I knew I didnt want to live here all my life so I had to have dreams.I didnt have to normal teenage dreams, I wanted to go to college and to be rich. Everything was perfect in my life until I felt in love.
My senior year was arriving quick and I couldnt wait. I knew what colleges I want to apply to and everything . I was so excited I was becoming of age and was finally getting out my parents house. My name is Jada and Im from North Philadelphia born and raised in the playground is where mI spent most of my days daydreaming about moving out the hood and being on my own. I just knew that I wasnt gonna live here for long. It was a month left of summer and I was kind of angry because I hated the cold weather but glad it was my last year of H.S.
As I was sitting in the park daydreaming about my future quickly snapped back into reality when I got hit up side the head with what felt like a bolder, I guess since the basketball had so much force in it from flying it really struck a nerve. Funny how the pain instantaneously went away when this fine chocolate brotha was coming my way to make sure I was ok."You cool shawty" Thats all I remember. Those three words made me think of him for the rest of the day. I continue to go to the park everyday daydreaming but not about my future but about him thinking to myself I have to find out his name. Everyday for a week I went to the park but never ran into again. As I was walking home I kept telling myself I have to stop thinking about him, he would never want me,I m a fool.
It was the first day of school and I was extra excited that I couldnt sleep. I could not wait to see my friends for our last year. I woke up bright and early,jumped in the shower ,brushed my teeth,and perceeded to get dress. As I was on my way to school I heard a voice, I wasnt sure what it was saying but it got closer and closer.
"Yo slow down" I didnt want to be late for my first day of school so I kept walking. Then I heard the voice again "I know you not still mad about the basketball incident". When I realize who he was I started to smile and I looked back and it was him. I've been wanting to see him but when I didnt see him in months I just forgot about him. I told him to hurry up because I didnt want to be late. When he finally court up with me he told me how sorry he was about the ball hitting me and I told him dont worry about it. He started to ask me the basic questions like my name,age,and how long I lived around here. Then he hit me with the where my man at. I started smiling because I knew it was sbout to pop off. When I told him I didnt have a man he ask me for my number and I gladly gave it to him.
Finally reaching school, I was kind of upset because I wanted to finish talking to him but glad that he had my number. Since school was about to start I thanked him for walking me to school and ask him what his name was. Me being so damn happy that I was actually talking to him I almost forgot to ask the important question.I thought about him all day in school and hoped that I seen him on my way home but I didnt.
Days went by and still no phone walls from Chad. I thought to myself what was the point of all that if he wasnt gonna call me. To be honest I was mad but I just made myself forget about him for a second time. As I was getting ready for one night my phone began to ring. I thought it was one of my annoying friends so I didnt answer.
Then my phone started to ring again but this time I got angry because I didnt like being bother so I looked at the phone to see who it was. I didnt recongize the number so I answer it. When I heard this deep voice I started to blush. Eventhough I knew who it was I asked anyway just to make sure, and yea it was Chad. "I thought you forgot about me, it took you damn there a week to call","yea I know I've been chillin wit my friends and I didnt want to call you with alot of people in the backround".I love that he had respect for me already cause I hate that. That night we talked until it was time for me to wake up and get ready for school. I could tell I really liked him because I could really be myself. I wasnt quiet like always and I wasnt scared to say certain things around him. He made me feel comfortable and I like that alot. We talked for weeks, weeks turned into months and we was still happy with each other.
Mean while back at school it was time for us to begin the whole filling out college apps. I knew that I wanted to go far away meaning out of state so I filled out at least 12 apps to make sure I would get accepted to aleast 1 out of 12. Everyone was so excited that we were finally senior and High School was finally over. We all couldnt wait to see what colleges we were going to get accepted to , we just hoped for the best.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Quote of the Day for Thursday, 3/13
"Don't be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is at hand...Don't be a draught-horse! Work with pleasure only." --Henry Miller
Don't forget! Draft of short fiction story needs to be posted to the web by tomorrow, Friday, 3/14.
Don't forget! Draft of short fiction story needs to be posted to the web by tomorrow, Friday, 3/14.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Little Sister
I lied in a bed, in this unfamiliar place, staring at the ceiling for a long time; contemplating whether or not i wanted to get up just yet. I woke up at around 9:00 but I'm pretty sure it's about 10:30 or 11:00 now. I looked over at Jada and she was still asleep. It's Friday morning and it's really nice outside; the sun is shining bright and it's about eighty degrees outside. Its the first day of my summer vacation ... two weeks until my eighteenth birthday. I should be happy right? well not exactly.A month ago my mother moved me and my 14 year old little sister Jade into another mans house with her. She was always doing this to us this had to be the third guy this year and its only June. Ever since my dad died 2 years ago, and my mom lost the house cause she couldn't keep a job, she has been moving us in and out of other men's houses. I can't wait to turn 18 so I can move into my new apartment and try to get custody of my little sister. I cant let my mother continue to put my little sister through all this. she's only 14 and she shouldn't have to go through depending on and living with a different man every couple of months especially when he beats you and threatens your kids. Since my mom cant seem to stand on her own two feet and stop depending on a man and stand up for her kids; I'll just have to try to get my sister out of the situation. I can't let her continue to be in this situation and think that it's okay to depend on a man until he will no longer take care of you and your children. I got up and went into the bathroom and locked both locks and got myself together for probably another day of drama; between my mom Nicole, and her boyfriend James, everyday for the past month has been full of drama and unnecessary arguments or fights. I stood in the shower thinking about how i could get custody of my sister. My aunt on my dads side of the family is a lawyer and i talked to her about it. She says i'd have a pretty good case and she'd represent me so i wouldnt have to pay for a lawyer but what if my mom wins the case and i cant get my little sister; that's not an option. Two maybe three days ago while me and my sister was on our way home from my boyfriends house she was upset because we were late getting home and she knew James was gonna be drunk again and getting on our case.
"Why you take so long Lauren, shit you know James gon be drawlin"
"My bad but he better not say shit cause i don't gotta listen to him he ain't my daddy."
She looked down and I looked at her and said
"Whats up ?" she started walking and said
"Laur whenever no ones around he be tellin me what he wanna do to me and how he'd rather have me than mommy and I'm sick of being afraid of him"
i stopped walkin and said
"When this shit start happenin?"
i was so heated i wanted to hurry up and get home now. i looked at Jada and said
"Never mind it don't even matter." i started walking faster and she grabbed me and said
"Don't say nothin he already said mommy gon take his side if i tell. She ain't gon believe me she never do when it comes to him. What if he do it now cause mommy don't believe me?"
"Jada he ain't gon touch you as long as I'm around. As for mommy if she don't believe me imma smack the shit outta her too"
Jada just looked at me as if she was afraid and that made me even more mad. i couldn't wait to confront that nigga about this. As soon as we walked in the door James came out the kitchen saying
"Where the hell yall been at? Its almost midnight and yall just comin in."
I stared at him and said
"Nigga don't question me you aint my dad."
Then i looked around and didn't see my mom so i yelled
Mom come here!" She came down the steps and looked at us and said
"what? Where yall been at all this time?"
I ignored her question and went straight to my questions
"Mom you know this nigga been threatenin to rape ya daughter?"
she just stared at me for a good 5 minutes so i said
"Hello! what you ain't hear me or somethin?"
she looked up and had tears in her eyes and had the nerve to say
"No he didn't he wouldn't. He's not like that."
I looked at her then i looked at James standing off to the side wit a smirk on his face and my sister was leaning on the front door still looking scared and I'm just like no she didn't just say that.
I looked at James and said
"You better wipe that stupid ass smirk off ya face. And you better not say nothin else to my sister or those will be the last words you speak. I have no problem with going to jail for my sister" just then my sister said to my mom
"How the fuck you gon say he not that type of man. How would you know? you only knew this nigga for like 3 months now!"
"Don't speak to me that way and don't accuse the man who is taking care of us of those things. And I know it's not true cause you would've been said something to me" i reached out and smacked my mom right across her face
"How you sound. Taking his word over ya daughters"
"This has nothing to do wit you Lauren. He didn't so called threaten you"
"It has everything to do with me she's my little sister and i gotta protect her cause you wont, and he know better than to say some shit like that to me." I grabbed my little sister and we left and went to my aunts apartment about a block from where James' house was. We came back to this house last night and now i need to get custody of my sister out this situation and i only have 2 weeks to do it. We only came back yesterday so we could get some of our stuff and take it to my aunts house so we could stay there until all this was over. My mom didnt know we were leaving or that i was planning a case against her but she'd find out soon enough and me and my sister would be okay, hopefully.
"Why you take so long Lauren, shit you know James gon be drawlin"
"My bad but he better not say shit cause i don't gotta listen to him he ain't my daddy."
