The Millennium: Ukrainian Revolution

Pride
is shown in the flags that wave high for every Ukrainian citizen to see, and heard in their voices as they sing their national anthem.
Unity
is shown is the sheer size of the crowd; thousands of normal, non-political people gathering together for support of an important cause.
Change
is the reason that these protesters come flocking to Maidan for their voices to be heard.
Hope
is the feeling that they all radiate to each other as they stand side by side.



Respect
is shown when the citizens tried to protest peacefully, but in return the people were beaten brutally by the police.
Confusion
is heard in the voice of a man asking the police why they are betraying their people to follow the orders of Viktor Yanukovych, and seen by the shock on peoples' faces as they run from merciless police batons.



Courage
is felt when each citizen stands together to fight for their freedom no matter what;
it's seen in the people running toward the wall of police, unconcerned that they are out-numbered and barely armed;
and it's heard in the strength that it takes to say "I came here to die."

This is...

This is a new born me;
the very first piece of proof.
Who knew in my future ahead
I'd be living my life for you.

This is my father's excitement
captured by the action of a photo.
Who knew how much he'd teach me
and how close to you I'd grow.

This is a sweet, small child;
a child of God, you could say.
Who knew I could live in heaven
as long as I trust and obey.

Antique Photos

These are the Williams sisters. They are not related by blood. Annabel's father married Charlotte's mother when they met in 1930 in Chicago. These girls couldn't be more polar opposite.
On the left you Annabel. She is the independent and adventurous one. Despite being a female during this time in history, Annabel will grow up to become a well-known author and journalist. She will spend a huge portion of her life exploring interesting and dangerous territory all around the world. All she wants from life is success and respect. She wants her legacy to live on and be remembered. Her only fears are being tied down or bored.
Charlotte, on the other had, will grow up to become the housewife of a hard working a middle-class man. Charlotte enjoy sewing, playing piano, and hosting family reunions and get-togethers with her neighbors. Her aspirations are to be appreciated by her children and husband and admired by her community. She is afraid of instability, constantly worrying about finances.

MSU Chinese Exchange Students

I met a girl named Venus and a guy named Coco. I learned that they are both Pisces and they love to travel. Venus likes to read books and Coco likes to watch cartoons. I told them that I am Virgo and explained what our zodiac signs meant. I also told them about my family and about my favorite movie, Clueless.

Sophia and I showed them all around the school. They didn't have electives at their high school so they thought the art, band, theater, and P.E. rooms were interesting. also, they don't have a library in their high schools and they didn't have journalism to make school magazines and yearbooks. At one point during the tour Venus said that she wished she had gone to a school like this one.

I think it's interesting how different cultures are. I wish I could have learned more about how different the lifestyle in China is compared to here, not just how the schools are different.

"Reel" Life

I love so many movies it's hard to pick a favorite! I guess if I had to pick one that's important to me it would be O Brother Where Art Thou. It has several references to The Odyssey. It is one of those movies that you can watch over and over again and still find things you didn't notice before. I also love the music and the kind of language they use because it's different and often funny.
I hate scary movies! You will never catch me watching a horror film. Even those spooky kids movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas still creep me out.
I watch movies pretty often. It's my way of relaxing at the end of the day. Even if I'm not really paying much attention to it, I'll put on a movie during dinner and just chill out. I don't go to the theater very often but I really enjoy doing that.
When I'm getting ready to watch a movie I usually recline out on my couch under a blanket with a full glass of water and some food. I need to be as comfortable as possible.

THE SURVEY

These are the results for my personality based on my movie preference survey:
25% extroverted
42% agreeable
83% conscientious
25% emotionally stable
67% open to new experiences

This is why the survey says I watch movies:
75% pleasure seeking
75% nostalgia
35% catharsis
75% aggression
80% escapism
65% artistic
65% information seeking

Dan In Real Life

Can you know in three days that you love someone?
This is a tough question because you'd have to know what exactly is considered love and that can vary between people. I believe that strong feelings of love and care can be felt for anyone, even strangers. But there's a different kind of love that I believe is more intimate and only meant for people that you've taken a long time to truly understand and respect and care for on a deep level.

