ON THE SURFACE - INKLINGS: LITERARY AND ARTS ANTHOLOGY QUANTICO MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL - DODEA
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
On the Surface
Inklings: Literary and Arts Anthology
Quantico Middle High School
2018-2019
1
Front Cover Art
“A Bear,” scratch art
By Alex Lee, 10th grade
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.
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
Printed by Metro Printing Center, 2608 Dynasty Loop #100, Woodbridge, VA 22192
2
Page Number Artist/Author Title of Work
Front Cover .... Lee, Alex “A Bear,” art
Back Cover .... Davis, Iileah "As the Sun Sets," art
Table of Contents
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
3
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.
4
Butterfly
By Leika Fenelon, 6th grade
Lungs burning.
Feet splashing
Don’t stop, don’t stop-
One-hundred seventy-five “The Cay,” pencil, ink, & marker on paper
meters to go. By Tanaia Traynham, 6th grade
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.
5
Haiku
By Nicole Agila, 12th grade
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.
Isolate
The desert is silent.
There is no movement about
As animals escape the sun.
6
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
7
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.
8
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!
9
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. Three More Stretches To Go
Run fast. By Honesty Calvin, 6th grade
Heart beating.
Last base. Sweat pouring.
Pitcher has it. Fast conditioning.
Slid. Trying to keep up.
Out.
Breath reaching.
Win. 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.
10Why?
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 “My Realization,”
Is the sky so blue? colored pencil on paper
Why By Margueritte Abbott, 6th grade
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?
11STEAKS
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.
12Wendy’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.
13Sports 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
14The 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.)
15“Anne Frank Blackout Poem,” pencil, markers, paper
By TaChanti Spencer, 8th grade
16Last 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.
17Insomnia
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.
“A Very Nice Young Man,” I can’t sleep.
cardboard, papier-mâché, acrylic And now I know this is the norm.
By Olivia Miner, 11th grade 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.
18Haiku
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
19Moving 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.
20Fashion 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!
21Untitled
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.
22“Unknown.exe,” paint
Lily Bentacu, 8th grade
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.
23Trees
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.
24Best 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.
25TAG
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. “The Cay,” pencil on paper
Run, Run, Run By Tanner O’Neill, 6th grade
Catch them.
TAG! YOU'RE IT!
Finally done.
All have been found.
26Tone.
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.
27A 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
28A 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.”
29Nature
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. “Untitled 2,” acrylic
Trees dancing. Kai Asya Alexis, 8th grade
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!
30The 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
31“The Cay,” pencil, ink, marker on paper
By Summer Conde, 6th grade
32We’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.
33The 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.
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.
34Artist/Author Grade Title of Work Page
Abbott, Margueritte 6 "An Evening Bike Ride," prose 8
Abbott, Margueritte 6 "My Realization," art 11
Abbott, Margueritte 6 "Why?," poetry 11
Index
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
3536
You can also read
