May 16

Sister, sister, sister

“Ring, Ring, Ring”, I hear the bells on the bikes of kids riding outside of my house. I open my window to glance down at them as they cruise through the streets. I am met with a cool breeze and smell of the flowers my dad had recently planted. I gulp as I make my way back to my bed. My face stays stone cold, glancing at the decaying calendar on my wall. Today marks the 5th year anniversary of my sister going missing, or dead. No one really knows. 

My dad calls my name, and tells me it’s time to get up and ready for school. I plead for him to let me stay home. But before I can I have the realization that I don’t want to sulk at home, thinking of my sister. I’d rather suffer at school, distract my mind, then have to think of her all day. 

I head towards my bathroom, and decide to take a cold shower, in hope to wake myself up. My breath stops and I freeze in place. I hear creaking, as if someones walking in my bathroom. I quickly open the shower door as walk splashes on the hardwood floor. No one was there. My breath quickens as I let out a relieved sigh. I think nothing of it as I finish getting ready for school.

School was just as horrible as I thought it would be. The whole day people kept coming up to me asking if I was okay and how I felt about her loss. But in reality I had no idea how to feel, after all it happened 5 years ago…

 

I can hear my sister’s feet crunch sticks and branches as we play in our backyard. Ceci quiets down and stays still, as a butterfly lands right on her nose. She has a look on her face, like she’s happy, genuinely happy. The type of happiness you only feel as a child, not a worry behind your face. We play continuously outside, until dawn. I can feel the hot august air on my skin as I wipe sweat from my forehead. My father calls for us to come back inside. My sister stares at me in disapproval, she says that she doesn’t want to come back inside. I grab her arm forcefully as she tries to pull away. I let go, making her fall to the ground, “Thump”. She hits the ground and cries as she heads towards the nearby forest. I stand there in awe, before I try to make a run for her. But as I get closer to the woods she seems to be gone. I run back to my house as my father asks where Ceci had gone. I tell him that she went into the woods. My father jumps up and runs out the door calling her name. But she was nowhere to be seen. 

The following weeks were complete chaos. My father and the police had been looking everywhere, helicopters and police dogs helped as well. But still there was not a single trace of her. I began to wonder how one person can disappear so fast. One minute you’re there, and the next you’re not…

I decide to go on a walk to clear my head after such an exhausting day. This was the worst decision I could have made after realizing how incredibly hot it was outside. I make my way by the forest in hopes to find some shade under a tree. I use my hand to fan my face as my vision becomes blurry. I shake my head in discernment as I see a little girl deeper into the forest. I stand up to get a clearer view before realizing that, that little girl is my own sister. I shut my eyes hard and rub them. The little girl is gone, my sister is gone. 

I toss and turn, with my mind on the little girl that I saw in the forest. That couldn’t have been my little sister, right? My mind starts to drift, as I slowly begin to fall asleep. But in my dream I imagine my sister, on the day that she disappeared. She says something to me but I can’t make out what she’s saying. All I know is that it’s peaceful, I’m happy. I try to reach out to her but she suddenly disappears. All that is left is that butterfly.

I race to get dressed as I make my way out the door and to the forest. I go to the exact same place I saw her, my little sister. I wait there continuously, hours go by. But as I start to give up and walk back towards my house. I hear a voice, I get closer and closer to it. But as I get closer to it, the only thing I am met with is a butterfly. It looks identical to the one that landed on Ceci. I chuckle as I form a smile. She has been with me this entire time, my little sister Ceci. 

 

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May 14

What Happened At The Carnival?

