[FREE] Stay With Me

 

                The old two-story house stared angrily down upon us. It had been vacant for over twenty years. You could imagine why people claimed it was haunted. The chipped paint, mysterious shadows, creepy noises, untrimmed lawn. All these added to its haunted factor. I wasn’t one to believe in ghosts but I couldn’t seem to ignore the bad vibe coming from the house.

                “Can you come in with me?” Cameron whined, “Just for a minute, please?”

                Cameron was dared to enter the house and, like the “macho” man he was, he accepted. I looked up towards the second floor windows when I saw one of the curtains fall closed.

                “Did you see that?!” I asked startled, “That curtain just moved!”

                Cameron rolled his eyes, “It’s probably just a draft. This house is hella old.”

                I put on a fake smile as I grabbed his hand for courage. Cameron reached for the door handle first which was unfortunately unlocked. We both stepped inside as he closed the door firmly behind us.

                “Lets play hide-and-seek.” Cameron suggested.

                My body tensed up and I strangely felt the need to whisper,”No. We don’t even know this place.”

                “Exactly! It’s more fun this way.”

                I sighed, for once again I decided to give in to him, “You have 60 seconds.”

                “Thanks babe.” He grinned giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.

                I closed my eyes and began to count out loud. This would be easier than I thought since the floor began to creak wherever Cameron stepped. My ears carefully listened to him make his way up the stairs and down the hall. A door closed soon after.

                “Ready or not, here I come!” I yelled.

                My eyes slowly began to adjust to the room and its contents. A dusty brick fireplace was on my left along with a decaying kitchen. To my right were the stairs and what I assumed to be a door to the garage.

                With a deep breath I made my way up the stairs. The second floor was definitely darker except for the pale yellow light coming from the window at the end of the hall. My body suddenly became cold. Whether from fear or change in temperature I couldn’t tell. I chose to check the rooms on the left first. The first door I saw I kicked in, not wanting to touch the door knob.

                Cameron wasn’t there.

I turned back to the other end of the hall realizing I had heard Cameron walk in that direction. Then I froze. Someone was standing right behind me. Goosebumps covered my skin as the person’s cold breath hit my neck. I didn’t know what to do.

                Without warning I was flipped onto my stomach and dragged down the hall. Now I knew what to do: scream. I managed to yell for Cameron just before a door slammed shut in front of me. I quickly slid over to the opposite wall of the door under a window. I shivered as I realized it was the same window where I saw the curtain move. The narrow rectangle of light made me feel slightly safer in the dark room.

                A faint click signaled someone had locked the door. Now I was trapped alone with whatever grabbed me.

                “Aria!” Cameron pounded on the door, “Are you in there?! Why is the door locked!?”

                Tears began to stream from my eyes, “Cameron! Help…”

                My voice slowly died off into nothing as I sobbed into my knees.

                He can’t hear you.

                My heart seemed to stop and my eyes franticly searched the room. I couldn’t see who was talking to me but they could see me. The pounding continued on the door.

                “Please let me out.” I begged.

                I’ve been lonely for far too long.

                “Please! I’ll give you anything you want. Just let me go!”

                A high pitched laugh rang throughout the room, stinging my eardrums. I looked to where the laugh came from and saw a figure in the standing corner, behind the door. The only feature I could make out was his eyes. They were bloodshot and the pupils seemed unnaturally large.

                I would really like some company.

                My cries became more desperate, “But I don’t belong here! I have a family!”

                The world seemed to stop and I could feel his patience disappearing.

                Please. Stay with me. You’ll be happy.

                “I won’t! I don’t like it here!”

                I’m afraid I won’t take no for an answer.

Then he suddenly lunged towards me with unbelievable speed and the last thing I heard was my own scream before the world went black.

[RE] Wasting Food

"Yeah I know me eating that grain of rice isn’t going to make the other people full or anything but to me it’s something important to not waste food."

This quote is from Julie Le's blog.

I feel the same way about food. For example, some days at lunch I go buy some food and by the time I have to leave to get back to school on time I’ve barely dented into my meal. It’s a complete waste. And usually it’s not in a sealable container that I could put into my bag so I could save it till afterschool, so what do you expect me to do? I’m forced to throw it away.

It makes me feel guilty knowing of all the starving children and their families that would love to have it, and here I am tossing it away like it’s worthless to me. And some people do think it’s worthless. They buy more than they need or let things get stale. People nowadays definitely don’t appreciate things as much as they should.

