Narrative by Bethany S. (12)

In the spring of 2020, three friends named Jeffrey, Bob, and Jimmy found themselves in the middle of a scary catastrophe. They were each 18 years old. Every day, they loved to walk and talk on their way to school.

Until…

One day in school, they saw a prom poster. “Ooh—it's on a boat,” Bob read out loud.

They took a flyer and went to Pan’s clothes shop and picked out their tuxedos, bought them, and went home to change into pjs and headed to sleep dreaming about the big event tomorrow.

The next day, they hopped in the car and went to the prom. They were so excited to see their friends and get some cake. They danced to some music and then went for some more food, and all three of them chilled at a table and chatted about how much fun they were having.

Then…

Jeffrey said, “Let’s go see the captain and the bridge.” Then Bob and Jimmy said, “Yeah, sure. I love that stuff." So, they walked upstairs, and they were all frozen in flight!

The captain of the ship was on the ground. They ran to help. "Ah," Jeffrey screamed. “I think he’s having a heart attack," Jimmy said. “We have to help.”

Jimmy started to think. "OK," he said. “Bob, you get the nurse.” “OK! ” Bob said, then ran off.

As the three friends were helping the captain, suddenly, everyone on the party deck started screaming.

“What’s wrong? ” Jimmy said, checking his surroundings. “The Cliff,” said Jeffrey, "we're heading right for it!" "Oh no," Jimmy said. “I will steer the boat away."

Meanwhile, the nurse came running upstairs to the bridge and started to give the captain an aspirin, while Bob called 911.

Jeffrey got everyone back to land safely, and the ambulance was there and took the captain to the hospital in a hurry. After all of the partygoers exited the ship, Bob, Jeffrey, and Jimmy walked off, and everyone started cheering in joy and appreciation for their heroic act of bravery.

After an interesting night, they all headed home.

The next day…

Bob and Jimmy went to Jeffrey’s house. They were having fun playing a video game called Land of Plums. They loved that game; it was when you had to beat plums with a bat until there were none left. But each level gets harder and harder.

So, they kept playing until there were no plums left, and the round was over. The phone started to ring. Jeffery shouted. “I’ll get it." He answered the phone and said, “Hello, how can I help you? This is Bob."

“Hi, is this Bob, Jeffrey, and Jimmy? ” Then he recognized that voice. “I remember that voice; it was a scream,” he thought. “Yes, is this the captain from prom? ” He spoke. “Yes, it is."

Jimmy froze and said, “One minute, please.” "Ok," the captain said.

Then Jimmy covered the phone with his hand and said, “Guys, come over here; it's the captain from last night." "Oh, really? It is? "Bob and Jeffrey said." Then Jeffrey said, “Sorry about that. I got my other friends over; Bob and Jimmy are over.”

"Hi," Jimmy and Jeffrey said. Then the captain said, “Thank you so much for saving my life last night. I will have a huge surprise for you. All you have to do is come to school tomorrow. Dressed nicely.”

“OK?” They said in question.

So they hung up and continued to play their game. Then it was time for dinner, and they had pizza with a heavy coat of cheese. It was their favorite food to ever get; that’s what they got at Jimmy’s house when they hung out.

After dinner, it was time to go home. Bob hopped in his car with his mom, and Jimmy did with my mom. As we left, Jimmy waved bye; we waved back, smiling in the car, and headed home, got their PJs on, and chilled until it was time for bed.

The next day…

They walked to school and were excited for whatever it was the captain had planned for them. As they got closer to the school, they saw something new in front of the building. It was a statue of them, all three of them, in front of the school building. It was silver, with them smiling and standing together. It was as if we were protecting the school.

They were in shock. “How did the school afford this? ” Bob said. “Oh my gosh,” Jimmy and Bob said in shock. But at the same time, they were happy with smiles on their faces.

They walked into school, waiting for the next surprise. They opened the door.

But…

No one was there; they were confused, so they walked through the halls. And Jimmy said, “Let’s look in the cafeteria." "Ok," Bob and Jeffry said. They headed towards the cafeteria and heard a crowd.

They walked through the doors. And everyone looked at them and started clapping and shouting. They started smiling big. Smiling so much, we might have cried in joy a little bit. The captain and principal were standing on the little stage.

The crowd was so loud that he had to wave the boys over and walk on stage. They sat down where there were 3 seats.

The crowd finally calmed down.

The captain spoke to the crowd, “Hello, I am the captain of the prom boat. I had a heart attack, and these 3 boys saved my life and yours. I am so thankful for these boys. They saved my life today. I gathered you all here to thank these 3 magnificent boys. Thank you for your time.”

Then the music started to play. The captain got 3 medals. And placed them on their neck and said, "Thank you. I am so blessed to have you in my life and there for me." At that point, Jimmy, Bob, and Jeffry started crying in joy. The last time, the crowd started shouting. They walked off the stage and led the school out of the building. They had a half day; that was the happiest day of their lives.

Ever since then, the school and the statue were still there. Every day on their way to work, they would each pass it sometime in their day. Every time they would look and smile big. And remembers that day; it truly was the best day of their lives.

Narrative by Lilliana G. (11)

On a Tuesday morning, the halls of Ridgeview Middle usually echo with lockers slamming and people yelling across the hallway, but that morning felt… muted, like the whole school was holding its breath.

I was grabbing books from my locker when I heard a metal clink from the east hallway—the one “under renovation." Nobody goes there

“Hello?” I called. No answer.

Classes got weirder by the hour. Kids were getting called to the office and never coming back. Even the teachers vanished. Everyone joked about it, but I could see the fear in their eyes. I felt it too.

Finally, I decided to check the east hallway myself. Maybe I was being stupid, but I needed to know.

As I stepped in, the lights flickered overhead. That’s when Maya appeared behind me.

“Jake, what are you doing?” she whispered. “People who go down here don’t return ”.

“Exactly,” I said. “Let’s find our why.”

We pushed deeper until we found an open classroom door. Inside, it was pitch-black and freezing. Then we heard it—a faint, shaky voice.

“Help…”

Maya grabbed my sleeve. “Jake… please don't."

But I stepped inside. My phone’s flashlight caught a torn hole in the wall, and someone was stumbling out.

It was Tommy.

“Run,” he gasped. “Before it—"

A scraping sound rose from the darkness.

We didn’t wait. We dragged Tommy out and sprinted until we reached the main hallway—bright, loud, and normal. The scraping stopped instantly.

No one believed us. But I still hear that metal clink sometimes.

The thing in the hallway isn’t done.

The thing I will remember is bravery isn’t always about being safe—it's about stepping forward even when everything inside you screams to turn back.

The police got involved, and everyone was safe because of my bravery, but I will never know what was in there.

Narrative by Mariana M. (11)

Long ago, all beings, big and small, Vaponim, human, or critter, soul or body lived in peace, working as one to build a better world. But that was eons ago. Then, someone, or something, whose identity remains a mystery to many, appeared, wielding a sword that could crush the strongest of Vaponims and critters. It split the Earth in half and vanished without a trace. Quickly, the world was divided into two: Humans and Vaponims. Both sides often quarrel because everyone has their own ideas of which person from which side has split the world. Abruptly, war broke out: Vaponims versus Humans. Many had to mourn their loved ones who died in the war. After six continuous years, the two sides agreed: Vaponims are not allowed on the human side, and the same applies to the Humans, who are unable to enter the Vaponim side of the world.

“Well, that’s stupid,” I said. “All of this, we’ve been learning about the 'War Of The Torn.” since fourth grade.