She looked down and I looked at her and said
"Whats up ?" she started walking and said
"Laur whenever no ones around he be tellin me what he wanna do to me and how he'd rather have me than mommy and I'm sick of being afraid of him"
i stopped walkin and said
"When this shit start happenin?"
i was so heated i wanted to hurry up and get home now. i looked at Jada and said
"Never mind it don't even matter." i started walking faster and she grabbed me and said
"Don't say nothin he already said mommy gon take his side if i tell. She ain't gon believe me she never do when it comes to him. What if he do it now cause mommy don't believe me?"
"Jada he ain't gon touch you as long as I'm around. As for mommy if she don't believe me imma smack the shit outta her too"
Jada just looked at me as if she was afraid and that made me even more mad. i couldn't wait to confront that nigga about this. As soon as we walked in the door James came out the kitchen saying
"Where the hell yall been at? Its almost midnight and yall just comin in."
I stared at him and said
"Nigga don't question me you aint my dad."
Then i looked around and didn't see my mom so i yelled
Mom come here!" She came down the steps and looked at us and said
"what? Where yall been at all this time?"
I ignored her question and went straight to my questions
"Mom you know this nigga been threatenin to rape ya daughter?"
she just stared at me for a good 5 minutes so i said
"Hello! what you ain't hear me or somethin?"
she looked up and had tears in her eyes and had the nerve to say
"No he didn't he wouldn't. He's not like that."
I looked at her then i looked at James standing off to the side wit a smirk on his face and my sister was leaning on the front door still looking scared and I'm just like no she didn't just say that.
I looked at James and said
"You better wipe that stupid ass smirk off ya face. And you better not say nothin else to my sister or those will be the last words you speak. I have no problem with going to jail for my sister" just then my sister said to my mom
"How the fuck you gon say he not that type of man. How would you know? you only knew this nigga for like 3 months now!"
"Don't speak to me that way and don't accuse the man who is taking care of us of those things. And I know it's not true cause you would've been said something to me" i reached out and smacked my mom right across her face
"How you sound. Taking his word over ya daughters"
"This has nothing to do wit you Lauren. He didn't so called threaten you"
"It has everything to do with me she's my little sister and i gotta protect her cause you wont, and he know better than to say some shit like that to me." I grabbed my little sister and we left and went to my aunts apartment about a block from where James' house was. We came back to this house last night and now i need to get custody of my sister out this situation and i only have 2 weeks to do it. We only came back yesterday so we could get some of our stuff and take it to my aunts house so we could stay there until all this was over. My mom didnt know we were leaving or that i was planning a case against her but she'd find out soon enough and me and my sister would be okay, hopefully.
All wiRed uP! {final Draft}
He killed me knowing I was going to kill him!Im Basir cant nobody play me especially not a youngbull. How could I be so stupid to let him get to me first? All I know is he better lay real low because him staying around here will definitely be a threat and my homies will put him in his misery when they catch him. Fahiym is his name, he was a young bull but he had a mind of an ol'G and he was a serious rider. Me and my homies put him down with our team because we liked his swag and how hard he was. Fahiym did everything, he killed whoever, whenever with no questions asked, and he had a corner that he held down on a regular. He had a little brother and a friend that he took care of and looked out for. Youngbull had a big heart. Our boss man champ expected a lot out of Fahiym, he was one of his favorites and that was because he never crossed him and never let him down no matter what. Even though it may sound like Fahiym did nothing wrong he became to be suspicious. One day somebody sent back word that fahiym was getting out of the passenger side of a policeman car from sitting for some time with a cop. So everybody had the impression of being unsure on what was that all about. Of course he was acknowledged about it and he told us it was some stuff about the incident our bull BJ handled for him way back and the cops had questions about it but he said it was nothing and he denied knowing anything. Fahiym was our young bull and all but trust is a major issue especially in a gang. After a while Fahiym was sent to do jobs and now he would start to ask questions on why should this person be dealt with and what did this person do to deserve to be killed. And with this being unlike fahiym he became very suspicious to us. Our boss Champ was locked up along with one of our real hardworkers BJ on behalf of helping Fahiym out and no telling how the cops found out about that. Champ did all he could do from the inside and with it slighty hurting him he had to conclude to set Fahiym up and kill him. Weeks went by and I told fahiym that I had a job for him to handle for me cuz this dude was talking shit and he needed to be dealt with. Of course again, he began with his questions and that made it easier on me to do what I had to do and put him in his misery tomorrow night. But as i told Fahiym tomorrow night was when he handled the job that he was assigned with and I was to pick him up around 10pm. The next night came and I picked Fahiym up from his house. He was wearing all black when he got in the car, he was putting on his black matching gloves. He asked me for his heat and I told him it was at the spot where we were headed and he will get it when we get there. Fahiym was never the dumb kind so he asked me to pull over real quick so he could piss real quick and of course me being an idiot I did still thinking I had him fooled. Not thinking that he could also be setting me up like Im doing him but I pulled over anyway the least i could do is let him piss before he die. Once we pulled over Fahiym just sat there in thought and I asked him what was up and could he hurry up and piss so we can take care of business, he didnt get out he just looked at me. Fahiym immediately pulled out his gun, he asked what did he do to deserve to be killed and he thought everybody was aight with him and we were like family. I explained to him that now all of a sudden questions are always being asked and wanting to know why and howcome instead of just doing whats being told to him and getting the job done. Fahiym answers in confusion saying "SO" I cant ask questions now? I then acknowledged the police situation and about our bull BJ and why he locked up. Fahiym said loudly I AINT SAY NOTHING i told u that. I told to him that it was very hard to believe that. Fahiym was always smart and I asked him how did he know that it was his time, he said from watching me and the crew and learning. So me Just being myself I started to get cocky and told him to shoot me. I turned my head around and told him only a real man have the heart and guts to kill a friend. And right before the!BOOM! One gunshot heard and I'm sitting next to my friend after he just let one off to my head and he said to me, we were never friends you were always my enemy.
That Night, She should have left her mom a Message...
It was a little past 12, when she got home. She snuck in through the back door, only to see her mother standing there with an iron cord rap around her hand. "Where were you, I 've been calling your cell phone and didn't pick up not one time, so where were you?"
Her mother was getting heated by the minute. She didn't know whether to tell her mom where she was because whatever she said didn‘t matter she was going to be on punishment anyways. After her mother was done yelling at her, she went upstairs to put her things in the coat closet, when all of a sudden her mom took the iron cord and whack her across the legs with it. “Don’t let it happen again, I mean it”. Her mother yelled. Her mother wack her with the iron cord her until she got to the coat closet. “I think she wants me to cry’’, the girl said in her head. The girl was on punishment for a week. No phones calls, no video games, no company, basically no air. She could only go to work and no play. But what her mother didn’t know was the girl was very slick talking and she could ease her way out of anything. That week the girl did everything she was ask to do by her mother. Wash clothes, vacum the house, wash dishes, take out the trash, and fold clothes. She was cindrella for 4 days. On 5th day, the girl had a game plan for her mother. She was going to slick talk her mother and go out with her friends. It was around 5 in the evening when her mother came home, she was exhausted. She had had an hard day at work. “Hi mom let me get that for ya”. She said with a big smile. The girl made her mom feel really comfortable and relax. So at this point the girl was ready to go in and attack her mom with the big question. “UUMMM mom, before you say no, I’m sorry. I didn’t understand why you were so hype leaving me messages on my phone, or even calling a 100 times. But I understand as a parent you get really worried about where your child is. Like I was watching the news today and so many girls have been kidnap, that could be me but it won’t because I will call you or answer whenever you call.” The girl was making the whole thing up, but it didn’t matter because at this point her mother was already to deep into what the girl was saying. So her mother gave her another chance and told her she could go out Saturday. The girl was excited she called all her friends and told them the great news and told them to cancel anything they had plan because they were gonna have a “lady’s night out”. That night the girl went to work. She was so happy her plan work that she was actually being nice to all her customers. She was on the register ringing customers smiling and greeting them. But it seems one customer got a little to friendly. He was a tall black man with braids half black and gray. He look like he was in his mid-40s. “Hi how you doing”, he said as he lick his lips. “UUMM fine”. At this point the girl didn’t want to have a conservation with this guy because she knew where he was going. “So how old are you,” ‘’young’’ she said quickly with a smile. “What time ya’ll close” “9”, Thank you come again. As the man grab his bag he took one more look at the girl and whink. “O gosh no” She said making a face. It was 9 and they were close. Her and her night crew were done cleaning the store. So they all clock out and left. The girl was trying to call her mother to get a ride, but her phone call ended because her battery had died. So she began to walk home. It wasn’t really a long walk because the girl lives down the street from where she works. As she was walking she noticed something was following her. Something big because she could see the shadow. As she began to walk faster, the shadow got closer and closer. “Hi how you doing remember me”.
