white noise. Mid tone, mid tone, mid tone, mid tone. Her eyes closed. Low tone, low tone, low tone, low tone. She felt nothing, but she knew, it wouldn’t be for long. Low tone. Low tone. Low tone. Low tone.

 

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A Fight Within By Cael Owens, 8th grade

 

A flame is burning within me, strong Fueled by anger all along

It takes control and all I lose This raging power I shall not choose

I try as hard as any might But every time I lose the fight I cannot win so why do I try

To beat this power coming nigh But if I don’t I’ll be subject

So this power within I will neglect

“Big Green Dragon and a Cool Knight,” pencil & crayon on paper Carsyn Arguell, 9th grade

 

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A Look On The Other Side By Caitlyn Spencer, 6th grade  

I rush my way to the mall, Ready to meet my friends. As I approach the doors,

The waterfall splashes me. And, as I always did with dad, I reach down and drop a coin,

Make a wish, Although it will never come true.

I look through the fall, And don’t see myself.

I see a young girl, All drenched in rain and mud.

She looks familiar, But I can’t tell how I know.

And then it hits me, Like when I was in goal for soccer.

It’s me, as a child.

I have changed so much, Piles of makeup,

Never going outside to get dirty, Never wasting my endless weekends playing

Video and board games with my family. I’ve ignored all my old friends,

Oh, how I miss them. I wash of my face with the water,

Turning the water A muddy brown.

My friends come over,

With bags galore. I stare at them,

And they stare at me. I get up and walk away.

“And where do you think, You are going?”

They ask. And I calmly say,

“To go where the real friends are, In the mud and in heart,

Not in the mall and in the clique.”

 

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Nature By Bailey Mitchell, 6th grade Winds howling. Hearts beating. Against the tree. Lovely day. Want to stay and Rest for a while. Take time. Relax. Don't rush. Enjoy. Trees dancing. Birds singing. What a lovely day. Flowers bloom. Rabbits play. Last day of spring. Take time. Enjoy it while it lasts. Go home. Rest all night. Summer, here I come! 

“Untitled 2,” acrylic Kai Asya Alexis, 8th grade

 

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The Three Elephants and a New World

By J’elle Morris, 6th grade

One sunny fall day as our herd migrated for the winter, the orange and yellow leaves crunched under our big gray feet. All I could see were two oth-er elephants, Ellie, my sister, and Cal-isandra, her friend. As I was walking I heard rustling and commotion, I looked to my left and then right and saw five extra pairs of eyes watching us. Suddenly jaguars crept towards us, and quickly I blew my trunk in warning, running as fast as I could to get away. Soon behind me were Ellie and Cal-isandra.

After we stopped and ran out of breath, we realized that no other elephants were around us. We were separated from our herd and too far to go back now. It was getting colder. All we could do was roam around eating pale grass, hoping to find the new land.

Calisandra had a great idea that we should follow the birds flying south and that would bring us to the new land and our herd. We had spotted a flock of birds and fol-lowed them for as long as we could. Later that day we stopped at a bunch of banana trees and had dinner.

The next few days we ran into a few obstacles. First, apes were swinging from tree to tree teasing us and getting in our way. After that we had to go through a thicket of thorns that were scratching our skin. That led us to a dangerous rhino clash. Ele-phants and rhinos might look alike, but rhinos have big and bulky gray horns, and we elephants have average sized white tusks. When we fight, it never goes well. When the battle was over, Ellie was hurt so that held us back for three or four days. We had been walking for nearly a month, and still all I saw was water, grass birds, and Elie and Cal-isandra plodding along in front of me.

Finally, one day I could feel at the tip of my trunk that the new land was near. Calisandra, Ellie and I were scrawny. We had only been eating five pounds of food a day, but we elephants need to eat at least 25 pounds a day. I hoped today was the last day of searching, and it was! We saw ten more elephants, water, fish, giraffes, palm trees, banana trees and so much more. This was it! Ellie, Calisandra, and I finally made it to the new land. After such a long, exhausting and dangerous journey it felt good to be home.

“The Three Elephants and a New World,” paint on paper By J’elle Morris, 6th grade

 

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“The Cay,” pencil, ink, marker on paper By Summer Conde, 6th grade

 

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We’ve All Lost By Abigail Sykes, 10th grade

Why won’t you just let me help you?

You say you’re fine. Why do you tell me those lies?

I’ll be there for you. I’m here for you.

Just one text away, how hard is that? Just one call away, how hard is that?

Instead you stare me straight in the face And lie. To me. Why?

