 
INFINITY WORDS

An anthology of student work by Amy Balogh's 2017-2018 ESOL students,

Chattahoochee High School

Compiled by Amy L. Balogh

Forward by Amy L. Balogh

Original Cover Artwork by Elsa Dagnat

**Original Chapter Artwork by Elsa Dagnat, Alexandra Delgado, and** **Maximiliano Estrada**

All compositions written by Ms. Balogh's 2017-2018 ESOL students

Smashwords Edition

Published by: Amy L. Balogh at Smashwords

Each original piece of writing and artwork appears with the permission of each student author.

©Copyright 2018 by Amy L. Balogh

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

*****

**FOREWORD**

This is the third year of our producing an end of the year book showcasing our works from the year. The grammar is not always perfect, but the heart, passion, and creativity of my students shines through. We have had another great year of working hard and it makes me so happy to look back and see all the wonderful things my students have written. The first book came about thanks to my dear friend Buffy Hamilton and even though we don't work at the same school anymore, she continues to inspire me. Check out her blog https://livinginthelayers.com/.

The works are organized by the units in the order that we wrote them. We started with poetry and ended with research. The Post Apocalyptic Posse essays were inspired by the Popcast Episode 234 Noah's Pop Culture Ark. Thank you Knox McCoy and Jamie Golden.

Enjoy our celebration!. And to my students who will be reading this, perhaps years later, remember how proud I am of you, remember how creative and smart you are, and remember to have fun with writing.

Our previous books, Twelve Worlds, One Book, and More Than Words are also available on Smashwords.

Amy L. Balogh

ESOL Teacher

Chattahoochee High School

*****

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Forward

Author Biographies

Chapter 1: Poetry

A Fairy Tale from Me - Yagmur Alhan

Best Day – Andy Kang

Black and White - Alexandra Delgado

Combination - Lucia Rutherfurd

Detachment - Gabriel Vasconcellos

Dreams - Max Shmuylovich

Each Stage - Victor Costa

EGO - Berru Mataraci

Erased - Kevin O'Neill

Family - Jia Xiang Deng

Firework - Catalina Buchek

French Fries - Kinza Israr

Gone Girl - Kevin O'Neill

I Miss My Venezuela - Sebastian Onfri

Life - Jinghong Wang

Me! - Shaikh Nafisa Ali

Miami - Anastassia Vazquez

Missing You - Jasmin Bjerregaard

Mother and Father - Roberto Martinez

My Aunt - Josefine Munk

My Brightest Star - Shintaro Kawamitsu

My Flag - An Nguyen

Natural - Rosse Alverez

Silver Cloak - Daniela Contreras

Stars Are - Esther H. Gil

Surprise Party - Briana Kang

Tears - Livia Oliveira

The Goodbye - Livia Oliveira

The Homework - Cesar Zorrilla Calderon

The Sun Has Rendezvous with the Moon - Elsa Dagnat

Valuable - Victor Costa

Who am I - Roman Smieja

Chapter 2: Memoir

1st Game - Livia Oliveira

A Big Party and Behind the Scene - An Nguyen

Best Night Ever - Milan Mistry

Car - Maximiliano Estrada

Christmas Eve - Catalina Buchek

Dark Room - Kinza Israr

First Time - Jasmin Bjerregaard

Friend and Family - Rosse Alvarez

Goodbye Summer - Briana Kang

He Seemed Happy on This Picture - Elsa Dagnat

Let's Go Tribu - Alexandra Delgado

London - Daniela Contreras

Lost Soul – Roman Smieja

Moving - Gabriel Vasconcellos

My Member of Camping Outside - Jinghong Wang

My Sister - Anastassia Vazquez

My Start of Soccer - Roberto Martinez

Never Give Up - Yingxi Zhao

New Place - Jia Xiang Deng

PlayStation 3 - Alejandro Martinez

One Became Two - Josefine Munk

Preparations - Victor Costa

Ready for Hurricane Come - Andy Kang

Stolen Childhood - Lucia Rutherfurd

Stone Mountian – Jia Xiang Deng

Summer - Max Shmuylovich

That Day - Berru Mataraci

The Night Picnic - Yagmur Alhan

Trouble with Wheels - Sebastian Onofri

What Are You Talking About!!! - Nafisa Ali

Vacations in an Unreal World - Henry Paz

Chapter 3 – Short Stories

A Horror Story - Daniela Contreras

Arizona Ranger - Brendan Donahue

Christmas Rosse Alverez

Finding Myself - Catalina Buchek

Hide and Seek - Kinza Israr

I Dead but I Reborn to Dragon to Different World - Andy Kang

Is All a Dream - Jinghong Wang

Journey to Mars - Aarya Joshi

Katherine's Mind - Victor Costa

Key West - Anastasia Vazquez

Maria - Nafisa Ali

New Me - Jasmin Bjerregaard

Not Crazy House \- Max Shmuylovich

One Ticket Out - Roberto Martinez

Secret Agent - Maximiliano Estrada

Tam Cam Untold Story - An Nguyen

The Final Judgement \- Gabriel Vasconcellos

The Future That Mirror Reflects - Shintaro Kawamitsu

The Main Character Friend - Briana Kang

The Secrets of the Necklace - Josefine Munk

Time for a Hero - Henry Paz

Treason and Treasure - Alexandra Delgado

Writing My Own Movie - Livia Oliveira

Chapter 4 - Character Biographies

Annie - An Nguyen

A Story of Lobster - Elsa Dagnat

Bruno - Eric Han

Doctor's Bio - Dohhyun Kim

Mike Smith - Yingxi Zhao

Chapter 5 - Monologues

Annie - An Nguyen

Being Scared About Being Scared - Henry Paz

Bruno - Eric Han

Doctor's Monologue - Dohhyun Kim

Chapter 6 - Product Reviews

An Excellent Phone for its Price - Aarya Joshi

Banana Pillow - Yingxi Zhao

Canon Camera - Isabella Reischl

Gold Standard Whey Protein-Double Rich Chocolate (4/5 stars) - Jayden Kim

Good but a Little Different Than Other Versions of FIFA - Sebastian Onfori

Google Home - Milan Mistry

Mpow Bluetooth Headphones Review - Julio Reategui

No for this Yoyo - Esther H. Gil

The Beats 3 Wireless - Denilson Velasco

Xx The CRiTic Xx - Cesar Zorrilla Calderon

Chapter 7 Post Apocalyptic Posse Argument Essays

(with a nod to Knox McCoy and Jamie Golden of the Popcast)

Lucas Dagnat

Brendan Donahue

Dohhyun Kim

Jayden Kim

Berru Mataraci

Milan Mistry

An Nguyen

Julio Reategui

Isabella Reischl

Denilson Velasco

Chapter 8 - Research – Problem Solution Essays

Air Pollution - Alejandro Martinez

Antidepressants and the Risks and Dangers - Jayden Kim

Better Life - Maximiliano Estrada

Child Labor - Eric Han

Feeding and Helping the Orphans - Denilson Velasco

Global Warming in the Alps - Isabella Reischl

Gun Violence and Gun Control in America - Brendan Donahue

How Negative Emotions Are Presented and How to Overcome Them - Julio Reategui

How to Live with Infectious Diseases - Shintaro Kawamitsu

How to Overcome With Negative Body Image - Esther H. Gil

Kids and Teens Sex Trafficking in United States - Lucia Rutherfurd

Rebuilding the Future by Limiting AI - Aarya Joshi

Saving Water for the Future - Lucas Dagnat

School Bully between Teenagers - Jia Xia Deng

Teens vs Marijuana – Yagmur Alhan

The Technology - Cesar E. Zorrilla

*****

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES

**Yagmur Alhan** : My name is Yagmur. I'm from Turkey. I have been in the United States for three years. When I start writing, the hard part is to stop writing, for me. I love writing a lot. As I write more ideas come up. However, being a author of a real book is harder than I thought. When I realized, my ideas are not just for me, everyone will see them. I became more picky on my works and I feel more like a real author.

**Shaikh Nafisa Ali** : Hi, my name is Shaikh Nafisa Ali. I'm fifteen years old. I'm a sophomore in

high school. It's been almost three years that I came to America. I love art, sports, Photography and any kind of adventure stuff. I love traveling. I play soccer at my high school. Soccer, painting and photography are my passion, it drives me to be the best version of myself that I can be. But other than soccer, painting and photography I haven't decided what I want to do when I grow up. I enjoy reading and writing. But it not something that I love.

Rosse Alvarez: My name is Rosse I am 17 years old I am Dominican in 2017 on February 4 I came to the United States to study for a better future for me and my family only my mother and I came to help my family and to be able to get ahead and everything is better life in the United States is not easy is very exciting but it is worth the effort just to be patient and give everything to you so that everything goes well I want to fulfill many goals I want to become a recognized person that he could get ahead so that people realize that nothing is impossible.

**Jasmin Bjerregaard** : My name is Jasmin Bjerregaard, and I am from Denmark. I am 16 years old. I like reading fiction books, because I think it is interesting to read about something that has never happened, that the author made up. I like to imagine the world that the author is trying to put up. I also love that different authors have different views on things, for example the future, some write that we are good people, and other writes we are horrible people. It is just interesting to see the authors fantasy come through. I also like writing fiction stories, because you can imagine it yourself, and make your own creatures.

**Catalina Buchek** : Hello! My name is Catalina Buchek and I am 17 years old. I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as the rest of my family. I've been living in America for almost a year and there's nothing that makes me happier than being able to have this experience. I love the fact that I've done amazing friendships during this little period of time. It took a long time, believe me, but at the end everything is possible. Throughout my life, I discovered that dancing and writing are two activities that allow me to express how I feel and transmitted to the rest of the world, I feel free and fearless.

**Daniela Contreras** : My name is Daniela Contreras. I am seventeen years old, I am a junior in high, and I moved to the States eight months ago. One of my favorite things to do is writing because it is one of the ways I release stress. I am not a very creative person, but whenever I am writing or dancing I really impress myself, also I like to cook and I enjoy it a lot.

**Victor Costa** : I'm a Brazilian, and reading is an activity that has been always present in my daily life since in Brazil. I love the way that some books, as mystery and action, can hold you from doing anything else besides reading it. Those kinds of books are the best, and my hope is for this one that you are about to read to have the same effect on you. Thanks to my ESOL teacher, I had the opportunity of participating in four English classes in one semester, which was important for me considering that I couldn't speak a word in English before I got here in United States, which happens around one year and six months ago. I must thank Ms. Balogh for being so patient with me during this year and for being also a friend when I needed. Which help me lots, not only in my reading but also my writing, that improves a lot too. Which can help me in the future.

**Elsa Dagnat** : Hey, my name is Elsa Dagnat, I come from France and I am a sophomore at Chattahoochee High School. I came here in August, with all my family. My parents wanted us to learn English because it is an important language in the world now. They decided to go to live in an English-speaking country for one year. Even if, at the beginning, they wanted to go to Scotland, we ended up here, Johns Creek, in the middle of the United States. I think I am still not realizing the change I have. Even if it is hard to learn another language, another culture so different of mine, and make friends, it is a good opportunity that will help me for my life. I am going back at the end of the year, but I really enjoyed this year here. Writing this book has been a great experience, and I hope you will enjoy reading our work.

**Lucas Dagnat** : Hey I'm Lucas. I'm 17 years old and I am a Junior at Chattahoochee High School. I arrived in the US last summer and I come from France. I like sports especially running. I also like to travel around the world and discover new places. I hope you will enjoy this book.

**Alexandra Delgado** : I am Alexandra Delgado, I came from Venezuela to Georgia with hopes and dreams. People always says I am in the best moment of my life, that I should enjoy it, and there I asked myself so it gets worst? But coming back to my hopes and dreams I really want to be successful in life and in order to achieve my goals I need to work hard, and the thing is that teenagers tend to worry too much about future so, I don't feel alone I know am not the only one.

**Jia Xiang Deng** : Hi, my name is Jia Xiang Deng, I come from China, I am 15 years old. I love play video games, and draw. My favorite sport is run and badminton, but I didn't play very well on badminton. I am lazy in my life, I love sleeping and play video games. When I come first, I know nothing, then, I study and start speaking English. That's my third year in U.S, I could talk with people, but I can't speak very well. I still working on my English, I hope I could did more better on my English at the future.

**Brendan Donahue** : Hello, my name is Brendan Donahue, and I'm 17 years old. I come from São Paulo, Brazil. I moved to America in June 2017 because my mom received a job offer to work here. It's probably the best thing to have ever happened to me. My life here is very different compared to my life in Brazil, mainly because of the language and because I lived in the city there. I really enjoy reading, playing videogames and working out. I made some great friends here. Contributing to this book has been a great experience for me, but I don't really see myself as a writer.

**Maximiliano Estrada** : hi I been in united states for almost 3 years. This is my last biography that I do for miss b class because is my senior year the last year. During this time, I really change attitudes and thoughts. I found what I really like and what I don't. I my meet my best friend Sergio Martinez he is not with me in school anymore because he already graduates but he still my best friend. I see him outside school every day when we are both free from school and work. I really enjoy my time in high school because it I meet wonderful people from different countries and places. I made a lot of friends that hopefully when I grow up they still around me and be friends as we are now. Berru, Walter, Gabe, Victor, Enrique, Jordan, juanda, brandon and all my friends that I meet at high school. I wish them the best and I don't know what's going to happen next high school but what I'm sure is that I'll be ready to take every challenge that life presents me. Don't do something that you're going to regret later. What I know is that if you don't take the shot you would never going to know if you would success or fail.

**Esther Gil** : My name is Esther Gil. I'm 15 years old. I was born in Denver, Colorado and I moved to Korea when I was 5 years old. I came back to America when I was 12 and have been living in Alpharetta, Georgia for the last 3 years. For the first year, I had a hard time with having conversations with people because of the language problem. For second year, I was fine with the language, but I still struggled to talk to people. Now I am okay with talking to people and just sometimes I feel uncomfortable. I like to sing, listen all types of music, and watch or read fantasy stories. I also love to draw, paint, and create art pieces.

**Eric Han** : My name is Eric Han. I am sixteen years old. I am Sophomore in Chattahoochee high school. I came America from south korea about 3months ago. So, my English is not good. My hobby is playing the piano, table tennis, badminton and computer game. I always play table tennis at my home with my father. Tennis is my favorite sports. I think about joining table tennis club in school.

**Kinza Israr** : My name is Kinza Israr. I am from Pakistan. I came to America on February 2nd in 2016. I have lived in U.S for two years. I am sophomore. I like to play tennis. I love traveling. Biryani is my favorite food. I am very glade about being in author. I hope you enjoy my poetry, memoir, and short stories.

**Aarya Joshi** : Hi my name I Aarya (I'm a boy by the way), and I'm from India. I'm 15 years old and have been living in the States' for a year now. I love playing the sport of Cricket, it is one of the few things I really enjoy doing. I don't really do anything in my free time except hanging out with my family (mostly) and my friends (sometimes). This is pretty much my life.

**Briana Kang** : My name is Briana Kang. I'm from Korea, this year is my last year for Chattahoochee high school. I was so glad to graduate high school. This year is three years of in US. I learn how to write essay and read book a lot. I'm interested about K-pop and watching movies. When I was write poem, memoirs and short stories, I feel comfortable and I like to share with other people's read my poem, memoirs and short stories.

**Andy Kang** : Hello my name is Andy Kang. I'm from South Korea. I had been in America 3 years. This year is my sophomore year at Chattahoochee high school. Last year I'm so tired because I think high school is same about middle school but it's not it was different to middle school, so I need to work hard to study but this year it was easier than last year. I like to watch a movie and play the game for PUBG.

**Shintaro Kawamitsu** : I'm Shintaro Kawamitsu. I'm from Japan as an exchange student. I decided to go America when I was 16 years old. Before came here, I dreamed that I would be an amazing exchange student, which is like good communication, nice friendship and awesome school life. But, it was not easy like that. I had a lot of difficulties during this 10 months. I almost gave up many time. However, through many difficulties, my year becomes so deeply. I really appreciate Ms. Balogh and my classmates. I put poem, short story, and research on this book. I'm happy if you enjoy through read my words.

**Dohhyun Kim** : Hey, I'm from South Korea. I speak Korean and I've been here for a few months now. Writing isn't exactly my favorite thing to in both English and Korean. However, writing still is an essential part of our lives. That's why I would like to practice it and become good at it. I'm also interested in information security. Thanks!

**Jayden Kim:** My name is Jayden Kim, and I am a tenth-grader from South Korea. I have lived in South Korea for a total of eight years and I lived in the United States for eight years as well. I was born in Korea, and moved to Chicago, Illinois for five years when I was one-years old. After, I went back to Korea for about three years, and then moved to New Jersey for four years. After moving back to Korea for four years, I moved to Georgia now. Most of my life has been about moving constantly, and having to say goodbyes to my friends very often. Everywhere I went, I was not only good at writing papers for school, but I loved writing by myself. I would write fictional narratives and made-up stories on my notebook, and imagined myself as a position of a real writer. Now that I'm a real writer, I feel like I'm invincible, and I feel free and happy doing what I love as a job. I understand what people meant when they said doing what you love as a job is what success is all about.

**Alejandro Martinez** : My name is Alejandro Martinez. I am from the United States and have been here my whole life. I enjoy playing soccer and playing video games. It feels normal being an author.

**Roberto Martinez** : My name is Roberto and I am a student at Chattahoochee High School. I have lived in the United States for 17 years and still living now. I am from the United States living in Georgia, John Creek. I am person that just want things to get done or things that would really help me in the world. I enjoy playing soccer I play as a LB,RB, and CM. And I am a type of person that rather keep to itself or hang with people with the same interest. Being an author isn't something I would like to do, since reading and writing isn't my biggest strength.

**Berru Mataraci** : I am from Turkey. I am live in Atlanta. My favorite color is pink. I like to read book but Turkish because I can understand exactly. My favorite movie is tangled when i was watch i feel so happy. My best friend name is max. And my favorite teacher is Ms.Balogh because she is nice and always smiling my all stress is going. I have 1 sister. she is nice. I have 2 brother and sometimes they make me crazy. My dad is nice but my mom is amazing. She is fun, pretty and she is like my friend not like a mother.

**Milan Mistry** : Hey everyone! My name is Milan Mistry I am 17 and I shifted to United States a year back. I like to play Snooker and watch movies. And the thing which I like the most is to spend time with family and friends.

**Josefine Munk** : Hello, my name is Josefine. I am 17 years old and from Denmark. I am a happy girl with a positive mind. Despite that most of my stories aren't happy. I like to write about feelings and emotions. Which you also would see in my stories. I love to write like that, because life isn't always a happy story. I want to show how real life also can look like, and that it's not taboo to show your feels. I normally don't read a lot of books, but when I'm reading, I like to read romance or drama stories.

**An Nguyen** : I'm an Asian girl who was born in Vietnam, my name just has two letters which can be pronounced in various ways, An. I have two senior years spending in Chattahoochee high school and this year is my last year. If I say I love to be in the school, I'm not honest because every child doesn't like to go to school. But if I say I don't love it, that's meant my brain has problem. Because I know my favor is studying in Chattahoochee where I have many nice teachers helping me. I lay my love on it when I recognize that another is not pleasure like the one I have. I understand that studying is a compulsory and I know that my mom wants to see 100 grades, but I didn't do that. I think just passing is enough for my last year. Then I listen to my soul.

**Livia Oliveira** : My name is Livia Oliveira, I am 17 years old and I am from Brazil. Reading has always been a way for me to relax and take a break from everyday life. My favorite type of book is mystery. These stories take my mind to another world where I do not think about anything but the life of the character. I enjoy these books the most because reading great mysteries, just like reading any other magnificent book, reality falls away and I become part of this world that captivates my imagination. It is magical! I always regret coming to the end of a story because I miss the world or the character that I have become close with. In mysteries, there are puzzles to solve and I must put together the clues which can sometimes be complicated So even though I enjoy reading mystery books, I enjoy writing poems where I can express my thoughts and feelings just as much.

**Kevin O'Neill:** I am Kevin O'Neill, am 16 old. I like to play football and sleep, also I am interested in cars .I am from Puerto Rico when i was 15 years old I move to atlanta to start a new life. I have been 2 year and 3 months living it the USA. I like being in the USA it's very cool I think is something different.

**Sebastian Onofori** : My name is Sebastian and I was born in Venezuela. I'm a freshman and I'm 15 years old. I came to this country about a year and a half ago. I like to play soccer and also to watch it. I eat a lot. It was great to write pieces of this book. My favorite food are arepas.

**Henry Paz** : Hey there, my name is Henry Paz. I'm 15 years old and I'm a sophomore at Chattahoochee high school. I'm from Venezuela, I came to America in August 2017 because my native country is passing through the most bad moment in its history. Leaving that subject aside, I personally like to play videogames and listen to electro-pop music on my free time. Also, I do like to play music in my guitar and I don't mainly read books constantly, but when I start reading a book, I usually get very into it. My passion is solving math problems I really like it, I think that this passion helps me in my life because I always think about many solutions and after that I choose the best one.

**Julio Reategui:** Mejia: I am Julio Reategui Mejia, I am seventeen years old, I am from Colombia and I arrived in Atlanta about 6 months ago. Since I arrived I never liked to write in English but after helping in this book I can say that now I hate it but at least I had fun.

**Isabella Reischl** : My name is Isabella and I am 15 years old. I am from Austria, not Australia. I am a foreign exchange student for one Semester in America. I am a Sophomore at Chattahoochee High School. I am in Chattahoochee Concert Band where I play the Saxophone. I really enjoy playing the saxophone. Back home in Austria I used to do Karate. I really enjoyed writing the pieces for this book, which was a good experience for me.

**Lucia Rutherfurd** : I am Lucia Rutherfurd, and I am 17 years old. I born in Lima, Peru. But then my family and I moved here in Georgia. When I came without speaking any English, it the beginning it was really hard but eventually I learn how to survive in this country. I am an animal lover and I also love music. My favorite type of food is obviously Peruvian food.

**Max Shmuylovich** : I am Max Shmuylovich. I'm called Max crazy in school. I am living in US for 3 years. These were really strange years, mostly the third one. First year was in fog. The second year in High school was better because I found friends. Thirds year was the weirdest year in my life it had a lot of strange decision which I can't explain. Will see what going to be in future and I promise I will never change because I am Max who know me, know what that mean.

**Roman Smieja** : My name is Roman Smieja. I am from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I'm 11 grade at Chattahoochee high school. I moved to the United State one month before started a freshman in high school. I live in the United State of America for almost 3 years now. I have been in ESOL for almost 2 years now, and I loved it so much. The students and my teachers are friendly and welcoming to interact with them. It is incredible to meet all the student from a different country living in the same land and going the same school as me. Plus, it is wonderful to learn about the other student's country culture and language. While I was in school I joined soccer team in my sophomore year at hooch JV soccer team and this year I make it to Varsity level and meet more awesome new student. It was a nice experience to talk to them and become friends with them.

**Gabriel Vasconcellos** : I'm from Brazil, Sao Paulo and there are three things I miss from there, the first one is the parties, the second one my family and the last one is soccer. Today I can say that my hobby is going to the gym (something I've been doing since I got here). On the weekends what I mostly do is have dinner in different restaurants, sometimes get an ice cream, or go the cinema, and that is basically what I do.

**Anastassia Vazquez** : Hi, my name is Anastassia Vazquez, I from Porta Vita Mexico, but I move to San Diego, California. I live from my family my mom, my dad, my dog, 5 fish, and 4 birds. My mother was pregnant and it's was my little sister, she was born in July 12, 2007. I was kind of with my sister, but she is too noisy when we try to put her in bed, but it didn't work. I like to play my friends neighbor, play games/ watch TV, drawing, and going Disney/LEGOLAND/Zoo. I feel when I was write my short story was interesting

**Denilson Velasco** : Hello, my name is Denilson. I am 16 years old and from Venezuela. I am a sporting guy with many goals in this life. This year with Ms.Balogh I learn who to express my feeling writing and I really enjoined. I love to play soccer and baseball, also I like to build stuff in engineer and one f my main goals is to get a scholarship to help my mom I became someone in this life to help people and support then. I don't like to written, but with Ms.Balogh I starting like to express my feeling and emotions written, also I don't like to read longs book, but I like to read comics.

**Jinghong Wang** : Hi. I am Jinghong Wang and I am 15 years old. I like to eat a lot, I love every food. I play football for Chattahoochee high school team and like it a lot. It's hard to practice every day under the sun for 3 hours. My second favorite sport is swimming. I have to practice swimming every morning at 4 o'clock, My best stroke is freestyle. I don't like to talk to people but I like to talk about video games a lot. I have to do homework every day and I have to practice so I don't really have time to play games.

**Yingxi Zhao** : Hi, my name is Yingxi Zhao, from China and I am fifteen years old. I like to play basketball, drawing, swimming and play video games. I also like to watch movie and read the books in the weekend.

**Cesar Zorrilla** : hi as you can see in the left that's my name and I am 17 years old, I am from Venezuela, I move here for a better live and pass good moments with my family here in the United States, I like play videogames, draw, designs and coding sometimes. I like so much this country is just amazing in every way can be understandable, its clean, calm and it's no too dangerous. Also, I like go to play soccer and pass a good moment with my friends.

*****

A Fairy Tale from Me

Yagmur Alhan

Once upon a time

Two little kids lived

In a big city,

These kids were young

But, their hearts were huge.

These kids,

Play outside,

Every single day

They were opening

The doors of a different world.

Sometimes,

They become a royal family

Of a gigantic magical country.

Sometimes,

They were captains

Of a gruff ocean.

No matter what their costumes are

Their smiles have always

Remained the same.

If someone would go back

To past and ask them

What was the scent that

Fascinates them?

The answer would be the same.

Mothers' cookies

Still on fire

The creamy chocolate taste,

The crispy cookies were always

Their treasure in an abandoned island.

Over the years

These kids met with

The most peppery taste of childhood,

"growing up" ...

Now,

The girl with the purple band is

In a kingdom

Thousands of miles away.

*****

Best Day

Andy Kang

I was waking up early in the morning

I see the sky has filled the darkness and I check the today's date

Because today is valentine's day

I wear my favorite cote and sprinkle the perfume

I think I can get the some of the chocolates

At the school but I can't get any chocolates

In the school, no one gives to me

I hate valentine's day this year

I'm so disappointed, and I on my way to my house,

I met someone I stopped the listen to music

And I look around her,

She hiding the something behind her hand

She has a shameful face and she has a beautifully packed bag

Beautiful letter in her hand,

She gives the paper bag and letter to me

She going to she's friend

I'm so delighted, embarrassed I couldn't move

I going home and washed and lay on the bed like a shy boy

I take the chocolate out of the bag it was pretty chocolate

I eat chocolate and read the letter

I'm so happy today

think about the did I have a best of the day?

I have it but today is the more best day of the different day.

And think about your best day!

What did you have a feeling about that day?

*****
Black and White

Alexandra Delgado

Taking out my tools

I have got the light

Infinite possibilities

A black and white explosion on my mind.

Placing the As and it's opposite

The hard Bs on line.

The paper looking pale

Almost calm.

I start this experiment,

4A is leading the trace

Making a soft figure

Caressing the surface of the chart.

I realize it's time for Bs to shine

Giving the subject expressive gestures,

Harder shades

Shades in scale.

Invisible scars

Where the eraser touched the sheet.

Now it's your turn

Charcoal stick you are the heart

Adding lines of sensitivity.

I am far from the start

Almost done

My goal is close.

Make it come to life!

Make it come to life!

The charcoal and the pencil

Are yelling at me

It's time,

I do my finest line

I can hear the beep,

The patient is showing vital signs

It looks like a grand finale.

*****

Combination

Lucia Rutherfurd

Locked in locker

All the truth and the rumors

Safe and sound now

All the secret that I ride.

Saved in my broker

Books and notes

Totally quiescent

Silently, waiting for me.

Locker in my locker

White papers with nonsense

Invisible to the eye

Wondering when I'll express myself.

Saved in my locker

The letter that I wrote to him in math class

And that I'll never give it to him

Because is locked in my locker.

*****

Detachment

Gabriel Vasconcellos

I am totally sure, we could not bear

To be just friends, we have more

Then a friendship.

But you don't like my style you

Do not hide it, because I know...

Since that, we did not talk anymore,

But I had a fragile red heart, and I called

You, `cause I miss you.

I said that I could treat you better,

And I know you like when I say you

Are very awesome, but we are not

A couple, still not.

Please just understand my world girl...

Sometimes I need take a breath, but

I want you closer

*****

Dreams

Max Shmuylovich

I need a sleep, like an air

I hate that real world.

I do not want think about problems,

I just want dance of my mind in the dark

In my dreams, I strong like a rock

I am as beautiful as Apollon

I have a silver hair

I can have whatever I want

I can see music and hear the love

In the world of a sleep no lessons

Over there to no pain no heart

The moon and the sun are dancing together

And the unicorn is eating a rainbow

*****
Each Stage

Victor Costa

I thought I knew everything,

But barely became a butterfly.

I have no idea of what is the strawberry taste of life,

And I only will know this taste

When start to explore the brushes of unknown

Feeling their taste in my paws.

She came and stay, stare me for a second and then say

Hi. I indeed did not disagree,

Directing my thoughts to that girl

The strawberry taste start to show up in my mouth,

Then I make our hands greet each other

Reattributing her hi back.

Most people mutter,

Saying that for two living souls

Join as a couple,

The "Hi" needs to be perfect.

But our was away from perfect,

I was very slow, she was very fast.

Even so, it worked, and after that hi,

I could see that, life

Never is what you think it is,

And sometimes this tastes that you taste

Show a new concept of world for your world,

Giving to the butterfly a meaning to fly.

*****

EGO

Berru Mataraci

All right, okay, we understand

You understand everything

It's you the most beautiful onlooking

All right, you are diamond

Okay, you are gold

It's you who started in the first

It's you who have the most beautiful crying

It's you who have the best laugh

It's you who have the best smell

All right

Okay

We understand

You are awesome!

*****
Erased

Kevin O'Neill

I'm worst, but

I am still much better

Now. I got betrayed ,

Now am worst.

Just because of you, my

Life changed. Now am dark worst

But you what I don't care about

You now. You're the one

The one that broke my

Heart. You were the one that told me

I love you baby or more like

I hate you baby

I am much worst now, while you are just

enjoying life, I am here suffering. But you now

what I am much better

Now.

*****
Family

Jia Xiang Deng

Family,

A warmest place ,

A home fills love.

it's normal ,

As one of the stars in sky,

But it's comfort ,

It's warm ,

It gives you the warmest hug in dark.

Mother, grandmother, grandfather,

They all are gifts from God,

Everything they did, ,

Everything they work,

Everything they earn,

Is a light from sun,

Is a big-strong energy support,

Is little piece puzzle ,

Create a wonderful family.

I was a bird just born,

They build house for me.

For my life ,for my future

They teaches me to fly,

Help me fly to my future.

Now i was a bird in the sky,

Everything they did as a power,

I feel the strong power,

It Help me fly higher and higher.

Through the power

I know,

Family will behind me,

Support me ever.

*****
Firework

Catalina Buchek

Fourth of July, 2017

I see a firework outside my window.

I see a firework outside my window.

It illuminates every blind spot,

Every object, every living being

Including my dog.

I see a firework outside my window.

It's sparks paint my face with a splash of colors,

They draw spirals on the white walls

And turn the family room into a nightclub.

I see a firework outside my window.

I take two seconds, maybe more, to admire the picture of my father's eyes. The little blue eyes

Fulfilled with the Miracle's reflection.

I want to grab a pencil and recreate

Those eyes at that moment on a sheet of paper,

In order to never forget them.

I see a firework outside my window.

A tear falls right directly from my eye,

Not caring at all if I don't want it to fall,

It just falls without my permission.

When I see the firework outside my window,

An inevitable smile spreads on my face

It is like all the memories of My Place come with this Firework,

A refresh of my old life.

But now,

I don't see any firework outside my window.

The house is getting dark again.

Everything has lost it's color

Like if we were in a black & white movie.

I don't see any firework outside my window.

My eyes are still wet and swollen.

They're having trouble in getting back to normal

And I start crying again.

I don't see any firework outside my window.

It is an ordinary Tuesday,

Grey and rainy as usual,

A summer noon shared with family and friends,

Fourth of July, 2017.

*****
First

Kevin O'Neill

It was just like

Jail. They woke

Me up. Then

They told me,

Get dress

So I woke up

I got dress. Then...

They open does doors

And I just saw hell. It

was a dark and spooky place.

I when in then,

I just hear people talking

Strangers looking at me.

Suddenly... I saw someone smiling

She came up to me she told me good morning

I said "first" she looked at me

Like she was all confused. Then

I here a bell "ring, ring". I went in

They closed the doors. Something New is

starting.

*****

French Fries

Kinza Israr

My Mom go to the Indian store

She buys the potatoes

She came back at home

I pick five potatoes

I pick silver bowl and cut the potatoes

I wash the potatoes when potatoes look clean,

I cut the potatoes in long stick

I pick salt and put on the potatoes

After one hour, I pick black bowl

I pick oil and put on the black bowl

When oil is hot,

I pick the potatoes and put on the black bowl

When the potatoes are make, the smell is salty.

I pick steel spoon, and I pick green and white plate.

I pick two napkins put in the plate,

Then I pick the potatoes and put in the plates

After make the French Fries,

We eat hot French Fries.

The French Fries look like light golden brown.

The French Fries look like long sticks

The French Fries taste is spicy because

"I put chat masala on the French Fries"

The French Fries sound is quiet.

I feel so happy when I eat French Fries.

I love French Fries

Not only me everyone loves French Fries.

*****

Gone Girl

Kevin O'Neill

I gave you all you wanted.

I gave you my heart,

My time, my Space,

My Life, my Mind. Every time you talked

I heard you. You just threw it all away

You are a Gone Girl

I treated you like a

Princess, but you

Were just a

though.

Now remember

All the stuff that I gave

You. You just threw it

Away. Gone

Girl.

*****

I Miss My Venezuela

Sebastian Onfri

I miss my country... I miss my Venezuela, since

I left my country I've been missing it so much.

I feel like America is not comparable with my Venezuela.

Oh... my dear Venezuela... I miss you so much.

I love you as much as I love my phone. When I'm

With you I feel like I was dreaming. Being with you

Is like living on the sky. There's no Winter, there's no

Cold, there's no fear... well now there's it.

I miss my land.

I miss my people.

I miss my blood.

I miss my flag.

But now it's just a dangerous and poor country.

Please Venezuela!, be what you used to be... I beg you.

You used to be a sky, a place where anyone would be happy.

I laugh when someone compares you with any land,

It seems like almost nobody hasn't been on the sky.

Oh my Venezuela... I beg you, I beg you, be the

Paradise you used to be.

****
Life

Jinghong Wang

life is so weak I can break it in one punch

why are we alive

why is this world so dark

is it because I don't have friends

is it because I don't want to live

is it because life is full of trouble

why why why

life! Why! Why are we alive?

Life is so weak we can die any time

Why do we need to work

Why do we need to go to school

There is a lot of thing we don't know

But we think about the good things

We play we eat and we sleep

All of the good things is on this world

Will support you to live

You are not lonely because we are together

*****

Me!

Shaikh Nafisa Ali

A battle with depression,

a fight she cannot win.

no matter how strong she is or,

how hard she fights,

she knows she will give in.

she is always smiles like she means it,

but her smile is fake,

every night she goes to sleep,

hoping and praying that she never wakes up.

she does not know how she does it,

but, yet she makes it through every day.

wishing she could turn back time,

wishing she could start new.

each day it hurts a little more,

but, yet she cannot seem to share,

just how she is really feeling.

she knows no one cares,

even if they say they care.

and even if she does want to share her feelings,

she cannot share it for some reason.

she thinks so badly of herself,

but she does not say how she really feels.

she is scared that when she says it aloud,

the pain will become too real and hurt her.

people will be able to see her pain,

and feel pity towards her.

each day is her own battle,

each day she goes through hell.

on her face is a painted smile,

but inside she is not well.

she does not want to be like this,

she really does not want you to see her pain,

she just wants to see you and other people beautiful smile and be happy,

without any worry and stress.

oh, yeah and that girl I'm talking about is ......

ME!

*****
Miami

Anastassia Vazquez

I went to Miami Florida,

On June 6 in the night.

We went to the airplane

At 11:00pm and we made

It in Miami, Florida.

At 1:00am in the morning

So, we land it and my ear

Was hurting me so bad.

We found a hotel about

An hour and we were

Super tired and fell asleep.

We woke up at 8:00am

And we ate breakfast,

So, we went to the beach,

It was fun, but I kind of

Like the museum of

Civil War, it was cool,

The inside was dark and

Scary. The beach was right

Next to the museum, it was cool.

*****

Missing You

Jasmin Bjerregaard

It has been a rough path.

The missing has been rocky,

I want to see them

Again.

They have new friends,

Maybe they fail to remember me?

I see all they do,

Without me.

Me and my shadow alone,

In my big hollow room.

I think of them,

Do they think of me?

I am going back soon,

I am going to see them again.

It is going to be fine and dandy.

This winter,

I am going home

*****
Mother and Father

Roberto Martinez

Ever notice who has gotten you out of trouble,

Ever notice who was there for you,

Ever notice when you get ill or sad,

Mother,

A mother love isn't the same as a father's love

A mother love will never change like you loving a sport like you play,

Mother,

A man who doesn't display no fear,

Is he,who knows from right to wrong,

A man who starts new generations,

Who doesn't collapse on it's own actions,

Father,

A father shows you to forget what is pain,

A father is a man of his word,

A father notice what is a better preferred choice,

Father.

*****
My Aunt

Josefine Munk

"Hi princess," she said.

I came jumping like a frog filled with joy.

She smiled at me.

"Hi my aunt," I said.

I looked at her bald

Head and her face the beamed

Despite of the traces from the disease.

She was beautiful like a rose in summer.

"I love you," she said.

Our hands were like glued to each other.

She closed her eyes.

She breathed

In line with the pulse machine's beep.

"I love you too," I said.

My love for her

Were extreme.

"Goodbye my love',"she said.

Our hands were now dissolved.

It got completely quit

In the hospital room.

All I could hear was my crying.

The pulse machine went to zero.

"Goodbye," I said

While I looked up on the dark sky

Which now became a star richer.

*****
My Brightest Star

Shintaro Kawamitsu

A million stars in the sky

Looking for one shins brighter star I just try

I found a brightest star

I always want to stay near

"I love you" you just say

Every single day changes a precious day

My story just now starts

With you are in my heart

*****

My Flag

An Nguyen

I was born when the country no longer North-South divided

How can I figure it?

The answer of what war is

Only heard through grandpa's stories

My grandpa's stories

About his unfinished dreams

He put a pen down then joined a fighting

Fighting for bright red flag

Which covered by dark red blood.

My grandma's stories

Helping check up free for the army

She traveled from the North to the South

My grandpa met her in his town.

I've been growing up

When my hometown was peaceful.

I don't know what Bobo is

Only know from my father's memories.

My mother's stories

Singing out loud erased bomb sound

It's up to a distant place

My father met her in May.

Now stepping on the road to America, I feel so sad

I saw Vietnamese confirm strange things as their flag

It's not a bright red flag with a middle yellow star

It's not a flag of my grandpa and grandma.

So sad but I just keep in my hat

A hat that has the yellow star.

It's a once-fought my grandpa's hero

It's a difficult time my grandma was

*****

Natural

Rosse Alverez

It was a cold and beautiful night

I looked out the window

And I realized that the sky was so beautiful

And the start shone like the most

Valuable diamond in the world

That lit my eyes

And the moon was the most

Beautiful that illuminate the

Word with her beauty.

*****

Silver Cloak

Daniela Contreras

Round and

Triangular...

A cone.

Wrapped

In a silver

Cloak,

A curled paper on top.

Unwrap it!

Unwrap it!

I wonder...

What's behind

That shiny silver

Delicate cloak?

Finally, I unwrapped it!

I devour it,

It melted

In my mouth.

It tasted like heaven.

It was CHOCOLATE!

*****
Stars Are

Esther H. Gil

The flowers that bloomed in the morning

Became stars in the night sky.

The night is filled with stars.

The night is still.

The light is shining with stars.

The stars are blooming.

Stars are my comfort,

Stars are my memories,

Stars are my feelings,

Stars are our dreams.

When I'm crying alone

Stars comforts me with twinkling

When I'm forgetting

Stars are reminding my memories

When I feel happy

Stars are celebrating together

When I have a dream

Stars are encouraging me

Stars are my everything.

****

Surprise Party

Briana Kang

Special Day I prepare the mini dress

I just want to look pretty so look at mirror

In the mirror, pretty flower was smiling

Last night I make a white strawberry cake

It looks like little kingdom

Today I hold it and surprise to you

Can't you feel what's in my heart?

I'm waiting for your birthday

Happy Birthday to you

You don't know what I'm doing?

I'm planning for your birthday party

You're so special in my heart

Because you are my best friend

Many times, ago I promise you

I always side on you

Celebrate your birthday like today

So today I'm saying

You are the only one

You are my best friend ever

Thank you for you are born

Love so much

I will be here for you

I feel love for real

Happy birthday to you!

*****
Tears

Livia Oliveira

The cry

Now

It is smothered by happiness

For all the new achievements

Exchange program

New friends

New life

It is not necessarily sadness

Is missing mixed with happiness

That does not fit inside the heart

And as they said

The eyes are the windows of the soul

So maybe the tears are just smoke

Leaving a burning house

Which is about collapse

But it has a good structure

So it won't collapse

*****
The Cricket's Song

Lucas Dagnat

A summer night,

Because of the heat I couldn't sleep.

So I decided to go to sleep outside on the trampoline.

It was an amazing night,

No cloud.

The sky was filled with small bright dots.

And in the middle of the sky,

The moon, shining.

As white as snow.

Formed a perfect circle.

I was staying there.

To count the stars,

And watch the patterns that they formed.

After a long time I finally fall asleep,

Rock by the cricket's song and the fresh wind.

*****

The Goodbye

Livia Oliveira

365 days a year

But one of them was different

Different for me

(Only for me)

The day that I was going use my own wings

The day that I was going towards the unknown

Alone

But just physically

Fear and courage

Is not normal in my life to walk together

But there they were

Knocking on my door

It was time to leave Brazil

A new beginning in North America

A new year in Chattahoochee

A new day

The day that was different

Different for me

(Only for me)

(And for the ones that I love)

*****
The Homework

Cesar Zorrilla Calderon

The homework

that word can be stressful

as for the student as for the teacher

that rectangular piece of white paper.

sometimes it stays white

because we are sometimes lazy

and other times because we do not know how to do it

but we all know it is more for the first reason.

the homework is like a punishment for

having had many vacations

but we always do .

But just as it is a punishment

can also be a lifesaver.

depends on how you want to take it.

*****

The Sun Has Rendezvous with the Moon

Elsa Dagnat

It's just the time of an eclipse

The time of a blink in your eyes

It happens

It begins

Wait for a second

A minute, an hour

It disappears

It's finished

I feel adrenaline in my veins

I want to see her

To feel her

To taste her

Even if I burn my eyes

To take a look at

Or two

But under this onyx disc

Rays tries to escape

Shine

In my retina

Burned

But it's just the time of an eclipse

The time of a blink in your eyes

And it disappears.

*****
Valuable

Victor Costa

Junior year in Brazil with grades ok,

My focus was in Brazilian ACT called ENEM,

But also known as homeless machine.

I use to work from Mondays to Saturdays

Being my sleep Sundays when I rest,

Everything normal until one cloudy Wednesday.

After one year, my real mom surprise me,

One year without talk and ignoring my calls,

She show some empathy texting back.

That text that she wrote gripped my soul,

Leaving only my fingers to text back

To each of those carefully words chose.

But wait, I'm not complaining,

After all, this one year without an answer,

This time was killing me inside.

First she explained why she wait so much,

Then say sorry for being ignorant,

And the why that she text me back, she leave at last.

By far one of the cutest thing

That I fortunately had the lucky to witness,

In the final of the text says;

That my three little sisters were missing me so much,

That every day they ask my mom,

When would I come back home.

*****

Who am I

Roman Smieja

who am I,

what am I,

who am I actually,

sometimes when I think of myself,

my heart wants another,

God gives me what I never wish but

he knows me before I get born,

when I born from my mom and dad,

growing up in an orphanage,

did I want this or God has another way?

to make my life perfect.

God hear me this time,

he gives me what I want for a long time,

I will have my life like other teenagers,

I'm not going to forget that day,

can I count that past year like I live in hell?

but I like my past years.

I grow up in orphan that's why many people hate me,

is that my fault though?

tell me, did I want those years to live without my family?

I can't change those past years because I can't,

I can't forget the past because I love those years,

I get adult and able when I was just a child,

choosing my cloth, folding my clothes,

helping another baby when I was just ten,

we all see each other like a family.

Now I got adopted by loving family

to see more of the world

More love, family, and more opportunities

now is the time to go out there and

find my own future to help others,

But first I have to find where I belong.

What I want to be.

*****

1st Game

Livia Oliveira

Leaving my uncle's house very quickly on a day when sun was probably closer than really is from Earth, we were waiting for the bus on one of the busiest streets of "wonderful city," as they like to call. Entering in the stadium and walking really fast, in the middle of the crowd, everybody was so excited that we start run and scream, breathing so heavily because it is a long way from the entrance to our seats. I stared the huge lawn, the perfectly green grass was shining among the players that were already on the camp. I was looking every single detail, taking out as many pictures as I could, and listening people talking about other games that were going on, guessing the results for that one, also the bad words that some fans were saying to the judges.

"Never repeat these words, Livia," my dad was saying this all the time to make sure that I will never repeat them.

Soccer games is not a thing that my mom really likes, the smell of the sweaty people, the noises, and bad words, she always say that is not a good place, so my uncle, my dad and I decided go just ourselves. Was a classic game, the two most biggest Rio de Janeiro's teams were playing that night. "Everybody do incredible and unimaginable things to come to the game tonight," said my uncle, and I believed because I could feel all my body shivering all the times that the supporters were singing the team anthem. Perfectly synchronized and the flags with the solitary star in black and white, also all the cellphones with the flashlights contrasting with the darkness of the night.

"If you are downstairs like the players, you can hear everything, because of this they are always screaming," my dad said.

For sure, was not my dad's first time in a professional game so he was telling me everything that he knew.

I was just twelve but I felt in my bones the emotion of when the ball came into the goal, every single people in the right part of the stadium putted the hand in their heads and instantaneously start yelling and smile, and again started the celebration songs, this times with choreographed movements. Also, with twelve in the same game I felt in my body the panic when the other team did a goal. The people want "justice" because they really believe that the judge was wrong, but he didn't change his mind. Anyway, the supporters start with a bigger support.

That day was really important the victory but unfortunately my team didn't get it, my dad and uncle were feeling bad for the results of my first game, and I was really a little bit frustrated, but "this is part of the games" like my mother said, but I could not understand. How my first game could be so frustrating to me?

CONCLUSION: Sometimes you are expecting something big, because you idealized that many times, but actually can be not a big deal in the first time.

*****

A Big Party and Behind the Scene

An Nguyen

It was a beautiful night under a soft moonlight which was covered by this cool feeling. The fresh feeling was among millions of running motorcycles on the road, and its sound was exhausted but I felt natural in a way. Also, the sky had more luxury by the many colorful restaurants along the roads, the white lights and the gold lights were flashing off under the dark large sky. And I became a gentlewoman without being silk-stocking, white thick lace top with black skinny, hair was loosed while stepping hesitantly into a restaurant which I heard that it was placed on the list of best restaurants ever.

In Vietnam, I lived in a small city of the south since I born. It's far away from the immigration center which located in Ho Chi Minh City, I had to spend five hours to get there from my hometown, Long Xuyen. Before I received my Visa, I already had a goodbye meeting with my dad's relatives, my friends and my teachers in Long Xuyen. My mom had a wish that she could get out of Vietnam for her daughter and her son to have a better environment, a better condition with the best educational system of America. That were all things she told her friends to answer why we decided to fly and she wanted me to have that response with any questions like that. But deeply, I exactly knew that my mom wanted to get out of my dad. Whatever, by any reasons, I had to choose to go with her or I wouldn't be her daughter forever. I understood that who stayed and who left would be very sad but in different ways, probably, my dad will be the one who had the most intensive sadness. I believed that if I chose anyways, my dad would support me forever, he would always stand by my side and protects me. I clearly understood that I had a mission to protect my mom, I could not leave her alone with my eleven years brother in a different sky which is very far away. My dad comprehended everything, more than my tiny cowardly thoughts so much, and he helped us to complete all the documents needed to have a legal Visa without being uncomfortable. He was good at hiding thing!

We were on the last day in Vietnam, and we were going to have another goodbye meeting with all my mom's relatives in Ho Chi Minh City. I hadn't known what happened until this moment:

"Why do we eat in that restaurant, mom? It seems to be very expensive and more than that if five people have a dinner there. We just have five people". I questioned in some confused sounds. I was so hungry and I really wanted to eat a lot, but if we ate there, I wouldn't be full. But another thought was coming out, that restaurant was so pretty, I wanted once a time in life I could eat in the luxury restaurant like that. Foods might be very delicious. And adults would never get them in trouble when they already knew what going to be the results. I liked eating a lot and she couldn't pay for it if she allowed me to have meals there. Maybe they had prepared money for their children's favorite or maybe another rich man would pay for it, I thought. "Your uncle invited us to have a dinner". I felt more comfortable suddenly. Below yellow bright lights in a room which was big enough for containing about fifty people crowd. I joined this party with no idea about the reason why I had to be there. In the room at that moment, there were eight people, my family and two sister friends with two more but I didn't know who they are. Time was flowing, each group of people was coming, the room was louder with a bunch of greetings between my parents and those guests.

Finally, I recognized that all of them are my relatives who I'd met two or three times in life, even I never met them before. Only thing I know that they are my great-grandparents, my great-aunts, my great-uncles, my aunts, my uncles, my cousins, my nieces, my nephews with no name. Surprisingly, at that time I was eighteen, I met people who knew me when I just was born, I met people who I knew when they were four or five years, but now they're taller than me a head and more. Whatever, the reason why they appeared in one time together having that big party was my half-earth journey. And I didn't know why my uncle agrees to spend a lot of money for my family's event. My cousins cut off my line of thought, they were coming then gave me pretty smiles and friendly greetings. We were sitting together in a separate table. They came with a group and also have a seat with the group, I didn't know them and I was become lonely among much loud laughed of them. Luckily, my aunt, who was just older than me four or five years coming to have a seat next to me. Among many relatives, she was the one who I knew, I got closed and I loved most. I wouldn't be alone anymore. Others in that table, they gave glances, strange looking eyes to me. Because they didn't know me? Because I was a villager but I appeared in this place? Because I was a main character of the party? Because they jealous about my America trip?... I didn't know what they think but whatever they ignored me and I didn't care.

And about my adult relatives, they were so nice, so friendly. They also gave me congratulations, gave me messages, gave me pieces of advice. They hoped I could do best of mine in the future, they didn't want I forget Vietnam, they wanted me could be adapted in America, they wished I could get a great job, not be a nail employee which was a job every Vietnamese had a life based on it. They thought that was a low job, it wasn't good, I didn't know why they thought so, although it saved their life. Whatever, they sent to me a lot of favors, some had passionately meaning, some had cursory notes but I knew that they stuck in theme all the encouragements to me. This party was so successful, my family and my relatives had the best memoir of each other. They sang many songs in karaoke, they were dancing while holding bottles of beer. That was the first time I saw my dad getting closer with my mom's relatives as closed as with my mom. No one could see that they were in trouble. My dad, he had been known as as famous choosy man and no one liked him. But now he was in different way and I liked that, everybody else also liked that way too.

At the end of the event, I got a news that my uncle was not a person paying for that party, it was my mom. She wanted to say goodbye to everyone, and I didn't think that it was necessary because of the cost we needed to pay. I didn't know how she considered, was it important to have a such that expensive party. I thought too much. My bad thought came out in my mind. "She really happy when she can get rid of him for sure".

*****
Best Night Ever

Milan Mistry

"Damn, he is following us" "Milan, stop car or he will not leave us" "STOP, your car" "Milan Stop he is saying you". I and my friend were out around midnight in the car. I was driving he was next to me. We were in my dad's black car. We were just going to pick our other friend who was living few miles away from us. We were going and police caught us.

"Milan, drive slow its night" but I didn't Again "Milan, What's the hurry?" And again "Milan slowdown". He was like sitting on my mind but he was correct. And the game starts.

"Milan, see a dark and twinkling car is coming towards us". "What the heck that's police he will catch us" I said. Police shouting from speaker "STOP YOUR CAR........."". I had a driving license so we were good. I stopped car. My friend is like having fear of everything "Milan now we are gone he will call mom-dad." I replied "Don't, panic he won't do anything"".

Policeman came said to come out "SHOW ME YOUR LICENSE "he screamed like a tiger. I gave him my license. "So, what are you both doing here at night." he asked. It was a situation like have to lie him or else he would call our parents." so I said "sir our friend is having birthday so we are going to wish him." ""he stay in that house" I pointed him my friend's house. Policeman was just wanted and waiting for money he just wanted money nothing else. And I knew that. "Does your parents know you are out" "sir, we can't come out of our house at this much night so, we had to took permission of our parents" he said I have to give fine as I was over speeding he said to give two hundred or three hundred. So I gave him and he went back and we were enjoying night.

But this incident was maddest thing and funniest thing in my life. It was a best night. But from now I won't go out a night nor I will over speed

*****
California Screaming

Kevin O'Neill

[Me] "Dude this is massive"

[Gian] "Dimelo, no esta tan grande"

"Esta mierda esta bien grande, como tu puedes i can't do this." This can't be happening, this can't be happening. But I knew it was.

"Tranquilo que esto no es nada."

Yesterday I was in my hotel room watching everything that was happening outside because we were in California, Anaheim. I've never been there so it was exciting, it's like a dream come true, I was looking outside the window remembering all the things we as a group have been true in this trip (before got to the hotel we were in Medieval Time which is an amazing place because there was horses and people acting that there dead. Also, we were in Warner Brothers watching how they make all the movie, it was amazing when we went inside of the Big Bang Theory set. There was so much stuff that I almost passed out.)

But then it was time to go to bed, so I went to bed. That whole night I was just dreaming of what was going to happen the next day, what are we going to see, is going to be a lot of people. But then I was witnessing a nightmare that we were going to get in a big ride named California Screaming and that we were going to get stuck in top. So, then I woke up crying, not knowing what the happen. Then I started realizing what happen and it all end up making sense, that fear highs and that the ride is going to run perfectly. So, I went back to sleep. The next morning, I woke up, and I was feeling amazing, I was so ready to take over my fear and get on that ride like nothing ever happen. I when in the shower and I was singing, so I woke up my friends with my beautiful singing. Then I got out of the shower, I got dress I put my lucky shoes and I went on to get some breakfast. I was heading down the stairs and the girl that I liked said "Hey" I was like got damn, today is my day. So, I said "Hey"

"Pa donde vas."

"Amma get some breakfast, wanna come."

"Yea sure, I had some breakfast already but ok."

So, we went to get some breakfast, then it was time to go. So, we went out of the hotel to the bus and we sat down together it was funny because we were talking about weird stuff that has happen to us, and I told her what happen last night and she got scared to. We spent 20 minutes talking about until we got to the park. We head down the stairs of the bus and we passed to security and we got in then the chaperone tells us are first ride is California Screaming, I got scared, and started remembering what happened last night. This can't be happening, this can't be happening. But I knew it was.