This reminds me of the book The Hunger Games. In it many of the poorer districts’ families starve every day. Some even die from starvation. Katniss, the main character, is from one of the poorest districts and is used to only eating cheap grained bread, thin soup, and whatever she catches hunting. Later when she is in the Hunger Games training they feed her fancy, delicious meals she’s never dreamed of tasting. You can tell how much she appreciates the food. One thing she really enjoyed was hot cocoa. We can make that anytime in a matter of seconds. You heat up the water, pour in the powder, and voila! You got yourself some warm and creamy hot cocoa.

I think the author was referring to starving people in other countries. Many people are faced with this same ordeal on a daily basis. Even families in the United States don’t know where they’re going to find their next meal! It’s a tragic, overwhelming issue that’s going to take many years or even decades to solve but I think it should be made a priority to solve.

[CE] Endangered Mountain Gorillas

 One interesting fact shared in this video is that gorillas shared 98% of their DNA with humans. That’s a huge percent! I knew they physically looked similar to us but I wasn’t aware of how similar we were biologically. The safari guide refers to the mountain gorillas as “his cousins that live in the wild”. This is a sweet way to see the species and is also realistic in a way. If only everyone view animals in this light than maybe there wouldn’t be as many endangered species.
 It’s crazy to think that all the mountain gorillas in the whole world live in the same forest in Uganda, Africa, and ironically they are the only gorilla species growing. Although I still find it a bit greedy that the Uganda community is only protecting them due to the arrival of tourists. As long as the tourists stay interested in the endangered gorillas, I guess the species will continue to thrive. Well, at least they’re getting help. It’s better than none, right?
 I was also surprised that the mountain gorillas were so comfortable near people. It’s odd since their species is supposedly endangered from poachers (and human diseases). They’re relatively smart animals so many it’s just that that group of mountain gorillas never witnessed a poacher killing one of their kind.
 It’s sad to hear of endangered species or ones that have gone extinct, especially when we know humans are the cause. It feels weird to know that later generations will never see that species. But luckily new species are being created every day, but we still shouldn’t forget about the struggling species that are with us today.

[FREE] Jack and Mr. Blue

"Do it already!"
Jack's grip tightened around his homemade wooden slingshot. He watched the bird hop along the wired fence that surrounded the playground.
"Are you chicken?!" Max continued.
Jack turned around, heat rising to his cheeks,"I am not!"
"Well do it then." Max smirked.
Reluctantly, Jack refaced the bird and aimed a stone in its direction. His palms began to sweat and his throat turned dry.
Max quickly grew impatient, "I'm waiting."
With a deep breath Jack let go of the rubber-band and closed his eyes. Soon after he heard a soft thud and victory laughter coming from behind him.
"Way to go Jack!" Max cheered,"You hit that thing dead on!"
Unlike Max, Jack didn't feel like celebrating. His stomach felt heavy and his thoughts were blurred. A cold wave of guilt and shame flowed through him.
"I better get going." Jack announced.
"Aw shucks. I'd thought you'd stay awhile." Max said disappointedly.
Jack simply shook his head and began to walk away. He turned around to see Max leaving in the opposite direction. Now was his chance. He quickly ran to the wired fence and searched the ground. Almost hidden from sight under a bush was a small blue bird. Carefully Jack picked it up and held it in his hand. It was covered in beautiful feathers that matched the shading of the sky. A question painfully found it's way into Jack's head: Is it dead?
To get to the truth Jack gently placed his right index finger onto the bird's chest. He was relived to feel a faint heart beat against his finger. Without a second thought he picked up his slingshot and ran as fast as possible to his house. Suddenly he stopped with his hand on the doorknob. What would his dad say if he saw the bird? Jack decided to tuck in the bottom of his shirt and place the bird inside. Slowly he entered his house and made his way to the stairs.
"There ya are Jack."
Jack smiled politely at his dad who was wiping black grease from his hands.
"I was working out back on the truck when your friend Max came over."
Jack swallowed and continued to stare at his father.
"He told me you shot a bird down." His grin grew as he talked,"Thinking of begin a hunter like your old man?"
He chuckled at his own joke but Jack remained silent.
"Well I'm going to head back outside. See you at dinner."
"See you." Jack answered and waited till his dad left the room.
Then he darted upstairs and hid in his room. He searched his room for supplies to build the bird a temporary home while it healed. He grabbed an old shoe box from his closet and two pairs of socks to cover the bottom of the box.
Jack watched intently as he lowered the bird into the box. But as before it laid emotionless on its side. Then, without a respectful knock, his door flew open and hit the wall.
"What do you think you're doing?" said Annabelle eying his makeshift bed.
"That is none of your business." Jack snapped back.
"But I bet it's dad's."
Jack heavily sighed. His sister always got her way."
"You promise not to tell?"
She eagerly got onto her knees near the box and whispered,"Pinky swear."
"I sho--I mean I found a hurt bird today in the park and I'm going to try and heal it."
"It's so cute!" She squealed,"You name it yet?"
"What?"
"Did you give it a name?"
"Uhh no." This was the last thing on Jack's mind.
"Let's call it Princess Julia!"
"No way!" Jack said sticking his tongue out in disgust.
Annabelle crossed her arms,"Fine, you name it then."
Jack sat puzzled over a good name for such a unique bird. Its blue feathers were still so intriguing to him.
"Mr. Blue."
"What?! Why do you assume it's a boy bird?"
Jack smiled,"Because blue is a boy color."

