Wither Away By Lara Mrgic

I'll live in this moment besides you Reminicing in the past, you make me feel invincible, im hoping this feeling will last. Though it feels, once again I'll be needing you to say the words i'm urging to hear But getting my hopes up, and them crashing down..is what i fear. I'll replace it with the unknown curiosity living to the fullest degree of this moment One day I don't want to look back and see that I didn't say everything do everything i'll regret in the future. But yet you always seem to dissapint me. Not living up to the words you say. Lets hope times are different.. Its a new day. Im hoping you realize what you want, and you'll stay with me. Because I don't think I can take it anymore if you wither away from me.

Tremors by Ana I. Garcia

            Time crawls by, Darkness always cradles my eyes. My ears pick up the constant rhythmic beat of the dripping bathroom sink.

            I don't know if I should be frightened of death lurking at my every move.
            I used to have hope, now it seems too far away. Like the sun I can't see with my bandaged eyes.

            My only salvation and escape is my past, or are they just dreams? Has this always been my life? I always think of the people in my head…their features…their voices. It keeps me longing…thirsty for that life that seems far away.

            Small tremors make my breath quicken; it feels like my body senses him

            God please…I beg of you…don't let him be back!! What have I done?? Please God don't let him...

            The slight click of the lock being undone is all the warning I get of someone coming, just seconds before the door slams open. Crashing against the opposite side of the room like a gun shot in the silent darkness.

            "Hello sweetie, how have you been?" Says the voice that makes my body break out in a cold sweat.

            My body trembles uncontrollably, practically knocking me to the floor. I feel his rough hands on my skin, like having sand paper caressing me.  His hot breath like sulfur whispering dark desires in to my ears, and as much as I try to get up and out of his reach I can't.  My hands still lay bound and useless, numb from the blood flow being cut off by the tight rotting ropes that bind my hands behind my back.

            I let my mind wonder… off to those dreams that are my salvation, anything is better than this agonizing present-----

                                    ****************************

            Pointlessly trying to get the tall girls' attention. The one with the reddest curls I have ever seen, surrounding her head like a ring of fire. I lamely yell across the crowded hall "Sarah...hey Sarah!"

            Turn!! Turn already! I hate yelling at you like a idiot.

            Sarah turns, finally hearing me through the jumble of exited voices in the air. "Hey cutie, watz up?" She says analyzing me from head to toe.

            Should I tell her? Maybe she'll just write me off as clinically insane

            She clicks her tongue In the back of her pearly white teeth breaking my jumble of thoughts.  "Well?" she says impatiently "Are you going to just stare at me, or are you going to tell me what the hell is wrong with you!?"

            Well…here it goes…

            "Look hear me out first okay…this is hard for me already telling you, so just listen.  Then when I'm done telling you, you can ask what ever kay?"  She nods her head in agreement, curiosity flashing through her amber eyes.

            "I keep getting these weird phone calls with a blocked ID… and I swear, that every time I answer I hear heavy breathing before the call ends" I say, pausing for an instant to see if she's still with me.

            "This started happening to me a month ago, but ever since I stopped answering the calls…I…I feel like….am being watched"

            Before blowing up a bubble, doubt and concern writes itself all over her face. I stand there, still as a stone waiting for a response. Anything really that will clear my worries.

            No such luck.

            "Well…that was…err…interesting" She says with a sly grin.  

                        Oh great

            A sigh escapes my chapped lips "I thought YOU of all people would understand! And all you can say is, that's interesting??!!! Am freaking out here!!" I yell in the now empty hallway.

                        Ah fuck great!! am now late for fourth period

            "No hun, its not …that…I just think you read too much into…stuff" Am at a loss for words.  Finally after glaring at her for what seemed several minutes "Sarah you're my best friend".  I abruptly break off the sentence on the verge of tears.

            "Jennie, okay I do believe you …but that's creepy. Are you sure it's not a hottie you gave your number to? And he's just too nervous to speak?" 

"NO!"

  "Fine" Her voice comes muffled over my shoulder, as she hugs me tightly.

                                    ****************************

            When he's done he dresses me back. Yet he never unties my wrist. There are times were the blind fold slips from my eyes…when he's doing me.  But I rather close them, than to look at his red panting face. Small glimpses add up to a small room, with no decorations besides the ash gray paint on the walls. The only furniture is a wooden chair and a decaying urine stained mattress over a concrete floor.

            Why do I just lay here? Like a ragged doll? Easy, I've learned the hard way.  It's not my place to talk or make any kinds of sound unless he asks of them.

                                    ****************************

"Let me go! Please…I won't say anything!"