My friends tried to calm me down, but they couldn't. We got to the line and I was like: I got this, this isn't shit it's just a ride do it for the girl, do it for the girl. So, we went on with the line and waited 2 hours, does 2 hours were the worst because I had time to think about it. I really didn't want to go but my friends forced me to go. We were next in line ready to get in the car, doors open I sit down and: please god let the ride go smooth, please let it go smooth.

Usually the ride starts fast, I didn't know that but either way it was amazing.

"Esta mierda estuvo bien dura" I said.

"Papi te felicito" Gian said.

Then we hopped out of the ride and I was kissing the ground because I was safe. But then we saw the pictures and after all it was a lot of fun, thanks to my friends.

*****

Car

Maximiliano Estrada

Brown color a little old tire and a good sweet smell inside the car. That smell of a new car hitting the round is amazing the car felt like new even this was not I felt like it was.

My uncle and I went inside to sign some papers of the truck so it can be mine. The paper he give a never see them before and I didn't even know what the paper were for. I feel a little confuse but after my uncle explain to me every single paper and what was it for.

After 40 minutes of sign papers and understand them we finish and we close the deal. I run to my truck and turn it on the sound of the truck was like a Ferrari even that was not but for me it was. I turn up the volume of the stereo and my cousin got the aux and play so music just to see if the sound was good. The starts shaking above us and the tires ass well from the sound of the truck. The sound was powerful I could hear it from china. Later, I finish contemplating my truck we hit the road in destination to my house.

My house was close from my uncles the truck didn't have plates yet so I just drive it fast and carefully from the cops. After 3 min of driving it I got home and my aunt that lives with me saw the truck. And she said "were you got it from". She thought I steal it from somebody but later i explain to hear where I got it from and how I get the money.

Before buying the truck, I work long hours in a restaurant for almost a year I save the money to buy me the truck and by my own like that my fathers and uncles could be proud of me and I could let them know I was pretty older and responsible to have it. After explaining everything to her she got in the truck and start looking around to see if she can find something that we needed to fix. But there was nothing wrong with the car she was proud of me that I find a good car for a good price two thousand two hundred. The car truck was grand Cherokee 2000. I could not ask for something better than that.

I start going crazy about my new truck thinking that my truck was barely new from agency and start saying "oh my god, this truck is so beautiful and going to keep it for the rest of my life my first truck buy from my own money.

I learn that with a little bit of work and yourself and help you can make your dreams true.

*****
Christmas Eve

Catalina Buchek

Christmas Eve, my favorite day of the year. Inspiring mood everywhere. People are in such good spirits and we all shine bright like diamonds. It's a time for forgiveness and a great opportunity for a fresh start. I believe that this is because God sends his love right directly to us when we go to Church that day, or when we gather together with our family, or we could be alone but He will send his love anyways.

"MOM! Where is my dress?!" I yield at my mother just a few seconds before I start freaking out.

"You have thousands of dresses love, how do you pretend me to know which one you are talking about? Be more specific please!" She laughed and talked to me in a quiet tone trying to calm me down.

"Are you serious? You are supposed to know everything! And for the record, I don't have that many dresses. The new white dress mother, the one that I bought the other day!" I say in a rebellious tone and so I try to fix it saying, "Please you know which one." But it seems that she noticed it anyways.

"Control your vocabulary Catalina, I'm tired of repeating it to you. It's in my closet; your dad put it there by mistake."

And that's how the best Christmas Eve started... Ironic right?

I put on the white dress, that one that dances when a breeze passes by. The dress feels so good in me, I love the way I look. Then I put on my black heels. They are so fancy that I'm afraid people at Church will judge me. I put on some make-up and make sure I don't look like a clown.

I am standing in front of the mirror, just staring and analyzing my outfit. Do I look like a boring teenager or more like an adult? I must be pretty today, there is no excuse. It is our last Christmas before we move to the United States. Picture night; dinner with our best friends, probably the last one. Everything must be perfect though I know it is not going to be perfect since we are going to be super melancholic and crying all night, but that doesn't really matter, we are all going to be fine if we stay together.

Church, greetings, known people, mass, always the same. But this can't be so ideal. I didn't realize how much I needed that until today. I can feel Jesus inside the church, inside me. I am blessed. While I am watching the candles and the fire dancing almost jumping, I notice the excellence of the choir. It makes me have goosebumps, it is amazing. The sound of the bells makes me wonder about the future I don't know exactly why, but my mother would tell me that I must live the present instead of wondering about my future. Mass ends and we ran to the house.

"God, we pray for our unity; for our families; for success; and we pray for the ones who passed away."

We all remain silence. Although this is a tradition during Christmas dinner, this year is different. Our friends' grandfather/father just passed away a few months ago. They are all so upset. It is devastating to see them suffer. Especially Patricia, his daughter. She has eye bags etched in her face. We were a big support for her, I can recognize it. But the toughest work was the one of her children and husband. They all had to leave their activities to be there with her mother. She is so lucky to have them, to have us supporting her in these times. Silence remains just for a moment.

"Bon Appetit!" My mother claims to change the blue mood, and we all start eating dinner right away.

Dinner was delicious. It is always the same but it never loses its special taste. The pork that Fernando cooks, his speciality; my mother and her colorful salads; and Candela and her weighty desserts, full of chocolate and fruits to make them healthier.

00:00 am. "Merry Christmas everyone!" "Hohoho, Feliz Navidad."

Hugs, kisses and some tears invading our eyes. God, thank you for this huge family that we've built, I think while we are opening the champagne.

"Picture time!" Fernando shouts. "Fran, Kev, bring me the camera!" He says to his son and my brother. We all go to the living room. The parents sit down in the couch and we, their children, stand behind them. "Three, two, one, whiskey!" and the camera's flash lightens the room.

We keep eating Garrapiñada, the famous Christmas sweet, nuts and dried fruits. "Gosh, I must have gained almost 10 pounds!" I claim.

"Don't be so dramatic Cata! Christmas is a holiday, you are supposed to gain weight!" Everyone starts laughing.

I keep thinking how blessed I am for being here with them, for having this opportunity in life, for being able to start from zero, to choose a fresh start. Christmas really is the best opportunity for a fresh start and I couldn't be much happier than I am right now that I have realized all that.

*****
Dark Room

Kinza Israr

The room is dark there is no light. I hear someone walk behind me slow I was scared because the room is dark. I can't see anything in room. I just thought that someone walk behind me but no one behind me and I feel so bad and scared. In room, different kind of smell is like perfume, cream type of. The room is big and the room is so cold. I am freezing in room. I feel so cold. In room one bed, side lamp and one sofa and iron stand and we play the game. When we play, this game, we are in Pakistan. I play this game in Lahore my cousin home. I play this 2 year ago, with my cousins and my brothers. My cousins name is Danish, Burhan, Mohid, Nimrah, and my brother's name is Wahab and Muneeb. We all cousins decide whose turn first and we decided that the first turn is Muneeb and he is go to outside.

After 10 second my brother Muneeb came in room and he found us. Everyone hide is different place. I was sit on the bed. I thought that Muneeb knows someone sit on the bed. I was write he knows that someone sit on the bed. He came on the bed and I was run on the bed to the iron stand. He touches me and he said "I touch someone!" my cousin Nimrah said "you just touch, you didn't tell name and you didn't hold him or her." Then my cousin Danish said "so Muneeb you found us again and remember now you hold and tell the name then the other people turn." Muneeb said "Ok." Then again he found us. I'll go to the sofa side and my cousin Danish knows that I am in sofa side and Muneeb found us.

My brother Muneeb said "where is everyone?" my cousin Mohid said "Here is everyone" my cousin Danish said "Where are you Muneeb?" Muneeb said "I am here front of the door, but I don't know that where are you guys?" Danish said "come here to the lamp I am here" Muneeb said "Ok! I am coming" then my cousin Danish is run to the other side and Muneeb didn't found him. Muneeb said "you are not here Danish?" Danish said "I know I go different side." Then again Muneeb found us.

I was walk very slow and I thought that someone walk behind me I was so scared. Then I said "Who is behind me?" my cousin Nimrah said "I am behind you." I said "Nimrah you! You scared me." She said "I am so sorry" I said "No it's not your fault actually when we start the game then I thought that someone walk behind me but no one that's why I was scared." She said "oh ok" I said "yep." Then I'll go different side my brother Muneeb is coming and he touch me and Muneeb "I touch someone this is girl maybe Nimrah or maybe Kinza?" then he said "this girl is Kinza" he knows because Nimrah wear the pant shirt and I wear the frock that's why he knows that she is Kinza. Then my cousin Burhan turn on the light and it's my turn. I thought today never come my turn but my thought is wrong and I feel so sad. But it was too much fun. This whole day it was too much fun.

*****

He Seemed Happy on This Picture

Elsa Dagnat

It was a day of April. A normal day, a Saturday, grey, very cloudy. When I woke up, I did not know that something horrible has happened. I was happy, thinking about what I was going to do this weekend. When I went to my kitchen, nobody was there. I stayed in my kitchen without moving, looking at my garden, trying to find the sun between all this clouds.

Finally, my father came. He was red. More precisely, his eyes were red. At the moment, I just thought he had dust in his eyes - which is stupid, when you think about it. He gave me a big hug, and I understood that something was wrong. When I heard his voice, trembling, low, I was sure. It was like he had difficulty to speak, to tell me something.

"Your mom told you?", he finally said.

I was very scared. The rhythm of my heartbeat accelerated. I was not sure if I wanted to know. I tried to prepare myself for the worst.

"No... What happened?", I answered, panic in my voice.

My dad slowly swallowed his saliva and I watched his Adam's apple come down and go up. I saw it. This teardrop. Just one, a small, but for me it was so big.

I had never seen him crying. It was my father. A man, solid, as strong as superman. But for a second, when I saw this teardrop, I saw him as fragile as I had never seen him. His eyes reflected his distress, and immediately, my heart broke.

I knew it was not going to be good news, and that, if my dad, my hero, was crying, if this rock so strong allowed himself to shed a teardrop, then I was going to pour a hundred.

I waited, waited so long for him to tell it. I did not want to know. I just wanted to come back. To return to yesterday, when he smiled at me. I just wanted to run, run so fast that I could not see his face, sad like this, but I had to be strong. For me, and for him, because if he could no longer be the rock for me, I would be for him.

"It is your papy*. He died yesterday". *(grandfather in an emotional way.)

He had tremolo in his voice, and I saw another teardrop, and another one. Then nothing. I wept so much that the tears blurred my vision and I could not see anything. My throat was so tight that I could not say anything. I just clasped him in my arms as hard that I could, praying for it to be a bad joke. Even if I knew, deep down, that it was true. My papy was gone. In the sky. He was a star now. My father was alone, orphan, without his mother and his father. I stayed with him as long as I could, a weight in my heart.

Wondering if it could ever be like before.

We entered in the Church for the first funeral of my life. I was sad. I knew it was not going to be happy, but I was not thinking about this sad. When I put my feet on the ground of the Church for the first time of my life, I felt it. The weight of the silence. My ears buzzed. It was dark, and everyone was in black. I immediately curved my shoulders as if this weight was too heavy for me. Also because I wanted to sink underground and disappear. I didn't want to be here. To remember, another time. I put my feet, one after the other, the sound of each of my footsteps resonating in the Church. The black slabs seemed to be bottomless black holes through which I could escape, and they taunted me so much. The benches of the Church were decorated with some yellow flowers, here and there, tied by a black ribbon. And I wanted to tear them away. To snatch their petals so bright, so colorful.

I finally sat, wringing my hand until it hurts. The rest is just a fog. I saw the priest speaking, but I could not hear his words. I felt tears dripping on my cheeks, but that's all I was sure of. The crying of the others resounded in my skull. Finally, my father had to deliver a speech. He stood up with difficulty, and began to speak, crying. We were given a picture of my grandfather, where he smiled.

He seemed happy on this picture.

*****

First Time

Jasmin Bjerregaard

I hate the smell of hospital rooms, the alcohol smell, it stings in my nose. Everything must be white and clean. The sun was barely up, and the room was as cold as standing outside in the snow. All the nurses wore the same boring white/blue outfit. The room had the normal hospital bed, and a weird elevation sofa. The whole thing was a big experience, since I hadn't been in a hospital before.

It was a cold normal October day, with thick grey covering the sky, the sun could barely come through. Other teenagers were getting ready for school, while I was sitting nervously in the hospital bed. My parents were by my side, trying to calm me down. I wasn't scared, I was more nervous and excited at the same time. We were showed around the hospital section, where I was staying.

"The doctor will come soon and see you" the nurse said and left my room. I was just laying on the bed taking everything in.

I got a needle in my hand, and it was not a nice feeling. There was only thirty minutes left until the operation. I could feel myself starting to get more nervous as time went by. My parents were talking by them self, talking about their everyday life, while I was trying to think about all the different things that could happen. A lot of things could happen, even though it's not going to happen. It's such a small surgery, but it feels like it's the biggest operation that has ever happened in world history.

They were rolling me out of my yet comfortable room, I was lying stiff on the hospital bed, I was shaking a little bit too. My parents were being sent off after saying their I love you, and now it was only me, with all the doctors and nurses. The nurse was rolling me in my white hospital bed into the operating room. The room was big and cold, with a lot of different equipment's that I had no idea what was. I was shaking like a crazy man and I was lying stiff as a board on my bed. The nurse put a warm blanket on top of me.

"Here sweetie, this will help you stop shaking and keep you warm," she said with a smile. I just nodded and kept shaking. The blanket was warm, but I wasn't shaking because I was cold. I was shaking because I was scared.

Around one minute later, the doctor and nurses were ready. I kept swallowing, even though my mouth was dry. Some nurses were caressing my arms, hands and hair.

"Okay sweetie, I'm going to need you to relax." she said while pumping sleeping medicine through the drop in my hand.

"You are going to be fine. Can you start counting down from ten for me?" she asked finished putting the medicine in me. I nodded softly and started counting.

"Ten." They put a mask over my mouth and nose.

"Nine." They secured the mask around my face.

"Eight." she smiled down at me.

"Seven." I looked straight up.

"Six." I started to feel sleepy.

"Five." I closed my eyes.

"Four." I relaxed my whole body.

"Three." My body gave in.

I woke up slowly by someone shaking my shoulders lightly. My eyes felt like they were glued together. I opened them slowly and adjusted to the light around me, feeling much stronger than before I closed my eyes.

"Hey sweetie, the operation is over and we have already called your parents and they are waiting for y-," was the last thing I heard before I fell asleep again.

I mumbled and rubbed my eyes, feeling tired. I started to open my eyes, adjusting to the bright lights in the waking room. I couldn't really feel anything, it felt like I was numb, and I probably was, from all the medicine. I had a tube hanging in my nose, to help me get fresh air. To this day, I still don't know why you need it after you wake up.

My nurse kept checking my temperature and see how my heart rhythm was. She left the room almost as quick as she came in. My parents were in the chair besides, smiling to me.

"Hi honey, how are you feeling?" my mum asked.

"I'm feeling okay," I answered. My parents weren't that worried about me, since they knew it was going to be okay. I looked down at my feet, seeing these giant looking skiing boots almost. They were all black and with no air coming in or out. This was going to be fun two months.

After about one hour, we could leave. We gathered our stuff and I sat down in my wheelchair that I was bound to for three weeks straight. My legs were starting to hurt, because the medicine was wearing off. My nurse said goodbye and showed us out of the hospital. My dad was controlling the wheelchair out, since I was too tired to do it myself. The sun was still not shining through the thick clouds. It was cold, so I had a blanket on top of me, so I didn't need to freeze. I kept looking down at my feet, looking at the black boots. I couldn't see my toes anymore, and I couldn't even move them, since it would hurt too much. I was a little dizzy because of the feeling of it.

The operation went well and the results are amazing. My feet are much more loose and I don't fall as much anymore. My running is better because of it and everything is better. I'm glad I made that decision, even though in the moment I wasn't happy about it.

*****
Friend and Family

Rosse Alvarez

If was a sunny afternoon in the park I was with my friends walked and at that moment my cousin arrived and invited us to a party rear our house and when we arrived at the party there were people and we were dancing singing and laughing it was fun and there were many colored lights bund music and after and we laughed more at that Monet we danced a slow song of love super beautiful at that moment I realized that the night is not only lonely but beautiful full of peace and the most beautiful is when you are with a person you love by your side watching the stars everyone has had a love for me I had a love probed he was the cutest child I saw but I had a problem that was from the street and I was boyfriends but I wait a moment that he decided to talk to my father to tell him that he loved me that afternoon when he went for my house my father got angry and he mode the house and told me to stay away from him that he was not good for me in the night he went outside and I saw him he told me and that he wanted to give my father amber that appetences deceive.

*****

Goodbye Summer

Briana Kang

I laid down the bed and my cousins and my sister Hyesun come to my room. "Jump! Guys!" Hyesun said, they jump my bed and push me. They come to my room and harass me. I just yelled and they are laughed. I run out my room and they run out too. "Don't follow me!" I said but they ignored me. I feel like thief because they run out like police, and then my cousin grabbed my hand. That day is last day of Korea.

"Hey guys, I want to rest I'm so tired" I said, "No! today is last day" my cousin Dorothy said and my little cousin Yongseo and Enseo yelled, "but... I'm so tired go to Hyesun and play with her." I said. "No!" they said "Okay, okay I'm playing with you guys at thirty minute" I said "No one hour" they said "forty" "one hour!" "okay, what do you want to do?" I said "I want to play princess" Yongseo said "Okay, then I'm doing princess" I said and then they yelled. I'm so funny they are yelled and Hyesun was laughed.

My Grandparents come to aunt house we eat a red spicy chicken, white cheese pizza, and black noodles it tastes good we enjoyed dinner. After dinner, my grandfather called me and Hyesun. He said "go back study hard and don't sick, help your mom and care Andy" his eye got a tear. My aunts said when we called facetime he was smile but end his eye got a tear. I hear that story I'm really sad.

I called my friend to good bye they got a sad because four day later they are vacation so we can hang out but, my mom change the airplane ticket. She worried Hyesun drive she have permit but she didn't get drive license so we go back early. "Are you angry about go back early?" my mom asked me. "No, it's okay" I said, but that is lie I want to stay more. Because my friends go to school so we hang out just two times and I want to go more place with Hyesun. My mom want to go early so I don't have a choice.

The sun was coming but people keep sleep my phone was ring I wake up and I wash my face. I get out my room my aunt make breakfast. "Good morning" I said "Good morning" my aunts said we eat white rice and red soup. I'm so tired because we sleep three hours. My aunts bring ours to airplane station. We said goodbye to my aunt and we stand line. We bring two carriers for air plane one is mini blue and one is red and black mine is blue one, we move and Hyesun said "where is your carrier?" "Hu? Oh God" I said and I turn and I go back and my carrier is over there. "Briana wake up!" she said "I'm sorry" I said and I slanp my face "wake up wake up" the time is seven o'clock that's why my brain was bombing.

After we get in airplane and sit down our sit. Hyesun hit me and said "Hey Briana, is that Matthew?" "who? where" I said "over there" she picks one point. "Oh, yea it's him" I said, but we didn't said hi to him because it's little far and we don't want to said hi, "thank you for he didn't sit front of me" she said and I was laughed. Airplane was moving we are sleeping.

The airplane was arrived, we meet my mom and dad. Hyesun and me really miss them and I was so exciting for new house and new room. I'm so happy to I have a new room last year I share with Hyesun but now I using alone. We look around house and sleep because Korea and U.S is different time.

I lay down my bed and think about this summer I'm happy and depressed because when I was meet my friends I was so happy but they talking about school I can't feel sympathy also summer vacation is almost done but I have a good memory so it's okay.

*****

Let's Go Tribu

Alexandra Delgado

We ran so fast my breath was taken, I could listen at my heart beats like drums in my ears. I grabbed my hair in tight ponytail, heavy steps indicated we were a crew. That at the actual moment we were having a competition our short goal: hurry to get to the field camp; we were rivals, but further than that we friends, sisters found ourselves calling us as ''players'' the word by itself seemed proper, however the use of it for them feels dry to my tongue like treason.

The sound of the whistle caught my attention, walking to the center of the field camp there was Ms. Marilina who confronted our eyes and immediately said the expected words ''Girls pick your teams you have 5 minutes. This is what it is going to happen today, every one of you will play with the heart, remember this is the practice before the encounter with 11th grade, so you will need to focus keeping in mind the next encounter.'' Rushing to select the best kickers I knew I wasn't going to be call first but neither last.

I know that I am not the best but I could give more if I practice more often. Thereby practice is the key success I want to become more involved on this sport which is pretty hard because I don't have anyone to practice at home.

Well I ended up being team with Kiki and Val two of the best players while the longest kicker was at the contrary team. We throwed a silver coin to the air with the expectations of who are the lucky ones that kick first. So, that was our team, yep we got this.

A green floor, eight girls to each side of the middle white line. Deep breaths, cracking bones and defeating looks are signs of readiness.

It's time to hit the white striped ball. Kiki goes first, she has got the attitude, she kicked it with the speed of light, running to 1st base while the ball is going to 2cnd base, Kelly who is there almost hold the balloon almost hold it but it falls rolling to 3th base Kiki took the chance of going to 2cnd base, she made it!

Then there was me, small and fast despite I had not a strong foot I wanted a victory so I did give the best I could. Here I go, feeling my sweating foots, my face getting red as a tomato all the pressure of my peers over me. I took three steps back just how I was taught and then two forward with grace, I didn't hit it ''First strike,'' yelled our couch.

I repeated the steps routine and this time I kicked it strong. This time I ran to first base when I heard Kiki was in home, I also heard my team screaming ''Move it, run to second,'' then I was direct to second base without knowing where the ball was, they caught the balloon but I already felt my foots into a safe place, second base.

Val's turn, it looks like she is concentrate on the balloon as an eagle on its press, but going over and over its shape, finally with the balloon approaching to her direction she did the routine without taking away her glare of the balloon and then at the last second, she hit it strong and proud.

She got to first base, I knew I was destined to third base, after 5 minutes and two players of my team I was in home and teams changed positions. We keep playing but for me hitting the ball was the best part of the game for me it was like a glorious moment that I could almost paralyze and then pay it with the time going faster while running.

After forty-five minutes, strikes, strong and loose kicks, drops of sweat all over the floor, heat burning our faces, tired legs, t-shirts that change from a fresh and smooth white to t-shirts with printed balloons, all of that is the result of Kickingball. At the time, Kiki was taking the steps again my team was yelling our distinctive hymn of victory ''Let's go Tribu, let's go'' which was another part of the game were screams and our favorite phrase was used as symbol of pray.

The next game, our confrontation with 11th grade, where we could finally be all in the same team. Now we are not fighting each other's anymore we came back to be united, stronger, once again sisters, different strengths, same goal. The game started, I looked at one spot on the floor and remembered victories and defeats all that product of hard work, of course I was hoping my team to would win so I can remember in the future this day as a victory not only for my team but for all of us. Even if my team loses, it doesn't mean we are failing it is just bringing us closer to a huge victory thus we learn from mistakes. That day, we a Tribu gave the best of us.

*****

London

Daniela Contreras

After fourteen hours at 42,000 feet from the ground on an Airbus A380 from Guatemala we start descending slowly and immediately the window captured my attention, I was able to see the city lights. I was finally in Europe; more specifically about to land at Heathrow International Airport in London.

At exactly six in the morning the room telephone started ringing I woke up immediately and without opening my eyes I thought "Who is calling me and my roommate at this time of the morning?" after some "Beeps, Beeps" from the phone I rapidly tried to open my eyes, I took the blankets off me and I went to pick up to the phone. It was an alarm set by the front desk saying that we had to wake up. When the call ended, I jumped into bed and closed my eyes again.

It was the morning of November 9th, 2016 in London, and one second after I got the front desk call my phone started vibrating. It was the most annoying "Bzz, Bzzz, Bzz" I have ever heard in my life combined with the peculiar song of my alarm playing. At first I, didn't want to get up and turned it off because I was exhausted, but after one minute of hearing that bothersome sound I decide to get out of bed and turn off the alarm.

The first thing I saw after I opened my eyes were my feet under the softest, white, silk duvet I have ever felt. I closed my eyes again to yawn and stretch myself a little. After five seconds I had opened my big, slanted brown eyes, at that time I hadn't realized that I was thousands of miles away from Guatemala and my family, and I was in the beautiful, cold, cloudy, elegant and noisy city of London. I felt both happiness and nostalgia for being in Europe, but I was also so far away from home.

I sat on my twin big and comfy bed and I turned to see if my roommate had woken up. Right after I turned to see her, she opened her eyes and at the same time we said to each other:

-Good morning, Majo. I said with a big smile in my face.

-Good morning, Dani. She replied with the special singing tone of voice that all Guatemalans have.

I got off the bed rapidly because I wanted to know if I could see the giant ferris wheel , the big golden tower with an old clock I had been watching in movies and pictures all my life and the classy elegant palace where the royal family lives. But I couldn't see any of those things.

When I arrived with a big smile in my face I remove the curtain and moved closer to the it.

When I first touched the window it was very cold in a flash I took off my hand and moved back while I was making a complaining sound. Again I moved forward and I couldn't see anything, the window was full of rain drops from last night. With a little bit with distortion I could see the street, many cars and the park that was in front of the hotel and all of it was covered with a dark yellow, red wine and brown carpet.

The clock was marking six thirty-six."What am I going to wear" I wondered. I had to be ready by six forty-five. IAnd was really concerned about what I was going to wear because I wanted to look perfect for the pictures and the English boys that were out there. I thought about my mom what would my mom said about it.

-Are you really going to worry about that?" she would said it in her peculiar angry way, "put on a pair of jeans and blouse and lets go."

At seven thirty I was dressed up, I already had breakfast and I was ready to enjoy and discover every little thing that London had for me. I sat on the fifth site of the bus. I choose that site so I could pay attention to the tourist guide but I could also get my eyes and ears lost on the tour. The tour took place in the border of the Thames River.

We visited the London eye where I was able to take a look of the big and beautiful city of London at night, The Big Ben, Buckingham Palace where I was able to see a march-pass, also I went to many significant parks and plazas like Trafalgar Square, the famous Piccadilly Circus road junction and some famous places where movies like Harry Potter and One Direction videos have taken place.

When the stars had taken the sky of London we went back to the hotel to have a pleasing dinner. I had a beautiful moment with beautiful moment with my friends but I was feeling tired and I looked up for the elevator, pressed the button beside the number two and I started going up. I put my hand in the door of the room 213, my eyes were about to close but I could be able to turn the handle and throw myself in bed.

The opportunity to fly all the way to Europe was the best birthday present my parents could ever give to me. Meeting new people, new places and cultures made me realize that there is an entire world to discover and since then traveling become my new hobby and passion.

*****

Lost Soul

Roman Smieja

You know having a big sister is like she got everything you wish for, but she is always there to share with you everything she has. I don't know about you guys but my sister is my everything for me. Like every single sister, we fight, we ignore each other but after a while we are together laughing, hugging and playing together. My sister Kalkidan is 5 years older than me. I'm ten now. Growing up I was the weird one, and that gets in trouble all the time. When I was a kid I was Loud and funny at the same time. I don't really hear my sister telling me to clean up, make friends or she try to teach me how life is. I was really horrible to do anything. I and my sister look too much like to each other. Many people know that I'm going to look like her when I grow up.

she was 13 years old. My sister and her age group of friends were playing abarosh. They were like 5 girls and 2 boys. They are playing in the studying room or what they call it in America leaving a room. We use our living room for things. The first one is to study in the right corner, we have 16 desks, and on the left side, we have 13 benches and a TV. They were playing by the TV place and we are sitting by the studying place and watching them like a fan. At some point when I turn back to my friend, I heard some noise like someone got hurt.

We were just a kid so we start laughing but at some point, my sister take it to the other level and she starts crying like a baby. She covers her mouth with her left hand and she is wiping her tears by her right hand from her eyes. I see her blood coming out from her mouth like her finger cut off. She spills the blood and her saliva at the same times from her mouth. She didn't finish by that she starts kicking her legs to the floor and she starts saying my teeth, my teeth. We don't have a word to say so we just stared at her like a show we don't want to miss part of what she saying. We call the nannies and ask them to take her to the hospital. The only thing that I can see is that she looks sad, and crying. She didn't even look at me and say anything when she leaves to the hospital.

I was kind of confused. I don't know what to say all my friends tell me it's of she will be fine. One of my sister best friend Meseret come up to me and tell me that, she is going to be fine and she gives me a hug and sit beside me until my sister come back. Meseret and my sister were friends from first grade. After two hours, my sister comes back from the hospital covering her mouth. I sit next to her and hold her hand and said it's going to be ok. She shakes her head like she means "ok"

After twenty days, her mouth is fine and she goes back to normal but her front teeth are cracked. So, they make her a nickname Welaka. After then she doesn't like when people call her kalkidan. We use her nickname when we call her. She doesn't really look like angry about her teeth anymore.

Abarosh: tag game

Welaka: means that she doesn't have front teeth.

*****
Moving

Gabriel Vasconcellos

My day used to belong, but I knew the time was coming and I was with a mix of feelings. Everybody was at my home helping to pack up the luggage and the time was passing, and so was almost 5:00 P.M. and I was closing my last backpack to put in the car, because the big day to move to the U.S. was coming, and 6:00 A.M. me, and my family were prepared to get the car and then go to the airport. On the way, I just remembered how good the time was in Brazil, the thing that I did there, my family, everything.

I was anxious to get the airplane at the same time I was sad because I was leaving all members of my family there and going to a new start. That is a hard decision to do, but we had not any other choice, we could not reject this purpose, if yes my dad was going to be fired. He knows that it was good for all of us.

I remember each sad face, anything when we got inside the airplane, but they knew that it was a better and important decision for the U.S. so after ten hours and a half we finally went to Atlanta and it was the begin of a new life, I can confess that I was very afraid, because I did not know how to speak English, I had no friends, new school, a lot of new things to do, a lot of stuff to find out.

My first week there was a big confusion, I was lost and the only person who could help me was my dad. I knew some English but I was really shy (because of my accent) so I had to work on it. And so times after that I could talk better and be less shy speaking English.

*****
My Member of Camping Outside

Jinghong Wang

I went to the bus stop and I wonder would I came back. I was worried about my dog at home, the games that I want to play, the most amazing move and for the most part the camp trip. I was very nervous to go to the camp because I thought there was snakes in the camp. Finally, the bus arrived at the bus stop. I was very worried about the camp trip before I was on the bus, but the time I jumped on the bus the worry was gone because I sow my friends. We were telling story on the bus, everything went greet on the bus. Finally, we arrived at the camp there is no Wifi any more and there is no power, no electricity.

The first day we went outside, the teacher teaches us how to make fire and how to make a campfire. Then the teacher let us try 2 in a group, my favorite friend and I was in a group. We work so hard to try to make a fire but no one did it so we hard to try again. Then the teacher looked over then he laugh at us and say ''ha-ha all of you did this wrong'' . Then he did this again and told us what we did wrong .

Then we all went to the campfire and sat around it. We told each other horror stories

And we went to sleep all together in a big camp that we build befor. The next morning we woke up and ate some food. Then the teacher told us the nexts thing we are going to do "today we are going to learn how to cut down tree branches and make a new camp.'' but suddenly my friend and I wasn't in one group, I grouped with someone elth. The next thing we did is watch the teacher cut the tree branch

The next day we moved more into the forest we walked together and we sow a bear, we were scared but the teacher said don't scream so no one screamed. Then the bear went away we all laughed at the teacher because the teacher peed in his pants. The next thing we did is walk away from where we sow the bear, then we build another camp. The teacher teached us how to survive from different animals and the teacher said never never fight a bear because the bear is as strong as 10 humans add together. The last day we walked back to the bass stop and we got on the buss and said goodbye to the forest

*****
My Sister

Anastassia Vazquez

My sister sometimes is nice, but she usually be mean and sometimes sassy. Whenever her friends comes by, she always be nice and pretend to be sweet, but when her friends walks away, she stared to back to normal with her sassy. My sister is always like that, doesn't care when she in trouble, or when I tell her to do the chores, and clean her room. She is going to be a middle school, and she feels like she is not ready for it, I am almost finish at high school, and might be going to college to help animal rescue from the shelter, abuse, or homeless. My little sister wanted to be a doctor. My sister loves to help some kids and adults for not getting sick or fever. If my sister can listen to me, my sister usually trick me alot whenever I say it wrong, she always me an annoying. I speak mix of my language of my Spanish and English, that why my sister always call me annoying or terrible English. My parents told my little sister that I have problem to talk at people because I am shy, and shaking alot when I go at front at the stage. When my sister wanted me to play her, sometimes she is nice to play with her toys.

My Start of Soccer

Roberto Martinez

Back when I was about five and a half, I have never noticed anything that was so amazing in my life. My dad coming home early from work, which is rare ,that he ever comes home early from work, but he didn't just come home alone he brought a round shape ,kickable ,bounceable Nike size 3 soccer ball. At that moment, I dropped everything I was caring in my hand and ran straight to my shoes waiting for my dad t say " alright let's go," my heart rising from a steady beat to a beat that I have never felt ever. "Come on let's go" my dad telling me , but which on the other hand , me running from where I left my shoes , outside waiting for my dad to come with me to cross the street, which he took forever, "come on hurry up" I shout at my dad. And he is the one showing me to kick the ball and understand the rules to play. And he is there laughing at me because I could never hit the ball hard enough to make it to him.

Now, I am sixteen soon to turn seventeen, and I am the one buying the soccer balls. I buy them for my dad but as well for myself. We both are the one rushing out the door just to make it to my Sunday league. And every time he takes me to my Sunday league, he is still there watching me playing me play. I taking all what he has been showing me the way I blast the ball to the other side. My dad shouting at me. " Hurry up, you can make it to the ball before he can." As I am replying. "I know, I know" In my head heading with all I can give out. Feeling my blood pressure dropping. I remember that exotic feeling at the age 7, watching my dad play. Which made me want to join but knowing that I was too young to enter. Even though I just watch them I would be playing on my own at the park while he is playing. I would be trying to learn how to run with the ball. Right after my dad would be done playing he would take me and make me chase for the ball. "Alright starting move to the left" As he told me to do I would do it. "Here comes the ball" "Right when the ball comes to you stop it and fix your place" "Yes dad, I know" In my head just to tell him I can do it but deep down he sees me having a hard time. "Come here" he said. "I want you to run as fast as you can like you never ran before" And using that now that I am in high school(before moving to John Creek). It was game day, I made the JV soccer team for Duluth. I just got put in, my dad and brother watching me from the stand. Looking at me run and run.

Always when I played I have always had my dad's words in mind. Run, and keep running until you have the ball. Keep the ball moving, keep on moving, and every time you fall down , get right back up. I never had ever thought that I would be using my dad's words again or realized how much they have impacted me. It makes me really happy because every year I grew and grew. Without me realizing what I have become. I have became the image that I have always wanted to be. The image that everyone told me I couldn't be, a soccer player. I remember one day in mid november , 2011, I have heard a couple of people in my own team (Sunday league) talking along each talking about someone. I wanted to hear of whom they were talking about. "OH MY GOD" said one of the guys. "Que" said the other one. "Tu sabes es nino de tico," "Puse el no puede jugar" "Yo ja se." and it continues but it was enough for me to hear. I felt broken inside, I didn't mention this to anyone. At that point, late at night, I never understood why everyone talked about me like that. But each night I had those one on one talk with myself that my father is right. That everyone would like to see you fall, like to see you in shame. And everyday from that day , I look back because it something for me to grow on , but not to feel shame.

Now that I have been using the gift my two parents have gave me. I am now looking forward to joining the Chattahoochee varsity team. Everything that I have been doing , to this point in my life would be worth it, because I have been working hard to what I have been practicing. I know that not everything that I want to do isn't able to be accomplish. Not everything that I want is willing to be able to coming. And if I fail, that is a new goal for me to starve. Failing is what has been for me to get even stronger. What I do in my career of playing soccer is a new wonder and new experience. A new experience to looked forward.

*****
Never Give Up

Yingxi Zhao

Everybody has some important memory in their life , some are good , some are bad , some are sweet , some are bitter . But somebody has a very important lesson memory in their life . Just like me .

"Here we are !" my father screamed , I saw the snow mountain through the window. The snow mountain is very big , like a old turtle lie on the ground , The shining sunlight hit the mountain , made the snow dazzling. "How cool the mountain is!" I said that exciting . "I can't wait to go dad!" .

When I was stood the bottom of the snow mountain , I realized how big the mountain is , like a giant stand in front of me. " Our goal is to go to the top of the mountain, are you ready?" , my father asked me. "Sure , let's go!" I replied . But when I set foot on the snow mountain , I realized , how hard is it . The snow was really thick , when you put your feet in the snow , you are going to feel , your feets are just stuck in the snow . And the bitter cold wind , hit on my face , I can't even see anything! At the beginning I am ok with that , but gradually , I can't bear that. When I wanted to ask my father that can we go down , I can't found him!

"Father , where are you, you , ou" I tried my best to called my father but nobody answered . The cold wind brought the snow to my face , I felt helpless . I am thinking am I die in there . When I saw I am going to die , I heard my father calling my name " Peter, Peter can you hear me?" "Yes , Yes , dad I am right here !" "Climb up!". "WHAT?" "Climb up!" "I can't , I am just can't do it." "You can do it ." "I ..ju..st ca..n't ," I cried to say. " Hey , don't just give up that easier , you can do it , there is nothing in the world that you can't do , don't give up , just do it ." I didn't move. " Hey , you will face something harder than that , so when you face those problem in the future are you just give up?" "You can't just avoid the problem, you need to face them , avoid can't settle the problem."

" I will try , see if I can do ." I eventually think that my father is right , you can't just to avoid the problem , you need to face it , and settle it. The cold wind hit on my face , but at this time I didn't give up , I walked on the snow struggling. I said unto myself , never ever give up.

When I saw the sunlight , I knew , I did it . At the top of the mountain , stood beside my father.

*****
New Place

Jia Xiang Deng

"Good bye, My dear grand-grand mother, we will see each other again!" I say good bye to my grand-grand mother. well, everyone was sad, especially my grandmother, the saddest person, like a wind up her head. I got her feeling, she has to leave her mom, leave her a home a very, very long time. We will ready to leave our home to a new place, a new but unknown place. Before we leaved, my grandmother, made a big, warmly hug to my grand-grand mother, tears filled all of her eyes. When I got up the car, I look at my home a last time, when could I visit it again? Can I see my friends again? can I see my uncle again? who knows. my grand-grand mother, she was standing at the balcony, looked at the that we leaves, sadness fills all on her faces.

On the highway that goes to GuangZhou-the city that we got up our airplane leave to U.S, my feeling calm down, I went there several times, it's too far away from our city, I have a lots of time to talk something I want to talk to my relatives-who send us to leave. I made some silly jokes with my uncle; my grandfather, my uncle, they all laughed by my silly jocking, before I leave them, I wanted to talking to them little more, especially my uncle, he helps me alot at my study and life, I thanks for everything he did for me. I could still remember even now. The time that I played video games with him, the knowledge that he teached, the story that he told. I could not forgot it ever.

Road that filled with cars, hugh building builded along the road, everything shows me I arrived; I got in GuangZhong. I knew Time doesn't want to help me anymore. I know we will leaved no longer. "Uncle, did you see the tree, it just like the monster in a game we played before, and the light, is an........" I keep made a silly joking to my uncle without stopping, like a powerful machine. My uncle, seems like he was been killing about my silly jokes, but that's the way we did before.

Drove into BaiYu airport, I got feeling that's same before. My mom, she works in U.S a long time before, she came back when she has time. we sended her to leave, I was sad, as my grand-grand mother, but this time was different, I will leave with my mom. I will leave away my relatives, my best friends.

Time leaves me a last hour to me, we all eat our dinner in a restaurant settle in the airport. We got many food as much as we eat. Everyone enjoy the last of time, everyone feels happy at the last moment. When the time was on, we got our stuff be ready to leave. But I still want to leave the time, leave the last moment.

It's time to go into the checkpoint, my heart became harder and harder. I want the time goes little shorter, I want to look at my relatives a couple more times, but that's unuseful, time goes as fast as light. Before we leave, we take several picture for commemorate. I could still remember, the sad smile in the photo. I could still remember, before we go into checkpoint, my relatives, they all waved their hands, they say good-bye to us. My eyes filled with tears, but I have to say goodbye to them. Sat in the airplane, I could saw the light from the city, and the way we go, we leave China finally. But I believed one day, I would see them again, and I would became a new, a different me. Now, we're all ready for our new home-U.S.

*****
PlayStation 3

Alejandro Martinez

When I was, younger I remember, I would ask for a new game every two months. After getting more games for the same old console I wanted a PlayStation 3. A lot of people played PlayStation at my school. I would always ask my dad "Pa could you buy me a PlayStation 3?"

I knew it would take him a while to say yes. I would always ask almost every day.

My dad always said "Yeah we will see this weekend."

That would just get me excited knowing i'm going to get a new console. Even tho he would say we would get it on the weekend I knew it would take more than a weekend because he would always go to work early in the morning and would come out of work late at night. My friends would always talk about a game on the PS3 when I still had my PS2 so I just gave up on the PS3 because I still had a console and thought that i'm lucky to even have a PS2 because other people's parents couldn't afford to get their child a PS2.

One cool morning I woke up and my dad had offered me and my brother to go eat breakfast at I hop. As usual I wouldn't turn an offer that down because that was one of my favorite places to eat breakfast. After we were done eating my dad had plenty of things to do. After we were almost done doing all the things he had to do it was already the midafternoon we stopped by a Walmart to buy some groceries. While we were at the cash register, I remembered that my dad said he would get me and my brother a PS3 to share but I didn't want to remind him. As we were walking out of Walmart my dad noticed that there was a GameStop across the street.

My dad said "Do yall want a new game for your PS2?"

I responded saying "Yeah I would like another one."

So there we are in front of the GameStop. I felt nervous because I didn't know what game I wanted to get. My dad was on the other side of the store looking around. After looking for a game that interested me I went to my dad to tell him what game I wanted. As I was walking to him he asked me "I'll get y'all the PS3 yall have been asking for."

I responded "Okay that's fine."

I was so excited when my dad said that if we wanted a PS3. There was many things going on in my head. For example what game should I get so I could play with my friends, what game would I like to play without getting bored after a while, and who else has a PS3 so I could add them as a friend. I can still remember me trying to get a wrestling game because I was very interested in wrestling on TV. On the other hand my brother wanted a different game because he wasn't interested in wrestling. My brother said "We need a game that we both enjoy so we don't have to ask dad for games as much."

I felt the same way so I replied "Yeah thats what I was thinking."

After discussing what game we wanted we decided to get Black Ops.

Once I got home I didn't know what to feel. I was so stoked to have a new console. I didn't have internet access when I had the PS2 because their were no online games. My dad knew that we would need internet if we wanted to play with other friends from school. The day after I was waiting since the morning for the Charter employee to come to my house to set up my wifi. After he was done with with his job I quickly connected my new console to the wifi and I could say I was addicted to the game because I would play with my friends online every day. My neighbor had the console before me so he helped me set it up and ever since that day I have always played video games. Even tho it was a school night I would stay up late just to play. No words could explain how grateful I felt every time I ran out of the bus just to play.

Ever since I played my first console I loved playing video games. My first console was a Play Station 1. I remember the old army game I had. After time went by new consoles came out and I have just continued to get them because it is a hobby of mine to play video games. As of now I still play video games but I switched to Xbox because more of my friends had Xbox than Play station.

*****

One Became Two

Josefine Munk

I couldn't imagine them separated. I hoped they could figure it all out for me and my sister's sake, but no, it's happening. I thought it was all my fault. I wiped my salty tears away from my moisten chin.

''Are you awake?'' my mom asked quietly.

''Mmm,'' I mumbled.

''About last night,'' she said.

''NO,'' I interrupted her while I slammed my face into my pillow. I know exactly what happened last night.

Last night my nightmare became a reality. I thought last night was going to be a February evening like everyone else, but no I thought wrong. I was sitting at my room trying to make my homework while I was listening to One Direction's new hit, when I realized I was missing my eraser. I sauntered out in the kitchen to grab my eraser, which probably was laying in the bottom of in my bag, when I saw my mom and dad snuffle and sob in each other's arms. I ran back to my room and shut the door quietly. I was shocked and confused, but still I had an idea of what was going to happen.

''Josefine and Lærke, can you please come?'' my dad shouted 10 minutes later. I met my sister in the hallway, she was smiling like nothing was going to happen. We sat down at the brown and woody table. My sister's face changed quickly when she saw my mom and dad's red eyes. On the table stood some damping pasta bolognese.

''What's going on?'' my sister asked with a desperately and stormy voice. My dad took my mom's hand.

''Vi have to divorce.''

Everything turned into black and white. I felt like everyone just disappeared, and I was the only one in the room. It was like my hearing vanished. Tears began to roll down my cheeks. I really hoped this was a dream, but when my mom took my hand I realized it all was reality. We all sat and cried together for hours. I tried to eat the dinner that normal was my favorite food, but today I couldn't even lift the silver and shiny fork from the table.

''It's going to be okay, girls.'' How was this supposed to end okay. I had no clue.

I was eleven. Now I am sixteen years old, and it's my birthday. My mom and dad is coming sneaking into my room with red and white flags. They smiled to each other and began to sing. Behind them stood each their family. My two families.

*****
Preparations

Victor Costa

I wake up, put on the long awaited black shirt that I bought at forever twenty one where I stayed a whole hour sending photos to Carol, trying to choose the best thing to spend my money on, finding this one with buttons in the collar, which defined my shoulders. Picked up the shoes I bought from this nice little thrift store. There, I also looked for the most comfortable and cheapest pair of shoes, finding a red, lace-up Polo. The last but not less important piece of clothing I chose to wear was my pair of dark-blue jeans, that I also bought with her when we went to the outlet mall with Vitoria (Carol's best friend) when she came to the US to visit Carol. We spent a really long time at Calvin Klein trying on different kinds of jeans searching for the best one.

Right after I was done getting dressed, I knew I was ready to meet Carol again, after the ten days she spent in Brazil to visit friends and relatives. So I picked up my world also known as my backpack (because we would go straight to school after the airport) and I also needed my bag to put the rose petals inside.

As I put one feet out of the house, I jumped back, going back to my closet to put on two more sweaters. I was a freezing day and I was going to bike to her house, and then I left, now prepared, on my way to her house and got there at four forty am. When I entered the house, I saw everything on the same place as I had left them on Sunday: a giant teddy bear dressed as raccoon, a rose that I spent two months drying in order to make it stay perfectly conserved, and started scattering the rose petals all over her bed and floor, making a heart and the words "I love you" in Portuguese.

Everything went just as I planned and after admiring everything I had done for her for a little bit, me and her mom left to go pick up what I would discover to be the love of my life at the airport.

"Cara, eu te amo muito" those were the exactly words that Carol expelled when she saw everything that I spent that ten days doing. Man, I love you so much. After this, no answer was needed.

Ready for Hurricane Come

Andy Kang

I wake up early and I hear the bump! sound. I'm stood up in astonishment. Running to go to my mom's room. My mom's room it's messy. I thought what's wrong with there.

I asked, "mom what are you doing it's 5:30 am. Mom said, "Andy why did you wake up early?" I said, "It's so noisy, it's early and what's that sound, mom why do hammering this time?" Mom said, "because hurricane comes tomorrow." I asked, "hurricane come then how to go school?" mom said, "oh I didn't tell you guys not going to school today?" I said "no you didn't tell anything mom," I'm so happy because today we don't need to go school.

I rest sometime in the living room. Mom called. "Andy comes here," mom said. I go to mom and I asked, "what mom?" mom ask, "Andy can you help me?" I said, "sure what you need to help?" mom said, "can you do hammering?" I pick up the hammer and I start the hammering.

Mom said, "we can finish early because you helped thanks, Andy." I said, "no problem." I finished the hammering wash hand and go to bed because really tired. I think hammering is easy but it's not it was so hard. My arm was hurt but I can't tell to mom because I tell to mom then my mom does hammering but I don't want my mom do the hammering. And sometimes I sleep.

Mom's comes mom said, "Andy wake up and eat the breakfast." and she shows the picture something it was me and it was like the bear. I ask, "it's me? What's wrong with me." I go forward to the table and I see the mom what makes. I ask, "mom you make my favorite food! Thank you, mom!"

Mom said, "no problem because you help me I can finish early." I set the front to mom and started eating. I said, "mom it's was so delicious." mom laughed. Mom asked, "Andy can you help to something you when you're done to eat?" I said, "okay I can help you when I finished the eat." I finished eat and going to mom.

"Mom! What you need," I ask. Mom said, "Andy can you pierce the drain?" I thought where is a drain in the home. And I ask, "wait for what? Did we have a drain in-house? And where?" Mom said, "water pipe of the roof, can you drop the leave in the pipe?" I said, mom I understand what you want but mom I can't reach the water pipe, and I can reach the pipe how I can drop the leave?" mom said, "we can do you can step on a chair then you can do reach the water pipe and you put in your hand on the pipe so you can drop the leave in the pipe.

Really, I don't want to put in my hand because water pipe in is too dirty and it's hurt. But I will do because only I can reach the pipe for step on a chair and I don't want to see mom do.

I put in my hand on the pipe and I start the drop leave I ask, "mom can you hold me? I can't reach that pipe." mom said, "okay did you finished this way pipe?" I said, "I finished this way pipe." I finished the drop the leave in the pipe. I ask, "mom when a hurricane come? I want to know." mom said, "I don't know, but news say hurricane come so we need to ready for the hurricane." I ask, "mom you don't need help anything? I'm so tired right now so you need help then I help you and I go to sleep." mom said, "I don't need help because you finished all so you can go to sleep." I said, "okay so I showered and I go to sleep.," mom said, "okay thank you andy." I said, "no problem."

Sometimes I was mad because sister doesn't help anything. I ask, "mom, are you scared the hurricane come?" Mom said, "I scared the hurricane because it's first time to hurricane come so I'm so scared, how about you Andy?" I said, "really I don't know because I don't felt the hurricane come and outside just raining."

I showered and I going to my bed and I sleep. Today is so tired but it was good to be able to help my mother. Sometimes I think why I do this work but if I do not help mom then mom tired and mom can't wake up tomorrow. I don't want mom do the hard work something. And I helped mom out today so I can rest.

*****

Stolen Childhood

Lucia Rutherfurd

Anger, despair and anger seized my being. Her hands around her, tears falling down, group of eyes staring, I was too young to say or do something and too old to not realize things. My grandmother organized a meeting in the cemetery to celebrate the birthday of my deceased uncle.

Already at the cemetery everything was creepy and spooky, I had been in some cemeteries before but this cemetery "El Angel" was one of the oldest cemeteries in Peru, actually some historical and national personages are resting in peace there. Filled with statues of angels and gargoyles .While we was walking I could heard my uncles talking about a famous Peruvian singer and also about Francisco Bolognesi. The walls looked like colonial style and the main door it was like the haunted houses. Inside the cemetery there were itinerant merchants, selling toys and flowers. It have many mausoleums with letter and numbers in the top, the gravestones were made of marmol.

My grandmother was guiding, pavilion by pavilion, every step make me more nervous. I felt like we were about to get lost in that maze. "To the right, then to the left, after that we have to cross the garden and then walk through four more pavilion, go straight and to the right..", my grandmother was saying while my eyes were getting dizzy being that the cemetery as a labyrinth was very repetitive and endless.

We get to the garden, it was the middle of the cemetery, I turn my head to the right and I saw something that I will never forget. A mom holding her daughter from the arms and someone else holding her else holding her legs, the little girl didn't look more older than seven years old was crying and screaming 'no, no, I don't want, mom", while her mom was forcing her to drink beer. The more the girl refused the more the mom gets angry, nobody was doing anything to stop that savage scene, her entire family was drunk, there was nobody that could protect her or to take pity on her. I looked at my grandmother, she was looking at that girl very sad and mournful.

"Mamina I feel bad for her, what should we do?" I ask to my grandmother, Mamina.

"Everything is paid in this life, and those miserable people one day makes it very expensive, God sees everything ..., my grandmother answer me angry.

I don't remember if I was seven or eight but I will never delete in my mind the day that I realized in a short age that in this world we have good people and people without mercy, people who is able to hurt people without thinking twice, that the alcohol it shows the real you, and that family goes beyond the mom, dad, sibling family is the people that loves me and respect me.

*****
Stone Mountain

Jia Xiang Deng

"Mom, how long did we could arrive stone mountain?" I yelled in mad. "Stop yelling! Just be patient, it will not take longer." my mom replied annoyed. On the way to stonemountain, I feel annoy about everything, why did I spend a whole day sitting on car, how long did the way have. My heart fills with bad and annoy, seems the only thing I could do was looking the landscape out of window. No one was talking at the car, all the excited from the beginning been clear by now.

With no more longer sitting car time, my eyes picture a new photo: a big, gray mountains appear from far away. My heart became alives again, is that the stone mountain? I focused on the mountain again, how's the climbed up the mountain like? How's the top feeling like? Is there anything special at here? "Mom, I see the stone mountain, it's high! Is there any special at the mountain?" I asked to my mom, "Just Wait until we arrives!' my mom annoyed, but I could not control my thinking, I wanted to climbed up the mountain now!

Finally, we arrived under the stone mountain. When we climbed up the stone mountain, a sorted of cool wind came along my face, like a welcome sign from stone mountain. Me and my family started walked up the top. On the way to top, birds flied along next the trees, trees released it's fresh air to us, all my body relaxed, like a person alives. I pictured all along the way, I want to made the became part of my memory. "Come on, can you go faster?" I yelled at my family, "That's what we called young man, we are not as strong as you are!" my grandmother reply, sweat fills all of their back, they're all tired as a dog, but I still active, I want to go higher!

I can said that there's a picture that I never see before, cities, trees, people, they all down at my feet, created a wonderful pictures in my life. They're gifts from God, for my sweats and what I did. At the moment, I feel I was the toppest person of the world, nothing fills in my head, the only thing I could do was enjoy the moment, enjoy what I got from stone mountain.

Down the mountain, my family feel dying, seems they could not walk a bit, but I still stayed from the top of the stone mountain, I feel wonderful about the thing I saw, I could said that's the most interest place that I have see in the summer. at the final, we saw another interest part of the stone mountain-statue of the stone mountain. three person sculpture at a huge wall of stone mountain, they're three popular people in civil war. I could not say anything but amazing! How hard could the creators work for the status, how amazing it has! Time gives me the chance to see the wonderful landscape! I picture down the status, several years after, those may became part of my memories; a wonderful part of my life.

*****

Summer

Max Shmuylovich

Once I went with friends to the country house in the village. Over there was really interesting. We sat on the train and I suggested playing cards for split the work in county house "Well, let's play in cartoons guys and then we have to choose who cooks, who catches fish, and who swims."

"We agree" my friends answered and we played cards until the end of the road.

When we came to the house we threw things on the table and immediately ran to the river. The day was hot and the very yellow sun was smiling with its rays. The water run fast and very blue but it did not stop us. We ran, jumped and bathed. Only the best friends was there. Real men's company.

An hour later I said "It's all guys. Time for cook because after 3 hours it will be dark and we will not be able to catch the fish." Everyone agreed with me and we split into teams how cards said. Half fishing, and the other half doing the meat.

"Well, guys, how's your life? What's New? How about the girls? "I asked.

