R E F L E C T I O N S Lit Mag 2019 - 2020

By Isabella Naguit Special Thanks To Sayreville Middle School Administrators

Principal: Mr. Richard Gluchowski

Vice Principal: Ms. Silvia Rego

Vice Principal: Mr. Gregg Jegou

Sayreville Public Schools

District Administrators

Superintendent of Schools:

Dr. Richard Labbe

Assistant Superintendent:

Dr. Marilyn Shediack

Assistant Superintendent:

Mr. Eric Glock-Molloy Business Administrator/School Board Secretary: Ms. Erin Hill

Anthony Esposito, President John Walsh, Vice President Daniel Balka Phyllis Batko Lucy Bloom Christopher Callahan Carrie Kenny Danielle Pieloch Karen Rubio Busch Law Group, LLC - Attorney Nicole Petrone - Treasurer of School Funds

Pediatric & Adolescent Associates of Central New Jersey - Medical Inspectors

Healthpoint Medical Associates, LLC - Drug Screening and Employee Physicals poems & songs FALL IS HERE Fall is here, Bright crimson leaves fall as the day goes on, Leafless trees dance as the wind blows, The aroma of scrumptious apples fill the air, Oh fall is here.

Fall is here, Whoosh, Whoosh the wind whistled roughly, Birds chirping to each other delightfully, The radiant Sun beams through the tangerine leaves Joyfully, Oh fall is Here. Fall is here, The cute animals gleefully gleaming at each other, Ginger colored squirrels devour coffee brown chestnuts, Children leaping playfully on the brown crisp leaves, Oh, I love fall.

By: Shrikar Gandhesiri Give Us A Smile by Maria Lima You walk on the street alone, scared Scared because you were told Don't do that someone will hurt you Don't do that someone will try you Don't do that someone will get to you before we do Because we were told be "ladylike" There's nothing ladylike about the keys between my fingers Or the mace in my purse And there is not one thing that's ladylike about what they'd do to me if I didn't protect myself Its worse when the catcalls surround you Suffocating you with misogyny They only stop if you're walking with a man As if women aren't as powerful as them Who's to say we aren't more powerful That girl Jane you're telling to smile she used to be jake but if you knew that you'd call her a man That girl Gianna doesn't want to smile because her mother was just diagnosed I don't want to smile because I don't smile for YOU Oh and I don't dress for you And I don't put makeup on for you Its all for me So schools instead of sexualizing girls and telling them to dress "ladylike" Tell the boys they can't do everything they think Don't ask"but what were you wearing" Don't say"not all men" Of course not all men If it was the world would be scarier than it already is But those men who do that are the ones who tell you "Give us a smile" Monster by:Maria Lima It’s always there Looming over like the pale moonlight Whenever you fail It’s there

It makes you miserable It never goes away As much as you try The monster

It messes with you Makes you feel low Brings you down You try to suppress it It comes back

Pushing it down It makes the monster stronger Hungrier for your sadness But you don't let it Don't let it destroy you

For that monster always sticks around If you do Stand up and say you won't have it The monster “Nighttime” The trees glowed in the twilight sun The day was over and done However the night life had come to be And those who viewed it had a sight to see

The creatures of all colors roamed the land Under the night sky they were so grand But they felt invisible amongst the night It felt as though they had no light

But they were alive They had to thrive Because they were the creatures no one thought about The ones who did not shout The ones that fended for themselves

But they scurried along bright as ever Because they only had one endeavor To live with pleasure To be one with the night is to be one underneath the light

“Independent” They mean a lot It's worth a shot To risk things for them Even being dumb

When life isn’t the same Its becomes lame Because everything is gone It becomes a con

To live without it Is too much to ask Could it be like a flask Take one too many sips and you get addicted

Fighting the urge Trying to purge Because at last Being independent is not a task By: Jayani Dutta