How involved should family be in your relationships?
It's totally fair for family/friends to take interest in your relationships with other people, but for the most part, and as long as it isn't destructive, a relationship should really only involve the two people. This is because those two people will have the best understanding of what is said and felt between them. Outsiders can negatively disrupt the flow of a relationship if they interfere too much or without consent by both people.

Is illicit love more appealing to us?
There are many movies and books and plays based off of illicit love; Romeo and Juliet, for example. Society conforms, but I think that all individuals have some desire to rebel. The thought of having something that you're not supposed to/allowed to have is exciting and interesting. Personally, I've always been into older guys, which is more acceptable now that I'm 18, but a couple years ago it really sucked when a 20-something-year-old and I would flirt a little but have to hold back because of the age difference.

Do you think there is only one true soul mate for each person or lots of options?
I don't believe in the idea of having a soul mate. Actually, I believe that you can fall in love with love many people but you chose one to commit to and stay with forever. Maybe this person is the most compatible with you compared to the rest but that doesn't mean that you can love others the same way.

"Love isn't a feeling, it's an ability" Is this true?
Yes, I agree with this. There will be rough times in any relationship. It could even be so bad that you are really only thinking negative thoughts and feeling negative emotions towards that person, but if both people work together and communicate to try to resolve things, they can manage to bring love into what seems like a hopeless situation.

Letter From Lillian

Dear Piper,

       Hi,my name is Lillian,and Chinese name is Zhang Xuehan.I am your parter for the exchange project.I am an eighteen-year-old girl from Zibo,Shandong Province.But now i live in Qingdao,another city of Shandong.I am a freshman of Qingdao Univercity.I major in English.I want to be a translator in the future,particularly a simultaneous interpreter.But i find it so difficult because my listening is not very good.I must practice more to improve my listening.

       There are five people in my family,my parents,my grandma and my brother.My parents are workers.I have a twelve-year-old brother,which is not common in my generation in China.In 1980s,family planning policy was carried out in city.Family planning policy is that one family is permitted to have one child.Although i often quarrel with him,we have a good feeling.More importantly,i don't feel lonely because of him.

      I really like Qingdao.There are many places of interest .I usually go to enjoy the scenery at weekends with friends.Qingdao is located in the eastern coastal areas of China.I like the sea,which is one of the reasons why i chose Qingdao University.When i face the sea,with seawind blowing,i feel that all troubles seem to disappear.The weather is mild except that it often windy.I'd love to settle down here after i graduate.

     In my spare time,i often go to the school library.Before going to univercity,i must prepare for the National College Entrance Examination,so that i read few books.Now ,i'm developing a habit of reading.Besides,i often go to the playground to run,although i am not good at running.On the one hand,i want to keep healthy.On the other hand,i want to lose weight.Recently,i have done a part-time job in KFC.It is so tiring that i sleep eary at night.

      I have read your essay carefully.It is scary and i am attracted by it.Is it a story that you made up?I think it will be popular if made into a film.I want to know whether the three kids are killed by the man in the end.The last paragraph makes people imagine.

       I have some questions about your letter.What is the community college?Is it a college that your community set up?Is it small?Why do you have internship experience?In China ,usually,senior students of college will have internship in a company.

       I hope you can enjoy my letter.I am looking forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Lillian

MY REPLY

Dear Lillian,

I really enjoyed reading about you. I'd like to learn more about your family, too. You said that your parents are workers and I'm curious as to what they do for a living? I was also wondering why there are restrictions on having children and why your brother is allowed to stay in the family.