            Laughter erupts from the 6 foot tall man. A scar runs from the right side of his face like a check mark ending at the right corner of his thin lips. He looks like he might be in his mid forties, with acne scars covering most of his face. The white muscle shirt shows off his bulky muscles.

            "Please just let me go!!" I shout and scream at the man standing just at arms' length away from me.  Tears smear my eyeliner "Please" I whisper. Before I knew it, something blurry is coming straight towards my face.  His strong fist, as he punches me on my right. The impact rattles my brain, knocking me out cold…

            A burning feeling wakes me up.  That sensation runs up and down my spine, I open my eyes horrified to find… nothing. Everything is black.  I scream, the pain is unbearable choking on the smell of burning skin MY skin.

            The man says lying on top off me as I lay face down on something that smells like urine "Shut up you little bitch or ill burn the shit out of that pretty face of yours!!" He says through clamped teeth, practically biting my ear lobe off.  I set my jaw tight; swallowing back my own whimpers and puke. I try to not make a single sound, holding my breath for my dear life. My lungs as though they might burst, screech for air.

            Why won't he just kill me this very second? Anything but this.

                                    ****************************

            I helplessly lay there, on the urine stained mattress.  He always enjoys washing me and cleaning me up. Still he won't untie my roped wrist. I hear him in the bathroom that is on the opposite side of the mattress.  He curses out loud as he trips over his clumsy feet.
                         I hope you fall and crack your skull open

            I hear the water pour into the tub, anxious and hungry for its victim…me. I just lie there, waiting for the coldness of the water to numb me to the core.  He stands me up, pushing me forward.  My feet stumble against one another, uncertainty making me clumsy.  His hands grab my hair, pulling, practically yanking them from my scalp.

            Fear seeps, like a dry ball in my throat.  Making breathing nearly impossible.  He brutally sits me down on the bathrooms' cold tile floor. With his rough and callused hands, he lifts my shirt; pulling it over my head. His fingers linger, his hand tracing my bras outline…cupping my breast.

            Now… lying on the tile floor, he unzips my dirty ragged jeans. Lifting my hips from the floor he pulls them down, underwear and all. I feel him. Staring, cherishing the view.  He's not touching me…yet

            Heavy breathing and rasping sounds come from his direction.  Then after a few gut churning seconds, his ashen fingers begin to slowly trace my body.

             I'd wish your thing would fall off and your hands burned to ashes!

His hands start to travel from my bare ankles…sliding barely touching my skin. I feel myself get goose bumps, as hot tears build up from the corner of my closed eyes.

            Am so tired of this…of him

                        How much longer is he going to keep me? Dios give me strength
            A sigh escapes his lips, announcing his release. "You're all mine…say you love me!" he demands grabbing my jaw and squeezing it painfully.

            "I…I… I love….love you" I manage to choke out. My voice trembling, full of fear.  For a second I didn't recognize it, that weak voice was mine.  I no longer sounded alive, full of aspirations and hope.  Instead I sounded dead, and defeated.

            I allowed myself to dream, now that I was in the bathtub; with the cold water seeping through my every pore. 

                                    ****************************

Buzz…buzz, vibrated my cell phone through the back pocket of my jeans. "Hello?" annoyance building up. "Jeff? Hello? Counting in my head

                                                1…2…3

I hang up.  Checking the calls, I notice that the call I just received was a blocked number. I shove the phone back in my pocket. I was about to leave my room when once again my cell phone began to vibrate.

                                                Unknown

That's what the screen displayed. "I swear Jeff; stop fucking with me it's not funny anymore!"

"…Am not Jeff" says a mans voice

"Though I wished id be fucking with you" he says bursting into a laugh

            I hang up instantly, my hands shaking as I throw the phone on my undone bed.  I sit on a pile of dirty clothes that's lying on the foot of it.  I stay there bewildered, trying to figure out what's going on. Sarah's words flood back to my mind

"Are you sure it's not a hottie you gave your number to? And he's just too nervous to speak?"

-Jeff probably told his older brother to make that call…yeah that's it…

I tell myself trying to suppress the feeling of dread.

            Yeah…that's what happened.  I mean there wouldn't be a psycho stalking me…wanting to kill me… SHUT UP!! SHUT UP!!

… Am seriously not helping myself…

             After feeling stupid for getting scared, I tried to make a lame attempt to laugh it off. But it came out like a wimping sound instead.  I pushed myself off the floor; walking out the door I notice my curtain flowing. Like as though the window was open.

            It can't be open; mom always closes everything before leaving.

 Just as I was about to go back and check, my stomach started grumbling         

            Ha silly me…I forgot I was hungry....great now am starving and there's probably nothing to eat like always. Sigh

            The inside of the house is covered in shadows; it gives it that eerie black and white feel to it. Walking in the kitchen, to my far right the refrigerator begins to hum. I notice my mom's handwriting in the crappy dry erase board.