by Sophia Smalley

While walking aimlessly around the yearly town carnival, Callum found himself standing in front of a rusty, old and heavily overpriced funnel cake truck. With a small rubber duck he won in one hand, a stolen cigarette in the other, Callum steps up to the truck, his black boots making an indent in the dead grass that’s littered with discarded food and dropped prizes. His voice comes out a gravelly, slightly raspy voice coated with a Scottish accent. Stepping aside after ordering, Callum puts his stolen cigarette out on the bottom of his boot. With a heavy sigh, He again steps up to the rusty truck once again, handing the man a $20 bill and taking the Funnel cake. After mumbling a quiet “thanks” Callum steps in between two stands to eat the fried dough. With a wasted $20 he cant even eat two bites of the funnel cake before letting the disgusting and stale tasting dough fall into the dead and fading brown grass. Callum’s attention is drifting from the fried mess on the grass when he hears faint sounds coming from the direction of behind the Funnel Cake truck.Sighing quietly, Callum steps away from the mess on the dead grass that crunches under his feet, with quiet steps he approaches the truck, holding his breath as the noises become more distinct. The horrific realization that the sounds are flesh ripping apart and bones cracking under large and rough hands. Looking back at the open space behind him, Callum hesitates to move, afraid that if he is too loud with his movements, the thing is going to hear him and come for him. Callum’s hesitation is keeping him from dashing from the scene and never looking back. The song “For Whom The Bell Tolls” playing over the speakers is overpowered by children laughing, bells ringing of games being played, and the screams of thrill from the people on the roller coasters. With another moment of pause, Callum carefully steps away from the disgusting scene and with a panicked expression he dashes as fast as his legs can take him, but just before he can get to the exit gate, an inhumanly shadow emerges behind him, engulfing his own shadow. Callum’s feet feel frozen to the unclipped grass, the color draining from his face as he hesitates to face the creature. Callum doesn’t want to die, he doesn’t want to be eaten like the other unrecognizable thing the creature was eating. Callum doesn’t know what to do, should he run away? Should he face the creature? He hesitates to move, the cold wind blowing his ginger curls away from his freckled face, he looks like some sort of 90’s metal band member, with his curly ginger hair butchered into layers that give volume, his hair falling just past his shoulders and his pale skin decorated with freckles. His chipped black nail polish and ripped, knee length jean shorts that look worn out or thrifted, his fading logo of the AC/DC band on his black baggy t-shirt. His black boots give him an unapproachable look. The snarling breath of the creature behind him hits his head with each heavy exhale, utter terror in the pit of Callum’s stomach, his tattooed hands shaking as he clasps the bottom of his shirt tightly, his knuckles turning white like paper.

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May 14

Apartment 108

Lorraine Woods, a peculiar and introverted woman. She had always been a loner, preferring the company of her own thoughts to the unpredictable nature of human interaction. Her list of friends would be empty if not for the messily written names of the birds that would occasionally perch on the windowsill of the small square kitchen window adorned with plants. She found solace in her thoughts rather than the unpredictability of human interaction. This is why the sudden change was not out of character for her. When she moved to the run-down, dilapidated apartment building on the outskirts of town. She actually felt a strange sense of relief at the thought of being left alone with only her thoughts to accompany her. This was not to say that Lorraine was unkind or couldn’t be sociable. At her old apartment, she’d constantly greet the people who lived in the same building, constantly extending a warm smile and even going as far as to spout the occasional “good day to you” or “how has your day been”. She very much could interact with others, she just seemed to be more relaxed when she was alone. She was a writer, you see. She’d ramble on about anything & everything, writing about dreams and despair and the state of the world. And though it didn’t bring much money, it was what she loved doing. This is why, though unfortunate, the situation she was currently in was a new adventure. A new possible way to inspire and add to her writing. The rundown building had faded pink walls, peeling paint, and flickering lights that cast eerie shadows. Lorraine’s neighbors were an odd bunch, ranging from an uncomfortable and unresponsive man to a woman clad in mismatched patterns. The only exception was the neighbor in the room across from hers, apartment 108. He never spoke but always smiled and waved through the window. Curiosity drove Lorraine to visit his apartment, but each time she approached, he was never there. Every time she checked his keyhole, she saw the same color – a deep, dark green, which was confusing as everyone in the apartment had to maintain the same irritating and drabby salmon wall color. Still, he followed a routine: he’d smile and wave at her, each time his grin growing in size, and she’d try to knock on his door only to encounter the same repetitive result: that ominous green color. It sent shivers down her spine, but she dismissed it as a figment of her overactive imagination or perhaps something in front of the key hole that might’ve been blocking the view. As she delved deeper into the mystery, Lorraine began experiencing intense nightmares, hearing whispers, and feeling a constant sense of being watched. When she attempted to inquire about the strange neighbor, her landlord finally gave in to her pleas and revealed the chilling history of the apartment across from hers—a young man had hung himself there, plagued by night terrors and hallucinations. The strangest part: his time of death was dated to before he was hung. A local newspaper clipping was shown to Lorraine, in it contained a photo of the man. He had a grin and sunken eyes that held that same deep dark green color than had gazed at Lorraine every time she looked through the keyhole. He hadn’t been out of the apartment or asleep, but staring back at her.