Her mother was getting heated by the minute. She didn't know whether to tell her mom where she was because whatever she said didn‘t matter she was going to be on punishment anyways. After her mother was done yelling at her, she went upstairs to put her things in the coat closet, when all of a sudden her mom took the iron cord and whack her across the legs with it. “Don’t let it happen again, I mean it”. Her mother yelled. Her mother wack her with the iron cord her until she got to the coat closet. “I think she wants me to cry’’, the girl said in her head. The girl was on punishment for a week. No phones calls, no video games, no company, basically no air. She could only go to work and no play. But what her mother didn’t know was the girl was very slick talking and she could ease her way out of anything. That week the girl did everything she was ask to do by her mother. Wash clothes, vacum the house, wash dishes, take out the trash, and fold clothes. She was cindrella for 4 days. On 5th day, the girl had a game plan for her mother. She was going to slick talk her mother and go out with her friends. It was around 5 in the evening when her mother came home, she was exhausted. She had had an hard day at work. “Hi mom let me get that for ya”. She said with a big smile. The girl made her mom feel really comfortable and relax. So at this point the girl was ready to go in and attack her mom with the big question. “UUMMM mom, before you say no, I’m sorry. I didn’t understand why you were so hype leaving me messages on my phone, or even calling a 100 times. But I understand as a parent you get really worried about where your child is. Like I was watching the news today and so many girls have been kidnap, that could be me but it won’t because I will call you or answer whenever you call.” The girl was making the whole thing up, but it didn’t matter because at this point her mother was already to deep into what the girl was saying. So her mother gave her another chance and told her she could go out Saturday. The girl was excited she called all her friends and told them the great news and told them to cancel anything they had plan because they were gonna have a “lady’s night out”. That night the girl went to work. She was so happy her plan work that she was actually being nice to all her customers. She was on the register ringing customers smiling and greeting them. But it seems one customer got a little to friendly. He was a tall black man with braids half black and gray. He look like he was in his mid-40s. “Hi how you doing”, he said as he lick his lips. “UUMM fine”. At this point the girl didn’t want to have a conservation with this guy because she knew where he was going. “So how old are you,” ‘’young’’ she said quickly with a smile. “What time ya’ll close” “9”, Thank you come again. As the man grab his bag he took one more look at the girl and whink. “O gosh no” She said making a face. It was 9 and they were close. Her and her night crew were done cleaning the store. So they all clock out and left. The girl was trying to call her mother to get a ride, but her phone call ended because her battery had died. So she began to walk home. It wasn’t really a long walk because the girl lives down the street from where she works. As she was walking she noticed something was following her. Something big because she could see the shadow. As she began to walk faster, the shadow got closer and closer. “Hi how you doing remember me”.
What Would U Do?(Final Draft)
What Would You Do?
June 19th, 2008! Graduation is just around the corner. She's 21 and is on her way to earning a bachelor's degree in Journalism and she can't wait. She has really grown over the years and is very anxious to see what life has in store for her. I've known her all of my life and I can't even begin to explain how proud I am of her. She has really come a long way... As a child, Angela had a great relationship with her family. She grew up in a household with her mother, father, and younger sister. Her parents loved her very much and she was always well taken care of. Angela also had a good relationship with her sister. They always went on family vacations and held family gatherings that everyone attended. It was two weeks before our high-school graduation and her mother told her that she had something very important to talk to her about. She told her that Angela was adopted. Angela couldn't believe it and couldn't understand how her 'perfect family' was all a lie. She went off to college and as time passed, Angela and her family became distant. However, something kept gnawing at her, telling her that she needed to know where she came from. So Angela began doing research and after years of searching, she eventually found her biological family. An agency set up a meeting for Angela to meet a woman who gave up a child many years ago. The woman, whose name was Karen, had a son a few years older than Angela and another son several years younger. Angela just couldn't understand why this woman would give her up but keep her other two children. Karen explained to Angela that when she became pregnant for the second time, she wasn’t stable enough to take care of a second child. She told her that it was a hard decision to make, but it had to be done. Angela wanted to hate this woman who she looked like and who she was supposed to call 'mom'. She really didn’t understand and didn’t try to understand Karen’s plight at the time. As far as Angela was concerned, she already had a family and no one could ever replace them. Tina was the mother who was there when Angela got sick in the middle of the night, when she went on her first date, and when she graduated from high school. Now Karen wanted to be apart of Angela's life and wanted to be forgiven because she wasn't ready to be a mother, for the second time. That just wasn't good enough for Angela. Karen invited Angela to her house on numerous occasions and told Angela that she wanted to catch up on what she missed in Angela's life. Angela couldn't do it and told Karen that she wanted her out of her life. Hurt but understanding, Karen told Angela that she was sorry for all that happened and told her that she would always be there for her if she ever wanted to talk. Now left out and feeling alone, Angela was upset at her family for not telling her the truth and angry at her biological family for not wanting her. She tried her best to ignore her feelings but I could tell that it was beginning to really get the best of her. It was one week before graduation and I wanted to celebrate and for her not to have such a heavy load on her shoulders. So I sat her down and told her that she should give her biological family a chance. I told her that I wasn't trying to be the one to heal her wounds but that I thought that she shouldn't cut them off completely. She told me that her mind was made up and that she would just stick with the only family that she knew. As we got closer and closer to graduation, I noticed that she wasn't acting the same. What I said must have really gotten to her....or at least I hoped. Graduation day was finally here and I walked up to her and told her that maybe it was a good idea for her not to meet her new family. I told her that if it were me, I probably wouldn't have wanted to develop a relationship with them either. She just looked at me, smiled, and told me that she appreciated me being there for her. A little confused by her response, I noticed that she looked different. She looked like the old Angela that I grew up with. She looked like my best friend again. While sitting and waiting for our names to be called, I looked over and saw both mine and Angela's entire family. Next to her mother, I saw a woman who I didn't recognize. When I asked Angela who she was, she told me that it was her biological mother. She told me that although she realized that it would take some getting used to, she was ready to develop a relationship with her new family. She knew that before she could take this next step in life, she would have to fill the void that only her biological family could fill. It was something that she could no longer run from. She loved the family who raised her very much and she found it in her heart to forgive them for not telling her the truth sooner. They would never be replaced. Yet, Angela knew that she owed it to herself to get to know the family she never knew she had......Her name was called and she walked across the stage as a college graduate. As I watched her, I not only admired her, I was proud of her and happy to call her my best friend. She helped me to realize that no one is perfect, we all make mistakes, and that it's no one's job to judge. The only thing we can do is continue to live our lives with no grudges and resentment and always remember that we can go anywhere we want to in life as long as we know where we come from.
June 19th, 2008! Graduation is just around the corner. She's 21 and is on her way to earning a bachelor's degree in Journalism and she can't wait. She has really grown over the years and is very anxious to see what life has in store for her. I've known her all of my life and I can't even begin to explain how proud I am of her. She has really come a long way... As a child, Angela had a great relationship with her family. She grew up in a household with her mother, father, and younger sister. Her parents loved her very much and she was always well taken care of. Angela also had a good relationship with her sister. They always went on family vacations and held family gatherings that everyone attended. It was two weeks before our high-school graduation and her mother told her that she had something very important to talk to her about. She told her that Angela was adopted. Angela couldn't believe it and couldn't understand how her 'perfect family' was all a lie. She went off to college and as time passed, Angela and her family became distant. However, something kept gnawing at her, telling her that she needed to know where she came from. So Angela began doing research and after years of searching, she eventually found her biological family. An agency set up a meeting for Angela to meet a woman who gave up a child many years ago. The woman, whose name was Karen, had a son a few years older than Angela and another son several years younger. Angela just couldn't understand why this woman would give her up but keep her other two children. Karen explained to Angela that when she became pregnant for the second time, she wasn’t stable enough to take care of a second child. She told her that it was a hard decision to make, but it had to be done. Angela wanted to hate this woman who she looked like and who she was supposed to call 'mom'. She really didn’t understand and didn’t try to understand Karen’s plight at the time. As far as Angela was concerned, she already had a family and no one could ever replace them. Tina was the mother who was there when Angela got sick in the middle of the night, when she went on her first date, and when she graduated from high school. Now Karen wanted to be apart of Angela's life and wanted to be forgiven because she wasn't ready to be a mother, for the second time. That just wasn't good enough for Angela. Karen invited Angela to her house on numerous occasions and told Angela that she wanted to catch up on what she missed in Angela's life. Angela couldn't do it and told Karen that she wanted her out of her life. Hurt but understanding, Karen told Angela that she was sorry for all that happened and told her that she would always be there for her if she ever wanted to talk. Now left out and feeling alone, Angela was upset at her family for not telling her the truth and angry at her biological family for not wanting her. She tried her best to ignore her feelings but I could tell that it was beginning to really get the best of her. It was one week before graduation and I wanted to celebrate and for her not to have such a heavy load on her shoulders. So I sat her down and told her that she should give her biological family a chance. I told her that I wasn't trying to be the one to heal her wounds but that I thought that she shouldn't cut them off completely. She told me that her mind was made up and that she would just stick with the only family that she knew. As we got closer and closer to graduation, I noticed that she wasn't acting the same. What I said must have really gotten to her....or at least I hoped. Graduation day was finally here and I walked up to her and told her that maybe it was a good idea for her not to meet her new family. I told her that if it were me, I probably wouldn't have wanted to develop a relationship with them either. She just looked at me, smiled, and told me that she appreciated me being there for her. A little confused by her response, I noticed that she looked different. She looked like the old Angela that I grew up with. She looked like my best friend again. While sitting and waiting for our names to be called, I looked over and saw both mine and Angela's entire family. Next to her mother, I saw a woman who I didn't recognize. When I asked Angela who she was, she told me that it was her biological mother. She told me that although she realized that it would take some getting used to, she was ready to develop a relationship with her new family. She knew that before she could take this next step in life, she would have to fill the void that only her biological family could fill. It was something that she could no longer run from. She loved the family who raised her very much and she found it in her heart to forgive them for not telling her the truth sooner. They would never be replaced. Yet, Angela knew that she owed it to herself to get to know the family she never knew she had......Her name was called and she walked across the stage as a college graduate. As I watched her, I not only admired her, I was proud of her and happy to call her my best friend. She helped me to realize that no one is perfect, we all make mistakes, and that it's no one's job to judge. The only thing we can do is continue to live our lives with no grudges and resentment and always remember that we can go anywhere we want to in life as long as we know where we come from.