Oh, wait, I forgot to introduce myself. Hi, I’m Dawn. I’m a part of the Vaponim side of the world. My two other Vaponim friends, Z00M1E and Kimono, are SO sick of this entire “No crossing edges policy.” We’ve been trying to find a way to disguise ourselves as humans to get to the other side with our sorcery, but we can’t make up a disguise realistic enough yet. And if you’re wondering, “What the what is Dawn talking about? ' Sorcery ' and 'Vaponim'?”

Well, Vaponim’s are like aliens. We have a small colored shape on our forehead showing what kind of Vaponim we are, a star being galactic, a heart being etheralatic, a triangle being pyrokinesis, in other words, it’s fire powers. A teardrop shape being aquakines (water powers) and a rumor about a square being penumbraic, like dark magic or something. (these powers are so original, right?? LOL)

I’m one of the galactic vaponims, Z00M1E is an aquakinesis, and Kimono is an etheralatic.

“I know, right? They should actually teach us something useful, like fighting! And using our powers more. Instead of the same war over and over again!” Declared Kimono. “Yeah, that would be totally gnarly; instead, they’re making us write more essays on the war.” Added Z00M1E.

“I mean, hey, cheer up!! Next year we’ll get to start aim training, I can’t wait!!” Kimono said with her overly bubbly personality, not gonna lie, though, it always cheers all of us up.

“For now, we need to find a way to make a better human disguise,” I said.

“We should make a plan instead.” Z00M1E suddenly said.

I raised a brow. “Go on,” I said.

“Well, Kimono can read books and try out sorcery to disguise herself and then tell us; I could draw or, like, create a plan, and you could work on your aim with your Parafix, just in case we end up in a uh…life or death situation?” Z00M1E said.

“Ookayy…Yeah, that seems like a good idea! right Dawn??!!” Said Kimono.

I thought about it for a second, then I concluded.

“Yeah, we could do that; we should use our critters as extra help too,” I said.

Now, time to explain what critters are.

Critters are like little pets, but with a twist. When you adopt one, it automatically has the same shape on its forehead as you, or it gains the same shape as what most of the family has if it's a family pet. It has most of the same sorcery powers as the Vaponims; they can also turn into a bigger, fiercer version of themselves. Humans have them too, but they can pick what shape their critter has. Long story short, they’re like Pokémon, but being able to talk and stand LOL.

I’ve got a calico cat named “Caliko” (Pronounced Ca-Lee-Ko), Kimono has an angel bunny named “Angelheart”, and Z00M1E has a Bat named “Tucker.” Now back to the story.

“YESSS, that would be such a good idea, I’d get to be with Angelheart all day!!” Gushed Kimono. “Mhm, Tucker would love some more time outside.” Said Z00M1E

“Alright, perfect, let’s get this essay over with and start the plan. Should we start on Monday?” I said. “Yep, sounds great.” Said Z00M1E. “Alrighty!!” Said Kimono.

A week later, we had gathered at Z00M1E’s house, which was always the quietest.

“Alright, team, what do we have?” I said.

“I learned a few spells, and I'm starting to master them more!! I’ve been looking a lot more human-like, take a look!!”

In just a few seconds, Kimono turned from an alien-looking pink-skinned creature into an almost human-like thing, skin more tan, and shape almost vanished.

“WOAHHH,” Z00M1E exclaimed in unison. “Cool, right??’’ said Kimono, “yeah, really sick Kim!!” I told Kimono. “Now, Z00M1E, what did you get?” I asked. “Hmmm.” Pondered Z00M1E “With some studying and my delightful artistic skill, I managed to find out the quickest, sneakiest, and most effective way to cross the border safely.” “Perfect, just what we need,” I said. “Now, my aim has gotten a lot better, and my sorcery has gotten stronger too, just in case of any threats,” I said quickly.

“Alright, so the plan is, meet up at each other's houses every day for 3 weeks, get better at…basically everything, and try to cross the border, right? Z00M1E asked.

“Correct, whilst also training our critters right?” Added Kimono. “Correct,” I said. “Team, GET TO WORK!!” I hollered.

For the next 3 weeks, we worked nonstop, strengthening our plan. We were exhausted but determined, and much, much more powerful. Our disguises perfectly matched a human, too.

We had a good night’s sleep and went off, notes to all our teachers and parents/family, hoping we would be able to see them once more.

Lots and lots of flying from Tucker and Angelheart, everything was fine, until it wasn’t. Suddenly, we hit a weird mirror thing.

“Ohh, so this was the alternate dimension thingies the books were talking about!!”

“THE WHAT!?!?!?!” Z00M1E and I both yelled out

“Geez, relax!! To get to the edge, you have to cross 3 different dimensions, each with its own battle or obstacle that won’t be a problem with our amount of power.” Reassured Kimono

“How come you never told us this? I thought there was only one dimension,” muttered Z00M1E. “THERE’S DIMENSIONS??” I shrieked, my heart pounding against my ribcage as if it were going 100 Vanometers an hour.

“It’s alright, Dawn, no need to get scared, I brought my book for a reason!” Kimono said, flipping through the pages. “Aha, here we go! The three dimensions of the Ununited Parafixes, Dimension One, Reflection of the Unknown. For this dimension, we must find the mirror in which our reflection has been untouched and perfect, then battle ourselves, literally, there are going to be doppelgängers of us, same shape, Parafixes, critters, sorcery, everything.” Said Kimono with a touch of uncertainty in her voice. “I’ll get to the other dimensions later.” She finished.

“Well, that’s going to be tough, same versions of us, and we have to find a mirror that’s the same, lord knows how many mirrors there might be,” I said, very scared, and practically hyperventilating.

“Dawn, chill, it's alright…We can confuse the doppelgängers with our human disguises. We’ll make a coordinated plan so they won’t see our next attack coming, Angelheart can use her auraindecing to sense the life in the mirror, Tucker can use his echoantilika to hear the distorted sounds on the bad mirrors, and Caliko can light up the way with his eyes,” Z00M1E said. She always knew how to help and to stay calm and collected.

We spent the next few minutes making a plan on how to defeat well…ourselves. Sure and unsure; all at the same time, filled with adrenaline, we started. Sure enough, we quickly started to get near the mirror, Angelheart’s heart pulsing faintly with each reading.

“H-here! It’s the mirror..! Said Angelheart in her very small, mouse-like voice. “Aw yeah!! Finally, it’s the mirror!” Said Tucker. “Meowthh! You’re welcome for lighting up the path for you guys, hehe,” said Caliko with his cockiness, still very happy to help his friends.

“Alright, guys…ready..?” “Ready as I’ll ever be, but there’s still more ahead,” I said, shaking in fear but determined. “Yep!! totally ready!” Said Kimono.

“Oh great, more mirrors…yay…” Said Z00M1E very sarcastically.

“Huh, who are you..? The fake version of me narrowed her eyes, “Where are the vaponims we are supposed to fight?”

I uh…er…They cannot battle you today; the girls sent us as a backup, and all of them have fallen terribly ill,” I said

“We are not unintelligent.” We know you're trying to cross the border. There’s no use in lying dirty rascals!! said the fake version of me in an exasperated tone.

“Well, playtime’s over. Come on, guys, gear up and fight. Followed by a quiet, “Ready for the plan?” from Z00M1E.

We changed into our regular Vaponim bodies. We then started battling.

“CALIKO, GEAR UP AND GET WILD, QUICK, STAR-SHOOTER TACKLE.” followed by my star-shooter parafix, with the flick of my fingers, not only was the fake Caliko down, but I had managed to slash the fake me’s left eye, and it was slowly disintegrating into dust.

“ANGELHEART, LOVE-SHOT DIZZINESS,” and Kimono's famous “AND FOR ME THE ONE AND ONLY KIMONO, THE LEGENDARY, HURRICANE CUPID BOW.”