"We all really miss you very much when you was in America. Do you like everything? How is school? "The friends asked

"Everything is normal. In school is difficult enough. One teacher does not let me relax every week, I need at least 50 pages to read and write memoirs, write poems, and write stories using dialogs, metaphors and other stuff"

"Do not worry at our school the same thing just without reading and ..." at this moment Mark runs up to us. He was one of the people who fished and screams

"The guys quickly run to the river. Over there Sasha slipped when he tried to pull the real elephant from the river fell and hit his head on the stone." We all ran to the river. On the move, I grab a phone and call an hospital

"Hello, boy, 15 years, hit his head on the rocks ..." at this moment the he opened his eyes and said in a hoarse voice "I do not need an hospital, I'm fine." I turned off the phone before I could tell them the address. We helped him get up and brought home. Later we figured out he just really strong fell but everything ok .We sat for an hour and talk. Later suddenly remembered that we have meat on fire but Vanya said that he put out the fire before ran to the river, we went out, finish meat and set to eat.

The meat was delicious a little black outside but soft and white inside was blowing a cool wind, shining stars, and flying mosquitoes. We were all very glad that we were all together, even without fish. No one was angry with anyone and we were all together.

Sasha was grateful that we immediately ran to save him. We all told him at the same time, "you're our friend." I added "why else are friends then if you do not help at a difficult moment?"

*****
That Day

Berru Mataraci

I was going to school in the spring day few years ago, it's was busy day. I had three exams in that day and I did not sleep very well last night because I was studying all night. In the morning, I was late for my bus and I run after it to catch it which was just like a morning exercise to me. I went to school and finished all my classes and exams I was too tired. Moreover, I had two privet class after school. Finally, all my classes finished and I could go home but before I go to home I had to buy some stuff for a class project. I searched for the materials for so long. After while I found them and start to go home. I was too tired to go home all the day way home so called my mom to pick me up. She send, me location to come it was not far from where I was but I still had to take bus to go there. I went to the bus station and started to wait. After while bus came and I was lucky because there was a pace to sit at the front. I sat there and after I sat few minute later bus was full even there were no place to stand. I was watching outside it was raining and I was too happy to go home and relax. After ten in minute, I saw a young pregnant lady entering the bus. I wanted to give my place to her but it was too crowded. I called her to come and sit in my place and raised my hand so she could see me. While this happening. another lady, who is little more older than pregnant lady, asked me

"why you didn't give your place to me? I am older than her "and I said

"she is pregnant so that's why "we are talking the young lady said

"I am not pregnant ". Everyone in the bus became quiet. I was shocked and shy. I just start look outside and I tried to not have I contact with anyone. I closed my eyes and when I opened it. I was in bed. It was all dream. the day just starting.

*****

The Night Picnic

Yagmur Alhan

I woke up with a vibration in my hand. It was 3:45 in the morning. How could I know? I could have been very happy that I woke up at that time of the night. Someone was calling me. I wondered why? I tried to ignore it, but a voice from the depths of my heart was telling me I should answer that call, so I did.

It was him. The guy who binds all the connections between my brain and my heart to each other with an indissoluble knot. My heart beat started to race. I was in my pajamas designed with bunnies.

I was sleepy. I was ugly. My mind was fuzzy. When I got lost in the darkest side in my mind, the vibration just stopped. I had to make a decision between my fluffy hair or him. I chose him. In a minute, I called him back. It was a video call and, I saw his sleepy eyes in the darkness. His chocolate colored eyes were like a pair of diamonds that stubbornly persistent in the darkness. We started to talk about silly things. We talked for three hours without even knowing what we were talking about. As time went on, I was having a hard time to keep my feelings to myself. He was talking, I was laughing. End of the three hours, we finally arrived in the same path. The next day we were going to a night picnic, just me and him. Was it a date or not? I could not tell. My brain had already stopped working from sleeplessness. When the sun started to rise my eyes were starting to close, we finally hung up.

I woke up at noon. After a while I woke up, I questioned the reality of the call that I got last night and events that happened after the call. Sometimes, my dreams could be real enough to mislead me. I checked my phone right away. Afterwards, I realized that he really called me last night. When there was no doubt the events really happened, I leaped out of the bed.

The plan was to buying something to eat, and then going to a forest area for have a picnic. However, I wanted to do something more special for our first date.

My grandmother was always saying that, "Erkegin kalbine giden yol midesinden gecer". Which means, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. The old proverbs always reflect the truth. I spent my whole day trying to cook.

At the end of the day, I figured it out one time, there was a great secret battle between me and the kitchen. There were traps prepared for me in every corner. However, I was the only winner of the ugly battle.

Despite everything I was ready just in time. I prepared a picnic basket. My wood patterned picnic basket covered with a red checkerboard on it and a variety of foods in it, everything was ready.

When my phone buzzled again and, I saw his message. He informed me that he was going to be late. I got little annoyed but I told him it was okay. Even though it wasn't. The time for a man to come to the date shows the value he gives you. However, I did not want to make a big deal, it was our first date.

My phone buzzed for the second time. I read that he was outside waiting for me to come. For a second, the whole world started to shake and I hurriedly picked up the basket of food ready for me on the kitchen table. I stepped outside and saw him standing next to the car door. He was surprised when he saw me holding the picnic basket.

"I'm sorry for being late, but seeing the basket I understood there is a gift for me. I am sorrier for making you wait longer."

"It's fine." I answered with a shy smile.

I had forgotten all my madness when I looked him right in the eyes. The moment I sat in his car, I was captivated by the strong aura of his perfume that surrounded every inch of the car.

It was midnight. After a short drive, we arrived to the beautiful picnic area we planned. The darkness imprisoned the whole forest. It wasn't suggested for us to be here, since the forest had closed for the visitors. But when we were together, the world was the last thing we cared about. The door was locked with metal chain locks all around. I handed him the basket, and he held me while I leaped for the other side of the door. Then handing the basket to me, I held his hand, helping him right next to me.

It was only me and him in the forest. I took out the red carpet from in the picnic basket and spread it on the grass. While I was fixing the food, he poured the beverages on each our cups. I saw his eyes widened after he tasted the food, he was amazed. My value to him was increased every time he took a bite. My grandma was right once again. After hours of eating and talking, with the background music he had opened, we had gotten to know each other somewhat more than before. I would never forget the special sentence he had said that night.

"Do you ever wonder why penguins never get cold where they live?"

I stared at him with wondrous eyes.

"Because they are always hugging one another."

The way he said that made me want to burst into laughter. Afterwards, we met eye to eye, then we both cried with laughing tears. He pulled forwards and hugged me so tight I stopped breathing for seconds. I felt myself safer than I have ever been in my whole life. It was like we were surrounded by monsters and he was my knight. As long as he was hugging me, I would never be hurt.

At the end of our date, with our empty basket heading for the car, I felt that I had discovered the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I sensed pure happiness. That night was a night I would never be able to forget, that night was a night I felt special.

*****
Trouble with Wheels

Sebastian Onofri

Skating wasn't my strongest ability, but I was doing so. I was struggling a lot, people was doing it correctly when I was falling every two minutes approximately. The music was lit and I greet my friend because it was her birthday. Some of my friends tried to help me out at skating but I was still struggling, even though I was getting kind of better at it.

One of the times I fell, I got hit by a post made of metal. So then a girl looked at me and went where I was laying on the ground. She talked to me and said "Need some help", she was light skin, black eyes and she had a pretty smile. After a while talking to her, she told me she cousin of the birthday girl, her name was Claudia. She seemed nice to me, but every time she was passing by me she would talk to me or help me get up if I fall.

The party was fun, I had a great time with my friends. The funny thing is that I learned how to skate in the last 5 minutes of the party. Once I got back home I got some notifications from my phone. The girl who I was talking with started following me on Instagram so then the next day she sends me a message saying hi. I texted her back and we talked for a while so then she asked for my phone number so then we could talk in WhatsApp. So I did, I remember back then that since we started talking we used to talk almost everyday. She even wanted to call me and talk. I got to know her more and she was humble and nice girl, she was cool.

Claudia had tell me a lot of things and most of the time she was the one who wanted to talk the times we talked. She told me that she was been bullied at her school and she wasn't popular. We had been talking for weeks and she trusted me a lot that she even told me who she like. I asked her what's up with your crush and she told me his name but I don't remember it, she said he was from her school and his hair was like mine.

A few days later, I was thinking about if she liked me because she used to text me almost everyday and I was annoyed because she was doing that but I never told her that she was being annoying. We were talking and I asked her if she liked me so then she was like "I am just really kind to people, I just like you as a friend." Suddenly, her cousin the one who invited me to the skating party texted me and told me that Claudia liked me. So then Claudia texts me in WhatsApp and tells me that is true and she told her cousin not to tell me. I was feeling weird, like if she was obsessed with me. Something weird happened and they were both calling me at the same time because they were mad to each other because Claudia told me something that her cousin said about me and her cousin was trying to call me to tell me that thing wasn't true. I didn't know who to believe so I just told them to stop calling me, that I wanted to sleep so they stopped.

After that thing happened, I stopped talking to Claudia because she wanted to talk all the time and it was annoying. There was a moment when I just started either saying "I can't talk" or just leave her open because I was tired of her. Finally after weeks, she stopped talking to me and I had peace. But I felt weird, I felt bad with myself but I never said sorry or texted back to her. After 2 years, I look at her Instagram after a long time so then I see that she came to live in Miami. I texted her and said sorry to her. After an hour, she replies back and we talked for like 40 minutes. She told me how she was doing things in America and she pardoned me for ignoring her. Claudia said she "didn't" like me, she said she just felt a "little" attracted to me. After we finished talking I felt better with myself and I felt like if I took off a big weight from my back, I felt lighter and happier. I felt like a better person.

*****
Vacations in an Unreal World

Henry Paz

When I lived in Venezuela, one day my mom told my dad if we could have a family vacation, in Disney Land, for that moment it was the dream of my sister and mine since at that moment my sister was 14 years old and I had 8, then go to this park so giant and recognized worldwide, it was like feeling in my body a spark of electricity goes up and down from my head to the feet. Happiness, happiness and emotion was what my sister and I felt, because with the mere fact of seeing my favorite characters in real life, it was incredible.

After my parents hired a travel agency and all the preparations for the trip, my sister and I were watching all the Disney movies again, and learning the songs letter by letter, although that did not help us much, as they were all in Spanish.

Closing the suitcases, grabbing bags, rushing our parents, closing the door of the house, riding in the taxi and heading to the airport, these were the second slowest that happened in my life, and my sister's. When we were boarded on the plane, I remember that the seats had been touched separately, my mother and I sat in the front row of the plane, while my sister and my dad sat right behind us, It felt as if they had separated my family in two parts, because at a time like this, I wanted my family to be separated from me by 1 millimeter, since I wanted to remember that experience all together side by side. "Children, are you thanks to God for everything that is happening?" Asked our mother, "Yes, Mom, it was the best thing we did when we closed the door of our house," my sister and I answered at the same time. The trip was shorter than expected, since at that time I had no idea that Miami was so close to Venezuela, it only lasted three hours and thirty minutes.

When we got off the plane, at the airport, my dad already had a rental car, and immediately we went to the hotel that the travel agency had booked us, on the way to the hotel, we began to notice that it was raining very violently, with too much wind, so much so that we saw a giant palm doubling and falling off the ground, it was the first time that any of us four had seen such a thing, the sky was totally gray turning darker every minute, It looked like a giant cloud took on a life of its own and made everything fly in its path.

When finally we arrived at the hotel and they gave us the keys to the room, we went up quickly to her to change our clothes as we got totally soaked in the water from the parking lot to the hotel lobby; once we opened the door of the room, we were all amazed at how big and beautiful the room was, and a detail that was not very relevant but that made the hotel service much more impressive is that when I opened the door of my room, I had a towel on top of my swan-shaped bed, which was very surprising.

The next day we remember that we took the car and headed to the park, bought the tickets, and finally I was stepping on the land of "Where dreams come true."

There was a store as soon as you entered the park, so we headed there, and we bought 2 autograph books and many presents for our families, as soon as we left the store we saw the first Disney characters and they were chip and dale, my sister and I we saw them as our first prey, we approached them and asked for their autographs, I remember that chip took me with their arms and I felt a mixture of emotion, happiness and fear since these characters are much bigger in real life, after that they We asked many characters for autographs, among them were: Donald Duck, Daisy, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto, Buzz lightyear, and one of my favorite\ characters: Woddy. We were in a line to get to know Mickey Mouse's house, there were a lot of enthusiastic people, the line was very long, but that did not matter since time passed very fast there, since there was Music and a good energy, when we arrived at the end of the row and it's up to me and my family to take the picture, my mom starts to cry suddenly because of being able to hug Mickey, that filled me with a lot of joy to me too.

Our stay in Disney lasted a month and a half, it was the best time of my childhood could say, since I could ride in many different attractions, such as: Jurassic Park, Monster Inc, Everest, and a play in done mickey disguised as a magician kills malefic in the form of a giant dragon, in short with all these new experiences I could feel new emotions and create many beautiful memories about this trip.

*****

What Are You Talking About!!!

Nafisa Ali

The sun was shining. We were all laughing, singing, dancing. It was a bright sunny day.

We all were in my uncle's house and by we all mean my mom's whole family side. We were doing a family get together. we all were having a lot of fun. We were doing a fest in our 3 story rooftop.

"Yinu cho niche cho" I said to my little cousin which means let's go down stare.

"Thikache aunty" she said which basically means okay aunty.

Ohhh yes. Yeah by the way I'm her aunt by I don't really know what to call her in english, I usually call her Yinu. Anyway, we went downstairs. We were playing house and Barbie dolls. Then, out of nowhere me and her started jumping on the sofa.

"Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, IT'S SO MUCH FUN," I and my little cousin said together in the same time.

We started laughing so hard like we were about to die.

Suddenly my cousin which is my little cousin's mom come out of the room and said, "Jump harder on the sofa and make a lot of noise!" At this moment, I thought she was mad at us and that she was being sarcastic.

I said to myself

Did I do something wrong that I'm not supposed to do?

Am I in trouble?

Oh my god what did I do?

Ohh lord help me I'm going to die!!!!

But really, she actually wanted us to make as loud noise as we can so her brother who was sleeping all afternoon would wake up and he did wake up from our noise.

The day passes the sun goes down the moon and stars comes up. It was like 3 in the morning. I don't know why but we all decided to sleep on the rooftop. No one really slept that night we all kept talking until 3 in the morning and we were up too.

Everyone decided to go downstairs to have some tee accept me and my little cousin Yinu. we were by ourselves all alone on the rooftop it was very dark, pitch black everywhere, you couldn't see anything without a torch and it was also very cold that night. Suddenly I notice a red light from the building front of our house, that building was an apartment building. But the strange was that the whole building was dark but that one room that the light was coming from. I looked closely and I saw a person hang himself from the ceiling. Right in that moment my mind went blank for a second.

"What the heck!!? What in the world is happening in there," I said to myself.

It was really weird out of the whole building that was the only room that there was light but the light color was red, the whole room was red, I could only see that black figure or person hanging from the ceiling but I could not see his or her face it was all black. Right that moment someone pulled my hand. I got very scared than I look down and see my little cousin. It was You my little cousin.

"can you see that aunty?" she asked me and pointed at the building direction.

I was shocked because I thought I was being delusional and stuff but Yinu saw that too. Right that moment I picked her up and rap as fast as I could downstate. She started crying but I didn't stop. I knew that I might fall from tripping from the stares but I ran anyway, that was and will be one of the scariest moment in my life.

Next day I told everyone about the story. And I went on the rooftop with them to show them the room. After looking at that room everyone stared at me for a while and then said something. After hearing that the first sentence that came out of my mouth was "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!!!." My uncle said

"Are you sure what you saw was real?"

"Yes. I swear. Why would i lie about these things?"

"In that apartment, In that room a person used to live there. He was a soldier from military, but because of his personal problem with his father and other reasons, He KILLED himself by hanging from the ceiling."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT !!!!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

At night time that day my little cousin Yinu came down with a real bad fever she was sick for a week. And whenever we used to say anything about that incident she would get sick again and again so from that time we were never allowed to speak about that incident. Sometimes even I don't believe that ever happened. And when I tell other people about this incident they never believe me but it's okay because I know what happened that that's all it matters.

*****

A Horror Story

Daniela Contreras

I heard my mom calling me from the kitchen. "Via, can you come here please I want you to help me." I was in my bedroom listening to heavy metal and writing depressing poetry and she was in the kitchen cooking dinner which was very unusual. She only cooked for Christmas and my birthday she is not the best cook that exist on earth but at least she has not set the house on fire.

"And bless Oh Lord this table, Amen" we said simultaneously and in a chorus way while we were holding hands and had our eyes closed. "So Via tell me, how was your day at school?" Dad asked in a involved way. I didn't feel like talking much so I answered with a simple "It was okay, I guess" after that I filled up my mouth with salmon so he could see that I could not keep talking in that moment.

When it was time for dessert I couldn't stand it anymore, they were laughing and pretending to be a happy family and it's not that we are not a happy family but mom doesn't cook, we don't have dinner together and Dad doesn't make jokes to make Mom laugh so I knew something was happening and I needing to know now.

"What is happening between you guy?" I asked with a aggressive tone of voice. "We are just having fun Vi" my mom said with an innocent expression in her face. "Don't you ever wanted a normal family that has dinner together and shares beautiful moments at the table?" added Dad straightaway. "I know something is happen is happening and I demand to know what is it" I stood up of the chair and in the matter of half a second I could see my parents indignant face expressions.

"Okay Via, please sit and calm down. We actually have a surprise for you!" Dad said very excited while he was holding my Mom's hand and he turned to see her in the eyes when suddenly mom said "we are moving to a new house in the suburbs!! Aren't you excited?. "

The next day Mom took me to see the house she wanted me to approve the house before moving out.

We got out of the car and in the instant that we were standing in front of the front door of the house I felt fresh but at the same time strange breeze. Before we could step on the first step the real state agent opened the door like she was waiting for us impatiently.

Dayrin the real state agent guided us through all the house and I liked every corner of it. She was showing signs of excitement it seemed like she wanted to get rid of the house immediately but I didn't give it too much attention and I kept admiring the house. When the tour of the house ended we went to the kitchen where she had chocolate chip cookies, mixed nuts, a few bottles of water and wine. Something about the house was making curious it felt like a million souls were walking, breathing and screaming around the house and I loved that feeling.

My Mom and I were discussing changes that we might do at the house when we heard a big noise like something broke at the living room, we both got surprised so we went to see what had happened. And there she was a little girl standing in front a broken light bulb that had just broken. Her name was Amelia and she was a beautiful girl with down syndrome.

"Are you okay," Mom asked immediately. "She's okay, she just likes to play around the house and sometimes she breaks things" someone said. It was a blond old young lady, she looked like a raising because of all the wrinkles she said. She was wearing a pink tight maxi dress, a big summer hat and very pink high heels.

"Who are you? And what are doing in the house? I thought it was a private meeting Mom said expressing herself very irritated looking at Dayrin. "I am so sorry but Amelia really likes to play at this house and sometimes I can't say no to her" the old lady said with a firm and convincing tone of voice. "This used to be my house so you can understand that this house still has value for us," she continued "know we live next door but this house has something that keeps making us coming back." Mom and the old lady named Jade when to kitchen with Dayrin to keep talking about the house and grown-up's things.

Two days later we were totally set up. I loved my room it was a very dark and cozy place where I could listen to music, write my poetry and spend time on my own. I was taking my cloth off when I heard a grinding from the door "My name is Kite, and your's is Olivia but you like Via better. You like to write poetry and you just moved here from California" someone said from behind. "Who is there? How did you get into my room?" I ask concerned. I was shocked. How could he know that about me I had never seen him or heard about him before. "I came for a consult with my psychologist and I was looking for the bathroom but I most got lost" after Dad he closed the door and left. Since that day Kite and I have been hanging out whenever he goes to consult with my Dad.

I got hear whispering in the hallway it was getting louder with every second. I got up of my bed to see what was happening and when I opened the door and put out my face to see through the hallways there was nobody, the hallways were empty there was not even a soul, the lights went off and my parents bedroom door closed. Something seemed suspicious but I didn't pay much attention I closed the door and went straight to bed but when I was putting adjusting myself in the bed Kite showed up surprisingly and I scream outrageously, he covered my mouth with the pillow and told me to calm down and so I did.

-I would like to show you something, he said so quiet that I could almost hear him. He took me to the basement.

-How do you know this house so well? I asked astonished.

Can you keep a secret?

Yes of course!

He were standing in front of the basement's when he said "This used to be my house you know.." something about the way he said it made me freeze. He was Constance son but I remember that I once heard Constance telling Mom that his son had died so this could not be true. "So you are Constance son?" I asked without making eye contact. He did not answer he just opened the door and a cold breeze hit us right in the face,

"Can you please answer me? Constance son is dead." He turned around and his eyes were red as red as blood, his clothes were getting ripped because he was growing up and he didn't fit in that clothes anymore. I knew in that moment that I had to get out of there I started running up from to stair to the door but before I got there he shut the door and locked it.

"You don't have to be scared of me Via just don't make me mad and everything is going to be okay, okay?" he said with a harsh voice. I was really scared I didn't understand what was happening. "Please, let me go! I haven't done anything to you." I said screaming and scared. "Nobody will hear you Via, we are in another dimension." What was he talking about? How could we be in another dimension if we were in the basement of the house. When he said that red light when on, the basement now seemed like it was hell. It was getting hotter and hotter while time was passing by.

He disappeared in a blink and I got tired of screaming but I cutting let my guard down. I started calling his name but he would not answer I decided to go down stairs.

*****
Arizona Ranger

Brendan Donahue

Early in the morning on a fine summer day, a stranger came riding from the south side into the small town of Agua Fria, in the northwest of Arizona. His dark brown Mustang trotted steadily, the man's supplies bouncing along its sides, on the saddle. More and more of the townsfolk started looking up at him and wondering who could this stranger be. He looked all around, staring straight into each one of the people's eyes for a few seconds. The man parked his horse in front of the saloon and walked in. The chatter was cut off instantly, as everyone turned to stare at the stranger.

"Howdy", he said calmly. He received no response. He walked slowly towards the bar and took a seat on one of the stools. "I'll have a whiskey, on the rocks", he ordered. The bartender stared at him for a few seconds, then started pouring his drink.

"What brings a stranger such as yourself to this middle-of-nowhere town?", asked the bartender, as he set down the stranger's drink.

"Work", the stranger replied and then took some of his whiskey.

"Mysterious fella, huh? Well, let me warn you: that kinda attitude will get ya killed 'round these parts", the bartender said with contempt.

"Well, if you insist. I'm an Arizona Ranger on some very important business. That business, you ask? Well, I'm here to take the criminal Texas Red, whether he's dead or alive", said the man, finishing up his drink.

Everyone stared at him. The man sitting next to him was aghast.

"You must be outta your goddamn mind. Do you have any idea who that is?"

"I sure do. And I'm here to save this god-forsaken town from that criminal scumbag", said the Ranger, standing up and leaving a nickel on the counter.

As the Ranger left, he scanned the town, looking for the Sheriff's office. After about a minute of walking, he found it, just across the street. It wasn't a very big town, after all. The Ranger walked in, set his hat on the rack and looked around. He was a very meticulous man, taking in everything around him and paying attention to every detail.

It was a small, dark room. Some revolvers and rifles stood in gun racks on the wall to his left. To his right, there were two small jail cells, one empty and one occupied. The man inside had his back to the room and sat quietly facing the wall. Wanted posters were sticked to the walls. Adjacent to the cell, was the deputy, sitting behind a counter. Next to him, the door to the sheriff's office.

"I'm here to see the sheriff", said the Ranger.

"Oh really? And before you come in here making demands, might I ask, who in the hell are you?", responded the deputy.

"I am an Arizona Ranger on some very important business. I'm sure the sheriff is expecting me"

Before the deputy could say anything else, the door behind him shot open and from there, came the sheriff. He was a burly old man, with a full goatee and mostly white hair. He looked very annoyed.

"I thought I said I didn't need one of you meddlin' Rangers to come down here! I specifically told them..."

"Let me stop you right there, sheriff", interrupted the Ranger, "I was sent here to put an end to what you and your men haven't been able to do for years now. Texas Red is a threat, and when you fail to eliminate that threat, the state troopers need to interfere, you hear me?"

The sheriff wasn't quite sure what to say. "Well, I, uh, understand that, it's just that, we only needed some more time..."

"Time is something you do not have, sheriff. I came here to end this situation once and for all and you're gonna help me. You understand?"

The sheriff stared at him for a moment. The deputy's eyes shot between the Ranger and his superior. "Yes", the sheriff said curtly.

"Very well then. Now, you're gonna tell me where I can find this good-for-nothing outlaw and I'll go deal with him myself"

"You're gonna deal with him? What, you think you're just gonna walk up to him and put a bullet in him? You think it's gonna be that easy?", scoffed the sheriff.

"Why don't you let me worry about how I'm gonna deal with him, huh? Now, for the last time, where is it that I can find the man?"

"It's your funeral. But alright, I'll tell ya. His estate is about two miles north from here, down the main road. The path's filled with coyotes though, so I'd be ready to use that, if I were you", he said, motioning towards the Ranger's revolver, which he called "Big Iron".

"Is that all?"

"One more thing. The place is full of his men. So I'd come up with an escape plan if I were you. But that's just me", warned the sheriff.

"Thank you for your time, sheriff. I hope you know how great of a service I'm doing for you and your town", said the Ranger.

"Oh, I'm sure you are, Ranger. Good luck out there"

The Ranger walked out into the street and made his way back to the saloon, where he'd left his horse. As he was about to mount, there was a call from down the street.

"Hey, Ranger!"

The Ranger stopped and looked back. There was a man standing in the street, looking straight at him. Even though he hadn't ever even seen the man, he knew exactly who it was: Texas Red. Right smack dab in the middle of the open. He was a tall, muscular man with a clean shave and a blood red "R" on his hat.

"I've been hearing stories," continued the outlaw, "something about you 'taking me alive or dead'. Now is that true, or are the people of this town liars? 'Cause if that's the case, then I guess I gotta kill someone for lying to me."

"You heard right," said the Ranger, "and you ain't gonna be killing anyone else anytime soon, Texas Red. This is the end of the line for you. Now, you either turn yourself in peacefully, or this is gonna turn real messy real soon"

"Well, I'm not in a very peaceful mood right now, fella. So I'm thinking only one of us makes it out of here alive"

The two men had drawn the attention of the whole town. Everyone was watching from their windows and porches. It was now high noon, and the sun was as hot as the devil's bum. But the two men hadn't moved a muscle. It was like this for a long time, them looking into each other's eyes.

There was forty feet between them when they stopped to make their play. But the outlaw was no match for the Ranger's swiftness. Texas Red had not cleared leather before a bullet ripped through the air. It struck the criminal in the chest and he slumped to the ground, dead. People gathered around his body. The Ranger holstered his gun, turned around and mounted his horse. He started heading South, to wherever he had come from. The Ranger felt nothing but satisfaction upon completing his mission. Nothing made him happier than enforcing the law and punishing those who broke it.

On the way, he passed the sheriff, who said, "Thank you immensely, sir. You've saved this town from that man's tyranny, and for that, we're forever in your debt!"

The Ranger looked at him, tipped his hat and said, "Be seein' you around, sheriff".

*****
Christmas

Rosse Alverez

It was a warm afternoon three days before Christmas in the village all were congratulated because there was little left for Christmas everyone in the town wondered why the Hansen family did not like the ship had a girl who was curious to know that because the Christmas girl named Sofia began to investigate was all the house that were in the village but the girl remembered red that there was a house of old Pablo the old Pablo was a very kind san that knew many stories the little girl played the door of old Pablo M.S was very happy to see Sofia old Pablo told Sofia that that I can help Sofia replied old Pablo because the Hansen family does not like Christmas the old Pablo replied Sofia you co-not they are a history of many years ago the Hanse family was a very happy family who loved Christmas loved the colors the gifts and the most they loved was to be all in family the lady Hansen and the lord Hansen had three children the largest name louis the youngest is called Juan and the smallest called lulu those children loved the Christmas but more to the little lulu that night the Hansen family went out together to but they turkey for that night the Hansen conduit very fast and at that moment I call a huge tree to the car all was well less the girl died lulu that night after the girl died that family was never the same the girl Sofia understood why he did not like the family to Hansen and left running and went to his house and mad a turkey and went to his house when the girl arrived .Hansen told the girl that you want and the girl that you want and the girl answered I want to share my turkey with you the family Hansen felt very site because they reminded the little Lulu that Hansen family told that girl that they did not want turkey and the girl told lulu would be very happy if they were as before the family let Sofia go and told them how do you know we had a daughter called lulu Sofia replied everyone loves lulu because she was a very good girl very happy to see Sofia that I can help Sofia that I can't help Sofia replied old Pablo because the Hansen family does not like Christmas the old Pablo replied Sofia you cont. they are a history of many years ago the Hansen family who loved Christmas loved the colors they loved was a very strong very fast and at that moment call a huge .The did not want turkey and the girl told lulu world be very happy if they cried happiness because she remembered lulu the girl told lulu lulu is now an angel of the shoo that takes care and it will never be forgot hen Hansen family felt very happy and there was a huge party they invited all the people and Christmas that night was unforgettable .
Finding Myself

Catalina Buchek

I am living in a maze without exit only by myself. It is like if I wanted to get out of there but the harder I try, the tougher it gets. I have suffered so many twists and turns, so many changes, so many "so many", that it is unbelievably extraordinary that I am still standing here. But it seems as if all these reshapes have remodeled me and as time passes by, and things keep happening, I get stronger and formidable.

Everything started 8 years ago, when I was only 10 years old. We were a happy family the three of us, my mother, my father, and me. The way that we got along was desirable by the others. My parents were those perfect parents who were supportive, caring, and at the same time strict with me. And I was a delightful, obedient and respectful child.

But all that, blew away the day my mother was diagnosed breast cancer, stage four. She couldn't even get out of bed to go to the restroom. She was completely bald and weak. I used to have the feeling that if I touched her, she would break apart. And my father was in charge of her. Thank god she had him by her side, such a loving husband and life mate. He was one hundred percent focused on her; and I felt completely useless.

Two months later, she passed away while sleeping. It was a tranquil death, she did not suffer at all and that was the only important thing. I learnt how to be empathic and non-selfish with my mother's situation. She helped me grow up from night to day. I was not happy that she was gone, but I was glad that she wasn't suffering anymore.

As regards my father, I would tell that it was extremely difficult for him to move on. Our relationship almost deteriorated when she passed away. Our hearts were completely broken and we could not heal. That is why my dad found a kind and pretty woman in one of those couples site on the internet, got married, and we moved from Kansas to her luxurious apartment in New York City. It was hard for me to accept it but I realized that I was thankful that he could find someone that would make him feel less alone.

Anyways, I managed to move on too. My new friend Julia was an enormous help. She made me forget all the bad things in life and re-opened the wonderland doors. Our friendship was a solid one, nothing could break us apart. And when my father got divorced from the woman and we moved to Minnesota, Julia and I were still able to keep the special bond and even reinforce it.

However, those two years and a half in Minnesota were like hell on Earth. My junior and senior years in high school were definitely the worst. Those new-rich kids bullied me for being dark-skinned, for being tall and even for living alone with my father. It was so hard for me the change from Wonderland-New York City to Hell-Minnesota. That's why I decided to apply to NYU University and get out of that place full of cruel and disgusting people, and I was lucky my father came with me back to NY.

Being a freshman in college with Julia was almost the same as in high school but more grownups and with bigger curves. In there we met our now former boyfriends, two blond haired, blue eyed Lacrosse players that caught our attention the first month of college, and we began dating and hanging out together, the four of us.

I might say that we were lucky because it was so easy and natural for us that we didn't even bother in trying to make it non-awkward or faking to be another person, it just happened, as if Fairy Godmother had blown us her magic ashes.

However there was something that didn't fit in my head. Tom was always distant at me but maybe that's because I'm a very affectionate person and he is not. He also was always holding his phone as hard as he could, like if he was hiding something. But I never paid attention to those silly little things because he would say I was an insecure and unloving girlfriend.

On junior year, we decided to go on a trip to LA, California for the Thanksgiving break, the four of us. We planned this trip for two months and it was supposed to be fun, adventurous and relaxing. A time to be thankful with the people who help us, and be thanked by the people who we help.

As soon as we arrived to Los Angeles, we left our bags and suitcases in the hotel room, and we ran to the beach to enjoy the beautiful sun and waves. As the boys, my boyfriend, and Dylan, Julia's boyfriend, are so athletic, they brought their surfboards and surfed all the afternoon.

All of a sudden, Tom got out of the sea, came running towards Julia and me, grabbed her and took her to the sea. At first I thought he was just being sweet and that he was going to do the same with me, but nope, he didn't and I stayed by myself, sun burning and enjoying my boyfriend playing with my best friend. Hilarious right?

"Can you please explain to me what was that about?" I told Tom when we got back to the room.

"What are you talking about?"

"Maybe about the fact that you started playing with my friend, who has a boyfriend, and the worst part is that you didn't even include me in the game".

"Yeah... About that... I'm-"

"You know what? Don't even bother yourself. I know you are or you better be." I finally tell him and get inside the bed as fast as I can. He stays in the kitchen probably drinking a beer. Thank god I do not see him anymore that day.

The second day, we went on a road trip to San Francisco, where we went over those tiny, long and colorful streets, and we had dinner at John's Grill, a highly recommended classic steakhouse. Tom was sitting in front of me and Dylan was sitting in front of Julia, right next to Tom. We had a lovely dinner except that Tommy wouldn't stop looking at Julia in the whole night.

"Hey Tommy, sweet-heart, do you mind if I change places with you? I guess the light is messing with my eye and I can't really see" I say to my boyfriend to make him stop glaring at her.

"Uhm no Ash sorry but the view here is better and besides, why would you want to sit next to Dy? Are you flirting with him? Do you like him?"

He answers and Julia gives me that particular look of hers, the one that claims "stay away before I smash your face in the window" only with her eyes face.

Seriously? Is it real that Tom is playing this game with me? I mean look the horrible climate that he produced! What for? Make Julia mad at me and him to get the girl? Ugh just to tell you T, Dylan is still her boyfriend love, nice try though!

In the way back to LA, I hardly talked and the only ones talking were Julia and Tom. I gave Dylan a "we have to talk" look and he immediately caught it and nodded.

On the third day, we took the "Midtown Arts Tour" in LA. We visited many places and learnt about local artists as we passed through the street murals. During lunch, Dylan grabbed me and we started talking about the past two days.

"Hey, how are you feeling? I know you were really looking forward these days and maybe you are not enjoying them so much."

"Yeah, to be honest I'm kind of having a bad time here you know? It's been hard to watch our couples flirt and give special looks to each other. I'm getting sick of this" I finally split my words and I get the feeling that Dylan understands me.

"I know Ash, this is so wrong. Yesterday I was about to break up with Julia but she started telling me those things you say to another person to get them do some sort of favor to you. And you know, she bought me but I swear if any of them make any move, I'm definitely breaking up with her and I will not hesitate".

I wish I could be more determined as Dylan is and by agreeing with him I would actually do it but I can't break up with Tom that would be devastating.

At 7pm we go to a Latino restaurant to eat Tapas and Paella. In the restaurant, salsa music is being played and without a doubt, Tom asked Julia to dance with him. At first, Julia looked at me as if she was asking me what did I think about it, but the second Dylan and I got up and left the place, she run behind us. We close the door of the restaurant in her face.

"That's it. I am so done with this. I can't handle it anymore." I say to Dylan and I begin to cry.

"Eventually we are going to get over it, I promise, but for now we just have to move on and break up with them" he wisely answers me.

Finally I decided that this was too much for me to handle it. I am worth so much more than the way he is treating me. I deserve to be happy and I am a strong woman even though I think I am not.

That's when I went back into the bar to confront Tom. And there he was, as lonely as a tree in the city. He looked so miserable- with a cup of vodka in his hand even though he was already drunk. The minute I saw him, I threw up all these hate-words to him. They came out from my mouth so naturally and I was so proud of myself that I was smiling.

After I told him it was over and that I didn't want to see him again, I got out of the bar feeling like a hero. Once I stepped out, all those feelings were gone, as if they stayed inside the bar or as if I only felt that because I was hallucinating. And when the feeling of pride is gone, the feeling of sorrow started to take action in the soap opera.

And there I was, standing in the edge of the riprap thinking about all my life. For the first time in a while I thought of my mother and how I got over her death. That gave me big hopes that I was going to get over that stupid boy and that I was going to be okay. But still, I couldn't stop crying like a two-year old child. My heart was broken, again.

Julia called me several times. I couldn't answer the damn phone. I was in shock and it was definitely not the time to fight with another person. I didn't know what to do. Despite of the blackout I was suffering, my instinct told me to answer and so I did.

"Hello? Ashley? Thank you for answering. I-"

"What do you want?" I madly tell her.

"Can we talk please? I need you to believe me. This is not my fault". While she was talking, I started thinking about all the times she saved me. First of all, I always liked to call her "my angel" because she was the one that managed to make me move on with the death of my mother. She assumed the role of my counselor, psychologist, mother, and best friend. She was always there for me. I had to give her a chance. "[...] And I am really asking for your forgiveness."

"Fine. Come over the riprap. Here I am waiting for you. Come fast. Bye."

When she arrived I started crying so hard that she automatically gave me a bear hug.

"I'm truly sorry Ash, and I have never been this serious. I did not see all these flirtations coming and I shouldn't have let it happen. I am ashamed of what I did. I have no more words that to tell you that I am sorry" she said.

"I know you are and believe me, I want to be able to trust you, but I am not sure if I still can."

"I am really sorry that I put you in such an uncomfortable position, but please give me another chance, I swear nothing like this would ever happen again".

She bought me but not in the wrong way, she was being so honest, deep, and compassionate; she was being so Julia. I believed her. I trusted her. She was faithful and I was so sure that she wouldn't do anything that would hurt me.

"Okay. I'll give you another chance. But this won't be so easy J, you will have to fight for it. And you should go talk to Dylan, he is extremely mad at you. By the way, thank you for coming to talk to me" I said, "you know you mean a lot to me and that I wouldn't be anything without you".

"I just talked to him. He was so mad at me that he packed his stuff, called an Uber, and went directly to the airport. Tom literally ruins lives Ash. And you shouldn't even talk to that jerk Tom, he just told me that he was thinking of making out with all of your friends long time ago. Thank you for listening to me A, you mean a lot to me too."

Gosh I felt so blessed for having her as my best friend. She is a good person and a good friend. She is so kind and grateful that I have to give her another chance. She helped me so many times it would be unfair to not let her try.

We decided to spend the coming three days at the beach not doing anything at all. We cancelled to cancel our trip to Sacramento as well as the other trips that we had planned, and used those days as catching-up days and tried to forget the past.

I feel as if I had gotten back my strength, I just needed to get rid of that consuming boy. I never realized how awful he was with me, and instead I used to think I was the one mistaken. Thank God that there's always a reason for why things happen and that mistakes are your best teacher in life.

*****

Hide and Seek

Kinza Israr

I play this game in Pakistan in Lahore my cousin's home we play this game 3 years ago, we play the game hide and seek at night. In home, there is no light. We didn't see anything because the whole house is dark no one see anything only in the living room on light is on. We choice the turn then my cousin turn. My cousin go up stair and we hide the whole house. I was hide in under the table one my cousin Danish he is hide in the balcony side of the laundry. My brother Wahab he is hide in room and my other brother Muneeb he is hide in the store room. My other two cousins Nimrah and Mohid they are hidden in room in the little store there. My cousin Burhan he found us he is in upstair he counts 20 after the counting he came down and he found us.

My cousin came down stair after counting. He found us he said "Where is everyone?" I was sitting in under the table when he said "Where is everyone?" I was little scared because he is coming with table side I was little scared. But he never saw me. He is going in the room. He listens some voice he came back in the living room. Then I was more scared but I didn't move I just still one place. Then he goes to the balcony he saw that someone sit side of the laundry he goes to the laundry he said "express" and my cousin Danish said "oh no" my cousin Burhan said "Yes! Finally, I found one person now I need to find 5 more people than the other person turn."

My cousin Danish said "everyone please help me do tillo for him I need to you all of your help?" I was listening Danish so I was that I need to tillo Burhan Because if I do tillo Burhan then again, my cousin Burhan turn so that's why I need to safe Danish I was sit in the table my Cousin Danish saw me he said "Please do it tillo him." I said "Please take it easy I do wait!" then my cousin Burhan came here I was do tillo but he saw me then he first said "express Kinza come out I saw you already but I didn't tell you because I hear some voice in balcony so I thought that do first who sit in the balcony then I came and then found you." I said "What! you are so smart I mean you didn't show me that you saw me?" Burhan said "I know I am so smart." I said "I feel one time that you saw me but then you go to the balcony then I thought you didn't saw me." he said "same I thought that you know that I saw you but when I came back in living room you didn't move your place then I understand that you didn't know that I already saw you."

I said "Oh! Ok now go and found the other people." Then he goes and we follow the Burhan then he goes to the room and he saw every place but he didn't found anyone because in this room no one hide. Then he is going to the other store room and he saw that someone sit on the big box because in store room window side the light is coming and he saw the shadow then he said "Someone sit in here on the box" my brother Muneeb he is move because Burhan didn't tell the name so he said "express Muneeb. I know you are here." Muneeb said "how did you know that I was sit in here?" he said "because you are small to everyone when you stand and I saw your shadow and your shadow is small so I know that this is Muneeb." Muneeb said "Oh! Now I understand." Burhan said "Can we go and found the other three people?" we said "Yes of course" then we go and found the other people. We go to the downstair and my cousin Burhan saw that someone in the room he go to the room he saw the whole room but he didn't saw the anyone but my cousin Nimrah she is in the room only i saw the Nimrah she hide the back of the room door and Burhan didn't found her than my cousin Burhan he go to the outside he go to the upstair but suddenly some voice is coming and came back to the downstair and he go to the car side and behind the car my cousin Mohid is hide and Burhan saw him and Burhan said " express Mohid" I said " What Mohid you didn't hide the right place and if you hide when the voice is coming then we came the downstair." Mohid said "I am sorry actually I didn't saw the door behind me I was go back fast and my foot hit the door." Danish said "This is not done we have left only two people Wahab and Nimrah hope so that they do tillo for Burhan then we safe otherwise is My turn is coming and I don't want that my turn is coming so fast so please Nimrah do it something do tillo Burhan." then I said "I was happy because if Burhan do tillo to everyone then still my turn is never came then to Danish turn is coming so I am happy." Danish said "you are so mean please pray for me I don't want that my turn is coming." I said "I hope that your turn is coming." then my cousin Danish say "I kill you Kinza if you say again." I said "Really you kill me if I say again." he said "yes! I kill you." I said "See I told you again I hope that Burhan found everyone and your turn came." Danish said "Ok just forgot it."

Then we go to the upstair. When we go upstair my brother is hide in room when we go downstair my brother came outside in the living room. He does not hide he just in the living room waiting for us that when we came upstair then he said tillo for Burhan. Then we came upstair and my cousin Danish saw Wahab he is in the living room then Wahab saw to that we came upstair and he is hide somewhere. Then we came back upstair first Burhan saw the room he didn't found him then he go to the different room there t he didn't found the Wahab and Nimrah and then he go to the upstair but he didn't found in upstair then we go to the again downstair Burhan said "where is everyone?" my cousin Mohid said " good Burhan just found them you didn't found them and if you found them then maybe they do tillo you and if they didn't do tillo you then I have no problem because then to it's not my turn. But if Burhan did everyone tillo then whose turn? My cousin Burhan said "then Danish turn" Danish said "that's why I hope someone do tillo Burhan Because I don't want to that my turn is coming." than my cousin Burhan said "this is not possible" Danish said "if it is possible then I want to kill everyone because of them it's my turn coming." Burhan said "you kill me also?" Danish said "yes! Of Course, I want to kill you to." Burhan said "why you kill me?" Danish said "why you said the everyone express." Burhan said "what? If I don't saw to everyone express, then the other people turn is not coming and if I didn't tell to any when express and then the anyone said me tillo then again is my turn and I don't want to this to." Danish said "I don't care anything but I don't want to this that my turn is coming." I said " please Danish if no one do tillo Burhan then it is not Burhan fault it our fault because we didn't tell tillo." then Danish said " then why any when didn't tell tillo to him." then my cousin Mohid said " you think that we didn't tell to him tillo if you think this than you are wrong we try that we do tillo to him but we did not do this because he is already saw us and tell express to us so what should we do and if you don't want to that your turn is coming then why you didn't chose the better place to hide, look still Nimrah and Wahab is hide Burhan didn't found them.

I said "yes he is write and maybe Nimrah or Wahab do tillo to him." Burhan said "yes Kinza is right may be Nimrah or Wahab do tillo to me." Danish said "yes maybe this is possible or maybe this is not possible." I said "Burhan can you please found them do fast I want to hide again." then Burhan said "I am trying but I can't found them." then Danish said "Ok we tell them come out Burhan said that his turn again." Burhan said "No way this is not possible because again I don't want to take again that my turn is coming. OK!" Danish said "then found them." Burhan said "I am trying ok" Danish said "then found them" then Burhan said "will you please stop talking if you talk then I can't found them." Danish said "my choice I want to talk what is your problem?" Burhan said "yes! I have a problem your voice." Danish said "if you say one more word then I want to hit you." me and my other cousin said "can you guys please stop fighting. And Burhan please found them." Burhan said "ok." then we are go to the store room and Burhan found Wahab or Nimrah but in store room no one is hide. Me and Mohid saw the Wahab in the living room he is hide to under the table.

Then Burhan came out to the store room and go to the other room but he saw that Wahab under the table and Wahab saw the Burhan and Wahab knows that Burhan saw him. Then Burhan is coming and say "express." then Wahab said "what?" Burhan said "yes I express you now only i want to do express to Nimrah that's it then some other people turn." Wahab said "I thought you never see and I thought that I tillo you but this is not possible but it's ok because the next game I was hide to." Burhan said "yes! Then your turn is not coming but then the Danish turn is coming and Danish don't want to that his turn is coming." then Danish said "yes! I don't want to." then Wahab said "well Danish you want or don't want but if Burhan does express to everyone then your turn is coming. Then Danish said "yes! I know." then Burhan said "let's go I have just one person left and she is Nimrah but where does she hide?" we said "how did we knows?" Burhan said "I know you guys don't know." then we go to the different room and behind us the Nimrah is coming when Burhan looking the room then behind him Nimrah is coming and Nimrah said tillo Burhan and Burhan thought that we are behind him Burhan said "what! Where are you? I found everywhere in the whole house in downstair, and upstair I never see you?" then Nimrah said "I hide in downstair in the big room you came but I was hide behind the door so you never saw me than you guys go upstair." Burhan said "that's why I am saying that where are you I saw the whole house but I never saw you." Nimrah said "I know when you guys came down I thought that now you saw me. So then again is Burhan turn. But Danish is so happy because if Burhan does to everyone express then it's Danish turn so Danish is so happy. So again, is Burhan turn. It was nice when we play this game. I love this day it was fun.

*****
I Dead but I Reborn to Dragon to Different World

Andy Kang

Before I was born to the dragon, I was dying because on my way to go my friend Sangue, I meet the robbery. Robbery tries to kill my friend I try to keep Sangue from a robbery. I keep my friends but I have stabbed the knife and fall down. The robber runs away and Sangue come. Sangue said, "Pong no you can't die to wake up pong." sangue crying. I said, "Sangue don't cry your man." I caught Sangue hand and I said, "San... gue... today is your birthday I'm so sorry about I can't do anything about your birthday but happy birthday Sangue." Sangue just cry and I feel dead and I think if I reborn then I want to reborn to a strong body and strong power like a dragon and smart had like a great sage and I lose consciousness.

I recover consciousness I think there is not a earth because the earth is floating in the sky. I said, "where is here?" I hear voices in my head. Voices said, "here is a cave and you're the last remaining dragon. I said, "wait for what? I'm a dragon?" I see the puddle and look my face. I said, "omg okay okay... Then who are you?" Voices said, "I'm great sage I supported you about you don't know." I said, " you know everything about this world?" Great sage said, "I know everything about this world." I said,"Great sage you like a dictionary you know everything, and what I have my skill I'm a dragon so I have a skill right?" Great sage said," you have a unique skill Great sage and predator." I said," so Great sage you're my unique skill and what is a predator?" Great sage said, "predator skill is you eat the monster or something then you can mimic you eat monster or something and you eat mana stone or medicinal herbs then you can make something, and dragon eigenvalue is fire breath, Flying, and Magic Void." I said, "that's awesome okay let's go outside."

I saw the sky it's really beautiful because sunset goes down and there is a beautiful view of the night outside the cave. There are crowds of people armed in front of the cave.

Soldier 1 said, "watch out captain!" the captain said, "don't worry let dame kill that!!" soldiers they fighting to the goblin. I ask, "Great sage how many people in there and how many goblins there?" Great sage said, "25 people are there and 10 goblins there fighting. I said, "I know there fighting, let's go." I fry over there and stopped the fight. I belched fire to soldiers. I said, "Don't ever come into this forest again I saw you guys again then I will attack the town. Soldiers started to run away but one young soldier was don't run away. I said, "hey you why don't run away?" soldier frozen and scared. Goblins they kneeling down Goblin said, "the great Dragon thank you for help we should return the favor can you come to goblin town? I said, "okay let's go." I met goblin chief. Goblin chief said, "thank you for come to a humble place and thanks for help my son and my family." I said, "I just want to help, and what is you guys name?" Goblin chief said, "we don't have a name and all monster don't have a name monsters serve master so master gives the name to the monster then they serve and the monster has a name then that monster serve the different master." I said, "then can I give the name to you guys?" they to be surprised. Goblin chief said, "we are good but did you think you okay?" I ask, "Great sage why they are surprised?" Great sage said, "you need to horsepower to give a name for the monster."

I finished the given name of the goblin and fall asleep. When I wake up 4 days ago, and many monsters in there and goblin come. Gobuma said, "oh master you wake up." I said, "Gobuma many monsters in here how?" Gobuma said, "oh we started to interchange to the different monster and they want to live in here so we make the bigger to town." I said, "oh okay." I finished the talk and I felt so ominous.

It sounded like a bang in the forest I flew there and I see the people run away to giant ent. I killed the giant ent and saved the people's. I said, "you guys okay?" They are surprised. I'm afraid they're scared of the dragon, so I changed into a little boy. I said, "I think you guys scared me so I changed to the kid. The woman said, "thanks for help we've been chased for two days for that herd It was so hard to run away to the giant ent." I said, "then you guys want to rest, do you guys want to come to a village?" a woman said, "sure can we go?" I ask, "what you guys name, my name is Pong Vil." girl said, "I'm Lan Eliy." boy said, "I'm Han Eliy." woman said, "Lessa ran. A man said, "Panggu." I changed to the dragon. I said, "get on my back and hold on to the sign tight." we on my way to my country. Lessa ask, "pong what is your country name?" I said, "em... Tem Callgo and this is you guys see last time." they said, "why? We want to come again for here" I said, "because my country citizens they don't like people, many citizens are monster so they are attacked by a person." less said, "oh... okay, I'm so sad about that we'll take a day a few off." I said, "I want to stay you guys but my monster citizens don't like a people." we arrived the Tem Callgo.

I said, "If there's nowhere to go, would you live here." Lessa said, "can we live here? You said your citizens don't like people." I said, "em... you said you guys nowhere to go and I want to make this country for humans and monsters live together and I want to make them equal to people and monster." Lessa wants to say something but I cut her speak because I got a call from the guard. I said, "Lessa I'm so sorry I need to go to guard, let's talk again later."

I said, "what happened guard?" Captain guard said, "Pong sir some people have invaded them under the arms and they be banded together." I ask, "how many people in there and what are they wearing?" Captain guard said, "they wearing about iron armor and logo is Pegasus and they're 150 military strength." I said, "okay I'm on my way to there, call me back if there's anything unusual." I went to go quickly.

When I arrived the they, they have been a sign of struggle but no injuries in the confrontation. I block the captain guard and ask, "What is it about that many soldiers are here, huh?" A man looks like a lord comes forward and talk, "my king said I want to your kingdom under the influence of my kingdom so influence my kingdom, and if you refuse we goanna attacked your kingdom. I look at the face of the generals there angry if I didn't stop then generals killed him. I said, "influence the kingdom. Hm... it's not a bad thing but I don't want and I don't think to join some av kingdom and you, tell your king to you guys do the invading territory and attack, we expect a war with human beings." I took the captains and left and I go to Lessa and Lessa colleague and I explained everything about war. Lessa, Han, Lan Panggu said they help us. And 3 days left we started the war.

The war started and I quickly figured out the number of enemies for great sage. Great Sage said, "The number of enemies was 400,000, while the number of our army was 40,000." In the first battle, it was a big victory because I was in there and I killed 50,000 enemies but as the war continued, we were losing. The more the war continued, the more I thought. If we belong to that kingdom, my city will be able to live a good life? I am worried and my citizen is nervous.

I told that this battle was going to be the last battle, and soon as it was nightfall, I went to the battlefield with the 20 strongest fighters. I blow off meteor, I make a fire sea on the enemy ground and I went the enemy king. I saw the enemy king he look strong man. Began to fight with the enemy king, 10 minutes after the fight begins. Bring knife to knife with Enemy king started to talk. Enemy king asks, "what is your name." I said, "pong, what is your name Mr. King?" the enemy king said, "King Rham. Rham said, "Why do you refuse to belong to our kingdom?" I said, "I don't want care about who." The fight continues, I and the king Rham are exhausted the last blow to each other fight is the end and I lost one arm and the King Rham died. I shouted, "This war is over. It's our victory. So stop fighting! If you are dissatisfied with this ending, I will deal with you!" My subordinate ran toward me and they heal me.

Everything returned to normal after the war. We absorbed the kingdom and make the bigger kingdom. This is the first kingdom where humans and monsters live together, and this is the beginning of the beginning.

*****
Is All a Dream

Jinghong Wang

I open my eye I see yellow sky but then I wander about where am I? who am I? why am I here? Then I stand up I sow a cat walking yes, a cat walking! I rabid my eyes and look again, the cat is still walking! I was so confused and miserable that I lie down again, after I just lie down I heard a person talking, talking to me he said "hi, good morning'' I was so surprised that I jumped up, I looked over but I did not see anyone nearby. Then the notice repeats again "hi can you hear me?'' I looked under and sew a cat! A cat talking to me! I answered back "yes?''. Then I thought would the cat understand. Then the wander disappears because the cat said ''finally you answered I called you so many times, so what are you?'' I was so confused I wander about if there are no humans in this world and I answered, "I am a human and, where am I?'' the cat answered me "human? I have never heard it before, here is the World of game.'' My mind explode I shout out "there is no human!'' the cat got scared he jumped away from me and shout "are you crazy you scared me'' but I got so scared I runner away from him I run into the forest. After Jing Hong running away the cat realized and said" o! Humans, those slaves!"

I runner into the forest and I saw something I will never forget I sow humans yes humans being hit by those walking cats I realized that humans are being slaves, being slave by those cats and other animals. Then I saw some of the fox are taking off the skin of the humans. The cows are eating humans alive yes alive I heard the humans screaming they scream so terrified that I can hear from very far away. Then I walked away and I saw something else I can't even describe it I sow lions sow some alive peoples into a blender and they all become a bunch of meat mixed with blood. I cried out of fear then I stopped because a cat found me, I am scared I know what is going to happen if I let them catch me. I run and run and run until I was next to a clef there were nowhere to run there is nowhere to hide. Then a leader of the cat shout at me "come here baster don't try to run no more and don't even try to jump off the clef because no one will survival ''I looked down the clef I couldn't sow anything it was too dark. I had no choice but I don't want to be catch I look at the leader cat and I said ''I will remember you, if I don't die I will kill every cat every animal except human.'' And I jumped off, the wind was blowing like a storm I wander about the pain I will fell after I land and I got so sleepy then I fell asleep.