Condemned
I was laying in bed in a hotel room flicking through channels; trying to find something other than the news that reminded me how f***** up the world is.
My cellphone rang. I looked at the screen expecting a call from S.C.U (Serial Crimes Unit), but it was a private number.
“Hello.”
“Ethan, meet me at the corner of Granger and Reid in ten minutes,” a familiar voice replied.
-Click- He hung up.
“Ten minutes? That’s halfway across town.”
I threw on my jacket and grabbed my gun and S.C.U badge on the table. I wasted no time bolting out the door, making sure to lock it behind me. I ran down the stairs and headed towards my car in the middle of the parking lot. It was a black `98 Honda Civic with paint peeling off the rearview mirrors and a dented bumper. In no time at all I was leaving the parking lot and making my way down Coston Blvd. I stopped at the red light. The longer I sat and waited the more time I had to think. “What does he want? It’s been a year; this better not be about his nephew.” I reached for a cigarette in the left pocket of my jacket. I grab a lighter off the dashboard and before I can light the cigarette a bitter gust of wind extinguished the flame. I edge my head to the left to find strong moon-like eyes consumed with terror staring at me hosted by a long rotting face which had a rusty brace of metal housing it’s crooked jaw. It growled at me, piercing my body with its murderous intent. Then…. BEEP! I was staring at a green traffic light, and seven cars were lined up behind me. I could just imagine the angry looks on each of the driver’s faces. I stepped on the accelerator. I’ve been having more and more of these psychotic visions lately. I can’t tell the difference between reality and what’s in my head.
I arrived at the site. All that lied on the corner was an abandoned gray office building covered with graffiti and having all but one window broken. It measured about four stories high and ten meters wide. There wasn’t a person in sight. No one in their right mind would wander this neighborhood this late at night. S.C.U reports totaled over a homicide a day for this neighborhood alone last time I checked. “Even Malcolm isn’t this dumb, what is he thinking?” I grabbed a flashlight from the glove compartment and checked to see if it was working properly. “Okay.” I stepped out of the car and made my way towards the entrance. Locked. I climbed through the nearby window. There was no need to break the glass, someone had been here long before I had. “God knows how many psychos are inhabiting this place. The city’s in hell because of the addict bastards. Get to close to em’ and they wont hesitate to kill you.” I made my way through the first floor.
“MALCOLM!” I shouted.
Chaotic laughter replied from the floor above me, it wasn’t him, it wasn’t anyone sane anyway. I continue my search through the building and came across a stairwell. A gate with a padlock on it blocked off the stairs to the lower levels. So, I decided to go up to meet my laughing pal, gun ready at my side. With each step I seemed to ascend more and more into complete darkness, my flashlight becoming my new best friend. I proceeded through the door at the top of the stairs illuminating the room in front of me. I found the source of the laughter. He was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, shirtless and shaking angrily. He ripped off the blade of a paper cutter on the table next to him. He then leaped up, charging me with his frail body. I fired. Blood splattered the chair behind him as his body hit the floor with a THUD. I began to check the rooms; still no sign of Malcolm. There was one room left at the end of the hall. I was barely able to step a foot inside before a large blunt object struck the side of my skull and sent my body crashing into the floor. Standing over me was another lunatic, bigger than the last, wielding a 2x4 swinging it at me madly. My gun was missing so I did the next best thing, quickly got to my feet and pounded my fists into the brute’s skull. I was able to tackle him the ground and continued pounding. I was used to getting a little blood on my hands, and this was no different. Maybe I should’ve stopped after its heart stopped beating but I didn’t care, it was just my fists versus his face and I was winning. I got up to find my hands and arms covered in blood. I recovered my flashlight and pointed it at the corpse to check the damage. Seeing its mangled face made me question my own sanity. “It’s days like these I wonder if I’m really any different from them.” -Beep-. I check my phone for the text message, it reads: Basement. I check the nearby closet to find a sledgehammer behind some old magazines. “Good enough for me,” I thought, “Who needs a gun when you’ve got this.” I run back downstairs to the padlocked gate. One swing was all it took to break the lock and start my journey down the stairs. Upon reaching the basement I’m confronted by a glass wall resembling some sort of research lab. An old man appeared on the opposite side of the glass; it was Malcolm. He was different; he had sinister bloodshot eyes with a crooked grin and he was wearing torn dirty clothing.
“Malcolm, what happened to you!”
The lights went out.
“What the hell”
By the time I lifted my flashlight up he was gone. I searched the vicinity for a door and when I found one I had the pleasure of kicking it in since it was locked. After inspecting the room I moved on through a wooden door and used my flashlight to find a long complex hallway with more rooms than I could count. The room at the end of it seemed to stand out so I’d check there first. Each room was completely trashed with paper everywhere, broken copier machines on top of tables and it seemed computer modems were tossed carelessly around. Halfway down the hall a door slammed open in front of me. Another addict jumps out hoisting a gas pipe above its head twirling it psychotically. It rushes me and before the pipe can connect with my face I swing the sledgehammer down in front of me crushing it in its tracks, leaving its face looking even more devastated than the one upstairs. I reach the room at the end of the hall and enter. My flashlight begins to dim and a lamp in the corner begins to flicker. A dark presence encompasses the room pushing down against my body. I want to faint. I turn around to find it screaming at me; the same bastard in my car earlier. “Was I having another vision?” It swung something at me knocking me right off my feet onto the floor. It raised its arm, it was wielding a huge medieval-like sword. I jumped out of the way as the weapon plunged into the wood beneath where I was, sending pieces of plaster in every direction. I ran out the nearest door sprinting through random rooms and hallways aimlessly. I came to a clearing, the ground was completely torn up and electric wires hung from the ceiling that was half-missing. Across from me a figure shook violently; the same type of creature I had just ran away from. I looked around and realized they surrounded me, covering the entire room. ”Can this be real, or is it just another hallucination?”
My cellphone rang. I looked at the screen expecting a call from S.C.U (Serial Crimes Unit), but it was a private number.
“Hello.”
“Ethan, meet me at the corner of Granger and Reid in ten minutes,” a familiar voice replied.
-Click- He hung up.
“Ten minutes? That’s halfway across town.”
I threw on my jacket and grabbed my gun and S.C.U badge on the table. I wasted no time bolting out the door, making sure to lock it behind me. I ran down the stairs and headed towards my car in the middle of the parking lot. It was a black `98 Honda Civic with paint peeling off the rearview mirrors and a dented bumper. In no time at all I was leaving the parking lot and making my way down Coston Blvd. I stopped at the red light. The longer I sat and waited the more time I had to think. “What does he want? It’s been a year; this better not be about his nephew.” I reached for a cigarette in the left pocket of my jacket. I grab a lighter off the dashboard and before I can light the cigarette a bitter gust of wind extinguished the flame. I edge my head to the left to find strong moon-like eyes consumed with terror staring at me hosted by a long rotting face which had a rusty brace of metal housing it’s crooked jaw. It growled at me, piercing my body with its murderous intent. Then…. BEEP! I was staring at a green traffic light, and seven cars were lined up behind me. I could just imagine the angry looks on each of the driver’s faces. I stepped on the accelerator. I’ve been having more and more of these psychotic visions lately. I can’t tell the difference between reality and what’s in my head.