Hey Honey, I have a patient to see. Don't wait up for me, and ill see you in the morning. J

p.s. I love you

p.p.s. I left some left over's' from last nights dinner in the oven.

Psht

            Like I want to eat meat loaf again

            Picking up the black cordless house phone from the cherry kitchen table I decide to dial Dominos.  "Dominos, this is Mark what your name?" Spoke a young man, with a voice that broke at certain intervals.

"Jennie"

"Okay Jennie what would your order be?"

"A large pepperoni pizza"

"That would be $16.75 and it will be ready in fifteen minutes"

"Kay thanks" I say hanging up.

            A thump, thump sound makes me jump in place.

"Hello….mom?" WTF I though I was alone...

            Thump….thump…thump

            Sounded once again upstairs, my heart beat begins to race. I hear my heart pumping blood to my brain so fast that it sounded like the beat of a wall clock.  I risk a peek up the stair hallway leading to the second floor. Now my heart is beating frantically turning my insides to ice. "Mom?"-Nothing, I wait there at the bottom of the stairs waiting for her to be Oh honey the appointment got canceled. I didn't even hear that you were here.

            But instead I get at thump…thump…BANG! It was as though the bang was my cue.  I ran to the kitchen closet and got the wooden broom.  Then as I tried to control my heartbeat and my breathing, I tried to quietly creep up the stairs.  Straining my vision to see even the faintest movement in the shadows.

            "Meow!!" Screeches a cat as it launches itself at my head causing me to loose my balance. I reach out with my hands trying to regain it.  Somehow the broom got stuck in between my legs making me fall backwards down seven steps.

            "OWWW" My head hit the floor pretty hard, making my ears ring.  I slowly got up trying to loose the feeling of vertigo.

            How did a cat get inside the house? I turn around, and notice the cat staring at me with its tail slightly swaying, and then it started licking its front paw. The cat was all black with piercing green eyes.  Its ears twitching constantly, hearing something I couldn't.

            I gently pick up the cat; it tries to swipe me with one of its paws. I was about to kick it out of the house when I noticed its collar, slightly glowing in the shadowed house.

With the tips of my fingers, I inch the name tag at an angle, enough to be able to look at the cats' owners address.

Am still here…watching you

            The cat leaps from my grasp eager to get away. While I stand there stunned to the core with those words etched in my brain.

A man Named Frankie by Santiago Contreras

"Late again…" thought Max as he took a long sip of his warm espresso. The warm espresso slowly trickled down his throat until it reached his center and began to warm his body. He started to stare off into the buildings across the street but in reality he was viewing a void area of his own mind. Into the void he went and remembered what he had done.


"Stop Frankie, I think he has had enough water already." whispered Max into Frankie's ear.

"He hasn't had enough! It will never be enough" said Frankie in his rough withering voice.

Struggling Max finally removed the hose from Frankie's firm grip. The man under the sack was panting heavily. The water boarding had almost drowned the man if Max didn't remove the hose from Frankie's fingers. The two looked at each other and then removed the sack from their victim's head. He was at least in his fifties and you could see a bald spot emerging on the top of his scalp. His flabby face was red due to the air deprivation and anger. Still gasping for air the victim began to speak.

"You pigs! Do you realize who I am? Just wait until the police find me. I'll kill the both of ya! I don't care who you are either. You can be my mother under those masks and I would still pull the trigger!"

"Silence dog!" snapped Frankie under his horse mask.

Their victim began to scream things but Frankie just toned it out as he walked over to a rusty tool box. He began to open it and looked around for a bit. He pulled out a hacksaw that was as rusty as the toolbox it was pulled out from, but it was clearly sharp.

"See you made me what I am! So you must be my father."

Frankie began to place the hacksaw at the base of their victims toes. With swift motions he began and sliced every toe off one by one.

"Does it hurt dad?"

There was no reply. The victim was jsut sitting motionless on his seat. Frankie pulled out a syringe from his pocket labeled 'blood thinner' and shoved it into the limp arm of the tied up victim.

"Hello? Hello! Staring into space Max I know that ain't healthy. You on drugs or somethin?"

"Nah I was just thinkin. What took you so long?"

"Sorry I had to drop my daughter off at her day care across town."

Max had forgottn about Frankie's daughter. She was a cute little girl with small pig tails, she turning three this summer.

"Sorry I was dazed off I just can't get yesterday out of my head"

"Well Max it was a good day. Wouldn't you say?"

"Not really Frank. So did you wanna talk here or go somewhere else?"