Sending fake Kimono and fake Angelheart dizzy, hurt, and tired from the hurricane. Yet another one down, and for Z00M1E,

“ALRIGHT TUCKER, SLIP-SIDE RIVER.” Then followed by a very quick summon waves of water from Z00M1, cutting fake Tucker and Z00M1E, and again, watching them all disintegrate before our own eyes. We quickly disguised our human forms and went on to the second challenge.

“Well, that sure was…quite easy, hey, our training paid off! We’re naturals!!” Cheered Kimono very enthusiastically with her voice, sweet like sugar.

“Yeah, we gotta thank our critters over here, they were the backbone of the fight.” Said Z00M1E

“Couldn’t agree more, thanks, guys,” I said with a grin.

“Now for our next dimension,” Kimono continued quickly, “Let’s see, let’s see, let’s see,” again flipping through pages, “Got it!! For our next dimension, we must explore an abandoned factory and complete ten machines with oil. We must be on the lookout, though, because ghosts will try to possess the machines, and if we go on the machine while it's possessed, the ghost will drain all the completion from two machines. A way we can tell if the machine is possessed is if the red light on top flickers blue, or if a machine looks like it’s finished but the red light didn’t turn green, or if the “red light” also flickers blue. Kimono finished reading, out of breath.

“Okay, that doesn't seem too bad? Let’s get it over with,” I said as we started to walk into the portal and into the factory.

A few minutes later, we had finished 3 of the machines quickly, and Z00M1E was on another.

“Heya, Tuck, wanna check this mac out and see if it has any ghosts?” Said Z00M1E, “Sure thing, Zoom!” Tucker then used his X-ray vision to check for ghosts; it was a big help to us all. “All clear, no ghosts!” said Tucker very enthusiastically

A few minutes later, we were on the last machine and ready to go. “Alright, let me do this machine,” I said, then once I got on it, and there it was!! 2 more machines we had to finish, I audibly sighed and got really mad. “GRAHH HOW COULD I NOT HAVE CHECKED FOR GHOSTS UGHHHH” Yeahh..it wasn’t very pretty HAHA.

“It’s alright, Dawn, we all make mistakes, it's just two machines!!” Everyone assured me it was okay, and then Kim and Zoom did the last two machines.

“FINALLY THE LAST DIMENSION, I'M SO TIREDDD” Kimono said in a whiny baby voice, “Caliko and Angelheart joined her, “AH YESS, WHATEVER WILL WE DO SO TIREDDD *SIGH*.” We all had a quick laugh about it and went back to work…unfortunately.

“Alrighty, the last challenge is a scavenger hunt. “How original,” all the critters said together. “I know, right?? Said Kimono, “Now, back to where I was, here’s what we have to do on the scavenger hunt. We’re gonna have to go through a dark and swampy forest to capture critter faeries and bring them back to their rightful owners. There are 5 critters, 3 dogs, 2 cats.” Kimono said overly invested in the book.

“This is going to be insanely long and boring, capturing small critters that can fly away in a huge forest..? *sigh*” Z00M1E said, obviously tired and very droopy. “Let’s just f-finish this last dimension and rest for the night,” said Angelheart.

“Good idea,” Everyone said in unison.

“GOT ONE!!” said Kimono. It was only our second one in an hour and a half.

“Sick, three more to go now.” Said Z00M1E,

“Let me go fly up and try to spot any from above,” Said Angelheart. “I’ll join ya!” said Tucker. “Let me know if ya’ll see any, I’ll tell the others!!” Said Caliko.

Twenty-five minutes later, we had finally captured all the faeries.

“Found the last one!” Said Tucker happily, we quickly rushed to it, returned it to the houses, and made our way to the border.

Thirty minutes later, we were at the edge…

“No way…WE’RE FINALLY AT THE BORDER!!!, LET ME TAKE A MPHOTO!” (Like a normal human photo, but we can do it with our minds, then transport it to a device hehe) Kimono exclaimed and started jumping up and down rapidly.

“Now, remember the plan, in fifteen vanomins we make a run for it when the guards switch shifts, if they see us run as fast as you can and make a new disguise,” I said. “DO NOT at ALL COSTS let them capture you, use your parafix/sorcery if you have to”

Swiftly and quietly, we made our way across the border, took a few Mphotos and…

“WOAH, this is so cool!! It’s a lot like the Vaponim side. “Let’s grab something to eat and sleep, alright?” Said Z00M1E

“Sounds great, we grabbed some bagels (Luckily we have the same money as the humans) and went to sleep in the clouds.

Day two, we got up and explored the place, used some special tricks up our sleeves, and managed to get to an underground base.

“Oh my…This has the square symbol. It was the rumored square Vaponim that split the world!!” Kimono said, visibly worried.

My legs turned into jelly, and I broke into a cold sweat. It was clear everyone else felt the same.

“I suppose we have to go in, right..?” Said Caliko, “Yes, unfortunately, we do.” I said.

We pushed and pushed at the entrance, but it didn’t budge. With some sorcery, we finally managed to get it open.

We were greeted by an old, wrinkly woman whose face was barely visible. But there it was, very clearly, the purple square on her forehead.

She was startled.

“WHO ARE YOU…wait, you're not supposed to be here…her face was drained of all color as she looked at us “humans”.

We undid our disguises, and the color came back to her face when she saw we were fellow Vaponims.

“IT'S YOU!” Z00M1E yelled, “YOU ARE THE ONE WHO SPLIT THE WORLD!!”

“Yes…yes…it is I, I am the one who did such a shameful act. I forever live in regret.” Said the old woman.

“But…w-why..? why would you do such a thing if you now live in regret,” I said.

“Now you see, child.” The old woman started. “I was young and dumb, one of my human friends used me only for popularity and power,” The old woman said. “It drove me mad, I spent hours in this very lab creating the most powerful sword so that Vaponims no longer had to be used by Humans, I though i was doing something right, but as it turns out, I created war. And that war then drove me insane. I now spend hours trying to find a way to put the world back together. Forgive me, children and critters. Please. “The old woman pleaded.

“We won't forgive you just yet, but…There is something you could do for us.” I informed the woman.

“What is it!! I'll do anything!!” Said the old woman.

“We have an idea on how to put the world back together, but we need your help.” And so, we told her our plan and…

We were back at the borders, using all our Parafixes and sorcery with all of our power, creating a potion we sprinkled on the border and…

BOOM!!!

A very loud sound of the borders being put back together, everybody was frantic and confused about what was happening. We explained to everybody that with some classes and time, the humans and Vaponims would all live in peace in harmony again as they once did.

Back at the lab, the old woman gave me the sword and said this: “Take care of this sword with your friends, you will one day rule, all three of you girls, I believe in it.”

And two months later…

The old woman (who goes by Maribeth) asked for forgiveness and was granted just that. She is now taking classes with everyone else on getting along with one another; there is much construction all around. And we are all slowly adapting to the old ways; a few human kids have been coming to the Vaponim school, too.

Kimono and Z00M1E got elected as the school presidents, and everything's been going awesome.

A cheers on the team? I said. “Cheers!!” Me, Kimono, Z00M1E, all raised our glasses, (And Caliko, Angelheart, and Tucker with their little treats)

Operation success!! Team Patchers and Best friends for life!! And took a sip from our glasses.

Narrative by Sullivan O. (12)

This story is about the Hill family getting a slithery surprise in their home and having to deal with it in a pretty crazy way.

On Sunday, October 26th, Brian Hill, a 12-year-old boy who grew up in the suburbs of Minnesota, was going to the Cider Mill for a family outing since they hadn’t been on one since June.

He vaulted out of his bed like it was the Olympic high jump and went into his bathroom to get ready.

As he was brushing his teeth, he heard a blood-curdling scream that made him choke on his toothbrush.