I wake up in the pain that I have never felt, it was so pain that made my eye go black again. The next time I wake up I sow a very old man was next to me sting on a small wooden char, he talked to me the second I woke up, he said "who are you?'' I was so tiered I answered like I was going to die" I.....am Jing....Hong'' then he asked "why are you here'' I answered aging "the...cats......was chasing......me I had.....no where to.....go'' then the old man give me a bull of weird stuff and said "drink this and you will be fine'' I hold the bull with my shaky hand I drink it and I felt there were fire in my stomach I asked the old man" what have you dine to me?'' the old man didn't answer my question he walked out and locked the door. I was screaming inside the house I fell there is lover inside me.

*****
Journey to Mars

Aarya Joshi

"It is a fact that may not be universally acknowledged, but is true that almost every astronaut currently working for NASA was a failure in his/her school, even me", I said during an interview. I was not the greatest with my studies, but was also not the worst. Though I was almost going to fail, I made up my work in time. Being a student from another country made it harder for me. The next years of the high school were pretty decent for me. When I graduated from high school, I went to Georgia tech, where my aim was. I went in the field of aeronautics, at that time I was totally confused of where am I going to end being. But little did I know what was going to happen to me in the future.

After a few more years in college, I finally joined NASA as a trainee. As I entered the academy they greeted us with lines we didn't expect to hear "before you go to space you have to undergo certain tests". One of them was the zero-gravity test. Since it was year 2023 there was no flight which goes on and off to simulate zero gravity which was not the most accurate, rather there was a big chamber which simulated gravity from almost every other planet with great accuracy which is far better than the accuracy of the of the flight. After I passed all the tests with almost no difficulty things were going too smoothly for me. I had visited International Space Station aka ISS twice, where I had to conduct experiments to grow potatoes from the resources (in this case gases in the outer space) available and landed once on the moon. After two more years, there was this news which I was specially told NASA's board itself, the message was "In less than three years we will be launching a space mission to make an attempt to land on Mars. After long discussion, we have shortlisted the top fifteen astronauts for this expedition and a total of six will be going for this". After several of tests I was one of the six and the leader of this expedition. My rest of the crew member's names were John Regals, Brian Harrison, Sunita Williams, Peggy Whitson and Ashish Patel. The launch day of this expedition was 11th february 2026.

In the meantime, we were to follow strict diets planned by the scientists, do regular exercise in the zero gravity machine since we would be in a space shuttle for too long and to make things more worse for the last two months we were only to consume liquid diet. This is the reason why almost no one want to be an astronaut. But time went very smoothly unlike I had imagined probably because of the exercise made me tired. Now it was only three weeks from the final launch. In these final weeks you have to mentally focus yourself for the mission because, you may die, and to make things worse this was a round trip to mars which meant even if we made it through the first trip we had to return to earth and something could go wrong like we could run out of fuel. I wasn't really tensed about the trip since I didn't really care if I died because being an astronaut is a risky job. Every single day in space anything could happen, every micrometer sized space debris could be like a meteorite to the spacecraft.

Today the day had come, that the whole world was anticipated from the time when the man had set set foot on the moon. Today was the launch day to humans first ever mission to mars. Our schedule for today was also fixed already, first we would be bathing then taken to a spa. After with those treatments we would have a interview then a meeting with the president followed by breakfast with him. They even told that they would have a surprise for us. Because of that surprise I had trouble sleeping that night but I was forced to sleep with some sleeping tablets because less sleep would affect the launch. The next day when I woke up it turned ot that it was a just an escort by the military. When we reached inside the craft a very commonly unusual. I was used to the scene of the craft being packed with stuff we need in the space, but it was unusually a lot. But that also made sense since we were going to be in the space for two years and forty days. In about forty-five seconds we crossed about half the distance to a journey to the moon. After that we decided to conserve the fuel and decided to go slower than our current speed. My first two years were kind of boring. The only thing we had to do was to go on spacewalks every two months for maintenance and[or] if some repairs were to be made. We astronauts didn't even have much verbal conversation. All we did was gather every day at the central terminal which we named Bong. we met there to entertain ourselves we watched CD collection containing all the seasons of FRIENDS.

My last year was good. We had the most numbers of spacewalks during this year, we finally talked very often and the most best of all things was that we were going to land on mars. I still couldn't believe that we were so close to landing on Mars that we could literally see it from our space shuttle, but this was also the most dangerous part of our mission. The reason why was because when we enter Mars's outer atmosphere our space shuttle would act as a satellite and it will launch everyone individually. It was so serious that the calmest man on the craft Ashish Patel started to freak about this. "We have to come up with the order of launchings", said john since he was the one most tensed about this as it was his first landing mission. "There would be no order to launch because I got a plan that will work but also might risk someone's life" I said building up tension. "So, what's the plan I might help you with it" said Ms. Sunita Williams being the most experienced one. "So, here's the plan. Since we must use buttons to control the launch one anyways has to stay back and risk his life on the spacecraft. As I'm the captain of this mission I shall stay." I said realizing I made a very crucial decision since I was supposed to set my foot first on mars. "Brian, you were asking me right what I bought from Earth, I bought a button presser which I made. I would set up its timer, and after the timer goes off I will be in my shuttle and will be good to go. The only problem would be time. The maximum time on this is fourteen minutes so I would have to hurry".

Today as usual waking in space was normal but it was oddly odd because man was going to set foot on Mars! Today Peggy the most cheerful was even more boosted with her cheerfulness. It was currently 8o'clock earth time and we would be receiving an video call from two countries at the Earth at 10o'clock. First, we would be greeted by the president of the United states and then a call from the prime minister of India since there were two more Indians including me in the Spacecraft. The president America told "The whole Nation is very proud of your achievement and the world rejoices your accomplishment of being the first Humans to reach Mars. Also Congrats Astronaut Aarya for guiding this team of astronauts for the mission" he said, "Thank you Sir for your wishes for me and my team", the president hung up the call after our brief conversation and had a small conversation with the prime minister of India. After that we did a short meeting in departure station deciding the order. "So, after uniformity we have come to a decision that Sunita shall go first, Brian will go second, Peggy third, John fourth, Rakesh fifth and I will go last. In a blink of an eye the whole station was empty, only me and Rakesh were, he said "come fast boy we'll be waiting for you" and he left. As soon as he left the first thing I did was a mistake, I set the timer before suiting up and once that timer started the only thing you could do to stop it was break it and now it was not the option I was looking for. So, the first thing I did was I suited up got a look at the timer, only four minutes were left. I rushed to my capsule, looked the time which had only thirty seconds left, I opened my capsule and closed it as fast as I could. I still remember how I got saved just by a few inches from getting sucked in the outer space and left to die with oxygen.

After fifteen minutes I was back in touch with my team on the radio and said "Coming through like Iron Man with wolverine's claws", which made everyone chuckle. When I landed, and saw the Martian soil in person, I'm telling you that's something you want to do something like that once in your life. As I opened my capsule I first felt the gust of the Martian wind, I immediately felt different. Even with the air tight space suit on I could feel that the wind was unusually thick. I was still inside the capsule but I was standing so that I could see the Martian surface. As I was going to going to step on the Martian surface, I saw all my teammates, John, Brian, Peggy Sunita, Rakesh everyone gave me a very broad smile as I became the first Man to step on Mars.

*****
Katherine's Mind

Victor Costa

Wake up, wrapped my bed, jumped to the kitchen, cleaned the dishes, cooked my breakfast and wait for 20 minutes until my sister awake.

I sat down at the yellow kitchen table to eat my toast and start to think, I'm supposed to be a eighteen years old teenager girl that have friends and like to hang out but I'm not like this, far from it, I'm not saying that I don't spend a good part of my time hanging out and having what they use to call fun. For me, those kind of things aren't funny, for me, talk with people is cool, for me, when someone correspond to my interests, oh yeah, did not exist anything more exciting than this for my world. A hundred different people talking at the same time about their miserable lives, constructing more relations with others, my life turns around my desire in find the perfect one, the golden heart, the Earnest in life, and the best place to search for this humankind, is by long walks at the mall.

Now comes the question, how would I (weak and dumb as I act in public) find this perfect one, and here is where I make all the difference, the world works a little bit controversial for me, indeed, the world turns the same way for me and you, and as any other normal person, I have my vices, but instead of being addicted for eat, play or addicted in sex, I'm addicted in talk, discover and manipulate people, comfort them, give them home and someone who they can trust in, so, I catch their feelings and play with it, just for fun.

Lately I'm having some problems knocking at my door, those problems are that kind of annoying that you know that is not effective on you and it is not going to affect you in any kind of way but still annoying you. First, I understand now the meaning of life, all the world, everything that we know until now, is merely a set of randomness, that 0.00000000000000001% of probability to happen that just happened, and this is a truth too hard to accept, so, other explanations for our existence here are created focusing in give another meaning for life, giving a reason for everybody to not just throw everything away and create a world surrounded by chaos. The second thing that bothers me is a headache that continuously worth as if I had a nail being plucked in my head by a hammer like that ones used in construction. And then comes my father, the only one who I wouldn't lie even if it imply in my death, even because, my death is not something that important, I'm just a normal person as anyone.

I finally got out of my own head I heard the footsteps of my sister walking down the stairs, and she enter in the room drying her hair in a towel when I figured out that she was like a statue looking at me. I broke the silence asking humbly, "What happened?"

"I was just thinking, what happened with your face?" She says, trying to be sassy, and then continued, "I mean, when mama gave you birth, why you are so ugly compared with me," and gave also a sarcastic grim.

I calmly, without any signal of change in my expression (considering that it did not affect me) answer her, "here is your food, and do you want toast as usual or something different?"

Karen always asked the same as I'm eating, in that case, toasts. But if considering that I ask her what she would want, she changes her choice to ce---, "Cereals", she shout interrupting my thoughts with her melocondric voice, "tomorrow is Christina birthday, can you call mom and aware her about, so we can go buy a present for her."

Christina is Karen's best friend and her thirteenth birthday party was going to be the priority in everything on Karen's list. This was good for me, because I abused her for two whole weeks, making her wash the dishes and clean the entire house, unfortunately nothing lasts forever and after tomorrow I would have to find more ways to explore her slavery work.

I let my Mom know about Christina's birthday and change the subject, talking about a thing that was stressing me out. She told as always that she was going to solve my problem but this time. I turned off the phone before her goodbye. Then, I called back to say an appropriate goodbye (granting that she would give money for the party that I wanted to attend, because I was the "perfect daughter" and "the one that would never have bad behaviors in front of everyone).

The best part on this day was, I talked to my Dad, but not for too long as usual but long enough to know a little bit about his day. "Hi Daddy, how had been your day until now? Wonderful as always? Any problem about the work?"

"No Kat, until now is everything fine, I had some troubles with the Parkson, but it's okay, besides the fact that was his fault, for the fourth time he makes me lost some partners but it's okay, I'll figure out a way to move on,"

"Ouch, I'm feeling bad for you Dad, he always get you in trouble and you are always helping him, you are like god, looking for the good on everyone, without any judgement, I'm so happy to call you dad. I love you so much."

"I love you too honey, but for now I need to go, talk to you later and I hope that I can see you soon, and also your sister and your mother. Bye." How can he be so good and idiot at the same time, he calls me honey and at the same time he says that wants to see my sister too, she is so nothing that he shouldn't even care about her. But okay, it's reasonable, maybe he is just like me, saying that he likes her just to not seems that he likes me a ton more than her.

I confess that I was a excited to the party for two weeks but when the day of the party finally arrived, I was devastated that the party was really boring. My head hurts, I already know everybody from here and this loud voices and this paced music is making me sick, I don't want to talk to anybody or lie to them today, why I'm like this, I did not chose to be like this, everybody here is having fun with all those stupid things and I'm here judging them. Okay, good, you know what, I'll try to talk to one of those losers.

"Hi." I little bit too loud but it was the music's fault. But my sonority of my voice was fine and the he seems interested (probably in my body) and replied.

"Hey, are you alone?" he asks comprehensible trying to sound familiar (typical 'more than just f*** boy guy') and he nodded with his head to a place that seemed a bit more peaceful.

"Yes," I screamed while we ran from that tremendous mess that had turned that party, and then, I implemented when we went to that reserved place out of too much noises, "My mom took my sister to her best friend's party and I took advantage from this to come to this party, but from the announcement, I thought that would be better than this. But it's okay."

"Cool," trying again shown interest he added, "I'm not like this party too, but you know what, I know a place where would be a hundred times better for us to had a quiet conversation," say him, being completely more evasive than in the first time we met 5 minutes ago, he had just dropped his mask of 'not that bad guy, just a splinter' to a 'let's play at my home, and I already know the best place for it, my bed'.

"Oh, I would love to know your house, even not knowing you that long." I said while ways to get out from him pass through my mind, "but, my mom is almost back and she would be terrified if she didn't find me at this party."

"Hmmm, okay. You know what, I realize that I forgot to grab something on that direction," he says while he gets up and walk towards the door, trying to avoid the awkward climax that would come in a few seconds more if he had stayed.

My head got worse now, I can't even think as I normally do, where I can manage to listen everybody discreetly, to create a pre-environment perfect to start a new conversation. "I love your dress, it fits pretty well on you girl," Said the woman on my left talking to another stranger.

"Did you saw at the news, the Parksons' family lost their 2 years old children yesterday"

"Man, what a game the Falcons have yesterday, they destroyed the other team."

"She was exhausted to be in that..."

Too much talk, just unnecessary talk about their unsatisfactory lives as if they were more important than they really are. My head didn't get any better, every time that I try to think about what I do and why I do this, all this bullshit about try to learn people, learn how they talk and how should I respond to them. I guess that the only thing that I want is be normal, this manipulation is not a perk that I should take to my life.

Two hours later I could finally get out of that freaking circus and headed home. I just got home and pass out on my bed for twelve hours until I finally wake up still exhausted because of the party. I stayed at my bed for one more hour before my Dad call me: "Hey honey, I'll not be able to come home for the weekend. Do you remember the guy who was making mess that I told you about, he committed suicide yesterday because of familiar problems. Did you know that his baby had been quartered two days ago and his wife also try an overdose right after see the way that her baby was found. Horrible isn't it?" said my dad in a lower voice almost showing peace to talk about them, but shortly take by a sad sigh.

I was devastated, all that headache for nothing, and to mess with the rest I'm not going to see my father this month, I knew it, I knew that it could be possible, I just didn't realize that this time they would be so idiots in touch on the sorrow as they did, when people die usually you cry for it, but kill yourself is the dumbest idea ever. "Oh," I answer him after a few seconds of silence, "that's horrible, how could this happened that way? They seems to be a good family, probably that had more problems than just the tragic death of his son, I think you should have a break dad, stop a little bit with your work and refresh your head a little bit, close the studies for this weekend at least, come home dad, I miss you." I say crying quietly.

"I wish I could honey, I wish I could, but now I have to go. I miss you too." You don't have any idea about how it makes me feel sick when I heard those words from him, I could barely think about any other fraction of thing to bring him back to me. In my head everything was lost, one more month without see him.

I keep asking myself why? Why I'm like this, why so stupid about try to make everything perfect? Look at me, I'm not perfect, I use everyone the enters in my life, making them work to me, I barely know why I think that I am so important, I just wanted to see my Dad happy. I thought killing that baby would make him happy considering that he hates the Parksons, and then he would be all mine. But now he cares about me even less and he is paying attention to those insignificant people. I'm the only one that should matter to him.

I went to my mom's computers' room (where I wasn't able to enter) crying, I climbed to my mom's lap and start to talk to her full of tears, first she look me angrily but after a moment she thought that she understood what happened, but she never understand me. No one ever will.

*****
Key West

Anastasia Vazquez

"Let's go!, we are going to be late for the airport!", yelled my mom.

"We are coming!", I yelled back. So we got everything ready and left to the airport.

Our flight leaves at 10:00pm. We're going from Atlanta to Miami Florida.

It's our first time we are going to Miami. We were really excited!

Once in the airport our flight was delayed and instead of departing at 10 pm we left until 11:45! During the flight my ears were hurting so bad, after what it felt like an eternity we landed in Miami.

It was 2am in the morning, we were really tired, and my ears kept hurting me so bad.

We got to the rental car area and there were no cars available! After my dad talked to the rental people we got a minibus! The only vehicle available at the time (was that or we had to wait who knows how long for another car!) We drove off, to the hotel! I don't know the name of the hotel. Once installed we fell asleep at 3:00am to only wake up at 7:00am!

We had breakfast, and when back to the airport to exchange the minibus for a regular size car, I was so tired! We finally got the regular size car and we drove off. My mom took us to the beach and it was beautiful, they have a museum of the Civil war, I was really excited to go to the museum! We play at the beach, then we walk to the museum, it was closer to the beach, my dad took a picture with us and the sky was pretty but it was about to rain, so ran back to the beach to pack everything, and we ran to get our rain at the parking, and it started wind a little bit and we put our stuff on the back of the trunk, and we hop on in the car and drove off.

Later we got back to the hotel, we took a shower, and visit to my mom friends house, my mom told me all about her, and I didnt know that she has a daughter, she is 13 years old, she's in middle school, and she's play violin. When we got to their house, I was shy, and don't talk alot, when we got inside of my mom friend house, it's an apartment, her house is pretty, even her TV is big. I sat down on the couch, and look around the living room, it was pretty. I saw my mom friend daughter, she was doing the slime, my sister love to do slime all the time, so my sister talks to her and teach her how to do it. I just stare and watch, my mom friend give us breakfast, she made us with eggs, I was very hungry and I ate. My mom told her all about me, so she told her that I like anime, and Sarah was shock and excited to show me her own stuff of anime. I was happy and she show me all her stuff and her room. We chatting about it, and we become friends, and we about to leave, but we can see them tomorrow, my mom is going to sarah with us at the Key West, it very far to our hotel, so we have to wake up very early at 7:00am, so we say goodbye to our friend, and drive back to our hotel.

We woke up, and eat the breakfast, and ready to go to the key west. We pick up Sarah and we are ready to go, we got everything to go to the beach, sometimes we go and it always rain. It took us about an hour to drive there, I fell asleep and I don't remember. We got to the Key West and we were so excited to see their, I really wanted to buy some jacket or some clothes that where is the sign called Key west Miami Florida. I found the jacket that has it, and there's a lot of color of them, and I couldn't choose, so I choose a violet jacket of Key West, and the T-shirt, my friend just got a necklace. Later we went to the beach, and we had a lot fun, after we finish the beach, we got to change to our clothes in the bathroom. We walk around the country on Key West. It was beautiful place, we were so hungry and we walk around to find a restaurant, we saw a this food call Amigo, it is Mexican restaurant. I justed to get a little gloom, because that very day we eat is Tacos, I really hate taco so much. I went inside the restaurant and it was amazing, it big, sit outside and watch people throw a quarter on the fish mouth. We sat down and look at the menu, and we got a mexican drinks, and we cheers at each our for our first day staying in Miami Florida. After we ate the food, I saw a shirt, that has a day of dead of the rooster and the sign of "Amigos" and I was happy to get it, so I told my dad to get me some T-shirt, so he did and pay it and I wear it. We walk to see more, we went to see the boat and saw a fish, but I am afraid of fish of their creepy eye, one thing I notice that they have seafood, and I was shock at the moment and I told my dad that they have seafood, and my dad was shocked too but my sister hates seafood. "Oh well", I said to myself, "yeah" answer my dad.

So we still walking around, but it started to rain, and we have to run, and got inside of the store. My dad saw something for put on the fridge and he really like the color of it and he took the mermaid, and I like it too. When the rain stop, we finally walk back to our car, but I didn't go to see Robert the doll, because it was getting dark, but my friend found a store she like so, she told us that we should go their, so we went there, and it has a big candy, and my friend got a plushie and a pocky stick, and she pay it, ad now we got out and we walk to get the car, and drove off. All I remember is that I fell asleep, because we had so much fun, and drop off Sarah back to her house, and got our hotel and sleep. Our last beach was little bit far, but when we were at the middle of driving, one of the other driver pass us and drive so fast, but my dad drives fast too, but the police caught us and we got a ticket for driving too fast. So we finally got the beach, and I have to sit and take picture from my parents. I notice that my sister told me that their fish, I am afraid of them, so I am luckily that I won't go. It been fun, but the clouds starts to get a little bit dark because of the rain, so I told to them to hurry up before it starts to rain, so they got here just in time, so we pack everything and it started to rain a little bit, and we just have to go find our car in the parking and it on 2nd floor, and the wind a little crazy. We put our stuff back of the trunk and drove off, and started to rain.

Finally when it was 4th of July, it was our last day and we stayed to visit Sarah house. My family went outside and chatting with Sarah's mom, and we just watch anime with her mom room. We like it and we almost cry, but we didn't, ut my little sister doesn't get it, but she tries not to be so sassy. We stayed about an hour, and we saw a fireworks and it was pretty and my parent took a picture from us and we were eating. It our last day, we say goodbye to our good friends, and we hope we can visit them someday.

We got back to the hotel, and ready to go back home, we woke up and got breakfast, and we pay the hotel for giving us a hotel and drove off, but my mom wants to see the mall, but I don't mind. My mom found her favorite store, and she is big fan of the artist who drew the animal and print, so I got the T-shirt, but my mom won't let me get the black jacket. I wanted that so bad, but she said, "U have a lot of black, get the white one." "Fine", I answer back a little bit mad. We got a coffee cup and a new collection that my mom likes. And we pass this restaurant, this lady told us to try our new food, but we won't hungry, but we just a drink, and we heard a instrument violin and he was very good, and I wanted to play, but I don't want to,because I am scared to hurt to my pinkie. I like this song it very pretty and we got the CD from him and he gave us a autograph, we were happy, and we say goodbye and walk away to find the car. We drove and go to the airport, and drop off the car, and got our package and walk to get the ticket to go back home. I got gum for not hurt my ears, and got in the airport. It took 2 hours and my ear doesn't hurt anymore, because I have chew so it won't hurt, but I know it bit annoying for chewing so loud, but I have to, or else it will geu pain worst. Finally we got to Atlanta at 10:00pm, and find the bus to get to our car, and now got in and look at the window. Now we drop off and we got in our car and drove home, and we went home at 11:20pm, and we drop our stuff for tomorrow, and fell asleep.

*****
Maria

Nafisa Ali

A tear fell from my eye as I watched the funeral procession. It wasn't right. How did we get here? How did this happen? More tears feel as I remembered Piper. She was too young. I promised to myself that I would find Maria and kill her. If that was possible. Maybe this is what Piper wanted. I shook my head. She couldn't have wanted this, could she? My memory faded back to three years ago,

I was only fifteen at the time. Mom was cooking dinner and I was setting the table. It was a normal Friday evening. Callie had come up with big news. She looked so excited she could burst. She was only seven at the time, so her little face looked adorable so worked up. Mom had just finished making dinner. We all sat down. Piper was in her high chair screaming at the top of her lungs. She was only two so we let her scream, she did it every night.

"I've made a new friend!" Callie said, proud of her accomplishment.

Mom smiled. "What's her name?" Mom asked.

"Maria." Callie said her eyes filling with wonder.

"Where does Maria live? We should invite her over." Mom said happily.

She loved when Callie made friends. She wasn't the most social child ever.

"We don't have to invite her over." Callie stated.

"She's in the basement."

The basement?" Mom asked worry starting to show on her already withered face.

"Can you go get her?" Callie shook her head.

"She can't leave the basement."

Mom nodded. "Can we go visit her?" She was careful. She didn't want to imply anything to Callie. Callie only shrugged.

"Sure." She led us down to the basement.

When we walked inside we saw everything was in its place. There was no little girl. Callie started laughing as soon as we entered the room.

"Marial" She said loudly everywhere! It looks like fire or something" Callie kept laughing.

That night mom came to my room. "Do you think she's playing a joke on us? She asked me. I shook my head.

"It's an Imaginary friend. It's very normal for children her age. Especially of they are antisocial." This seemed to calm mom down and we never spoke of it again.

Callie greatly enjoyed her friends company. That's when a problem arose. Callie started to act as if Maria was REAL. Not like she had when she was little, though. It was different. It was maybe three years after Maria had shown up Callie freaked. She was ten by now. Way to old to have imaginary friends. It scared mom that Callie was still hooked on Maria, but she wanted to let Callie grow out of it herself. I had been packing for college when I heard Callie's scream. .

It was loud and scary as if she had seen something truly frightening. What I had seen scared me and mom half to death. There was nothing there. Callie only kept screaming. We had paramedics come and then the long process Callie went from doctor to doctor. Finally it was determined that Callie was mentally ill She was sent to a special place. At least that's what we called it around Piper. Piper was about five around that time. Almost six. I had moved off to college only a few days after Callie was submitted to the mental hospital. I left mom and Piper there alone.

It was four good weeks. Only four. That's until I went home for dinner. It was almost like a dejavu moment. I was helping mom set the table. She was making dinner. That's when Piper ran up.

"I made a new friend!" She said her voice cheerful.

"What's her name?" Mom asked.

"Maria. This seemed to stop mom. She shook it off. There were many girls in the world named Maria.

"What does she look like?" I questioned, not thinking of anything else to say.

"Oh!" Piper said. "She has bright fiery red hair!" This seemed to tickle my memory.

"Do you know where she lives?" Mom asked.

"There were definite traces of worry in her voice. I was still trying to remember. in the basement." Piper said normally. My jaw dropped. That's what I remembered. Callie had spoken about Maria having red hair. Mom seemed to realize they were talking about the same (supposedly imaginary) because she wore a shocked expression.

What do you guys do in there?" Mom asked.

"We play games." Piper said. With that she walked off, leaving her dinner in the table.

The days passed and Piper spent most her time in the basement as Callie had. Mom was hoping when Piper started kindergarten Maria would go away. This was not the case. It only got worse. As the weeks went on Maria became all Piper wanted to talk about. Soon it was becoming obvious Piper was obsessed.

"What type of games do you guys play?" Mom asked one day.

There was a tightness in her voice. One that she tried hard to hide.

"We like to play funny faces." Piper said. That's Maria's favorite, she plays all the time."

"Oh?" Mom said, hoping for more of an explanation.

"This is Maria's favorite face. She does this one all the time. I'm super good at it." With that Piper tilted her head back.

Piper tilted her head back. Her eyes seemed to drift off and look vacant. Her tongue hung from her mouth and her eyes bugged. She also stopped breathing.

Mom looked as if she wanted to scream.

"Piper? Piper? Piper! Stop it!" Mom cried as Piper held her lifeless expression.

Finally, Piper bounced back up, full of life again. She giggled.

"Told you I was good." She said.

"I want to meet Maria." Mom said her voice final.

"Ok." Piper said.

"Tell Maria to come up her." Mom responded her voice hard. Piper shook her head.

"Maria can't leave the basement."

"Why?" I asked remembering what Callie had said years before. Piper shook her head.

"Maria can't leave the basement." Maria, she says the bad people put her there and she can't get out."

"What bad people?" Mom said, not bothering to keep the panic from her voice.

"bad people that took her here." Piper said. She says they are bad. They gave her a fake braid and then trapped her.

" Fake braid?" I asked.

Piper nodded Show us. Piper led us down to the basement.

Where's Maria?" I asked once we were down there.

Piper point to a corner. In the corner was a strong looking hook on the ceiling and a chair below it. In my mind, I imagined a girl with fiery red hair sitting in a chair. Little did I know Piper saw something very different.

"How did Maria get stuck here?" I asked.

I looked to mom and was shocked to see her face. Mom had a terrorized expression, eyes wide. She was staring in the corner.

"The bad people put her here." Piper said, annoyed.

"How did the bad people put her here?" I asked my voice quavering. I didn't like the look on mom's face. Piper shrugged.

"I can ask her, but she wants you to leave." I nodded and led mom from the basement. It was two minutes I think before mom snapped out of her daze.

"We need to go back in there!" Mom said with so much urgency it made me jump.

We pushed the door open to the basement and peered inside. Piper was playing with a thick rope. Moms look of terror grew. I didn't understand.

"Piper I thought you were going to ask Maria." I said.

I Stopped myself. Why was I talking about her like she was real?

"I did!" Piper said.

"She said she would show me!" That's when something clicked.

Like a little puzzle piece in my brain. It snapped together and it took me a moment to process. My eyes flicked from Piper. I almost fell over.

Maria was dead. She was hung by the "bad people". looked back to the corner gave her a braid and trapped her. I turned to the rope in Pipers hands. It looked a whole lot like a braid. I ran down the stairs and snatched the rope out of Pipers hand. Turning to the corner again I could finally see what Piper saw. There was a little girl with fiery red hair, her hair a total mess. There was a rope around her neck. Hanging her from a hook. She as making as lifeless face. My heart almost stopped as if I was going to die. I practically dragged Piper up the stairs Mom was still in her shock. Piper was screaming. the rope to the corner.

My mind dug up all the things I had heard from Callie and "No!" I yelled my fear getting the best of me.

"No more seeing Maria!" My voice echoed through the house.

Piper screamed so loud I swore it was going to break my ears in half. It took almost an hour for Piper to calm down enough for me to put her to sleep. I had locked the basement. Mom had kind of put herself to bed. Her eyes wide. She was vacant. An empty shell in an empty body. She as spooked.

I decided to spend the night, even though I had midterms the next day. It was too important to leave. I don't remember falling asleep, but I must have because I was awoken in the middle of the night with a start. There was a screaming, deafening, ringing through the house. My headache as I ran down to the source of the noise. I saw the basement door. Unlocked. My head spun as I thrust it open. The screaming stopped immediately. I peered around the room. I saw Piper in Maria's corner. The rope was around her neck and she was standing in a chair. "Maria showed me how she got trapped.

"Piper smiled. "My turn."

The rest was a blur. Piper had jumped off the chair and her neck snapped. it was so loud it seemed to echo around the house. Mo friends were harmless. A breeze of wind dried my tears as I recalled the story. I knew one thing for sure. Maria was very much not imaginary. m was sent to a mental hospital for the trauma and Piper died. I can't believe I once said imaginary friends are harmless.

*****
New Me

Jasmin Bjerregaard

Chapter 1

The Beginning

I became what I am today, at the age 16, on a windy fall day in 2017. I remember the specific second, standing in the woods, watching the flower dancing in the tempest. That moment was a long time ago, but it's false saying that it shouldn't happen. Looking back, I realized that I have been holding onto this for 3 years.

"Get up and get ready for school!" My mom yelled from the kitchen downstairs, probably making our breakfast. I jump up from my bed, in a slowly way. I start my day, like I normally would, nothing new, so let's get back to the story.

After I was done getting ready, I wander to the bottom of the stairs, and stand tall when I reach the bottom. I walked into the kitchen and sat down on the black chair. My mom makes the same breakfast every day, fruits and eggs. It's not boring, but come on, agree with me that it's not the most cheerful breakfast in the world. I sat eating, in my own little imaginary world. I never really listens to what's going on around me, I just sit and eat in silent.

I grab my backpack from the counter and run out the door, to catch the yellow bus. I came just in time. My bus is always crowded, it feels like there's no space for thinking. I sit down beside a boy, I talk to sometimes, called Dom. He's tall, with brown hair and blue eyes. He's a good guy and he's nice to talk to, sometimes. We mostly just talk about school and homework, since we have many of the same classes.

"How are you today Jasmin?" He asked turning towards to me, looking me in the eyes.

"I'm feeling okay, I just couldn't sleep last night, I kept having nightmares," I answered, looking anywhere but his eyes. I don't like looking in the eyes of people, because it's the opening to their souls and what they are thinking about.

"What were your nightmares about? "he asked questionably.

"I can't really explain it, it was something in the woods, about a flower, I don't know" I mumbled looking down at my lap. I think he could feel, that I didn't want to talk about it, so he just nodded and turned his attention away from me.

The day goes by fast and soon it's lunch. I have my usual group I sit with, I talk with Dom there, but all the other people, I don't really talk to them, only the usual hi and hello. I eat my lunch in peace, looking around at all the different people, all thinking and feeling different things. Most people try to hide what they are really feeling, but they don't hide it very well.

"Jasmin, do you understand what the algebra homework is?" Dom asked while we were walking together to the last period, which we have together.

"Yeah, it's from the textbook, I think page 438 or something like that" I respond to him, looking at his face. I walk into my class, and take my seat in the corner of the room. The room is cold, and all the other students are always so noisy. I turn towards my screen and start working in my little bubble. In this situation, my headphones are my best friend.

Chapter 2

The Flower

The breeze blows over the trees, making them sing a slow song. The peace from the quiet surroundings, always makes me calm and collected. The bark is lying low on the ground, in one big pile. The fall colored leaves are laying sprawled around my feet. I take slow careful steps, hearing the colorful leaves rustle beneath my boots. I look up at the crown of the tree, I don't understand why more people doesn't come out here, it's a beautiful sight. Looking at the leaves, as they color the ground in a magical way, like they were meant to be in that exact spot. I had my backpack hanging low on my shoulder, phone in my back pocket and my eyes on the trees. I hum quietly to myself, trying to match the music the trees are making.

"Auch!" I say after falling over a tree stump. I groan to myself

"Why do I have to be so clumsy?" I ask myself annoyed. I stand up and dust the dirt off my pants. I bend down to pick up my backpack, and I see something unusual, a glowing flower. I put my backpack back on the ground, to examine the flower further. I furrow my brows in confusion of the glowing flower. I hold the flower between my fingers gently. The intense glowing is making my fingers a bright yellow color and it feels like there's coming heat out of it. I softly stroke the flowers petals, and a source of energy bolts out at me, swallowing me whole. I fall back on the ground, lying between all the leaves. I sit up fast and look around, not knowing what happened.

"What happened?" I stand up breathing heavily, looking down at the flower. It's not glowing anymore? I bend down again and hold it between my fingers. The heat and yellow glow is not there anymore. I stand up and pick my back up, and hike fast out of the woods.

Chapter 3.

The Change

I walk inside my house, nobody is home. I put my back on the kitchen table, and I sit down on the black chair in the kitchen. I take my phone out of my pocket and text Dom.

'Hey Dom, I was wondering if you could come over for a bit? I need to tell you something that happened to me'. I put my phone back down on the table and wait for him to enter.

The doorbell rings, with the bothersome sound. I stand up and starts to walk towards the door, but stops fast in my tracks. I wonder if she is wearing the same clothes as before or if she changed. It was like a little voice in my head. I furrow my brows and shake my head a little. I start walking again. She takes a long time to open that door. I roll my eyes slightly and open the door, seeing Dom standing there.

"Hey, you took a long time to open the door" he said and walked inside.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just a little freaked out to be honest." I close the door. I wonder why she's freaked out.

"What happened since you are freaking out?" He asked looking at me. I furrow my brows.

"Did you just ask me the same question two times?" I ask looking at his hair.

"No? What are you talking about?".

" It just sounded like you asked me the same question two times, about what happened" I admitted. Maybe she fell and hit her head or something

"I didn't hit my head, why do you think that?" He looks shocked and confused at me.

"Jasmin, I didn't say anything about you falling and hitting your head" he exclaimed.

"Yes, you did! I heard you say it, why are you lying to me?" I say annoyed, crossing my arms. "I'm really not lying to you at all" he said slightly annoyed. Why is she acting like this? She's normally not like this. I roll my eyes at him and point towards the door.

"Dom, you should leave, I don't want you here. You keep lying to me." He looks at me shocked, but doesn't say a word. Something must have happened, I wonder why she doesn't want to talk to me about this. He tries to look at me again, but I look the other way. He sighs and leaves the house, without another word. I sit back down on the black chair, leaving myself to my thoughts.

Chapter 4

The Experience

My parents left early for work, leaving me to myself all morning. I was up all night, trying to figure out what happened yesterday with Dom. It sounded like his voice, but still a little bit different. It sounded like it had echo to it. I ate my breakfast lazily, scoping the mouthful of cereal in my mouth, one after the other.

I took my phone in my pocket and adventures out the door. I need to clear my head, so I decided to take a walk to the park, because the quietness of the park is a great place to clear your mind. I walk on the dirty sidewalk, but the colorful fall leaves help a little. I hope I bought the right kind of tampons. I whirl around myself, it sounded like it came from right beside me. I looked questionably around myself, and the only person I saw, was a guy on the other side of the street with a bag from a supermarket.

"Maybe it was just some music or something," I mumble to myself, starting to walk again. I put my trusty headphones in my ears and turn the music on.

Come on puppy, you can do it, you've done it before. I raise my eyebrows and look to my right. There is a young adult, with her young-looking Labrador. The Labrador is running towards a pink ball in the grass. I sit down on the bench nearby, and put my phone on the table. Yes, she did it! I watched the owner and saw her smiling so much, it almost looked like her face was going to break. The dog ran back to its owner, with its tail high in the air. It dropped the ball right in front of, and was ready to run again.

"How did I know she did it?" I whisper to myself, not understanding what just happened. They were too far away to be able to talk to me, and I also had my headphones in. I look down at the ground, and start to kick the grass ever so lightly. I close my eyes to make this weird feeling go away. My head feels like it has gotten 10 times bigger, and the feelings is so unfamiliar. I close my eyes and try to think about what has happened these last days or if I'm just going crazy. I must be going crazy like come on, I can hear what people are thinking, that's not normal at all.

"I should probably test it," I say getting up. I text Dom and tell him to meet me out by the clearing in the woods.

Chapter 5

The Conformation

I wait by the woods, tipping my toes on the dirty grass. I told my arms over my chest, keeping myself warm. Now she wants to meet in the woods? Things are getting worse with her. I see Dom not long from me.

"Yes, I want to meet you in the woods, since there's less people here!" I say loudly enough for him to hear. He raises his head from the ground and looks at me, but with no clear expression on his face.

"I want to test something, think of anything you've done in your life, like a memory or something," I say looking at his hair. He stops a few feet from me and looks through me. I broke my foot when I was about 7 years old, and I still have a bruise on my right foot. He looks at me again, but I avoid eye contact.

"You broke your foot when you were 7 years old and you still have a bruise on your right foot." I look right in between his eyes. His expression is still unclear.

"How do you do that?" He says rather quietly.

"I touched this glowing flower yesterday and I don't know what happened afterwards, it gave me kind of like a shock and I fell back, and when I looked at it again, the glowing was faded and only the yellow flower was left." I exclaim out of breath. He keeps looking as if he's looking through me. His mind is blank, as if he's not thinking about anything. He nods slowly and looks down.

"Dom, I don't know what to do, I don't like this feeling and I don't want this feeling. I don't want to read people's thoughts, it's scary" I say looking down at myself, closing my eyes to stop the tears from rolling down my face. I look up at him, and for the first time, I look in his eyes. His eyes are cold, but with a hint of guilt. He tries to hold his posture, but he fails. He puts his hand in his right pocket, and it looks like he presses something. He quickly turns around and runs away.

"Hey! Dom what are you doing?" I yell at him. He doesn't stop. I finally let the tears roll down my face.

Chapter 6

The New Beginning

It has been around 3 years now I think since I came to the mental center, because I can read people's minds. People think I'm crazy because of it, and maybe I am. Dom exposed me, well actually his mom did. He told his mom about the first experience with me, and his mom contacted the police, and they contacted the mental center, and then some men came and took me from my home. So now I'm sitting in the what they call a bed, with grey concrete walls surrounding me. My powers are limited, I experienced with it at home and with some other people. I can't read people's mind through thick walls and stuff, but if it's an open place, I can do it no problem. That's why they put me in an isolated room, because I am dangerous to everybody around me, because I can change the way people think about each other. I look up at the ceiling, thinking about what has happened these last years. I've been hit, abused, both physically and for my powers. I don't have any contact with my family or friends anymore. They are all scared of me, and I get why. I wouldn't want to be around someone who could read thoughts and tell your darkest secrets.

"Today is the day," I tell myself sitting up in my cold silver bed. I raise up from my bed and walk over to the door. I look at the keyhole and the hole in the wall I made beside it, the door has been unlocked for weeks now, but I needed to know people's way around, and how the guards were operating. I open the door slowly, and closes my eyes to see if people is around.

"Clear," I whisper to myself. I squeeze myself out the door and closes it behind me. I look around scanning the area, and walks to the right. I listens if I can hear anybody, but it's clear. It seems awfully quiet then what it usually is. I know the key is hanging on the left wall beside the panel, so I walk towards it. I can't feel anybody around me. I take the key of the wall and unlock the door with ease. I open the door slowly, embracing the feelings of cold fresh air on my face. It hits me like a tornado. I take my first steps outside and feels my toes in the grass. I smile slightly at the feeling. I look around me, the center is in the middle of the woods. I walk around a little, no one is here. I walk up a small hill to see where I am. At this date, I'm 19, I am what I am today, because of what happened to me 3 years ago, maybe it was meant to happen to me, maybe I was supposed to change that day, and be who I am today. Now it's my choice, to make this my new beginning, either a good or bad one.

*****

Not Crazy House

Max Shmuylovich

Ivanov entered the office at three o'clock in the afternoon with suspicion of Normality. Ambulance brought him when people on the street noticing a man, passing the road to green light. On the street the patient behaved strange and mean: apologized for the tremors, blew his nose in a handkerchief and threw cigarette butts into the trash bag. Adjusting the earring in his ear and smoothing the mohawk, the doctor decrease the sound of the film for adults in a laptop and with interest stared at the suspect.

"Doctor, this is some kind of mistake," Immediately stated Ivanov, depicting a nervous tic on a pale cheek, "I am absolutely abnormal, why did they bring me here?"

"Abnormal, you say," the doctor bent his leg, took off his toe and scratched by uncut nails his heel, "tell me, does someone follow you?"

"The neighbors are watching! People on the street usually look strange at me."

"Unconvincing, Ivanov. Do you believe in the world conspiracy?"

"With all my heart, doctor!"

The doctor unexpectedly jumped up, climbed up on the table and yelped, "Did you make a piercing in intimate places?"

"I prefer tattoos," Ivanov create better answer, "Show?"

"You will show to the nurse, be sure to show," the doctor calmed down and sat down on table, legs dangling like a spagety: one barefoot, the other in a red knitted socks. "Let's be honest, Ivanov," he said in a confidential voice. "In our crazy world we do not have place for normal people. What are they going to do here? How to live? Confess, are you impostor? You will have a separate room with a bookshelf, in our hospital are allowed Shakespeare, Mark Twain. If you will behave yourself well and take exciting medicines, you will can watch Discovery."

"I wanted to spit on Shakespeare," Ivanov remained adamant, "And on the Mark Twain - twice I wanted to spit!"

"Do you drink alcohol?"

" Yes!"

" A lot?"

" Yes!"

"Alone?"

"Alone, and a group!"

"You are a tough nut to crack, Ivanov How are you and the women?"

"Random sex"

"Are you lying? Did you have periods of monogamy? Thoughts about creating a family?"

"Never!"

The doctor jumped off the table and began pacing the office , not forgetting slip robe and show the naked body to the nurse.

"Come on the other side!" Finally, decided doctor, coming to Ivanov from the side of window. "How do you feel about the legalization of drugs?"

"Half-measures!" Ivanov firmly declared. "If we want to live in a civilized way, we need to hire only drug addicts! Overtake Holland for consumption, and Colombia for production! Everyone who do not want use weed have to die!"

"What about unemployed homeless people?" Threw a tricky question doctor.

"Pay them money so they could buy alcohol! Who do not want drink, have to go to hospital and doctors have to make them drink."

"That is too much money for government."

"They can make alcohol by them self!"

"You have a ready answer for everything, but I am shark which feel the blood. What do you think about radical feminism?"

"I have no answer."

"Really? Interesting! Do you have something against radical feminists?"

"Who is this, Doctor?"

"Those who protect the right of women."

"Women - who is this?"

"Do not pretend idiot, patient! With women you have a random sex, you talked about it!"

"Doctor," Ivanov looked reproachfully at the doctor on duty, "random sex, so as not to disassemble with whom he is. Otherwise, this is a decent sex, but nowadays it is more than defiant."

The doctor shook his head respectfully, assessing the answer.

"It must be written down!" doctor said. "The other doctor, Ivanov, you would have convinced, but I saw a lot of imposter," the doctor bent sharply to Ivanov and almost nuzzled his nose.

"The last test. if you pass, you can roll with your obviously unclean your conscience home. What do people keep in the cellar?"

Ivanov's eyes ran from side to side.

"Whatever they want," try to make a creative answer Ivanov

"For example?" the doctor jawed ominously.

"Anything, they want oh my God! Cabbage, skis, jam, boots, old porn magazines."

"What do people keep in the cellar? Fast!"

"I ... I ... I do not know, Ivanov said it very tired."

The doctor straightened and reached out with satisfaction. Then he climbed the wide the window sill and opened the robe with pleasure.

"I didn't lose!" he said peacefully, " But you almost slipped out at will, the patient. Jam remember ...Today people store a grandma in the cellar, you did not know?!"

Ivanov's eyes grew large and round.

"Grandmothers? he repeated in a loud whisper."

"Yes!" confirmed the doctor, peeling off the window sill and rubbing his gown glasses.

For a moment he seemed completely normal to the patient - sad,tired and elderly. Inflatable rubber grandmothers. "They will close, so no one will see, they pump up the grandmother with a pump, plant them among jars with jam and imagine themselves a children and the world is the normal." The doctor glanced unhappily at Ivanov and sympathetically said, "In the ward,patient, in the ward!" There's a place for him.

*****
One Ticket Out

Roberto Martinez

Once upon a time, out in the shiny bright sky was a small village. Not known to everybody, but known to two special family past down from generation after generation. The mine household were Fed's and second where the Robinson's. They live all together on the top of the big hill where they house cast a huge shadow. All over the village, the people living in the village where outcast or a under rage living people just enough to leave off for their families. The Feds family are the family that cares for the people, like me. And the other enjoys the people being hurt.

My family and I are the ones that live of enough. But one day the two household announce a tournament where one family is able to change their lifestyle. And I was already to enter, I didn't know what to expect, it was a race, a race where anything can go. The race rules were simple, start are the starting line and end by crossing the finish line. And the good thing about my unknow village here are only one hundreds, each family has at least a boy and a girl. But this race is meant for the males in the family. But my chances is one out of one hundred, so I had to prep for the race, the race isn't going to start until a month later, oct 14. Since any goes in the race I am working on my aiming for throwing a knife. I know everyone has the same mind set for at least harming another member of the race. The race is a 4 miles race. "One more announce before we dismiss everyone, the winning will win 1 million euros. Are you ready to die for you family or back out for your family." said Robinson's family. My madness is raging for the race my heart beating faster and faster. Time slowing down like a ice cube melting slowly. One month to prep!

I was on my way to train in the forest , but I came about an old man. The old man stopped me and asked where I am heading , so I explain what I needed to accomplish. The old man heard me out and told me "how rude of me my good young sir, my name is guy. I remember at my time they did the same tournament , but sadly I came in second cause i wasn't ready for the one who won." "No way so you know about the race, I bet you were the best of the other families." " No my ......." "Rob" " Ah Rob, well no i wasn't the best since I came in second." "I need some help to get ready for the race, so....... so I was wondering if you would like to help me train for the race, Guy." " I would love to help you" said Guy. This kid doesn't know what he is getting himself into for the race, but good thing I he found me and I found him. "First Rob, i want you to run up that tree and stand under that branch." So I ran as fast as a cheetah, with a vision of a eagle eyes. I didn't i right and made it easy. "Ok now throw your knife at the other tree at the smallest branch you are able to see." So I did what he told me, but indeed hit the spot. At that moment i knew that it wasn't a child plays no more. He has made me push myself hard and faster every day. Everyday where I go home in pain, pain that i haven't felt since I broke my arm from falling from huge hill with heavy solid rocks. I have been doing that for almost a month, and it was a week before the race all I did was run with leg weights and vest with weights, each of them weighs eighty-five pounds.

Today is the day, Guy sensei has helped me the whole way. I just left my house and Guy sensei told me he would meet me there. On my way i see ten other people coming along on the same path as me. I see one I know, so i went up to him. "Hey Rock." "Hey Rob." " Are you ready for the race?" I asked "To be honest I don't feel up to the race I ate a lot before coming here." "Well I ate sandwich, it was the best sandwich i have ate in a while." "It had ham,white cheese, yellow cheese, tomatoes, lettuce,on a whole wheat bread." "That seem like a better choice, then what I had. Well i"ll see you at the starting line."

I found Guy sensei at the start line, where I was told to meet him. "Hey kiddo, you ready?" "I am ready, everything you showed me i am going to use it." The race is about to start "I'll see you at the finish line Guy." Only thirty people showed up. "Welcome back everyone hope you guys are ready to run." said Fed's side of the family. "Hope you guys break a leg" said the Robison's side of the family. Knowing he meant what he meant. Shots fire and the race has started. All thirty people run up on a tree and were jumping from tree to tree like i did. The two families had cameras following each one of us.

I see that one of the guys was tailing me from the start. From the he had his weapon ready to take out anyone in his way. Lee, Lee was one of my biggest rivals. We were going at it knifes to knifes, he went for a stab when i wasn't looking. He made me lose my balance and place me in tenth place. "See you at the finish line Rob." said Lee.

Since I lost my balance i had to get back on the tree. Taking out three of the people in front of me one by one. Once I was close to the front i ran as fast as I could on the ground while the tree branch started to break. I didn't care that I was taking out people because i came to win the money for my family. I want us to leave this town and move as far away as we could and start a new living lifestyle. As in right now I needed to be in first place to prove that I wasn't the one to enter in this race and not complete my family promise i set for myself. I saw Lee in first place while I was in fourth, i see my sister and my two parents at the finish line. So i throw one of my knifes at the two guys leg that were in front of me. "I am hit, am hit" said one of the guys. "I am hit too" said the other guy. "See yall later" I reply . I see Lee still on the tree jump from tree to tree. While i was still on foot. He drops, "I see your back at the lead" " Well i need this won for my family." "Too bad you're going to lose. I rage out and stab him on his right leg and he wasn't able to run anymore.

" I WON , I WON, One million euros." I cried out loud. My family picked me up and Guy was nowhere to be found. I found Guy packing his bags since he was complete of living in the small village. "Thank you Guy. For everything." I said. The two household came up to me. "Thank you for entering in this ran and hope you waste this on a new life beginning." from both sides of the family.

So my family and I started to pack our bags, on the way to the free world and hitted on a endless road , never to turn look back.

*****
Secret Agent

Maximiliano Estrada

6:40am !Bang, Bang, Bang! "What are you doing cesar wake up, you're late to school" Marcela reply. Marcela wood is the aunt of cesar she is a nice short lady with blonde hair and brown eyes. Divorce and she can be a good mom for cesar, Cesar wood is just 17 years old really smart and really athlete guy. He wears glasses and no fancy close, just as a regular student he is healthy but he doesn't like to get that much attention.

They live in queens new york, in a quiet neighborhood in a small apartment that is near the school can cesar can walk to school and walk home because his aunt is working they live pretty much alone. Cesar parents die in a car accident 16 years ago cesar was just one year old and he didn't have a place to live so his aunt Marcela sister of his mother took over him and now marcela is just like a mother to cesar.

Cesar meets with his best friend sergio martinez at school, sergio is small and not very popular in school he is quite smart but whenever he needs help cesar is always there for him, he is not athlete at all so cesar always tries to show him how to be more athletic but sergio just can't be as good as he wants. They have 5 out of 7 classes together and they always sit together. The same day in last period at 2:30 cesar and sergio went to class early and when the bell ring at 2:34 to star the class and then hailey baker comes to the class "sergio look there she comes the most beautiful girl in the school so popular, look at her eyes, her blonde hair, her body, her personality is just perfect ahhhhh, she is like a flower, my heart of a lion is falling for her" Cesar said with a gone face.

"Cesar! Cesar!" sergio reply. !CLAP! A loud sound from sergio to cesar hears to make him come back to life.

"Oh sorry sorry i was thinking on this warm up" cesar said.

"Mmmm sure you wear" sergio reply.

After 40 min the class was over and cesar and sergio went to the hallway to the locker and to the other side was hailey lockers room and cesar always look at her.

Sergio said "so when are you taking to her buddy"

"Oh sergio I don't know, she is the most beautiful girl in the school she must have thousands of man's behind her, i'm never going to be on her level man"

cesar said with a lit up face.

"What do you mean man you really smart and athletic better than the football team, of course you can be on her level"

sergio reply to cesar "come on go talk to her" sergio push cesar towards.

While cesar crash with hailey and cesar make quick turn facing the locker in front of him dissimulating like if it was his.

"Mm can I help you" hailey said facing cesar.

"Mmm no thanks I'm fine"

cesar reply while he face his face to the opposite side trying to avoid hailey conversation.

"Mm you're in my math class right"

reply hailey. "Mm yes and in history, literature, math and personal fitness"

cesar said. "Oh really I didn't noticed you at all".

"Yeah sometimes happen".

"Well see you later carlos" hailey reply while running living the room.

Cesar turn around to go with sergio again "what happen men".

"Men she call me carlos" cesar reply with a very sad mood. In the next few minutes cesar return home he ope the door and there was his aunt Marcela.

"Hey baby how was school" said aunt Marcela. "Ahh not that well, i still can talk to the girl I like, she thinks my name is carlos".

Marcela hug cesar and said "it's okey cesar one day you're going to be a really good man and you're going to do great things in the future, and someday a girl will come to you"

Later night cesar was on his computer doing homework when he received a email from agency special person you company. The name seems weird to him so he open the email and it was a survey with a bunch of questions about history, economic, math, etc... but just one question trigger him the question was how many girlfriends do you have already? He lie and said 10 or more.

The next week cesar was sitting on his park bench were we always waits for the bus to come. But a stranger sit to the side of him, the stranger was dressing in a very fancy suit with glasses, tall, brownish hear, while caesar was waiting for the bus.

The stranger said "hey cesar!"

cesar turn around confuse and said "yes sir how can I help you"

"Come with me" said the stranger while walking to the corner of the parks playground.

Cesar was undecided if go or not.

"So you're coming or what". Cesar decided to go when he was turning the stranger push him to the corner and the playground open from the floor opening a tunnel they jump together and in a few second they were inside a agency with a lot of people "what is this" said cesar.

"This my man is the world of the spies. My name is steve, and I'm going to be your mentor fela"

"Oh my god, omg, omg" cesar reply with a up light face looking around the giant place surrounded by people.

The place was enormous, every single corner of the place was full with people doing different activities like new technology, secret weapons, new cars, and even fancy suit with secret weapons on it. Steve said "look around cesar this is your new home, and on this spot is where your going to train for your first mission". "And what's that first mission"

cesar claim.

"Oh men take it easy everything takes there time, you will soon be noticed by my boss your first mission assigned" said steve.

"But why my steve, i'm just a kid on school"

"Well you remember when you did a survey that we send to you, well you got the best percent on that survey and you qualify for this job so that why we choose you fela"

The next few weeks steve training cesar for his first mission he show him how to fight and how to resolve problems in a danger positions and a lot of stuff more that would help him be better at the missions he would be doing.

One day when cesar got out of school he got a text receiving his first mission, the first mission was to get invited to haileys baker party. To get inside the party and in the house find the secret house of doctor smart and find the chemical that can destroy the entire world, we suspect he would be realising that chemical that night.

Cesar with a surprise face we run to his house and start crying because we couldn't talk to girl he knew he lie but no it was his chance to talk to her.

The next day on personal fitness cesar decide to show up his new skill playing basketball against hailey boyfriend, cesar destroy haileys ex while she was looking she was surprised and ask her friends who was that friend of hailey said

" that's cesar he is really smart and look at him he is been growing i think he goes to the gym a lot".