“Why are you screaming?” one may ask Why I am rather melting from the sun’s bask. My painting can show many different things. Seeing something scary Or being shocked by what’s behind. A new deal at Sephora? Urban Outfitters? Or rather by the problems I see with my two eyes? The racism and hate? The abuse and terrible fate? The racism and hate? The abuse and terrible fate? Now don't take this the wrong way, I know this doesn’t happen all the time. But there are many more things like global and climate change that are definitely your crimes All the pollution and CO2 is getting the way And giving us more and more steaming hot rays I may be just a painting but now you know what I’m thinking So why don’t you fix these problems, that even though they don’t seem major to you Because soon, this “major” problem will affect you too. “Common Era” By: Rayan Hashmi It’s a common era. Full of good and full of terror But where are we going? Advancing or Destroying? Creating medicine, but creating guns for people who like toying? Sometimes I ask, “why can’t we stop?” Can we not create good with the expense of bad? The world runs on the same pattern, happy then sad. So that begs the question, does there have to be a consequence? Why does it feel like a pit that begins with bottomless? Can you live there without being discriminated? Or would a journey back to Earth be anticipated? Does the color of your skin matter there? Because here the prejudice is everywhere. So I have reached a conclusion But it will all end with just a dream. A dream where the world was peaceful. And a dream where it wasn’t so extreme. And I ask these questions along with the thought Don’t others think of this or do they let their ideas rot? People might not like it, but we need a change A change for humanity, a change for space. It would be easy if we all just stay on the same pace Why do we treat it like a competition when it’s not a race? I wonder how its like on the moon Is it happy or is it sad or is it run by buffoons It’s a Cruel World By: Ryna Asim

We are ambitious while people are dying We think that we can achieve success by lying We boast our best times and laugh at others’ worsts Time is ticking like the clock that chimes We feel sorrow for others that die Yet others are indifferent to poor lives We strive on wealth and power We think that we tower above all others We forget that Earth is made up of a variety of life People slaughter the innocent with a knife Some think of ending their own lives Because of someone who says too much Someone should act fast But no People are cowards No one stands up for one another Indifference is a motto in this cruel world Not caring about others Love is your weakness We mourn for our lost loved ones We cry But eventually, we all die Now, it may seem depressing But we all know it’s not a lie Total Chaos By: Ryna Asim Scary Nights No stars No light No sign of civilization No more forestation Pollution has invaded the lungs People have started to run Everything’s gone Everyone has broken bonds Friends have turned on friends Families have turned on Families People have turned on other people What’s left? Well, just the animals really The only sign of innocence and civilization Even more than the humans What a shame Oh what a shame Because of this People are all alone Children are hiding People are fighting And little are surviving It’s total chaos out there Civilization is in ruins People are dead People have fled The future has come to an end. “Light At The End Of The Tunnel” I used to ponder Why couldn’t I fly Somewhere else Into the sky

Into some elysium Some place faraway Instead of my broken home Which I stay

Thus I cannot This is where I be Where mommy’s at work And dad I never see

Dad ran away last year He would hit her and lie I never loved him But I would still cry Life was meaningless All my energy into the course I pushed through all the obstacles With all my force

But I’m grateful For there are those who love me But it wouldn’t make me human If I hadn’t dreamed about what was above me

Then again I wanted to get out of this place Have a new arc Have a new face

So as I roused From my waking slumber All my dreams and aspirations They went back under

My day dream stopped I stepped back to reality I hated it so much Called it a tragedy

I got on my knees Wanted to cry Pleaded to god Wishing I would die

But then my family came And sat with me They love me so Love is tenderly

They showered me with kisses As the frown came off my face As they hugged me tighter I accepted their embrace Then the rain clouds They scattered away As if the curtains had fell And the sun illuminated the place

So no matter where you are And life may look like an endless struggle Pain is only temporary As there is always light at the end of the tunnel

By: Shakil Ashrafi “Keep Trying” I try So hard To let everything in Because I know the importance of feeling Of touch Of trust Of hope But it’s not always easy letting it in But I try And try But how do I teach the people around me That the sadness is good And the laughter is better And that faith makes life worth living That feeling ways you’ve never felt isn’t dangerous It’s far from it It’s being free It’s living free It’s feeling the touch of light with open arms And hugging the moon light at night That gives life its charm It’s watching the birds fly south for winter And seeing them come back north for summer It might hurt to leave But coming back makes the journey so much better Like how the sun rise opens the world to a new day And the sunset says hello to a goodnight So how do I show them How can they see what I see Feel what I feel They can’t understand They’re too caught up with the idea that life is scary That they can’t see that living is beautiful And I know it’s not all there fault But don’t complain that life isn’t worth living When you haven’t lived it When you haven’t seen the flowers bloom during spring And the last leaf fall during autumn When you haven’t seen the christmas lights on houses around town during winter Or heard the loud music from a backyard party during the summer When you haven’t cried because of a stupid love movie That tells you you’d never have that in 50 languages But then you cry it out and laugh about it later Because silly things in life aren’t worth dreading over It’s not worth missing the first snowfall of winter It’s not worth missing a sunset that looks like a rainbow It’s the little moments that make life so gracious But I still don’t know how to show them But I try And try But I don’t want to seem like a silly girl that doesn’t understand pain I understand I’ve been through a lot of pain I feel their pain But they can’t find the beauty In the pain It’s humbling It shows you that life is delicate Life is spontaneous It won’t wait for you So you have to learn To run Or else you’ll never catch up So I’ll keep trying And trying For as long as it takes To learn to run And to show them that to run They have to walk And to show them that to walk they have to stand And to show them that to stand They have to try And keep trying Until running feels like a wave No matter how hard it may be It always touches the shore I try

