Alexandra Ritona

The Dramatic Rescue

The fire was ablaze, and it spread now, working its way around four buildings! The people in the buildings had left in a flash! In all the chaos a 10 year old girl named Lila had tripped and fell and had lost her parents! Here is what happened: The family was huddled together on their couch, watching TV, when suddenly a fire in the kitchen started! It burnt it's way through everything like menacing volcano lava not ready to quit at any second. The parents tried to put it out, but it was no use. The people in the 3 other buildings had seen the smoke coming out of the small apartment window, and evacuated their buildings. All the people in Lila's building had quickly evacuated too and everyone fled like a colony of ants trying to get away from a terrifying rainstorm. In all that chaos, Lila had tripped over a burned piece of debris and had fallen and sprained her ankle. Lila couldn't walk or run, and with all the people her parents hadn't noticed her fall. Everyone ran past her not noticing either, and soon she was all alone. She winced in pain trying to drag her leg. She inched her way along the pavement and into the parking lot. Her ankle was in so much pain. Just a few more drags and she would be safe by her car's side. It was her only choice. And she couldn't call for help. She was weak and tired, so she rested herself against the car and fell into a deep sleep. But what she didn't know was that the fire had just reached the parking lot, and was slowly devouring cars in blazing flames, like lava devours it's victims... She was in terrible danger.
TO BE CONTINUED...

a poor street dog named Lucky had been looking for food scraps. she searched through every trashcan and through every dark alleyway. she was a beautiful black lab. her fur was as dark as the midnight sky, and her eyes were a warm milky brown. her original home was with a friendly old man. he had trained Lucky to rescue and save things that were hurt. she was able to jump large rivers, swim for hours, and she was able to smell smoke and know how to get away from it. the man finally knew his work was done. unlike most owners he let her into the streets. they both knew she would do great things. thats why Lucky never came back begging. Lucky tipped over a 4th trash can and found an old sandwich. then a familiar smell curled into the alleyway. SMOKE! since she was trained she bolted towards the smell. Lila had awoken now, and thick peices of debris had fallen on her leg. she was trapped in place! there was 4 walls of fire sorrounding her! they flickered and flamed bright vibrant reds and oranges. three firemen rushed to the fire and tried to save her but it was no use. the walls just grew larger and created a thick blanket of smoke. the firemen tumbled over and fell into the deep smog. they were gone. Lucky took her chance she sprung from the ground to the beckoning walls of fire. she managed to jump over them. she nosed the debris quickly off lila’s leg, and dragged her her to safety. although it felt like a bee sting zinging up her leg lila was greatful. and then like some sort of miracle the fire cleared and so did the smoke. it was all gone, like a forgotten fairytale that had been read too many times. lila‘s parents rushed to her side and picked her up. they held her tight. and rubbed lucky all over and kissed lucky. the firemen looked for a tag on lucky but there was no one to be found. one of the firemen, Jake decided to adopt lucky from the streets. it was hard to come up for a name for this life saving dog ( remember only the friendly old man and lucky know that her name was lucky) finally, in white marker on lucky's left ear, it said Lucky. “then i guess that's your name girl!” said Jake. lucky and the the old man were right, lucky did do a great thing. and she would be doing many more to.

The End

The Calendar
By: Alexandra Ritona
Many numbers,
Like a square,
Different months,
sometimes pretty.

Is as pretty as a bow on a gift.
Some are old, even ripped In half.
Some with frogs some with horses.
Colorful or dull.

Is like a bird ready to take
flight to a new month once,
the month before it is done.
Always has a different year.
but in the end each one is unique.

**Halloween Short Story**

It was Halloween! Ghosts, goblins, demons, and witches filled the streets, all going from one house after another collecting candy. Two best friends, Ally and Isabella waited until dark to go trick or treating. From Ally's bedroom window, they watched all the younger kids prance through the neighborhood, as they were putting on their costumes. "How do I look?" asked Isabella. "Fabulous!" Isabella was being a witch for Halloween, and she wanted to look like a real witch. Her makeup fit the "witch theme" perfectly, and her costume was very realistic. " What about me?' asked Ally. Ally stepped out from behind the curtain of her window. " Oh my gosh, you look amazing!" screamed Isabella. Ally was being a pastry chef. She had a tray of real, homemade macaroons, and a flawless white chef's coat. To top it off, she had shimmery, pink lip gloss to add flair. " Girls!" " Ten more minutes!" yelled Ally's mom. " Ok, mom!" Ally answered. " So what do you want to do?" said Isabella. " Hmmmmm." " We could try to steal some candy corn from the kitchen!" "Good idea!" said Isabella. The two girls crept down the steps, and tumbled and rolled through some rooms to reach the kitchen. Ally's mom was making a quick bowl full of chocolate eyeballs, and other mini chocolates with cute Halloween wrappers. The candy corn was in a small jar on the kitchen counter. The girls crept ever so quietly. Isabella quietly reached up and took the lid off the jar. Then they both attacked it shoving the candy corn in their mouths! Ally let out a giggle, and her mom turned around just in time to see them laughing, and chewing on candy corn. She laughed and said " How will you eat candy, when you go trick or treating, if you eat all this nonsense?" " Who knows?" said Ally spookily. " I can eat a lot!" said Isabella laughing. "Ok then." " Why don't you girls go trick-or treating now!" said Ally's mom. " And remember, be back at, least 10:00!" "Yes mom." said Ally. " Yes Mrs. Lacey!" said Isabella. And they were out of the house in a flash. The next hour was filled with candy collecting, and compliments on costumes, and quick chats with the nice people throughout their neighborhood. After they left a house, which they had collected king sized Hershey bars, they sat down on the curb and sorted through their candy. Ally checked her watch and it said 9:40. "We have another 20 minutes!" said Ally. "Oh!" "I wanted to hit more houses!" said Isabella sadly. "We have time for two more." stated Ally. Knowing the neighborhood well from all the trick-or treating they had done in the past, Isabella suggested "How about Mr. and Mrs. Reed's house, and Mr. and Mrs. Valentine's house!' "Sure!" said Ally. Once they reached Mr. and Mrs. Reed's house, they rang the doorbell. The door opened wide and Mrs. Reed came forward with a large bowl full of Twizzle's, Almond Joy's, and gummy spiders. "Hello, girls!" said Mrs. Reed. "Robert, come here and say hi!" she yelled. "Coming!" he said. " Hi girls!" "How is the candy?" He asked. "Great!" we chorused. " I'm gonna give you some extra, because it's so cold out." he said. "THANK YOU!" they said. He chuckled. From his pockets he pulled two king sized peanut butter cups, and two king sized Hershey bars. "Oh Robert!" "You crazy man!" "Have a happy Halloween girls!" "Yes, same to you!" We said. They smiled and then slowly closed the door as we turned around. We then went across the street, to a house with woods on the left side. The Valentine's looked like they weren't home, so the girls walked up the side path, near the woods. Isabella walked slowly by the row of tree's looking through her candy bag. Then, a scraggly green hand with long brown nails, grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her into the woods. She screamed for help. Ally came rushing, and another hand grabbed her in the pitch dark. In a dark, scraggly voice one of the tall figures said to Isabella, "I'm so happy you completed your mission, in getting this trick or treater. "We need someone to take captive." She cackled, and dragged the girls into what seemed like an endless hole. *"Wait what?!" " What the heck do they mean?" "They need someone, who are these people?" "And why did one cackle?" " I need to get out of here!"* Thought Isabella. She kicked and screamed but no one heard. They were dragged deeper and deeper. And then it came to Isabella. *"They're witches and they think I am too!" She passed out with the thought of it all.* Meanwhile, Ally wasn't feeling too great*. " They need me?" "For what?" "Fo- Fo Food?"* She quivered. And then just like that everything went black.