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May 10

A Great Mess

Once he finished his breakfast, and his mind was more clear, he started to think about what was actually happening. Was James really missing? Did he not have to worry about being bullied anymore? Before he could answer any of his own questions he heard a knock on the door. “Sweetheart, can you get that?” His mom yelled from the kitchen. “Yea sure.” He said while he started to get up from the dining room table. He opened the door and saw Stanly standing there at the door smiling. “Hey wanna take a walk with me?” Stanly said enthusiastically. “Sure I guess” Frederick said, not really feeling like talking this early in the morning. As they walked Stanly started another conversation to get rid of the silence. “So, did you hear the news?” asked stanly. “Um, yea my mom told me. You’re talking about James going missing right?” Frederick said. “Yea, that. So how do you feel about it?” Stanly continued, “I thought it was kind of weird at first for someone to randomly go missing without even returning home after school. I think I saw him before I left, he seemed completely fine. But after thinking about it, if he really is missing, or maybe even ran away I think it’s a good thing for kids like us.” said Stanly. “I mean I guess, but how did you find all this out? All the school told us was that he went missing after school?” Frederick asked, a little concerned. “Oh, well remember my dad is a cop, so he gets all this information first hand.” Stanly admits. “Oh, ok.” Frederick says, hoping that this conversation would end. They continued walking in silence. Frederick looked down and started kicking rocks to relieve the awkwardness “Can I be honest with you?” Stanly randomly blurted out. “Uh, sure I guess.” Frederick replied. “I think that James didn’t just go missing.” Stanly said. “What do you mean?” Frederick replied intrigued. “I think he was murdered.”

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May 9

The VISIT

The train was surprisingly quiet, not how Jacob and Silvia imagined it would be like. This was their first time traveling alone, since mom and dad wanted it to be just them for their anniversary this year. So they sent them to their grandparents who lived 5 hours away. They haven’t seen them since they were little and barely even remember what they look like but they were ultimately excited to be outside and explore the amazing farm their parents had described. As the train’s brakes screeched and the crowd of people started to pour out of the train they collected their luggage and started to walk towards a taxi cab. They were first confused on why mom didn’t arrange for their grandparents to pick them up from the train station but then they figured it was probably because they were old. As they hopped into the cab, Silvia pulled a distressed piece of paper out of her button pocket with an address written in cursive.  Not knowing how to read cursive, Silvia handed the taxi driver the note without even trying to read the loopy words that were printed on the paper. On the way there, Jacob, being the younger brother, started asking a million questions about their grandparents as if Silvia had answers, even though neither one of them had seen them in years. They both ponder out the taxis window with their minds racing as fast as the trees outside. As the taxi pulled into the long gravel driveway, the bumpy ground woke Jacob up from his brief slumber. 

 

The Beautiful farmhouse that their parents described stood tall in the distance. Jacob and Silvia both stepped out of the taxi walking towards the front door past the tall oak tree with a swing hanging from it. As they approached the front door, the door swung open before they even reached knocking distance. The familiar but unfamiliar faces of their grandparents greeted them with a smile and Jacob and Silvia hugged them as they walked inside the house. It seems as soon as they showed them the room they would be staying in for the weekend, they disappeared. Jacob went outside onto the farm to find something to do while Silvia unpacked in the room. She joined Jacob outside and remembered that their parents asked them to video call them when they made it to their grandparents safely. Both of the siblings walk back inside and into their room. Silvia noticed that her laptop wasn’t on the end of the bed like she had left it. Confused on where it could have gone she walked into the kitchen to see grandma with her laptop. Grandma explains that she was trying to move it and accidentally dropped it on the floor. Silvia accepts her apology and grabs the laptop and brings it back into their room only to notice it didn’t look like it had been dropped. The only thing damaged was the front camera of the laptop, she noticed it looked like someone had scratched it. At first confused and bummed that she wouldn’t be able to have a face to face video call with her parents she looked past it and dialed her parents on her laptop. As their parents answered the call she asked to see grandma and grandpa but Silvia explained that her camera was broken. After checking in, Silvia says goodbye and hangs up. Almost as soon as she clicks end call grandpa comes in and says bedtime is at 9 o’clock, Jacob and Silvia joke about how early the bedtime was but they didn’t want to disobey their grandparent so they got into bed around 8:45. In the middle of the night jacob woke up to a strange noise coming from behind their closed bedroom door curious he slowly opens the door trying not to have the squeaky sound of the door echo throughout the house he noticed grandpa crawling throughout the kitchen floor, frightened he runs back into their room before he saw him. Jacob locks the door and tries to go back to sleep. In the morning he explains what he saw to Silvia, at first she didn’t believe him until she noticed grandma and grandpa acting strange. As Silvia was making breakfast grandma asked her to get into the oven to clean it. After hesitating she gets in and starts scrubbing the back like grandma had asked. Suddenly grandma shuts the oven door with silvia inside. Startled, she starts screaming and kicking at the oven door and eventually grandma opens it while laughing very oddly. Later in the day Jacob and Silvia call their parents and explain how the grandparents are acting strange but their mom reassures them that they are just old and to give them a break. But jacob and Silvia knew that this wasn’t just because they were old, 

