~ S t a r d u s t ~ ~ 2 0 1 8 E d i t i o n ~ “He told me to look at my hand, for a part of it came from a star that exploded too long ago to imagine. This part of me was formed from a tongue of fire that screamed Stardust through the heavens until there was our sun. And this small part of me was then a whisper of the earth. When there was life, perhaps this part got lost in a fern that was crushed and covered until it was coal. And then it was a diamond millions of years later, as beautiful We are all miracles, as the star from which it had first come.” wrought from the Paul Zindel, -The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in- dust of stars. the-Moon Marigolds- The editorial staff of Stardust assumes that all creative submissions are works of fiction. Therefore, any resemblances to real people, settings, and events are either coincidental or the responsibility of the student authors, who upon submission to the Stardust staff give the school the right to edit their work and to publish their work for non-profit purposes either through the district website or in print via other student publications. Stardust is the Annual Literary Magazine Produced by Students of Tyrone Area High School 2 | Page ~ S t a r d u s t ~ ~ 2 0 1 8 E d i t i o n ~ Page Title Author, Graduation Year/ Best of Genre 4 Elevator Madness Alison Beckwith, 2000/Humor 7 The Eighth Wonder Erin Stover, 2001/Poetry 8 Everybody’s a Superhero Trevor Harbst, 2002/Parody 15 Making a Scene Jordan Rhoat, 2003/Poetry 16 Candles Christina Steep, 2004/Literary Nonfiction 19 Dust to Dust Jim Haney, 2005/Poetry 21 Lost in a Walmart Paradise Jordan Campbell, 2006/ Literary Nonfiction 24 Salvation Matt Elder, 2007/Poetry 25 The Last Waking Hours of Henry Milton Francesca Lambert, 2008/Fiction 29 A Reasonable Gift Matt McMillen, 2009/Poetry 30 It Will- Kylie Hand, 2010/Literary Nonfiction 33 Red—His Favorite Color Kylie Ash, 2011/ Horror 39 Sweet Insanity Brandon Shaffer, 2012/Poetry 40 Looking for a Reason Skyler Yanchick, 2013/Fiction 43 For the Crown Rhett Everhart, 2014/Poetry 44 Porcelain Breanna Cameron, 2015/Fiction 48 2,538,000 Light-Years Away Sarah Isenberg, 2016/Fiction 51 The Happiest Man Olivia Bietz, 2017/Fiction 55 Ticker Gina Gavazzi, 2017/Poetry 56 The Ribbiting Logan Peale, 2018/Satire 60 Lip Ripping Jake Meredith, 2018/Poetry 61 Get Real, Reality Rachel Robison, 2018/ Personal Essay 64 Such Beautiful Chaos Scotti Everhart, 2018/Fiction 67 Heart of the Sea 68 Car Crash Lips 69 Zero 70 Me, Myself, & the Other Girl Jamie Lynch 78 Wo(man) Abby Hagan 82 A Physicist Who Never Lost Her Humanity Chloe Makdad, 2018/ Research Paper 89 Mala Suerte Abby Hagan 95 My Responsibility to America Haley Butina, 2018/ Rhetorical Expression 98 A Temporary Solution to a Permanent Problem Anonymous 103 How Ironic Hannah Denny 104 Outrageous Acts of Defiance: Feeling the Burn Chloe Makdad, 2018/ Persuasive Essay 107 Welcome to My Closet Abby Hagan 107 My Life-Size Voodoo Doll Morgan Bridges 109 Purple Levi Walk 110 Cancer Molly Harris 3 | Page ~ S t a r d u s t ~ ~ 2 0 1 8 E d i t i o n ~ "Wonder what caused it?" Short “Elevator Madness” Man asked. "Probably a fire," ventured Mr. lison Morbid. "Oh, my God," lisped the mousy, Beckwith feminine looking man standing next to Mr. Rose-Colored-Glasses grabbing his chest; his voice was high with nervous excitement. A "Oh, my God, I saw a movie where all these people burned to death in an elevator--" -Best of Year 2000- Mr. Rose-Colored-Glasses interrupted, "Don't listen to Mr. Morbid he elevator suddenly stopped--not over there, he's just got a sorry attitude." the slow deceleration that indicated Mr. Morbid rolled his eyes and reached T stopping at a floor--no, this was more inside his pocket for a cigarette. abrupt. The elevator jerked to a halt, made a "So what do you think caused it, grinding noise, and then another. Bill then?" asked Feminine Man, his voice looked around in dismay. "Oh, no," he began, piercingly high. "the elevator's broken. Great." He shook "Oh, it just probably had a little loss his head in disgust. Another man in the left-rear corner swore at the elevator. "This is just bloody wonderful! Always happens like this, too, right when I'm late! Life stinks," he finished, and then added an un-publishable oath. "Oh, that's a way to look at it, Mr. Morbid," piped the man nearest the door, "Just because the elevator's stuck you think life stinks? What kind of attitude is that?" "Look here, Mr. Rose-Colored- Glasses, just butt out of my business, all right?" Mr. Morbid huffed. "Um," offered a short, quiet looking man from the right rear corner, "How long do you think we'll be here?" "Forever," Mr. Morbid glowered, "They'll leave us in here 'till we're skeletons—or at least till we’re all late and get fired." Mr. Rose-Colored Glasses ignored Mr. Morbid and gave his own opinion: "Three or four minutes--max. We'll be out of here in no time." "Sure," Mr. Morbid sneered. 