He ran to his balcony, and when he heard another scream, he realized it was his mom who was screaming.

“Mom, MOM!” Brian said as he practically flew down the stairs. He came down to see his mom, cowering on the counter, deeply afraid of something in the dining area.

“What happ—" Brian turned around slowly to see a king cobra, slithering along the hardwood and shimmering in the warm light of the morning sun like a freshly polished gold bar.

“How did a cobra get in here!” Brian exclaimed.

“I accidentally left the backdoor open, and it snuck in here while I was cleaning," his mom replied.

“What are we supposed to do about this, and where is Dad?” Brian asked. “Your father is calling animal control right now.” His mom replied.

Suddenly, the cobra started dashing towards Brian, weaving through chairs and dodging plastic cups being thrown at it. Brian ran into the living room and jumped up on top of his mantelpiece in fear.

“Oh my god, why is it so aggressive? I didn’t provoke him; he provoked me, in fact!” Brian shouted. “It thinks we’re in its territory,” his mom said. “I learned that from your dad.” She added.

And then Brian remembered, not only was his dad an expert on snakes, but he also used to play professional baseball before he married my mom.

Brian leapt off the mantelpiece, almost breaking it, and sprinted towards his parents’ room. “What are you doing?” His mom seldom shouted. “Don’t worry about it.” He replied. He ran into the room and locked the door. He heard his mom’s muffled voice say, “You know you’re not allowed in there!” but Brian didn’t care.

He walked up to a dusty chest in the corner of the room and put in the code 37249. He heard a click and opened the chest to see his dad’s old baseball bat, shining in the lamplight.

He grabbed the bat and opened the door. His mom was still on the counter but now looked mad at Brian. “YOU KNEW YOU WEREN’T ALLOWED IN THERE, YET YOU STILL WENT ANYWAY!” His mom exclaimed. “Listen, I needed to go in there for your own good. You will see what I mean," Brian calmly replied.

He then walked up towards the snake, too busy staring at their wicker furniture to notice him, and slammed it across the room with the bat. He could feel the bat vibrating in his shaky hands for what felt like forever afterwards. His mom got down from the counter and stared at the snake like the devil burst out of it like a xenomorph.

“Wh, Whuh- What happened? His mom asked stutteringly.

“Do you regret me entering your room now, or have you realized it was for your own good?” Brian said sarcastically, slightly chuckling

“Well, I suppose I can let it slide because you saved us, but still, it wasn’t the best decision.” His mom said it reluctantly, or not; he couldn’t really tell.

“What about Dad?" Brian asked.

“I don’t really know.” His mom replied, “He hasn’t been in for a while now; I don’t know if he can’t hear the operator or what.”

Brian and his mom waited for a while, still petrified from what had happened earlier. A few minutes later, their dad bursts in and says, “Okay, I called them; it will be all under control.” He then looks at the still unconscious snake, and then at Brian with his bat, slightly bloodied, and then back at the snake again.

“What did you do!” His dad exclaimed. “I, I—uh, okay, I went in your room and took your bat to attack the snake so I could make us safe, okay!” Brian replied hastily

“Oh, Brian, I never said you were in trouble,” his dad said calmly

“Then why did you yell at me?” Brian said in a shaky voice, “I just wanted you to admit what you did; it was only to make sure you wouldn’t lie to me.” His dad replied.

A few minutes later, the animal control officer arrived at the house. “Is this the residence of Jones Hill?” The officer asked. "Yes," his dad replied.

“Okay then, now where is the snake?” The officer asked, “In the living room?" His dad replied.

“I see you already knocked it out,” the officer said calmly.

It was as if the snake heard him. It suddenly started hissing and wriggling around as it got struck by lightning.

“Evacuate the premises now!” The officer screamed. Brian sprinted to the door and flung it open.

Other officers brought a stretchy tube to the door and into the house, while other officers put a seal on the rest of the doorframe.

Brian heard the big machine in the back of the van start whirring and shaking, and then the tube filled with a yellow vapor and specks of what looked like chocolate chips that flew through the tube and into his house.

After about a minute, the machine stopped whirring, and the tube was even more of a tainted yellow. The main officer left the house and said, “The house is all clear; you are free to enter,” whilst holding the unconscious snake.

As the animal control van drove away, Brian’s dad said, “You know what, buddy, you are the bravest person I have ever met, and I have seen some brave people before.”

“Really?” Brian asked.

“Doubt never existed to me less.” His dad and mom said in unison.

Narrative by Alayna I. (12)

One normal Friday, two friends, Rhea and Mia, decide to have a sleepover after school.

They were debating whether to do it at Rhea’s or Mia’s house for the sleepover at Rhea’s house because Mia’s mom said they were going to have company over that night, and she was busy cleaning and getting stuff ready for the people. So, they mess around all night, have fun, and so on. Now it is the dead of night, around 12 am. They chill downstairs and only hear a knock on the door. They don’t answer it visually because it was dark out, and they thought it could have been Rhea’s brother, John. After all that, they both call it a night and go to sleep.

Rhea suddenly wakes up in the middle of the night for a drink of water. She makes the floors creak as she goes downstairs, but astonishingly, no one wakes up, not even Mia. Suddenly, as she fills up her glass cup, she sees a shadow running through the hallway in the reflection of the mirror. She panics and says, "Who's there…?” There was no response. She was terrified of hearing nothing from the black shadow and ran back upstairs.

The next morning, Rhea is still tired from what happened last night. The time was flying by, and Mia was still waiting for Rhea to wake up. She eventually got impatient and started waking her up. Rhea wakes up after a few nudges. And Rhea then says, "What is going on?” Mia, with an annoyed voice, says, “I’m waking you up. That’s what’s going on. Your mom made breakfast; let's go before it gets cold.” They eat breakfast, and Rhea’s mom leaves for work. But just as the girls were about to go upstairs, Rhea realized her very valuable item, her grandmother’s necklace, was the last thing she had from her grandmother before she died. Then he looks to the other side to see Mia’s phone vanish.

Rhea panics, while Mia is confused but worried, asking Rhea, “Rhea, are you ok? What’s going on?”

Rhea looks like she’s about to cry and says to Mia, “My grandmother’s necklace… It’s—it's gone!” Mia looks at her and says, "Umm…let's not panic. Where did you leave it first?” Rhea responds in worry, saying, “I left it right here yesterday before I took a shower!” Mia felt bad but then looked to find her phone and panicked by saying, “Your necklace is gone, and so is my phone! Well, this is great, isn’t it?” As she says in her sarcasm. “We have to look for it,” Rhea says.

Rhea says, “I’m going to get an Uber. I bet John has this marked all over him.” Mia casually agrees, and they wait 15 minutes for their Uber.

The Uber arrived, and they were on their way. Rhea says to the Uber driver, “We just need to pick up my brother; could you just stay in the car while we get him?” The driver nods as they stop at a red light.

Soon enough, they get there in no time and knock on John’s friend’s door. The mom opens the door as she says, “Hello, how are you girls doing? What brings you here today?” Rhea responds, “We are doing well. We need to pick up my little brother, John. The mom seems confused and goes to get John anyway. John is also confused but agrees and goes with Mia and Rhea, but right as they leave, John asks, “I was there for 2 hours. Why did you pick me up?” Then he notices the Uber and says, “Why are we getting into an Uber?” Rhea, annoyed, says, “Stop asking questions. "We are going back home.” John rolls his eyes and goes along.

A while after they got home from traffic, the girls asked John, “Did you take our stuff?” John responds with a “no” and makes Rhea angry. She looks at him dead in the eye and says, “Tell me the truth, John. That necklace was special to me, and you know that.” John sighs and tells her, “No! I didn’t take your necklace or Mia’s phone! Are you nuts?” Rhea began to boil as John called her nuts. She almost slaps John for the disrespect.