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May 8

The Surface

Finnerty was always told stories about how dangerous the surface is and that he can never go up there. One day, he was swimming around with his other shark friends. He got separated from them, he kept swimming to try to find them. He ended up in places he had never seen before not knowing he kept swimming higher. From the depths below he saw something light blue stretching endlessly over the top of the ocean. As he started going towards it, he realized he was at the boundary between the water and the sky . There was something getting brighter and brighter, he had to see what it was. Finnerty dared to break between the boundary and there it was, the sun. It was shining so bright he could barely see, for the first time he felt the warmth hitting his skin. He felt free- till he realized he wasn’t alone.

 

There was a big shadow creeping up behind him. It was a human, on a boat, with a huge net. The human threw the net over his head. Finnerty dived back into the depth of the ocean, barely escaping the net trying to catch him. He now knows to never go to the surface ever again, he will never be able to feel the warmth of the sun on his skin.

 

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May 8

Someone I thought I knew

Ouch. The back of my head throbbed with pain as I grazed my hand across it, a large bump had formed. I tried to pry my eyes open but a layer of cloth had covered them, in a panic I pried it off and threw it as far away from me as I could get it. Panic raced through every part of my body when I realized I was not in my college dorm anymore. The back of my legs had stuck to the cold metal floor when I tried to move, my abdomen wrenched with pain and soreness as I sat up. I scanned my body, still wearing the same shorts as I was wearing the night before, tan khaki cargo shorts stained with dirt and splashes of deep red, my jersey torn at the side and covered in dirt and the same deep red splashes.

 I shifted my feet out from under me to see that my shoes and socks were missing, around my ankles was a piece of duct tape hanging on by a thread, I tore that away leaving some of the sticky residue on my ankles and threw it in the same direction as the cloth. I looked around the room, a square small room no bigger than a 6ft x 8ft cell, the walls were brick that looked like they have been painted with white paint many years ago because the paint was chipping, the floor was sheet metal that was cold and stale on my legs, I looked up at the ceiling to see yellow and pink installation with pipes running across it in alternating patterns. Panic set through me with the realization that there are no windows or doors in this entire room, not a single exit, just a small trap door not even a small child could slide its way through. I shot up ignoring the pain in my side, “Hello?! Anyone? Why am I here? Help please!” My throat stung with my words, I waited there waiting for a reply, nothing. I started to pace thinking about every possible scenario as to why I was in this situation. Was I kidnapped? Held for ransom? Apart of some terrorist scheme? 

My breath started to quicken along with my heartbeat, I fell to my knees and started to fold into the fetal position when the trap door opened and a small dollar store like walkie talkie fell to the floor in front of me feet, I jumped up to catch the trap door, “Help wait why are you keeping me here? Who are you? Why do you want me? WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO WITH THIS?” The trap door slammed shut with no response from my captures. I grabbed the walkie talkie and pressed the button on the side, “Hello?” I said in a shaky voice “Hello there Jacob, I’m glad to see your awake” The voice was eerily similar, “Mom?” The fact that my mother answered the walkie talkie was weird enough, but what was weirder was that I thought my mother had been dead for the past 7 years. 

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May 8

The friend/ cousin

Amanda Kathrine Smith Was born in Ohio in 1983 She was a college student That went to Ohio State University She was a quiet and shy student And people use her for her answers She was a straight A student. She hung out with her cousins 24/7 Because they were best friends and Inseparable. 