Qingdao sounds like a beautiful place to live. Someday I want to live by an ocean as well because it is so relaxing like you said. Is the water there warm enough to swim in? The university seems like a nice place, too. What do you like most about your school? You mentioned that you've started reading more... What kind of books interest you the most? I love to read fiction books that are suspenseful and action-packed.

I think it's great that you run to stay healthy. I don't like running, so to stay healthy I do yoga.

I understand being really tired after work. I work as a hostess and waitress at a restaurant. If this is a job that you just started working at recently, don't worry about it being too hard or exhausting because, in my experience, that happens any time I start something new. Soon you'll be really good at your job and you won't find yourself being so tired after work.

I'm very glad that you liked my story; I didn't think that I did very good on it. I did make it up, which is odd because I don't normally read scary books so it's surprising that I would decide to write something like that. I tried to make it seem like the kids did die in the end but I also left it open for interpretation in case you wanted to give it a different ending.
I enjoyed reading the story about your pottery bear. I was surprised that you used the term "thick as thieves" because I thought that was only something Americans said. I'm glad that you still get to see your friend.
To answer your questions, community college is an inexpensive way of getting college credit. It is a smaller school than an actual university and I think it usually only offers associate degrees. My internship was offered to me through a program I had the opportunity of joining at the community college. I was just lucky to be picked for the program because I have good grades and good attendance.
Thank you for your interesting letter, I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Piper

Inspired By Hopper

early evening

a warm summertime breeze

whistles over the tip of the gasoline pump

as he fixates it to fit properly

back in its place

routine

he relies not on a watch for

time

but rather transition from light to dark

early evening

crickets chirping and moths fluttering

he's used to the harsh smell

of gasoline

and the soft, warm smell

of convenient store snacks

routine

exhaustion

desensitization

people he sees every day

people he will never see again

waiting to close

to leave to go home

WINDOWS

in front of me i see
rows packed full of cars
cars stopping at the signs
to yield to people passing by
nearing the front doors
between the window's frames

to the left i see the same
plus people who don't come in
but instead walk to another entrance

something is different today
a bellringer, ringing his bell
he takes pride in the purpose of his work
and opens the door invitingly

always smiling
always greeting warmly
to make up for the cold
always ringing his bell

though his shoes are worn
and his coat is not enough
he stands there, shivering
and smiling

Painting Narrative Poems

He lays in his bed unaware
This is his last moment alive
Danger and death everywhere
His fate is soon to arrive
How could he not see this coming
War rages outside his window
Relentlessly killing and fighting
He hides in his room, in a shadow
Marat is stabbed in his bed
And with him his last words are dead



Propaganda geniuses
Riding on a horse
Crossing the Alps
To conquer Italy
Propaganda geniuses
Actually rode a donkey
Didn't cross the Alps
Didn't conquer anything
Napoleon Bonaparte
Jacques-Louis David

Jacques-Louis David

Jacques-Louis David was a late 1700, early 1800 artist from France. He painted realism using oil on canvas and his work has inspired the modern romanticism style. David was born in 1748 and died in 1825. His father was Jacques-Maurice David and his mother was Marie-Genevieve Buron and he had no siblings. Jacques-Louis David was born into a prosperous family situation and got a good education at the College des Quatre-Nations and the Royal Academy in Louvre. A man named Francois Boucher was like a friend and mentor to him. He also had a good friend named Joseph-Marie Vien.
The French Revolution was taking place at the peak of David's career, so naturally the war played a bid role in his life and artwork. One of David's most famous pieces of work was a painting The Death of Marat which was based off of the actual death of his war friend Marat who was stabbed to death in his bed. This shows the brutality he faced in his reality at this time. He was imprisoned once during the revolution and still painted a masterpiece in his cell. Even Napoleon Bonaparte recognized his talent and they became close. When Bonaparte seized power he made David an official for the nation involving art. Bonaparte and David were huge propaganda influences. A well known painting of his called Napoleon on the Saint Bernard Pass shows Bonaparte crossing the Alps on a horse to conquer Ital, but in reality he did not cross the Alps to Italy and he traveled by donkey.