**TO BE CONTINUED!**

Second Mp:

A Poodle In Paris

The fire crackled softly in the fireplace, adding a warm glow to the small room of the apartment. A soft breeze came from the slightly open window. The small mother poodle whined. The father poodle nuzzled his wife. “I think it’s time…” said Christine. The mother poodle let out a whine… The puppies were coming. Christine and Brian held their breath, holding each other's hands. They had been so proud of their two poodles falling in love and having puppies. Now was the big moment. And before they knew it the puppies had come. They were small, their little eyes closed, softly whining and yipping. They were all pearly white, except for one. This particular puppy and a speckled black ear. “How odd…” exclaimed Brian. “I know!” said Christine. When it was time for the mamma poodle to feed her babies, the one with the black speckled ear was left out. He wouldn’t even try. Dr. Barn came into the room from where he was working intently on the mamma poodle, to she if she was alright. He had heard Christine and Brian talking about that one puppy. “He is a perfectly normal puppy!” “Give him time!” said Dr. Barn. And they did. But the puppy was left out of everything, and through Brian and Christine’s eyes, they thought he was a dud. Soon the mamma poodle, Pearl saw what had been happening. She took extra special care of that little puppy. Christine and Brian scheduled an appointment with Dr. Barn to see what they should do. “Well from my personal thinking, you have a lot of puppies to take care of.” “13 in all.” “Is that to much?” he asked. “ Yes it kind of is…” they said together. “ We just got married a couple of months ago, and feeding 13 more mouths won’t be easy.” said Brian. “But feeding 12 isn’t so bad.” said Christine. “So you’re saying that you want to sell only one puppy, and keep 12?” “Yes!” said Brian and Christine. “I should have seen this coming!” “they want to get rid of the puppy with the black speckled ear!” Thought Dr. Barn. “Well, if you wish…” “But you do realize that the other puppies have to leave thier mother too.” “It’s a natural thing.” said Dr. Barn. “Sure whatever” replied Brian. It was settled. That one puppy would be sold once it was time for him to leave his mother.

A couple weeks later….

The weeks passed, and soon the day came. Brian and Christine got ready. They were going to put a sign in the local pet store along with the puppy in a small bedded basket.They let him say good bye to his mamma. She seemed to look into his eyes and say, “I know you’re going to great in this big wide world my little baby!” “I love you so much!” “ How about i call you…. Finn.” Finn looked his mamma in the eyes, and licked her hard. He seemed to say, “I love you too, mamma!” They kissed one more time, and then the couple took Finn to the pet shop dropped him off in the care of the owner named Lilia, and left. Lilia walked over to the small bed where the puppy was curled up. He was much bigger now, and of course, he could see perfectly. he was healthy and very, very cute, and cuddly. “Oh!” “You’re so adorable!” said Lilia. Finn didn’t look so sure she should be trusted or not. Lilia put her hand out for Finn to sniff it. He did found it boring, and curled up into an even tighter ball then before. Lilia grabbed a small dog treat from a nearby bin, and tried to feed it to Finn. He ignored her. “You poor thing.” she said. “I’m different too.” “I understand…” she said. Finn’s ears raised. “Come on, boy.” and those few words, made Finn trust Lilia more than anybody. She took Finn for walks, fed him, bathed him, all at the pet store. Of course she paid for it. She couldn’t have been happier. Finally, someone different like her. What made her different, was she had a small hip imperament which made her feet inturned when she walked. It sounded like not such a big deal, but people made it one. She was made fun of all the time for the way she walked throughout her school years. She was happy, to finally have a friend. A puppy.

For weeks they hung out together. Then one late rainy morning in October, a young woman walked into the pet store. She was looking for a puppy. “Hi!” said Lilia. “Oh, hi there!” said the woman. “What can I do for you?” said Lilia. “ I was wondering do you have any puppies for sale?” “Oh.” said Lilia. “Yes, ma’am we have one.” “He doesn’t have a name.” Just then Finn came sprawling out from behind the desk where he had been sleeping, sliding across the shiny clean floor. The woman bent down, and watched as Finn slid over to her. He slipped and slid, and finally was licking and jumping on her. He had never liked someone so fast. Lilia was sad. She knew in her heart of hearts, this was who he was meant to be with. Not her, just some pet store worker. “How much is he?” the woman asked. “Oh….” said Lilia. “What’s the matter, dear?” asked the woman. “We had such a great connection this puppy and I.” “I don’t want to give him up, so soon.” “Oh, I’m so sorry!” “I don’t want to steal your friend!” said the woman. "I just thought it would be so nice, to have a companion to view the eiffel tower from my apartment window, *oui*?" "Yes!, I totally understand!" said Lilia. And with that the 2 sat down, and chatted for forever! They became such good friends. "Feel free to visit us any time!" said the woman. "By the way, my name is Alexia!" "It's so nice to meet you, Alexia!" said Lilia. And with that, Finn was oficially Alexia's puppy. Alexia walked out of the small pet shop with her new, unnamed dog. (Well, at least a name she doesn't know!)

Alexia walked to her car with spring in her step. The day was rainy, and very cold, but she couldn't have been more happy! She tucked Finn under a small, soft baby blue blanket. Within 5 minutes of the trip home, he fell fast asleep.

The Potato Chip

Crunchy, thin, air bubbles

A side, hidden in a sandwich

Like edible gold.

Fresh, delicious, fried

Each one is unique

Large, small

twisted, flipped, rippled

Always there when you need them most!