They get over it, and John goes to his room. Rhea is still a little upset with the situation, as John is just mad that the girls picked him up from his friends just for that. Rhea has no solution but to ask her dad. She was divorced from her mom in January.

She calls her dad, no choice whatsoever, and he surprisingly answers the phone. Rhea tells him about the situation, and, of course, since he lived far away, he says, “No.”

They only have two choices after that, which Mia chooses. It was to call Rhea’s mom while she was busy, which neither of them wanted to do. Or wait till Monday to ask friends. The whole reason why they are doing this is that they looked everywhere. They decided to wait till Monday.

They decide to prank call, but little did they know it would get out of hand.

They prank their friend, Eve. They use *67, so it would show up as “unknown caller” or “no caller ID.”

She doesn’t pick up the first time, but they call again.

They say “hello?” in question since Eve wasn’t talking.

Eve didn’t talk for about 60 seconds and finally answered with a “hello?” They pranked her and said, "This is Papa John's; just to verify, did you order 40 pizzas and 2-liter Dr. Peppers?"

Eve is absolutely confused and hangs up. They laugh and move on. Then they think about the incident of their lost items. They decide to call Eve, but without a caller ID.

They ask her, and Eve responds with, “I’m not sure, but I heard girls talking about that stuff on Friday.” They get furious but hold their temper until Monday.

Mia asks her mom if she can sleep over again, and she ends up saying yes since Mia’s mom was busy that night.

They have fun, but around 10 pm, they hear a knock, again.

They don’t worry this time because they think it’s a prank from John again, but they hear the knock again.

Rhea, scared now, says, “Hello?” No one answered.

They decided to go to bed since they were super terrified.

The next morning, they wake up to make breakfast. Only to see a note on the counter.

With drops of blood on it. They read it with a mix of confusion and terror, only for it to say,

“Come to this location at 12 am. Or else. You will never find the items you are looking for.”

It shows a location to a graveyard, and it's signed as “unknown.”

Will they take the risk or ignore it?

Narrative by Jacob W. (11)

Every year, 2 kids go missing, each day at the end of a month. Kids named Jaden, Max, Avery, Ava, John, and Peter all try to figure this out by searching and searching for who’s causing this madness. Will they find out? Or will they join the kids?

The alarm goes off, “Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!” Ringing and ringing, and then… SLAM! Jaden hits the alarm, and it turns off. “Ugh…” Jaden mumbles. Jaden’s mom yells from the bottom of the stairs, “Jaden! Get ready for school!!” Jaden groans as he pulls himself out of bed. The morning sun peeks through his blinds, casting stripes of light across his messy room. Clothes are strewn over his desk chair, and books are piled high on his nightstand. He stumbles over to his closet, trying to decide what to wear.

After a few minutes of rummaging, Jaden settles on a comfortable hoodie. He glances at the mirror, quickly runs a hand through his tousled hair, and heads towards the bathroom. The house is starting to wake up around him, with the smell of coffee wafting from the kitchen.

In the bathroom, Jaden splashes water on his face. But then he hears noises from inside the faucet: “Jaden. Jaden. Jaden. Jaden.” It kept repeating itself, and Jaden turned off the water, thinking it would stop. He turns it off, and then the voices stop. “Mom?!” Then the lights flicker, and he runs downstairs trying to see if things are ok. “You ok, Hun?” Jaden’s mom asks.

“M-mom, I…” Jaden stammers.

“You…?” Jaden’s mom says.

“I heard voices from the faucet!” Jaden says in a worried tone.

“Oh, you're delusional. Come eat breakfast!” Jaden’s mom gestures.

“Sorry, I’m going to be late for school! Love you!”

On the school bus, Jaden meets all his friends: Ava, John, Max, Peter, and Avery. “Hey guys!” Jaden says. John greets him back, saying, “What’s up, J-Boy?” Avery and Ava are on their phones scrolling through social media. Max and Peter both say in sync, “Hey, Jaden! Jinx! Jinx again!” Jaden chuckles as the chatter continues.

Jaden sits down as the bus starts up. A few minutes later, the bus stops at school, and everyone on the bus gets up. Ava and Avery start chatting about Halloween and what they’re going to be for it. Avery says, “Oh my gosh, you're being Tiana? You’re going to be so pretty.”

“Well, who are you being?” Ava asks.

“I’m going to be Harley Quinn. She’s so pretty, right?”

Everyone gets off the bus, and Jaden tells all his friends to go to his house after school. And they do so. “Ding Dong!” Peter mimics the doorbell outside with the group of friends, and then John knocks on the door. “You're so extra, Pete,” John says, rolling his eyes. Peter scoffs and tries to get back at John, “Well! Look at yourself! Your extra!” Jaden opens the door and sees John and Peter arguing. “Are you guys done?” Jaden says, aggravated.

“It was him!” Peter says angrily. “Just come on, guys,” Jaden says while gesturing to them to come in. They all walk to the dining room table, and Jaden lays out a map of the whole city. “These are the places where all the kids were kidnapped, each month. Now look at the pattern that it looks like.” Jaden says suspiciously

“An X?” Max questions.

“Yes, an X. But if you look in the middle, it’s a neighborhood, and if we want to find this guy, person, or thing. We need to trick-or-treat there. Because if we do, we might be able to suspect what is going on. Like hearing screams, muffles, anything!” Then, Jaden gives all of them walkie-talkies. “Keep in touch, stay on channel 6, and don’t do anything stupid,” Jaden explains.

The next day, it's Halloween. John is Joker, Jaden is Ghostface, Avery is Harley Quinn, Ava is being Tiana, Max is being Michael Myers, and Peter is being Grim Reaper.

They all meet at the bus stop and go to school. It’s the same old regular school day, and it’s a half day, thankfully. The hours end at 7 PM. They are trick-or-treating together. “Alright, guys, spread out. We have enough candy. Remember, Channel 6,” Jaden tells them. They all spread out, but Max gets grabbed by someone, or something, and starts suffocating.

Jaden starts looking for the mystery person and finds Max lying on the ground. “Max!? Max, wake up!” Jaden says in a worried tone. Jaden takes off his mask and gets knocked out by metal.

He wakes up tied to a chair in a circle with all his friends in a secret dusty place with a light above them. “Guys…?” Jaden says, scared. “Where’s Max!?”

Ava wakes up. “Where am I…?” She asks. “Ava! We are tied up to chairs! All of us are, but Max isn’t…”

Peter speaks up. “Guys, I may have an idea to get out of here. If we just—“

Then someone mysterious cuts him off and laughs in a menacing tone.

“Peter, the smart one, as usual.” The man says.

“Tell us who you are!” Jaden demands.

Avery tries to bug out of the rope around her while the man is still hidden in the dark.

“It's no use, Avery,” Ava says, trying to get her to give up.

Then the man changes into a dark monster voice.

“SILENCE. Then the thing or man comes out of the shadow, knocking everyone down.

“AGH!” Jaden yells as he falls, and everyone starts grunting.

“JADEN, WHAT IS THAT?!” Avery says, horrified.

“AHHHH,” Ava screams.

The thing looks gooey and slimy with its mouth drooling.

“I. Am. THE SHIFTER!” The shifter says.

Jaden grabs a pocketknife out of his pocket and starts cutting the rope.

The shifter shifts his hand into a slimy, sharp hand.

“Inni. Mini. Miney. Mo.” His hand lands on Peter.

“Uh oh.” The shifter says in his demonic voice and starts laughing.

“SOMEONE HELP!” Peter says, scared, and his voice is cracking.

Jaden cuts open the rope and quickly grabs a spear that’s leaning on the wall.