I arrived at the site. All that lied on the corner was an abandoned gray office building covered with graffiti and having all but one window broken. It measured about four stories high and ten meters wide. There wasn’t a person in sight. No one in their right mind would wander this neighborhood this late at night. S.C.U reports totaled over a homicide a day for this neighborhood alone last time I checked. “Even Malcolm isn’t this dumb, what is he thinking?” I grabbed a flashlight from the glove compartment and checked to see if it was working properly. “Okay.” I stepped out of the car and made my way towards the entrance. Locked. I climbed through the nearby window. There was no need to break the glass, someone had been here long before I had. “God knows how many psychos are inhabiting this place. The city’s in hell because of the addict bastards. Get to close to em’ and they wont hesitate to kill you.” I made my way through the first floor.
“MALCOLM!” I shouted.
Chaotic laughter replied from the floor above me, it wasn’t him, it wasn’t anyone sane anyway. I continue my search through the building and came across a stairwell. A gate with a padlock on it blocked off the stairs to the lower levels. So, I decided to go up to meet my laughing pal, gun ready at my side. With each step I seemed to ascend more and more into complete darkness, my flashlight becoming my new best friend. I proceeded through the door at the top of the stairs illuminating the room in front of me. I found the source of the laughter. He was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, shirtless and shaking angrily. He ripped off the blade of a paper cutter on the table next to him. He then leaped up, charging me with his frail body. I fired. Blood splattered the chair behind him as his body hit the floor with a THUD. I began to check the rooms; still no sign of Malcolm. There was one room left at the end of the hall. I was barely able to step a foot inside before a large blunt object struck the side of my skull and sent my body crashing into the floor. Standing over me was another lunatic, bigger than the last, wielding a 2x4 swinging it at me madly. My gun was missing so I did the next best thing, quickly got to my feet and pounded my fists into the brute’s skull. I was able to tackle him the ground and continued pounding. I was used to getting a little blood on my hands, and this was no different. Maybe I should’ve stopped after its heart stopped beating but I didn’t care, it was just my fists versus his face and I was winning. I got up to find my hands and arms covered in blood. I recovered my flashlight and pointed it at the corpse to check the damage. Seeing its mangled face made me question my own sanity. “It’s days like these I wonder if I’m really any different from them.” -Beep-. I check my phone for the text message, it reads: Basement. I check the nearby closet to find a sledgehammer behind some old magazines. “Good enough for me,” I thought, “Who needs a gun when you’ve got this.” I run back downstairs to the padlocked gate. One swing was all it took to break the lock and start my journey down the stairs. Upon reaching the basement I’m confronted by a glass wall resembling some sort of research lab. An old man appeared on the opposite side of the glass; it was Malcolm. He was different; he had sinister bloodshot eyes with a crooked grin and he was wearing torn dirty clothing.
“Malcolm, what happened to you!”
The lights went out.
“What the hell”
By the time I lifted my flashlight up he was gone. I searched the vicinity for a door and when I found one I had the pleasure of kicking it in since it was locked. After inspecting the room I moved on through a wooden door and used my flashlight to find a long complex hallway with more rooms than I could count. The room at the end of it seemed to stand out so I’d check there first. Each room was completely trashed with paper everywhere, broken copier machines on top of tables and it seemed computer modems were tossed carelessly around. Halfway down the hall a door slammed open in front of me. Another addict jumps out hoisting a gas pipe above its head twirling it psychotically. It rushes me and before the pipe can connect with my face I swing the sledgehammer down in front of me crushing it in its tracks, leaving its face looking even more devastated than the one upstairs. I reach the room at the end of the hall and enter. My flashlight begins to dim and a lamp in the corner begins to flicker. A dark presence encompasses the room pushing down against my body. I want to faint. I turn around to find it screaming at me; the same bastard in my car earlier. “Was I having another vision?” It swung something at me knocking me right off my feet onto the floor. It raised its arm, it was wielding a huge medieval-like sword. I jumped out of the way as the weapon plunged into the wood beneath where I was, sending pieces of plaster in every direction. I ran out the nearest door sprinting through random rooms and hallways aimlessly. I came to a clearing, the ground was completely torn up and electric wires hung from the ceiling that was half-missing. Across from me a figure shook violently; the same type of creature I had just ran away from. I looked around and realized they surrounded me, covering the entire room. ”Can this be real, or is it just another hallucination?”
The Sisters
Her sharp stares were cutting the side of my face. As I sit on the couch in the living room with my family, I feel this negative energy. It was our weekly movie night. She sits there over in the corner looking at me with hatred in her eyes. She's ugly. She's lonely, and she's jealous of me. It's not my fault thet my parents love me more than they love her. It's not my fault that I'm pretty, popular, and I'm the girl that all the guys want. " Stop looking at me you geek!"i yelled, My sister Guilda is three years older than me. She hates me. I hate her too. " You are so vain!" She shouted. " You think everything is about you". "Guilda stop yelling at Layla", said mom. I could get away with anything because my parents see me as their baby. They thought I could do no wrong. " Why are you always on her side mom?" asked Guilda. " Guilda that's enough out of you", said mom while rolling her eyes. I began to laugh at Guilda. I thought it was funny how she thinks my mom would side with her. " You are such an ugly thing", I said to Guilda. " Did you hear that mom?" "She just called me an ugly thing", said Guilda. "THAT'S ENOUGH"! yelled mom. I got bored with bothering my sister so i went up to my room. A couple of minutes later, my phone rang. I answered and it was my wonderful boyfriend, James. James and I have been together for a year now. We are in love. Nothing ever went wrong in our relationship. We began to talk on the phone. I noticed that his voice sound different. " What's wrong? I asked. "I just found out some bad news", he replied. " well, what is it?" I asked, curious to find out. " I tested positive for HIV", he replied nervously. I quickly hung up the phone. I was so shocked. I thought we were the perfect couple. He must have cheated on me. If he has it, I might have it too. How could this happen to me? I am only sixteen years old. I quickly ran downstairs to ask my mom to make me a doctors appointment. She asked me why. I thought she would be understanding, so I told her about James. "WHAT!" she yelled. "Mom i'm so scared", I said with tears rolling down my cheeks. "Well i hope you have it, that's what happens when you've been being fresh", she said in a smart voice. I ran upstairs and I noticed Guilda at the top of the steps, listening. I walked by her and went into my room. A couple minutes later, i heard a knock on my door. I opened it and it was Guilda. I told her to go away because I knew she was going to laugh at me. "I know what you're going through right now", she said. " I had the same scare about a year ago, but I never told anyone", said Guilda. I was so surprised. Not only did she go through what im going through, she was talking to me nicely. " You don't have to be alone in this, I'll make the appointment for you", she said. She left the room and I sat there with a look of confusion. She made the appointment and about two days later we went to the doctors office. The whole time we sat there waiting for my results, it was silent. I felt nervous. My legs were trembling in fear for my life. Twenty minutes later, the doctor told me that my results were in. I began to sweat as I walked back into her office. My heart was beating so fast. I thought it was going to come out of my chest. I sat down feeling awkward. " Your results say that you've tested negative for HIV", said the doctor. I got up feeling overjoyed. I ran to my sister, the last person I would expect to be there for me, and gave her a big hug. We left together with a new look on the world.
Triple the Love (Final Draft)
Ring, Ring,"Hello"click! This is like the 5Th time I've called his phone since I've left the damn doctors room and every time he picks up I just can't seem to open my mouth. We've been together now for a little over two years and I know he loves me just as much as I love him, maybe more, but we are young and and neither of us is ready for this. My hands are shaky and sweaty. Yes, I have options I know I have options but when I think of those options I know what I will and will not do and what I can but won't do. Ive been out of the doctors room now for about a half, they gave me tons and tons of packets begging me to read all about this news I just found out about so that I am truly aware of my options but I cant read I cant even move. I cant even think strait. Right now all I'm thinking about is college and the fact that I'm only 17 years old. I just enrolled in this university and now this. How am I gonna tell him, my mom, everybody. What will my mom think of me? She warned about incidents like this and I just couldn't listen. She told me to be careful and not to overstep my boundaries thinking I'm grown too fast."No your limits and set your goals early in life" is what she has always said to me and now look!
I cant stop these tears from pouring down my face, nor can I find the strength to walk out of here, nor to call him and stomach what love has gotten me, I mean us into. OK, I know he knows the answer to this, I really need to just talk to my man and stop tripping. Yes this is very serious as serious as serious gets, but I know when I talk to him and when I see him everything will be fine, we love each other so much.