Hershey, PA Christmas
November-December

Hello! I'm back with awesome tips for Hershey, PA! We stayed in the Hershey Hotel, because our mom is a nurse practitioner and has meetings in different places like for example, Cambridge, MD, or Skytop Lodge, in the Poconos. So if one of your parents does is one to, they should try coming here! The lunch for the doctors and such is beautiful! There are soups and salads, and many desserts! The Hershey Hotel is beautiful, and the rooms are amazing! They are very clean, and let me tell you now, the room service selections are amazing! The have awesome gift shops in the lobby, and pretty crystal chandeliers everywhere! You should definetley come to Hersheypark this time of season. It may be cold, but it's worth it! There is a light show called Noel, in Hersheypark, where they play Christmas music and every tree is lit up! If you know the time Noel starts, get on the ride Skyview 2 minutes early, so you can watch the show from the sky! If you don't know what Skyview is, it's a ride like a chairlift that takes you over a small river! Here is a picture:

You could also try timing it with going on the kissing tower. Than you can see all of it from 250 ft. off the ground! I suggest Hershey park at night, because Christmas lights are everywhere, and there so bright, and pretty! If you get cold, try warming yourself up by buying hot chocolate, and going to the small stable with the reindeer! They're so adorable! They remind me personally of my dog Finn. I would also recommend playing ski ball during this season! For three tickets you can win a red or green stuffed, shiny Hershey kiss! To win, here is a little tip: Always stare at the 50 and you aim will be pretty perfect! Hersheypark has really good kettle corn too! Remember to try it! Another fun thing to do, is the sweet lights drive thru! They have Christmas lights everywhere, and you drive past them! They give you 3D glasses, that make all of the lights look like snowflakes!You can also buy kettle corn, and cookies. It is so much fun, and I recommend it, for sure! Here are some great places to eat:

* The Devon
* The Hershey Pantry
* Trevi5
* The Circular Room

The Circular Room, and the Trevi5 restaurants, are both in the Hotel Hershey. We went to Trevi5 for dinner. They have amazing GF pasta, and these to appetizers are fanominal!
Polenta Crusted Zucchini Fries v Pecorino Cheese, Roasted Pepper Aioli
Vegetable Antipasto v Marinated Mushrooms, Rosemary Pumpkin Hummus, Roasted Carrots, Marinated Peppers, Icicle Radishes, Roasted Cauliflower, Grilled Pita
The Trevi5 is cozy, with big windows viewing the kissing tower. There are pretty sea glass like chandeliers too!
They are so good!
The Circular Room has a yummy breakfast buffet in the mornings. There is a wide variety of food! Its circular, with big wndows, and on every window there is stain glass vines and birds, and butterflies!
The Hershey Pantry has very good breakfast too! It's a quaint setting, with cute curtains, and pottery.

I will tell more later, but in the meantime, comment below with any more questions! :D

A trip to Cape May NJ! Get all of the awesome tips on staying in Cape May, this holiday season! Here's a sneek peek!

A gingerbread house, they made at the hotel!

I hope you enjoy reading my guide, as much as I enjoy writing it!

The Vacation Guide!

Hello, everyone! This is my vacation guide. I will tell you all about cool vacations I went on, and have approved!

Some things I may talk about in this guide, are:

* Food
* Activities
* Places
* And much more!

Skiing!

I started skiing in 2nd grade. We went to Breckenridge, Colorado as a family, and turned out loving it. It's a quaint town full of glorious shops and food. The majority of weather in March is in the negatives but you get used to it. When I first learned to ski, I did ski school for the whole day with my siblings, Nick and Isabella. The first time was very, very hard. I tried my best to do what they taught me, skiing sideways, and wedging my feet to stop and everything! It was just all so hard! Inside my ski goggles, tears rolled down my cheeks, and the same effect came over Isabella.. Nick was in a different division because he was younger then we were, so he wasn't there to witness it. We had a very nice man for an instructor. I have forgotten his name sadly, but he had a nickname. It was "Too Tall". He had that nickname because he was very tall. He was funny and nice, and I remember him crouching down with us that day and helping us. He was assertive, yet kind, and motivated us to push on. In the middle of the day, he would take us to the top of a mountain and we would drink hot cocoa in one of the small restaurants. He always carried Skittles in his pocket and everyone had to guess the flavor, and you would get another one. As the days followed, we got better, and better and better. We weren't perfect. We fell now and then, some falls even with our skiis coming off. If the weather was too cold, we would skip ski school, and hang out in town. We stayed there for a week. It was so much fun, and I couldn't wait to come back the next year! Going home, I had a new favorite place. A magical, beautiful, snowy place. A place called Breckenridge, Colorado. Here's some advice you should take away from this. Put Breckenridge, Colorado on your vacation list!

PROLOGUE

Once upon a time there was a young girl, about 11. She lived in a large castle made of creamy white marble. This castle was very unique, unlike all the others. It had lush gardens, and large fields. It had fountains with sparkling blue water. Want to hear what was unique? Well, aside from all that beauty, there was something else. Something unimaginable. The princess didn't even know what it was. But the king and queen did. Hiding under a marble statue in the gardens, was a dark, nearly deserted cave. It had a portal, one that would lead to a place of danger. And sooner or later this young princess would find out.

CHAPTER 1
A Mysterious Visitor

Small birds flew about building nests in the tall cherry trees. The sun shone through the crystal clear bedroom window of the princesses' room. In case you don't know, her name is Arianna. She pranced out of bed just as her mother flew into the room with her father. You see they weren't that proper royal family. They laughed, and sang together, and they weren't afraid to make noise. This positivity and love filled the castle with excitement, every morning, and it made the butlers, and maids, and cook very, very happy. "Good morning mother!" "good morning father!" Arianna shouted. "your 11!" they chorused. "Honey come down to breakfast, and then we will open presents!" said her mother. And so they walked out of the bedroom dancing down the marble staircase. The sun too, peeked its way through every glass window. The day, would be one of glory, yet danger too. But, on with the show! The small family walked into the glamouros dining room. There were four tall crystal clear windows. A long table stood in the center of the room, and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. They slowly sat down in the tall elegant chairs and waited. Soon, the cook came humming happily to the classical music she had been playing in the kitchen. "Here you go!" "A breakfast fit for kings and queens!" She chuckled to herself and set down three silver trays, the fourth gold. One with fresh squeezed juices, another with flawless pastries. The third was filled with sausage, and a hot steaming plate of scrambled eggs. The fourth tray contained a present from every person who worked throughout the castle. "Thank you Annelise!" "You are so kind to give us this beautiful breakfast!" "You're welcome!" replied the cook. Annelise was a kind woman, with her brown hair always pulled into a loose bun, and a warm smile spread across her face. She again, resumed humming happily to her classical music, as she began to look for future meal ideas, from a large leather bound cook book.The family filled their plates with the beautiful breakfast and began to eat. When they finished it was time for presents. The queen yelled "Presents, everyone!" And soon every maid, and teachers gathered. Then came their butler, and then anyone else that served throughout the house. They were as excited as ever to see their little 11 year old, princess open their gifts, which they had spent their hard earned money on. Once everything was just right, Arianna began opening the ornately decorated wrapping paper of the gift from the maids. Once all the wrapping paper was peeled away there layed a quilt. It had beautiful pictures, of the sea, mountains, and other beautiful things. Each maid had sewn a small note on the border of the quilt. "Oh thank you so much!" "I absoloutly love it!" exclaimed Arianna. She squeezed them into a large group. Next, was a present from her butler. She opened a small box, and inside was an eyeglass just like his. A note was there too. It said in large, typewriter text, "May you be just like me!" "Play around and have fun being 11!" "But when you want to be serious, maybe this little token will come in handy!" "Love, Jerry (Your butler)