By: Gianna Gittlitz The Blooming Day By: Andrea Kumahe

As I walk down the street I can smell the lovely flowers dazzling through my nose. I see children rushing to the ice cream truck before it says bye, bye and goes. Hearing guests in the backyard laughing and talking and having fun while my dad makes some barbecue. I run inside to the fridge to get some ice cream for myself. “Wow what a beautiful day it is,” I say to myself. I will just sit here and enjoy my ice cream until it melts when summer comes around . All alone By Rithvik Ganipineni

All alone All on our own Nowhere to go Waiting for tomorrow When can we go out? Not soon I suppose Just staring into the about While we all doze All alone… Malachi Tyson

Spring is Here

I see the clouds, and some sunlight.

I hear the lawn mower cutting the grass

I smell the pollen in the air

Sometimes I taste the bitter food,

When we walk I touch my mom Christopher Kirk

Spring of Senses

I see the blue sky and birds flying high.

I eat ice cream with sprinkles and whipped cream.

I feel the heat of the sun outside is fun.

I hear kids play outside all day.

I can smell fresh flowers for hours. Spring Fun Tyler Davis

Ohhhhhh Spring is finally here. I can hear the birds chirping outside, While excited to be out in the soft fresh cut grass. The flowers are blooming and smell so nice. I can’t wait to taste the fresh fruit, Strawberries, mangos & oranges Yummy! The Power of Love! By: Angelica Oriol As you look into the sky, you see the light shimmering in your eyes. It’s dark out, but the love is in the air. Oh, let the love rise! Let the people share what they feel. Let the people come together! Let the people unite as one, For love is more powerful, than the sun! Let the people kiss good night, Let the people stare into the black night sky, Oh, let the love rise! Because the future is bright, Let the people see the light! Oh, let the love rise! Let the people have picnics on the lake. Stare into the delicate eyes of the doves, Oh! Let the people love

When Will We Come Back? By Andrea Kumah

When will we come back to the places we always loved ?

When will we ever start getting our hug and fun back ?

When are we going to start having parties and come back close to each other ?

This is a question everybody is asking when just are we going come back will this ever end ? Thunder By: Angelica Oriol

The clouds are gray, Your hopes are down, You want to play, But the furious storm acts like a clown, It taunts you, And brags, That you can’t play outside, As you sag in your chair, Crying 1,000 tears, There may be hope! You stand up with pride, Going to your window, You sincerely say at the angry cloud, “Why are you sad? Let the sunshine pass through, And I will talk about what’s going on with you.” Fair enough, the angry cloud fades away as the sun pops into the sky. Then comes out a new cloud, as you say, “Butterfly!” The new cloud was in the shape of a butterfly! Maybe the angry cloud wasn’t angry, you say in your head, Maybe it just wanted the sunshine to finally spread! “What Is Reality?” By: Ruhi Patel When I look up I see the night sky, Lit up by thousands of little specks. Little specks that aren’t so small, but quite large instead They’re larger than this planet, larger than Saturn, Jupiter, and Neptune. How can something so big seem so small? What is reality? It’s not what we see. When I take a stroll outside, I see paper being thrown on grass and decks. I see the wind carry plastic bags in a motion that is convex. I see trash in the oceans, each wave revealing more gunk. I see the smoke and the pollution in the air. What is reality? And what will it become? When I go to bed at night, I see a tall man with a long neck. I see him tower over me, reaching for my bed I see in double, with monsters in every direction. I try to get out of the way before he can touch me, I just can’t seem to. Right, left, right, left, right, left, roll, do something, Nothing, I can’t move, I can only watch. I could only watch when he grabbed me. Is this reality? Or is this what they call “sleep paralysis”, It can’t be, it feels too real. Acrostic Poem By Francisco Linares, Grade 6 Contagious Outrageous Via Isolation Determined 1 9 Don’t follow Me By Malia Alhadi Can SOmeone Help Me I am Fighting A fight that no one should face Will You please help me I won’t stop fighting This fight that I should not face When will you come for me I am here waiting Time is too precious To keep me waiting I am drawing my pictures In my tears I am standing still In my nightmares I am crying When I am Thinking about you I will go my own way I won’t ever follow you If this is true please don’t follow me Thinking About the time where we were good Now we can’t be in the room without being shook It's a blast from the past Going Fast when you Passed me by Don’t follow Me