"omg I though his name was carlos he is cute i'm gonna invite him to my party"

Hailey stand up and invite cesar to his party. Cesar new his first step was done he just needed to wait until the party ad get the job done.

The next week it was the day the day of haileys party he dress up and put the new suits the agency gives him he was excited for his first mission so going out of his house he puke and keep going to take his nervous feelings out.

He arrive to the party he saw hailey and said hi to her and kiss her right away haile wasn't expecting that "ohh cesar you kiss really good, would you like to go somewhere alone with me"

Cesar said "of course haile maybe to the secret i mean the living room".

They both went to the living room cesar star searching for the secret tunnel without hailey noticing while hailey was talking trying to make cesar laugh cesar was gone he find the secret tunnel.

Cesar follow the secret tunnel finding doctors smart secret room. On the corner doctor smart was preparing to release the chemical but cesar jump in and shot a pen at his hand keeping doctor smart out of the releasing bottom.

Cesar jump push doctor strange away and take the chemical out.

"You will regret it you spy pieces of s````h cesar was back at the party and while he was living hailey approach to him and said

"cesar where were you, you leave me alone"

cesar grab her from the waist and kiss her again and drop her at the floor while haley was falling for him. Cesar went to the secret agency and give steve the chemical.

"Wou man good job for your first mission you did it, i always trust on you fella, are you ready for your next mission.

"Yes i am"

To be continued....

*****
Tam Cam Untold Story

An Nguyen

Noo: "Tam Cam is one of the most famous Vietnamese fairy tales. It is about the life of a beautiful and kind girl named Tam whose mother died very young...".

Ann: "Everyone knows about this story already. Tell a different story"

Noo: "Which one then?"

Ann: "In the original version, it's all about Tam and Cam. What about Tam's stepmother? Let's tell her story", in excited voice, "But in Ann way!", she whispered.

Noo: " Let me see how interesting you change it!"

Ann: "Ok, as you know from the beginning, Tam Cam is a transform story, the original is from Cinderella of Western literature. So I will not waste your time. The story starts at the time Tam is on the way to go home from the river where she caught fishes and shrimps".

This is a story inspired by fairy tale Tam Cam but has been modified in a totally different way. Like it or not, you should read to be fond of it.

One day the stepmother tells Tam and Cam go catching fishes and shrimps in the river. Tam is working hard and has a lot of fishes and shrimps but Cam doesn't. So she cheats Tam and changes the basket, she carries the full basket of fishes and shrimps home. Tam is afraid of being home late or her stepmother will punish her so she just runs fast and faster with an empty basket, with worries. Unknowingly, she collides with a guy on the way from the river, who is the Prince of Emperor. She realizes who she just impinged. Immediately, Tam says sorry hastily,

"Please forgive your servant, your Majesty", her sound is very nervous.

"It's alright. Get up", the Prince responses lightly.

The Prince occur with a perfect appearance of a gentleman, but he acts like a child when he first meets Tam. He is stepping closed to Tam then sitting down forward to her. He holds her hand, their eyes are catching up each other. Gradually, he helps Tam stand up and still keeps taking his eyes over her, never stop. And also she is, she feels something strange in her heart. Coincidentally, both of them all have an impressive about each other; they draw a picture about the day they will be together in the future: holding hand and playing catch in the yellow field, under a blue fresh sky with the wind is blowing softly. They are holding hand tightly until a eunuch who is always standing behind the Prince speaks up loud,

"Oh my goodness, your Majesty, we are late. We must hurry up and get back to the palace". The eunuch run forward to them, looks carefully in their eyes. He seems to catch their thought and suddenly make himself as a character who is occurring in that field scene. He imagines they are together in that field, the couple is joining but he tries to divide them. Four guard men are standing behind, also follow the eunuch and getting into three of them dreaming. They draw a picture of seven people playing catch in one field, they are running and scream happily. Unfortunately, when they are in high mood then Tam falls down, they step foot on Tam. They just keep moving and ignore Tam. After a minute deep in an imagination, all of them awake, get out of that confusing thought, and Tam says, "Excuse me, your Majesty, I've should go". After saying, Tam hurry gets out of that place.

"She should be beheaded. Your Majesty, are you falling for her?", the eunuch whispered slowly seriously.

"Nice lipstick", the Prince response unconsciously. Everyone else leaves him alone because of making no sense he did.

Tam arrives at home, she is hurry kneeling in front of the stepmother. She knows that she would be in trouble of empty basket.

"Tam!", yelled stepmother.

"Yes, mother", responded formally Tam.

The stepmother is sitting in front of the house of Tam's father and drinking hot tea by a golden linear cup, "Your father died young. We can't afford a servant in this house. Even Cam has to go and catch shrimps herself. Do you think you can run around doing nothing?".

Tam is being punished while Cam is playing with her fingers on the bed that placed in the front room of the house next to a place which the stepmother is sitting. Cam has sprinkle diademed on her head, she is wearing a red camisole with a blue dress outside. Also, the stepmother never bows, she is wearing a whole black camisole dress which attached by million of beads on it with a black diademed on head, many sprinkle things are stuck on that barege pillow. Their face had a perfect makeup already. With the black dress that crawling on the floor, the stepmother straight her hand and she gives Tam a loud slap immediately, "Did you?!". Tam got a super hurt, her face is burning into red, she grasp her check for reducing pain. Suddenly, a lady with a white dress appears and sends a slap back to the stepmother. It makes the stepmother unbalance and shock,

"What's that? Who are you?", she scowls.

"I'm just a girl from the village who got lost and happened to walk by", said the white villager lady.

"Why did you slap me?", the stepmother gets angry.

"Because you slap her?", the villager points her finger to the kneeling Tam.

"I was teaching my daughter".

"You called it teaching? I saw you scold her, then you slapped her. She is crying over there."

"Why don't you mention that you slapped me too?

"I hit you because you hit her, that's why."

"I slapped my daughter has nothing to do with you".

"Well, to live in this life, one needs a soul", the white villager lady is singing.

"Soul my ass", the stepmother holds the lady head then hit hard. They start scraping.

"Jesus, you want a fight?", yelled stepmother.

Tam tries to dissuade out of a war while Cam is sitting there and looking at the fighting. She pays attention nonchalantly, without emotion.

"Cam!", the stepmother demands.

"Yes,".

"She is hitting my shoulder", the stepmother calls for help.

Both of Tam and Cam join in that mess and try to split them. A scraping happens seriously. Four people are rolled in a circle has no exit. "Mother, please. I beg you...", Tam earnestly begging. She pulls her stepmother out of the fight, but the stepmother never wants to stop. She keeps beating a villager lady but says, "Oh my god, she hitting me". Finally, the villager disappears strangely.

Tam goes to the garden behind the house, her heart sank and broke into tears because her heart is full of injustice. Incidentally, a soothing wind blew against her skin, and when Tấm looked up, the Goddess man of Mercy appeared before her. Having seen her sufferings, the Goddess asks the girl to look up into her small box, she finds a golden fish there. He asks her to take care of it and feed well. Obeying what the Goddess tells her, Tam takes the fish to the well and feed it with what she can save from her meal. One time, the stepmother sees that the girl hidden something in the well, it is a reason for a happiness of the girl so well, the stepmother never likes that because she can not bear to see Tam happy. She waits for Tam going away, and slowly come to the well. She tries to speak out loud the exorcism for calling the golden fish, "Golden fish, come and eat my rice. Don't eat junk food from the stranger", she is speaking out while throwing rice into the well. When the golden fish outcrops, the stepmother swift-handed catch a golden fish then cooks it for dinner without hesitation. When Tam comes back home, as usual, she goes to get food for the golden fish. Although she calls for a long time, the golden fish never appears again. She knows that she has loosened the fish from now, she cries harder and the Goddess man occurs again. He does nothing to help her, but he is sitting down and cries with her. He gives her an empathy, a carefulness, many positive advice as a father talking with a daughter. She feels less hurt than ever before.

Time passes, and news has spread around about the grand celebration the King will hold. The eunuch comes down to the village to widespread to population. Everyone is gathering face to face with the eunuch, Cam runs fast to get there on time. Standing in the center of front village gate, he condenses, "Attention! People of Co Thien village, I have an announcement...". He has spoken for a moment until everyone leaves. Cam hurried to come back home,

"Mother!"

"What's up?", the stepmother sitting on the chair with wet feet that are being clean by Tam.

"Mother, the King is holding a special festival to choose a wife for the Prince", Cam replies quickly.

"Well, it's normal. It would be weird if the King is looking for a husband for the Prince. Don't mind their faraway Royal's business", the stepmother calmly says.

"It's not that. This time, all peasantry can participate".

The stepmother startles, jumps out the washing foot pot,

"What did you say?", she hasty.

"All peasantry can participate", Tam stressed a repetition.

"Mother!", Tam's voice tangs.

"I'm talking to Cam now", she ignores what Tam said

"I have important thing to say", Tam's breath was short.

"What?", the stepmother replies curtly.

"I was doing your manicure, and you suddenly pull your hand. Your...", Tam scares

"So?", the stepmother cut off Tam's mouth.

"Here's your nails", she shows off the red nail in front of her stepmother's face.

The stepmother is weak-kneed, "Tam has pulled my nail off! Jesus, I'm so miserable", she is yelling loud at Tam's face and whining on the floor.

"No, I just doing your manicure...", Tam plead with her.

"You dare to talk back!", said stepmother.

"I'm sorry...", Tam apologizes.

The stepmother doesn't give any careness to the pain. She entrusts her wound to Tam then turns to Cam's side

"This is your change. Cam, this is your chance, do you know that?"

"In this village, no one prettier than me", Cam sounds high-minded.

"I must be dead then", Tam joins into the conversation between them in an unawareness while banning the broken nail for her stepmother.

"Dang, you dare to compare with Cam now", the stepmother is chafing.

"Mother. Let me tell you this", Cam pushes her mother, "In the festival, all the girls will dress up nicely. And I... I only have this outfit", Cam said with a very sad mood, she bows her head down.

"Do you think I have two?", the stepmother seriously responses.

"That's the point", Tam as a kid of three years old, she acts kittenish, insist to have a new pretty dress, "You've got to invest me. You have to make me the most beautiful girl there. If I look uglier than them. I will kill myself now",

"How, show me", the stepmother challenges her.

"I will hit the pillow. I will die now", Cam acts like dummy.

"It looks so fake. If you want to die, you have to do it in a proper way", the stepmother is going around the room, talking while pointing at girls, touching every stuffs then throw one glass cup onto the floor. It breaks into many pieces, If you hit your head with all the blood spilling out, people will feel pity for you. Understand?", and Tam who is the one has to clean up.

"If you and Cam go, can you give a ride?", Tam talks slow to the stepmother.

"Yes," the stepmother said.

"So my mother lets you go, but I have to remind you, you must finish your chores first", Cam sharps tone, she sits down and rolls up sleeves.

"If the queen-to-be says so...", the stepmother begins a sentence of imagination.

"Who? Who is a queen-to-be?", Cam cut off her mother speech by a fool question.

"You,", The stepmother's mood decrease because of that fool question of her daughter. She still keep continues, she turns to Tam then continues,

"So the queen-mother-to-be will let you..."

"Who? Who is the queen-mother-to-be?", Cam keeps going on that such silly question.

"It's me. Ma'am!", the stepmother tired of answer her daughter.

"Ma'am?",

"Of course, it's me ma'am. Yes, I'm calling you ma'am. I'm queen-mother-to-be and you're queen-to-be. The queen-to-be is the Prince's wife. I'm your mom so I will be the queen-mother-to-be. You already said it so I will give her one chance. Got it?", the stepmother reinforced.

"If I don't give you a chance, people will think I'm evil", the stepmother said slow down and clearly, "Why are you still standing there? Go to the back of the house.", the stepmother chase her out of hearing their plan.

The day finally came and everyone was excited. The stepmother and Cam dress in luxury dress, everything is looked over than the gown they wearing at home. With the same color, but sprinkler, bigger and being stuck by much more beads on it. Two people of "making over trend" are standing in the front room of the traditional in the village, they are standing there and flirting, acting as if angels whose mind are loosen.

\- "Mother! I'm so worried,"

\- "What happened?"

\- "I'm afraid that out poor preparation, can't satisfy the Prince"

\- "Don't you worry. We both up to standards of beauty and tenderness".

The stepmother and Cam are excited to be ready about attending in the ball. Tam also looked forward to attending, she wears a lovely poor dress with the light color: a gentle yellow of camisole inside with a paler blue silk dress outside. She humble step up to the stepmother, graceful voice raised, "Mother! Can you please give me a ride to the festival?".

Cam gets angry. By the bad behavior she says, "Mother, she's putting on her festival outfit already". The stepmother replies quickly, "I can see it with own eyes", she yells at her, "You don't need to say it out". The stepmother comes to Tam, and consider carefully. She scans Tam from head to toes,

"Fine. So have you finished all your chores yet?"

"Yes. I have", Tam replies in gentleness.

"Cleaning the house?"

"Done,"

"Burning the house? Oops, sweeping the house?"

"Done,"

"Chopping the firewood?"

"Done,"

"Killing the python?"

"Done,",

"Very good. Now go to the back of the house and bring me a basket of black beans and basket of white beans. Go"

\- "Okay". Tam obeys and goes to the back to prepare everything.

Cam stays there, gets mad, stomping and crouchy, "Mother! What are you doing? Don't tell me that you will let her go to the festival. If you do, I will hang myself", Cam is screaming.

"My daughter, take a look,", the stepmother's finger point to the roof, "I've hung the rope there since the day I came in this house but I never had a chance to use. I hope, you won't turn me down".

"Mother, are you insane?", Cam is nervous about her mother speech.

"Only that would suit you! Always insist on killing yourself. I'm so fed up", Cam's mother is yelling at her, "If you die, then who do I live with? Cam!". Both of them start howling, crying as caterwaul which is kind of cowardice. "Here are the beans", Tam cuts off the plays of them, she comes with a basket of beans on hands. "Where?", the stepmother stops the tears easily and talking in a normal tone of her. She holds the basket,

"Oh my goodness! Why are they mixed together?"

"I couldn't carry both baskets so I put them together. It's easier to carry," Tam is innocently replying her stepmother.

"Mother! Why did you ask her to go fetch the beans?", Cam asks her mother.

"Oh my god! I plan to cook sweet black and white bean tea for the King. You've just screwed me by mixing them together. You have to separate them", the stepmother slowly pours all the beans in the basket onto the floor "White beans on one side, and black beans on the other side. If you don't finish yet, you will be dead". After finishing saying that, both of them laughing loudly. incidentally, a lady villager who has a white dress coming, she slaps at the stepmother's face a big sound, the stepmother hurts. With a hard tone, the stepmother and the lady argue,

The stepmother: "Jesus, what the hell?"

The villager lady: "Do you know that was so evil of you?"

The stepmother: "None of your business"

The villager lady: "I'm finding my way, but when I see this unjust and can't just standing and watch,"

The stepmother: "Why do you keep getting lost?"

The villager lady: "Let me tell you this. Whatever you do think about moral cultivation first,"

The stepmother: "My moral cultivation has nothing to do with you. Why did you come and hit me? Hey! The other days you stuck your nose into my business. I let it go. You were lucky that I spared your life"

The villager lady: "What would you do to me then?"

The stepmother: "Are you challenging me?"

The stepmother and the villager lady are getting fight again. The lady runs around the house, the stepmother and Cam try to chase her. They are running and running, then running out of the house.

Suddenly, the Goddess man of Mercy occurs on the wood bed in the front of the house, looking at Tam is sitting to separate the beans, he sings

Cry, cry, just go ahead and cry

Just, just, just go ahead and cry

Cry, cry more...

Tam hears a voice then she looks up, she sees the Goddess man singing, she smiles and claps her hands for supporting him. He sees that she doesn't cry, even she is interested, the man surprises and asks Tam,

"Why don't you cry?", the Fairy Godfather man is wondering.

"Why do I have to cry?", Tam's face is like a cute bunny. In an honest manner, she broadens her bright eyes forwarding to the Fairy Godfather man.

"To make me appear", the Goddess surprise to Tam's answer

"I didn't cry but you still showed up", Tam is excited about his appearance.

"Oh, I forgot. How much longer do you plan to sit there?"

"Until I finish", Tam keeps working with her fate and never complains.

"Jesus Christ, it could be up until New Year,", the Goddess is laying down and continues his thought, "Or after the New Year, it's end of January. New Year holiday is over, then it's Valentine Days, and International Women Day is up next, and you still haven't finished. Then it's March 19th, I will send an invitation card here. You will receive it and that's mean you haven't done yet. See?. Then it's the seventh month of the Lunar calendar, known as a Ghost month. After the ritual finish, you still haven't done. Then it's... Halloween. Suddenly, it's New Year holiday, and then it's Lunar New Year holiday again. It's gonna be two years. It takes you so long to pick the beans. There are 365 days in a year..."

"Fairy Godfather!", Tam calls him, "I almost done", she rejoices when she is about to finish.

The Goddess man is ecstatic, he runs forward to where is Tam sitting, and mixes everything up, "No way, put everything back in. This is a Little Girl"

"Fairy Godfather, I almost did while you were talking. Why do you mix them back together?", Tam says in a high tone but not angry.

"You aren't supposed to sit here picking beans. You're supposed to be at the festival".

No, my Mother will kill me if I don't finish", Tam's sad voice.

"Jesus, just leave it to me. Oh hey! Are you going to wear this to the festival?".

"This is the best outfit I have".

"I have a better one".

After that, the Goddess man magic a new beautiful dress for Tam and disappears.

Cam and her mother enter the palace. The festival is held seriously in a big luxury room, everything is decorated with colorful and twinkle things. The Prince is sitting in a solemn gold chair in the middle, many guard men standing around the room to protect the Prince. There is a dance group dancing with gold color hand fans, pink dress and beauty make up face. Their skill is perfect, they show the best performance to serve the Prince and everyone. The atmosphere in the room is full of music and words of civilians mouth. The eunuch speaks out loud,

"Attention! ", the dancing group stops their performance, they go back to their place, and every population gathers in horizontal line face to face with the Prince in a long distance. The eunuch continues, "Welcome everyone to our Royal festival today. Upon the Prince's new order, whoever shall fit their feet into this slipper, shall become his queen". The guards bring out a box which is covered by the red silk. The eunuch steps over and pulls it out, in front of everyone eyes is a golden slipper with diamonds are stuck on it.

"Everyone feel free to come and try the slipper", said the eunuch, "First one, please", "Next", "You look like a beggar, get back there". The eunuch invites each one, in turn, to find the wife for the Prince, but no one fits it.

"Enough!", the stepmother gets mad, "What's that? Not only the girls but also the guy trying, too. What about my daughter? Damn it. Your turn, Cam. Go!". Cam is ready to step in a boot tester, but Tam appears nowhere, just comes to find her slipper. She is wearing a fancy white dress which is made from a supper silk, she has a white lace coat, lightweight cover her shoulders. Her lips are red highlight in a white-pink face. Her head has a diadem, which is decorated with the lines of gold. She gingerly puts her foot on the slipper, shows another matched shoe to everyone and the Prince. The eunuch is exciting, "Your Majesty, this girl fits into the slipper". The Prince stands up, circle his eyes, step down and get closer to Tam, he holds her in his arms, says "Let's go wedding" in a shocking of Cam and her mother. They get out of that noisy place. "How about me?", Cam is speechless. The stepmother is faintings down. The atmosphere in the room from messed up and confused turns into "no one there".

Tam now is known as the Wife of the Prince who has power and is able to not come back to the house where the stepmother and Cam who always be evil to her. But a year later, she comes back to the house,

"Today, you have brought us a great honor by coming home and picking the betel leaves yourself for your dad's death anniversary. Be careful", the stepmother says gently to Tam, who is the Wife of the Prince now. Tam changes her clothes, she is wearing her own old one and climbing up that tree.

"Be careful, sister", Cam honestly.

Tam is still strong as she used to, she climbs to the top quickly, she brings a big knife with her to pick betel. But accidentally, she drops it down next to the tree stool. The stepmother asks her,

"Can you pick betel without a knife, Tam?", she worries about her.

"Sure, I can", Tam replies. She is too tired to get down and climb up again.

Cam comes to pick the knife up and says, "Mother, there are so many ants on the tree".

The stepmother hurry, uses that big knife hit the tree to chase a group of ants away. The tree is swinging, Tam looks down nervously,

"What are you doing, Mother?"

"I'm flicking away all the ants for you", the stepmother speaks up.

Tam starts to feel itchy, "Where did they all come from?"

"Watch out for the ants", the stepmother kills the ants on Tam's foot. She gives the knife in her hand to Cam who is standing behind her. The stepmother has been trying to flick the ants out of Tam's feet, Tam falls down. She died.

From then, all the villagers in the village criticize the stepmother that she kills her husband's daughter. The stepmother is sitting at the front door with sadness, she laments,

"I'll pray for the salvation of your soul".

Villagers who pass her place also give her the same quotation, "You're so evil for killing your own daughter. What an evil stepmother!", said one by one, second by second.

"There is never a bone in bread. As there is never love a stepmother has for her husband's child". She tries to explain to them, but no one listens to her. Everyone just comes to insult her and leaves her an ignorance her. She cries harder and harder, she screams in hopelessness. The Goddess man of Mercy appears,

"Why are you crying?"

"Who are you?", the stepmother surprisingly asks back.

"Fairy Godfather".

They become friend of each other, and have a small party. The purpose of it is confiding their mind. At night, they mess a drinking table, two people are sitting around it and being drunk.

"Do you see how messed up my life is?", the stepmother resentful.

"Life is always like that. It's never smooth", the fairy godfather says sounds sarcastic.

"You're just bluffing, just look at the smooth life of Tam," the stepmother is wondering while waving her body from the right to the left, following the drunk mood.

"Because she has never done anything bad", the Goddess man is laughing.

"So you said I always do bad thing", the stepmother is pressing, "Let me ask you. Am I evil or not? As you see. Everyone is putting pressure on me. Now the whole world thinks that I murdered my stepdaughter", she is screaming harder than.

"Alright, don't cry", the Goddess man slap the stepmother's shoulder as he wants to empathy to her, "Let's drink and forget about it. Bottom-up!"

The Fairy Godfather continues his sentence,

"On the occasion of my birthday last month. I'll give you this tree", he gives her a white dry tall tree, which has many branches at the top, they are pruning out many directions. At the center, there is one orange diamonds is brightening.

"What's that?", the stepmother holds that power tree in her hands.

"Actually I should've disappeared the moment Tam died. She would then reincarnate and go look for you. But after hearing you cry, I've sensed that you're having a big burden. So I decide to come back and give you this, so you can solve your burden of injustice", the Fairy Godfather rambles a long speech, and in an honest manner. He shows her how to use this tree.

"Do you really give this to me?", the stepmother asks in confuse.

"Of course!", the Goddess man gives her a friendly smile.

"Do you truly trust me?", the stepmother keeps repeating.

"If not, I wouldn't be sitting here drinking with you. Yes, I do trust you", the fairy godfather confirms again what he said is the truth.

The stepmother smiles, she looks at the tree for a few second, "You've made a mistake", immediately she doesn't wait to see his reflection, she points the tree to him and does a magic for disappearing him. She exults, holds the tree and stands up confidently. Again, she uses her magic to dress her more beautiful. Still a whole black dress with a black traditional hat. But at this time, it has a snack symbol on it. Bigger and more evil. Cam comes and knows that her mother has magic. Her mother promises to protect her from everyone who wants to hurt her. Two of them are now in the palace of the Prince by the magic of the powerful tree. By some miracle, all the people occurs in the same place also, include villagers, even the Prince and cannot miss Tam. She gathers everyone then asks,

"I just need one answer from you. Am I evil or not?"

One of the villagers boldly speaks up, "Swear that you won't kill us, we will give you your answer".

"All right, I will give you what you want", the stepmother decides easily, "I wear... If I kill you all then I... will have a lonely death", the stepmother locks her oath of not killing to people.

Because of the oath is certified, the population believe that and show out their thought about her.

"I'm done taking my vow, so you all can feel free to answer my question. Am I evil or not?", the stepmother repeats the sentence. The air changes to very hot, everybody is noisy, then the Prince volunteers to tell the truth,

"Evil! If you rank second on the evil scale, no one will dare to rank first", the Prince steps up, out of the crowd.

Behind, a voice of a man resounds, "That's right. There are these sayings, 'as the call, so the echo',". One more lady continues, Curses come home to roost". Another catches up, "One good turn deserves another". A villager lady steps up to the stepmother, "And you, you are much eviler. You asked Tam to climb the betel tree, then you chopped it to make her fall. And you keep saying you're not evil?", she talks loudly and clearly with the pejorative behavior. She receives all agreement from the population, "That's extremely evil", they are talking in loud. They make the stepmother scare, and she uses her lightly sound to calm down the crowd,

"Everyone, listen to me! Tam's incident while climbing the betel tree wasn't my fault", she explains slowly.

"Drop it!", one lady breaks in, "She wouldn't have fallen if it wasn't for you? She couldn't have fallen on her own".

Tam's face changes to other emotion. Her brown eyebrow lifts up, her eyes open round one more time, her lips seem to say something. The stepmother seizes the saying of that villager lady,

"Yes, she fell on her own", the stepmother still asserts but no one trusts her.

Tam is coming up, standing in front of everyone and renegotiating, "No. No. Guys, it was my fault. She didn't do anything", she is earnestly pleading. An old lady tries to persuade Tam to speak out the truth,

"Tam. Don't be scared. We will protect you now".

One more man captures that mood and keeps going, " Tell you what, since the day you came to this village, you've been the evilest person", talking while pointing at the stepmother.

"Right, stepmom never has any love for her husband's children", one by one condemns consecutively the stepmother.

"For these people, we have to criticize and eliminate", an oldest villager lady volunteer.

Following that burning water, everyone else together demonstrates the stepmother, press her to the end of the road, "Criticize!", "Eliminate!". The noise beats dizziness, she cannot be stand to listen to anything. The stepmother roars,

"Enough! Why you are all so noisy?", the stepmother gets angry, "To be honest with you all. It's wasn't me who is evil, it was... the social prejudice that destroyed me. Have any of you ever lived my life? Have you... ever endured what I had to endure? Huh?", the stepmother cannot hold her tears, she confides from the bottom of her heart. "I used to be just a normal girl like every other girl. My husband, he married me as the first wife ever, we had had a dream life of happy couple and one day, he married one more wife who is a mother of Tam. I was just standing behind, and watching them playing fun next to the well. Accidentally, the wife fell down, left him a daughter. Everybody who didn't know anything said I was a killer, even, I took care of Tam as my own daughter. After one year, I and my husband had a child who is Cam now. When he died, people outside again believed that I killed my husband by pushing him into the well, which was just an accident that he own made", the stepmother cries out loud, "No one knows that I am the most heartbroken person, no one empathize with me, no one can understand that how much ton of pressure that the single mom of two daughters as me carry heavily on my shoulders. Don't you know that I used to want to kill myself because of your mouth?". The stepmother is getting at the high of livid, "No one knows and no one cares!", she jumps the power white tree hard on the floor. The stepmother continues her story, "I have never been a good person in your eyes. You put the hatred on me. It has led to my life today. No one ever recognized my good deeds, but when I did something bad, it got spread out really fast. What do you want from me? How do you want me to live my life?", the stepmother roars as the constant roar, that scares everyone in the silence.

"It just a consequence of what you have done. Don't blame it on anyone,"

"That's right. Tell you what, even you can use your magic now but we're still not afraid of you!"

"You might be holding power but what are you gonna do? Killing everyone here?"

The stepmother was trashed by the population's mouth, no one wants to forgive and understands her. The Prince strongly frustrated,

"A fox may grow gray, but never good. You may kill me today, but you can't stop me from fighting against you", he leads, "Everyone, throw at her".

Following to attack the stepmother, they throw dirt into the stepmother's dress, they throw tomatoes, potatoes even coconuts. They throw everything they have. Cam runs in front to protect her mother, even Tam tries her best to prevent people but she also hopelessly. Two daughters get in line in front of her mother two help her don't be thrown at, they are crying and beg for forgiveness and no effect. A wrath of the stepmother is over, she makes a big sound then kills everyone. People disappear, her two daughters also. Just only she who is the one sitting on the chair with the powerful white tree holding on her hand. She is spacing out on looking around the room covered by loneliness. She tries to call someone, "Tam!" but a slow time, silent sound make she realize that she is completely alone now. She looks lost her mind, she stands up but can not keep balance, then she kneels strongly. Her face shows full of compunctious. She dropped her powerful tree on the floor. Breaking sounds of the orange diamond break a silence of the room. And when it stops, everything turns to a sad color of her dying in loneliness. She is old.

"Slap!", a sound of slapping face.

"What...? Why do you still keep following me?", the stepmother talks to the lady just slap at her face who is a villager lady has a beautiful white dress.

"Why did everyone died but you?"

"I've told you much time already. I'm just a village girl who got lost and walked by. Got lost?"

"Hey, were you born to get lost? You got lost your whole life!"

"The same as you", the lady replies, "you spent your entire life wandering about in your mess of mistake".

"Who are you?", the stepmother recognizes something wrong, "Now I pay more attention, you appear occasionally, you slapped me then got beaten to death. Aren't you afraid of me? You still keep sticking your nose into my business. Who are you exactly?

"

"Do you want really to know? Actually, I am you. I'm your own conscience to be exact. In fact, there is always something deep down inside you called compassion. Every time you do something bad, I will appear to stop you, but you never stop being evil. Anyway, I keep thinking that 'people at birth are naturally good'," after that the lady disappear in a second. The stepmother seems to be able to figure the truth of her life but it's too late. She moves her eyes around and incidentally, her head hanging down and died.

After a long sleep, living in that fearful dream, the stepmother wakes up. Her heart beating hard, she doesn't know where she is, she looks for something familiar to keep calm herself. After that, she stands up and runs out to the river finding her two daughters are fishing under the hot sunlight,

"Tam! Cam!", she calls her daughters. Because of running so fast, then she falls down.

"What happened? Mother!" said Tam

"Nothing," the stepmother smiles gracefully, "Today, I will help you two catch shrimps. Do you agree that? Let's go, guys".

Tam and Cam look at each other surprisingly, they don't know why her mother is so strange. Strange by the way of positivity. From that day, the stepmother gets out of the black savage dress. She dresses a normal light pink outfit go to the field working. She changes her mind and tries to get fit in village social. The story is ended here.

The Goddess man of Mercy, "You see that? Don't wait for people to do bad things then punish. We have to approach and persuade them from the start. And this is the end of a story. I wish you all a life full of happiness".

*****
The Final Judgement

Gabriel Vasconcellos

This story takes place at Kansas, in 1759, when I was taking care of a little boy, and that night was different, I could feel it, the moon was shining very strong and was really cold so I started to make a soup to split between me and Carl (the little boy), so that time I've heard something weird outside of the house but still close.

Carl was frightened about it so I said to him that I was going to see what the problem was when I got out the house to see, I just saw a shadow running around, and then that just gone. So I got inside again, and I did not see Carl, I got despair because was my responsibility take care of him, then I start to look for him in the entire home, but nothing, the bell just rang, so I ran to the door, when I open the door I just saw a nest with the baby rolled there.

He seemed good but when he opened his eyes was totally black! I got so scared because that was not normal, he was looking like a demon baby, but somehow I knew exactly what I had to do, so the first thing that I did was the call to a friend who knows a lot about demons and things about it. So I did one devil's trap and put the baby over there, this way, ha can't move or try to spell nothing, then I started to make poison to try to calm the baby down because he was crying so much and I can understand him because he was with a demon inside him trapped and at the same time I needed to do my stuff to help.

About three hours after, I just did the poison and now my mission is put it on his mouth because anyways I have to enter on the devil's trap and so if he tries to do something with me, he can. So, to protect myself I drew enchain symbol that way I could protect myself (at least a few) and then I entered the circle.

For a second the baby just stopped to cry and the baby looked like dead. But a few minutes ago the baby just opened his eyes but this time he wasn't crying, actually, he seemed like dead, but a few minutes after he just opened his eyes, and still with the Black eyes. So then I had to call Din and Sam, old friends... and they said that they are going to come to my house and figure it out. About 2 hours Din called me to get updates about how I was doing with the baby, I was at my room so I went back to main room and the baby was not there anymore and I could notice the door was open, so someone was in my room minutes ago, so I was waited Din come, when he went I was crazy, because I did not know what to do.

Din sat at a table with me and he started to explain his plan to get the baby over, we basically were going to do a spell to call the demon and make a deal. I had to follow some rules and find some ingredients (some bones and dead fish) and after that, I have to go to a crossroad and bury this with a box. So I was just following what he said and I got everything and put the box there, 5 seconds after, one woman showed up and we made the deal.

Just after that I found out that the woman was a demon and Din did not tell me anything, but anyways the deal was done, so we got home again, but another problem comes up, some angel just blocked the demon spell because he wanted to keep the baby safe because that baby was special and so powerful to come be in my hands, and I got demons and angels ready to fight and I had no idea how to figure that out.

I went home to ask help for Din, so I got home and somehow he already knew that i guess because was a sunny day, and then in a few seconds started to rain and wind so hard, and was going crazy with that kind of situation. Din knew how to protect us at least for one day until we got more data about how to sweep up this mess. He did a big circle with salt around the room and if we stay inside of it any demon can get us, but the problem was, how we are going to escape, if we just run out of the circle the demon can easily get us, but we saved our lives he cut his finger and drew a symbol at the floor and said some Latin words, so a white light come up and we teleported to an old house was in a peaceful place and really far from the center of the city.

That house had a lot of crazy and monsters books and one old guy there, I could not notice so much in that room because I got scared about that, but Din said that we was safe there at least for a week, because we helped to build that house and so he wrote some enchains symbols to protect the house against angels and some devil's trap to put the demons away, after this Din introduced the old man who was there, His name is Fergus and he is a hunter(actually an old hunter) , but he could not walk so he said that he is just a fountain of knowledge, that is why he has a lot of books, to not get behind and help Din , because Fergus considers Din like a son, Years ago Fergus and Din's father worked together in a case in Texas and Din's father never come back and Fergus take this guilty for himself.

Nowadays he reads a lot guy trying to find something to bring him back, and for this moment he will help us to get out of this situation. He said we are safe in his house for a while, and we can use this time to look up at the books how to solve this big problem, so we started to read the books and we found some things there, but was almost night and so we started to cover the house with salt, just to make sure that we are safe. After that Fergus found a ritual to summon a man half angel, half demon, but for that one of us had pay with our soul, that is so deep and also a hard choice, so I said that I was going to do that because I just started it at all, then Fergus did the ritual and in a flash that guy showed up with a malignant smile (like trident but mad) , so I explained the situation and the did the deal.

A really strong wind just started and a lightning comes up, this time the salt line was going with the wind and all windows there just got broke, so some symbols who was protecting the house was not effective anymore, the demons started to surround the home, and somehow any angel was there. So half angel half demon snapped his fingers, and all demons started to scream so loud, and then one demon somehow just got inside of the room, when I saw him he was carrying the baby (the demon baby) and he was smiling like a happy clown, so the demon gives the baby to the dealer and the baby looked at me and started to laugh so hard and then he just opened his little black and orange jacket and exploded the entire room ,everyone there got dead , and a few minutes ago one angel outside noticed everything, and then he said it to the God's scribe and he filled it in a box that was written "Cold case".

The Future That Mirror Reflects

Shintaro Kawamitsu

The full moon in the sky. The cool wind is blowing faintly. A man is standing the bluff which cannot see the underground. When the wind stopped, one shadow fell in the dark.

The boy lives in the deep forest. His name is Kemono. He lives in the big house. The fancy entrance, brilliant chandeliers, marble floor, a dainty sculpture, all thing in his house. He had everything, and he is fixed for his life. But, there is something in which he doesn't have only one. he doesn't have mirror, just mirror. He lives by himself. He is lonely, though he lives in the big house, He doesn't have friends. Besides, he have never met somebody, even his parents. He doesn't have emotion. He doesn't know happy, sad, love, and all of sense.

One day, Kemono found a secret room in his garret. Many books, including history, novel, academic, love story, family story, anyway a lot of book in there. He read all of books. He was completely drawn into these books. And he learned many emotions from these books as if he were very dry sponge in the water.

After that, his life was completely changed. He can feel happy about for happy thing, and also he fan about his life. His life is starting brightly.

The yellow sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees, blue lake, and green wind, all of these are beautiful for him. He always goes outside and he learn a lot of things from nature. He loves to learn anything. But, his heart was not always satisfied. He doesn't know the reason why.

He run fast between the green huge tree, exactly he was fan.

One day, Kemono decided to go to the town that he looked on his book. According to his book, it takes 6 hours from his house to town by walk. It is so hard for common people to wake 6 hours on the mountain, but it's not hard for him, because he always run around steep cliff and slope. He is going to gather some fruit, it is pink fruit looks like peach but sweeter than peach as if dropped in the sugar and wait two days, anyway he goes to gather the most delicious fruit in the world for the people lives in town to be deepen engagement. It is hard to find that fruit, but he was willing to do. He was looking forward to seeing many smiles.

He began walk to the town when the sun rises at the early morning. The birds are singing. All things in the town way looks like happy.

Kemono entered the town's gate. Yellow flower, store's white signboard, a gray well-paved road, green park, there are good town as well as he expected.

The thing that he wanted are all in there. He was so excited about all of thing that will happen. But, something is strange here. He found it soon. Looks someone lives there, but nobody here. He walks around town for a while, finally he didn't meet somebody, even only one person. He thought something happen and they have gone somewhere, then he gives up meeting resident. He put the fruit in front of the all house, and he back home.

After Arrived his house, Kemono cannot give up making friends. And he decided to go town again. He tried to go to town many times. It was four times. Even through rainy, windy, any weather, he goes. But, the result was always same. At the five time, he entered the someone house. When he opened the front door, the sounds with a creaky door affected in the house. He called many times, but there were no answers. As he thought, nobody in there. But, he found one weird thing. There are some dishes on the table. These are still worm as if just before the meal. He thinks that they will come back soon because the dishes here. And he stayed the couple of time. But, there are no signs by which everyone appears. When he is going to go to give up to waiting, he found a picture near the window. They look so happy. Put up his face, there is a mirror on the shell. He saw his face. This is the completely first time to watch his face by himself.

His face is not human's one. His face is very ugly compare the people who are on the picture. He was surprised and found.

"People who lives in town are don't here, my bad. My face is ugly like this, they afraid me and run away."

Kemono was very sad. He has never done for people, but people run away from him.

He back to the home, and write down about his feeling. And, he out from the home.

The full moon in the sky. The cool wind is blowing faintly. Kemono is standing the bluff which cannot see the underground. When the wind stopped, one shadow fell in the dark.

Now, I'm going to write about myself.

I was lonely whole my life time. I just want to talk someone. But, they run away from me. What I did? I just want to make friend, and talk with them, but they run away from me. Is this fate? or human nature? I don't like this world. There is no mean to live this world.

I'm tired.

Kemono

*****
The Main Character Friend

Briana Kang

Of all the novels and stories, the main character love consists. Then, Will the love of the people around the main character be fulfilled?

"Soyi!" Luna said "...." "Soyi. where did you look at?" She keeps asking "...." "Hey! Soyi!" "huh?" I said. I look vacantly the window it's almost done winter. Is he there? Is he playing basketball today? I laughed like a goofy grin. Of course, why not you always coming to play. I have my hands on my chin, see Loey properly and Luna come to class sit front of me and she gives white cream bread and banana milk than she calls me but I can't hear that so she pettish.

"Where did you look at?" Luna said "nothing," I said "Nothing? No, you are a liar, I think you like someone so you look out right! So who, who is it?" she said, "I said to you later," I said "you are so cheap," she said and she faces a regretful. I took her face and I got a laughed she so cute.

Luna has a pretty face, smart, and kind so everyone like her and she is my childhood friend so we always going together. A lot of boys like her so, some of the guys come to me and then they said can you introduce me to Luna so, I was not interested in men but now I have a like someone so Luna was so curious "hum. I think Chen is not also Ray is, not right?" she said, "yes they are not, they just friends," I said "... then, wait I got it. It's him! his name is Lo..Loey?" she said "Haha," I act like forced smile and then Luna clapped her hands and laughed.

After we stand close window and look outside they finished play basketball Loey sweating his blue sports towel and he looks here. I was so surprised so I hide like a squirrel but Luna move her hands and said hi to him she doesn't know him but she acting friends and she grabs me my hands and raises me up. We look each other and he smiles at me and he moved his hand.

The bells ring science teacher called Luna so she goes to the science lab and I sit down the desk and look Chen and Ray playing. Chen looks at me and he eyed me doubtfully. "So, who do you like?" Chen said I ignored him and lay down desk because of his really sharp-sighted, but Chen grabs my face and pulls my cheek "ah stop!" I said "tell me," Chen said, "wow Soyi like someone?" Ray said and his eyes twinkle "No I don't like someone" I said "No you always see we play basketball who is it? Wait, it's me?" Chen said "no not you," I said.

"Soyi!" Luna opens the door and runs to me and she whispered: "I meet Loey, I said hi to him and he knows our name!" "talk to us too! What what is it?" Ray said "It's playing basketball with you guys," Luna said "ah in there me is best," Chen said "what the...? I am best too" Lay said, "Wait... It's Loey?!" Chen said. I was quite embarrassed at Chen saying. "Aye, what did you say, Chen not him," Ray said "Oh yeah... I'm wrong," Chen said the reaction has been zip. "what's wrong them? So stupid" Luna whisper "Yes they are" I little laugh.

After we doing rock scissor paper for buy snack, they put to paper and I put rock. I'm going to the cafeteria and buy a lot of snacks. I hold snack but I can't see the front so I move slowly but I dropped some snack. My face got tearful, I pick up a snack slowly because I don't want to drop other snacks and I touched someone's hand. I was astonished so I dropped all snacks. "Hi," Loey said, "ah..Hi!" I said "I know you are name its Soyi! Right?" he said, "Yes!" I said "are you going to class?" he said and I nod my head. He holds my snack and walks my side.

We come to class he gives me a snack and smile "goodbye and If we meet then said 'hi'" he said, "Oh., okay!" I said "Is she make a food...why she not coming...?" the door is open and Luna Chen came out and Chen look me and Loey and his face make a wry face I don't understand why his face like that. Luna comes and she pokes me and smile. Loey back to his class I was so happy. After we finished eat we clean the table and Luna go to the bathroom. Chen come to class and said "Do you really like Loey? Don't like him" Chen said "I introduce my friend do you know Jin? His really kind and..." he said. "Shut up clean this, I wash my hand," I said.

I'm going to the bathroom and wash my hand but Luna is not in there so I wonder and I hear someone talk "so..." "..." that voice I heard a lot of time so I look downstairs and I see the Loey and Luna. "I really agonize..." Loey said "..." "I like you, Luna," he said and "will you go out with me?" I can literally feel my heart thump when I hear his voice. "I'm sorry I can't go out with you," Luna said my tears trickle down and Luna look here and I run out "Soyi!!" she said. Why I'm not Luna, why I'm just her friend Why I open the classroom and pack my bag. Ray was embarrassed and Chen said "I'm sorry, I see you like someone first time so I can't tell you" I feel choked up and I go out class I meet Luna. it is not her fault but now I'm little upset with her.

"Hey, Soyi eat dinner!" Mom said "No thanks, I don't want to eat," I said I'm so thankful about tomorrow is Saturday. I don't want to meet everyone at the school and I know about I'm really like Loey because now I don't like luna How I can do that? Luna was childhood friend so we know 16 years but this time Loey like her so I don't like Luna. my acting is the novel's who hate bad girls. I really give up for like Loey...? I'm so annoyed with me.

Monday was coming I'm going to school and meet Luna but I can say anything to her. "Did you fight with Luna? She really supports you are love" Chen said "I knew... " I said "then talk to her she really worries about you," Chen said "Okay," I said. I stand up and that time the doors open and Loey come to class and go to Luna and give to her bread and milk. "Luna eat this you didn't eat breakfast," Loey said and Luna look at me "No thanks, I don't want to eat," she said. She comes to me "Soyi would you please talk to me?" and I nod head.

We go outside but we didn't say anything few minute ago Luna open her mouse "Soyi, I'm so sorry" she said "I know this is really bad but... I like Loey too... last week he comes and consoles me I'm... I'm so sorry" she said "Why...you support my love... Don't like him" I said, "I like first you give up I'm still like Loey so you give up!" I screamed "I'm sorry Soyi I'm sorry," she said and crying "why are you crying? The melting mood is me...why!! Don't like him don't!" I said "I think we are not a friend," Luna said that word is really hurt to me that means she chooses Loey.

That time someone said "that's why" it's Loey and he passes me and goes to Luna look her and he grabs Luna and said "Soyi, I don't like you I like Luna" and he looks at me really cold and he took Luna. I just stand alone I lose my friend and my love. Chen comes to me "are you okay Soyi?" he said and I start crying.

Next day Chen and Ray don't talk to Luna and Loey. they are really close more than me but Chen and Ray ignore Luna and Loey. Chen always follows me and if I see Luna and Loey I got a tear so he takes me the different place. We never reconcile after we graduate. I think we can reconcile but I can't because I like Loey more than Luna so I know love is broken for friendship and everything.

*****

The Secrets of the Necklace

Josefine Munk

When I woke up it was still completely dark. The other side of the bed was empty. My arms stretch out, seeking his body, but finding only the freezing blanket. He must have slept bad and walked to the woods to find some firewood. Of course, he did. Our little unborn kid can't be cold. I raised and sat on the edge of the solid bed which was hard as concrete. I stretched my sleepy body. ''Only one month Berry. Only one month left,'' I said to my round and big belly. I looked down at the white blanket, that was not white anymore. It was filled with small bloodstains. ''Not again I whispered to myself. I took a napkin and dried my nose that dripped with blood. I walked with sauntering steps over to the dilapidated window. I closed my eyes and imagined a green and gorgeous nature full of giant and healthy trees. Long grass that smells of summer. Blue sky filled with fluffy and white clouds. Birds in all colors that were singing across each other. I felt like bunch butterflies were flying around in my body. I smiled. ''Oh, I'd wish.'' All I was looking at right now was abandoned buildings, grey grass, sad trees and as usual the foggy weather.

I walked out to what was supposed to be our kitchen but only was a sink, fridge, stove and a little brown table. I found a paper bag on the floor. I the bag lay some old bread. I smiled. If you were lucky the local bakery store had some bread that they can't sell because it's too old, and if you ask nicely the give some of it to you. That must have happened for Josh. I took two plates in the woody cabinet. After, I walked over to the only electronic thing we had. Our radio. I turned it on. While I was listening to the Capitals daily announcement, came Josh walking in from the front door with his wavy brown hair, chiseled jaw and a lot of firewood stacked on his muscled arms. I got eye contact with his warm brown eyes and his soft and silky lips meet mine in an intense kiss. Before we even got to say something to each other, we got interrupted by a loud sound from the radio.

''This is an announcement to all in District 7. I repeat to all in District 7. We in the Capital have made a decision. It's going to affect all in the District.'' I looked nervously at Josh. He took my hand and squeezed it.

''We have decided to close down the District. It will take place as follows, in exactly 48 hours the District will be gone. As you know we will eradicate you all in alphabetic order. Only if you have enough money, you can pay us for taking you to another district. Thank you for your understanding.'' It became quiet.

''YOU DON'T HAVE MY UNDERSTANDING.'' I yelled with a powerful voice. I ran outside and slammed the door after me.

I sat on a bench near the wood. I always sat here when I need time to think. I didn't have any sense of what time it was. I knew I didn't have time to sit here, but it was like my body was frozen. I didn't want to move. I turned my head looked towards the deserted city. It's here I've grown up, and it's here I want my child to grow up. I was now sure. I want to fight for my district. I walked out to the local meeting point in our town. I saw a lot of desperate people who ran confused and scared around with bags and some of their personal belongings. I looked at the big gold watch on the Town Hall. 3 hours have passed since the announcement. I wondered when they would begin the eradication. On my way home I met Josh, we gave each other a big hug, and bursted into tears. He laid his hand on my belly. ''It all going to work out, Berry,'' he said gently.

While we were walking, to figure out what we needed to do, we saw the first terrible thing. The first human dissolved. It was the scariest thing I've ever seen. A beautiful innocent young human and then out of nothing it dissolved into dust. I actually knew her. I used to see her when I was younger. When we all played and had fun. We always got eye contact, but it was like we both was too shy to say something. I didn't know her name, but I would probably guess it started with an A. And now we realized that the eradication has begun.

We all walked around lost and with no idea what to do. And that was when this thing happen that just must not happen. I felt like I lost a lot of weight. And when I looked at Josh he stood speechless and all whites in his face. His eyes was stocked to my belly. I looked down. It was flat. No big ball. No baby. No Berry. I screamed. I screamed loud, very loud. In my frustration, I got very confused about how it could happen. How could an unnamed and unborn child dissolve.

''Why Berry,'' Josh yelled.

''Berry,'' I repeated after Josh.

''Yes, I know. You don't have to remind me again,'' He said. But that was when I realized why the baby was gone. All the time, since we knew I was pregnant, we have always called it Berry. Even though we don't know if it is a girl or boy. I felt like my heart was broken into a million pieces.

We was now more lost than ever. I was lost in my own mind. I suddenly felt something under my shirt. It became warm and sweaty. I looked down at my breast and saw my necklace was lighten up, like a beautiful blue sapphire. I took it up in my hand. This was a necklace I got from my grandma, when I was a kid. When she gave it to me she said ''This my girl, is a 150 years old. I got it from my mom when I was a kid, and know it's your job to take care of it.'' Since then, I have weared it all day, but I've never seen it like this. I took it in my hand. It felt like it wanted to take me somewhere. I walked towards the town, but it tore me in the other direction. It led me into the wood. Into a place I've never seen before. A beautiful idyllically place with a small peaceful waterfall, pretty brown deer who stood and ate from the healthy grass. In a moment I forget everything about the stressful situation I was in. It was like this necklace knew me more than everyone else. Near a tree stump a little thing was lightning up. If it wasn't for the blue lightning I wouldn't have seen it. It was micro. I took it up in my hand and studied it. It looked like it has fallen off from somewhere. I looked down at my necklace again and realized it was the same blue color. I got confused but also very curious, so I looked closer to my necklace. I found a little place on my necklace that was missing. In one hand I now stood with my own necklace where there was missing a piece, and in my other hand I stood with a little piece that had the exactly same color. It was obvious, that the micro lightning piece was the missing piece from my own necklace. Even though I was extremely inquisitive, I also was anxious. But what was the worst that could happen. I just lost my child, and our District are going to disappear, and so am I. I didn't really felt that I have choice. I took the piece and placed it on the missing place on my necklace.

Everything around me became black. I was totally baffled. My necklace was still lighting up, but it wasn't enough light to see where I was. I was too scared to move my feet. In the distance I could hear some footsteps. Without thinking about I grabbed my necklace and squeezed it, in hope of getting back. Nothing happened. I was still stock in the black room. The sound of the footsteps became louder. A shadow of something that could look like a woman became visible. In a way she looked like me. She looked the same age as me. She now stood in front of me. Her thin lips dissolved and she said ''Don't be scared, I'm only here to help you.''

I was speechless.

''Listen dear,'' she continued.

''I was in your situation for 150 years ago. I am from district 5. I'm dead know, but they called me down, and gave me the message that I have to help you. You are the chosen one,'' she said.

''Why me?''

''I can't really answer that. All I know is that we both went through the same thing, and I saved our District, so they think that you can do the same, and I will help you through,'' she smiled.

''I can't do that. It is too much pressure.''

''It's your choice. You can choose to try to save your lovely District and try to get your baby back. Or you can choose to be a weakling and let everyone die. It's up to you,'' she said with a now more upset voice. She was right, but I didn't know if I could make it. The only thing I've done before where I felt like a hero, was when I was 9 years and saved a cat from a tree.

While I was thinking about my decision, the foreign girl interrupted me and said, ''you are bleeding from your nose.'' Not again, I thought while I tried to dry it with my sleeve.

''Does this happen a lot?'' She asked.

''Yeah, It happens sometimes.''

"Be careful, the same happened for me when I was alive, and I died from it."

"It's nothing, I'm fine,'' I said and tried to ignore what she just said.

''Okay, listen carefully,'' she said. ''The necklace that you are wearing, was the same I had 150 years ago.'' She continued, ''when we come back to the wood in a second, I'll be by your side, you would not could see me, but you can hear my voice, and then I will guide you through all this. Are you ready?"

"I'm not sure that I can do this," I said.

"It's up to you sweetheart." And the she turned around and started walking away.

"No, wait. I'll do it."

We were now back in the wood, the same place as before. It was still peaceful. This was my dream place. A voice interrupted my daydreaming. It was her. I couldn't see her, I could just hear her bright voice.

''Open your necklace,'' she said. I did what she said even though I didn't knew that the necklace had that function. Out from the necklace full of secrets came a little crumpled piece of paper.

''Take it!'' The bright voice said now with a desperate tone. I did what she said again, and I took the piece, unrumpled it and saw some sentences.

''Now you have to read out loud. Very loud,'' she continued. I looked at the paper again and prepared to read the words.

''I am the chosen one. I will fight for my district,'' I said out loud, but nothing happened.

''You have to yell it. Yell it like you mean it.'' I tried again and this time with the full power of my lungs. ''I AM THE CHOSEN ONE. I WILL FIGHT FOR MY DISTRICT.'' And this time it worked. Everything stopped. Even the birds on the sky stopped. The trees stood still. The waterfall stopped. Everything stopped.

''What is happening?'' I asked.

''You have now showed that you mean this, and you believe in this. You know have to go behind this waterfall, and when you pass it, you will see a rock wall with an empty spot. Then you have to place your necklace in that empty spot, and then I don't want to spoil the end,'' she said with a smile on her voice. And then her voice faded out. The waterfall, I ran over through the still standing waterfall and saw the rocky wall. The little empty hole was there in the middle, right in front of me like she said. I hesitated for a moment, and doubted a little. Will this really work, I asked myself. But it definitely was worth a try, so I took my necklace off, gave it a gentle kiss, and placed it right at the empty spot. It fitted perfectly.

12 Month later.......

We sat on the green grass. Around me the trees were swinging in the soft breeze. The sun's rays, from the clear blue sky, warmed my sun kissed skin. We were all flat of laughter. Beside me sat the love of my life. Josh. He looked at me and stroked a piece of my orange hair behind my ear. In front of us sat the love of our lives. Berry. Her orange hair that looked like mine. Her brown eyes that looked exactly like Josh. Her perfect smile and her warmth heart that looked exactly like us. You are not in doubt that she is our daughter. Berry looked worried at me. ''Mommy, you are bleeding from your nose,'' she said and pointed at the dripping blood. Not again.

The very end.

I looked down on my beautiful daughter and my fiancée. It is my birthday. I wish I could celebrate it with them. Instead I can watch this beautiful view. I looked down at the little beautiful spot in the wood. The place where I saved my District. Josh took her Berry's hand. I could hear Josh's voice, ''Lay this flower on mommy's gravestone.'' And that was exactly what she did.

*****
Time for a Hero

Henry Paz

In a beautiful kingdom called Zekrania in which technology, and religious beliefs were very advanced, but it was only used for military and war purposes, so only shields and weapons were created based on minerals and divine powers conferred by the gods of Zekrania.

There was a teenager named Shawn, was a 17-year-old, always carrying the typical blue robes of the village where he lived, had black hair with a blue tuft, tall in stature, and had a somewhat strong personality in addition to excellent bow skills and the sword, rode with an excellent style and had more resistance than ordinary people, and from his birth always carried on his neck, a necklace with a very peculiar figure.