Then every other teacher and friend gave her a small possession, maybe a ring or nick-nack. Finally, it was her parents turn. There faces turned serious. "Honey we have something to tell you." "We've been keeping it from you for so long, darling" said her mother. "What?" Arianna asked. But just as her parents tried to speak, a gust of cold icy wind swept angrily through the room, and killed the candle flames. Little wisps of smoke came from the chandeliers. "Oh no!" "Its, her.." said her father. Chaos broke throughout the room. "Everyone, be calm!" "It's okay" The queen exclaimed. Arianna was frightened, and ran to her parents where they huddled close together. Everyone still was chaotic and wouldn't stop moving and chatting, until a loud strong voice roared throughout the room, "SILENCE!" and what soon followed was anything but good. In a corner of the room, a crack shot like lightning through the floor, and the marble, fell away. Mist slowly arose from the jagged hole, and then she appeared. Dressed In a lengthy black dress, was a tall young woman. a glimmer of mischief sat in her eyes, and a smirk covered her pale face. She had dark high heels, and a tall staff. "Well, well, well" "Look what we have here." Her eyes narrowed on Arianna. "Go away, Aretha!" "You're not wanted here!" said the king. She ignored him and playfully kept talking. She circled the room, her staff softly clicking against the floor, her eyes darting, and then they landed on Arianna again. "A princess!" She paused and admired the girl's frightened face. " I didn't know you had a daughter." "What a secret you've kept from me." Aretha stuck out her bottom lip, and said "I feel-" She paused and then cried sarcastically "hurt!" She laughed deeply and threw her head back. "Mary, Mary, Mary." Aretha clicked her tongue. And stared straight into the Queen's eyes. Her voice lowered an octave. "This has gone too far... darling" "I'll be back, and you know it, Mary." Until next time!" But as Aretha was leaving, Arianna swore she had whispered something about the gardens. and what was that? A stautue? But then Aretha was gone. She had vanished in a cloud of green mist. The room was still, like everyone was frozen in a block of ice. Her mother and father, didn't know what to say. The staff knew this day would come. But why did Aretha have to show up at that exact moment? Finally, Arianna said "I think I'm going to go rest." She nodded her head, as to reassure herself and then left the dining room and fled up the marble staircase. She ran into her room, locked the door, and flopped onto her bed. "What the heck was that?" she asked her fluffy white puppy, who was curled up on a plush dog bed. When Gidget, didn't answer, she stared up at the ceiling. She was curious. Very curious, actually. So curious, that she wanted to run away, and find out what Aretha meant. "Gidget!" She announced, sitting up. "I'm going to run away to the gardens, and find out what Aretha means!" Gidget looked up from her cozy dog bed, frowned, and kept on sleeping. Arianna flopped back down, and sighed. "I, must sound crazy!" "But it wouldn't be for to long!" "Just an hour or so!" She talked herself out of it, and then back into it over, and over again. "I'm going!" she finally decided. And with that, she started packing necessities into a small bag. A water bottle, an extra pair of clothes, a hair brush, and whatever else she thought she needed. She finally picked Gidget up, and placed her into the bag. Gidget frowned, then curled up and fell asleep. Arianna then she drew Gidget, then waited a little while.

Soon, Arianna's mother lightly knocked on her door. "Honey, open up!" Arianna dragged herself towards the door, and un-clicked the lock. Her mom rushed, in and swooped her daughter in a hug. "Honey I'm so sorry!" "It's okay, mamma." "No it's not baby, no it's not!" "I'm so sorry we never told you!" "mamma, it's fine!" Arianna said. "This was the right age to tell me!" "Now go freshen up!" "Why don't you go take a bubble bath." "Ok." she sniffled. She soon left the room. It didn't sound like such a bad idea, so Arianna herself sat in a pink bubble bath relaxing. The day flew by in a flash, of forgiving, reading, writing, sleeping, and cooking. Soon, Arianna's mom and dad, tucked her into bed and left. As soon as they shut the door, she put pillows under the blankets to form of what looked like a sleeping girl, and then grabbed her bag, with Gidget. She quietly opened her window and slipped out. A long vine grew up the side of the castle, and she slowly climbed down it. The leafs were dark emerald on the vine, and very prickly. Her hands were sore, once she reached the bottom. She tried her best to ignore them, and she kept on moving. Soon she reached the castle gardens. Marble statues were everywhere, and all different kinds of plants, were in rows, and columns and bushes. There were four grand water fountains, too. But one statue caught her eye. It was larger than the others, and a little more carefully carved than the others. It was of a woman in a long, lengthy dress. Tall vines grw around the statues base. The statue reminded her of someone, but it being so late at night, her mind had gone blank. She searched for clues, that the mysterious cave, was under this statue. She pulled apart the vines, and found a small lever the color of dirt. She cautiously pulled it, and without any warning the statue slid out of the way and a large hole formed. Arianna lost her footing and fell, into it, knowing there was no turning back now. The hole seemed endless, and before she knew it, everything went black. TO BE CONTINUED...

"She's unconscious." "I think she's of royal blood." "I can feel it." Two woman in dark dresses hung over the princess, like hawks. "What do we do with her?" said one of them. "I don't know, Agatha!" The other one snapped. "Why don't we just lure her to the queen." whispered Agatha. "She can be lead right into our trap, just like her mother had been." She took out a miror and looked into it deviously. "Ah, yes. Perfect plan." The two softly cackled. They each pulled out a gnarled twisted wand. It had been twisted and had been filled with dark mist, which had killed any living magic years ago. They transformed themselves into young looking princesses, their pale white skin, became flushed, their lips, deep red. Their dark clothing turned into bright, ornate dresses, and their hair was pulled up high. The only thing that didn't change along with their disguise was the dark glimmer in their eyes, that had been permanetley placed a long time ago. They hid behind a stone pillar, their highed heels clicking softly against the cold hard floor.

Persona Poem

Whispering wind wanders, dancing high and low around me,
tickling my delicate wrought iron curves.
Tinted a faint blue, the sky blankets the world around me in peace, Camera’s snap swiftly, as the small beings I look down upon, look up at me in awe.
The fountains glimmer, soft topaz droplets curve into high sparkling peaks.
The sunset is a glowing fire; pink, gold, and purple
Shimmering streaks spread out behind me warming my back for the last time that day.
creating a masterpiece for painters still watching me contently.
The last of the lovers walk hand in hand away from me,
slipping deeper and deeper into dusk, until I can see no more.
Lonely and blue I feel, for no one is in sight; it all feels so surreal.
The glistening moon switches places with the fading sun,
curved in a luminous crescent.
But then, I am not alone! For the whole city lights up around me, glowing and gleaming!
The energy, the love, the joy I’m filled with!
And then like that, I light up too! Bright and sparkling, happy as can be!
I’m the gem of the entire city, giving hope too all, with my own spark of hope in
the lights around me.