"Lets take a drive Max."

Max left his espresso on the table and walked with Frankie to his 2009 Land Rover at the end of the parking lot.

"New car Frank?" said max in a semi-amazed tone.

"Yup it's a beaute huh I got it after the divorce with Sherry. I thought I should live more freely."

They got in the car and began to drive down the busy main street. The raidio was playing the song 'mad world' and the raidio host began to talk.

"What a great song right? Well any way our poor mayor is still missing and has not been found b-"

Frankie cut the radio and broke the long silence between them.

"Well don't need to hear the news when you are the news right. Makes me feel like a criminal."

"Well Frank, kidnapping is illegal..."

"Hey don't put us down we are the good guys. And what's the deal with calling me Frank? You used to call me Fankie since grade school."

"Well we aren't kids anymore we kinda grew out of it."

"I bet you are just nervous. Take a piece of gum it'll calm you they are in the glove box."

"Alright"

The silence returned as they arrived at their location. The location was an old farm house at the edge of town. The house itself was ready for demolishion. Other than that it was in the middle of nothing. The two walked out of the car and walked inside. They turned over a table at the center of the floor and moved a rug and exposed a trap door. They walked down the stairs and whent down to had had once been a wine cellar of some sort. Once at the bottom the put on blue jumpsuits and their animal masks. Frankie excited to get the show going placed his horse mask on and left Max changing.

"Hold on a sec." whispered Max as he put his bird mask on.

They continued to a cabinet and moved it to the side exposing a hallway. They walk ove to the third door and walk in. Inside the room was a chain link fence and onthe other side of it there was the mayor, their victim, almost lifeless.

"Is he dead?" asked Max

"Only one way to find out."

They walked through the door in the fence and grabbed the senator's white hair.

"You still alive?" screamed Frankie into the mayors ear.

"Fuck you! I'm only stay alive to see your funeral."

"This is your funeral you fool."

Frankie walked over to the rusty toolbox and pulled out a box cutter. He began to carve lines into the mayors chest. Max looked over Frankie's sholder and saw a pentagram carved into the mayors chest. Without a word he walked to the toolbox and pulled out a Mellon baller. Pushing the mayors head back he forced it into the side of the of his eye. He did the same with the other eye being sure he kept the optical nerves intatct. The senators grey eyes were dangling and Frankie grabbed them and made the mayor look at Frankie's crarving.

"nice job huh. Well since you do die today I guess it's time for you to see my face."

Frankie removed his mask and pointed the mayors eyes at his face.

"Fran... Frankie I'm sorry I never wanted it to happen. It was all Sherry I swear."

Without a word Frankie grabbed the box cutter and sliced throught the soft optical nerves.

"I guess you suffered enough. Maybe I should let you go you are blind."

"Please I'm sorry."

Frankie untied him and lifter him up. Being toeless and blind the disoriented mayor leaned on Frankie's body. Frankie led him to the door to the left of the torture room. This new room was nothing but 4 blank walls and a door with a little window. Frankie dropped the mayor in the middle of the room.

"I have a gift for you mayor. I'll be right back"

Frankie goes to the first door and pulls out a cage with a muzzled dog inside.

"This is my new dog mayor. I call him love. If you mess with my love you are going to get bitten. Oh and by the way I havnt fed love in a long time."

Frankie released the dog and shut the door. The only sounds heard now were screams of pain.

"With all of his new sences he is going to go to hell."

"I think that was too much Frank. People are going to know it was us."

"Dont worry max just leave everything to me."

Max ha left Frankie that night and tried to get some sleep after what had happened. Three days passed and Max had heard nothing from Frankie. Until he received a phone call at about 3 pm.

"Hey Max you busy? It's me Frankie."

"No not rea-"

"ok I'll be right over."

Before Max could say anything Fankie had hung up. Several minutes later there was a knock on the door. Max opened it and Frankie rushed in.

"We gotta talk Max. I really need your help"

"What happened?"

"I need help with a body."

"I thought you took care of it!"

"Another one."

"Who's body?"

"Sherry's man! Sherry's! I killed her!"