Ring, Ring," Mia, please stop hanging I know your upset but you have to just talk to me, Im here.Whatever it is we will get through this, I love you."
When he said that I knew we would get through anything together.
" Ramil i just came out of the doctors office and I'm so scared, I dint know what to do I'm shaking, I cant even leave out this building."
"Well just talk to me, tell me the problem and whatever it is we can handle it. Just relax."
" I rather talk face to face can you just come and get me."
" I'm already on my way ."
OK bet, he's coming and we"re gonna talk and i know him, we"ll be cool. I go out front and get in his car, i know he tell I've been crying. My eyes are bloodshot red and so puffy. As soon as he pulls off he hits with the question " so whats up".
" Ramil remember last month on valentines day when we....and you accidentally..and i was suppose to go get those pills the next day...well I had to work and i couldn't make it to the doctors and til today I hadn't made it and so you know the rest".
At this point he just goes blank, the car starts to slow down and then it stops.
"Why would you be such a dumb ass! All my friends said you would try this dumb shit. You tryna trap me ain't you? Tell me how much, how much this shit gonna cost me to get rid of it? You know what I don't even care, just get the hell out my car NOW"!
I cant even put together whats happening right now, is he serious. I couldn't talk, I just went blank and cried as he talked and then I got out, stood there and watched him pull off. At this point I knew it was time for me to make my first independent decision as a single mother. I caught the next bus home all the while reading the packets about this pregnancy I was about to go through all alone. When I got home my mother could tell I had been crying by my red and swollen eyes. she ask me where I had been and when she seen the tear run down my face she hugged me and said " I knew two weeks ago, I've just been wondering when you would find out".
" mom I'm so scared, Ramil doesn't want to have anything to do with me or this baby, I don't really know what decision i want to make about this pregnancy and being a single parent, I'm just confused and scared."
"well fist your not gonna be a single mother because regardless your decision I'm gonna be your rock, I'm always gonna be here to help you in life no matter the problem or circumstances I love you, now get some rest and ill bring you up some tea to relax I don't dint you stressing and worrying my grand baby".
"OMG! mom its time i yelled. My mom had been prepared for week and she rushed me out the door and had me at the hospitals in minutes. I was immediately rushed into surgery as an emergency delivery because my doctor said i was having complications. i was so scared. I heard the doctor yell out " where's the Father, we need his help now, we gotta get these triplets out!'
"Right here" i heard Ramil say.
I was so overwhelmed to hear his voice and even more to know i was having triplets that i pasted out. i couldn't believe he came back into my life, all our lives, we where a family.
I cant stop these tears from pouring down my face, nor can I find the strength to walk out of here, nor to call him and stomach what love has gotten me, I mean us into. OK, I know he knows the answer to this, I really need to just talk to my man and stop tripping. Yes this is very serious as serious as serious gets, but I know when I talk to him and when I see him everything will be fine, we love each other so much.
Ring, Ring," Mia, please stop hanging I know your upset but you have to just talk to me, Im here.Whatever it is we will get through this, I love you."
When he said that I knew we would get through anything together.
" Ramil i just came out of the doctors office and I'm so scared, I dint know what to do I'm shaking, I cant even leave out this building."
"Well just talk to me, tell me the problem and whatever it is we can handle it. Just relax."
" I rather talk face to face can you just come and get me."
" I'm already on my way ."
OK bet, he's coming and we"re gonna talk and i know him, we"ll be cool. I go out front and get in his car, i know he tell I've been crying. My eyes are bloodshot red and so puffy. As soon as he pulls off he hits with the question " so whats up".
" Ramil remember last month on valentines day when we....and you accidentally..and i was suppose to go get those pills the next day...well I had to work and i couldn't make it to the doctors and til today I hadn't made it and so you know the rest".
At this point he just goes blank, the car starts to slow down and then it stops.
"Why would you be such a dumb ass! All my friends said you would try this dumb shit. You tryna trap me ain't you? Tell me how much, how much this shit gonna cost me to get rid of it? You know what I don't even care, just get the hell out my car NOW"!
I cant even put together whats happening right now, is he serious. I couldn't talk, I just went blank and cried as he talked and then I got out, stood there and watched him pull off. At this point I knew it was time for me to make my first independent decision as a single mother. I caught the next bus home all the while reading the packets about this pregnancy I was about to go through all alone. When I got home my mother could tell I had been crying by my red and swollen eyes. she ask me where I had been and when she seen the tear run down my face she hugged me and said " I knew two weeks ago, I've just been wondering when you would find out".
" mom I'm so scared, Ramil doesn't want to have anything to do with me or this baby, I don't really know what decision i want to make about this pregnancy and being a single parent, I'm just confused and scared."
"well fist your not gonna be a single mother because regardless your decision I'm gonna be your rock, I'm always gonna be here to help you in life no matter the problem or circumstances I love you, now get some rest and ill bring you up some tea to relax I don't dint you stressing and worrying my grand baby".
"OMG! mom its time i yelled. My mom had been prepared for week and she rushed me out the door and had me at the hospitals in minutes. I was immediately rushed into surgery as an emergency delivery because my doctor said i was having complications. i was so scared. I heard the doctor yell out " where's the Father, we need his help now, we gotta get these triplets out!'
"Right here" i heard Ramil say.
I was so overwhelmed to hear his voice and even more to know i was having triplets that i pasted out. i couldn't believe he came back into my life, all our lives, we where a family.
IF ONLY I RAN ANY FASTER!!!
"Freeze! Put the pizza box on the floor and put your hands in the air!" I just finished running five blocks from the pizza store, and they caught me. The pizza guy at the counter must have told the cops I had a gun. They reached right in my left pocket and they removed my bb gun. They threw against the car and said, "son what are doing stealing pizza ?' I didn't say nothing I just had a dumb look on my face. They threw me in the cop car and told me my rights. When I got to the station, the cops put me in a cell, with another boy around my age. As soon as I walked in he said, my name is Kareem. What is yours? I said my name is Charlie. He then asked what you are in here for. I said robbery. He said robbery? So what did you steal? I said a box of pizza with an angry tone in my voice. He giggled a little and said, " a pizza?" Tell me what happen. I figured that I was going to be in the cell for a while, so I took a seat on the floor.
I just knew that if I went in the house there wasn't going to be no food. I was so hungry and I needed something to eat. So I came up with a plan. I was going to order the pizza, and as soon as the guy at the counter asked for the money I was going to pull my gun out. A gun he asked with a look of interest. I said not a real gun, a bb gun. He laughed and said you robbed somebody with a bb gun. I said," yeah," and gave him a long stare. When I walked in the store I was a bit nervous. My hands were sweating and my heart was racing. I went to the counter and said let me get a large pizza with extra cheese. As I waited for the pizza to get prepared, I walked back and for deciding if I should go through with my plan. When the pizza was finished, the man said eight fifty. I reached in my pocket like I was getting the money. That is when it happen. I pulled out my bb gun and said give the pizza box and nobody gets hurt. The man handed me the pizza and I ran as fast I ever did in my entire life. Something told me not to go down C street, but I did anyway. As soon as I turned the corner, there they were. The cops cut me off and told me to drop the pizza box. Right when I was done telling the story, the cop came in. He was taking me to get finger printed. As I was leaving, Kareem asked so did you even get the chance to eat any of it. I shook my head no as my stomach growled. I wish I did!
I just knew that if I went in the house there wasn't going to be no food. I was so hungry and I needed something to eat. So I came up with a plan. I was going to order the pizza, and as soon as the guy at the counter asked for the money I was going to pull my gun out. A gun he asked with a look of interest. I said not a real gun, a bb gun. He laughed and said you robbed somebody with a bb gun. I said," yeah," and gave him a long stare. When I walked in the store I was a bit nervous. My hands were sweating and my heart was racing. I went to the counter and said let me get a large pizza with extra cheese. As I waited for the pizza to get prepared, I walked back and for deciding if I should go through with my plan. When the pizza was finished, the man said eight fifty. I reached in my pocket like I was getting the money. That is when it happen. I pulled out my bb gun and said give the pizza box and nobody gets hurt. The man handed me the pizza and I ran as fast I ever did in my entire life. Something told me not to go down C street, but I did anyway. As soon as I turned the corner, there they were. The cops cut me off and told me to drop the pizza box. Right when I was done telling the story, the cop came in. He was taking me to get finger printed. As I was leaving, Kareem asked so did you even get the chance to eat any of it. I shook my head no as my stomach growled. I wish I did!