Clouds. That’s all I see every day. Cold, gray clouds. They were always there. Hovering over me. Seeming to mock me. Trying to make me remember what happened. What caused them. What changed my life forever. My name is Evie, and this is my story.

\*

I sat on the steps of my quaint little porch, staring cautiously up at the sky. The clouds were still there. I counted to three and squeezed my eyes shut. Still there. I've spent years trying to get rid of these clouds. Birthday cakes, lucky pennies, four leafed clovers, and anything else you can think of that could be related to, or put under the category of “wish”. They’re a constant reminder of that day. I shuddered. Why was I out here anyway? Staring at them didn’t do anything good. It didn’t change my destined fate. It didn’t do anything. I was weak, to young to do anything about them. I stood up, and left the front porch, closing my front door behind me.

\*

So, a little bit about me. I’m 12, with long brown hair, and bright blue eyes, born and raised by Mary and Christopher Folsom. Until... well that’s beside the point. Anyway, I’m a pretty simple girl. I wear my hair in a loose braid to the side. I wear different shirts with patterns, and leggings. I’m not really into makeup at all. I’m not to fancy when it comes to shopping. But one thing I wouldn’t consider all that simple and plain about me is I have always been naturally good at sports. Soccer, swimming, Gymnastics, you name it. I’ve done them all, and I’ve aced them all. But archery is particularly my favorite. My dad taught me. I have one faded memory of him with me, showing me how to hold the bow and arrow, and how to hit straight into the middle of the target. That was the day those clouds started coming. Before everything happened. Before my plain, and simple life became not so plain and simple any more.

\*

**I’m sure you're dying to hear that story caught up in me, like you see a box right in front of you, and you know I have the key, and I just won’t open it for you and that aggravates you. Well here is the key. Here is my story.**

**The Day Of Clouds**

**It was my birthday today! I was turning eight years old! Vanilla, sugar, and the smell of flour wafted up the stairs and into my room. I sat up in bed, squealed and ran downstairs. I knew my mamma was down there, baking up a storm. I saw her, and she saw me. I jumped into her arms and she laughed holding me. My dad walked into the room, and crouched down to the ground so I could jump on him. “Ready for that archery practice sweety,” he laughed “More than ever!” I squealed. “Mamma.” “Can daddy and I go in the backyard?” “Sure honey, just don’t get to dirty!” “I don’t want you two monkeys tracking in more dirt I have to clean!” Daddy crouched down again, and I jumped on to his back. He carried me through the back door, and outside. The morning air was fresh and crisp, and the sun stretched its long rays through the branches of the evergreen trees. The archery target was set up on one of them. This one, particularly burly, and wide. Daddy got out the arrows, and the small bow he had bought for me. He held my little hands and placed them where they needed to go. He showed me how to pull back to my cheek, and let go. And then it soared, so high and fast and hit the target straight in the bull's eye. I did it 10 more times straight on the bull's eye. My dad was amazed. He thought I had a gift. We played around, and frolicked and messed around doing target courses until it was time for breakfast. But just as we were going inside, something out of place caught my eye. One dark gray cloud stood boldly in the bright blue sky. It was wrong. It didn’t feel right. That cloud didn’t belong there. It was a magical day. I knew every eight year old’s birthday was magical. Special. I ignored it, and went inside with daddy. Mamma set us up with warm waffles, that were topped with butter and syrup, and we all sat at the table, happily chatting and laughing. Not too soon, 5 minutes later something happened. The sky just changed. It was unnaturally, filled with an eerie gray. I showed my mamma and daddy. “Look, Look!” I said. “Look, at the sky!” They looked and they looked worried. Excitement flushed my cheeks. I bounced in my chair. Where we live, things like this don’t happen every day. It was wrong. Then that one cloud I had seen, was lowering itself. It literally descended, straight from the sky! My parents saw it. They’re faces went completely pale. Did they know something I didn’t? “Mamma!” I yelped. I ran and jumped into her arms. Being smaller for my age she held me to her chest closely. I could hear her tense short breaths, against my neck. My dad’s voice lowered. “Get in the basement, she’s coming” My mom sat there, frozen. “Go!” he yelled. My mom put me down safely, and then hand in hand the two of us sprinted to the basement slamming the door behind us. The cement floor was cold under our feet, as we raced to a small sheltered corner of piled up boxes. We huddled and waited. Soon, I heard the basement door slam again and I could see my dad rush down the steps, and towards our hideout. My mom’s face was washed with relief. What was happening? “ We’re safe” he said. “She’s gone.” “Who?” I screamed. I was eight! I needed answers! My dad didn’t have time to answer me. Because the "thing", that cloud lady was in our basement. It formed, twisted and shaped into a woman. A cloud woman. Her eyes were slanted narrow slits. Long, thick lashes surrounded them. Her waist was slim, and then poofed outward into what looked like a dress. The cloud formed on top of her head, looked like a complicated hairdo from one of my mamma's magazines. Sort of like somebody had gone and squirted a can of whipped cream up there. She looked evil. I cried out. Mamma and daddy surrounded me. I closed my eyes, and heard a crisp thundering laugh. Then I felt my parents being pulled from me. I screamed, out of pure anger I untangled myself from my security blanket, got up and gave her a sharp quick kick. I learned karate a year ago, and that came in handy. My knowledge of sports would one day come in handy too. She laughed menacingly, because my foot went straight through her. She was a cloud! Of course it did! I ran back to the boxes scared out of my wits, stumbling and falling along the way. A small thin tear trickled down my cheek. She just kept pulling them from me. I grabbed their hands, and pulled as hard as I could. She was taking them from me. I was only eight, and it was my birthday. They cried out to me. "Evie!" Then they were just separate from me. Our fingertips touched for the last. And then a force was keeping me from them. Some sort of invisible wall. What was it? I cried as the cloud woman dragged them away. They could do nothing. I banged against the invisible wall with my fists, I gave it hard punch just to break it. Yet soon they vanished. I cried and screamed. The cloud woman raised her hands to the sky and lightning shot from them. She chanted, something and clouds shot from her and floated up to the sky. then she vanished too. The force was broken and I was free. But I was all alone. I raced upstairs, and found that that beautiful cloudless day had turned into a cloud filled one. And I would never see a blue sky again. I was cursed. I stayed this way for four years. Now, I want to fight. Like I said, I’m weak. This is my fate. But something inside me was all fired up. What was it?**