This boy did not know his parents, since Shawn was left at the door of a foreign home when he was small, reason why the owners of this house called Reina and Henrique decided to become their adoptive parents.

As Shawn grows, he realizes that his only desire was to know why his parents had abandoned him. Adoptive parents tell Shawn a story of why they believe they gave him up for adoption in the early stages of his life;

Henrique recite: "When you came to the doors of our home, we felt that the gods had given us the best gift of the universe, because your eyes glowed golden and we felt divine blood running through your veins, you were a miracle since your mom in addition to all these problems, in the kingdom, very dangerous events began to take place, in the center of the kingdom where the royal castle of the Zekran family is located, it began to emit an evil aura that destroyed everything in its path leaving as Result the death of any living being nearby. The King, together with his wife and daughter, sent all the soldiers to remove every resident from the citadel at the entrance to the castle, fortunately all could leave alive from the center of the kingdom, and ask yourself? How could the royal family know what would happen to the evil aura? Haha little Shawn, for I will tell you that Princess Emily Zekran was born with the powers of one of the 5 gods that exist called Urian, who possesses the magic of power and Life, and Emily's golden hair shine strongly like gold when something important is about to happen."

Shawn says "Yes, Papa, but how did King Sebastian and Queen Phanel know that the evil aura that you say was the 'bad thing to happen'?"

Henrique comment "Son, there is a legend that reads as follows: 'When the princess reaches the age of 17 a great dark power will begin to emerge from the heart of the kingdom, extending little by little to cover everything with overflowing darkness,' but what made them realize that the darkness would emerge was that Emily's hair kept shining at intervals of 1 hour which meant that something very bad was approaching."

"Papa, Mama, because all of this, my real parents had to leave me?"

*****
Treason and Treasure

Alexandra Delgado

Ms. Thompson the carefree lady, the one person that always wore expensive clothes even when she didn't provide food for her family, the woman who was always screaming at the only person she had, her son. The parent you would never met a scholar meetings. The person who you never get a smile back. Was missing.

The morning before that day, she was sitting in her backyard meanwhile she was holding on her fingers a flavored cigarette giving instructions in how David should prune the lawn.

The next and the last memory I have about her and I still can see her face through the glass door, how she ended up that night at 11:30. I was throwing a party to celebrate my BFF birthday, we were just a few good friends, the atmosphere was quite good to be a burial or the kind of silent meeting with people talking about the weather or sharing food recipes. The music was not loud at all, then we come to a problem my friend Daniel stopped his car in front of my house in the other side of the street which means he was blocking miss Thompson's garage even when she didn't drive one, 5 minutes later there she was knocking on my door, and the instant I open it and I saw a furious look in her old brown imposing eyes that made me think of a polite way to tell her that I assumed the responsibility of the bad parked car, and instead of that she entered without an invitation and told me she was looking for her son who didn't answer the phone, and me and my brother were the guilty ones due to his close relationship with my brother but he was not at home and I supposed neither his son was, she was incredulous saying she saw him going to the back of my house and in fact they could have enter the to the basement by the back door of the house so we all decided to go look for them, but we found nothing until my friend reached David's phone, she was furious he have left the phone.

No one had a clue of where they were, our car was at the garage, they couldn't have gone far they both are too lazy to walk and David wouldn't have left the phone to go somewhere else so I concluded to watch at my brother's bedroom. Then Stephanie called, there at the basement was something she was not sure of seeing before on the rug there was a piece teared up and a little displaced when I kneeled I found a spot on the rug that was more than just covering the floor, in that moment my friend asked me if we had a secret place under it, I was wondering the same question. When I lift a part of the rug there was something that looked like a nob I could not believe it, there was a stair leading to darkness, I had to respond: the only way to know what is going on is to get a light and explore this mysterious passage. She remained quiet and follow us downstairs there I could notice a lot of halls not wide but long as labyrinths and we started the search for our relatives.

Everyone was wondering if the two boys were exploring for fun after finding out the place was full of shields, helmets, bones, dust and spider webs or if they have been knowing and came here frequently.

We were walking in a straight line, calling my brother and listening to some kind of sewer system, in a constant despair to find them.

After 5 minutes, there was a far sound like a ringing bell and I knew it was my brother's tone, so we started yelling his name and he called us back and when we finally met, both were okay but concerned in how we got there, for miss Thompson only madness was the description not worry. Their approaches were unlike we thought, they have discovered it two weeks before, but they didn't want us to know because they thought it was a serious matter to keep it secret there were treasures and they didn't want others to steal them since not even them have taken a piece. And now I can understand that David didn't share this information with his mother.

Six years ago, it was the perfect season to shop pumpkins, vanilla scents or pecan pies, when orange it's the color in trend; David came to my house in the time before my parents gave us the house and move twenty minutes from here, my house was his home. He came crying, all because of his mom, he did not want to tell us why no matter how much we insisted we couldn't do anything else for him, he said he wished he could have a better mother, one that love him and not only punish him for what he did wrong, what for her meant all.

Now everyone was quiet not knowing what to do until my brother spoke, he wanted us to remain silent about this and to observe more about the halls. We felt it was correct to keep it as a secret but for miss Thompson I wouldn't say the same.

They guided us through a long passage with some candles that they have use to illuminate the rooms at it sides. There were old tables, wooden chairs, and cans with what seemed like diamonds, silver and gold covered with dust.

My brother made us promise we wouldn't say a word about that and so my friends and I did during the last years.

Going upstairs was not easy but we have spent too long down there that we needed some fresh air and for my friends they had to leave.

The next days we kept going to the marvelous halls to learn more about what possible civilizations could have live there but for my brother and David it was the most interesting thing and it was them discover. The results of their search were amazing, previously Vikings occupied Scandinavian territory and it is possible that they used this caves to hide their valuable things.

After a month, my brother and I had to go for thanksgiving to our parents' house. The second day we spent there I received a call from David he was alarmed, with deception in his voice, and shame. What he told us let my brother in shock and angriness; apparently while he was spending the day with his girlfriend to avoid his mother also he couldn't go to visit my brother, his mother has left the house taking her clothes, some money and putted a note on the center table saying she knew he hated her and she thought it was better for him to continue his life without her.

What he couldn't imagine was that she has stolen a lot of the precious treasures of the subterranean caves; which disappointed him, but beyond the promise and the act there was feelings. The situation impressed us in a way that made us think as if he was betrayed and we were the only truly family he had and we needed to show him there was hope in people. Family doesn't only represent blood.

He lives with us now, he is happy, free and enjoying to be at what has always been his home. He forgave his mother for abandoning him, he says ''she gave me the best gift, the gift of life,'' that was his colossus discover.

*****
World Cup

Alejandro Martinez

There was only two games left before the world cup final. I kept on training on my shots and penalties. My team and I kept on training day and night. The only thing people were talking about on social media was about the world cup. Everyone kept on saying Argentina was going to win the world cup on the other hand a lot of people were supporting Mexico. The only thing you hear is trash talk during world cup matches. In the last world cup Germany beat Argentina by 1-0 in the extra time. Both teams are very talented but there can only be one champion.

During training our coach kept on pushing us to try harder and to not give up. He said, "Don't worry about failing just give it your best so you can succeed." Us as a team knew we could accomplish if we gave it our best. Training would get all of us tired but it was all worth it because it would help us get ready for the semifinals against Chile. My team would joke around at times at practice we would take everything out the way to make practice serious.

Everything we did coach wanted to know because he didn't want us to harm our body and to perform the best we could on the field. Every one of our players had a special ability in their position for example our center defense Hugo Ayala could blast the ball further than anyone we knew and our striker Raul Jimenez had one of the best finishes in the whole team. The chemistry on our team was so unbelievable because everyone knew how everyone played. For example if I saw Raul I would know where to pass it to him so he could just finish it and score an amazing goal. Raul was someone who was very dependable and could be trustworthy.

A couple of days have passed and after hard training days it was the semi final game day. I woke up feeling confident because i've always had this feeling that if you don't feel confident about something you could probably feel bad about it and not succeed. After eating a good breakfast, I heard my coach telling us to stretch before going on the bus to go to the stadium. When we got on the bus one of my teammate named Hector Herrera told me how he wanted me to pass the ball to him because me and him have one of the best chemistry on the team because we grew up together and as kid we would always prefer being on the same team because we would dominate.

As soon as we got there we already saw many fans wearing our jerseys and having their face painted with Mexico colors. In the other hand, we still had some hate from the other team. For example, people were shouting bad things as soon as we got off the bus. Me and Raul just looked at the haters and started laughing because they thought what they said actually meant something to us. Our coach told us "Don't mind them just focus on winning." I replied "They don't affect me if anything they motivate me to do better." When we got to the locker room us as a team were having a good time and making jokes. In my head I was thinking if we lose this we are not qualified to play the final so I wanted to give it my best. I asked the coach if I could sit out for some of the first half so I could properly stretch and warm up. When we got to the field the only thing in my head was the trophy. Everyone got into position and then the whistle blew.. The ball was played. In the twenty first minute the other team shot to our goal but our keeper did an amazing save to keep it out the box. When it was the thirty fourth minute I subbed out Javier Hernandez and I already had a good feeling about the game. The crowd was chanting for us to give us motivation. The player that was marking me was very cruel because he played very dirty and always slide tackled. I got an amazing cross from Carlos and from there I knew what to do so I gave a threw ball to Raul and he gave it a shot and it almost went in but it hit the crossbar. The whistle blew it was the end of the first half.

Coach was not upset on how we were playing. He said, "Yall are playing great just try to pass a little more faster to get the other team pressured." As a team we all said things we had in our mind. After all that got out of the way we all went back confident to the field. On the seventy third minute we did an amazing play that had the crowd standing speechless and we were up by one. We all knew even tho we have one goal that doesn't mean they can't catch up and tie the game. The whistle blew it was the end of the game. Our supporters made everyone go wild. My team was very excited to be in the finals against Argentina.

As the game finished many reporters came up to us. One reporter said to me, "How do you feel about this game? How do you feel about the next game?" I replied "I felt like we did good as a team. I am looking forward into this next game.

After a couple of days from the semi final game my team worked as hard as we could to try to win the world cup final. For our team it would have been our first win for the world cup. As soon as we got on the bus for the final game the only thing people were talking about was the final because the world cup only comes every 4 years. When we got off the bus the same thing happened more trash talk to try to get us to feel bad. After stretching and warming up I got on my position and I felt very confident because I wanted to bring back the trophy for my team. On the thirty ninth minute Messi from Argentina scored a penalty. My team started to feel less confident because they were a great team but that didn't stop us from trying. The whistle blew and it was the end of first half.

The crowd started to feel frightened because Argentina was up by one goal. I wanted to try my best to beat Argentina so I juked a defender and I scored a hat trick. The crowd went wild and my team was happy that I tied the game. It was the ninetieth minute and we needed to score to win. The whistle blew it was a tie. To win there had to be a penalty shootout. My team scored every goal but one and It was up to me to make it or if I missed I would make the team lose. A paper was thrown to me by the crowd and it said "If you miss you will get whatever you want but if you make it you will lose something you enjoy." I felt like I had butterflies in my stomach but I didn't know what to do. When I was going to shoot I tricked the keeper as if I was going right but I switched the the left. After all nothing was ever lost it was just a threat for me to miss from the other teams fan. Everyone at home watching from their tv was so excited Mexico won a world cup. My coach was very happy with the team he thought he won the best thing in the world. After the game many reporters came up to us but we were so excited we were speechless. We took a picture of every player and we were handed our medals for being champions for the world cup.

*****
Writing My Own Movie

Livia Oliveira

The Brazilian high school end is a little bit different of what people are used to know. During Fani's whole life she studied in a private school, because the teach is better in these schools. Known as Anglo Rio de Janeiro, classes start at 7:00 a.m. and finish at 12:20 p.m., every day she has different classes. That Thursday – that was just beginning – just one month from finish senior year she had 2 physics classes.

Her weakness was everything that involve Math, in all the classes that were fifty minutes long for her looks more like the eternity. She was a good student, not with the bests grades, but never has fail in any of the classes, mainly in literature, that was her favorite class. In the books, she could find another world, histories, and life. Write about different possibilities enchanted her, new characters was the funniest part. She likes the way that the soft old paper slide on her fingers.

Leo and Gabi think the same, maybe because of this the three of them are friends for so many time, about 12 years. Their parents were close each other and good friends because of the three kids. They were a good 17 years-old teenager group, with hobbies in common and a lot to talk all the time. The three of them were rise in Rio de Janeiro capital, where the population is about 10 million inhabitants.

Fani was only child, but with seventeen years old she gets used to the house always quiet – taking off the moments that Thor was barking – because her parents schedule was crazy, always working at night in one of the most important hospitals of the city, they haven't a controlled schedule. Most of the time Fani spend the afternoons all alone in the apartment, but she likes it, is peaceful, quiet, and she could do whatever she wanted.

On that Thursday, everything in the morning happened how supposed to be, wake up, go to school, then leave, go to lunch, and spend the afternoon doing random things. At night, she takes a private English class where she was also graduating after 8 years. Today was the big test that turn her officially in a fluent speaker. The results come out in the same day, but she was not worried about it, was her showing her good work for the all years.

At 7:00 p.m. Fani came back to home and her parents were both in the living room, ready to congratulate the daughter that took one-hundred on one of the hardest tests of proficiency. They received her with all the enthusiasm and happiness.

"CONGRATULATIONS!!" both said to their daughter.

"We are so proud of you!" said Deyse.

"Thank you mom! I can't believe I did it." said Fani.

"To award all your work among these years we are searching for the opportunity of an exchange in London!!"

She could not believe in that words. Was her dream since she was 9 years-old.

"Everything is decided already. As soon that you finish school you are going."

To celebrate that Fani and her friends decided hang out on Saturday. The place was their favorite Canto Country. They ordered some burgers as the usual and that night they talked about the high school, their plans for college, for life, and like the usual teenagers they came with the romantic life conversation. Neither of them had girlfriend or boyfriend during the whole life, so they get them talking about this.

On the way, back to home, Leo drop off Gabi at home and arriving in the entrance of the Fani's apartment, in the car yet, he starts say how important to him was she. Fani doesn't know how this went so far but some minutes later Leo declared to her that in all these years he liked her. Fani was stunned, shocked, and she couldn't move, so she leaved the car running without answer anything to him.

She passed the whole weekend with no cell phone or laptop thinking about what Leo said to her.

"I feel like the world dropped down on me," she said for the walls in the empty room, where she doesn't leave until Monday.

The weight of that words was like a heavy elephant. What she should do?! Leo was her best friend, even to talk about boys she talked with him. How she could not realize that before.

"Anyway, just have to let it go." She said to herself.

She has a lot of things to do and think about. The graduation, exchange, college. If she goes to the exchange, she will miss the party with her friends that she knows since they were kids, will be missing one year of college, just to learn another language. The same time that learn another language seems big, leave the college for one year is even a bigger decision, and if the exchange was extremely complicated and she give up. It's a lot of hypothesis that could happen and think about this gave her chills.

After this weekend was time to face the reality and go to school and see Leo again. He called her all the weekend, inviting her to hang out, and talk about what happened. The first thing that she saw at school was him. He was worry about the way that she acted. It was so bad?!

"Leo, I really can't do this right now. Can we hang out on the weekend?"

"But is an all week long!" Complained him.

"Let's just keep silence about that and we decide this later."

So, he just leaved. In the next day Fani was so confused with what she saw and in that moment, she was sure about all her decisions. In the entrance, Leo and Gabi entered holding hands and hugging each other, smiling and happy. They were dating. Before that was not chance for Fani stay here just because of Leo but she was surprised with his attitude.

When she back to home she was into her exchange, and she was sure of what she should do. One year with new people, new life, and new everything would be good. She has plenty of time to go to college and take care of her romantic life later, when she back. Some opportunities just come once in people's life.

*****
Annie

An Nguyen

I am a villager in a small village that Cinderella and her stepmother live in. I am a small girl that twenty years old, but I'm so active because I need to work as a farmer for my family, also work as an employer for another family and work as an artist that doing handmade stuff, sell it for helping my life. That's why I had a yellow hair because of sunshine, a face is so blurry because of muddy soil in a river. Because, I'm living in a small village, I need to do a lot of farming work, my outfit usually is just like a normal worker, a little bit dirty. I often tie my hair upon on the top of my head whenever I speak out loud to my partner something that can support them work hard.

As every farmer else, I just have enough money for saving my life and my family if I don't want to say that we are poor. I am trying my best every day for getting rid of that bad word "poor". I want to go to school because I know that education will make my life be better but I'm a girl so I don't have right to be educated, even though I really hope so. In my village, they believe in Buddhism. They apply every single theory for popularizing and teaching civilian how to be a good person. But in my village, there is one person that so evil. No one likes her, no one trusts her, no one believes what she said. Everybody in my village criticizes her because of the way how she treats her husband's daughter after he died.

I'm living in a small village, every neighbor get close together as a family. If one person doesn't like someone, my group just follow that idea and hate that guy. I am not an exception. If everybody else doesn't like that stepmother so I don't like too. I can be strong to point at her face and say that "If you are not evil, who is evil?". I always defend the good, never allow the bad side can be a winner.

*****
A Story of Lobster

Elsa Dagnat

The first time I ever wanted to kill someone was when I was six. My best friend of the moment just took my ice cream and ate it in front of me. I was so mad that I pushed her as hard as I could do, and she fell. She went to the hospital, because her arm broke by my fault. I guess it was like a foretaste of what I would become later.

The thousandth time I ever wanted to kill someone was many years after, when I already knew that stealing an ice cream was nothing. When I still was a little poor thing, with no honor and no style. When I had no assurance, and when I didn't know how beautiful I was, how better than all of them I was. It was another day of working hard, trying to get little money to make my life better, even if I knew it was not going to change anything. All the money I made went to pay off the debts of my father. The debts that he made to try to save my mother. She was not here anymore, and after going to prison, my father had to work hard. And I had to help him. I worked in a restaurant, not at the dishes but at waitress. It was not a good job, my boss was always mean and shouted every second, but I didn't really have the choice.

That night, it was around 8 p.m., a Saturday. The restaurant was full of people coming with friends or families. My boss was really stressed, because there was a lot of people. A waiter was missing, so he decided to make me work two times harder. I wanted to shout, to tell him to move and do the work, but it was my boss, and I needed this job. I just put my fake smile on my face, and took more tables. I was almost running between the people, trying not to put water or food on the clients. It was hard, and at the moment I thought that, maybe I could do it, I saw them.

There was this couple. A woman, dressed with a dress who obviously costed my paid in one month and a man, with the same expensive clothes. They were walking like if they were the queen and the king of the world, like if everybody was nothing compared to them. Like if they could kill you just by looking at you. I hated them at the first look. I hated them to have a better life than me, to have money while I didn't. They sat at a table, and I saw the woman looking around her, disgusted. I didn't know yet that I was going to become the same beautiful and important person. The same rich and dressed well queen. I prayed not to have this table to serve. I knew they were going to cause problems. God and my boss didn't hear nothing, because I receive their table.

When I first came to see them, I tried to convince myself that it was not going to be this horrible, and with all their money, they were going to give me a lot of tips. I was only dreaming.

"You are five minutes late! This is unbelievable. You didn't saw us coming?"

The woman attacked me at the second I arrived. Her voice was annoying, too high and she talked at me like if I was an insect annoying her.

"Yes... but I had other clients to serve." I hated to hear my small and weak voice.

"Then it is worst! You didn't saw that we had priority? You put us on the same level as these... people?".

Then if I wanted to punch them, when I saw my boss face, and all the people looking at us because she was shouting, I tried to calm down.

"I am so sorry, really sorry." I took a deep breath. "What do you want to take?"

The woman opened the mouth to blame me another time, but her husband, I guess, cut her.

"I am going to take the salmon, please, with the vegetables and a little rice." He smiled at me, and I smiled back.

"And I, am going to take..." She pushed on the "I", "The lobster, with the sauce, but without onions, and salt, salt is bad for me. Oh, and the best rice you have, without sauce, so it needs not to be dry. Make sure there is no tomatoes, I hate it, okay? Write it there is no way YOU could remember."

I clenched my fists and turned to go back trying to be kind. But she opened her mouth again. And it was too much.

"Hey, hey?!" She called my like if I was her dog "I want wine too, red the one with little pieces of gold inside, you know?"

I had just one second of doubt, but they rapidly disappear when I went back with her lobster. I didn't even hear her annoying voice anymore. I went inside the kitchen, and I looked at her secretly, smiling inside of me. She was cutting her lobster, and bringing it to her mouth. My smile expanded and my heart began to beat faster. She was chewing. Then, no sound anymore. I prevented myself to laugh when her face turned red. Then white. Then blue. She coughed really bad, putting all her lobster in the face of her husband. She didn't stop coughing, and everybody looked at her. The husband, after washing his face, helped her to put the lobster away of her mouth. And when she finally threw it up, her face was red, with a lot lot of pimples. She fainted.

I smiled another time. Even if I knew she would not die, I had a little satisfaction. I promised myself to kill her for good one time. I took her name on my list to remember her. Lauren Blanco. I went to the restrooms. I throw the poison in the toilets. A few peanuts fell in the water. I remembered her bracelet, that she tried to hide, where, in big red, was written, "allergic to peanuts". I flushed, before to wash my hands.

I held my promise.

Ana Fiend

*****

Bruno

Eric Han

My name is Bruno. I am 32years old. My height is 180 and weight is 150lb. I have block hair, brown eyes and bright face. I don't have any special posture. I have just normal weight, I like tidy cloth because I think untidy cloth is rude. I am a slightly attractive person. I like wearing coat and turtle neck. My hair style is just straight hair. When I was young, I hit by a car. So, I flew away about 10m. It was big event. Due to this event, I have many scar on my body. I speak slightly slow because I am not an American. I use easy voca and I study English now.

My economic level is just normal. My occupation is police man. I studied just like other students. I live alone, but I have a girlfriend so we will marry after one years. I am a Christian. My race is Asian. My hobby is playing piano and tennis. I like people but I hate criminal.

My moral standards is all of criminals are bad. My goal is catch all criminals in my town. My attitude to words life is life is like sunny day.

*****
Doctor's Bio

Dohhyun Kim

The doctor, whose name is Walter White, is in his mid-40s and is 5'10", 170 lbs. Thanks to his healthy diet and regular exercise, he is able stay fit for his age. He is blonde and he has green eyes. He is very charming and confident. He has relatively clear skin. He is very well-mannered and behaves well. Many people find him charming and attractive. He is always dressed well and most of the time he wears business casual. Thanks to his education, he sounds very intelligent and friendly, just like many other doctors. His deep and calming voice helps this a lot. Since he's a doctor he knows a lot of terms that normal people wouldn't even have heard of.

Because he is a doctor, he obviously had a lot of education. He graduated from Cornell and works as a urologist. Even though he doesn't make as much money as cardiologists or plastic surgeons, he still makes a lot of money. He is pretty rich. When he was young, he lived in Boston. His parents were caring and thoughtful. He was a normal kid until something changed him when he was in 7th grade. Now he is happily married and has two kids. On weekends, he goes camping with his family where he goes fishing with his son. He has good relationships with his friends, even though he doesn't see them as often as he used to. He still keeps in contact with them. He despises anti-vaxxers, which is expected considering he is a doctor. He identifies himself as a deist. His grandparents immigrated from Germany to America as a part of Operation Paperclip.

He is very open-minded and he is a man. He wants to help people like Sam. He is afraid that he might not be able to help people who come to him for help. His habit is treating people he meets like patients. He does not like this habit and has tried to get rid of it but it didn't really work. He thinks of it as something like an occupational hazard of being a doctor. His temperament is positive but critical. He is understanding of other people's flaws but he is very strict with himself. He does not drink or smoke because he cares about his family and wants to be around their life for as long as he can. He is very logical and precise, which are perfect qualities for a doctor.

*****
Mike Smith

Yingxi Zhao

My name is Mike Smith, I am 15 years old, 175 cm tall, and my weight is 70 kg. I have black hairs, brown eyes and tall nose bridge. I am look very normal, not tall, not short, not fat, not thin. I am a clean person, I am a person who is not outstanding. I like to wear shirt with jeans and canvas shoes, I don't like to wear shorts and big clothes. I have curly hairs, I don't like short hairs. I have many defect, I like to smoking, to drinking, never study, bullying to others, don't pay respect to others, snap to others, skip school, always get low grades, like to cheating on every school work. I speak slow, except when I get angry or snap to others.

My family is not rich, but not poor, so I have to use less money than what I wanted. My mom is a teacher . I work at a supermarket to get money to buy cigarettes, and I work at the supermarket for 6 hours daily because I skip school. I'm a high school student. My family includes my mom, my brother, and me and my dad died in a car accident a month ago. My mom is 41 years old, and my brother is 8 years old. I'm mad about my family because my family always bother me. I don't have any religion. I'm from America and my skin is kind of white. I like to play basketball in free time. I also like to play baseball in free time. I like desserts, sports, and, video games. I don't like to go to school, shopping, and mostly, I don't like to play childish things.

I don't look at people or things' surface to figure out what is right or wrong. I want to be a baseball player or a basketball player because I like baseball and basketball. I'm worried if I had no money to use. I'm disappointed about my dad died in the car accident. I'm very domineering.I'm a very moody person because I could have fun with sports, and I could get very mad at my family. My habits are never eat hamburger with lettuce, don't eat peanut, don't like soft drink, play basketball every afternoon, drink milk in morning and night, listening music when doing homework. I also have some good traits, I play not only basketball very well, but also baseball. And I have many traits, I like to bullying to others and curse to others

*****

Being Scared About Being Scared

Henry Paz

Hey, how are you? my name is Logan and I'm going to tell you a story, it begins when I was attending 4 grade in middle school, I was talking to my friends about what they would like to do in the future, all my classmates had a very clear decision about what they liked, but I didn't know what was my passion at that time. I always studied a day before any exam, and if it were not enough, only studied things vaguely, because by that time I was very obsessed with computer games, so when I finished reviewing the things that were going for the exam, I ran immediately to the computer to play with my friends on the Internet. There was a day when the teacher called my parents to see my scores and my academic performance, once that day came, the teacher talked to me to give her all the tests that I had presented, "give me every single test you could have, not only the 70 + ones" the teacher said it with authority, then, I gave to her every single test, also I knew that every test, or almost the majority were failed so I couldn't do any kind of cheat. I was super scared that day, because I knew that my parents are very strict with the academic part, at that moment I remembered how my parents applied the violence when my sister had taken a 64 in a class. When I came home with a lot of fear running through my veins, I opened the door that communicated the backyard with the house, and I started running so fast to my room to lock up, but on the way I found my dad calling my mother, at that time I could feel in my body that felt when your body stops moving and it only can breathe, then my father grabbed my shoulder and told me "son, come and join us," then my father, mother and me were mounted in the car and my dad drove for more than 2 hours on a road where the only thing that was seen at the end was a very high mountain, by that time I was very frightened because my parents did not say anything while they were driving, the only thing that was heard were the tires and the engine of the car running, my heart was bombarding very loudly when I realized that my parents were climbing up the mountain until they reached to the top of it; once they reached the top, my dad started talking, saying that this place is where the lazy people ended because they do not know what to do with their lives, because they did not pay attention to the study since childhood then my mom started to comment , "this is where your aunt's life ended, since she decided to leave the house at the age of 13, because she wanted to start doing what she wanted, and it didn't take long to get to the bad steps, she started to use drugs, and to join people from the mafia , then when his aunt turned 17 he was commissioned to end the life of a person and that if she did not kill that person, they kill her, then your aunt came back to your grandmother, asking for forgiveness for everything that had made them suffer when she was leaving the house, then she preferred to commit suicide before the people of the mafia decided to kill her, and dismissed his life on that precipice;" I burst into tears when my mom stopped talking and at that time I decided to make a promise with my parents, I would try to strive as much as I could do to get good grades in school, and at that moment I realized that playing a game with friends on the Internet was not going to make me prepare for life, so when we get into the house again, my parents and me decided to do an schedule, it was basically saying that I could play on the computer 3 hours every 3 days , and since that scary situation, I began to score from 80 to 100 in all my test.

*****
Annie

An Nguyen

I was born in a traditional farming family. I am used to working on the field every early morning. One daily day, I was harvesting on my field I saw a girl, who is just moving into my village for living. She also went out to the field and help me to do my job. She is working so hard, she helped me and taught me a lot. And that girl, whose name is Adel, becoming my best friend from then.

Actually, I am just a normal civilian. I don't have too much money, I just do extra work such as doing handmade stuffs, sell them for living. Or sometimes I work as a employer who go out to a river, catch fish and shrimps to help my family. That's why my hair is so yellow because of sunshine, my face is so dark because of muddy soil. I just think my life is just turn around a circle between me, my family and Adele, nothing could be special than that. But no, one more person occurs, her action makes us feel angry. That character is the stepmother of Cinderella. Let me talk about Cinderella first. She is a pretty girl appears in a unpretty dress, but her soul is not dirty, she helped me a lot when I was in difficulty, she is really kind and herself is really ingratiate to every neighbor. Because of that, the stepmother is jealous and she always does bad thing to her. I knew that, I saw that then I have bad emotional with her. I was the one who dare stood in front of her and point straight into her face, said that "You are not evil, who is evil".

In my neighborhood, no one has the strong personality like me. No one is strong enough to raise up and protect the young nice lady as Cinderella, but I can. Through that, my best friend Adele, also followed me when she got sympathy with Cinderella. And all the people, including my neighbors, from many little kids to the oldest, they had enough brave to stand up and protect justice. I can say that, I made a trend - that's a good trend for my town because each person has a right which is equal to everyone else. From that side, my voice is much valuable than ever.

*****

Bruno

Eric Han

My name is Bruno and I will tell my story. I was born in korea and when I was 7 years old, I came America. When I was 9 Years old, I got hit by a car, and car ran away. Because of this, I have a problem with my brain. After this event, I have a trauma with a car. Influenced by this event, I thought I have to do police man. I told my parents. At first, they disagreed because police are very dangerous. However, I said continuously for 2 years and finally, they agreed with my dream. I was very happy. So, I studied for police officer. When I was 10th grade I was bullying by three people. So,I was very hard in 10th grade. However, I overcame it, I can get along with the other friends in 11th grade. When I was 27 years old, finally, I became a policeman. I was very very happy. This moment was my best moment. But I went through difficult because of my absent-minded. For example, when I was investigating scene, I often forgot to ask something to other people. Because of this, I always heard I am idiot. I went to see a doctor and he said I have to write just all thing. These days, many criminals appear. So, I will find them. I am happy because I have a detective friend. That's my story.

*****
Doctor's Monologue

Dohhyun Kim

When I was growing up in the 80s, there was not as much awareness about sexual minorities as there is right now. When I was in 7th grade, something happened that changed my life. I was just a normal middle school student. In my grade there was a gay student. Even though he did not do anything wrong to the other students, many of us often picked on him. Because I went to middle school in the 80s, most of us did not even know the definition of gay. We just heard that a man likes another man and that was all we needed to know to discriminate against and bully him. Although I did not know what gay meant, the fact that other kids were bullying him was enough reason for me to also. It was not like I was born bad or I was a homophobic person. I was just a typical teenager just following what other kids were doing. Soon almost everyone in the 7th grade started bullying him. We would put notes and trash in his locker. Nobody talked to him and he sat alone during lunch. Most student would just straight up ignore him. This went on for a few months, until one day he just stopped coming to school. No one knew what had happened to him. They wondered for few days. Then they moved on. A few days later we learned what really happened to him. The principal assembled the whole grade in the gym and gave a pep talk about him. We learned that he tried to commit suicide. Fortunately, he survived. The kids who led the bullying got punished. I did not get punished, but from this moment my life would change. I was in shock that my actions almost led to a human being's death. I could not forgive myself. So, I decided to save others like him. To learn from my mistakes, I studied a lot about LGBTQ culture. I also decided to become a doctor to make up for the life that I almost took. Even though I never heard from him again I always remembered the incident. When I felt weak and wanted to give up, I remembered him. To me, it was a burden that I will have to carry for my whole life; it was the debt that I will have to repay my whole life. Even when I am not an expert in a field, I try to help anyone that comes to me for help. I also keep in contact with my colleagues in psychology who can help them. That's how I was able to help Sam when he came for help. So, when Sam made the decision, I performed the surgery and helped him find and live his new life.

*****

Marie

Kevin O'Neill

My character is Marie she is 31 years old. When she was a little girl her mom and dad had a car accident, and they both died in it. When she found out she was with her grandma in the mall having fun, since then Marie hasn't been the same. When she heard the news, she didn't understand because she was a little girl. But when Marie grew up she understand the fact that she had no parents and that question the she had about why was she living with her grandma was answered. One day she met this handsome young guy when she was 21 years old, since then they hit it off and started hanging out. They went around the world, they went to Puerto Rico, Europe, and Paris when they got there he proposed to here. Marie had to say yes, but she really didn't like him one day she found out he got a girl's phone number in front of Marie. He got so excited that he forgot that Marie was there next to Marie. But that didn't stop from dancing with her. The next day he came to her house and told that he was going out with the girl. Marie got past off so she started streaking at him but he didn't know what was happening, because he thought she wasn't going to flip out. Marie kept on screaming and the last line that she said was I am in love with you. When he heard that he said what the heck did you just say. "naaaaaa your lying". Marie said am not lying. Then he said omg I can't believe it you are in love with me. Marie said yes, I don't want to be friends anymore I want more. He said no we are friends nothing else if not am not your friends anymore. Marie got so upset and started doing drugs he got wasted and started doing bad at school. Her grandma heard about it and she grounded Marie for a whole year and Marie said am done I can't do this more.

*****

An Excellent Phone for its Price

Aarya Joshi

I've had this Moto G5 Plus for almost 5 months now (I bought it from Costco), I can say that this phone is worth its price. I would also say that this phone maintains its ruggedness while giving a prime feeling. I don't have a case or a screen protector on this phone and have dropped it pretty dreadfully for more than 5 times without damaging anything, based on which I can say that this phone exceeded my expectations. There are many pros in this phone in this phone and less cons:

Pros:

1. Camera can get near DSLR like shots in professional mode.

2. It is pretty rugged while giving a prime feel.

3. Good battery life.

4. Handles performance really well.

5. Maintains a cool temperature.

6. Handles games really well.

7. Unique software with many shortcut gestures.

Cons:

1. Still did not get the Android 8.0 Oreo update Motorola had promised.

2. Does not have physical OIS (optical image stabilization) although it has software OIS or EIS (electronic image stabilization), only for videos, which is not that great.

3. I don't know about others but my phone randomly shuts down even if the battery is full.

The overall specs of the phone:

1. Android 7.0 preloaded.

2. Call quality is great.

3. UI is between really good and excellent.

4. Best for its price.

5. Has nice gesture shortcut such as twisting the phone twice to open camera, double karate chop for flashlight and many more.

Overall, I think this phone is really good, and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great budget phone under $300.

*****

Banana Pillow

Yingxi Zhao

I love this banana pillow, the delivery was pretty fast, the pillow I got is very big, it's about half a person, just like the advertiser said. The pillow is soft, when you touch it, you feel comfortable, I like to put this pillow under my head, when I am watching TV or playing video game. Here is something you want to know. Don't eat on it or drawing on it. It's so hard to clean the pillow, so don't let it dirty. This pillow works very well, I've been using this pillow since 2016, so if you want a long term using pillow, this might be a good choice for you. The price is also worth, because 12 dollars for a toy pillow which can using for a while and also feels good, it's a worth price for this, but if you want a cheaper banana pillow, there are some on the amazon, but I think this one is good though. I think there are something that this product might be can improve, the box is kind of small for this pillow, so it will let pillow be out of shape during the delivery time, and maybe can use the material which is not easily get dirty or it's easy to clean up to make the pillow, even the price can be higher, because you don't want throw away a pillow just because there is juice on it, but you can't clean it up. Most of comment for this product is good, and I think in that way too. Customer service is good, if you find out you pillow is broke during the delivery they will replace it for you, and you also have 30 days warrant, and in 7 days you can return the item. All is good for the product, thank you for taking time to read my review.

*****
Canon Camera

Isabella Reischl

Professional Pictures Made by a Teenager

The canon eos 1300d is a really good camera for beginners. The camera itself is good manageable and the camera is also not too big, so you can take it everywhere with you. I would give it 5/5 stars, because there is really nothing to complain about. The pictures you take with it look really professional. The battery in the camera lasts up easily to 3 days. The charger is also included when you buy the camera and it is very easy to charge. Normally the battery is full after charging for 1 night. To take the pictures from the camera you can either use the Wifi and connect the camera to your computer, or there is also a cable included which can connect the camera with your computer. So you can easily get your pictures on your computer and enjoy them. You can carry the camera easily with you by hanging it around your neck.

I have used this camera for more than 1 year now and it still works as good as at the beginning. I am really satisfied with it and the pictures are also really good. I took it to a lot of trips with me and the pictures are always wonderful, no matter if I take a picture of the people, the buildings, or the landscape. I would really recommend it to everyone who is not a professional photographer, but still wants to take pictures with good quality.

*****

Gold Standard Whey Protein-Double Rich Chocolate (4/5 stars)

Jayden Kim

I don't usually take any type of sports supplement mainly because I don't think it's worth the money, and muscle developments are mostly depended on exercise and nutrition from food. However, I have taken quite a few samples from my friends and trainers who do, and let me tell you, this protein was worth buying. People who purchase supplements look for mainly four necessary requirements in protein powder-quality, flavor, mixability, and price. Gold Standard Whey Protein qualifies in most of these requirements in a magnificent way.

The quality of this significant protein powder is probably one of the finest ones out there. A low calorie of just 120 calories per serving consists of all nutrition that is necessary. Various types of protein powders that I have tried are high in calorie and fats, sodium, and cholesterol. I've tried well-known ones such as Syntha-6 and even that was 200 calories and 50 calories from fat. Syntha-6 also only has 22 grams of protein, while Gold Standard Whey Protein offers 24 grams of rapidly digestive Whey Isolate Protein. Seeing I've gained about 5.4 pounds of pure muscle gains using this product for 5 months, I would approve of this as a reliable and effective choice of a supplement.

The flavor of Gold Standard Whey Protein is just astonishing. It has over 20 different flavors, and I have tried 3 of them. Although I've only had Strawberry Banana, Double Rich Chocolate, and Vanilla Ice Cream, I can assure you that chocolate is the best tasting. I recommend not ordering Strawberry Banana just because you like strawberry banana milkshakes and ice cream. It's probably going to taste very different from what you imagined; same goes for Vanilla Ice Cream. Mixing those two powders with water is just not a fabulous idea for you and your taste buds. The one that I ordered: Double Rich Chocolate, however, is amazing since it tastes just like chocolate milk. I've only had this flavor for over 5 months because the sweetness is just right, and it tastes just like what you imagine chocolate milk would taste like.

The mixability may differ for people. For me, I'm pretty approving of the mixability since it works out well for my taste. Although I would rate the mixability a 4 out of 5, if you're into 100% no-chunks and a pure protein shake, I'd give mixability an average of 3 out of 5. Lastly, I'd consider the price as a pretty good deal. Believe me, there are lots of low-quality expensive protein shakes out there. Despite the high quality and conditions of Gold Standard Whey Protein, I'd say the price is reasonable and totally worth it. If you're looking forward to making some serious gains this year, be sure you take this protein powder to the gym along with you!!

*****
Good but a Little Different Than Other Versions of FIFA

Sebastian Onfori

Four Stars

This new version of FIFA got me surprised and I loved it because brings us updated teams with their new players of the seasons 2017/18 and also gives the second part of the story mode: The Journey. I noticed that in this game compared to the other is harder to dribble defenders and to score (which is good), but the only thing I don't like is that in the online mode: Ultimate Team, when you score against other person the game gives a handicap to the and that's annoying because the your chances to win decrease. The graphics get better every year, but they should add more leagues of countries. Every time there's an update they only transfer and change the cleats from the players, but it would be a little better if they change more details like their appearance (haircut, styles, etc.). Something I loved was career mode, is what I play the most and every year they improve this mode. The thing I don't like the most is the price, even though is worth to pay for such game, I think something between $25-$30 would be a fair price for a videogame of a lot of audience and good reception as it is FIFA. Overall, this is one of the best FIFA I've tried and as I said before I think the price is too high, it is worth to pay for it.

*****
Google Home

Milan Mistry

Google home is a intelligent Personal Assistant. The reason why did I buy this was too listen songs. But I was little bit disappointed because of the speakers they don't have a good quality of sound. But, hey the quality of the google home is very good it is extremely durable and the fine smooth cloth gives it a perfect touch. It has a touch response on its head too.

The software is very good and fast in this device. It is also helpful for kids as it's of google and is personal assistant it would answer your every single question. It is a wired product which makes a little bit harder to make it portable. The really disappointing thing is the connectivity, it works best only with an Android device. If you are having Android device you can make calls, mark anything to calendar, send texts and many more things. But if you are not than you have to connect it with Bluetooth which is a good thing but it won't make calls or send texts for you. It will just allow you to play music. And it is not necessary to connect your phone it can work independently. It can do anything without connecting your phone too.

If you are having a smart home. Then this thing is a controller for every little thing in your house. It would close your door, control your thermostat, close your blinds and etc.

It is a very good product the price is also very good and works very well I would give it 4 stars out of 5 stars just because of the connectivity and speakers of the device.

*****
Mpow Bluetooth Headphones Review

Julio Reategui

A very low price for such good headphones

4 stars

I have used these headphones for 4 months and they have been one of the best things that have happened to me so far, they can be a little ugly but to listen to music they are a work of art, and not just any work of art is the work of art, Even Leonardo da Vinci could not have done something as good as this.

Well, let's start talking about the most important thing that audios should have in my opinion and that is the sound, as I said a few moments ago these headphones have a sound of 10, you can hear everything clearly and the sounds do not agree (it's a common problem in poor quality headphones) which demonstrates the quality of this product.

As I said before they are a bit ugly and their design makes them look like you took them out of a store with a not very reliable quality, but if these things do not matter to you or you will only use them in places where nobody can see you I recommend them (I used them outside and they looked at me like I was a poor person, they almost give me alms, so I recommend using them if you are alone or where nobody can see you)

You can use them as hands-free but where they really stand out is for the music because of its impressive sound, it becomes annoying that it breathes it so much but its sound is wonderful.

but the best you have is without a doubt the price, they are cheap and good, they are like eating a chocolate after having been dieting for a month, they are like finishing that fucking project that has been taking away your sleep, it is like winning that test that you thought you lost, is the good personified in these headphones.

but not everything can be perfect and even be small, only at the beginning is something small, and that is that they are a little bit uncomfortable, a little bit while you get used to them, when you get used to them, believe me they are even comfortable.

In short, a masterpiece but a bit uncomfortable at first while you get used to it and are ugly, but they are a masterpiece in terms of sound and price

*****
No for this Yoyo

Esther H. Gil

I bought this yoyo because I thought it will be cool to play it, but I couldn't even play this yoyo. When I opened the box, I was kind of baffled because I thought the yarn or the yoyo will be already attached together and you can play it right after when it's arrive, but it was not as my expectation. The yoyo and yarn were separated, which means you have to attached together by yourself with the directions. I disappointed at this moment, but I just let it go and tried to attach together. I looked up the directions and I'd follow the directions as what it says, but the information was not enough to understand, so I couldn't even attach together and play it. Also, the yarns were not strong enough to hold the yoyo. I recommend you to buy another fancy yoyo.

Pros:

1. Have a bag to keep the extra yarns.

2. Have a glove to not to get hurt because of yarn.

3. The color of the yoyo was nice.

4. Have 5 color strings to choose.

Cons:

1. The direction is not enough to understand.

2. Have to attach yoyo and yarn together.

3. Yarn is kind of weak.

4. The price of this yoyo is not worth it to buy.

5. The glove is little big to wear it.

*****
The Beats 3 Wireless

Denilson Velasco

Best Quality of Sound

Last year all my friend start buying's beats. I didn't preattention about it, because I'm not the bigger fan of headphone. One day my friend come to me a start telling me about all the qualities of the beats. Then I decide to start saving money to buy it because they are too expensive.

I have had these headphones for about a year. I am in love with these headphones because they work amazingly. the quality of sound is great and they are very comfy. you can use this beats with Bluetooth or with a cable.

These headphones don'tt irritate your ears. They fit nice on your ears. you can use these headphones to study or work out in the gym. they have a battery life; they can be used for 6 hours.

The only problem with these headphones is bad is how expensive they are. They are 3 different types of beats you have the studios they are bigger one and they cost $300. Than you have the beats wireless they used Bluetooth and a cable the cost is $230. The last one is the same on the second type but this one don't used the Bluetooth only the cable the cost is $190. if you are looking of quality of sound, for battery life, and Bluetooth you should buy these, but if you don't have the enough money to buy this headphone. I suggest to buy the small one because they are not the expensive and they work the same but the only thing they don't have if the Bluetooth.

*****

Xx The CRiTic Xx

Cesar Zorrilla Calderon

5 star THIS IS AN AMAZING DEAL!!!!!!

(you should buy this if you know how to manage your money well...)

Bought this in February 27 of 2017 and its still working perfectly, and well this is one of the best thing I have ever had. No more restriction such as, "you can't go out with your ps4 and play with your friends." NOW I CAN!!!! in the car, in the restaurant, and even in the bathroom.

The battery is amazing it take 45 mins for get charger and its fast. The battery can last up to 3 hours.

The resolution of the games is amazing for be a portable console.

The material is nice and comfortable.

I like the idea of the controls. There are two which means you can play other person like your brother, your dad/mom, yours friends, or you can play with both of them !!! it's like the WII but 10 times better. If you are looking for times of fun without end, this is the choice

*****

Post Apocalyptic Posse

Lucas Dagnat

The first animal that I want in my team is Buckbeak from Harry Potter. I want him in my ark because he can fly and take people with him when he flies. It will be very useful if we need to escape fast or if we need to travel. Some people will argue that he is too dangerous because if you are not polite with him he can hurt you. I want to take the risk I think the others people will not want to be hurt so they will do some effort. He can also fight so I think it's the perfect choice in the post-apocalyptic world.

I also want Tweety form Tweety and Grosminet in my ark for the PAP. Tweety is very intelligent and he already have a lot of experience in escaping, being chased and survive. Some people will think it's a bad choice because he is too small and can't defend himself. I think being small is an advantage because he can hide easily and go in place where we will not be able to go. He is also good at making plan to trap Grominet which can be useful if we are being chased. For all these reasons, I think Tweety would be a perfect choice.

For the third animal of my ark in the PAP in want to take Sonic. Sonic is extremely fast. So, like Buckbeak, sonic could be a pathfinder and spot the enemies. His only default is that Sonic doesn't which is a problem since we are a group and a group need to talk. To solve this problem, we will speak the sign language. So, I think we will understand each other. Plus, his speed will help him to escape the danger very easily. Sonic will help me a lot in this PAP.

The next person I want on my ark is Hello Kitty. Some people will say Hello Kitty is a bad choice because she can't fight, she will be scared. I agree with them but the others animals will protect her. She is also a very good cook. Plus, to make a strong group you need to have a unifying people, someone that everybody like and who can motivate everyone. So even with her default I think Hello Kitty will be useful in the Post-apocalyptic world.

My fifth character will be Po from Kung Fu Panda. Some people will disagree with me because Po eats a lot and since we will be in a post-apocalyptic world the food will be very rare. I understand their point of view but I think we can resolve this problem by giving the food reserve to someone who does not eat as much as Po. We will also ration the people in the group so Po will have to eat less. I think for the survival of the group he will agree to make some efforts. Po is also a very good fighter which will be very useful. And finally, Po is funny so he will be able to relax everyone. So, Po will be good for my PAP.

My last character will be Alex from Madagascar. Alex will be good for my PAP because he will be the leader of the group. He is a lion so the others animals will listen to him. Some people would say that Alex is too stupid to be the leader of the group and he is not very serious. I think if we are in a post-apocalyptic world Alex will be serious because he will be responsible for the lives of people. And if Alex need some help the more intelligent person in the group, like Tweety, will be able to helm him to take the right decision. With Alex in my PAP my group would be perfect.

*****
Post Apocalyptic Posse

Brendan Donahue

My first choice for my post-apocalyptic posse is the mammoth Manny, from Ice Age. I chose him because he is large, giving him an imposing appearance. He has very large tusks that make for great weapons against enemies. Manny can also be used for transportation, but that wouldn't be his primary function, because he's slow compared to other creatures. One might say Manny can lose control of his emotions and get violent when pushed too far, but that is a quality I look for in a fighter.

Every group needs someone who is focused and who can strategize. That's why I chose Kowalski, from Madagascar. He is very knowledgeable of tactics, come up with plans very quickly and has some training in fighting. Kowalski can be somewhat egotistical at times, but it's not something that gets in the way of his work. He may be small, but that's only an advantage when he needs to be stealthy.

Next up is Buckbeak, or Witherwings, from Harry Potter. Buckbeak can fly, which is already a big plus. We could use him for a safe method of transportation. He can also fight if needed. It may be tricky to earn his trust, but once you do, he is loyal to the end. However, like Manny, Buckbeak has kind of a short fuse and may take offense easily. That can be avoided by simply not saying mean things about him when he's near.

For law enforcement, I picked Bennie and Jet, the robot dogs from Kingsman: The Golden Circle. They can be programed to my liking, which guarantees loyalty; they're made of strong metal, so that means they can withstand a lot of damage; and they have very sharp teeth and claws. The only problem is the fact that they need to be charged every once in a while, but one way to fix this is to charge them one at a time, while the other stays active, and to have them charging whenever they're not being used.

My group will need gadgets and traps, so I'll go with Rocket, from Guardians of the Galaxy. He's very smart, has expertise in engineering and can craft weapons and gadgets from almost anything. Even though he's small, he can still fight very well, using his teeth and claws to assist him in battle. He can get quite vindictive sometimes, so it's better to avoid getting on his bad side.

Last but not least, we'll have Toothless, from How to Train Your Dragon. He can fly very fast, his black color can hide him in the night and he shoots plasma blasts from his mouth. Toothless is also very loyal and a protector. The one problem he has is his damaged back fin, which can only work with a mechanical fin. Luckily, Rocket could probably craft him one and teach me how to use it.

*****
Post Apocalyptic Posse

Dohhyun Kim

The first animal I would bring to my PAP is Barry B Benson from the Bee Movie. Einstein said "If the bee disappeared off the face of Earth, man would only have 4 years left to live". I chose Barry because bees pollinate 70% of earth's plants. Without bees there would be no way for plants to reproduce. Some might argue that bees aren't directly related to your survival, but if you want to rebuild the world you must take bees. They can also be used reconnaissance and is capable of defending themselves. I would bring the bees with me because the pros far outweigh the cons, and bees are essential for the future.

The next animal I would like to bring with me is Lockjaw from Marvel Comics. While he may seem like a normal bulldog with a crown, Lockjaw is capable of many things. Lockjaw can teleport, create shields, and most importantly he has the ability to see the future. I'm not sure what people can say against this choice, but if I were to guess I think they would argue that he can only teleport himself or that knowing the future isn't always a good thing. I would say that he can teleport not only himself but people around him and if you know the future you can actually prepare and fight to change the future rather than just following your destiny.

My next choice is Charizard from the Pokemon series. One might argue that when he uses fire he could hurt his teammates. However, in the Pokemon series, Charizard has learned to fight alongside humans. Since he can also fly, he can provide transportation. Also fire has been with humans since the beginning of civilization. It enabled humans to live longer by cooking food, it enabled us to protect ourselves from predators. Even to this day fire is deeply woven into our daily lives. That's what makes Charizard a great choice.

My final choice is Ted from the movie Ted. Some might say that he can't defend himself or he is useless. However, I think psychological well-being is as important as physical fighting abilities. That is what Ted can help with. He is super funny and he can bring the team together. Also, from what is shown in the movie, he is immortal and he doesn't necessarily have to eat. So, Ted can be a psychological support for the group and he doesn't consume any resources.

*****

Post-Apocalyptic Posse

Jayden Kim

In the Post-Apocalyptic Posse, I would like to take four animals with me on the ark. The first animal I would like to consider taking with me is Jacob Black from Twilight. Jacob is a shape-shifter that can change into a wolf. He is a very good fighter who possesses super-human speed and strength, is the biggest and strongest of the wolf pack, has amazing abilities, and is incredibly attractive. His characteristics as a combatant will be efficient when an unexpected attack occurs, and his charming physical appearance could be a privilege to the females in the ark. Despite all the great features he possesses, some people might disagree about having Jacob on the team because he is a wolf, which makes him dangerous and a big risk to have considering the rest of the crew on the ark. However, I think Jacob is more of a benefit to the team rather than a threat. He is very protective, and he knows how to control himself. To add on, he can also keep everyone warm on the ark since he has an insanely warm body temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit. This could prevent risks such as hypothermia from such cold weather.

The second animal that I would take with me on the ark is Toothless from How to Train a Dragon. He would be a good choice because mainly, he is a dragon, which means that he can fly. If any type of unfortunate accident happens to the ark, Toothless could fly us someplace safe. Also, he doesn't only have to be for emergencies like that; hopping on to a trained dragon for a fun ride instead of an airplane could be a tremendous experience. However, Toothless may not seem like a good idea for people who are afraid of heights or flying. Not only that, Toothless is known to have a bit of an attitude at times, which isn't the best type of animal we would like to interact with. Yet, Toothless is not only a fantastic dragon with wings that can hover over seas; he can also swim in it. This solves the problem about flying since everyone who is afraid of heights can just ride him as a boat instead. Also, although Toothless may sometimes have an attitude, the biggest attributes of him is shown as loyal and protective. He will sacrifice his own life when needed, and is known to risk anything for Hiccup, his trainer. This shows a lot about how good of a friend and dragon he can be to everybody.

The third animal I would take with me is Abu from Aladdin. Abu is a monkey whose occupation is a thief that will put his hands on anything that catches his interest or attention. He would make a good idea for the ark since he could go around stealing any kind of resources we need whether it could be food, clothing, or anything else. I believe many people could disagree about Abu as an ally since he is sometimes selfish and always gets himself into trouble by stealing more than necessary. This isn't entirely true because Abu has been shown to give the bread he stole to two starving children, although he hates sharing food with others. Also, some people might even say that stealing resources is a big threat since we don't know what will happen if we get caught. However, in a situation like a post-apocalypse, I don't think stealing is going to be included as any type of shameful behavior. In fact, I'm sure that most of the remaining people and creatures are bound to steal or take whatever they can to survive. Abu isn't just a mischievous monkey; he shows many acts of kindness and loyalty, and I am sure he will help everyone on the ark. Moreover, getting into trouble for stealing more than necessary would be considered something favorable in this situation rather than troublesome. Since resources are scarce, getting a hold of as many as possible would be extremely advantageous.

*****
Post Apocalyptic Posse

Berru Mataraci

The first animal I want to take with me on the new ark is Arthur from Arthur. I pick him because he is fun and smart. He can think good. He is really friendly. He is really helpful. Some people he is not smart. He can't think good. He is aardvark. He is not good example for the kids Aardvark can't be smart. They can't think good. He is not a normal aardvark is always helping to everyone. Arthur is nice to friend and his sister. Sometimes he is doing wrong think then he trying to fix them. He is always trying to teach good things to kids.

My second animal is Barry from Bee Movie. I pick Barry because he wants to equality. He want to be free. He want to control his life. However, some people think it's just a bee. He can't be equality. He don't want to be free he can't be right side because he will be mad and it's will sting. However, he is not he want to be change like that mind. He is trying to destroy it. He is different.