She should have listened
If only she would have listened to me when I warned her about her potential death, she'd sill be alive.My best friend, Mya, is so excited on her 18th birthday that she can't wait to go out to celebrate. Being her best friend, I'm just excited as her to celebrate her being older now. I'm 21 years old so I know the feeling. But for some reason, I felt that she should not risk leaving her house tonight. Mya is so amped up to have fun that she is going to go out anyway to enjoy the Miami nightlife. While I stayed home, I realized why I had this terrible feeling. As I sat at my computer desk, finishing up my college paper, my vision came back. In my mind, I could see Mya sreaming for help as the club she was in burned up in flames.I used to love the special talent that I had until recently. For the past year, all I've had were visions of my friends dying. I managed to save all of them but our friendship was too risky. I would have to put my life on pause while I saved my friends. Primarily, that is why I only have one friend now. In my vision, flames made its way up Mya's skirt and spread over her body. Then my vision flashed away. I opened my eyes to see reality staring me in the face, as if we were competing and reality knew it was about to win. Immediately, I called Mya's cell but I got no answer. I knew that I had to save her while I could. I searched through four clubs in two hours but still, no Mya. I didn't know what to do next. I began to bash myself. I knew that I should have told Mya that I have visions of certain events in the near future. Maybe then, she would have heeded my warning about tonight. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was her. "Thank God! Mya, where are you?" I asked with a quivering, yet relieved tone. "At home, waiting for my best friend Amonie to bring over my gift." She laughed. I could tell that she was safe and she was at home waiting for me to share her special day with her. Ten minutes later, I knocked on Mya's maroon, wooden door that always hurt my knuckles. No answer. I kicked the door with all the energy that I had left. But still, no answer. My fear had come back the instant that no one answered the door. I whipped out my cell and dialed Mya's number again. As I sat in my car, I could hear the police cars, ambulances, and firefighters approaching. They rushed past Mya's house and I followed them with the feeling of sickness of Mya's possible death twirling around in my stomach. The firefighters hurried into the club. I already knew who was inside as I watched the rushing water from the hose put out the burning flames. Mya must not have take me seriously and gone off to the club. A second later, my phone rang. Suprisingly, it was Mya. I burst into tears of confusion as I flung open my phone and shouted, "Mya, I knocked on your door. Where are you right now, don't play!" I could hear in the background of her phone that she really was at her house. "I AM home and I've been here all night." She replied sarcastically like she always does when I don't believe her when she's telling the truth. All of a sudden, something white catches my eye. I hold the phone to my ear as I pull back the white sheet that's covering the body. It was the softest sheet I've ever felt but at that moment, it felt like I was rubbing Death's bumpy, sin-fulled flesh. To my amazement, it was Mya. I dropped my phone and all I could hear were screams. Screams that were louder than any noise in the world. Screams that paused everything around me until they stopped. Screams that came from me. The second noise I heard after my screams was Mya's voice shouting through the phone that I had dropped. My mind might as well had gone insane. "A true friend at least looks out for her best friend on her birthday. Thanks a lot. Goodybye." Mya or Mya's ghost shouted through my cellphone. The phone call ended. So did Mya's life.
The Mirror That Reflected Youth(Short Story)
Cozville,a place where the air is always quiet and warm and the sun always rises at 6:30a.m.Here lived young Mari.As Mari awoke with the sun today, she felt a great sence of excitment come over her. Today she would buy her own mirror.Her family was very poor and couldn't affored to buy her the things most teenage girls had . She jumped out of bed and got dressed.As she was about to walk out the door she saw a small cake sitting on the dinning room table with a note next to it. The note read,"Goodmorning Honey,I thought this would make you happy,I'm off to work,See you later Love Mom".She ran down to the Key's and Knobs furniture store down the hill. She walked in and began her search for a mirror.There were small ones,huge ones,oval shaped ones,and thin ones.Even with all this selection,Mari felt she was about to give up.The owner of the store saw her despair and walked to the back of the store. He came back with a beautiful long,oval shaped mirror which seemed to glow when Mari looked at it.She was shocked to hear that he had found it on the side of the street and hadn't placed a tag on it yet.He gave it to her for free and she never felt happier.She took it home and positioned it on her dresser.Next,she spoke to the mirror saying,"Hello there! My name is Mari Ann Johnson and today is March 16,1948 and I've turned 18!".Just then the mnirror seemed to shine with even more colors than before.The years began to roll by but still Mari kept the mirror.She noticed that everytime she looked into it,she felt young again.It was now 1998 and one month until Mari's 68th birthday.She was now married for six years and had a son. Over the past couple of years her marriage has become weak.Her husband has been struggling to get her to come to the realization that she no longer looks like an 18 year old. Today it took Mari longer than normal to get out of bed.She struggled to the nightstand to reach her bronze hair brush that she used as a child. She managed to come to a stand to see the mirror. When she loked at herself she smiled.Clear smooth skin,Long thick black hair,bright green eyes and a figure of about 120 pounds of healthiness. She saw herself brush her long locks of hair.As her husband entered the room he gazed upon his wife running a brush through thin,stragley strands of grayish white. She told him to look into the mirror and see what a beautiful young lady she is,but all he saw was the years that time had taken away from his beloved wife.That night as she was sleeping, he took the mirror and put it on the side of the rode.Mari never looked into another mirror again. "I'm finally 18,",Janice yelled when she jumped out of bed. Her older sister walked into her room and said"Yea,yea,yea it's March 16 2001 and your officialy and 18 year old pain in my neck".Janice ighnored her sister's comment and ran down the stairs into their living room.Her mom had already rapped her gift up and left a note on the side.The note read,"Happy Birthday baby,I know how mich you like antique things and when I saw this I thought of you.Hope You Like It!Love Mom"Janice ripped the wrapping paper off and recealed a peautiful long,oval,shaped mirror.She gawked at it in aww.Her sister came down the stauir and said that it was perfect for her since she spends soo much time in the mirror.When she looked on the back of it there was an almost invisible written message that read,"Seeing Is Believing."
Mystery Killer
It was just another summer night In June in South Carolina. After dinner is made, Elizabeth puts on her leather slippers to go get Jay from Lakeshore swimming pool. As she starts to get closer to the pool she doesnt hear any water splashing or children playing, but the lights were still on she she continued on. As she reaches the ol' gate , she pushes it open and yells, "Jay, c'mon its dinner time." No reply, so now she get sreally nervious because he always come home for dinner especially if his mom has to come get him. She decides to go look in the pool to see if he is underneath the water. As she gets closer she notices the water gets darker, a redish color. Pantingly, she runs to the edge of the pool and notices her only child floating on top of the blood contaminated pool water. "Help,"she yells "somebody help me." She jumps straight on the pool. Grabbes her son, and pushes him on the edge of the pool. Blood everywhere from being stabbed so many times. Half conscious, his eyes are able to open. His skin saturated from being in the water for a long time. "Im a get you outta here," Elizabeth says, but as soon as she says that the lights die. The moon light shines dully of the blood infested water, she is barely able to see her only child. She says she will be right back and goes to the pool's office to see who turned the lights off and see if maybe they can help. When she reaches the office all the doors are locked as if the pool have been closed all day. Runs back outside, Tries to pick her son up, but he is too heavy, so fortunatley Elizabeth's brother who works at the pool drives up and notices wat is going on. He quickly runs to them and grab Jay and put him in the backseat of his car. No hesitatation, he rushes him to the hospital. Busting through the doors, he yells for a doctor. Quickly, four or five doctors came to his request. They are asked to sit in the waiting room while the doctors work on Jay. Sitting in the waiting they say that Jay is unconcious and might need to stay the night at the hospital. Elizabeth and her brother agree to keep him there and gave their goodbye. On the ride home, so many things were running through her head,so many questions. Since her brother works at swimming pool, she asks him "where were you when all this happened?" " I went to go get something to eat," he replies. That was the only thing said on the ride home. Liz was so worryied and didn't know what to do, that she jus sat in her old red and blue stripped rocking chair, with a mean grimace on her face. Facing her brother on the leather sofa across from her, she notices a dark substance on the bottom of his shirt. "What is that on your shirt?" she asks, "oh jus some ketchup I spilled on myself at the diner. Suspension rose, and she already was cautious of her brother. A knock at the door, and she turn and looked at it. She could see the red and blue lights outside her window. Quickly she rose to answer but her brother grab her. He tells her not to answer let them go away, and she breaks loose. As she opens the door, the first thing they notice is her brother and draw their guns yelling "get down on the ground now." He tries to run but they shoot and shoot him in his back. Elizabeth yells, and they cuff him. The meds arrive on the scene in a couple of minutes and take him to the hospital. The officers say they found some bloody clothes locked up in a locker in the main office which only Elizabeth's brother had access to. They say they have been watching him for sometime now and follow got their chance to capture him. "Well you gotta do wat u gotta do right...?"Elizabeth says, then the two officers apologize and escort themselves out the door. "I dont know if he might make it..." one doctor says. "You might have shot him in his back but the bullet peirced through his flesh and through his kidneys." Transferring Elizabeth's brother from one room to another, he passes Little Jay in the hallway. Just enough energy to look over Jay notices him also. Slow motion, everything seems to slow down. Time itself seem to become this abstract compound and doesnt even seem to exist anymore. So much tension and emotion come between the two victims of life, and somany thoughts and unanswered questions are unanswered. Unfortunately time resumes its pattern and they leave each other. Before they could both go under special treatment, they both succumb to the hands of life. Jay had severe brain damage and his body couldnt take it anymore. Elizabeth's brother was victim to pioson that leaked into his body after being shot in the kidneys. 1:30 am, Elizabeth receives a call from the hospital saying that the her brother and son had passed. She drops the phone, and drops to her knees. The two people she only had left in this world is gone. How could she go on like this? She couldnt it was too painful; she goes to her drawer gets a pen ,paper, and her 9mm. 5 minutes later a neihgbor hears the shot and calls the police. Whne the police arrive they notice her lying on the edge of her bed saturated in blood, also they notice a letter on her pillow. It reads, "How could my life end this way, suicide! How could last two people inm my life leave me this way..?Its all over now. Nothing can compare to the pain i feel here on this earth, so im ready for whatever comes in this afterlife. I can finally be free, and hopefully just see my son for the last time..."