Art Walk

What I see...
I picked out a painting that has blue-green splotches on a mostly white background.

What it reminds me of...
It made me think of teardrops that have fallen onto a piece of paper.

How it makes me feel...
It kind of gives me the feeling of being jaded. Like imagine if you were crying deeply over something for a long time, then when you stop and take a minute to calm down, you look down at the teardrops and don't feel anything at all but exhausted.

My Future In Writing

Three Interesting Ideas From The 417 Magazine Presentation
1. I love the fact that they started out so so small and just kept working very hard and eventually they were able to expand their building and hire more people. It shows that the people there are very hard working and take what they do very seriously.
2. Not only was I inspired by their work ethic, I was also inspired by their purpose. The staff at 417 Magazine put so much love and care into their work and really believe in the message--they want to show all the great things about the culture of southern Missouri. They combined their two passions: art and the 417.
3. I was really interested in what the senior editor had to say because I have been thinking about perusing that as a career. I thought it was interesting that the editors also did the writing instead of having writers.

My Question:
What  is the job outlook for editors? Are editors in demand right now or is it hard to find a job in editing?

My Future:
In one year from now I'll be in college, furthering my education. In five years I'll be living in California in a nice lift near the beach. I'll be an editor for a newspaper or magazine. And I will probably spend a lot of time surfing with my friends. In fifty years I'll be in the same place, surrounded by loved one--friends, kids, church family.

Famous First And Last Lines Of Books

"The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there."  - The Go-Between (1953)
Author Summary:
The author of The Go-Between is L.P. Hartley. This is his most well-know piece of writing. Hartley was born December of 1895 and died 76 years later in December 1972. He was a student at Oxford University.
Book Summary:
Leo is a young boy who is going to stay the summer with his friend, Marcus, who he knows from boarding school. Marcus' family is very wealthy. Leo really likes Marcus' older sister, Marian. He is a very naive kid. He helps Marian by delivering messages between Marian and a lower class boy named Ted. Eventually Marian goes on to marry a wealthy man, but Ted's reputation somehow was ruined. Years later Leo visits Marian and she tells him that her brothers and her husband were all killed in World War One.





"Maybe I will go to Paris. Who knows? But I’ll sure as hell never go back to
Texas again." - The Final Country (2001)
Author Summary:
James Crumley is the author of this book. He was born in October of 1939 and died in September of 2008. He was educated at the University of Iowa. He wrote novels, short stories, essays, and screenplays.
Book Summary:
This book is about a man named Milo who moves from Montana to Texas and is becoming bored with his life there as a businessman. He has a midlife crisis and becomes a private investigator. He begins his search for a missing girl and gets caught up in a lot of violence with drug dealers and more. The book is action packed with plot twists.










Maybe I will go to Paris. Who knows? But I’ll sure as hell never go back to

Memorable Passage

“Success is determined not by whether or not you face obstacles, but by your reaction to them. And if you look at these obstacles as a containing fence, they become your excuse for failure. If you look at them as a hurdle, each one strengthens you for the next.” 
― Ben Carson: Gifted Hands

This is the best explanation I've ever read about success. Ben Carson is my favorite success story. He was a troubled kid who grew up poor and he always thought he was not as smart as the other students. His mother pushed him to always try very hard in school to get a good education. He grew up and became an extremely successful neurosurgeon who loves the Lord. God and his effort helped him figure out how to separate conjoined twins at the head--this man, who once thought he was too dumb to pass a spelling test! It's amazing that his fixed mindset turned into a growth mindset and now he ecourages all children to do the best that they can do in EVERYTHING they do! And now he's running for president of the United States! When I read this passage I think of all his accomplishments and think, if he can do all this in life, what's stopping me from achieving my own success?