My third animal is Horton from Horton. He is so nice and helpful. He is so full with pure love. He don't want broke anyone's heart. He think everyone's emotion. However, some people think he can't think everything. He is elephant. He is lazy. He is so slow. He can't help no one but he is not he is conscientious. He is not slow or lazy he can do dance too. He is trying to help the little world he trying to be comfortable them. He is really helpful he doesn't think his file he think they life's.

*****
Post Apocalyptic Posse

Milan Mistry

If I have to choose animals to ark because of apocalypse then I would rather choose Bugs Bunny. I would choose him as he is very intelligent and smart among most of the cartoons. He always have a way to get out of the problems very easily. And so he would help us too. Now some people would say that he is very selfish guy because he knows every way to come out of the problems and in the state of emergency he would let us behind to save his life. But it is a time of apocalypse where would he go. If he would go and find his way out then he only would be leaving and all would die. So he also have to think about that. To save his and our life's too. He is always able to find out the food easily so we can have that too. He too have a good leadership quality so he can lead every single animal and can train them so others can also get smarter and know more skills.

I would think to take Dino from Flintstones to my ark. Now some individual would prefer or say that what that idiot Dino would would be doing there. He would eat all the food of the animals and would not let anything. And if he is very hungry he would eat us too. But wait he is the animal who works the most and can build anything. He can make a house for us too. And why would he eat anyone he can find food very easily and he too would bring food for us also. He works and runs very fast and can ride us all on his back and take wherever we want to go. So I would take him to my ark he would save our all life's. And he is very trustworthy too.

The third character would be Scooby Doo. Because he is the most talented in all characters and fearless among all. He has seen many of the evils so he won't be scared in the difficult situation. No some people would say that Scooby Doo what can he do? What can't he do? Sometimes he is scared but not always and he defend himself. He always listen to his masters and would listen to us also. So he is good choice and going to come alone.

The next character would be the smallest and the strongest character guess who? Tweety. Tweety is the smallest character so everyone would say that, that it can't defend us and itself too. It can't cook. In difficult times it would flew away. But wait it is very strong, courageous, and very intelligent. Sylvester has never been able to eat it. It had always escaped because of its intelligence.

The next character would be interesting and is my favorite guess who? Pink Panther, Pink Panther was the best show of that time. And the Pink Panther is very courageous, intelligent and strong and what else there is another quality too, He cooks very nice food and by that he would not make us hungry. No some people would say that he is a Panther and what if he would eat us instead of giving us food. Pink panther had never ate anyone in his history and so would not kill us.

The next character would be the Sarton from frozen. Some people would suggest that what would he do and he always eat everything and would also eat our food too. But wait he is the best character he runs very well and if we have a car then we can join it with him and he can take us wherever we want to go. He is also very strong so he would help us in everything which other can't do. So I would take him over there.

*****
Post-Apocalyptic Posse

An Nguyen

I choose Tom as my first animal in new ark. People will disagree with my opinion because the first thing they will say is Tom is bad, he is so stupid and sometimes shows his evil soul. However, if don't have fire, how can we see foggy. Because of Jerry's mischievousness that always annoys Tom, he never has done something wrong without Jerry's annoyance. In other opinions, some may say that Tom wants to kill Jerry but the fact is that he only does this because Jerry teases him. Tom is sweet towards Toot, a white feline cat showing he can be nice too. Tom is a good choice for my PAP.

Another animal I will choose for my new ark is Shaun from Shaun and Sheep. Some opinions may say that Shaun is very small and he is very naughty because he is just a baby, that's not a good idea because he doesn't help. But in my opinion, although he is small, it doesn't really matter because he is intelligent inside of his naughty characteristic. He's quick, very smart and nippy. He is also humorous and that can help release stresses in long journey in my ship. I think I can't be wrong when choosing him as my partner in my new ark.

One more animal I choose is Pikachu. He is the animal that has power of electric. Up to now, people may think that he is dangerous, and he is not a true choice because he has electricity. He can bring trouble to my ark, he also attacks to human who is his owner right now. Although he electricity in his body, but he completely knew how to control it. He only uses it for compete with another animal and uses it for protecting his owner too. At the first time he attacks his owner just because he thinks that the owner is his enemy, he used his power in the certain circumstance that he didn't the owner is a bad or good guy. Because of the thoughtfulness he has so I decided to have him for my PAP.

I will say Perry the Platypus is my next animal that I choose for my new ark. I think Perry is a popular animal that everyone wants to take in their ark because he looks so intelligent. People will feel safe whenever next to Perry. But thinking in another way, Perry never talks, it's the most difficult to communicate with him. People may think that he is haughty and not friendly. It's also true because he is a spy. He doesn't need to be talkative, silent way can help him looks more serious and professional than ever. One more opinion, someone may say that Perry's face is so angry. People don't have pleasure to see that angry face every day, every case, even fun or sad. Perry's face never changes. Even though people say that, I always think Perry's appearance is so cute, and of course not only me say that. Perry is my best choice for my PAP.

My next choice is Flash, the sloth from Zootopia. In a apocalyptic world, we need a choice who is a sober. And Flash is a good choice for that circumstance. Flash is helpful and professional because he helps Judy to identify a license plate. However, some people won't be acceptable with the slowness Flash has. We can see that Flash has a slowest action, but he is the fastest sloth in DMV. Despite his slowness, Flash is friendly, polite, gentle, social, and speaks quite professionally, which makes him sound more intelligent than he looks. After all, I think Flash is my nice choice.

Bitzer from Shaun and Sheep is my fourth choice in my ark. He is a yellow dog, a leader of the Shaun and the flock and the time keeper. Bitzer is my good choice for survival of my ship because he has an acumen inside a foolish cute appearance. But anyway, he looks so boss whenever he controls the Shaun and the flock. However, some people may say he is not all perfect, he isn't smart as I think because they see he still gets in traps of the sheep in farm. Even though he would be in trouble because of them, farmer's house is like a battle after those "traps" and the one who would be punished by a farmer is just only Bitzer. But Bitzer is very kind. He never blames the Shaun and the flock. That's why sometimes we see that he always has help from them whenever he needs help. Because of that personality, Bitzer would be mined best partner in my new ark.

*****
Post-Apocalyptic Posse

Julio Reategui

Piolin

The animal I want on my ark is Piolin. Some people might says that Piolin is a bad choice because is a little bird and can not do anything by itself. That's true, but, I just need it to make plans and be fun, not to load boxes of 500 kilos, in fact, Piolin is very intelligent and his friendly personality will be able to help us to carry things in this world.that why Piolin is a exceptional chose for my PAP.

Box Bunny

The second animal I want on my ark is Box Bunny. Some people says that box bunny is a bad choice because his personality is disgusting and does not serve to do anything. That's not true, because their crazy ideas and their intelligence can help in something besides being able to cheat their enemies. that's why box bunny is a exceptional chose for my PAP

Jake

The third animal I want on my ark is Jake. Some people says that Jake is a bad choice because is a dog and it is very loose.That's true, but, His personality, his ability

it is very helpful, and he is very kind.that's why jake is a exceptional chose for my PAP

Joshi

The fourth animal I want on my ark is Joshi. In a world where dangers abound we need something to protect us from these and there is no better defense than yoshi, many do not respect yoshi for their tender appearance but this does not deceive you, and because yoshi has the ability to eat anyone alive and then eject it in egg form, this is why it seems to me that yoshi is a spectacular choice on PAP

Superdog

The fifth animal that I have chosen for the ark is superdog. With a defense it is not enough for us so we will need 2 and there is no better option than superdog, many will say that for 2 defenses that with a coarse one but it is not only for defense but that superdog can also do great physical tasks since it counts with the same abilities as superman. This is why it is a very interesting option for the ark

Charmander

My sixth and last animal for the ark is charmander. In a post apocalyptic world there is nothing better than having hot water, hot food, a warm shelter, and you may wonder that from where to get all this in a world devastated by destruction, well my answer and solution is simple and it's charmander. Many will say that it is impossible to tame a beast that spits fire out of your mouth but I will answer you, charmander is very kind and friendly. is why this a very good option for the ark

*****

Post-Apocalyptic Posse

Isabella Reischl

The first animal I want to take with me on the ark is Judy Hopps. She would be a good policewoman and she can protect us from dangers. She is very agile and clever. Some people might think that she is a little bit too ambitious and that she always wants to beat herself. Maybe because she is so lively she can easily make mistakes. But I think everybody makes mistakes and she doesn't need to be perfect. She will probably give her best to defend her group. So I would definitely take her on the ark with me because she is in general a good protector.

The second animal I want to take with me on the ark is Mufasa, the lion from the movie The Lion King. I think he would be a great protector and he can also hunt some food. A bad thing he could do is that he could fight with somebody else, if this person doesn't do what he expects. But he would try his best to protect everyone and that everyone feels safe. All in all I think he would be a very good protector.

The next animal I want to take with me on the ark is the puss in boots. He is very clever and always has good strategies. Some people might argue against him, that he would eat too much and that he would steal stuff from others. But I think in emergency he won't steal anything. I think he will always try to fight for everyone that everyone feels safe. He is also not a bad character in the movie, so I think he will give try his best to survive.

The last animal I am going to take with me on the ark is Winnie Pooh. He is so cute and adorable. Even though many people say that he can't do anything, I will still take him with me. He might not be the fastest when we will have to flee, but I think he will try his best. I mean, who doesn't want a big fluffy Winnie Pooh to cuddle? It can be relaxing if you have someone you can cuddle and just relax for some time with him and not always trying to fight. And he can probably collect some food. So he is definitely not useless.

*****
Post Apocalyptic Posse

Denilson Velasco

The first animal I want to take with me at the end of the word is Caesar. I choose Caesar because I see in something special in him. I see a leader and at the end of the world, we need someone brave, sensuous and intelligent. Many people say that Caesar only think about it and that it is bad but I think the opposite I see someone who helps their family that thinks the best for them. Also, it is a bad choice because he hates humans, but it is common, he saw how humans mistreated his family, but at the beginning, he wanted the humans and helped them. Caesar will be a great asset to my PAP.

The next animal I want to bring to the end of the word is Underdog. I choose Underdog because it is an adorable dog, the best friend of the men, he also can talk, fly, have super strength, seen as an eagle and a super-phosphate. I think that it would be a good option to look for food, help people and alert us. People say the Underdog is a bad option because it is a dos and they can use a dog whistle to stop him. But I think that would not be a bad choice because it is the end of the world I do not think anyone will bring a dog whistle. I feel the underdog will be a great asset to my PAP.

The next animal that I want to bring to the end of the word is Mr.Peabody. I choose Mr.Peabody because he is one of the most intelligent animals I have seen. Mr.Peabody is perfect, the people say that he cannot be separated from the son he adopted but I think he can do it because if he was alone all these years and now he can be with more animal and friends I think he can do it, it is a good choice to be an electrical engineer. My boss in technology to look for a source of energy or create it. Mr.Peabody will be a excellent animal for my PAP.

The next animal I want to bring to the end of the word is Perry the Platypus. I choose Perry the Platypus because in every camp thee always mysteries and things that disappear. That is why I choose perry to be my detective, it is one of the best for me, but many people say that he cannot speak, but I think who needs to- speak to solve a mystery just by taking orders, be faithful and can speak with me I see that Perry is a good choice as a detective and also knows how to fight. Perry the Platypus will be a great asset to my PAP.

*****

Air Pollution

Alejandro Martinez

Alex is 13 years old and has asthma. He lives in a busy area in New York which is bad for him because every morning when he walks to school he has to pass by many cars that are just pollutings the air making him have better chance to get a asthma attack. The reason why Alex would also have a better chance of getting a attack is because his lungs wouldn't be able to support the stress. Alex always wonders why he's the only one with this problem but the truth is that many people have asthma and even without asthma it still affects the person. Alex is just one of many people in the world who suffer from this problem.

In the article Time they estimated that air pollution ends up killing more than 3 million million people annually. According to the website National Geographic, "In the past 150 years, such activities have pumped enough carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to raise its levels higher than they have been for hundreds of thousands of years." The effects of air pollution harms both humans and the environment. Air pollution would harm children worse than it would to an adult because of their lung capacity. According to conserve energy, "28% of the Americans believe they are most affected by air pollution caused by vehicles." Many americans most likely believe it could be the vehicles because its a transportation product that many people use as a everyday thing.

In the website conserve-energy, "An average American breathes 2 gallons of air per minute which means around 3400 gallons of air each day." Since humans breathe around 3400 gallons per day many people can get serious injuries leading to death if they stay somewhere where there is a lot of smog or dust. People may think air pollution just harms the environment and humans but it also affects dolphins causing them to get black lung disease. Outdoor pollution ranks top ten killers on earth.

Air pollution is a big problem but with everyone's help it can be reduced. If people were to help to reduce air pollution there would be less cars in the streets and more bikes. Another thing people would see less in big cities is smog.

Air pollution is a big problem that could be solved in many ways. One of the ways that it could be solved is reducing a person's carbon footprint. A person's carbon footprint is how much they are responsible for polluting. For example some one could be flying and driving all the time which makes their carbon footprint a big problem because they are polluting more than someone should be. A way to reduce someone's footprint could to be share a ride with someone else that is going the same direction. Instead of using two cars to go to the same direction people could just use one.

Another way to solve the problem is to burn less fuels. They way people can burn less fuels is by getting a electric car instead of using a car that uses gas or people can just ride bikes. If people don't buy food locally trucks would have to transport to the store because the food has to get their somehow. People usually leave their car running thinking they would be back in a couple of minutes but while they are leaving the car on they are burning fossil fuels more than they should.

A third solution is to talk to the power company to see if people can get solar panels or wind for energy. If people have solar panels they are getting the energy from the sun. In the website EnergyInformative it states "Solar panels are made up by many cells called photovoltaic cells." Solar energy is renewable which means it won't run out. Solar energy is also sustainable which means it can't be over consumed. Wind energy is also a good way to reduce air pollution since its not burning fossil fuels. Wind energy is also renewable like solar energy.

There are many ways to help reduce air pollution but it would require many people to help to get a big difference. People are just harming the environment taking it for granite because people end up making money. For example a business could be producing many cheap toys which pollutes the atmosphere even more because people will keep buying since its cheap and will break faster so will make them just buy another.

People can agree that air pollution is a big problem because it affects the air people breathe in order to survive and others can argue that its not hurting the environment as much because they are gaining some profits from their businesses. In the article Washington Post it states that $131 billion was charged from damages from the year 2011 from energy production. Although it has been proved that the cost from 2002 compared to 2011 has improved it still cost more than $120 billion.

People who are in businesses wont lose all their money if they made changes for example if they made better products that last long they wouldn't have to make as many because the people who bought the cheap product wouldn't have to keep rebuying. Businesses wouldn't want to do that because they wouldn't make the same money if they made the cheaper ones. Although the companies may lose some money the atmosphere would be healthier for the people living around the factories. If people really thought about how much factories pollute the atmosphere they would reduce how much particles the release into the atmosphere. The people who defend air pollution are mainly business owners but citizens would prefer a good community where they don't have to worry about getting sick because of everything flowing in the air.

Everyone needs air in order to survive but what most people in cities breathe is air that has been polluted by factories and cars. People are just affecting themselves because they would rather make some money in a factory making cheap stuff just to make more after or because they don't use any other transportation other than their cars. Alex is now living safe in a area where no factories are around and a small community and is living fine without many particles in the air. If everyone just helped reduce air pollution the planet would be good and healthy instead the planet is slowly being destroyed.

Works Cited

"40 Facts About Air Pollution." Conserve Energy Future, 5 Jan. 2017, www.conserve-energy-future.com/various-air-pollution-facts.php.

"Cars, Trucks, and Air Pollution." Union of Concerned Scientists, www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/vehicles-air-pollution-and-human-health/cars-trucks-air-pollution#.WrOkM0-WzKI.

Jay, et al. "Solar Basics." Energy Informative, energyinformative.org/solar-basics/#how-solar-works/.

Mackenzie, Jillian. "Air Pollution: Everything You Need to Know." NRDC, © Natural Resources Defense Council , 9 Jan. 2018, www.nrdc.org/stories/air-pollution-everything-you-need-know.

Peterson, Agnes, et al. "Solar Energy Pros and Cons." Energy Informative, energyinformative.org/solar-energy-pros-and-cons/.

Worland, Justin. "Air Pollution Kills in America Despite EPA Efforts." Time, Time, 28 June 2017, time.com/4836660/air-pollution-health-death-epa/.

*****
Antidepressants and the Risks and Dangers

Jayden Kim

Many teenagers in high school may have their own problems; they go through tough times, difficult school work, social issues, and so much more. Cece was just one of those teenagers, experiencing ups and downs every day. However, Cece dealt with the situation a little bit different from everyone else. Not all kids take medications, specifically antidepressants due to stress and pressure that everyone else deals with as well. Unfortunately, Cece did, and this was going to be one of the biggest mistakes she has ever made in her life. Never did she know the terrible side effects and dangers antidepressants could bring to her life. Because of the antidepressants Cece decided to take, she took on a whole episode of constant pain, nausea, and restlessness. She depended only on the tablets, and it seemed like her whole life revolved around the drug. Yet, this was only the beginning; there are so much more dangers to drugs like antidepressants that not much people are aware of.

This, actually, are one of the main problems: not much information about the drug is known to the public eye. According to a report by the National Center for Health Statistics in 2011, antidepressants were found to be a very generally used drug for approximately 11 percent of Americans over the age of 12(Kwon, Diana). Despite how widely the drug is used, it has been reported that recently, the safety risks of these drugs, especially the impact they carry on children and teenagers have been kept hidden from the medical community and public(Kwon, Diana). Last week, the most current and extensive studies have been published as the British Medical Journal, where a group of health network researchers revealed that pharmaceutical companies were not completely showing all of the matters that cause serious harm in clinical study reports, which are specific documents that are sent to regulatory authorities that include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency when confirmations are required for a new type of drug(Kwon, Diana). To add on, Joanna Moncrieff, a psychiatrist and researcher at University College London says that there aren't good enough evidence that can prove that antidepressants are effective and only evidence for dangers and harms of these drugs are piling up, stating that we should take action to this situation and stop the rising prescriptions of these drugs(Kwon, Diana).

Another problem that antidepressants may cause are the horrible side effects, and some, ironically, even leading to suicidal thoughts. Patients that take SSRIs develop temporary or mild or both temporary and mild physical complications that include insomnia, skin rashes, headaches, joint and muscle pain, stomach upset, nausea and diarrhea (Harvard Health Publishing). These problems may become more serious when the blood clotting capacity is reduced caused by decreased concentration of serotonin well believed to be a neurotransmitter which is also present in the blood platelets (Harvard Health Publishing). These drugs can also make patients suffer from a higher danger of stomach and uterine bleeding, and have a greater possibility for the need to require a blood transfusion during or after surgery, if needed (Harvard Health Publishing). Besides this, these kinds of drugs can cause weight gain, insomnia, suicidality(Joseph Geni), digestive problems, infections, massive seizures(Ashmall, Lesley), aggressive behavior in teenagers(Kwon, Diana), mysterious acts of violence and injurious reactions (Whitaker, Robert), tics, muscle spasms, repetitive muscle movements, rigorously moving limbs, and overwhelming restlessness that may be followed with severe anxiety(Harvard Health Publishing). Recently, side effects starting from sexual dysfunction to suicidal behavior have been receiving attention due to these drugs as well (Harvard Health Publishing). By taking these medications, it may result in lessened sexual interests, desire, performance, and sexual dysfunction (Harvard Health Publishing). In severe cases, suicidal thoughts are also a problem, and it has been proven through Katinka Blackford Newman that it doesn't just stop there. During the struggles of her divorce, Newman, a film-maker went to see a psychiatrist who prescribed her escitalopram, a type of antidepressant while she was working on her memoir, "The Pill That Steals Lives". Ever since she took the drug, Newman was affected by severe anxiety and restlessness, which are side effects related to violence and suicide. Such disturbing sceneries had crept into her head creating a hallucination which caused her to kill her two children. She was hospitalised, and from there on she depended on antipsychotics and other psychiatric drugs, making her life go down (Whitaker, Robert).

These are horrifying risks of taking such medications, and must be acted upon. One thing that may be a solution to the problem is having medication and drug educations every so often to the public that aren't aware of the idea. For instance, "Drug Free Communities Support Program", "Division of Workplace Programs", "Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit" (SAMHSA), and "Improved Clinician Education" (APHA), and any kind of education program or campaign that may help with patients' safety. Educational programs and warnings about extremely harmful drugs in general such as stimulants like cocaine and hallucinogens like LSD have numerous numbers of guidances and training programs and cautions have been around for a very long time. This is because the risks of these drugs are extremely well-known as much as the effects of these drugs. Because the consequences of these drugs are much more extreme than antidepressants, it obviously has more attention drawn to it. However, medications like antidepressants need some notice as well. Drug educations could be held in schools, classes, in the town, or even some propagandas hung in the streets could be a help. Another good way to get education into medication takers could be having a celebrity or well-known people discuss their story about these type of drugs. Celebrities that include Kristen Bell, Lady Gaga, Cara Delevingne, Owen Wilson (Altshul, Sarah), and so much more superstars have suffered from anxiety and depression, and it didn't stop them from taking medications. However, so many of these people have overcame this part of their life, and their story could inspire many people who are taking such treatments right now.

Another good solution for current drug takers is to stricten the policy and giving away of drug prescriptions. One effective way of making stricter policies is to necessitate ID requirement (Trust for America's Health). 11% of Americans over the age of 12 take medication (Kwon, Diana), and children and teens should require a parents' consent in order to get a medical prescription. Despite the fact that anyone over the age of 16 can get a prescription with or without a parents' permission, this policy should be stricter. IDs should be demanded whenever someone wants any kind of prescription, including mild ones. Even though a patient is over the legal age allowed for a prescription, a parents' consent should still be needed. Also, another good way for this method to work out is to hide medications if necessary in pharmacies and homes. If medications and drugs are placed in someplace easy to spot, replacements should be required. An improval of medication storage security at home is one example of a good way to take action on this issue(APHA). Increased protection of medicine is a good way to prevent inconsiderate choices of misuse in any type of drug.

Lastly, and most effectively, is an option of throwing away the idea of any type of drug treatment at all, and finding an alternative for antidepressants in a non-medicated way. One alternative for antidepressants could be light therapy. The cause for depressive behavior and dispirited mood could have relations with a lack of exposure to sunlight, and a light therapy is also proven to "reduce the symptoms of non-seasonal depression as well"(Mercola). Another alternative for antidepressants is regular exercise and an increase in any form of physical fitness (Mercola). Exercise is shown beyond doubt that it can give positive results not only for depression, but for any kind of emotion. It can alter serotonin levels in the brain, which can show an outcome of improved mood and a decreased level of depression(Mercola). Exercise is also known for releasing endorphins which can help the mind for well-being, taking the mind off of worries or negative thoughts that lead to depression, and helps in much more beneficial ways that affect the body in good ways (Mayo Clinic Staff). According to Mercola.com, there are much more alternatives for antidepressants besides light therapy and exercise such as yoga or meditation, massages, 5-Hydroxytryptophan, and so much more (Mercola). Many of these replacements for medications are strongly encouraged, and they are guaranteed to relieve most forms of depression and anxiety.

It's true that majority of people can't deny the fact that having drug safety educations, creating stricter drug prescription policies, and alternatives that don't have anything to do with drugs at all are good ways to prevent dangers of antidepressant drug use. Although there are plenty of good solutions for restrained antidepressant drug use, some people may not agree with this idea and still be persuaded that antidepressants are harmless and that there are good sides to it. First of all, drug safety educations may be shown as uneffective by some people because it's mainly about substances that should be avoided and it also lacks important knowledge. For example, drug educations may state that drugs such as cocaine are highly addictive and that it's harmful to the body and other functions of the body. However, little do they state techniques to avoid getting involved with the substance. Drug educations often don't declare that cocaine is a street drug, and that it's known as Coke, C, Snow, Powder, or Blow; it's also sometimes weakened as non-psychoactive substances in order to increase their profit and is recognized as cornstarch, talcum powder, flour, or baking soda (Leshner). This example shows that drug educations may sometimes be short of important knowledge, and that it doesn't really tell people ways from getting involved with bad drugs. This problem, however, isn't completely true. There are plenty of good drug educations and warnings out there that show important data about the dangers of drugs like antidepressants. These types of drug educations include crucial information about warning signs of addiction, and small things like how the drug may affect the mind and body isn't exactly uneffective. Also, there are alternative educations such as 1 on 1 counseling education where information is shown about drugs affecting not only an individual, but family and friends as well; this type of education may also give more impact on an antidepressant user.

Second of all, although creating stricter drug prescription policies is a great way to reduce unsafe use of antidepressants, it might not seem like a fair idea to people who heavily rely on them. Creating stricter drug prescription policies mean limited amount of use of it as well, which may possibly seem like a far too big of a step if the medication is taken often by an individual. If drugs that have been taken on a regular dose gets cut off suddenly due to strictly-made policies, people may believe that it could lead to even worse side effects than when the drug is taken. This actually, is something that occurs time to time. If a medication intake is stopped suddenly, symptoms on the mind and body may take place. Although this may cause worrisome ideas for some people, there is in fact a safe way to adjust to strict policies. This is called tapering, which is slowly cutting back on the dose of antidepressants under a doctor's guidance (Goldberg). This is a good way because this method helps the brain adjust to chemical changes and also prevent discontinuation symptoms. Also, reducing the dose slowly from between two to six weeks is also a good way to taper off an antidepressant (How to Taper Off your Antidepressant).

Lastly, alternatives that don't include any usage of antidepressant drugs is actually the best way. This is because most people think it's best not only for good health, but in many aspects in life if medications aren't involved at all. Still, people may disagree with this type of idea for it is considered "hard work" and "effort". It is quite reasonable because many people, even non-antidepressant users find alternatives such as light therapy, regular exercise, yoga and meditation etc. difficult and many are lazy for such activities. This is why instead of using alternatives that are desired by the body, they take antidepressants instead because it's simple and easy. Unfortunately, this kind of work is not good at all. Everyone knows that simply taking a few pills takes a lot less effort than actually doing something that requires movement. However, these actions will definitely recall consequences since they're unwise and aren't going to be good ideas if thought about long-term. Alternatives get the body moving, not only treat depression but improve overall moods and condition, and brain functions (Mercola). Also, there are alternatives that don't involve effort at all such as eating Omega-3 fatty acids which are found in fish and walnuts, herbs, amino acids, and more (Alban). Besides activities and eating right, even breathing right can contribute to stress response for the body (Alban). According to Dr. Andrew Weil, "a well known leader in the field of integrative medicine" from Be Brain Fit, breathing properly is one of the most important things that can contribute to not significant relief in depression and anxiety, but overall health and mental well-being as well (Alban). Since there are so many good ways to get around taking antidepressants, at least one of them shouldn't be too bad to act upon.

It's common knowledge that people take antidepressants to get out of certain situations they aren't comfortable dealing with. However, it's been made clear that taking antidepressants aren't a very good option, and that there are other alternatives that can be considered. Taking antidepressants like Cece in the story above may help with some difficulties at the moment, but there are just too many risks to take. Is one pill really worth all of the dangers? Will taking antidepressants really lead to a positive lifestyle rather than the safer choices? Tanya Tucker, an American musical artist has a quote that states, "But the main thing is that medication, too, is not all the help". Medications and drugs are certainly not good for people, and it doesn't only refer to illegal substances. By altering options and having more developed educations and policies, the usage of antidepressants should be reduced by a ton.

Works Cited

Alban, Deane. "Natural Antidepressants: 14 Proven Ways to Beat Depression Without Drugs." Be Brain Fit, 19 Apr. 2018, bebrainfit.com/natural-antidepressants/.

Ashmall, Lesley. "The 'Extreme' Side-Effects of Antidepressants." BBC News, BBC, 19 Oct. 2016, www.bbc.com/news/health-37682355.

Brachman, Rebecca. "Transcript of 'Could a Drug Prevent Depression and PTSD?"." TED: Ideas Worth Spreading, Sapling Foundation, Sept. 2016, www.ted.com/talks/rebecca_brachman_could_a_drug_prevent_depression_and_ptsd/transcript.

Goldberg, Joseph. "Stopping Antidepressants: Is It Withdrawal?" WebMD, WebMD, 11 Feb. 2017, www.webmd.com/depression/guide/withdrawal-from-antidepressants.

Harvard Health Publishing. "How to Taper off Your Antidepressant." Harvard Health, Harvard Medical School , Nov. 2010, www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/how-to-taper-off-your-antidepressant.

Kwon, Diana. "The Hidden Harm of Antidepressants." Scientific American, Macmillan Publisher Ltd, 3 Feb. 2016, www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-hidden-harm-of-antidepressants/.

Mercola, Joseph. "10 Antidepressant Alternatives Proven to Work." Mercola.com, 29 Jan. 2009, articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/01/29/10-antidepressant-alternatives-proven-to-work.aspx.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Cocaine." NIDA, June 2016, www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/cocaine.

"What Are the Real Risks of Antidepressants?" Harvard Health, Harvard Medical School , Mar. 2014, www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/what-are-the-real-risks-of-antidepressants.

Whitaker, Robert. "Antidepressants on Trial: Are They a Wonder or a Danger?" New Scientist, Reed Business Information , 6 July 2016,  www.newscientist.com/article/mg23130810-600-drug-stories-who-should-we-listen-to/.

*****

Better Life

Maximiliano Estrada

Jorge is 22 years old and he regularly exercise is his life. He is healthy but he start feeling tired at work and not getting good sleep, even if he sleeps 10 hours at night more often. He doesn't do any sports he does "big" walks every thursday in the afternoon. He went to the doctor to figure what is wrong with him, the doctor told him he has blood high pressure and not a really good circulation, and that he has a higher chance of having cancer. He ask why and the doctor said that one of the reason could be that he does not exercise enough and doesn't have a physical activity life.

Jorge is not the only one. According to the National Institute of Health, "Physical activity has been shown to help maintain a healthy body weight, maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints, promote psychological well-being, and reduce the risk of certain diseases,  including some cancers" ("Physical Activity Extends Life Expectancy."). Also, "The benefits of vigorous activity applied to men and women of all ages, and were independent of the total amount of time spent being active,"(Walton). Because of this many people in the world is getting diseases because they don't exercise or they don't have physical activity life.

Inactive physical lifestyle is a big problem. People don't exercise and don't move at all during the day is most likely that blood circulation is stock and doesn't run as good as a active person. According to Andrea Anastasiou "Regular physical activity can also reduce mortality and the risk of recurrent breast cancer by approximately 50 percent, lower the risk of stroke by 27 per cent and reduce the incidence of heart disease and high blood pressure by 40 per cent". Some may say that exercise is not essential to have a healthy and longer life. However, "People who exercised vigorously up to 30% of the time had a 9% reduced risk of dying; those whose exercise was vigorous more than 30% of the time reduced their mortality risk by 13"(Walton). Doing exercise will definitely increase your health and decrease your risk of die or getting diseases.

The problem of this lifestyle is not the things that you eat is the decision you make every day either exercise or not. Here is some solutions to this problems. One thing that definitely would help you is sports early in your life. This is a great solution because the article "These 3 sports would help you live longer suggest", "Among those that did, people who played racquet sports had a 47% lower risk of dying during the nine-year study than people who didn't exercise." (Park). This is great because sports are a good thing and not a waste of time in your life. Also sports are a good thing overall they help you increase your lower risk of dying. If more people start doing this, people would leave a longer and healthy.

Another solution is do the sports of swimming or aerobics. This are the best sport that would help you live longer. This to sports have the highest percent of lower risk of death. If you practice this sports you would have a really good healthy and longer life. According to (Park). "Swimmers had a 28% lower risk of death and those doing aerobics showed a 27% lower risk of dying."

A third solution is choice the sport that you like and get in roll with it and enjoy it, you can join either in school or in clubs. If you are and adult you can still search for some clubs or local gyms. If you exercise 5 days a week is more than perfect even if your exercise three to four time a week. Depending on your age would determine the amount of intensity you need in your workouts. According to the website The National suggest, "Three to four times a week is perfect," says Wehbi. "The type of exercise, however, varies with age and health condition. If a person is young and healthy then high intensity interval training is recommended regularly."(Anastasiou).

One more solution for the ones that don't have a local gym or transportation is exercise at home. Exercise at home is now a thing because we have tv shows and programs that don't require weights or running. This programs are specially made for people that don't have the resources to go to the health club or have the money to afford it.

One thing that people would said to not exercise is that they are too tired. Here is one solution to this answer. Working out actually gives you energy your circulation start working out and also your hormones. The best time to work out may be the mornings because you have energy for the rest of the day. Another excuse people usually say is "I don't have time". Before saying that ask yourself how much tv do you watch? You can break your exercise into sessions during the day everything is better than nothing. "During your tv time you can get a stretch band and do it during your shows or during the commercials."(Springen)

"Exercise is boring" is another excuse people said all the time. Find something that you really like. Join even a sport league, dancing, walk your dog there is always a physical activity for everyone. To make it more fun you can read, watch tv or exercise with friends. Company is always better than be alone. "If you get bored again try always something new" don't be afraid of failing. According to joe decker, "Many people who attend a class will show up exhausted from the ups and downs of everyday life. But once they join the group, they become re-energized. With a friendly fitness instructor there to light a fire under you rear, it can't get any better."

The next excuse is "i've tried before". This is usually because they try a really far goal and they don't reach it in a short period of time. Instead of setting this big goals try to set up small goals that eventually would take you to that big dream you never reach. Post it on Facebook.(Springen). Posting your exercise in public would help you get along with the goal your trying to reach. That way people can comment on your videos or pictures and tell your

progress.

Knowing the benefits of exercise, the advantage and disadvantage helps to make top decision about your life. You have two options either do it or not. If you choose to do it there's high chances that you would live longer and healthy. If not what are you doing about it?

Works Cited

Anastasiou, Andrea. "Exercise Is Best Prescription for Good Health and a Long Life." The National, The National, 16 Apr. 2013, www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/wellbeing/exercise-is-best-prescription-for-good-health-and-a-long-life-1.566215.

Park, Alice. "Exercise and Longevity: These Sports Can Lead to Longer Life." Time, Time, 29 Nov. 2016, time.com/4585396/sports-live-longer-exercise/.

"Physical Activity Extends Life Expectancy." National Cancer Institute, www.cancer.gov/news-events/press-releases/2012/PhysicalActivityLifeExpectancy.

Springen, Karen. "Top 6 Exercise Excuses and How to Beat Them." WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/the-top-6-exercise-excuses-and-how-to-beat-them#2.

Walton, Alice G. "Vigorous Exercise Linked To Longer Life, Study Says." Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 7 Apr. 2015, www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2015/04/06/vigorous-exercise-may-lengthen-lives-study-finds/#666015d9262f.

*****
Child Labor

Eric Han

Mei is only 14 years old who works in a factory in China. She lives at the factory, in a teeny room she shares with twelve other girls. Early in the morning, when it's still dark, she has to go to the factory. Her job is to brush off lint and snip the loose threads off the jeans. She works fast, her head down. If managers see her and other girls talking, laughing and etc, they remove her daily wage. She does everything in the factory. Foods what she eats, taste is very bad and they sometimes cause stomachache. She sleeps on the hard-wooden bunk. She sleeps almost 4 hours per day. When there is a big demand, she can't sleep. Her pay is only six cents an hour.

She used to be a normal girl. She played with friends. However, her life changed because of the work.

This is not only Mei's story. According to the website Human Rights watch, Over 100 million children around the world work in hazardous conditions in agriculture, mining, domestic labor, and other sectors ( "child labor") Here is why child labor is problem, why we have to solve this problem.

A lot of children are suffered from child labor. A lot of country like Bangladeshi, China, Nepal, and etc use child in their workplace. They can use youth in their workplace. However, they use too young children and their treatment to children is very bad. They made children work more than 11 hours per day. They sometimes hit children when they snooze when they work or talk with others child. They sometimes don't give daily payment. Children's pay is high? Never. Their pay is only 6 cents to 20 cents (Rockliff 33 page). It is very small. If they work 12 hours, just 2.4 dollars a day. They can't report to other people because they have to feed their family. Using children in workplace is originally illegal (Rockliff 33 page). Children is age that play with other friends or eat what they want. However, they can't do it because of their work. They have to work all day without rest. Food what they eat is very bad. Child is period to grow. If their food what they eat is bad, they can't grow well. They also can't study so some children even can't write their words. If it goes like this, after 20 years, we may not find talented worker. Factory owners use children no thinking just children are cheap. If they don't use children in their workplace, we can educate a lot of children and we can use them a lot of way when they grow up.

So, we have to solve this problem if we think about our children and our future world. This is a big issue, so it may be hard but we have to do.

The First solution to stop child labor is to start boycott. What is the boycott? Boycott is an act that don't buying, using some product for political, social or environmental reason(Wikipedia). We can start boycott individual or making organization. If we start boycott, Companies which use child labor will be damaged because we don't buy product anymore. When this happens, It will come good effect. Companies will change their way to produce. They will change their management. Also, boycott can change economy. Companies which used child will change their worker to adult. Adult who don't have job can go work, and can earn money. Companies have to give normal payment to adult. So like Bangladeshi, Nepal and etc life will be better than before.

Some people can think starting boycott is not good idea to prevent child labor. They can say company doesn't mind when people start boycott. However, this is wrong think. For example, in 1996, 'Life' in the US showed pictures of children sewing Nike soccer balls. This picture shook Europe and US. People outraged and started boycott on Nike product. Nike's stocks were fallen, and their company image was drop. Nike explain that they don't use children in their work. However, it was already revealed that they use child labor, eventually they knocked over the criticism and the decline in sales. Like this, if we start boycott, and many people participate our boycott we can influence even company is major company. We have to recognize consumer's power is strong.

You may be able to be busy, you can't start boycott. Here is some solution. You can borrow other hand to volunteer organization like Unisef, world vision and etc. Even if you can't stop global child labor, you can help children who work in the factory. That organization help poor people by donation. You can choose one or more children and donate every month about 30 dollars a month. It is not big money. You can save 1 life just 30 dollars. Although this solution can't solve whole problem of the child labor, we can save child. Besides, if we donate, the can go school and study. This solution can help prevent child labor and we can help them to study. Sometimes, unisef or world vision give some volunteer plan, so you can go country where you donate, and volunteer them. If you donate to volunteer organization, you can help children indirectly or directly.

Donating to volunteer organization has a lot of benefit. You may be busy or you don't have time to do something for stop child labor. However, if you donate, you can do this work indirectly. Now, you can say "they work well? For our money?" But you don't have to worry about this. For example, in Unisef website, you can see what they work. They say they work for children and they save about 10000 children in Nepal, Bangladeshi and etc(Unisef). This is not small number. Besides, 30 dollars in month is not big amount. You just save one dollar a day.

Last solution is that buy fair trade and sweatshop-free products. This solution is similar with first solution. The fair trade and sweatshop-free products are that produce fairly, no use of child, and pay rightfully. So, how can you find and buy this product? You can find whether product is fair trade or not at the Fair-Trade USA, Fair Trade America or Goodweave Label. If you buy by fair trade, there are a lot of benefit. Fair trade product is that owner gives payment to worker correctly. We buy product fair cost, worker receive fair payment. It is like Kill two birds with one stone. So, this solution is good for stop child labor.

Some people can think fair trade products have many disadvantages like costly than other products or low number of shop. However, you can think other way. Fair trade products are expensive than other product, so if you buy fair trade product, you will buy product less than when you buy at the non-fair-trade shop. This is more economical. Low number shop of fair trade is same as cost. If they are small number shops, you will go when you really need something. Fair trade companies give to worker right payment, sot this made increase country where worker live because they get right payment. If you buy fair trade product, company which use child labor will decrease their sales. So, we can change their mind."

A lot of children are suffering from child labor. They can't dream, they can't image their future. We have duty to protect children. We can save them just small work. You can save them just use little money and time. Saving children by your small work will change world a lot. By saving children, they can dream their future, and achieve their dream. This is benefit for whole world. After child labor is gone, Mei will go school, and she will live life like normal children. She can play with her friends, study, and she can go back to her family. When you buy something, ask yourself. 'This product is fair trade?' 'This product use child labor?' Your small work and think can change the world.

Works Cited

Rockliff, Mara. Get Real (page 33): Running Press Book Pub., 2010.

문 상호. "나이키의 아동노동착취 소비자 불매운동 이어져." 더나은 미래, 28 May 2013, news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2013/05/27/2013052701918.html.

세계 아동노동 반대의 날 \- 아동노동에 대해 알아야 하는 5가지 사실 l 유니세프한국위원회 . "[세계 아동노동 반대의 날] 아동노동에 대해 알아야 하는 5가지 사실." 유니세프로고, www.unicef.or.kr/news/story_view.asp?idx=40052.

"Boycott." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Apr. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boycott.

"Child Labor." Human Rights Watch, 8 Feb. 2018, www.hrw.org/topic/childrens-rights/child-labor.

*****
Feeding and Helping the Orphans

Denilson Velasco

This story is about Sandy, she is from Haiti. She became orphan in the earthquake in 2010, she couldn't find her parents. She only was 14 years old, she goes to hospital near to her, and then the hospital send all the kids without parents or family to a orphanage. When she arrive to the orphanage she said " it's like my town" she started to like being there in the first days sometimes she feels sad that she couldn't find her parent. "The person in charge for the orphanage called vernot" said Sandy. Sandy also said "He was a bad person, he made us clean the orphanage and everything, then when we don't do anything he started hitting us with a whip, we didn't have food, no education either money" Sandy starts seeing the real world when vernot made all the girls have sex with other men for money to help the orphanage or sending her to clean house for it. Sandy said "We were poor, our clothes were dirty with holes, we couldn't take a shower because we used the water to drink something, because we were always thirsty.

One problem with the orphans in Haiti is that many aren't really orphans. "Parents believe their children will be better in an orphanage where they will be fed, cared for, and sent to school". (CNN, Lisa Cohen). It became common in haiti that parents give they children to the orphanages to give them a better live, and the possible amount or average the orphans live in orphanages is at least the 30.000, but it's been a problem for a long time, because the 80 percent have at least one parent alive. This became a serious problem because they parents put their faith in a orphanage but they don't know what's really happening to them, they are basically killing their own kids. The kids are experimenting a new place is making problem with the mind because they don't have anyone to talk they just miss they parents.

The main problem of orphanage in haiti is, that the kids aren't happy with the people who adopt the kids. "They are forced into labor". (CNN, Fils-Lien Ely Thelot). "In the worst cases, Lumos has witnessed and reported on cases of child sexual exploitation and human trafficking inside Haitian orphanages". (CNN, Lumors)."For all of your best intentions, if you are giving money to orphanages, if you are volunteering in orphanages, you are helping to drive trafficking in Haiti." (CNN, Georgette Mulheir) It's clear the kids in Haiti its looking for help because basically they have been sold for being served for being abused. It has became a main problem for all the orphans because they don't know who they can trust or believe. Some of the help they get from donors is helping to drive the children trafficking because they believe it helps a lot for the orphanage, but they are contributing to this horrible action. They are being abused psychologically, sensually and physically.

A famous organization, called Real Bread Outreach helps those poor kids and gives them a little hope. "Real Bread Outreach is reaching beyond the local community, traveling regularly to Haiti to provide, grain mills, grain, and other baking supplies as well as support and training to orphanages, schools and churches". In this quote, some people are like a hero for them. They are travelling all the way to haiti to find poor communities and orphans to help them and give them hope. This is helping so much all the poor people because now the people in haiti can feel support, they feel safe. For this people, the help is more important than anything else. They are giving them a chance for a new life, that is the best thing that can happen to a person in this situation. They also accept everyone, no one will be left behind in this community, everyone is treated the same way.

Another organization is Love A Child. "The food arrives monthly in whatever vehicle they use and stuff all their allotted boxes of food into every nook.We often talk about the orphanages that we support with our food each month". This organization is being helpful too, they collect and safe all the food they have to send is to the orphanage to save them for a month. But it is also a problem because, "they are often the target of thieves and bandits who steal their food". They have to be careful and the food has to arrive in a perfect time. Also the organization has to make sure they arrive safe to their communities with all the food.

Everyone has to open their eyes and has to consider the entire world because only in United State the waste of food is approximately 133 billion pounds. People don't realize that people are dying in this world, also the government should help to find a home for this poor kids they lost their parents, suffered, have been sex slaves and servants. I will become a person who is going to fight against this, I feel that no one has to feel this pain. This orphans deserve to have a live too, a chance to become someone like us.

Works Cited

"Africa's Orphan Crisis: Worst Is Yet to Come." UNICEF, 7 Mar. 2007, www.unicef.org/media/media_16287.html.

Ahern, Laurie. "Orphanages Are No Place for Children." The Washington Post, WP Company, Aug. 2013, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/orphanages-are-no-place-for-children/2013/08/09/6d502fb0-fadd-11e2-a369-d1954abcb7e3_story.html?utm_term=.eb0ec5e44231.

Aronson, Jane. "Care for the Orphans Who Aren't Adopted." CNN, Cable News Network, 18 Nov. 2011, www.cnn.com/2011/11/18/opinion/aronson-adoption-orphans/index.html.

Cohen, Lisa. "How Traffickers Exploit Children in Haiti's Orphanages." CNN, Cable News Network, 2 Mar. 2018, www.cnn.com/2017/11/20/health/haiti-orphanages/index.html.

"Helping Haiti's Orphaned and Separated Children Find Their Families." UNICEF, 29 Jan. 2010, www.unicef.org/emergencies/haiti_52642.html.

Petulla, Sam. "Where Are the World's Nuclear Weapons?" CNN, Cable News Network, 25 Sept. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/09/23/politics/nuclear-weapons-over-time-by-country/index.html.

Voigt, Kevin. "International Adoption: Saving Orphans or Child Trafficking?" CNN, Cable News Network, 18 Sept. 2013, www.cnn.com/2013/09/16/world/international-adoption-saving-orphans-child-trafficking/index.html.

*****
Global Warming in the Alps

Isabella Reischl

Michael has come to Austria during Christmas break every year since he was 5 years old. He remembers a winter wonderland of snow where he learned how to ski and he enjoyed playing in the snow all day long. Now he is 22 years old and when he came last year, he experienced a brown Christmas and he didn't really enjoy his trip. He was very disappointed because he barely saw any snow this year. He hopes his children will also learn how to ski in Austria, but as it looks now, his children won't be able to experience the same as he could achieve. He thinks global warming is causing the melting of the snow. Unfortunately he is not the only person who thinks like that.

Global warming is in general a problem you can find all over the world, but in the Alps in particular are effects shown. According to the website MySwissAlps, "Global warming caused by humanity is causing a very rapid climate change, much quicker than nature itself would cause" ("Global Warming in Switzerland"). In fact, all the glaciers on the alps are slowly melting away and very low temperatures are becoming rare ("Global Warming in Switzerland"). The global warming will continue to increase by the time.

Some may say the artificial snow is the answer, it is still possible to get an artificial snow wonderland: snow cannons can be used to produce artificial snow. It would take a lot of snow cannons to snow over the whole slopes. And still the landscape would be green and brown, so a real artificial snow wonder is almost impossible (Langfitt).The artificial snow will never reach the quality of the real natural snow. And it will probably no`t be as much fun skiing on an artificial slope, with a brown and green background.

As a result there will come less tourists to the alps and small ski resorts have already had to close (Langfitt). The costs of a really good winter vacation will also increase and barely any people can effort this anymore. There will be definitely a change in the tourism during the winter season.

Another problem of the climate change in the alps is, that there are also other changes in the weather. Rainfalls are becoming more often and floods and avalanches occur more frequently ("Climate Change in the Alps"). This can cause a lot of damage in houses and in places where people live, so it could become dangerous for people.

The Global Warming in the Alps must slow down. The usage of greenhouse gases should be reduced. Everyone can participate in small things to reduce the growth of the climate change. With a lower use of cars the output of the gases can be reduced and so the global warming in general can slow down a little bit. The website MySwissAlps confirms that Global warming will have a cooling effect on Western Europe, if the usage of greenhouse gases is reduced. ("Global Warming in Switzerland"). All the cars we drive are causing the greatest output of greenhouse gases. So, if people lived closer to their working place, it wouldn't be a big problem to go to work. They could either use public transportation, walk or cycle to their working place. But nowadays people live one or two hours away from their working place, so they have to use their car again. More greenhouse gases are launched and so the global warming increases. The only solution for this problem is to move closer to their workplace or to arrange carpools for going to work, to decrease the amount of cars on the street.

Another Problem is, that too many big buildings are built. The problem is, it is very costly and it takes a lot of time and it is also very bad for the environment. The more machines are used to build a house, the more gases get into the air, which increases the global warming. There are already enough high buildings in most of the big cities, why to build more of those? We should all slow down the building of high big houses and offices. In these days many people started working from home, so anyways some of the skyscrapers are almost empty during the week.

The website Scientific American describes another problem of global warming and its solution, "The easiest way to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions is simply to buy less stuff" (Biello). This quote is completely right. This generation became very picky. Everyone always just has the desire for stuff they don't really have and most of the time don't really need. Because, who needs strawberries in the winter season? In Europe strawberries are growing in the months june and july, so they are only available for people in this time. But nowadays people also claim for strawberries in the winter and now the have to be delivered from African States to Europe, which is very bad for the environment. If everybody just stops buying stuff in the store, they don't need, then the companies will stop delivering them and so the global warming may slow down a little bit.

Probably everyone wants to learn or at least try how to ski once in a lifetime, but if everyone continuous not caring about our environment, our children and grandchildren won't even know what snow is. Michael is still hoping for a change in the global warming and that also his children and grandchildren can experience the beauty of the snow and maybe learn in the Alps how to ski.

Works Cited

Bell, Bethany. "Austria's Alps Hit by Climate Change." BBC News, BBC, 17 Sept. 2014, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29245606.

Biello, David. "10 Solutions for Climate Change." Scientific American, 26 Nov. 2007, www.scientificamerican.com/article/10-solutions-for-climate-change/.

"Climate Change in the Alps." WWF, WWF, wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/alps/problems/climate_change/.

"Global Warming in Switzerland." The Sad Effects of Global Warming in Switzerland, My Swiss Alps, 18 Mar. 2018, www.myswissalps.com/aboutswitzerland/nature/environment/globalwarming.

Kluger, Jeffrey. "Climate Change Forces Alps to Use Artificial Snow." Time, Time, time.com/italy-alps-climate-change/.

Langfitt, Frank. "Tourists To The Austrian Alps Find Snow Is In Short Supply." NPR, NPR, 23 Jan. 2017,  www.npr.org/2017/01/23/511165555/tourists-to-the-austrian-alps-find-snow-is-in-short-supply.

*****
Gun Violence and Gun Control in America

Brendan Donahue

Roger was a junior in high school, got straight A's in all classes and was planning on going to law school. Until one of his classmates decided to shoot up the school and ended up killing him. Nathan was planning to propose to his girlfriend of four years, when he was killed by a mass shooter while he partied at a club. Paul had served in Afghanistan for eight years and was finally home to spend time with his family; but someone had decided to murder him and twelve other people at the restaurant where he happened to be eating. America has a glaring gun violence problem. How long until some real changes happen and we fix this problem? How many more people have to die for America to realize it has to step up and do something?

According to the American Public Health Association, "Gun violence is a leading cause of premature death in the U.S. Guns kill more than 38,000 people and cause nearly 85,000 injuries each year" ("Gun Violence"). In comparison, "Over 37,000 people die in road crashes each year" ("Road Crash Statistics"). Cars are used a lot more in the everyday life of the average American, yet cause less deaths than guns.

Mass shootings are only a fraction of the problem. Most of the deaths caused by guns happen outside of mass shootings. As said by Time magazine, "an Associated Press analysis of FBI data shows there were about 11,000 gun-related homicides in 2016, up from 9,600 in 2015" (Rhodan). One must be careful, however, when assessing these statistics, because most gun deaths are mostly caused by suicide as opposed to homicide. To be specific, "More than 60 percent of people in this country who die from guns die by suicide" (Sanger-katz). That ties into a different problem, about how poorly America deals with mental illness.

In many states, gun laws are quite lax, allowing almost anyone to purchase them, including those who shouldn't. According to NBC, "Eighty-two percent of weapons involved in mass shootings over the last three decades have been bought legally" (Chuck). Even there is a 72-hour hold for the purchasing of firearms while a background check is done, a person can still retrieve the weapon after the wait, even if the check isn't completed (Chuck).

The hardest part about making changes to gun laws is that lawmakers must be careful not to infringe upon the rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment. This, coupled with the fact that there about as many guns as there are people in America (Bump), makes it hard to try and restrict or control the use of firearms. This, however, does not mean there still can't be changes made. For starters, making permits a requirement to buying firearms. This helps ensure that criminals don't get a hold of guns so easily. Some groups have argued that it wouldn't work. "This will not take one gun out of the hands of a single criminal," State Rep. Richard Belden complained to the New York Times. According to The Washington Post, after Connecticut passed a law requiring people to acquire a license to purchase a handgun, it "reduced gun homicides by 40 percent between 1996 and 2005" (Guo).

Next on the list, would be to keep weapons away from the mentally unstable. "In an analysis of 235 mass killings, many of which were carried out with firearms, 22 percent of the perpetrators could be considered mentally ill" (Qiu and Bank), according to The New York Times. Restricting the mentally ill from acquiring guns would already prevent a great number of mass shootings. However, "A 2016 academic study estimated that just 4 percent of violence is associated with serious mental illness alone" (Qiu and Bank). It's important to note that mental illness is a common factor regarding mass shootings, not gun violence as a whole. Nonetheless, "gun violence experts contacted by New York Times reporters have said that barring sales to people who are deemed dangerous by mental health providers could help prevent mass shootings" (Qiu and Bank).

In 2016, California passed a law that "allowed law enforcement officials, family members and some others to seek a gun restraining order from a judge" (Lovett). This would make it possible to temporarily or permanently take the firearms away of an individual who may be unstable or not fit to carry a gun. The law was quite controversial, with gun rights advocates saying it wouldn't help with preventing mass shootings, but instead just deprive people of their guns and violate their rights. However, many agree that it is a very effective method of prevention, seeing as those who are closest to the person know them best and are able to avoid a possible tragedy. For example, the police was warned a number of times about Nikolas Cruz, the Parkland, FL shooter, about him being unstable, but no actions were taken against him. Had it been possible for his family and friends to petition towards the confiscation of his guns, the shooting could have been avoided.

Israel has taken measures against school shootings, almost completely eradicating them. According to CBS News, every school in Israel has "an armed guard outside the main entrance" (Vigliotti). Many might see this as a militaristic approach to the problem, but it has proven to be effective and could possibly work here. However, there's more to it than that: an article on The New York Times points out that what really fixed the problem was not only the armed guards, but "an overall anti-terror policy and anti-terror operations, which brought street terrorism down to nearly zero over a number of years" (Qiu and Bank). It's not only a matter of restricting the access to guns, it's also about the culture and principles of the people.

The gun violence problem in America is one of the hardest to solve. The very foundations of the country were built upon the Bill of Rights, which promised the right to bear arms to the citizens. It's a very grey area and to make changes like this is to risk dividing the country even more than it already is. There must be a different solution to the problem, seeing as there may not be a direct correlation between gun ownership and gun violence. No one wants mass shootings, or high gun violence rates. But almost no one wants to give up their rights either. Hopefully sometime in the future, Americans will be able to put aside their differences to tackle this problem together instead of shifting blame around, never finding a real solution and just dividing the country further.