End of part 1

Memories by Dominic Perucca

The dense jungle was pitch black. The soldiers could not see 10 feet in front of them. They were scouts for their platoon. They were chosen because the last scouting party was slaughtered the night before. They were ambushed while they were sleeping. Their job as to sit in the jungle and signal a flare if Viet Cong came to attack their camp. None of the soldiers knew for sure if they would survive the night.
     The night was silent only the sound of breathing could be faintly heard. The only reason they were able to stay awake was their adrenaline rush caused by the paranoia. Then suddenly SNAP a twig broke. BANG BANG BANG BANG CLICK the soldiers opened fire in the direction of the noise. Then silence. Shortly later SNAP another twig broke. BANG BANG BANG again they opened fire towards the noise. They heard a whimper then silence. "Good it was only an animal thought it might have been the VC (Viet Cong) " said a soldier, "Scared the shit out of me." through out the night they heard twigs and branches brake and would open fire toward the noise. For the next few hours they shot at every noise they heard, never knowing if they shot an animal, person, or nothing at all.
     Then all of a sudden all at once they branches and leaves started to move in on the soldiers. The VC was all around them. Camouflaged with twigs, branches and leaves all around their bodies they were able to slowly move toward the group of soldiers. Only taking minimal casualties while the paranoid soldiers shot at every noise they heard. "OH FUCK it's the VC open fire!" yelled the squads leader. Too late they didn't stand a chance. The soldiers where slaughtered ruthlessly. One soldier played dead and watched his brothers run through with knives and shot dead right in front of him. They only satisfaction for the soldiers was they were able to kill some VC before they died.
     "Wake up wake up honey" was faintly heard by the soldier playing dead. The soldier suddenly jumped awake and rolled out of bed and looked around. "OH shit what the fuck oh wait I'm in bed it was all a dream" the soldier said dazedly. "its ok honey it was a dream the war is over now come back to bed."

An Intimate High by Rachel Cabugao

She caught your eye due to her

Provocative figure as if she were prey

Waiting to be devoured

The subtle attraction was enough for your interest

For she was no forbidden fruit

The rush that hormones produced

Blending, developing a slight infatuation painting the vision that she knew

She wanted to fuck you

A suggestive encounter lurked around the corner

Femme-fatale sauntered toward you

Bitch pounced on you like a fucking fiend

You kissed the sweet suckle of her breast

Your hands were restless

Tracing her tawny skin with dirty fingerprints of unworthy intentions

She did not care much about your identity

Or embraced you last name

As long as you meandered yourself between her lovely legs

Vivid images diluted her

Mind like watercolor mixtures collided

Collided with the reality

It was more than a random erotic silhouette shared on the exterior

It was almost ritual, a vicious cycle, a hunger

A fix, on her low confidence

It was so surreal how it made her feel

An intimate high

Every time submerging repetitively in her solitary

A lingering hollowness

Yearning for more

Her internal drum was beaten for more than it could handle

Misinterpreted love with lust

And all the indifference inside couldn't cover it up

She knew how she felt about the last guy she fucked

It was unconventional to her,

Friendship wasn't foreign, unlike every other guy

But no means no when it came to commitment

So what was the difference?

The real question she had to ask herself was

Who would buy her love, if she didn't even value herself?