\*

I walked around our house. Dark, and dusty with age. It was quiet, like the cloud woman had cursed its beautiful light, and happiness along with me. I peeked into every room, and looked at all of the family photos, trinkets, and decorations. I looked in our family room, and a memory formed of my mom laughing, painting it light blue. Her voice echoed in my head and then faded. I remember her, determined to paint that room her favorite color. She said it reminded her of my eyes. She had loved my blue eyes. A tear slipped down my cheek. I rubbed it away, and kept on walking. I turned the corner into our small library/reading room. My dad was big on books. He loved the way they looked, smelled, and felt. I walked through the long shelves of them, letting my fingers run across each one as I read their titles. Then as I was at the end of a shelf, something caught my eye. A book, that looked to odd to fit in with the others. It was more like a journal. I pulled it off the shelf carefully, walked out of that aisle, and sat down in a nearby chair. I studied it carefully. It was a leather journal. tattered, and frayed at the edges. It was of a caramel brown, and wasn’t in bad shape. I flipped open to the first page. In sharp ink calligraphy, the title of the book was written. Magic. That's it. Just magic. I flipped to the next page and found, that it must have been very old, and maybe even a hand me down. The pages were thin, and papery yellowed with age, yet the calligraphy was still sharp, and legible. I fingered through the journal to see what it contained. Then I landed on a page, that surprised me. It had a large name at the top that said Cirrus. What I read shocked me. The book talked about this woman, made out of complete cloud. She descends from the sky as a dark gray cloud, and then forms into a woman. The journal also stated this: She has one weakness. But what followed after it was a large ink splotch. How odd. I read further, and the journal stated one last thing. Cirrus wasn’t attracted to humans. She hated them in fact. Then why had she stolen my parents? I looked even closer at the journal, scanning it with my eyes for any clues that I could use to find Cirrus. Then at the very bottom of the page I found this: amwf It was in a light of font as could be, and looked foreign. What could it mean? Why was it there? Then I remembered something. Didn’t my dad have a book on foreign writing? I ran to a shelf I thought I’d seen it on, and sure enough it was sitting there, waiting for someone to pick it up and read it again after the many years it had been there, lonely. It was titled, “ Every Worldly Language, and their explanation.” I grabbed the book, and started flipping through it vigorously, trying to match the writing with some in the journal. And then I saw what I was looking for. What I needed. The writing was called Megrim, and it was a sort of writing formed by a magical creature. I matched up the letters with the ones in the book. amwf meant "A.M.W.F". I then looked for that phrase, in my dad’s book. It said this:

"A.M.W.F" is commonly used by foreign creatures. It stands for,

"magical шлях праз" other worldly language that could possibly be the same exact language (but the language was stolen, and the name was changed) is UNKNOWN.

. Nobody knows quite sure what this phrase means.

This didn’t help me at all! What did “magial шлях праз” mean? How could I possibly translate it!? I was so tired I practically felt like my head was throbbing from all this nonsense! I soon fell asleep in the chair I’d been sitting in, propped up by a shelf of books I had leaned into.

\*

The next morning, I properly got dressed, and fixed myself some breakfast. A piece of toast, with butter and jam, and some sliced up strawberries. You're probably wondering how I get by. Well for one thing, our town is a little different. Its best you know this now so later on doesn’t get too confusing. Our town, is tucked away from the whole world. Here is a quick story about how it came to be: There once was a carpenter, who lived in a quaint cottage, near the mountains in Breckenridge, CO. He carved anything, from ornate doors, and window frames, all the way to little fairy cottages. His work was a gift. One day, he was inspired by the elegant glossy high peaks and the slick sparkling white snow to carve a little town, that too had perfected little mountains above it, and also had a secret pathway that only the true of heart, could discover and follow, because he believed that this little town was special. Little did he know, that this time he had accidentally used a very special kind of wood, so rare that it hadn’t been found in decades. This kind of wood was magical. It carried sparkling dust, that had run through the trees veins for years. Nobody knew quite how it got into the tree. Some say, as the tree was dying and in need of desperate help, the forest animals saved it, and there love for the tree entered its heart, for it was very grateful. That love has runs through the trees veins ever since. The wood granted the man’s impossible wish, and his carving turned into a real town, with all the qualities he’d carved. My great, great, great, great, great, grandparents were true and pure of heart, and they discovered the town. Ever since, generations have grown, and it's been filled with people. Nobody new has found the town, and we hope nobody does. One last thing. You may wonder, than how did Cirrus get in? Well, the magic dust had some glitches, and believed the man had wished to have evil, in his little world. So it turns out that magic formed and twisted, and evil does lurk, but to balance it off there are many magical creatures. It's a complicated process. I get by, because our town has a small grocery store that's cheap, and mamma and daddy had a savings jar for an emergency. Me dying is certainly an emergency, so I've helped myself to that jar many times to get necessities. Anyway, once I was done my breakfast I put it in the sink, and then I went into the family room and turned on the TV. The weather station was on, and it stated that there was going to be a literal blizzard. They said to stock up on food, and blankets, and too stay warm. It would go on for only a day, but would leave a lot of snow behind. I shut off the TV, and decided to take a walk. I knew the clouds would be there. They always are, but that's going to change. For now, I just have to ignore them.

\*

I put on my furry jacket, and set out through the door. I only looked up to say “Hi!” to a neighbor, or have a quick chat about the blizzard. Soon I was off my street, and I turned right onto “Snowflake Way”. I kept on walking down that street for a bit, and then I turned left onto “Sparkling Ice street”. I guess the guy who carved our town, was a bit obsessed with snow! The air was cold, and it nipped at my freezing nose which had turned red, as if I was Rudolph from the Christmas film “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer”! Soon I was in town, and I kept on walking until I reached the General Store. When I pulled open the door, a small silver bell jingled and I yelled “Hello!” to Al, the owner. “Good Morning Evie!” He called back to me. He came out from the back storage room, his hair tangled, his glasses a bit crooked. He scratched his head. Al was a warm friendly man, slightly over 60, kind of like a second father to me. He sure did take care of me. Maybe it was because he had known my parents so well, and they had been so kind to him. “More boxes, I assume?” I asked. “Yes.” he replied, with a slight tone of weariness in his voice. “They just keep coming, and I don’t know where to store all these supplies!” he explained. Because of the blizzard, the mayor of our town was ordering too many blankets, generators, canned food, etc. And she’d been making poor Al try to pack it all into his general store! “Well, if you need me I’ll be walking through the aisles.” I said to him. “Alright, then. Pick out something special. Its, on the house!” He called out to me, as he went into the back storage room before I could protest, and tell him he should save the money for more tedious supplies. I picked up a basket and walked through the long aisles, looking at all the supplies and goodies lining the tall walnut stained shelves. I picked out some canned goods, a few soft blankets, and a flashlight. I had to be prepared for anything. I also grabbed a pretty backpack that hadn’t been bought ye, and was the last one of its kind. For my treat on the house, I looked a while longer, and my eyes landed on a warm chocolatey candy bar. My mom used to buy them for me all the time. It pained me to pick it up, but I did and stuck it in the basket without a second thought. I walked up to the counter, and placed all of my items down, and set the basket in a stack on top of other shopping baskets. Al heard me, and came from the storage room. “So, which one of these lovely items is on the house?” he asked me. “oh, Al!” “Its fine!” “You don’t have to do this for me!” “Oh no!” “I will have none of that, Evie!” “Tell me which one you want for yourself!” “The candy bar.” I said. He stared down at it, and a glimmer of sadness flickered in his eyes. “Your mother would always buy these, for you.” I looked down at the ground. Al was the only one other than myself that I’d ever told my parents about what happened. “Hey.” he let his voice slide. He looked down, and then looked up into my eyes. “You’ll be ok.” “I’m sure of it.” “Thank you Al.” “For everything.” I said. He bagged up my supplies, handed me the candy bar, and winked. “Any time Evie, any time.” “Good luck tomorrow!” he said. “The Weather Channel states it will be a doozy!” “OK!” I yelled to him as I walked out the door.” The bell jingled, signaling the door had closed. Al always lifted my spirits. Like I was that gooey caramel, inside of the chocolate bar I was holding.