I’m willing to listen if you give me a chance. I’m willing to care if you tell me what’s wrong.

I’m willing to give you whatever you need, But I’m not going to get on my knees.

I’m worried about you, can’t you see?

I’m worried about you, but I’m not going to plead For forgiveness, for answers, or even attention.

I’m worried about us. I’m worried about you,

But you’re not worried about me, why should you be?

My emotions are something that I do not really show. My emotions are something that hide deep beneath the snow.

My emotions are something I can not control. My emotions…

They are something nobody asks about. They are something that hides my truest feeling.

My deepest pain. My greatest loss.

We’ve all lost something.

You, me, and nearly everyone around you. Why can’t you just see you’re not the only one?

Not the only one hurting. Not the only crying desperate pleas.

Not the only one who has lost. Not the only one who has felt these feelings.

You are not alone… Look around you and what do you see?

A room full of people that have all lost their way.

A room full of people that all feel pain. A room full of people that are here for you. A room full of people…just like me and you.

 

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A Quiet Place

By Margueritte Abbott, 6th grade  

The night is silent, A quiet place. The air is still,

At this quiet place. My thoughts are loud,

In this quiet place. The moon shines bright

Down on my watchful figure The world is quiet here.

 

The Forgotten By Kira Ingram, 10th grade

 

You left. And just like that, I won our bet.

My soul full of sorrow and regret. I told you I was easy to forget.

 

 

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Index Abbott, Margueritte 6 "An Evening Bike Ride," prose 8

Abbott, Margueritte 6 "My Realization," art 11 Abbott, Margueritte 6 "Why?," poetry 11 Abbott, Margueritte 6 "A Quiet Place," poetry 34

Agila, Nicole 12 "Bamboo," poetry 6 Agila, Nicole 12 "Isolate," poetry 6 Agila, Nicole 12 "Sunshine Love," poetry 6 Alexis, KaiAsya 8 "Untitled 1," art 14 Alexis, KaiAsya 8 "Untitled 2," art 30

Anonymous 12 "Insomnia," poetry 18 Arguell, Carsyn 9 "Big Green Dragon and a Cool Knight," art 28 Bentacu, Lily 8 "Unknown.exe," art 23 Brown, Mallorie 6 "Home Run," poetry 10

Calvin, Honesty 6 "Three More Stretches to Go," poetry 10 Christie, Jason 6 "The Continental Marine," prose 9 Conde, Summer 6 "Sports Day," prose 14 Conde, Summer 6 "Moving Again and Again," poetry 20 Conde, Summer 6 "The Cay," art 33

Davis, Iileah 8 "As the Sun Sets," art Back Cover Davis, Iileah 8 "As the Sun Sets," art Page #'s Davis, James 6 "Wendy's," prose 13 Fenelon, Leika 6 "Butterfly," poetry 5

Ferreira, Brandon 6 "Dirtbike," poetry 8 Harlow, Annemarie 7 "The Richest Couple in the World," prose 7 Henry, Keira 6 "Steaks," poetry 12 Ingram, Kira 10 "The Forgotten," poetry 34

Johnson, Annabelle 6 "Fashion Designer," poetry 21 Jones, Cori 6 "Last Second Essay," poetry 17 Jones, Ethan 10 "On the Surface," poetry 4 Jones, Ethan 10 "Trees," poetry 24 Lee, Alex 10 “A Bear,” art Front Cover

Meier, Grace 6 "Best Friends," prose 25 Meier, Jackson 6 "From a Dog's Point of View," prose 23 Miner, Olivia 11 "A Very Nice Young Man," art 18 Miner, Olivia 11 "Tone," prose 27

Mitchell, Bailey 6 "Nature," poetry 30 Montgomery, Elijah 6 "T A G," poetry 26 Morris, J'elle 6 "The Three Elephants and a New World,” art & prose 31

O'Neill, Tanner 6 "The Cay," poetry 26 Owens, Cael 8 "A Fight Within," poetry 28

Park, Jesse 9 "Geometry Poem," poetry 15 Peterson, Najah 10 "Untitled," prose 22 Schneider, Haygen 6 "The Cay," art 7 Spencer, Caitlyn 6 "A Look on the Other Side," poetry 29

Spencer, TaChanti 8 "Anne Frank Blackout Poem," poetry 16 Sykes, Abigail 10 "We've All Lost," poetry 33 Sykes, Troy 12 "Haiku," poetry 19 Traynham, Tanaia 6 "The Cay," art 5

Artist/Author Grade Title of Work Page

 

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