 Symbols of the past translated as if they were roots

Creating cracked earth

Instilled in her murky water

It was a mess

But she grew past it

In her refinement

Built those roots so strong they bloomed above water

Acceptance

Projected into a lotus

Missing by Emilia Morua

Prologue     It is pithch black and I can't see or hear anything. I put my hands out in front of me and start to feel around. I feel nothing but concrete, but suddenly my hands come across something wet and sticky. Whatever it is there is a lot and I'm starting to freak out.     I try to say 'hello' but all that comes out is a squeak that sounds like a mouse. I crawl as far away as I can from the puddle. The puddle seems to follow me where ever I go. I start to hyperventilate, so i close my eyes and start to count to five. One, Two, Three.., by the time I got to five I hear a sound that sounds like a light turning on.     I open my eyes and scream. Not only is there a strange man staring straight at me. I find out that the puddle was red. Usually when I see something red, sticky, and wet, I would think of jello or ketchup. Except this stuff wasn't jello or ketchup,it was blood. I start to check myself out to see if it was coming from me. Thank god it wasn't. I notice that the blood was leading to a closed door as if someone was dragged out of here. All of a sudden I notice the man more carefully. He has the tannest skin I've ever seen, he has short black scruffy hair, and he has a nasty scar above his left eye down toward his left ear.     "You know, it's not nice to stare." he said with a husky voice and a creepy smile.     I try to say something but I'm too frightened to say anything. All he does is laughs while raising his hand. All of a sudden his hand hits the side of my head with so much force that I black out.                                                      Chapter 1     I remember walking down the street with my friend Lexi. We were heading to the mall. We would have gotten a ride except my brother was being a complete ass.     " Can't you just give us a ride Derek?" I ask using my best sad face.     " I said no!" Derek yelled while reading something on the computer.     " Please Derek I'll do your laundry for a month." I say. He has never turned me down when I mention doing his laundry for him.     " Damn it Kat! I said no!" Now leave me alone." he yelled fiercely while getting up and leaving the room.     " Damn Kat, what's wrong with him?" Lexi asked with a hint of concern in her voice.     " I don't know. But who cares we can get to the mall by ourselves." I say with a devious smile.     " What? How? Your brother said no. Plus the mall is like two miles away from here!" she exclaimed putting her hands on her hips.     I grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards the door.     " Where leaving now." I said grabbing my bag.     " What are we walking?" she laughed.     " Yup." I said leading her closer to the door.     " I have no choice. Do I?" she asked grabbing her bag.     I laughed, " Nope."                                                                                       That's how we ended up walking to the mall. I blame my lazy ass brother.     At the mall mall we met up with our other friend Amber. We walked around the mall for a couple of hours just looking at things. We didn't buy anything, unless you lunch. After the mall we ended up going to Amber's house. She has the best house to hang out at. She has pool, a game room for the kids, a hot tub, and she lives close to our all time favorite park.     Later that night we felt like going down to the park. We all took a flash lights that were bright but light enough for us to carry.     " Are you sure we should be going to the park this late?" Amber asked worried.     " Don't worry we will be fine." said Lexi who put a gentle arm around Amber.     " Yeah no need to worry Amber." I said giving her a warm smile.     Once we got to the park we went to our favorite playground. it was the only one with swings that anyone could use. All the other parks had those baby swings and getting your ass stuck in one isn't fun. The only bad part about it was that it was the only one not covered in lights.     " You guys, I think we should go." Amber said.     " Amber you worry  way too much." I said pumping my legs to go higher.     " Yeah live a little." laughed Lexi while giving Amber a little punch in her arm.     Amber finally can to a complete stop, " That's not why I'm freaking out."     " Then why?" Lexi and I asked in unison.     " You guys haven't noticed?" she asked us.     We both stopped ourselves from swinging anymore and looked around.     " Notice what Amber? I say with a shaky voice.     She leaned in close to whisper, " Those guys standing over there," she took a breath," I think they have been watching us."

A Song For Romiette by Cristy Lee

I'm late.. again. I quickly ran to the bathroom, washed up, threw on my uniform and dashed straight for the door. "Hi mom, hi dad. Bye!" I say as I grabbed a piece of toast and rushed out the door. Sometimes living five minutes away from school has its inconvine. I'm always tardy. "Romiette!" I hear a voice calling my name. I quickl glnced behind me. "Oh it's just you Julian."  Julian's my neighbor. He first moved into the neighborhood when he was in fourth grade and I was in third. Now he's a senior and I dont see how  he can afford to be late at that age. But, who am I to speak a junior thats tardy everday.  "What do you mean by 'just Julian'?" he said with mock sadness. He swiftly took long strides with his lengthy legs and quickly caught up to my pace.  "What do you want? I'm late for class" I said while gobbling down my toast. Sometimes he can be a nuisance but he is just someone that you can never stay mad at.  I looked up from where I was walking and saw school. If I run now I might be able to slide in before the second bell rang.  "Hey Julian"  "Yeah?" he replied. Seems like he was ranting about something I wasn't paying attention to.  "Well Julian I would love to stay and chant but unfortunately I'm late and so are you so Imma' run to class." Julian opened his arms expressing he wanted a hug before I left. I gave him a quick hug and dashed to class without a second glance.  Shit. The bell rang. =========================================== Everything just seemed to be flowing so smoothly. First thing that happened was me getting detention from Ms. Louis for always getting a tardy in first period. Then I rememberd I forgot my history essay on my desk and now I have to turn it in for late points. I slowly got through the day and I was finally in sixth period. Sixth period is my pre calculus class. I always had this big debate before if this class was the right class for me to take. Everyone told me this class was really hard and barely scraped a C. Julian told me it was hard when he was taking it last year but he got a B+ in that class and nearly killed himself over it, that loser.  I walked into class and something made me pause.  I sat in the desk fourth row, third seat to the left and my seat was the only one that was partnerless but someone was there.  It was a boy around my age. He had dark hair and was wearing a blue flannel shirt. Judging by his posture he seemed about six feet tall.  His hair fell in perfect alighnement to his fair v line face.  I hestinantly made my way to my desk and sat down. I put my bag down and took out my notebook, text book, and my... wheres my pencil? I looked around my bag and my pencil pouch was gone. Shit, it must've fell out somewhere.  I turned to look at the boy. He didn't even glance at me once. His eyebrows were furrored together as if really angry and he seemed to be glaring at something. I looked in the direction he was glaring at and there wasn't anything at all. Strange.  I was a bit scared to ask him but I needed the pencil. "Um" I slowly began. He turned around to look at me. "do you have an extra pencil I can borrow?" He momentarily looked at his pencil and handed it to me.  "Oh, thank you." I told him but all he did was stare and this time not at blank space but me. Was there something on my face? I reach into my bag and grab my compact. No there wasn't anything there that wasn't supposed to be there... I look up again to see if he was still staring. Yup. His cold brown eyes looked like there were buring a hole through my soul. I glanced at my test paper. Oh crap. Everything on here looked like hyrogliphics. I knew I should have studied more.