Now I’m drowning And you hear me calling It’s going so dark I won’t disembark When will you come for me I am here waiting Time is too precious To keep me waiting I am drawing my pictures In my tears I am standing still In my nightmares I am crying When I am Thinking about you I will go my own way You would never leave Me If this is true please don’t follow me If you say that you love Me Leave me alone If you care about me Let me Go So I am gonna go Don’t Follow

Don’t follow Me

I am drawing my pictures In my tears I am standing still In my nightmares I am crying When I am Thinking about you I will go my own way You would never leave Me If this is true please don’t follow me x2

Please! Believe it

by Malia Alhadi Verse One Scream At Me Say Words to Me Laugh At Me It Hurts I Scream At You Say Words To You I Laugh At You It Still Hurts Bridge You Hurt Me So Bad I Can’t Explain It I’ll Just Run Far To My Safe Haven Chorus I’m Gone Running From This Nightmare I’ll Go Far Just To Get To My Haven I’m Running from You Oooo We Are Through Oooo So I’ll Run And No One Is Gonna Believe It Verse Two 난 널 버렸다( I Left You) All Alone 아직도 거기 있니( Are You Still There) Please 당신은 날 싫어합니까( Do You Hate Me) Do You Know That You Should Hate Me? Bridge I Hurt You So Bad I Can’t Explain It So I’ll Run Away To My Safe Haven Chorus So I’m Gone Running From This Nightmare I’ll Go Far Just To Get To My Haven I’m Running From You Ooo We Are Through Ooo So I’ll Run And No One Is Gonna Believe It Bridge 원래 상태로 되돌아 갈 수 있습니까? ( Can We Go Back To How It Was) Can We Flip The Clock And Watch Our 러브 스토리 전개( Love Story Unfold) Chorus So I’m Gone Running From This Nightmare I’ll Go Far Just To Get To My Haven I’m Running From You Ooo We Are Through Ooo I’ll Run And No One Is Gonna Believe It Bridge 원래 상태로 되돌아 갈 수 있습니까? Can We Flip The Clock And Watch Our 러브 스토리가 사라집니다( Love Story Disappear) stories/ plays A Day in an Imaginary World Frank Galante

“Welcome to Jurasic World. This is your guide speaking. You can call me Frank. Today is Friday, April

17, 2020 and it is the opening day of the long awaited,

Jurassic World Adventure Park. We are set and ready to go folks, however, we have some bumps and bruises to fix. The engine operators have been working around the clock to make sure that even with the few items that need adjusting, you can still get the full Jurassic experience. So, grab your cameras and adjust those hats because you are about to embark on the most outrageous adventure ever!”

¨Oh Marty, this is going to be the best day ever¨, said Jane. Jane is a 63 year old woman who has been a fan of the Jurassic empire since day one.

Marty just smiled and continued walking and taking pictures for Jane.

Marty was not that big of a fan.

¨Daddy, Daddy, run or we won't make the ride time,” yelled John. Now John was the biggest 8 year old fan ever.

Marty, Jane, John and his father along with other riders begin to board the biggest ride Jurassic World Adventure park has to offer, the ¨Experience¨. You see, on the

¨Experience¨, you actually ride through the park where we keep all the dinosaurs.

They are off….our first launched ride.

Everyone is having so much fun, John is screaming and Jane is clapping with joy.

Marty, not so much.