Mr. Blue began to slowly move around the next few days and by the end of the week he stood up. Jack and Annabelle combined their allowance to buy bird seeds for Mr. Blue's food. They also took turns feeding him and cleaning his bed. By the end of the second week Jack decided it was time to set him free.

"Do we have to?" Annabelle pleaded.
She insisted she'd tag along with Jack to the park.
"Yes!" Jack said annoyed,"How would you like to be a bird cooped up inside a house where you could never fly again?"
This seemed to silence Annabelle for she didn't talk again till they reached the park. They both stared sadly into the box where Mr. Blue hopped gleefully, excited to feel the cool breeze against his feathers.
"I guess this is it." Jack whispered.
Annabelle smiled into the box,"Bye Mr. Blue. I'll miss you tons! Visit soon ya hear?"
Mr.Blue tilted his head as if saying, "Of course."
The moment had come and Jack reached into the box and pulled out Mr. Blue. He casually stretched out his wings and took off. The children watched him fly away into the trees as if he had never left.
"You think he'll be okay, Jack?"
"I know he will. He's a tough little bird."
Jack felt into his back pocket and pulled out his slingshot. He gripped the ends with both hands and snapped it in half. A smile spread across his face as he tossed it aside and made his way back home with Annabelle.



                                                                        To: Guy Carnegie

[ESSAY] What Does it Mean to be "Human"?

Biologically human beings are all the same, unless of course you have a disability. But what qualifies something to be called a human being? What does it mean to be “human”? There’s no right answer, but instead an opinion. I believe the definitive characteristic of a human being is emotion.

There can definitely be some controversy about my theory that even I can see. Obviously human beings aren’t the only species that have emotion, pet owners know this. You can tell when a dog bares his teeth and growls he’s mad. And when a cat’s hair stands on end they’re scared. Humans on the other hand tend to be more secretive with their emotions, and we can control them. For example if someone is angry they can choose when and where to release their anger. One could use yelling, ignoring, blackmail, and violence as an outlet to escape their anger. Another example is if you like/love a person. You can choose when and if to tell them. For one you could hide your feeling from the person, which seems to be one of the most popular ways people deal with their crushes. Or you can muster up the courage to ask them out. And even when we’re sad we can decide to cry or force our tears away. This is part of what is called Emotional Intelligence. 

The four main branches of EI are perceiving emotions, reasoning with emotions, understanding emotions, and mangaing emotions. Humans are capable in all four of these categories which help set us apart from other species. With perceiving emotions we can look at one's face expressions and interpret how we think they are feeling at the moment. Like if someone is smiling we can assume from our knowledge of body language that they are happy. Reasoning with emotions means we only react to the things that interest us. Say you're watching one of your friend's favorite soap operas and suddenly someone dies. You won't act the same way your friend would because your not as commited to the show as they are. When we try to understand emotions, we pull out possible reasons for a person to be having the emotions they are showing. Like if you see someone who is crying, you automatically wonder "why?". Did they have a bad day? Did they get in an arguement? Did they get hurt? Did one of their family members get hurt? Etc. Mangaing emotions is key in everyday life, with ourselves and with others. Lets use the example of someone crying again. So if your friend was crying, you wouldn't go up and start yelling at them. You would try to manage their emotions by comforting them. Managing the emotions around us takes common sense and knowing what actions will get us positive reactions.