Journal Entry #1 by Trevor Meyer

Dear Journal, I'm really hurting today. It's autumn once again and dread is oozing from my pores. I could cry… but I won't. Almost every leaf in my neighborhood is as dead as my soul. And their corpses are strewn about on the ground. Left to be crushed, piled up in sick necrophile's front yards for their families to play in, or even worse piled in the gutters as if we were in medieval times and bodies were just left in the streets… No one respects the dead anymore. That's probably why the kids have shunned me in school. Those war mongering, egocentric barbarians don't deserve the title of "human"… but I digress. I was walking among the shadows this morning before breakfast writing my latest poem, "Black Abyss of Nothingness", when I noticed the dried up and lifeless carcass of the last leaf of our maple tree sitting on out "Hate to see you go, Love you watch you leave" welcome mat. My eyes filled up with hot tears at the irony.

Winter of Joe by Trevor Meyer

Closed were his eyes that winter morn. Closed were his eyes that winter afternoon. He only stirred to crumple into new positions that proved to be just as comfortless as the prior. His eyes creaked open once around sunset to make for certain that he still had the ability. The minimal light flooded into the crevice between his eyelids like ten thousand flaming needles. Thus causing the pulsing ache in his head to become increasingly worse. He shut his bloodshot eyes swiftly into a painful but relieving squint, and he cursed himself. He tucked himself deeper into the cotton comforter and he felt the stuffy warmth lay down over his head. It really wasn't much of an improvement, but at least he could escape the descending star and the deep chill that so voraciously ate away at his damaged body. That's where he layed and that's where he stayed to enjoy the aftermath of his hazy holiday. His eyes remained closed that winter night. And dead was the world to him. He awoke the next morning groggy and hungry as shit from starving his body. He lay in bed, eyes on the ceiling, mind on the caked on sweat he'd gathered on his skin, and the unmistakable hunger. His body was drained and he struggled to build up enough drive to stand. He brushed his black hair away from his forehead with his boney fingers and hoisted himself up from his cocoon expecting to be able to stand. He dizzily caught himself on the low set windowsill. Once his inner ear kicked in he trudged to the bathroom with a stretch, a yawn, a scratch of his stomach, and an adjustment of his morning wood. He opened the plain white door and entered his plain white bathroom. The cold from the plain white tile under his bare feet sent a chill up to his spine. He flicked on the light, closed the door, leaned over the barren plain white countertop and looked himself in the eye. He took one hand off the counter to brush the hair from his face for a second time only to let it tumble back into place. His hand moved from the dark circles under his eyes, to the recently attained scar, to the three day stubble along his jaw, to the plain white drawer under his plain white sink. He yanked out an electric yellow toothbrush with his name printed on the handle, "Joe", next to a racecar making sure everyone was aware of his y-chromosome. A gift from someone he could barely remember. Joe brushed until his mouth no longer tasted like ass, figuratively speaking, and ripped off his clothes. He gave himself a once-over in the mirror, touched the hickey that someone he would barely remember left on his collar bone and stepped into his plain white shower. He turned the water on and waited to step under the shower head until it adjusted to an acceptable temperature. He felt the warm water trickle down his head on to his face and neck, down his back, down his chest, letting it engulf every part of his body. He stood stiff and tried to relax, letting go of anything and everything. Including the night he chose not to remember.