 

One day before school Amanda was getting ready to leave,But they were running late so Emily picked her up and drove to school.They got to school and attended all classes but second to last period they overheard a football game was announced so Jenny invited Emily, Emily asked Jenny if Amanda could come Since she didn’t really go out and didn’t have anything to do that day.Amanda didn’t really feel like going but Emily insisted her to go and meet new people.3 hours go by and they start getting ready together in the room.Emily gets a text message on motorola dynatac 8000x  from Jenny  asking if they’re on their way and asked if they can bring some stuff because they needed.Emily asks What kind of things they need, Jenny asked to bring some drinks and some snacks just for the hangover and some games.Emily said sure,They got done getting ready and buying all the things they need so they start heading To her house to set up the things and after go to the football game.They set up everything and it goes as planned. They arrive at the football game and get to sit all the way in the back bleachers. Once the game starts the cheerleaders start cheering For them to win the game and after a long wait it was 47 to 74 So the school wins and they have an after party at Jenny’s house. They all arrived to Jenny’s house and start the party Music starts blasting and neighbors file a complaint and call the police on them so they get in trouble just to turn down the volume But they did it again and the police officer had to shut down the party so they went to Emilio’s house for a sleepover And at the party there since their parents beach house was open and nobody was near And his parents were out of town.They spend the whole weekend there And just party and talk about drama You want it all over they all go back home but remember some of the drama that was going on and they said names And it was about her cousin Amanda too with her cousin Jenny and Emily. Emily and Jenny confronted everyone that was talking about them and they recorded them planning the murder so they blackmail jenny and emily but they weren’t going to stand for that so they did something that wasn’t included into the situation They investigated them through anything they could find about them and try to gain evidence on them so they wouldn’t do such a thing. After the situation escalated they thought they were gonna be done for and gonna get brought up for questioning and all those things cops and detectives do. 3 days pass by and the file for the camara was gone someone had leaked it…To be continued 

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May 8

The Trip

Leyana Fulginiti

It was time for the senior trip where they didn’t know where they were going until they arrived. They arrived at a hotel with nothing around for miles. Everyone was confused because in the past they heard that this trip was the best trip they have ever been on. The friend group all looked at each other confused but just walked into the hotel. “This is going to be the best trip you guys have ever been on!” Mrs. Silvestrini said to everyone. This one girl who everyone disliked said to Mrs Silvestrini “Mrs. Silvestrini, why are we here in this DISGUSTING place.” You could tell that Mrs. Silvestrini felt offended after Sarah said that. Everyone felt bad for her because she wasn’t the one to plan the trip for us.

After everyone checked in and unpacked all their belongings it was time to explore. The hotel had a bunch of things to do for the students but none of them seemed interested. They just wanted to stay in their rooms and play on their phones, but not James, Amy, Sam, Nate, Dani, and Olivia. They wanted to explore more, that’s the thing about that group. They were adventurous, people used to say that they should be in Scooby Doo. They were never offended from that idea because they took it as a compliment

While they were exploring they split up to find more in less time, Nate and Olivia were exploring the pool house in the back of the hotel. They found all the pool toys and towels until they went down a hallway and discovered a door but it was locked. They were trying their best to open it because they were interested, they called everyone else to come and help them open it. Maddy opened the door by using her hair pin. “Aren’t I just that amazing?” She asked everyone. “Don’t flatter yourself,” Dani replied to Maddy. Maddy just rolled her eyes in a kidding way, “Anyways let’s explore before first we get caught and then second before dinner” Olivia said to everyone, while everyone just agreed and continued walking down the staircase behind the door. It led to a dark, skinny hallway, till they heard a voice from up ahead saying “Come in…”. They were spooked out and continued walking…

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May 8

Waves Rolling at Normandy

The waves roll into the shore flooding the gaps in the boulders. Lapping the darkened sand and tattered shells. Scooping up small scraps of seaweed and exposing speedy, little, crabs. The birds glide across the tasteless sky. Some pecking the ground for a mid-day snack. The storms in this part of the world are rather brutal and punishing. Their clouds, for those who know what is to arrive. The wind picked up its speed and whipped the grass to flex uncomfortably. The barren tree limbs shook with its energy. 

The storm is more obvious and its wall of dark gray now flooding the landscape, the animals are chattering through the trees to take cover and prepare for the worst.

The tide is now crashing into the shoreline brushing through the little cracks in the rocks. Its dark complexion would frighten any seaman. 

Reverberating through the sky and shooting luminous cracks of light through the clouds to adorn the quivering ground. A simple pattern of a flash then a boom, A flash, and boom. The rain pelted the ground and the branches and trees. Picking up its rate and now the deep, dim water is bashing into the rocky face of the beach.  

At this I walked to the shore, the waves breaking at my knees and soaking the hem of my shorts. 29189 days passed. And I still remember the beach. I still remember the boys that fought and the boys who never went home, the boys who never even landed on the beach.

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