“Leave him alone,” Jaden says, pointing the spear at the shifter.

The shifter rushes to Jaden, but Jaden uses the spear and pushes it inside the shifter. Then, Jaden runs to everyone, picking up everyone one by one.

Peter speaks up. “Jaden, thank you. But my idea was for everyone to lean back as hard as they can; it might break these weak chairs.”

“On it,” Avery, Ava, and John say.

All the chairs break, and they all grab a spear, running to wherever they think is the exit.

John was last to run out, but the shifter uses his hand and tries to stab John.

They all find two doors.

“Go through the exit!” Jaden says, but they find an empty, cold, and big place.

The shifter is already there.

“Boo.” The shifter says, then runs at them, but all the kids charge at once.

The shifter opens his big mouth, but they all drive the spears through his mouth.

The Shifter backs up and starts shapeshifting into everybody he’s ever shapeshifted into.

“AGHH,” the shifter starts yelling around.

Jaden grabs another spear. “THIS IS FOR MAX!” Jaden uses the spear and stabs it through the shifter's head. “Come on, we have to get out of here, guys,” Jaden yells. They all exit, then eventually escape.

Jaden starts to take down all the maps in his locker, and now his locker looks normal.

They all live happily ever after and are still friends. Then, one month later, it is Max’s funeral.

“He was a great friend. And he always cared for people whom he didn’t even know. And I will always remember what he did for me. 2nd grade is when we became friends. He helped me from getting bullied, and then we got bullied together,” Jaden says.

After everything that happened, they all moved away for college, focusing on a future ahead of them.

Narrative by Adrianna L. (11)

It was a normal day in Delany’s neighborhood. And she wanted to do something fun. She went to the carnival with her friend Jake. But when they arrived, it was nothing they had expected. Read The Scary Killer Clown to find out what happens to them.

It was a cloudy Friday in October on Chainsaw Lane. Delaney, an 18-year-old girl, lived in a boring house in a boring neighborhood. She had just gotten back from school an hour ago and decided to watch a scary movie. After a while, she started to get bored with the movie and wanted to do something more exciting. It was about 5:30 pm, and she decided to call her friend Jake. Jake attends Templeton High School with Delaney and has been her best friend since kindergarten. Jake obviously lives next door to her. Delaney picked up her phone.

“Hey, Del,” Jake answered the phone.

“Hi,” Delaney responded. “Want to go to the carnival? I think it would be something fun and exciting to do tonight!”

“Okay, but I’ll drive,” Jake laughed.

Jake picked Delaney up at 6:00 pm, and they drove to the local carnival listening to the Halloween Pandora station. Their favorite song was the Spooky Scary Skeleton song.

When they arrived at the carnival, they first went to the cotton candy stand and got to pick their favorite flavor and color. Jake got blue raspberry, and Delaney got pink. They loved all the SUGAR. On their way to the Ferris wheel, they bumped into their friends Sam and Melanie. When they got on the Ferris wheel, Delaney got scared, but Jake was not even a bit. Delaney had always been afraid of heights.

After they got off the Ferris wheel, they finally reached the corn maze. It looked abandoned. It was almost as if someone had splattered blood all over the place, and there were so many hay bales trashed and falling apart.

“Jake, I brought walkie-talkies in case we get lost,” Delaney said.

Jake nodded his head and took one of the walkie-talkies from Delaney. “Let's do this; I’ll see you on the other side,” Jake replied. It didn’t scare them that badly. Before they knew it, Delaney heard Jake screaming for help. Jake said over the walkie-talkie, “HELP, I’m being chased by a killer clown!”

Delaney thought he was joking, but the screech in his voice didn’t sound fake. Delaney answered on the walkie-talkie, “I’m coming!” Delaney ran very fast to find him, and before she knew it, she was there. She was in fear because he was on the floor, not breathing. Delaney looked to his side, and on the floor was a powered-up chainsaw with blood stains on it. Delaney got a chill down her spine, thinking it could be the wind, but before she knew it, she turned to see SKY THE KILLER CLOWN. Delaney screamed and tried to escape, but on a couple of corners, she turned, and there were ABC the clown and Rainbow the clown.

Delaney yelled out loud, “Jake is still in there!” She couldn’t leave him in there, so she went to the closest security of the maze. Delaney and the security called the police. Delaney, the police, and the security went in and tried to save Jake and killed the clowns.

When they took Jake to the ER, he had a bunch of IVs in his arms. They thought that he was going to make it and survive, but little did they know that the clowns at the circus are like zombies. If you get bitten by one, there is a possible chance you can turn into a killer clown. They didn’t know that at first.

At about 7:30 pm, the nurse went into Jake’s room and said, “He might be fine, but we still need to observe his body to make sure there are no clown marks.”

Delaney said, “I’ll stay here until he is better.”

The nurse said, “Alright.”

Three hours had passed, and at 10:30 pm, Delaney heard a strange noise in Jake’s room and turned to the side to see him waking up.

Jake (in a clown voice) said, “It’s not over, Delaney. You can never escape your past.”

Delaney screamed and pulled the alarm. Everyone evacuated the building in shock and fear. Delaney ran as far away from the ER as she could, all the way back to the carnival, because it was the closest place. There was something at the carnival that seemed off. There was nobody there, not even a worker. The only person there was a woman who looked like she had just fought a war. Delaney walked up to her and said, “Are you alright?”

“No, I’m stranded; I had nowhere else to go from the ER,” Delaney said.

The woman sighed in relief.

“Do you want to find a safer place with me?” Delaney asked.

The woman said, “Yes, please, I want to escape this place.”

They ran to the fun house and didn’t know where to go. They couldn’t go back because something was chasing them. Delaney just knew it. They tried to find their way out even though it was hard with all the mirrors.

Delaney said, “We are almost out.” Before she knew it, she was out of there with the woman. Delaney looked at the woman and asked, What is your name? I didn’t get it.”

“My name is Matilda,” the woman said.

“My name is Delaney; thanks for sticking with me,” Delaney said.

“No problem,” Matilda said.

They ran toward the exit. But Delaney ran out of breath. “Wait,” Delaney said.

Matilda turned and feared something was wrong. She looked behind Delaney, and she stuttered, “CLOWN.” Matilda said she ran as fast as she could and hid. But Delaney was still there. She turned around, and the last thing anyone heard from her was her screams. But the weird thing was nobody knew where the body went.

Narrative by Maxim S. (12)

This story is about Carlos Moreno. He was always picked last for playing soccer just for fun after school. Then, one match changed his life.

Part 1: The Beginning of a No One to a Professional

Carlos Moreno was always the last one picked. Soccer, the sport he loved more than anything, Carlos found himself at the bottom of the pile. His friends, the boys he had grown up with, were all naturally talented. They had a magic touch, as if the balls were born with them. But for Carlos, the ball felt like an enemy to him. He stumbled over it and misjudged the ball, often watching his team from the sidelines, cheering on others while wishing he could join in playing soccer with the boys.

High school soccer tryouts were always a nightmare. Each year, Carlos showed up with a flicker of confidence, but deep down, he knew the odds were against him. Still, Carlos laced up his cleats, pulled on his worn-out jersey, and dragged himself to the soccer field. His friends joked around, kicking the ball with ease while Carlos struggled to keep up. Carlos was not happy about his friend’s jokes, which were all about Carlos.

It was not that he didn’t love soccer. But it felt like the sport loved everyone except him. Many said soccer wasn’t the best fit for Carlos. Everybody thought that Carlos was principiante, which means a beginner in Spanish. They insisted tennis was his sport; however, he was trying not to listen to the noises that everybody made about him.