As far as I can see, the three main emotions of animals are mad, sad, and happy. That’s a really small range of emotions. But humans have multiple, complex emotions: envy, hatred, anxiety, confidence, compassion, determination, etc. The list can go on and on. Our list could be longer because humans have emotional sensitivity. Some are easily offended from people’s actions or words, while others could be too calm. Humans also vary in emotions in different situations. Take eating meat for example. Some people like vegetarian and vegans find it repulsive to eat animals or anything produced from them. But others seem to think nothing of it and embrace it as a part of life. Those are two opposite emotions people are getting from the same topic, and neither of those groups are feeling something wrong. That’s just how their brain interprets the idea.

Humans can also care for one others’ emotions opposed to where everyone is on their own. We constantly help others get through hard times that deal with sadness and anger. Some people even have to go to Emotional Therapy to deal with their overwhelming emotions. It’s a powerful thing when a group of people are all sharing the same emotion. I’ve experienced this one on a few occasions. Once it was at my dad’s and he was leaving to go to war at the end of summer. My dad, stepmom, and I were deciding what we would do if he died while there. We chose who got what after he passed and how we would go about the funeral. The stress of him leaving seemed to build up in all of us and my stepmom began to cry. Immediately as I saw this I began to cry as well, and my dad soon after. It was hard not to cry when you see someone else release their feelings in that way. It’s like you have a bond with those around you and you don’t feel so alone. Another time when this can happen is when people are arguing. Once you’re with two or more people who are arguing you can’t help but get mad and frustrated yourself. In other words our emotions are vulnerable.

Another unique thing about human emotions is certain objects, people, or smells can trigger memories from out past, and emotions along with them. I have experience this one as well. Every once in a while I'll randomly catch a whiff of a perfume that reminds me of my grandma Shirley’s. It makes me happy to thing about all the fun times I’ve had on her farm in New York, but at the same time it makes me sad to know how much I miss my family there. It’s amazing how I can feel two different emotions from something I smelled.

There are endless ways you can answer the question: What does it mean to be “human”? And any answer you choose is “right” as long as you can back it up. For me, emotion is one of the main definitive characteristics of a human being. But then again, who can really tell what’s going on in an animal’s mind? So much is still unknown and it’s our job to put the pieces together.

[RE] So Called "Friends"

"Being friends with someone doesn't mean you have to treat them like toys. Toys as in you play with them only when you're bored, not because you love that toy."

                                                    This quote is from Bridget Kim's blog.

Practically every kid will have to go through this one time or another. I’ve gone through it before and I know what it feels like firsthand. Friends that I have had in the past have wanted to hangout only because they had no one else to do so with. Or some pretended to be my friend to get something out of me. And I’m over it; you should never call those types of people your “friends”. Real friends will hangout with you because they want to and they enjoy it. Maybe one day they’ll grow up and realize that they can get way more out of life with a few real friends than making a lot of fake ones.

Kids can be mean, but the way they come off “mean” differs from elementary school to high school. In elementary school it was a childish mean. Sticking your tongue out, not playing with them at recess, hogging the crayons, etc. In middle school it gets a little more intense. From public fist fights, to unending arguments, to being the odd one out while picking teams in PE. Its three years jam-packed with drama. Now high school takes a different approach. We like to be mean in almost a silent manner. For example, if we’re mad at someone we tend to ignore them. We also love to gossip. Everyone does it, and honestly it’s hard not to. And now with access to websites like Facebook, we are now able to cyber bully other people. This is one of the most popular forms of bullying because you’re not face to face with the person you’re trash talking. But guess what? Words hurt; said in person or written.

[FREE] L.O.V.E.

She was in love. The type of love where you can barely stand being away from them for more than a day. Where the thought of them sends chills down your spine and heat to your cheeks. He was beautiful, even his flaws. The way his deep blue eyes seemed to look inside her soul, making her feel safe. And his dark features added that sense of mystery no girl could resist.

                One would say he was the perfect package. When she was sad he could always find a way to make her laugh. Yet he wasn’t one of those guys that could never be serious.

                Yes, they were in love. It’s one of the hardest things to earn but easy to lose, and they were aware of this. But for them, their love was even harder to keep because no one thought they were right for each other. They were denied acceptance from their families over and over again. They were star-crossed lovers, and now they were at a point where they wouldn’t take no for an answer. Their decision was to run away.

                At a quarter to midnight at the train station is where they planned to meet. They would be reconnected as one, free of rejection. Penelope had been waiting for hours, for she was dying for this moment to come.

                And as if granting her wish, he appeared. Her breath felt caught in her throat and her luggage fell onto the pavement. Every single sense she had was locked on him.

                As soon as he was in arms reach they pulled in for an embrace, and she never wanted to let go.