\*

That blizzard was a doozy. That night, I couldn’t possibly sleep. The wind was howling, battering icy covered branches against the windows. At one point I heard a tree crack, and fall. Snow blew like crazy. It was like no other blizzard I’d ever experienced in my life. I snuggled further under my blankets, and forced myself to sleep. Maybe the morning would be better.

\*

In the morning, the first thing I did was pop up, and race out of my bed. I ran to the closest window. What I saw shocked me. Feet, and feet of snow piled high. Splintered trees, thrown branches interspersed throughout the snow. It was like someone was decorating a cake, and then got a little lazy on the actual decorating part. The wind blew softly, but for the most part, the blizzard was over. It was only supposed to kick up again later on. I knew there was work to be done. I knew I should probably shovel the walkway and driveway, and I should pick up all the unwanted branches. But remember that fire, that flare I had mentioned in me? Wanting to fight? It was back. And now all i could think of, was finding my parents.

\*

I quickly took my new backpack and started filling it rapidly with the canned goods, the flashlight, some clothes, a couple of bottles of water, the archery set, and finally, the odd leather journal. Who knows if it could come in handy? I quickly put on a hat, some mittens, and my fuzzy coat. Only then did I set out for the snow covered world. And boy, am I not kidding about all of that snow! six feet of it! And there was more to come! When I opened my door, the snow was taller than me, of course! No way could i get through that wall without proper tools. If only I had a pair of snowshoes and a shovel… I thought to myself. I ran back inside to look for them. Soon, I clipped on the snowshoes, and then grabbed the shovel, gripping it tightly with my gloved hand. I dug a space in the wall, large enough for a small person to fit through, and climbed out through the other side. I had just enough squeeze room too shut the door through the side I had just crossed over from. Now I had just one stop to make. I snow shoed to the general store. My old fashioned racket snowshoes pressed into the fresh thin layer of powder that had recently fallen, which left a slight trace of where I was clod-hopping towards. Al wasn’t up yet, so I left a note I had written last night, Since there was no way to slip it through the mail slot in the door, I decided to tuck it halfway sticking out of the snow wall covering his front door. Once he was out of bed and ready to open up shop, the wall would freeze by then, and the note was sure to stay stuck in it’s place. It contained about where I was going, and what the cause was. I then turned around, and snowshoed away, heading towards the woods. Maybe I could find my parents somehow, by going into the forest. I think they’re supposed to be magical, right?

\*

Turns out it seems they really aren’t. All I could find in this forest, is a whole lot of snow, and crazy squirrels fighting over fallen acorns. Let me ask you. How is that magical? I leaned up against ancient trees that grew in this forest that were 12 feet tall. The trunk loomed over me, it’s long pine clusters shooting out from all sides like fireworks. I guess I could give them credit. They were the only magical thing that could live here.I knew I had to keep going. Earlier the local weather station had talked about bad weather. But soon, all thoughts of trouble slipped from my mind. My eyes started to flutter, my thoughts swam in circles a I tried to make sense of what I was thinking, and then without a thought about anything else related to life and the world's problems, I was out like a light.

\*

The wind swirled viciously, icy pellets smashed against the tree tops, snow was coming down hard and fast. I was slowly waking up to the sights around me, and I knew it was far too dangerous to be outside in this weather. I'd been taught when I was much younger by my parents that it was never safe to go out in almost any condition because this town was “magic” as crazy as it sounds, and in any storm the world was so fogged, and freezing cold that all you could see around you was what was 4 feet in front of yourself, everything else was completely white. Like you are trapped in a piece of paper, and all around you it feels like there is nothing. Nothing at all. So I take my parents seriously especially when it comes to all of this. I sat there, freezing nowhere to go. I was trapped. This forest was filled with those “ancient” trees, and not only that, but in some areas the snow was soft and uneven. Anything could easily slip through and fall into the depths of it’s white engulfing cave. Without anywhere to go, I guess I could die out here. I looked up at the sky, and then the blow was so fast I didn't see it coming. I'd been hit by a literal ball of ice, that hurled square into my forehead. Its force slammed me back into a tree, My neck snapped back and almost instantly everything went completely black.

\*

I woke up, startled by a crash of lightning, my eyes darted around. Weather around her get's absolutely insane, and lightning in a blizzard was no surprise. I fumbled with my backpack. My vision went in and out of focus. I stumbled to my feet, until a throbbing pain shot through my head. I could barely think, and I was covered in frost that sticks to the skin like glitter to glue. The kind of snow that clings my body from head to toe. I crumpled back against the tree. Shivering, I knew I just had to get out of these parts, at least to a cave or a safe canopy of trees. I curled up into a ball, my teeth chattering like the sound a wind up toy clicking against the hardwood floor. I longed for my house, and more than ever someone to comfort me. When I was younger, after my parents were taken Al was like a dad and a mom to me. If I ever needed something he was there. To curl up in his lap in front of the fireplace, To cry into his shoulder when I'd skin my knee after playing with the neighbor's dog, and even if I needed a snack. He was just always there. Without him now, I genuinely was sad and felt younger and less mature than I really was. Frozen ice dug into my palms. My feet were numb with cold inside my furry boots. The wind was starting to pick up its velocity, and the snow was falling harder. The hail had subsided long ago, but I knew well that it could come back at any moment. I had to stand up. I had to walk, with no exceptions. But I just couldn't. I felt more helpless than I've ever felt in my life. And then something happened. A small nearby bush started rustling. Little by little the small pointy leaves were shaking with more and more violence. My heart pounded out of my chest. How come something had to show up right when I was this vulnerable! I stumbled across the thick tree roots, sort of crouching my way as far away from the bush as I could. The wind whipped my hair, and the snow blurred my vision. But, now the rustling subsided. I relaxed my tense muscles and waited. A small paw slowly appeared from the bottom of the bush. Once I saw it, I sat frozen in fear. My whole body was aching from the sudden movement I had caused it. I had to bite my tongue not to cry out in pain. Before I could make another move, the entire creature emerged from the bush. I caught my breath.

\*

The creature was light and fluffy looking. It was small, taking the form of a wolf. The only thing that did seem tangible, was it's eyes. They were a deep crimson, and glowing red.