“Come on, Carlos, use your left pie!” Coach Diaz yelled from the sidelines, “If you do not learn to use your weak foot, you’re never going to make it. Do you think Cristiano Ronaldo became a professional using one foot? NO!” Carlos thought to himself, “But Lionel Messi mostly uses his left foot. Also, why is he comparing me to Ronaldo? He should compare himself to Ronaldo, not me.”

Embarrassed, Carlos nodded and tried again, only to send the ball flying in the wrong direction from the goal. His teammates laughed while trying to salvage his errors. Carlos struggled to calm down, but their giggles only made him feel worse. Carlos almost punched the best player on the team.

By his senior year at Almeda High School, Carlos was a fixture on the bench. He only played a few minutes in some of the games. But only when the score was already decided, whether the game was a win or a draw. Carlos was a benchwarmer, never the hero, but always there to fill in when the team needed a player. He only played two times in a month. Or once in 3 weeks.

Yet, Carlos never gave up on his favorite sport. He knew his dream was far away — too far for anyone to believe in — but he kept practicing. After school, when everyone else went home, Carlos stayed on the field. He practiced his dribbling, passing, and especially his shot. He stayed late into the evening, kicking the ball against the goalpost until his feet hurt and his body was requesting rest. Sometimes, he went to the gym, lifting weights to build strength and running laps to improve his stamina.

His teammates had long since given up on him. They thought all those hours on the field were a waste of time. “Carlos,” they smirked, “you’ll never make it. You are not cut out for this team or sport. Play tennis instead; that is the sport for Carlos Moreno.

But Carlos didn’t care. He could not afford to care.

Deep down, he knew that this was his final opportunity for his future. His final year of high school was the last time he could prove to himself that he was worth something. The dream wasn’t about fame or fortune. It was about validation. It was about proving to himself that he had what it took. That he could be more than the kid on the bench, kicking with his toes.

One fateful afternoon, everything changed. He finally got time to play his favorite sport.

Part 2: The Breakthrough

It was the last game of the season. Almeda High was playing against their fiercest rivals, Weston Prep. The game didn’t matter much in the standings. Both teams had already been eliminated from playoff contention. Coach Diaz started pulling out his starters and rotating them out to rest for the final minutes, giving benchwarmers like Carlos a chance to play. He told Carlos,” Come on, chico. Time for you to be now from a chico to a real muchacho.” Those words made Carlos happy.

Carlos prepared himself for the usual uneventful few minutes where he would run up and down the field, trying not to mess up too badly. But that day, fate had a different plan. He became an unstoppable player. He became that day a warrior of his High School. In fact, they called him invincible in school.

In the final ten minutes, the score was tied 1–1. Carlos had been on the field for about five minutes. He was running awkwardly and trying to keep up. His mind raced, and his heart pounded in his chest. But he focused on the ball, trying to block out the noise of self-doubt.

Then, out of nowhere, the ball got passed to him. It came at the perfect time, right at his feet, just outside the penalty box. Carlos had never been in a position like this before. It was his chance to show the world — well, at least Coach Diaz — that he wasn’t the same clumsy kid who could barely control the ball. Without thinking, he took a deep breath and shot.

He kept blinking his eyes, hoping the ball would go near the net. The ball flew, curling toward the top corner of the goal. Weston Prep’s goalkeeper dove, stretching out his hands. But it was too late for the opposing team. The ball hit the net with a soft thud, and the crowd erupted in cheers and gasps.

Carlos has scored in the 93rd minute. Carlos stood frozen, his heart racing. As he looked around, unsure if it was real, his teammates ran toward him, lifting him off the ground as the entire stadium erupted in applause. He had scored. He had scored in a real game. In a high-pressure moment, he was shocked. Coach Diaz was on his feet, clapping.

“Well done, Carlos! That’s what I’ve been talking about! Not those bad old practices when you were missing. Now look at yourself — you scored, you are a guerrero, which means warrior in Spanish for boys. We won! I’m so proud of you!”

But the most surprising part wasn’t the goal itself. It was how it made Carlos feel. In that split second, he realized it wasn’t about proving something to others. It was about proving something to himself. The years of sweat, tears, and frustration had all been worth it.

Part 3: The Dream Has Started

Carlos’s goal became the talk of the school. They called him “El invencible, el imparable, el próximo gran talento”.” Those words made Carlos’s heart elated. Coach Diaz, now convinced of Carlos’s potential, started giving him more minutes in the following games. His confidence soared. He wasn’t the same player he had been at the season’s start. He was faster, stronger, and more skilled.

Every day after practice, Carlos stayed longer, working on the trivial things — his left foot, passing accuracy, and positioning. He focused on everything important in soccer. These attributes made him better.

It didn’t take long for scouts to notice Carlos’s talent.

A few weeks later, after another training session, Carlos was approached by a man in a sharp suit. He introduced himself as a scout for Real Madrid. Carlos’s heart stopped. He had to have heard that wrong. Real Madrid, the world-famous soccer club in Spain?

“Are you Carlos Moreno?” the scout asked.

“Y-yes,” Carlos stammered.

“I saw your performance in the recent game against Weston Prep. You’ve got potential, kid. I’m not saying you’re ready for our first team yet. Sin embargo, I’d like to see more of you. We’re keeping an eye on you. Don’t give up on everything cause an explorer gave you a card.”

Carlos felt his legs go weak. He had never dreamed this big. Real Madrid? It felt impossible. Could this really happen because of one game?

“I would love for you to come to a training camp in Madrid,” the scout continued, “How does that sound? Would you take a shot for the greatest soccer team in the world? Call us whenever you want.” And we will be ready for you!”

Carlos could barely form words. His dream had always been to play professional soccer. However, he never imagined it would be with a club like Real Madrid. This was it. This was the moment he had worked toward — the culmination of all those long hours spent on the field.

“I’d love that,” Carlos finally managed to say. The scout smiled, “Great! We will be in touch with you, Carlos.”

Part 4: The Journey to Madrid

The following months were a whirlwind. Carlos could not believe his luck. He trained harder than ever, knowing this was his only shot. When the day came to board the plane to Madrid, it felt like a new life had begun. He wanted this new life to be a professional soccer career playing for Real Madrid.

At the training camp, Carlos was thrown into the deep end. He was surrounded by some of the best young players, all vying for a spot in the youth academy. The competition was fierce, but Carlos held his own. He impressed the coaches with his technical skills, drive, and willingness to learn. Every day, he pushed himself harder, staying late into the evening to perfect his skills, trying to be the best soccer player for his family.

Slowly, Carlos’s dream started to become a reality. He never knew dreams could come true as this one came. He never imagined Real Madrid wanted him. However, he felt happy for himself. This was a win-win for his future life.

Part 5: The Contract

It was not long before the moment came. The Real Madrid academy coaches called him into their office. Carlos had no idea what to expect. When they handed him the contract, Carlos knew it was everything for which he had ever worked.

“Congratulations, Carlos. We have been watching you for some time now. We believe you have what it takes to join our youth system,” said one of the coaches, shaking his hand. All the staff members looked at Carlos. It made Carlos a little bit awkward in front of the Real Madrid team members.

Carlos’s heart swelled with happiness. After all the years of being the worst player on his high school team. All the struggles, doubts, and rumors about Carlos’s soccer career. He had made it as a professional soccer player.” He was now part of Real Madrid, the best soccer team.

A few hours later, after signing the contract with Real Madrid, Carlos thought back to the boy who had been left out. The one who had been told he would never make it. That boy was gone. Now, in his place stood someone who had earned his position on one of the greatest soccer teams in the world. It was a long road from that high school soccer field to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Narrative by Monica H. (11)

One day, my friends Malachi, Freya, MK, and I were totally bored last summer. It was, like, the longest summer ever, and there was nothing to do.