I Won't Leave Her ‘Cause I Need Her by Edlyn Rodriguez

Yes I'm feeling her style, Yup I'm feeling her swagg. I love the way she makes me smile, Never makes me wanna gag. See I know she has a boy lover, But I feel she likes me too. Though my feelings are all for her, Man I don't know what to do! She's real and I love her, I love her cause she's real. Its her sweet attributes, Not just her sex appeal. See I'm always going to love her, Not against my will. 'Cause she's a keeper, Not the type I'm tryna loose. I know she's the wifey type, And I don't blame it on the booze. All she wears is 7 jeans, Never Charlotte Russe. For her ill make sure I don't ever brake the rules! 'Cause she rules, yea she rocks, And I made her a promise, Ima keep it on lock, Always and forever till there's nothings else to knock. Its even weird that I'm not high, But with her I reach the top. Go ahead and get at her, But ima let you know was sup. 'Cause she don't let me fall back, She just helps me come up, And makes my heart rise up. I swear ill never leave her, Yes, ima keep her right here. I don't even need a beer, To know I need her near. There is no need to make it clear. Ill keep her real close, Every single day, of the muthafxn year. In in every single place, On this earths hemisphere. 'Cause I love her swagg, And I love her way, Along with everything she say! Shes never in my way. I hope shes here to stay. 'Cause she's a cute lil chick. Cant believe I'm who she picked Celina and I , yup our picture's hella sick! I don't mean flu like, I mean it goes harder than a brick. Nope I don't have a stick, But I can make her ride this quick! Ima end this right here before I go in deep. Lil mami might get mad, If I articulate how she go to sleep. Baby girl don't need to sip, Well jus have to dip, Before she starts to slip, I got her back like I'm her muthafxn hip! Or the lip gloss on her lip. I love how she never flips, Off the way I stack my chips. She know I don't need to strip. I gat her riding shotgun while she loads my clip! The main point is that I love my baby girl, Shes my duchess, While I'm her duke of earl, That means ill never let her go, And ill give her the world. 'Cause she makes my eyes swirl, And my tummy twirl, Like it's the new thing to do!

Writers Block by Becca Belliveau

I went to a psychologist for two years and I basically learned three things. One: the classic…express yourself. No matter what, open your heart mind and soul and vent your expression. So here it is. This is what I feel. This is what I'm expressing. I have writers block, which is ridiculous because this is my first assignment. Can I even call myself a writer? Anyways, "whatever I am" block sucks. Especially when everyone around me seems to be writing so diligently or being annoyingly loud and nonchalant about this whole assignment. Normally, it's easy to write, I can just pick a story off the top of my head and write but of course in my time of need I can't think of one damn thing to put. Not to mention I feel the need to be one hundred times more creative cause most people in this class can write a kick ass story without even trying, but I should probably stop comparing myself to other people. I know no matter what I do I will never be them, but hey, they will never be me. Two: the inspirational….stay positive. So here it is. I am choosing, with my glass half full attitude, to see this block as stepping stone. Well, in swimming your block is your platform. It's your own little stage. So maybe "writers" block is just another way of saying here is your stage, here is a pen, go ahead and dive into your story. Now all I am waiting for is that moment of clarity. Three: so disturbing…the ugly truth. So here it is. I wasted two years and hundreds of dollars to tell me things I already know. But hey, I got one crappy story out of it.

A Run for Love by Seth Eddings

Look at me at me I'm running half naked through the woods. Not really paying attention to where I am going, because I'm thinking of her. The more I think of her, the sadder I get. And the more I want to give up. My legs are so worn down and sore, I have been running for at least 5 hours now. It feels like they both weigh about 20 lbs each more. Each step is like 1000 pins and needles are puncturing my legs. A great force is pulling my body backward preventing me from going forward. My eyelids are getting heavy, and harder to hold open. I stop. My legs are still moving, but side to side. I cant breath. My body is glowing red. I cough twice and throw up. I fell on my left side. My body began to shake all over. I fell asleep, or I passed out either way, I gave up. At some point in time, when I lay asleep in the forest she approached me. She had come back to me. I had found her. I was just lying there and she found me, I couldn't believe it. Though I was still asleep, I knew she was there. She stood above me and watched me sleep. I didn't want to move. I didn't know why I didn't move, I just portended I was asleep. I just did. This was a strange feeling, knowing that some one was there, but you acted like you where asleep. I felt her get on her knees. Knelling beside me, she ran her fingers through my hair. I decided I would get up know. She must have read my mind because she put her hand on my cheek. This gave a sense of calmness and warmth. "You don't have to get up for me," she said in her gentle and familiar voice. "I don't want you to leave," I said. Still lying down in the forest with my eyes shut. "I'm not leaving you," she whispered into my ear. She lay down next to me, facing away from me. She grabbed her arm and put it around her waist. I squeezed her so that I could never loose her again. The Warmth of her body, the smell of her hair, her soft touch. I will never let go of her. We where sleeping together in the forest, and cuddling. I could lay their forever with her, I love her, and I had found her. My accomplishment was over. Tears fall from my closed eyes, I finally have her. "Why are you crying honey?" She asked "I don't know. I think because you're here." I told her. There was no response. I waited, no response. She was just laying there in silence. I gave her a little shake. "Hun?" no response. This startled me. I opened my eyes slowly. The more I opened my eyes the more I could feel her leaving. I shut my eyes to try and keep her here with me. It was too late. It was too late. She was leaving, leaving gone. Like how smoke disappears in air, she was gone. I opened my eyes; there had been no trace of here every being here with me. I didn't have a dream just another wish.