Works Cited

Bump, Philip. "The Number of People in America vs. the Number of Guns in America, Visualized." Washingtonpost.com, 4 Dec. 2015, www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/04/the-number-of-americans-vs-the-number-of-guns-in-america-visualized-through-history/?utm_term=.652c58455a92.

Chuck, Elizabeth. "More Than 80 Percent of Guns Used in Mass Shootings Obtained Legally." NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 5 Dec. 2015, www.nbcnews.com/storyline/san-bernardino-shooting/more-80-percent-guns-used-mass-shootings-obtained-legally-n474441.

Dyer, Nathan Furr and Jeff. "Stopping Gun Violence: Time For Innovative Solutions." Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 13 July 2016, www.forbes.com/sites/nathanfurrjeffdyer/2016/07/08/stopping-gun-violence-time-for-innovative-solutions/#616ab1da6c0c.

"Gun Violence." AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION, www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/gun-violence.

Guo, Jeff. "Gun Killings Fell by 40 Percent after Connecticut Passed This Law." The Washington Post, WP Company, 12 June 2015, www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2015/06/12/gun-killings-fell-by-40-percent-after-connecticut-passed-this-law/?utm_term=.769bd6e60106.

Lovett, Ian. "California Will Allow Family Members to Seek Seizure of Guns." The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Sept. 2014, www.nytimes.com/2014/10/01/us/california-will-allow-family-members-to-seek-seizure-of-guns.html.

Qiu, Linda, and Justin Bank. "Checking Facts and Falsehoods About Gun Violence and Mental Illness After Parkland Shooting." The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 Feb. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/us/politics/fact-check-parkland-gun-violence-mental-illness.html.

Rhodan, Maya. "Gun Deaths in America: CDC Data Shows Another Rise in 2016." Time, Time, 6 Nov. 2017, time.com/5011599/gun-deaths-rate-america-cdc-data/.

Sanger-katz, Margot. "Gun Deaths Are Mostly Suicides." The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Oct. 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/10/09/upshot/gun-deaths-are-mostly-suicides.html.

Vigliotti, Johnathan. "How Schools in Israel Keep Students Safe and Prevent Mass Shootings." Cbsnews.com, 27 Feb. 2018, www.cbsnews.com/news/how-schools-in-israel-keep-students-safe-and-prevent-mass-shootings/.

*****

How Negative Emotions Are Presented and How to Overcome Them

Julio Reategui

Billy is a teenager of 15 years old and is going through one of the most difficult times of his life, his dog died a couple of months ago due to natural circumstances and Billy could not recover from this, his school work has dropped and he has not been able to sleep well, his parents have told Billy to stop wasting time and that the death of his dog is no longer an excuse for him to do nothing, that enough time has passed for him to recover. As expected, this did not help Billy at all, increasing his accumulated stress and not letting him concentrate or sleep, this had a negative effect on his body and his code leading him to feel trapped and without escape. Negative emotions can affect people in different ways just like what happened to Billy.

Billy is not alone. Many people suffer from negative emotions. According to the Psychologist Antonio Cano all human beings the moment we have felt this way, and it is normal but this can worsen and according to the person this can lead to a stage of stress or anxiety, here the number is a little lower but it continues Being equally dangerous, according to Universa between 8% and 15% of the world population suffers stress throughout their life, those who suffer the most are people between 18 and 33 years old. (Europa press) in effect "Depression is currently one of the main challenges for public health, and is that between 8 and 15% of the population suffers some episode of this disease throughout his life". This is due to the high stress they suffer in their day to day thanks to the fact that at those ages one of the most important decisions of your life should be taken.

Many times, these diseases are not detected or are treated as harmless causing them to worse and take the patient to death. The subject in question can get to death thanks to the pressure exerted by his entity on him, making the small problems are seen as giants that have no solution causing the subject and seeing suicide or other actions without logic as the only solution. to solve a temporary problem in a permanent way.

Many people do not take seriously what negative emotions can negatively affect your day to day and take it as a passing thing that will happen at some point, and in most cases, this is true but happens by external actions as the support of your parents or friends but there are some people who do not have this and are those who are destined to suffer from these diseases.

The best way to avoid negative emotions or prevent progress of these is, although it sounds silly, happiness. Laughing and having good times with the people we love is a natural reliever of stress. Negative emotions affect parts of our body and brain because it also happens the same with positive emotions, negative emotions can give us fatigue and stress but Positive emotions do us good, giving us tranquility and optimism. This is one of the reasons why positive emotions are the most practical and easiest solution to get out of this problem, but not everyone is able to reach this so easily. It is necessary to see the state of the affected person, if what they suffer the subject came to develop as a depression or another disease of this type, which underlies the negative emotions, it will be necessary to use professional help as psychologists to help you get out of that abyss that does not allow you to be happy.

After all, not all people are not equal, some can leave the problem easily but others will be stuck there without being able to leave. if this happens it will be necessary the help of friends, relatives or professionals, but in the end the only way that the subject recovers will be when he accepts the problem and looks for the way out, but if the subject is enclosed in his own bubble and he does not receive the help that he is given, he can never leave that place leading him to become even more depressed and look for ways out like drugs and suicide.

For this reason it is important the environment in which the subject is, if your family has given you love and there has not been any problem within it, then your chances of being affected by negative emotions will be less and if above that what If you have a social circle of stable friends then it will be even less likely that you will be affected by these, only if a major tragic event happens you may be affected but it is emotionally stable and your parents taught you to have confidence in If it is very unlikely that this will affect you to a large extent. What I want to get to be that the easiest way for this to not affect you is if you have grown up in a good familiar and everyday environment.

Talking about the problems we have is also important to get rid of our worries, if you keep your problems you will have accumulated stress that will lead to simplify problems, as mentioned in the emotion management blog "Talking about problems relieves stress and it can give you more happiness. "

It does not matter how you look or face it, it is almost impossible to escape from negative emotions, at any stage of our life they may appear and if the events of our life do not change and they can be aggravated to the point of becoming dangerous, it is always necessary stand firm and face the problems of life with a smile, do not let it topple us, and do what we like, although that sounds silly helps alleviate the accumulated stress and get us a smile. Having hobbies helps us stay mentally stable.

The truth is that no matter what kind of advice you give them, negative emotions will always appear no matter what, what really makes the difference is how we handle and overcome them, that will help us to emerge victorious in this game known as life.

Works Cited

Association, American. "Data on Behavioral Health in the United States." American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 8 Jan. 2018, www.apa.org/helpcenter/data-behavioral-health.aspx.

Casa Editorial El Tiempo. "La Ira, Una Toxina Mortal." El Tiempo, El Tiempo, 10 June 2014, www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/CMS-14101400.

"Cinco Pasos Para Combatir El Estrés." Edited by D'Arcy Lyness, KidsHealth, The Nemours Foundation, 9 Mar. 2014, kidshealth.org/es/kids/5-steps-esp.html.

"Consejos Para Superar La Ansiedad y La Depresión." Ayuda Para La Ansiedad y La Depresión., 7 Mar. 2018, www.ayudaansiedadydepresion.com/consejos/.

Sanchez, Arturo. "Ansiedad Articulo." Research Gate, 8 June 2003, www.researchgate.net/publication/46727186_Ansiedad_estres_emociones_negativas_y_salud.

"Stressed in America." Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, 6 Feb. 2018,  www.apa.org/monitor/2011/01/stressed-america.aspx.

*****

How to Live with Infectious Diseases

Shintaro Kawamitsu

Aki is 16 years old and lives in California. He caught the flu 2 days ago. Maybe he caught a influenza when he was on the train because of one guy who coughed seated behind Aki. Today's world is developed, so why are infectious diseases still spread all over the world? Even though America is one of the best countries for health care, why do people like Aki still get infectious diseases?

This case is not rare. According to the article from World Health Organization (WHO) "complacency about the threat of communicable diseases in the 1970s led to less priority for communicable disease surveillance systems. Partly as a result, these systems were not maintained in large parts of the developing world, and this retarded recognition of the magnitude of problems posed by new and re-emerging communicable diseases, and therefore effective action to control them" ("WHO Report on Global Surveillance of Epidemic-prone Infectious Diseases - Introduction"). Infectious diseases are always evolution with era. Of course, the thread of infectious diseases is more less than before, but these are not eradication all over the world. Long time ago, there was a serious problem of infectious diseases such as Spanish flu and Plague. Spanish flu and Plague are not big threat now, but new infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, expanded.

In the past two decades, other infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, and dengue hemorrhagic fever expanded. According to article "AIDS Research and Therapy" from BMC "Despite recent progress in expanding access to HIV/AIDS treatment, the world continues to severely under-invest in efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, missing a tremendous opportunity to change the course of the epidemic by bringing proven treatment and prevention interventions to scale" (Gayle). Furthermore, we have to pay attention to old infectious diseases which are considered under control, such as malaria, cholera, and sleeping sickness. ("WHO Report on Global Surveillance of Epidemic-prone Infectious Diseases - Introduction") While some people say that we don't have to concern about infectious diseases.

The first solution is the about vaccination. Vaccination has greatly reduced the burden of infectious diseases. Most of Infection diseases caused by Bacteria's, Viruses, Fungi, or Parasites. If you take vaccination, you can protect yourself from some of the infectious diseases. Vaccination is the great solution because, as the website U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, "Vaccines do a great job of keeping people from getting serious diseases. In the United States, the rates for most vaccine-preventable diseases are at record or near-record lows" ("Vaccines by Disease."). And, vaccinations are not only protecting yourself from infectious diseases, but also it may reduce the severity of diseases symptoms if you get an infectious disease. If more people start doing this, the fear of infectious diseases will be decreasing.

Some people might say: if vaccines work so well, why do some people who already vaccinated still catch the diseases? Most people might take vaccination in order not to get some infectious disease. According to the article from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 1. You may be at risk for serious diseases that could be prevented by vaccines. 2.You may be at increased risk for complications from certain diseases if you have a chronic health condition or weakened immune system. 3.You can reduce the chance that you'll pass on a serious disease to your loved ones (CDC Features). Anyone have heard about this rumor; there is no vaccination meaning. However, it is totally wrong. It is very important to prevent from infectious for children and also adults. "If people are not vaccinated, diseases that have become uncommon such as pertussis, polio and measles, will quickly reappear" ("Questions and answers on immunization and vaccine safety"). Although levels of hygiene, sanitation and clean water is high, we need vaccine to prevent infection.

Next solution is the about to always clean your hands. If you always clean your hands, you could reduce to get some infectious diseases. According to the websites Center for Disease Control and Prevention "Feces (poop) from people or animals is an important source of germs like Salmonella, E. coli O157, and norovirus that cause diarrhea, and it can spread some respiratory infections like adenovirus and hand-foot-mouth disease. These kinds of germs can get onto hands after people use the toilet or change a diaper, but also in less obvious ways, like after handling raw meats that have invisible amounts of animal poop on them" ("Show Me the Science - Why Wash Your Hands?"). Nowadays, there is a lot of public place, which is mean that there is a lot of chance to meet many people and get infection.

Some people might say hand wash is not important. It's not big difference if we wash hand or not. However, it is totally wrong. Hand wash is very important to prevent infectious even if there is clean water, and good hygiene. "Germs from unwashed hands can get into foods and drinks while people prepare or consume them. Germs can multiply in some types of foods or drinks, under certain conditions, and make people sick" ("Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives"). We have many germs in our hands or face. Germs can get into our body easily through food or air. We eat something every day, which mean we have a chance to get germs into our body every day. Through wash our hands, we can reduce germs on our hands and we can prevent from infection causes.

Infectious diseases always happened every time, everywhere, even though the technology has already improved. The important thing is; how we coexist with infection. In the future, we might keep preventing infectious diseases, but those might be never disappeared because those evolve constantly. However, we can reduce damage of infectious, through vaccinations or infection control measures, such as sanitizer or hand wash. Of course, it is important to improve technology, but it also important to coexist with infection. Since now, I have taken several vaccinations and I will take vaccination in my future. The most important thing is that we can live safety. Hopefully, there is no people in the world who suffer from infectious diseases in near future.

Works Cited

"CDC Features." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9 Jan. 2017,

Gayle, Helene D. "Expanding Access to HIV Prevention." AIDS Research and Therapy, BioMed Central, 17 Jan. 2006, aidsrestherapy.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1742-6405-3-2.

"Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18 Nov. 2015,

"Questions and Answers on Immunization and Vaccine Safety." World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 15 Mar. 2018,

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Vaccines by Disease." Vaccines.gov, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 11 Oct. 2006,

"WHO Report on Global Surveillance of Epidemic-Prone Infectious Diseases - Introduction." World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 24 July 2015,

*****

How to Overcome With Negative Body Image

Esther H. Gil

Tamara is 21 years old and has an eating disorder. She was so depressed about being fat and she thought no one would be her friend because she's fat. She thought no one would marry with her because she's fat, so she stopped eating. After that she dropped 50 pounds by eating 300 .calories and running 3-5 miles per day. Her hair fell out, her nails were brittle, her body was freezing, and finally she became skinny enough to win society's seal of approval. Before she got an eating disorder, she thought that skinny meant happy, but it didn't. After a few years of not eating, she became angry and endure all that pain.

She is not the only one who developed an eating disorder because of depression about body image. Some people worry too much about gaining weight and that becomes obsessive. If it continues to build up it become a serious mental illness where people are of low weight due to limiting their energy intake and this called anorexia nervosa (Wint and Yu). People with anorexia are all because of an excessive fear of gaining weight. They eat an extremely low calorie diet or they can not even digest food because they don't eat enough food that they need.

Dealing with body image is really important. Teens who think themselves as either extremely fat or really skinny are more than twice as likely as normal weight teens to attempt or think about suicide. "The results suggest that extreme weight perceptions might be a suicide warning sign" (Arak). Teens are commiting suicide because they don't think they look good enough. Body image is closely linked to self-esteem. Low self-esteem in adolescents can lead to eating disorders, early sexual activity, substance use and suicidal thoughts. 58% of college-aged girls feel pressured to be a certain weight and 89% of girls have dieted by age 17, 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat, 15% of young women have disordered eating, and about 1,000 women die each year from eating disorder due to malnutrition, heart attack and suicide ("11 Facts About Body Image").

In the United States, people are stressing too much about that they're ugly even they're beautiful. Furthermore, teens who think themselves at either extreme fat or really skinny were more than twice as likely as normal weight teens to attempt or think about suicide.The results suggest that extreme weight perceptions might be a suicide warning sign, the researchers said (Arak). However, there are still things that people can change.

The first thing is to teach them to know the inside is important not just the outside. Some people might say that it is really hard not to describe someone's physical characteristics and it is hard to build the self-esteem again because of traumas about what are they looks like. For example, "Six out of 10 girls are now choosing not to do something because they don't think they look good enough. One in five are not showing up to class at all on days when they don't feel good about it." (Ramsey). However, people with low self-esteem are effect a lot from emotions, so the friends or family of people have to help them to develop to overcome image-related pressures and build their self-esteem. "Family plays an important role in our emotional, physical and spiritual development since each individual in the family system impacts and is impacted by the others" ("Family Therapy What Is It?"). At home, the solution starts with family. Parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, and uncles can teach the children when they're early age that it's important to know who you are and outside is not everything. Also, friends can give support and lifetime encouragement to those people who are worrying or depressed by how they feel about their outside. Friends should tell them that their inside is beautiful, and this makes their outside beautiful too. Look for support from people who makes feel safe and cared for, or they can discuss about how individuals view themselves and how media messages influence their self-image, so they can realize how much they were obsessed with body-image. To be honest is hard, but getting support plays an essential role in overcoming depression. Staying connected to other people and taking part in social activities will make a world of difference in mood and outlook ("Building Better Mental Health").

The second solution is to get positive relationship with food. Many people struggle with an unhealthy relationship with food and dieting because they just want to be more skinnier even they know that is not good for their health. Try to think about food as source of nutrition and energy instead of something to avoided. It may seem hard at first, but people can change the way they feel when they improve their eating habits. It's important to eat breakfast everyday, too. A morning meal can help curb hunger all day long. Don't skip meals. Being very hungry can make you more likely to overeat and choose healthy foods for meals and snacks.

Another solution is set goals that are realistic and healthy. For some examples about realistic and healthy plans are drink about 2 liters of water in a day and aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity everyday. First, regular exercise reduces feelings of anxiety and depression and the success of creating an exercise plan and sticking to it allows you to enjoy a sense of achievement. Getting a move on is good for body and mind. Second, as people get healthier body, they get positive effects on self-esteem. Especially for those who have low self-esteem as fitness and appearance improve. It can be the best solution to overcome with body image. Also, healthy weight loss is considered by experts to be one pound per week. Losing weight the healthy way increases their chances of keeping it off for good ("10 Ways to Overcome Negative Body Image").

Finally, do things that makes feel good. When people are stressing about a thing, they don't try to get rid of it. They just keep their focus on the things that are stressing them. If they try to do things they're enjoying, they might be surprised at how much better they feel once they're out in the world. Even if their depression doesn't lift immediately, they'll gradually feel more energetic as they make time for fun activities. Sometimes, it could be hard to find something that they like to do or they might tired of doing the same thing as always. Then, traveling to somewhere to have a time for rest and refresh can be a good solution too. Travel allows the ability to do what people want on their own time which includes to fully relax and figure out what truly makes happy. The best times of reflection and decision-making is when they're free from stress.

Appearance is valued too much in our society. people should be taught from the early age that the way they look is complete alright. Society's idea of beauty is not always beautiful and it's not the most important thing in the world either. As people stop caring about outside, people around them will try to see the inside. People who have good self-esteem and comfort with their appearance, they're more attractive than the person who just caring about the outside. People live only once but they just waste time focusing on the outside not the inside. People are going to miss the things that are more important than the appearance. Imagine that people stop just caring about appearance and enjoy their life and helping people around them. Instead of worrying about appearance people could spend time doing enjoyable things, taking time to really get to know another person and helping someone else.

Works Cited

"10 Ways to Overcome Negative Body Image." Underground Health Reporter, 23 Apr. 2013, undergroundhealthreporter.com/overcome-negative-body-image/.

"11 Facts About Body Image." DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change, www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-body-image.

Arak, Joel. "Body Image Issues And Teen Suicide." CBS News, CBS Interactive, 6 June 2005, www.cbsnews.com/news/body-image-issues-and-teen-suicide/.

"Body Image and Self-Esteem." Edited by D'Arcy Lyness, KidsHealth, The Nemours Foundation, July 2015, kidshealth.org/en/teens/body-image.html.

"Building Better Mental Health." Building Better Mental Health: 6 Life-Changing Strategies to Boost Mood, Build Resilience, and Increase Happiness, www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/building-better-mental-health.htm.

"Family Therapy What Is It?" CRC Health Group, www.crchealth.com/types-of-therapy/what-is-family-therapy/.

Ramsey, Meaghan. "Transcript of 'Why Thinking You're Ugly Is Bad for You.'" TED: Ideas Worth Spreading, www.ted.com/talks/meaghan_ramsey_why_thinking_you_re_ugly_is_bad_for_you/transcript.

Reporter, Underground Health. "10 Ways to Overcome Negative Body Image." Underground Health Reporter, 23 Apr. 2013, undergroundhealthreporter.com/overcome-negative-body-image/.

"Tamara, 21." Healthy Girl - Helping Each Other Get Sane about Food, healthygirl.org/resources/real-stories/tamara-21/.

Wint, Carmella, and Winnie Yu. "Anorexia Nervosa: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments." Healthline, Healthline Media, www.healthline.com/health/anorexia-nervosa.

*****
Kids and Teens Sex Trafficking in United States

Lucia Rutherfurd

Lara, a eight years old little girl in the street of Atlanta, walking all alone in the city, with no responsible parents that don't take care of her Lara becomes a easy pray for deprived. In a few seconds the girl will disappear, adding once more the number in the percent of kids' sex trafficking in the world. Sadly this problem don't discriminate social classes, just imagine that you and your kid live in the same house but you don't have a clue that your child is being extorted with their dignity in your own house and nobody doesn't has a clue or a kid of . The biggest goal as a parent is always protect their child's always. Not to much people realize how dangerous and disgust could be the world, an inhuman act to which we are all exposed, no matter social class, race or age.

Cases like this occur in our daily live, is horrify how often it happens. According to the website Parents "Every 40 seconds in the United States, a child becomes missing or is abducted", and that is not even the scary part. The phrase 'Stranger Danger' is not a quote that apply to the American kids anymore, actually in accordance with the website KidsHealth "Of the kids and teens who are truly abducted, most are taken by a family member or an acquaintance", most of

the cases that are abducted by a family member are because of problems between divorce

parents. In a sexist world the highest numbers of kids (children and teens) are females. The dilemma here is that it seems that American parents are not aware that America also has a high number of kids abduction, they have this idea that just because America is a developed and first world country it doesn't exist the rape, extortion in short words it doesn't exist danger in America. The ideology of America is save it should exist anymore, not being alert it make our children and teens in an easy prey.

The first step is beat the ignorance and started being preventing the danger, but what do we mean with that? There is a taboo that still present in our society and that is making us trying to deny the reality, talking about the sexuality it seems way too hard for some parents, they don't see it as a responsibility that they should take care of, they explained that they will take their innocence. Sexuality it may be a uncomfortable topic to talk with teens, but sexuality it doesn't mean that we have to talk about the specific action of sex but it is important to highlight the importance of their own body, that nobody has the right to touch them inappropriately importance of sex, the risk and the responsibility. According to CBS NEWS "Let's not wait till your 13-year-old is pregnant to have a conversation," (Moscicki), teens in our days of the age of 13-15 are being extort by their nudes, they need parents that can affront the cruel reality, which is that we are living in a wicked world and it is precise to take care of ourselves and our loved.

Speeding the help, no one knows who is passing through sex extortion or who will be the next victim, usually victims thanks to the fear will stay quiet and will not share anything with nobody else, silently they'll search for a exist. Is in this point that we have to let them know that they are not alone. Sharing in social media the emergency number or even casually talking bout it with the person if there is a suspicion that the person is being extorted, according with the U.S Department of State "report your suspicions to law enforcement by calling 911 or the 24-hour National Human Trafficking Hotline line at 1-888-373-7888.", ("15 Ways You Can Help Fight Human Trafficking"). And thanks to our technology it make us the work more easier, we are able to share it all over the United States.

The biggest change that America is that needy of more law enforcement and more intervention of the police in public places. The government has as a duty of protect their children, instead of wasting money on guns, the money it has to be waste for the safety of their own people. It has been proof that it is effect if the big operation of police has great result, deeply investigation and policies in every single corner of all the cities is necessary. This is not a impractical this is happening already but we need to support them more. According to the source ABC.com "FBI agents and task force officers staged operations on websites and street corners as well as in truck stops, hotels and casinos" (Burns). Having as great results 120 sex traffickers and 80 children, the kid with youngest age is three months old and the oldest was fifteen.

Danger is everywhere and we have to be aware, affront the situation by taking action now before it happens to your child, let's not be blind trying to hide reality, the kids and teens sex trafficking it does exist in America, every parent has to protect their kids, the sad number of kids being kidnapped for sex must stop before America becomes in one of the top of child sex tourism in the world.

*****

Rebuilding the Future by Limiting AI

Aarya Joshi

Imagine a scene from the year 2050. A simple, everyday family which consists of a working father, a housewife type mother and a son and daughter dreaming about their ambitions, but affected by mass unemployment for for about 50% of the jobs in the country in the country due to a new industrial force called artificial intelligence or simply AI. It is a concept in which robots have their own intelligence and can learn from their mistakes and process day to day life things like conversations tasks. Many people might say that what is bad with that, but they don't see the point that they can develop feelings and will practically and technically be better than humans which will eliminate the need of humans in almost every possible way.

In this generation unemployment is a very big problem. According to the CIA India which is one of the developing countries has a unemployment rate of 8.80% as of the year 2017. Even a fully developed country like the US has the unemployment rate of 4.40% which is a lot in the terms of unemployment("COUNTRY COMPARISON :: UNEMPLOYMENT RATE"). Time has said "Forecasters believe that by 2050 there will be close to 10 billion people on the earth. If Vardi is right, and robots could replace as many as 50% of the workers in the market, we're headed for disaster" (Bajarin). It has also said that famous tech personalities like Bill Gates, Elon Musk and the late Stephen Hawking have shown their fears against AI and robotics (Bajarin).

Predictions are already are starting to seem true. Facebook has revealed that they use AI to manage the monitoring of it's users locations, speech, data usage, the sites they visit and other such factors to post relatable ads on the users Facebook wall. For example, if you are looking for a product such as a new speaker or a new phone, or almost anything and do a little bit research about the product, it will all be recorded and learned by the AI computer that is managing the data and give you more ads related to that product in the future. The reason why they are doing this is to reduce the number of employees which will result them in a profit, also us clicking ads indirectly earns Facebook money. Sounds creepy, right?

Discussing further on the problem of AI affecting humans there can be many solutions which can be given in regards to the problems mentioned. One solution according to Time is "AI experts need to heed the warnings of people like Gates, Musk and Hawking, and build safeguards and security into the products they create. Our education system, meanwhile, needs to be retooled to emphasize STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning, the sort of skills that will be most useful in a world where technology and automation could wipe out many of the jobs for which our children are currently being prepared." (Bajarin). The reason said would be that AI itself is based on the concept of science, technology, engineering and math in a single machine which can process it on it's own. It would also mean that AI is not all proof since it is a machine after all which means it can be hacked.

There have been many movies made on the concept of a machine learning stuff on itself, which is feared by Elon Musk, according to CNBC "Musk pointed to machine intelligence playing the ancient Chinese strategy game Go to demonstrate rapid growth in AI's capabilities. For example, London-based company, DeepMind, which was acquired by Google in 2014, developed an artificial intelligence system,  AlphaGo Zero, that learned to play Go without any human intervention. It learned simply from randomized play against itself." (Clifford), to which Musk has provided a type of blueprint to the solution, he said " 'So the rate of improvement is really dramatic. We have to figure out some way to ensure that the advent of digital super intelligence is one which is symbiotic with humanity. I think that is the single biggest existential crisis that we face and the most pressing one.' " (Clifford).

Reflecting through the first solution there will be some people who will think that limiting the exposure to things like virtual assistants, web browsers, search engines and sites like facebook which actively monitors and gives you ads based on that to your newsfeed. The problem with this is that this method of monitoring someone data can be far off dangerous. If hacked, it will leak private data of all of the users, which as The Washington Post says "A quiz app used by approximately 300,000 people led to information about 87 million Facebook users being obtained by the company Cambridge Analytica." (Government). The quote is justifying why the first Solution was correct and should be implemented as it would reduce the information of numbers of people to reduce by a great extent.

AI just isn't bad after all. It helps us in our day to day lives but we are taking it for granted. We should never forget that we are humans and that we created AI and that we should never rely a bit too much on anything. Limiting anything to a certain extent is beneficial, which can relate to almost everything in our day to day lives. All I am trying to say that if we limit AI it will benefit in ways such as extending our own memory, more time with real people and not Instagram or Facebook figures, more physical strength, and a solution for the overly unemployed future.

Works Cited

Bajarin, Tim. "2 Big Problems With Artificial Intelligence." Time, Time, 14 Nov. 2016, time.com/4569585/ai-robots-fears/.

Clifford, Catherine. "Elon Musk: 'A.I. Is More Dangerous than Nukes'." CNBC, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2018, www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/elon-musk-at-sxsw-a-i-is-more-dangerous-than-nuclear-weapons.html?recirc=taboolainternal.

"COUNTRY COMPARISON :: UNEMPLOYMENT RATE." Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2129rank.html.

Dowd, Maureen. "Elon Musk's Billion-Dollar Investment to Stop the AI Apocalypse." The Hive, Vanity Fair, 26 May 2017, www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/03/elon-musk-billion-dollar-crusade-to-stop-ai-space-x.

"Elon Musk Issues Yet Another Warning against Runaway Artificial Intelligence." CNBC, CNBC, 17 July 2017, www.cnbc.com/video/2017/07/17/elon-musk-issues-yet-another-warning-against-runaway-artificial-intelligence.html.

Government, Transcript courtesy of Bloomberg. "Transcript of Mark Zuckerberg's Senate Hearing." The Washington Post, WP Company, 10 Apr. 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/04/10/transcript-of-mark-zuckerbergs-senate-hearing/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.d431f71f5a2f.

Kamenetz, Anya. "What Artificial Intelligence Could Mean For Education." NPR, NPR, 16 Mar. 2016, www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/03/16/470011574/what-artificial-intelligence-could-mean-for-education.Saving Water for the Future

*****

Saving Water for the Future

Lucas Dagnat

Christina is a 9 years old girl. She lives with her parents and her 6 siblings in a small village in Chad in Central Africa. The Chad is a very hot and dry country so the only water well of the village is often dry. The villagers are forced to find water elsewhere. Christina is the oldest child of the family so it's her job to find the water for the family while her parents take care of all her. Each day, she needs to walk up to four hours to find enough water. The water that Christina bring back to home is dirty and usually contaminated and made her and her family sick. It's often diarrhea but sometimes it's more serious. One of Christina's brother died last years. He was only 6 months. The contaminated water made him really sick and he died.

Christina's brother is one of the "3,000 children who die every day from a water-related disease" (Ted Talks). The lack of water is a major world problems. According to WWF "1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. Inadequate sanitation is also a problem for 2.4 billion people—they are exposed to diseases, such as cholera and typhoid fever, and other water-borne illnesses." (WWF). But how is it possible that our blue planet full of water is running out of water?

According to Deepika Kurup it's because "75% of the Earth is covered with water but only 2.5% of all this water is freshwater, and less than 1% of this 2.5% is available for human consumption (Kurup). The problem is not that there is a lack of water because there is enough water for all the human but this water is distributed very unequally and a lot of this water is wasted and polluted. For example, "14 liters of water is used for daily cooking and drinking, 48 liters for daily shower and bathe and more than 2800 liters is needed for burger patty" (BBC). Also, according to (Pacific Institute) "It took 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water". This is a huge waste of water. So, if we want to avoid a big water shortage in the next year we need to find solutions to either reduce water consumption or either waste it less and recycle it.

One solution is to desalinate the sea water to turn in it into freshwater. This technique is already used in the rich country who lack in water like the Qatar. The Qatar is one of the driest country on earth with only (74 millimeters of water per year but it's also one of the country with the highest consumption of water per habitants) (Fahad Al-Attiya). But it's also one of the country with the highest consumption of water in the world "Qatar's residents use an average of 500 liters of water every day, making the country one of the world's biggest consumers of water" (Scott). How is that possible? The answer is desalination. Qatar is one of the country that produce the most desalinate water. According to Hukoomi "Seawater is the most important source of water for the people of Qatar, accounting for about half of the water used". Desalinate water could resolve the problem since our planet is covered at 70% of seawater. But there is a big problem: Desalination is extremely expensive and costly in energy. According to the website Pri. "A large-scale desalination plant serving 300,000 people typically costs in the region of $100 million" (Bienkowski). At this cost, you also have to add the cost of the machine. The last desalination machine build in the US costed around $1 billion. And this machine only produce water for 7 percent of the US water needs. That means according to the website the New York Times that "the authority will pay more than $3 billion over 30 years for only about 7 percent of the county's water needs" (Barringer). Energy and cost is not the only problem. "The WWF also warns large-scale seawater desalination could endanger marine life and is calling for further research into the tolerance of marine organisms and ecosystems to higher-salinity and brine waste" (BBC). Desalination is too expensive to be used a lot right now but if we are making progress it could become the next solution to the water shortage in the world.

Desalination is very expensive and energy costly but According to Ted Talks "We've made tremendous progress in seawater desalination in the past two decades. Compared to the seawater desalination plant that was built in Santa Barbara 25 years ago, this treatment plant will use about half the energy to produce a gallon of water." (Sedlak). The more progress we are making, the less expensive and energy costly it will be. Maybe in 10 or 20 years a lot of progress will be made and desalination will no longer be expensive and energy costly. So right now, desalination is an expensive solution but in the future, it could be useful.

Another solution could be drinking recycled water. In most of the country the water is already recycled but very few country use this water for human consumption. It doesn't seem so but drink recycled water could save a lot of water. For example, according to Lana Mazahreh "Locals in Namibia have been drinking recycled water since 1968" because Namibia couldn't afford to use recycled water for others purpose than drinking. The recycled water helps Namibia to reduce the water shortage and "provide drinking water for more than 300,000 citizens in its capital city" (Mazahreh). The only problem of this solution is what the experts call the "yuck" factor. People don't want to drink water who comes from the toilets of someone else even if this water is pure. According to the website Invisible Water "In 2006 the Australian city of Toowoomba faced an extreme water supply problem and held a referendum asking its citizens whether recycled water should be added to the potable supply. This referendum led to emotional outbursts, and the proposal was eventually rejected" (Prevos). If we can resolve the psychological problem drinking recycled water will probably be the best solution to face the water shortage.

Drinking recycled water is perfectly safe and According to State of the Planet recycled water "sometimes can be made cleaner than water naturally found in wells" (Vettel). An educational campaign could be used to convince people that recycled water is perfectly safe to drink. We could use a blind test for example where the participants have to try both water and guess which one is the recycled and which one is the freshwater. People could realize that recycled water is safe and taste as good as freshwater. Drinking recycled water can also save money and energy. The demand of water grows and now a lot of water is extracted, treated, and transported over great distances which is very expensive and require a lot of energy. With recycled water, no need to transport water because the water is reused.

Replace the old pipes could be a solution to the water shortage. The pipes are really old and usually leak or even break sometimes. According to NPR (2.1 trillion gallons of water are lost each year in the US because of the pipes). This a lot of water. According to USGS (the average American consume around 80 gallons of water each day) so 2.1 trillion gallons is enough water for 72000 Americans for 1 year. This could save a lot of water. The only problem of this solution is the cost. It will be very expensive. According to the New York Times (replace all the old pipes in the US will cost around $300 billions). This is a huge amount of money. Replace the old pipes could be a solution, an expensive one but a solution.

Some people will argue that $300 billion just to replace or the pipes is way too expensive. It's true but 2.1 trillion gallons of water lost each year in the US is an even bigger number. It is necessary to reduce these lost. The replacement doesn't have to be done in one time. It can be done on many years so the cost is divided. Also, replace the pipes will cost around $300 billion but it is worth it. It will save a huge amount of water and it will also save money. According to American Water Works Association (one gallon of water cost around $0.004) so 2.1 trillion gallons of water cost $8.5 billion. That means every year the new pipes will save around $8.5 billion. In around 35 years it will be refunded. So, this solution saves water and money.

Water is the most important thing on earth. The earth population is growing really fast and our water reserve are disappearing. Right now, there is already more than 1 billion people who lack of access to water. If we continue like that the UN warned "that half the world population will face water scarcity by 2030". We need to stop wasting water and begin to save and recycle it. Otherwise it will be a disaster. Hopefully people will realize that and if everyone make effort we will avoid a disaster.

Works Cited

Barringer, Felicity. "A Costly California Desalination Plant Bets on Future Affordability." The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Feb. 2013, www.nytimes.com/2013/03/01/business/energy-environment/a-costly-california-desalination-plant-bets-on-future-affordability.html.

Bienkowski, Brian. "Desalination Is an Expensive Energy Hog, but Improvements Are on the Way." Public Radio International, 15 May 2015, www.pri.org/stories/2015-05-15/desalination-expensive-energy-hog-improvements-are-way.

"Bottled Water and Energy Fact Sheet." Pacific Institute, Feb. 2007, pacinst.org/publication/bottled-water-and-energy-a-fact-sheet/.

Everitt, Vanessa Barford & Lauren. "Eight Radical Solutions for the Water Shortage." BBC News, BBC, 4 Apr. 2012, www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17600062.

Perlman, Howard, and USGS. "Water Questions & Answers How Much Water Does the Average Person Use at Home per Day?" Per Capita Water Use. Water Questions and Answers; USGS Water Science School, 2 Dec. 2016, water.usgs.gov/edu/qa-home-percapita.html.

Prevos, Peter. "The Yuck Factor: The Psychology of Drinking Recycled Water." The Invisible Water Utility, 5 July 2016, invisiblewater.org/yuck-factor/.

"Scarcity, Decade, Water for Life, 2015, UN-Water, United Nations, MDG, Water, Sanitation, Financing, Gender, IWRM, Human Right, Transboundary, Cities, Quality, Food Security." United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/scarcity.shtml.

"Scarcity, Decade, Water for Life, 2015, UN-Water, United Nations, MDG, Water, Sanitation, Financing, Gender, IWRM, Human Right, Transboundary, Cities, Quality, Food Security." United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/scarcity.shtml.

Schaper, David. "As Infrastructure Crumbles, Trillions of Gallons Of Water Lost." NPR, NPR, 29 Oct. 2014, www.npr.org/2014/10/29/359875321/as-infrastructure-crumbles-trillions-of-gallons-of-water-lost.

Scott, Victoria. "Managing Water Supply a Key Challenge Facing Qatar, Expert Says." Doha News, 26 Nov. 2013, dohanews.co/managing-water-supply-a-key-challenge-facing-qatar-expert-says/.

Stewart, Professor Iain. "How Can Our Blue Planet Be Running out of Fresh Water?" BBC IWonder, BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z3qdd2p.

Tabuchi, Hiroko. "$300 Billion War Beneath the Street: Fighting to Replace America's Water Pipes." The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 Nov. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/11/10/climate/water-pipes-plastic-lead.html.

Ted Talks, Oct. 2016, www.ted.com/talks/deepika_kurup_a_young_scientist_s_quest_for_clean_water.

Ted Talks, Oct. 2017, www.ted.com/talks/lana_mazahreh_3_thoughtful_ways_to_conserve_water.

Ted Talks, Sept. 2015, www.ted.com/talks/david_sedlak_4_ways_we_can_avoid_a_catastrophic_drought.

Vettel, Jennifer. "Reclaimed Water: Safe to Drink?" State of the Planet, 23 June 2009, blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2009/06/23/reclaimed-water-safe-to-drink/.

"Water Scarcity." WWF, World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/threats/water-scarcity.

*****

School Bully between Teenagers

Jia Xia Deng

Jeff Sloan's (Moxley) family is a normal as others, but with the day pass by, he sees that his 10-year-old son acting strange. His son always say something strange things to his dad such as "today was terrible" and "today was the worst, Jeff asks, but his son doesn't answer. He always avoid the problems. Jeff starts email the school to ask what happened, with the school replied, he learned that his son have been bullied because some student think his son got AIDS, so they hurts him by pushing and excluding him. With the help of school, the bully was catched and solved.

In this story, bully is a big problem, bullying caused by the different views of people, sizes, thoughts, where they comes from.(Lyness) The differences of views and the differences of the social status make people do the way emotional, control others in physical such as hitting, pushing, exclude people. Every year are thousands of student being bullied for many different reasons. Jeff's family is just one of them.

Bully is a big problem, but if the teenager doesn't speak out, there's no one knows what happen, and no one could help, in this story because jayden doesn't want told his dad what happened, so he's been bully many times. That's a reason people are bully by others, their weakness, shy, makes bully the chance to do again and again. (Lyness)

The effects of bully is serious, there's thousands of student upset to school because bully, elementary and middle happens the most( 11 facts of bullying). Bully makes people feel fears, that's stronger by the times of bullying. With the weakness of the person, they starts avoid the school, groups; all the mental are hurt and change.

To solve the bully completely, that comes from the everybody's change. Education is the biggest point, with the correct teach to teenager and child, they will grow in a right way, they will got that OH, bully is stupid, that's dumb! (Lyness) School and parents is the side that response for education and oversight, what they did is the base of child and teenager's growth.

For the people or groups who's the sides of being bully, there's several ways to do, first ask school and parents for help, they can steps in and helps to solve the problem, that's the best way to solve bully, school and parents are always on the weakness side, they're the best helper. (Lyness)

Change itself is what people also needs to do. Some people being bully because they are alone, away to groups, and their weakness are show up. Join a group. Make some friends, that could add more safe, but be careful, there's some friends is not the real, is better to make friends wisely, everything people did are effective. Make the self stronger, be brave when face bully, try to solve the problem in wise way, do not let the self become the sides of been bully. (Lyness)

There's many ways to solve problems, but Please remember, don't use violence against violence, fight is the final way when bully become serious, fight doesn't solve any problems, it only make all the problems deeper and deeper. (Lyness)

For the people who's the parents of bully, remember, everything they act are not with no reasons, their acting, their speak could be affected by everyone, check the self, what's the acting may affect the teenager. Spend more time with teenager, make a talk with them, make more understanding of what they think. (Dryden-Edwards) There's no one are bully when they borned, everything they did may reflect from other one.

Depends on school and parents, education, change the self is the good way to solve school bully, but there's some people doesn't agree with the opinions avoid fighting. When someone being bully, they have can defend themselves from bullying. Fighting could protect people from physical bullying, and shows up the deterrence to bully, that way could avoid bully (is using violence to defend yourself from bullying morally acceptable?). That's right, people can defend themselves by using fight. But how about after? That's lots of problems involve, the both sides all get involved since the weakness side are nothing wrong. Before use the fight, think carefully whether fight is helpful, is that a wise choice. Compare with fighting, depends on help from school and parents is more helpful. There's no exact answer of using fight to against bully (Lyness), but fight is not a good choice, it needs to pay responsible for fight.

Schools and parents are always the best helper, but not all the schools are work effective, some people say that some school are not work in point, what they do are in less affect, teenagers doesn't get help (Corey). That's truth, some school doesn't do well on school bully, but most of the time school makes a lot of help on addressing bully, what they did are better than the other to address bully. Besides the school help, there's many ways are useful on solving the bully, make a talk with principal, emphasize the problems of bully, or make context with the parents of bullying. School are not the perfect often, but most of time, the help from school is the best choices.

School bully may comes from every teenger, the mistake of education and less effect from parents cause the school bully once and once, the helpless of school wove more hurt to victims. Many victim calls out their voices, but no one care and notice; lots of people think that's ok, that's not as serious as we think, but bully hurts exactly, it hurts both the body and heart, the hurts of psychological is deep, it's print on victim and hards to erase. The way to stop the school bully comes from everyone, the oversight of school, education from parent, wise way to against bully and the self check is the key points. The cause of bully comes from the environment, a health environment and a correct guide on teenager and child is the bases. To make more work on stop bully, there's many ways can do, a lecture about school bully, check the actions that may unhealthy to child, make a talk to friends to share everythings did, those details are effective, any details people did are important for guiding teenagers. If everyone make focus on it, bully is not a hard problem, everything people did are the guideline to take children and teenagers to the health future.

Works Cited

"11 Facts About Bullying." DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change, www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-bullying.

"Dealing With Bullying." Edited by D'Arcy Lyness, KidsHealth, The Nemours Foundation, July 2013, kidshealth.org/en/teens/bullies.html.

Dryden-Edwards, Roxanne. "Bullying Facts, Effects, Statistics, Types & Prevention." MedicineNet,www.medicinenet.com/bullying/article.htm#what_are_the_different_types_of_bullying.

Moxley, Elle. "Family Frustrated Lee's Summit School Won't Do More To Protect Their Kids From Bullies." KCUR, kcur.org/post/family-frustrated-lees-summit-school-wont-do-more-protect-their-kids-bullies.

"Should I Fight a Bully?" Edited by Neil Izenberg, KidsHealth, The Nemours Foundation, Oct. 2015, kidshealth.org/en/teens/fight-bullies.html.

"Teaching Kids Not to Bully." Edited by D'Arcy Lyness, KidsHealth, The Nemours Foundation, July 2013, kidshealth.org/en/parents/no-bullying.html.

*****

Teens vs Marijuana

Yagmur Alhan

Austin is a senior high school student. He counts days to pass to the other part of his life. Being a college student is a situation that plunges him into dreams just as every high school student. However, life is not just about dreams. This marvelous transitional phase had a face full of nightmares. His worries began to surface day by day. New friend environmental, fear of disapproval, the worry of failure, exam stress began to kill him inside. He had to get rid of these unnecessary worries. But how? Austin had to find a way before losing his mind and he met the worst friend he could ever meet, marijuana. The sad part is Austin is not alone. He is just one of the thousands of teens.

There are thousands of students falling into this trap. According to the website Center for Disease Control and Prevention, "Marijuana use can have permanent effects on the developing brain when use begins in adolescence, especially with regular or heavy use" ("Marijuana and Public Health"). In fact, "38% of high school students report having used marijuana in their life"("Marijuana and Public Health"). This huge percentage of young people who use marijuana should scare us. Marijuana is a gateway to other drugs. The increasing unconscious marijuana use is a big problem for young people. People who say they have used marijuana in the past year for both medical reasons and just for fun (Drake). Since teens are using marijuana just for fun, it proves this is an issue for teens. An article in The New York Times shares, "People who are addicted to marijuana are three times more likely to be addicted to heroin" ("The New York Times Company"). If this is not taken care of, it will cause even more problems because marijuana is a gateway to other drugs. Most heroin addicts stated that they tried marijuana before they started using heroin. According to most heroin and cocaine users, marijuana is the first step toward other drugs. The feeling of temporary relaxation giving by marijuana will not be enough for the users' body after a while ("The New York Times Company").

However, there is another side that to this argument. There are 23 states with at least medical marijuana legalized. Some medical purposes of using marijuana are pain, multiple sclerosis, nausea, epilepsy, concussion, bipolar disorder, etc ("7 Uses for Medical Marijuana"). According to their beliefs, marijuana is used as a medicine for therapeutic purposes. Which is right, but when looking at the majority, there is less use for this purpose. From another point of view, even if the goal is treatment, the key is correct dose. Medical-grade marijuana won't get anyone high. However, If users exceed the dose, it causes some problems. According to the New York Times,"Some of Dr. Abrams's older cancer patients have tried edibles, he said, because they do not want to smoke marijuana. But some have eaten too much THC, with unpleasant results such as severe anxiety" (Louis). The correct dose is treated the patients but the wrong dose causes more issues. Also, many teens are buying marijuana illegally with fake prescriptions.

Today's big problem is ignorance because teens don't know about the dangerous side of marijuana. It is a challenging process, but it can correct this huge mistake with awareness-raising activities. Even if there wouldn't be an absolute solution of this problem, there would be still some simple solutions that will reduce the dose of the marijuana use for teens. One of the simply applicable solutions is informative conferences in the middle schools. What is the use of marijuana, why it is using for, what are the usage areas etc... Questions like these should be answered. It is important to start these pieces of information at an early age because human nature wants to try things that it does not know about. Discovery is a part of our creation. However, people, especially teens, stop wondering about things that they think they already know about. This solution also needs great supporters at home like parents. According to the website National Institute on Drug Abuse, "There is no magic bullet for preventing teen drug use. But research shows parents have a big influence on their teens, even when it doesn't seem that way. Talk openly with your children and stay actively engaged in their lives" ("National Institute on Drug Abuse"). The learned information becomes more understandable with the support of parents' thoughts and experiences. Parents are more scared to talk about marijuana than kids. However, there is nothing to be scared about. Marijuana is a problem that lives in our day, whose true face is unknown. However, it is a less of a problem for individuals who are informed.

The first solution was insufficient and there had to be another solution related to the first one. In this solution, it is necessary to inform the parents. It is important to prepare the parents to talk to their children. It is very difficult to communicate with teens, especially during adolescence. In this period when family and child communication is broken, the teens tend to use marijuana more. Here are few tips about how parents should talk with their kids from Children's Hospital Colorado,

Learn how to have age-appropriate conversations with  young children,  tweens,  teens and  young adults.

-Have conversations, not lectures.

-Ask questions, and avoid making judgments.

-Remain engaged in your child's life.

-Do not approach this topic with anger or demonize marijuana, because that increases the chances that kids will shut down ("Talk to Kids About Marijuana").

The conversation will be more efficient if parents would do some simple tweaks like these. Are these conversations difficult for parents? So, they think they will not be able to cope on their own? Hey, there is a better solution than to ignore this problem! Parents can ask for help from someone who has more experience. Especially if parents notice an interest in marijuana in their children, they may ask for help from a school counselor. This is a simple but very useful solution. There is no need for an extra effort. When parents spend up to an hour per day with their kids and try to understand and conduct them, they will have found themselves.

Many will say that the support of a teens family in helping the teen quit smoking marijuana is not adequate. However, research shows that the main reasons teens start smoking marijuana is due to the negative environment and people the teens is around. Having a bad relationship with a family member or not having decent friends in school are two of the reasons a teen can yield towards drugs. Others may say that peer pressure and even not having friends in school can cause the teen stress and the need to do drugs to be like "everyone else." This thought does not contradict with the point of this argument; however, a teen's family has the potential to help the teen overcome these situations.

A teen falling into peer pressure or not being able to make friends could be due to the negative effects of the family on the teen. For example, a teen that has been exposed to physical or verbal abuse will not come out as confident as others teens may; this may conflict with the teens ability to make friends. Consequently, the teen will go into depression and start using drugs. As the article, Cannabis Use and Youth: A Parent's Guide on Heretohelp suggests, "More than information about cannabis, what your child needs is YOU. Intuitively, most of us already know this. But sometimes it helps to remind ourselves that it is our attention, love and patience that really count. It may also be helpful to remember that, ultimately, our goal as parents is to find ways to inspire our children to want to communicate with us—about cannabis or anything else" ("Cannabis Use and Youth: A Parent's Guide"). Therefore, if the teens' family supports the teen, shows love and patience, and is communicating effectively to help the teen stop smoking, positive results in the teen will occur.

Marijuana is a drug that manipulates teens and takes them to a fake, but seemingly magical state of mind. However, every temporary forced happiness will lead to worse outcomes; a consequence of smoking marijuana and getting high is the harmful effects of it on the developing brains of teens. Even though the solution is simple, teens tend to ignore the options of quitting marijuana. A small rolling stone will knock out and carry the larger stones with it. Just like Austin was introduced to his harmful friend, marijuana, by someone else, Austin has a likelihood of introducing this drug to others. This situation will lead to not just Austin being a victim of this drug but many other teens as well. If Austin knew the consequences of smoking marijuana, would he have started in the first place? If Austin's family supports Austin in quitting marijuana, wouldn't it save many other teens from becoming victims? Therefore, before it is too late, go knock on your child's door and initiate the conversation with them about the journey of stopping marijuana use.

Works Cited

7 Uses for Medical Marijuana. www.cnn.com/2014/03/07/health/gallery/uses-for-medical-marijuana/index.html.

"Cannabis Use and Youth: A Parent's Guide." Cannabis Use and Youth: A Parent's Guide | Here to Help, www.heretohelp.bc.ca/workbook/cannabis-use-and-youth-a-parents-guide#you.

Louis, Catherine Saint. "Edible Marijuana Labels Often Have Potency Wrong, Study Says." The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 June 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/06/24/health/labels-for-edible-marijuana-often-err-on-potency-study-says.html.

"Marijuana and Public Health." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 Apr. 2017, www.cdc.gov/marijuana/factsheets/teens.htm.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Talking to Your Kids: Communicating the Risks." NIDA, www.drugabuse.gov/publications/marijuana-facts-parents-need-to-know/talking-to-your-kids-communicating-risks.

"The New York Times Company." The New York Times, The New York Times, www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/04/26/is-marijuana-a-gateway-drug/marijuana-has-proven-to-be-a-gateway-drug.

"Talk to Kids About Marijuana." Children's Hospital Colorado, www.childrenscolorado.org/conditions-and-advice/marijuana-what-parents-need-to-know/talking-to-kids-about-marijuana/.

 www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/04/26/is-marijuana-a-gateway-drug/marijuana-has-proven-to-be-a-gateway-drug.+.

*****
The Technology

Cesar E. Zorrilla

Technology, that word, it change the way to think and see our around, it facilitated our lives everyday, and that's the problem because while the technology is in improving and increasing in a incredible velocity, and some people don't know yet or maybe they just don't know how to used well. "The screens not only take away sleep because they take up time, but they make kids more wakeful, and the more wakeful they are, the more activity they do, so it's a vicious cycle." (Dr.Chris Seton).

Today days some of the parents give to their kids smartphones, tablets, etc, but the wrong thing with this is that their kids are don't even 10 or 11 years old, they are 6, 4 or even 3, its ok that the teenagers have smartphones but no the kids because what they are going to do with an smartphone, with a smartphone whoever is the user have basically every kind of information, why a kid or baby can have all that information in their hands, a kid need to enjoy time outside and play with their friends, they can't just pass 5 hours in the phones or 7 hours in the video consoles, also the kids need to rest well because they will don't have any kind of energy for the next day, the kids need to sleep at least 8 to 10 hours for have energy's and a good storage of information for the next day .

"Technology sometimes has a bad reputation for leading people down scary paths of sexting, identity theft, and introducing predators into their lives. However, technology can streamline schedules, simplify work and home businesses, coordinate activities, and much more." (Williams). It's true that sometimes the work or responsibilities sometimes don't let us enjoy of going outside or hang out with friends, but they take that as an excuse and spent hours in their house doing absolutely nothing because they are in their phones, streaming, etc, but as there is people who use very bad the technology its people who use the technology pretty well, "Doctors are now accepting Skype or using messaging services to chat with parents and patients. This can save a trip to the waiting room full of contagious germs. " (Williams), and even some teachers now are using some apps for teach better, known as Edmodo, Duo lingo, Class dojo, Animoto , and least but no last Google Classroom.

The technology isn't bad, bad is how people is using it. Because how the means said the technology is any innovation or tool which facilitated our lives every day. If you know how to used well, and in what moments can be useful its ok, but if you are going to give a children under 2 years old a smartphone how the smartphone can facilitate the life of a baby? Its just wrong to think about it. The parents should play alongside with their children's and interact with them face-to-face, take a dinner, and talk with the kids about how they, how was school or if they feel good going to school.

The smartphones are incredibly a huge distraction, but as the smartphones are a distraction, they also are a super useful tool which can be used in any moment or field is needed, for example: Shely miss one class because she was sick that day, but now she don't need to be necessary in the school for know what was the homework the teacher send because in her phone has a app which is called Google Classroom and other one called Edmodo, which means that she can do her homework in her phone in only a few minutes. But it's rather better when the student is in the school, for understand three times better of what is about the class, and how to do better the homework because sometimes some students just copy and paste from Google the information and they done the homework, but they don't even know what they just copy and paste.

Basically the technology don't make us lazy, the real problem its that is the excuse, the people don't wake up of that cloud they think that the answer for everything its in the smartphone but are things that it just cannot be found in the internet and its there where they are going to realise that they was living in a cloud which means that they waste too much time of their lives. People need to know how and when can be useful because it's no useful drive the car using the phone at the same time. So the technology isn't bad, bad is how some people used.

Works Cited

Johnson , Cathy. "How Technology Use Messes with Your Sleep and What You Can Do about It." How Technology Use Messes with Your Sleep and What You Can Do about It, 20 Oct. 2016,  www.abc.net.au/news/health/2016-10-21/how-technology-use-messes-with-your-sleep/7950336.

"Cell Phones and Cancer Risk." National Cancer Institute, 2015,  www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation/cell-phones-fact-sheet.

Williams , Amy. "Family Online Safety Intitute." How Technology Helps Us in Our Daily Lives, 17 Feb. 2015,  www.fosi.org/good-digital-parenting/how-technology-helps-us-our-daily-lives/.

4-Williams , Amy. "How Do Smartphones Affect Childhood Psychology?" Psych Central, 17 July 2016,  https://psychcentral.com/lib/how-do-smartphones-affect-childhood-psychology/

Tuohy, Jennifer. "Why You Should Get Your Child a Smartphone – and How to Control It."Omaha.com, 14 Feb. 2017,  www.omaha.com/momaha/why-you-should-get-your-child-a-smartphone-and-how/article_05c1b262-ef15-11e6-a6a7-cf1742781448.html

*****