4 | Page ~ S t a r d u s t ~ ~ 2 0 1 8 E d i t i o n ~ of power, nothing major," Mr. Rose- "Thanks," Mr. Pinko-Commie Colored-Glasses said with a wave of his agreed. "And for your information, I'm not a hand. Pinko-Commie. I just don't want an elevator "Yeah," agreed Mr. Morbid, full of smoke." "probably just a loss of power--at the Power "What does it matter? We're all as Plant. I'm sure we'll be out of here in a few good as dead anyway," answered Mr. weeks. Course, we'll be out of food." Morbid. Feminine Man nearly fainted. "I read "Enough is enough, people," Mr. one time where these people had to eat each Rose-Colored Glasses said. "Let's just all be other to stay alive," he managed to gasp. quiet and I'm sure we'll be out of here soon." For the first time, Mr. Morbid "Think happy thoughts," intoned smiled. "You first," he said looking at Mr. Morbid sardonically. Cancer Advocate Feminine Man. Mr. Morbid started to light laughed. his cigarette. Mr. Morbid lit the first match. The "Don't do that," Feminine Man said fire alarm went off and the sprinkler in the aghast. elevator came on, showering everyone in the "Why not?" Short Man queried from elevator. Mr. Morbid let out a long string of his spot in the rear. expletives. "Because," Feminine Man said, "See, I told you life stinks," he said to "Second-hand smoke is a dangerous killer, Mr. Rose-Colored-Glasses. Mr. Morbid and especially to people in my age group." Cancer Advocate's matches were ruined. Mr. Morbid rolled his eyes. "Look," Feminine Man grinned smugly while Mr. he said, with a larger grin creeping onto his Pinko-Commie suppressed a chuckle. face, "We're all going to be dead anyway, "Gosh, aren't these the most then we're going to eat you, so why not have sensitive sprinkler systems you've ever you smoked? If one of us manages to live, seen," wondered Short Man aloud as the what difference will a little smoke make?" cold water began to pelt them all. He laughed and thumbed his lighter. "Yeah, they are," answered Mr. Nothing happened. He swore again as his Rose-Colored-Glasses sincerely, "but I feel a lighter stubbornly refused to produce a lot better now knowing that everything's flame. well maintained and we're safe." "Here you go," said the man in the "If everything's so well maintained front-right. The man tossed Mr. Morbid a then why are we sitting in a broken book of matches. elevator?" Mr. Morbid scoffed. "We're "Who are you, the Cancer probably all going to drown." Advocate?" asked a man angrily from the "Oh, my God," began Feminine Man, front-left. "We're in a hospital. You're not "I can't swim!" supposed to smoke here. Besides, I don't "My briefcase floats," Mr. Rose- want to breathe any second-hand smoke Colored-Glasses offered kindly. "I'll let you either." hold onto it--but we're not going to drown." "And who are you? Mr. Pinko- Feminine Man started to say Commie? Trying to restrict my rights?" something but was interrupted. The Cancer Advocate replied defiantly. elevator doors opened, and Bill could see "Hey," said Feminine Man, "he's that the elevator had stopped between the right, Cancer Advocate." first and second floors of the hospital. Outside the door was Doctor Marshall, who 5 | Page ~ S t a r d u s t ~ ~ 2 0 1 8 E d i t i o n ~ crossed his arms as a surge of water and smoke poured out the door and onto the tiled floor, soaking his ankles. "For the last time, Bill," Doctor Marshall said, shaking his head, "We can't treat your multiple-personality disorder if you don't stay in the ward." 6 | Page ~ S t a r d u s t ~ ~ 2 0 1 8 E d i t i o n ~ Plucks the dandelion--complete. “The Eighth Wonder” In a whim, the child crushes her, rin Without hardly a thought.