All of a sudden the ride comes to a quick and jerking stop. There is a mighty raw!

¨Everyone, I ask that you stay calm, the operators will have us moving in no time,” I say even though I know how bad this could go.

While the engine operators try to fix the ride, the animals become more angry and hungry. The ride goes fast, or is suppose to go fast, and the passengers get just a glimpse of the animals.

This is not supposed to be happening.

¨Headquarters, this is Frank we need to dispatch the grounds team.”

¨Grounds team dispatched,” states Kelly from the main office.

Within minutes everything gets silent. The grounds team has to tranquilize the animals. We hear the start of the engine and ¨Experience¨ is once again moving.

As we pull back into the main station, the passengers begin to get off the ride. I guide them to the front gate.

“Like I said folks, we have some bumps and bruises to fix, I do hope you enjoyed your time here.”

John yells from the back of the crowd, “I don't want to leave.”

I turn and say, “Sorry buddy, it's feeding time and

I´m out!”

As the gates to Jurassic World Adventure Park close I begin walking towards the signs that say, ¨DO

NOT ENTER¨ with a smile on my face I get ready to feed my friends. Grim by Sam Buditi

The auditorium was a rainbow of colors and people. Almost every resident of the village was here today. I sat in the front with my family more nervous than ever, because today was the day that pretty much determined the rest of my life. Our row was mostly full of people still wearing white, but that would change today when we got our colors. “Hey,” I said to one of my friends as they punch me in the shoulder. “You pumped?” they responded grinning. “Yeah,” I said as we performed the cool secret handshake we had made only last month. It took my mind off things for a few minutes and I was a bit relieved to have someone here who I could count on to distract me. My little brother saw what I was doing with my friend and tried mimicking it. We were both laughing by the end of his little performance and I promised him I would teach him how to properly do it when we got home. I knew everyone was excited for the coloring ceremony, but I was more nervous than anything. The coloring ceremony was the single most important event we’d ever be attending. It determined our colors after all, which were in an of themselves a reflection of our character. And what if my character wasn't determined to be worthy of red? I had been sitting here nervously for hours as the kids got up and were presented with a spray gun which they fired to receive their colors. They all nervously shot the gun and looked startled when their color sprouted from their heart and spread to the rest of their clothes. I shared their fear of getting the wrong color because I didn’t want to disappoint my family and especially my friends. We had been training for years in order to all become reds so that one day we may become proper fighters who defended our village. But I knew there were people who wanted the same exact thing, but for much more sinister reasons. The color system was strange in that while a color may represent something viritous at first sight, like yellow being joy, there were many forms that all had their own meanings. For instance, yellow turned gold always resulted in an insatiable thirst for money, and more often than not, the golds succeeded in gathering wealth, but at the cost of going against their original colors meaning. It was almost like there was a rainbow within every color. A spectrum that was just as dynamic and ever changing as a true rainbow. No two colors were ever truly the same. It was odd to think that my color would be just that, mine. We might all call ourselves red, but there were so many shades and tints it was interesting how they all fell into just one category. I was filled with nervous excitement as they called my name “Ares Rainer.” I walked up the steps timidly; only one at a time which made it even more painfully slow and nerve racking. An elder wearing an aged blue robe presented me with a spray gun. I hesitated slightly as I took the spray gun in my hand and gripped it tighter than I needed to. All I could do was silently pray that I would get red, because I wasn’t sure what I would do if I didn’t I knew I would be taken in by another family of the same color, but I didn’t want to leave my own family. Just the thought of me leaving them was enough to make me start shaking. I hadn't felt this scared in a long time, even the stupid stunts we did back in the Red Colony were nothing compared to what I was feeling now. I would rather jump off Lava Falls ten times than have to do this ever again. But, even through the fear, I felt a coursing energy flowing through me. I could see my mother and younger brothers cheering loudly from the crowd as well as the other reds. My brothers were unruly and already getting told to be quiet by my mother. She seemed to have a look that said, “You got this.” She was smiling faintly. She had told me before that it didn’t matter what color I got, but I told her it was everything. She had sighed and told me that I was just like my father. My father was towering next to them and even the other adults seemed a bit intimidated. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone, and so I took in a deep breath to calm myself. I had already seen this done over a hundred times that day, I didn’t need to be told what I needed to do next. I took the spray gun and pointed it at my heart. My hands were already sweaty from gripping it so tightly. The gun itself was a blank white, much like the clothes I was wearing right now, a sign of my youth. Today I was becoming my own person, with my own color. I wanted to follow my parents, I needed to get a deep crimson. The color of leaders and fighters. I couldn’t keep my finger steady on the trigger as I anticipated what shade of red I wanted. I could hear my fellow red trainees cheer me on. We had been through so much together already, I couldn’t disappoint and have to leave them behind. I pulled it almost closing my eyes; closing them would have been a sign of weakness. I kept them open. A collective gasp from the crowd emanated through my thoughts perfectly as I nearly screamed at the color my clothes were turning. This wasn’t red, or blue, or yellow, or even one of the rainbow colors. It was an unmistakable black devouring me alive. I looked at my parents hoping for something, but all I got was a sullen look that made it perfectly clear that I couldn't go back to them for support. My brothers looked at me confused. I knew they wanted to be happy, but I could see that they didn’t understand why everyone else looked so horrified. My mother looked defeated. The faith in her face was gone. She had always been an opinionated person, but even she couldn’t stop what was about to happen. My father refused to look at me and sat up and walked away. He didn’t even say a word. I couldn’t see where he went because I was too focused on the hundreds of people staring at me. I knew I wasn’t the first mistake to happen this day; I had seen plenty of others get a different color then they were expecting, but I never saw anyone get black. I could tell my mother was nervous because her hands were shaking. My brothers were surprised as she gripped both of their hands tightly and led them out of the auditorium. There were no rules about having to leave your family yet everyone still did and now I was going to be one of the abandoned. I felt a small feeling of hope thinking about how there were the few that accepted no matter what your color was, but it was gone as fast as it came because I knew my family was not part of that small minority. I was my parents first child to get a color, but my father had made it perfectly clear beforehand that he wouldn’t hesitate to leave me behind me. “What does this mean?” I asked hoping for any sort of answer. I had no idea what I even was, there was no one with this color and I had never even heard of this being an option. Nobody in the crowd said a word and I was tempted to run right then. This had to be some sort of terrible nightmare right? Never had I ever heard of someone not getting a color from the rainbow seven or a variation of one of the colors. Maybe it was a cruel joke, I thought, looking for a reaction from anyone from the crowd. “What does this mean!” I yell at the crowd again. They were looking at me like I was a monster but, hadn’t I proven to them that I was a more than capable red? Were all those years of training and all those stunts for nothing? I felt a rough hand grab my arm and drag me towards the stage’s exit. It wasn’t the blue elder though, he had already left the stage. “Let go of me!” I yell, but his grip was too strong. I screamed as he took me away from my family. I wanted to cry, but I learned a long time ago, tears did nothing but blur your vision further. I did the only thing I could think of and bit his hand. I could feel the blood in my mouth, but he didn’t let go. He didn’t even make a sound. I didn’t need to be told that it was my father. “Let me go!” I yell again. I was pleading now, I had no idea where he was taking me. “Help!” I yelled, but I knew that no one would come for me. I was on my own now. What horrified me even more were the chants that followed as he dragged me through the stage’s exist. I hoped I was just imagining things, but I knew it was all true. “Kill that monster!” and “They don’t belong here!” they chanted. I was defeated by then. I accepted the fact that all those terrible chants were directed at me. I gave up trying to escape and instead weakly asked my father, “What will you do with me now?” I felt guilty even now, because I had barely put up a fight. Perhaps that was why I wasn’t a red, I gave up too easily. I had thought I had overcome this Far over the last several years, but I guess old habits die hard. “You are grim. You will be left in the forest and the beasts will take you if the others do not come for you.” “Grim?” I ask wondering what he meant. “You are not a color of the rainbow, nor a variant. You are repulsive all the way to the core. There is no place for you here. I knew you were trouble the moment you were born. You should have been abandoned long ago. Now your mother can do nothing to save you.” “But, won’t someone take me in?” I said, referring to those who did not see colors as boundaries. “They are forbidden to take the likes of you,” he said bitterly. I could feel the hate and venom behind his every word. He walked me all the way to the graveyard, and I could see the road that lead out of the village. Only adults were allowed past that point though, they say the beasts would kill any children who crossed