So, we decided to explore the super creepy old house at the edge of town. Everyone said it was haunted, but we didn’t believe them. Well, maybe a little.

The house was, like, seriously spooky. It had broken windows, and the paint was all peeling off. The yard was overgrown with weeds and stuff.

It looked like something out of a scary movie. But we were brave, or at least we pretended to be.

It was MK’s idea to go inside. MK is always the bravest, even though sometimes he gets scared, too. He dared us to go in, and nobody wanted to be a chicken, so we all said yes.

We climbed over the rickety fence and walked up to the front door. It was all rotten and falling apart. Malachi pushed it open, and it made this super loud, creaky sound. It was like the house was screaming at us to go away.

The inside of the house was even creepier than the outside. It was super dark and dusty. There were cobwebs everywhere, and it smelled like old, wet socks.

Yuck! We turned on our flashlights on our phones, but it didn’t help much. The shadows were dancing all over the place, making everything look weird.

We started exploring, room by room. The living room had an old, ripped-up couch and a broken TV. The kitchen had rusty pots and pans and a gross fridge. Everything was covered in dust and trash.

Suddenly, we heard this weird noise. It was like a scratching sound, coming from upstairs. We all froze. “What was that?” Freya whispered, her eyes super wide.

“I don’t know,” Malachi said, but he looked scared, too. “Maybe it’s just a rat.”

But MK shook his head. “That didn’t sound like a rat,” he said. “It sounded… bigger.”

We decided to go upstairs to investigate. The stairs were creaky, and we were afraid they would break. Each step made a loud noise, like we were announcing our arrival to whatever was up there.

The upstairs hallway was even darker. There were doors on either side, leading to different rooms. We could still hear the scratching noise, and it was getting louder.

We opened the first door. It was a bedroom, with an old, dusty bed and a broken dresser. There was a creepy doll sitting on the bed, staring at us with its glassy eyes. Shivers.

We quickly backed out of that room and went to the next one. This room was even weirder. It was full of old books and papers. There was a desk in the corner, with a half-written letter on it.

Malachi picked up the letter and read it out loud.

“Dear… someone,” he read. “I can’t take it anymore. The scratching… It’s driving me crazy.”

We all looked at each other and said, “Who wrote the letter? And what was the scratching?”

The scratching noise was getting louder and louder. It sounded like it was coming from the last room at the end of the hallway. We took a deep breath and walked towards it.

We opened the door, and… nothing. The room was empty. But the scratching noise was coming from inside. We looked around, trying to figure out where it was coming from.

Then, MK pointed to the wall.

“It’s coming from inside the wall!” he said.

We put our ears against the wall, and we could hear it. There was something inside the wall, scratching and clawing. The Discovery: Malachi found a loose panel in the wall.

He pulled it open, and we all gasped. Inside the wall was a small, dark space. And in that space… was a cat. But this wasn’t just any cat. It was super skinny and dirty. Its eyes were glowing in the dark. It looked like it hadn’t eaten in days.

We realized that the cat had probably been trapped in the walls for some time. That’s why it was scratching. We carefully reached into the wall and pulled the cat out.

It was scared and hissing, but we held it tight. We could feel its ribs through its fur. We took the cat outside and gave it some water and a can of tuna we had in MK’s backpack.

It ate like it hadn’t eaten in forever. We decided to take it home with us and take care of it. We named the cat “Scratches” because, well, it fit. My mom was mad at first, but then she saw how cute Scratches was, and she let us keep him.

The Mystery Solved. So, the haunted house wasn’t haunted at all. It was just a lonely cat, trapped in the walls. We felt kind of silly for being so scared. But it was still a cool adventure.

We learned that sometimes, the scariest things aren’t what they seem. And we saved a kitty! The Lesson Learned: We still talk about the creepy old house, and not to judge a book by its cover or a house by its creaks!

We went through a scary adventure together, and that’s something special.

But for now, we’re happy just hanging out with Scratches and remembering our adventure in the creaky old house. Who knows what other mysteries are out there waiting for us? But we’ll be ready!

Narrative by Uhana N. (12)

Hi! I am Joe, and I want to keep a journal to track my school day and homework. Also, I am in seventh grade.

12/18/1994. Today, Mrs. Ashley gives us an essay about sharks and rays. I sigh because Mrs. Ashley’s essays must be three hundred and one words. Mrs. Shawn gives us work on the history of the world, but everything changes in the fifth hour. Why? Because everyone’s least favorite drill happened…

The fire alarm went off, and we asked if it was a drill, but Mr. Eddie said, “Maybe they do not tell us anything around here.”

So, we start in a single-file line, with me at the back, because they want us organized by last name. I hear the walkie-talkie say, "This is not a drill!"

We all panic and start to run out of the building.

“I need to get back to school,” I say.

“But…” Gary starts, but I cut him off.

I run to each teacher and ask for their classroom number. I noticed that Mrs. Ashley is not there, but her class is out on the grass. I go to Mr. Eddie, but right when I reach him, I hear the piercing sound of sirens on the fire trucks. I knew I could not ask, so I ran inside the school. It smelled like an unbelievable barbecue, and you could barely see because the smoke was stinging your eyes.

I run to find Mrs. Ashley. I finally hear her, but she is under some rubble. I help her get out, and the doctors get her in an ambulance. I told the doctors to take her to a hospital.

Gary catches up to me and says, “You should not go back into the fire.”

I say, “I must go in there to save the class pets; everyone forgot about them.”

Mr. Tim, the fish is in his tank with some of the water gone. There is no time to cry about it, as I must get out of here.

I pick him up and continue to run to the exit. I see a water tank on the ground, but right when I reach for it, some rubble falls on it. I put Mr. Tim in there.

I make it out and run to Mr. Pat, saying, “Here, you forgot Mr. Tim.”

“Thanks, I was about to get him, but you came,” says Mr. Pat.

“You must put him in some clean water,” I speak.

“Ok,” Mr. Pat said.

I make my way to a nearby firefighter. I ask him, “Can you come with me to the fire? Can you put out the fire?”

He said, “Sure, but do you want to take the lead?”

I say, “Sure, by the way, what is your name?”

He says, “It is Jereme.”

“That’s a cool name,” I said.

“Thanks,” Jereme said.

So, we go back into the school. Jereme, being the fireman he is, puts out the remaining fire. I go to Mrs. Ashley's room to find Mr. Jim. He’s in a locked cage. So, I go looking for the key to open it. After looking at the teacher’s desk, I see it, and I open the cage, letting him out. He runs outside to Mrs. Ashley.

Then I hear a faint cry for help, so I run to Jereme and tell him about the cry, and he says, “Let us go then; someone needs our help.”

We both remove the rubble and find a body. We take the body outside to an ambulance, and on the way, an eighth-grade teacher sees the body and says, “I know him; he’s Mr. Mike, the school assistant principal!”

I say, “It is?”

“Yes, it is.” He says.

So, I go in and find Mr. Ken in his cage. He jumps at my face, scratches it a lot, and runs outside to Mr. Smith. I was bleeding, so I ran outside to a doctor, and he gave me some bandages for my face. I then go to Mrs. Mary’s room to find where Timmy the turtle is. Timmy is passed out in his shell. I think it is because of the smoke. So, I pick him up, take him outside, and give him to Mrs. Mary, and she says, “Thank you, Joe.”

I say, “You're welcome, Mrs. Mary.”

There is one more pet, Mrs. Samantha’s puffskein, whose name is Snowball. Jereme and I go in with the other firemen to look for Snowball in Mrs. Samantha’s room. We knew Snowball was near, and we started to remove the rubble.

So we made our way out to Mrs. Samantha so we could return Snowball.

The fire is finally out.