Six Word Memoirs

every weekend with different people lately

hi im piper, what's your sign?

you think you're such a saint

still love you, but screw you

you are grimes, i am miley

i don't know what i want

My Favorite Quotations

"Brutes have been gentled where lashes failed.
The growth of a frail flower in a path up
has sometimes shattered and split a rock."
- Carl Sandburg: A Father To His Son
This quote is saying that sometimes in life it is best to be gentle and easygoing rather than hostile because it can leave a stronger effect. This is important to me because I usually react too harshly to things that would turn out better if I were to be kind. When I have followed this quote in life I've seen things work out better for everyone in the long run.

"They say love grows, but I've only seen it die.
I'm too young to feel like I'm running out of time."
- Miley Cyrus: I Get So Scared
This first verse from Miley's song is very accurate in my opinion. All around me I see relationships ending and I don't see them continuing to grow stronger after a long time--it's more like they reach a peak and then go downhill. I'm too young to be worried that I won't find real, unconditional love for the people in my life and that if I do, it'll be too late.

“There’s what’s right and there’s what’s right and never the twain shall meet.”
- H.I. McDunnough
This is a playoff of a poem by Rudyard Kipling that says “Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet.” which actually goes on to explain that people who are completely different can still understand each other. I'm not sure what the Coen brother's meant by this version when that added it to the movie but it makes you think...
http://www.quotecounterquote.com/2011/02/east-is-east-and-west-is-west-and-never.html 

Dream Thread Story

I feel a soft, cool breeze on my face but my neck is hot and the rest of my body is numb. Slowly I open my eyes to see a grey sky boarded by the tops of snow-covered pine trees. I'm not sure where I am or why I'm here.
"Ow!"
I feel a sharp pain on my side as I shift to sit upright. There is severe bruising and a deep laceration that I can't even feel unless I move. As I try to stand to my feet my breath feels short and my vision goes completely dark. I fall back down to sit because I must be having a panic attack or something. Then I remember my glasses... which should be on my face? I feel around in the snow and find them. I still can't see anything clearly because everything looks so dark and I put my glasses on but they don't help.
"Okay. Breathe... Just breathe."
I open my eyes again and the darkness is gone but my vision is blurred. In frustration I throw my glasses into the snow, but to my surprise everything is clear now. In fact, everything is amazing! I can see perfectly--even better than my glasses ever let my see!
I hear a rustling sound to  my left and turn to see a bear. Even more startling than that is the fact that I can see THROUGH the bear--like I'm standing here watching it's heart beat! Looking around I notice my vision shifting from normal to, like....x-ray?
What the hell happened to me?

Writers As Readers

1.) When you read, what do you need to be comfortable?
Zero distractions. I think that I can read in pretty much any quiet space so when it comes to what I need to be comfortable the only thing that comes to mind is quiet and a comfy chair. No blanket, no snacks, no particular amount of lighting (although, obviously, I'll need to be able to see the words). I'm a very particular person, usually, but when it comes to reading I'm not picky.
2.) What genres interest you? What specifically about these genres interest you?
I really love suspenseful action books. Something like mystery would interest me.I also like a little bit of fantasy. The perfect combination of these would be a book about a superhero or something, like how in ASHES the main character and a few other people suddenly got extraordinary abilities such as enhanced sense of smell or vision and they were fighting to stay alive post-apocalypse. It also helps to have a little bit of romance added to the story but I wouldn't say romance novels are really my thing.
5.) Have you ever picked up a book and been excited to turn the next page, then the next, then the next? What book? Why couldn't you stop reading? Is there a book you just had to trudge through to finish?
Like I mentioned before, ASHES is the perfect combination of genres for me. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next! The book even worked it's way into my dreams some nights. Although it's basically a book about zombies (which is not something I ever thought I would want to read), it was actually very interesting and it was more than just "a book about killing zombies." There were plenty of surprising new twists that kept me wanting to read more.
One of the worst books I have ever read was Numbering The Bones. I read it when I was pretty young because it was assigned to me for school so it was probably beyond my reading level, but I promised myself that I'd never pick up that book again and I am going to keep that promise. I hated this book with all my heart. I don't really remember what it was about (the civil war/slavery I think) which is probably because I wasn't really paying attention to what was happening--I just needed to get the grade and then forget about that boring book forever.

