The travelers had finally stopped for a break at the What-A-Burger at the South Highway . The freezing air outside was an icy, frigid hand on your back. You could feel the warmth rush through your body when you stepped inside. After these travelers had eaten from the All-you-can-eat-Buffet, they settled down and waited until the stories would begin again. The swimmer stood up and with excitement started to tell her story:…
Twenty-two years ago on January 4th, 1994, Taryn Staley was up at Finny Cumberlane to celebrate Gary’s, Taryn’s brother, fifteenth birthday. It was her mom, her step dad, her friend (Amy), Gary, her mom’s friend, four or five of Gary’s friends, and herself who traveled up the Finny Cumberlane mountain side. Their day was spent playing in the snow and snowboarding on the small, snow-capped mountain, but the day took a turn for the worse on their way home. “At 10:00 AM everyone met at our house in Burlington with their snowboarding gear, extra clothes, etc. We also loaded up a camp stove, pans, cups, cocoa and a pot of chile with freetos dip chips for lunch.…
Moving Again Have you ever moved schools? Have you lost friends? Well it really stinks. Moving schools have affected me for lots of reasons, but I am getting better.…
So it started out as a normal school day and as we were coming back from lunch we all went to the restroom and only six of us got taken. As we were using the restroom Andrew Myers, Jahzara Mckinney, Kadance Gravely, Maddox Lyons, Hayden Elliott, Kaylie Hawks and myself were pulled into the sewers and through a pipe that somehow took us to a island. We were stranded there by ourselves the island was like a forest in a way it has tall redwood trees high grass like the jungle and a beautiful glossering pond. So as we were there we were all panicking then I just got really quiet. We went to bed and the next morning Hayden and Jahzara were fighting over food we had from killing Andrew we had a lot of food left over from yesterday but both Jahzara and Hayden wanted that same piece.…
The long June nightfall blurred into night. Dublin lay wrapped in haziness yet for the diminish light of the moon that shone through warm mists, giving a pale light a role as of moving toward sunrise over the avenues and the dull waters of the Liffey. Around the ambushed Four Courts the overwhelming weapons thundered. All over through the city, assault rifles and rifles ended the hush of the night, uncontrollably, similar to pooches yapping on solitary ranches. Republicans and Free Staters were pursuing common war.…
He yanks me from my bed and shoves me into the bathroom; I try screaming for help but I know that no one can help me. I am alone, trapped in this endless abusive relationship that I can’t seem to let go of. He locks the door and tells me to shut up or my mom will hear me, and I quickly obey to his rules. I feel the warm wet tears rushing down my face as I begin the agonizing process with my head in the toilet, throat burning, heart aching… as Ed began to slowly take away my entire self-worth one piece at a time. When Ed gave me this willpower over food and told me how perfect he could make me I knew I wanted him to be part of my life.…
Okay, that was really weird and I don't understand anything. We were waiting to talk to you, my mother wanted to apologize for having moved away, she was not feeling well, it was too hot in the middle of all those people. We were talking about calling you into a cafe when we turned you were leaving the room with a couple. As I said understand anything.…
Journal Ed Welch talked about how our histories can impact us, particularly in dealing with conflict. God used this to help me see how I approach conflict as a gardener would his garden. I have a family member who approaches it more like a sword-yielding gladiator, and this has led to struggles. Realizing these differences has vastly improved our relationship. A dear friend of mine recently experienced a conflict with another individual.…
When I was young, it was always a competition to be my grandma’s favorite. There were fifteen grandchildren in the family, and being her favorite meant we were given numerous privileges. The privileges consisted of anything from being the one who gets the most money on Christmas, getting to choose the family dinner on every Friday night, or best of all we were allowed to sit next to her at church on Sunday. We were the racecar drivers in a NASCAR race, swerving, causing the cars to smash into the walls to prevent them from the checkered flag. At age four, I was in the middle of the pack, and I knew I had to find something that none of my fellow competitors knew.…
After a few long hours, I am awakened by a slight tap on my hand which is hanging over the small bench. I peek my bright green eyes open and squint from the blazing sun in the distance. I look around and don’t see anything that caused the tapping. I sit up, yawn, and scratch at my feline-like ears. I yawn once more and stretch my stiff human bones.…
Everyone remembers the day it came. I was just doing normal kid stuff when I heard a loud bang. I didn’t think much of it because there was occasionally loud noises in the area so I went on with my day as if nothing had happen. Later that night I woke up to an uneasy feeling that something bad had happen but I just tried to go back to bed.…
Acres to Thank I am thankful I have a place to go, A place of my own. Where the stars shine bright in the dark, My mother explaining all to me. Where the water glistens in the sunlight, My father playing with me. Where the earth crunches under my feet,…
I was not used to being clueless. Just as for many teenagers, when I got my license a new world was open to me. This was certainly a world where I had more freedom, and I had to learn how to navigate it, in more ways than one. Learning how to communicate with my parents as an adult was not easy. My new found freedom came with the catch of proving to them that I would be responsible and reliable.…
Bah! Ouch! “Why would you shoot my face!?” My brother and I were outside playing with dirt and Nerf Guns. It was mid afternoon a windy summer day, when we heard hollering inside the house.…
I cooked my first homemade meal when I was about 9 years old, my mother taken sick, so I had no chose but to use the skills Aunt Nina taught me. I cooked, Liver and Onion, bean, rice and green beans. My parents said that they enjoyed it. I didn’t know, I just called myself helping mom. I remember my dad saying to me, little girl, one day you’re going to be a great cook.…