My heart quickened its rate. It’s pace thumped with every step of the creature. Thump... Thump... Thump… Thu-thump... My eyes darted back and forth between us. This was it. I was going to die here, because I hadn't planned, like should have. The animal caught sight of me. I dared to breathe. It slowly put one paw in front of the other drawing closer. I needed to act quick. Before I could think, I felt for my bow and arrow, and pulled it out. I aimed it at the animal ready to shoot. But something stopped me. I looked carefully into it’s eyes Sure I saw anger, but something else glinted in existence with that anger. Fear. I lowered my bow. Something told me, to not do anything. It drew nearer and nearer, until we were almost eye to eye. And then there was an absence of the wind, cold, and snow. All I saw was this wolf like thing, and all it saw was me. I could feel its heavy breaths on my cheek, we were so close. But, it didn't pounce. Its eye softened. It almost looked sad, or trapped. I felt like I almost knew the thing in a way. Then something freaked me beyond belief. Its red glowing eyes were slowly changing to a fierce blue. The animal started shaking and rolling in an unhealthy manner. Its eyes kept changing from red to blue like it was fighting something. It was like the creature was having a seizure. And then like that, it was over. Exhausted the animal's eyes turned crystal blue, and it fell , it's small tongue resting lightly pressed into the snow. I slowly, crawled towards it. The poor thing whimpered. I neared, and as my eyes naturally looked down I saw it had a large thorn in its left paw. A long time ago when it was just Al and me hanging out at the grocery store, he was teaching me about tools, and how to use them. From knowledge, about that and other times when my dad taught me about my bow and arrows I came up with a plan. I pulled out an arrow from my backpack, and broke one end, so the sharp pointed end was detached from the stick part of the arrow. Using it like a knife, I carefully lifted the creature's left paw. It yelped in pain, and sat up. Growling it tried to lick its paw, for it had started bleeding onto the snow. It’s lips rippled, its teeth bared. Then out of complete exhaustion, he lowered his paw back down, as it sunk into the deep drift of snow. Cautiously I lifted the paw once more and this time the creature didn't growl. By now I believed it was a wolf But more like... like... a cloud. And then it hit me. This wolf wasn't safe. It was a cloud! I had been cursed by them so I knew better than to be with a form of one. I raised the tip ready to defend myself from the beast. You never know when a thing that appears to be innocent can turn around and hurt you. But the wolf made no movement. It laid helpless against the snow, fear still glimmering in the paleness of its eyes. Blood still melting into the ice like dye into a snow cone. I soon decided, I would remove the thorn, and leave it alone, so it would leave me alone. And so, before the wolf could react, in one swift movement I dug the sharp point into the thorn, and then yanked it out. They dog yelped, and cried in pain. " It's alright." I cooed. I ripped a sleeve off of my shirt under my thick jacket, and tied it around the paw. The wolf got up slowly and limped around. When it saw the thorn was gone, and that I had removed it, the wolf walked over and slowly sniffed my hand. (If you could imagine, I was shocked beyond belief!) And then just outwardly licked it. What did this little whipper snapper think he was doing? He was probably poisoning me for all I knew! I jerked my hand away, pulled myself out of a trance that I could actually trust this "thing" and that it could actually be cute! I point blankly yelled at it. "Get out of here and leave me alone!" The dog's pointy ears flapped down, and it lowered its head. Carefully, the small animal limped away until it was in the bush again, and gone from sight. Weary, as my head throbbed a little harder from yelling I leaned back up against a tree and sighed deeply. But soon, the pain stopped. My body didn't ache any longer, and my feet weren't numb. And then I realized. That dog licked me. Its saliva healed me. And all I did was yell at it in return. So what if it was a cloud? maybe it was different than what had taken my parents. Maybe not every cloud was meant to hurt me. It could be different, if I just gave it a chance. I had to stop judging. Without a thought, I hopped up from my crouched position and ran towards the bush, crouching down low once again to fit through the tangled mess of leaves and branches, and change my fate once again.

## 4th Marking Pd.
Small thorns dug into my palms, as I pulled apart the verdant leaves of the bush. As much as the pain hurt, I pushed on through. Once out to the other side, my hair was a tangled mess, I had a rip in my pants, and my hands stung like a thousand fire ants had crawled on board and decided to bite the daylights out of them! Straightening myself out, and brushing off a few leaves that had clung to my hair for the ride, I surveyed my surroundings. I was still in a part of the woods, but it was even deeper. Thin amounts of light filtered through the pine tree's reaching branches. The forest was so thick in this particular area, that the falling snow had subsided greatly making it easier to see. A low mist was gathered on the damp floor of the forest. I took a deep breath, and stepped forward. Just one foot after the other. I slowly walked through the forest, at the pace of a snail. Inch by inch. Every so often, I would turn around to make sure nothing was following me. "Just find that wolf..." I thought to myself. I looked closely at the ground for any trace of an animal. There was nothing, Not even a paw print. Disappointed I kept walking. How could this thing be a wolf, if it's paws didn't leave a track. Puzzling over this I started to realize the light filtering through the pine tree's was becoming thinner and thinner. My heart dropped to my stomach. I'd been alone all my life, but for someone reason now, I was really truly nervous. My heart dropped to my stomach. Maybe it was because I had a fear of the dark, but never knew it? That couldn't be possible though. The mist thickened hovering over the dirt path carving through the trees ahead of me. With each step I grew more tense. My shoes smooshed softly into the moist bed of pine needles, serving as the ground. Soon I was in mist that was so thick I couldn't see my own feet. There was a bend in the path ahead. A chill danced upon my back, and ran up the backs of my arms.I wrapped my arms around my chest, shivering. I watched everything warily, waiting for a sound. That bend didn't look like good news. Anything can come out from behind a bend when you're not looking. Was I just being ridiculous? I had traveled so far. Maybe I was developing some kind of disease. Or even hallucinating. Is there a disease where you constantly ask yourself questions? I guess I'd have to be the first to get diagnosed. Pondering over the nonsense skipping through my head, I decided to walk on ahead. How bad could it really be? A few more steps and I would have turned the bend. A few more steps I would have seen something nobody has see. A few steps and I would have been in awe. But I never walked those few steps because I heard a stick snap in half, causing me to turn around in fright.

Where I'm From Poem

I am from the garden
of the vibrant butterfly bush
and running free and wild
without a care in the world
across our lawn of endless lush green grass
and the large cherry tree
towering and sprinkling it's soft petals.
of playing ball with Galley
A magic to me, of even watching a dog curiously

I am from memories
Of Florida, and Breckenridge, CO
The town Celebration
Snow cones and a Water Park
The rush of skiing
The glistening of snow
of the mountains; vast and beautiful
A breathtaking view from a chair lift

I am from homemade food
Of macaroni salad
Romaine salad with cheese I could grate myself
Pizza's galore
Meatballs, and spaghetti,
At my Grammy and Grampy's house
Of thumbprints
Every memorable Christmas

I am from family
The attention and love put into everything
Dinner's around our large wooden table
Finn, bringing us closer together in a bond
Of catching fireflies and butterflies
and sitting on Santa's lap
Our special decorations from places of our memories
On our large christmas tree
Of loving my sister and brother
unconditionally
and living a life of magic and moments
Letting the days fly by
Like dandelion puffs on the wind