Caged Bird: I Don't Know Why...

I don't know why they don't trust me
I've never given them reason not to
I don't know why they don't understand
I think I've been pretty clear
I don't know why they can't give me my space
They keep pushing me farther and farther away
I don't know why they trap me in this cage...
as if someday I won't escape?

If I Were In Charge Of The World

If I were in charge of the world I'd cancel cheesecake, rainy days, slow drivers, and also staying late at work.
If I were in charge of the world there'd be fair government, friendships without flaws, and cheaper healthy food option.
If I were in charge of the world you wouldn't have homework. You wouldn't have fat. You wouldn't have stress. Or "that's weird." You wouldn't even have "weird."
If I were in charge of the world a mint chocolate-chip milkshake would be a vegetable. All bugs would stay away from people and a person who sometimes forgot to smile and sometimes forgot to text back would still be allowed to be in charge of the world.

Purple

Her life was lived in blue. Her eyes pulled you in; suddenly you were lost at sea. She painted with the same brush, unwashed, dipped in dark hues and light tints to create a splotchy sky--this is how she felt most of the time. Vibrant lights above the bar made her skin look pale and sickly late into the night. She'd watch her delphiniums lean low under the weight of winter's snow.
His life was lived in red. Skin warm to the touch; he looked you in the eyes and your cheeks went flush. He spoke the language of your love so you'd allow him the rite of passage to your rapidly beating heart. Even when a party was over, he'd let the fire burn bright late into the night. He'd pull up in a cocky crimson corvette. It took a lot to get him riled him up, but when he was his anger was hot.
When they met their world went purple. Sometimes soft, gentle moments; sometimes powerful perse passion. Their strongly opposing condition completed each other. He became her intense flame, while she was his light late into the night.

Maya Angelou

1.) We talked about the title of Maya Angelou's first autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. What did Angelou say is the reason a caged bird sings? What does That mean? Do you agree with or understand that idea?
The reason the caged bird sings is because it feels trapped and the singing is actually more like a cry for help. "The caged bird sings of freedom." I do agree with this idea even though I had never even thought of it like that before. This poem is so relatable for me and I'm sure for almost everyone. We all feel trapped sometimes like the caged bird, seeing other people free/successful/happy.
2.) Maya Angelou's work celebrates "the universal human power to triumph over adversity." Do you personally have that power? How do you know? When have you had to use it? Or when have you observed someone else use that power?
I believe that everyone has that power whether or not they want to use it, or whether or not they even believe they have it. I know this because even though I am a pessimist most of the time, I can still find positive outcomes from negative events.Like the caged bird, there was a time when I felt trapped in my home under my parents' strict rules and judgement. Finally, when I turned eighteen, my parents and I got into a huge fight over something small and I decided I wanted to get out of the house for a little bit, but they wouldn't let me leave even though I am of legal age to go wherever I want whenever I want! They took my car keys so I walked out of the house and got a ride from a friend. All of their stalking and calling became too much for me so I decided not to come home until they stopped and gave me the freedom to make my own decisions. I didn't see my parents for a week. Even though this was one of the worst experiences of my life, I knew that in the end I would have the freedom I always wanted and needed. Now I feel like I can my adversity and finally be me.
3.) Angelou says she doesn't even like to talk about her bad dreams because talking about them "gives them too much power." Do you think talking about bad dreams or bad news or other bad things gives those bad things more power? When have you known this to happen?
This is so true! If you let a bad thought about yourself stay on your mind or come out of your mouth very much, you are basically adding fuel to the fire and that bad thought can take over! Likewise when you give good thoughts attention you also give them power. If you think badly about your body image, like maybe you think you're too fat because somebody teased you, you could lead yourself to having an eating disorder if you give the thought too much power. Or if you lose a close friend and feel lonely, you might let yourself think that you'll never be that close to anyone again.
4.) Angelou and many others suggest that dreams "tell the truth about us. Do you think dreams reveal things about us that we may not realize or that others don't see? Can you recount a dream that revealed something about you that you were surprised, ashamed, terrified, etc. by?
Most of my dreams are really weird and confusing, but I don't think that any dream comes into your head for no reason (whether or not you ever know that reason). There is one dream that I had reoccurringly for a long, long time in which I was being chased/I was running away from something but couldn't ever truly get away. The scene of my dream was always different and so was whatever I was running from (sometimes I think I couldn't identify what I was running from so it may have been nothing at all). But after I left home for that one traumatic week, I stopped having that dream. Was the dream correlated to that? Was I really just trying to run from the pressure of my parents' watchful eyes? Possibly. I guess that makes sense.