-Elizabeth
CHEATERS Will Let Me Know
"I'mma be working a little late tonight. So you can put my dinner away. Don't wait up." Then there was silence. Kevin was working late again for the fourth time this week and Tamika was suspecting something. Was he really working late or was he doing his dirt? Whatever the case, she was gonna find out. But for now, she'll play her part as wifey. It was around 6:30pm when Tamika received that phone call. Kevin usually got off from work at 8:00pm. It was now 12:00am. "I could have sworn that the business closed no later than 9:30pm; and it only takes him a half hour to drive home. I know he don't think I'm that stupid," she thought.
An hour and a half later Tamika hears Kevin's keys unlocking the front door. "Mika, Mika come here" Kevin shouted. He heard Tamika's slow footsteps coming down the stairs. When she finally approached him, he noticed suspicion on her face. He began to recite his rehearsed excuse. "Baby, let me tell you how the job decided to stay open three hours later than usual. Maybe because so many people came in. Oh my God I'm so tired. Warm my dinner up while I'm in the shower." Kevin then brushed past Tamika and ran up the stairs straight to the bathroom.
She knew something was up because he never took a shower straight after work with the exception of his four late days. "Who the hell needs to rush in take a shower after work when all he does is answer the damn phones?" she thought. Tamika was determined to get to the bottom of this.
As she sat in bed watching CHEATERS, she peeked over at Kevin and noticed he was looking back and forth between the TV and Tamika. "I know she don't know. I know she don't know." Kevin kept saying over and over in his head. Tamika smiled, as if she knew exactly what Kevin was thinking. "This show is crazy. Right boo?" Tamika said to Kevin with a devious grin on her face. "Naw, it's a little dry. Cut the TV off and let's get some shut eye." he replied. The guilt was eating him up inside. "I'm calling that show." Tamika mumbled as she turned over to go to sleep.
The next morning when Tamika awoke, she looked on the other side of the bed to wake Kevin up for work. He had left already. 'Oh he must really think I'mma fool. It's 6am. He don't have to be at work til 9.' Tamika got out of bed to search for the yellow pages. She was seriously gonna call CHEATERS. It didn't take CHEATERS investigators more than two days to get all the proof they needed. He wasn't working late at all.
Kevin was found working the back rooms at a local strip joint. A different kind of "working late". This strip club was hectic. CHEATERS had to dodge naked ho's and booty shaking shorties. When CHEATERS brought Tamika to the strip joint to bust Kevin, he nearly jumped out his skin. "What the...Tamika, what are you doin' here?" Kevin shouted. "Kevin who is she" asked the lady companion. "I'm his wife. Who the hell are you?" Tamika replied. "I'm his woman. At least for the night so I suggest you back up off my man!" yelled the woman. "Kevin, when you get home, all ya stuff will be waiting for you on the front lawn. Chuck deuces!" Tamika yelled and stormed out the strip joint. "I hope he don't think he gonna be with me when he givin' up that ass over here. It wasn't that good anyway!"
An hour and a half later Tamika hears Kevin's keys unlocking the front door. "Mika, Mika come here" Kevin shouted. He heard Tamika's slow footsteps coming down the stairs. When she finally approached him, he noticed suspicion on her face. He began to recite his rehearsed excuse. "Baby, let me tell you how the job decided to stay open three hours later than usual. Maybe because so many people came in. Oh my God I'm so tired. Warm my dinner up while I'm in the shower." Kevin then brushed past Tamika and ran up the stairs straight to the bathroom.
She knew something was up because he never took a shower straight after work with the exception of his four late days. "Who the hell needs to rush in take a shower after work when all he does is answer the damn phones?" she thought. Tamika was determined to get to the bottom of this.
As she sat in bed watching CHEATERS, she peeked over at Kevin and noticed he was looking back and forth between the TV and Tamika. "I know she don't know. I know she don't know." Kevin kept saying over and over in his head. Tamika smiled, as if she knew exactly what Kevin was thinking. "This show is crazy. Right boo?" Tamika said to Kevin with a devious grin on her face. "Naw, it's a little dry. Cut the TV off and let's get some shut eye." he replied. The guilt was eating him up inside. "I'm calling that show." Tamika mumbled as she turned over to go to sleep.
The next morning when Tamika awoke, she looked on the other side of the bed to wake Kevin up for work. He had left already. 'Oh he must really think I'mma fool. It's 6am. He don't have to be at work til 9.' Tamika got out of bed to search for the yellow pages. She was seriously gonna call CHEATERS. It didn't take CHEATERS investigators more than two days to get all the proof they needed. He wasn't working late at all.
Kevin was found working the back rooms at a local strip joint. A different kind of "working late". This strip club was hectic. CHEATERS had to dodge naked ho's and booty shaking shorties. When CHEATERS brought Tamika to the strip joint to bust Kevin, he nearly jumped out his skin. "What the...Tamika, what are you doin' here?" Kevin shouted. "Kevin who is she" asked the lady companion. "I'm his wife. Who the hell are you?" Tamika replied. "I'm his woman. At least for the night so I suggest you back up off my man!" yelled the woman. "Kevin, when you get home, all ya stuff will be waiting for you on the front lawn. Chuck deuces!" Tamika yelled and stormed out the strip joint. "I hope he don't think he gonna be with me when he givin' up that ass over here. It wasn't that good anyway!"
Quote of the Day for Wednesday, 3/12
"The conscious mind is going to suggest the obvious, the cliche, because these things offer the security of having succeeded in the past. Only the mind that has been taken off itself and put on a task is allowed true creativity." --David Mamet
Classwork: Today, you can begin typing the first draft of your short fiction story on the blog. If you "Save As Draft" you can go back into "Edit Posts" and access and change your draft from any computer with internet access.
Homework: The first draft of your fiction story needs to be posted to the blog by this Friday, 3/14.
The Least You Need to Know about Plot
Classwork: Today, you can begin typing the first draft of your short fiction story on the blog. If you "Save As Draft" you can go back into "Edit Posts" and access and change your draft from any computer with internet access.
Homework: The first draft of your fiction story needs to be posted to the blog by this Friday, 3/14.
The Least You Need to Know about Plot
- Plot is the structure of your story, the way the events unfold.
- Traditional plots have an exposition (introduction), rising action (building of suspense and conflict), climax (high point of intensity), and resolution (end of conflict).
- The plot structure must reinforce the content and its meaning.
- Plot your story by jotting down ideas, using a checklist, asking and answering questions, and/or making a diagram.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Monday, 3/10
1. Read Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and answer the following questions on loose-leaf
2. Does the opening grab your attention, and, if so, how?
3. From what point of view is the story told?
4. Who? Characters
5. What? Conflict
6. When? Time
7. Where? Place
8. Why? Characters' motivation
9. How? Resolve conflict
2. Does the opening grab your attention, and, if so, how?
3. From what point of view is the story told?
4. Who? Characters
5. What? Conflict
6. When? Time
7. Where? Place
8. Why? Characters' motivation
9. How? Resolve conflict
Quote of the Day for Tuesday, 3/11
"How do I know what I think until I see what I say?" --E.M. Forster
Group Exercise:
Group Exercise:
- In groups of four
- Each person take a turn reading his/her story
- Group members discuss and write down the answers to the following questions on one sheet of paper
- Does the opening grab your attention, and, if so, how?
- From what point of view is the story told?
- Who? Characters
- What? Conflict
- When? Time
- Where? Place
- Why? Characters' motivation
- How? Resolve conflict
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