SUNNY APRICOTS

Freedom waffles from Gailey's
Revive my appetite
On slow paced
Snow days
To help me stay awake and
Energized as I
Dive into another adventure.

On any other day I'd be
Relaxing at home
And eating junk that is
Not even hardly comparable to
Gailey's freedom waffles.
Everyone should try them.

Warren's Occult Museum: The Giraffe Figurine

It is a cold, dark morning in February. Johnny, Mathilda, and Grace had been eyeing that "haunted" house at the end of their street since they were little kids. Today is the day. As they get closer, their pace slows down.
Finally, the house is right there staring angrily down at them as if to say they are not welcome on it's lawn. No playing around anymore, this time they were going in no matter what.
One by one they each step through the door, wooden floor creaking creepily beneath their feet. The house is stacked floor to ceiling, wall to wall with junk leaving only a narrow space for a walkway. Johnny hesitated for a moment then continued on between the clutter, leading the way for Mathilda and Grace.
The space around the walkway opened up to a much larger room. The room was very dim but all around there were small glass boxes on pedestals with objects inside. Grace saw no overhead light and turned around to see if there was even a light switch on the wall.
"Can I...help you kids?" Upon seeing an old man slouched over in a chair, Grace stumbled back in shock and bumped into one of the glass boxes. She turned again to see if it would fall over. The box stayed in its place but as she stared a moment longer, the small, tipped over giraffe figurine stood upright now its own. The only thing that can be heard is the sound of hearts beating fast.
"Can I help you?" the man said again in the same monotone way.
"Who are you?" Johnny demanded. "What's going on?"
"Who do you think...I live here. You're in my house."
"We...didn't know! I'm so sorry, we'll leave."
But the house is in no condition for living. Where is the bed? Why is that toy giraffe in a box? And why did it move?! So Mathilda, being bold in every way, asked the old man just that.
The man began to tell the story of a little boy who wandered in the house carrying that giraffe. But the boy was not welcome, he said. The boy didn't knock. So the man killed the boy who now lives through the small giraffe figurine, just like other intruders living through objects in the other boxes.
The three kids looked around to see the objects moving. Shaking. Faster and faster.
Johnny bursted with awkward laughter saying, "uh, right...well yeah we were just going to leave."
They heard the front door slam shut and that was the last sound they ever heard again.

I AM

I am…

a classic Type A personality

a Christian; a member of the Seventh Day Adventist church

a Virgo, Scorpio, and Sagittarius

a thinker more than a doer

pescatarian in practice, but vegan at heart

high stress, but low maintenance

honest, punctual, and curious

sometimes too cautious, always too impatient, and often too bold

full of contradictions

I am…

simple patterns

iced coffee in the afternoon

comfy clothes and messy hair

the satisfaction of balancing in a new yoga pose

the shades of the pink/purple sunset

always learning something new

obsessed with my best friends

calm music

sentimental experiences

anything fuzzy and soft

weird smoothie concoctions

standing still to watch the concert

still holding onto the past