into the forest. I didn’t say anything as he shoved me into a tree. I hadn’t looked up before, but I realized he was carrying rope. I sobbed as he tied me up. “Please don’t do this Dad,” I sobbed. “I’m not your father anymore,” he responds as he slapped me hard across the face. I didn’t stop crying as he took me deep into the forest and left me tied up without saying another word. I tried to stand, but fell again sobbing. I was truly alone now. I heard a ruffle in the leaves and wondered what it was. It felt as if dozens of eyes were on me. Shadows shuffled through the leaves. I was sure they were beasts. I just continued to sob. Heavy breaths that surely must come from the animals were stalking me. I was their prey. They would kill me and maybe even eat me alive. It would be painful, I knew that. I was already defeated, why couldn’t they have just killed me in the village? “Please don’t take me. I need to go home,” I said not able to wipe any tears because my hands were tied behind my back. I cried even more because I knew I didn’t have a home anymore, at least one where I could go without being seen as a monster. But, why did it have to be like this? What had I done to deserve this? I may have been a coward, but I wasn’t a monster. Feeling one shadow get closer, I close my eyes fearful, listening to them approach me, getting closer every second. I just hoped it would be quick. “We’ll take you to your new home,” a voice said as I felt someone untie my hands. “Who are you?” I said weakly. I couldn’t make out what this person was, he was completely black, like a shadow. “You’re like me,” I said finally realizing. “We are the Grim,” they respond simply as they take me in their arms. They didn’t say anything even as I cried on their shoulder, but they also didn’t let go and instead pulled me closer in a tight embrace. I was being embraced by a shadow, something I had always assumed to be cold, and all I could think was how warm they were. I could hear others approach moving around like they were curious, but I sensed no aggression. I knew they had all been through the same thing that was happening to me right now. I cried, but through the tears I was able to say “Thank you.” I knew these people were my family now and that they understood everything that was going through my head. I could hear their tears too, especially the ones of the one embracing me; they were probably reliving their darkest memories. And yet they still smiled. “F.R.E.E.” By Sam Buditi “Can I ask you a question?” Len asked his wife Mary. “Only if you don’t question the answer,” she said not looking away from the book she was reading. She was laying carefree on the living room couch. It was early morning, so she had just showered and smelled of lavender. “Well okay then.” Len said. “Here goes nothing. Would you ever want to be free?” “Free? Sure. But, I would rather you asked me a different question.” “How so?” Len asked. He felt that his wife's answer was technically complete, but something about it didn’t feel quite right. He eyed her disapprovingly because she wasn’t going to work today. She had convinced him to take a break, but he knew that couldn’t happen. “More specifically why would you want to be free?” Len asked as he started to pack his briefcase. He eyed it proudly because of how long it had lasted him. He had bought it in a flea market many years ago, and even though it was a bit shabby he thought of how lucky he was to have it. “You're getting closer to the question I want, keep trying,” Mary said sipping on a cup of coffee. Len wasn’t sure how long this conversation would last especially since he had to go to work soon. He had already been late three times this month, his boss was fairly laid back, but she would still be angry if he was late for a fourth time. Is that coffee from the restaurant? Len’s conciousence nearly screamed. He wanted to ask her about it, but he sighed. That was another few dollars down the drain. Why couldn’t she be more careful in how she spent our money? He took a breath and tried again. “Would you rather be free or have it the way it is now?” Mary put down her cup and finally put down her book. She looked at Len with intense eyes and said, “You're straying from the question I want.” “You sound like the one asking me the questions,” Len said with a heavy sigh. “Well fine. If you don’t get in the next try I’ll give you a clue.” Len nodded and said, “If you could leave right now and go back to what life was like 50 years ago, would you?” Mary shook her head and said, “Len, you're just making it more vague. I know you're trying to get an answer about being free specifically, but you just made and made the question worse. No, I would not go back fifty years ago because then I wouldn’t have met you.” “That’s not what I meant,” Len said. “Exactly my point,” Mary said. “You gave me that question looking for a specific answer. Then I went and twisted it. Are you angry with me?” “No, of course not,” Len said. Although he was peeved about how careless she was being today he was surprised that Mary would even think that. He was never one to get mad for long and he thought he was someone that forgave fairly quickly. “What type of answer did you think I was looking for?” Mary asked. “I’m not sure. Shouldn’t it just be no. You know I wouldn’t ever stay mad at you. Plus I wouldn’t get stressed over a silly question.” “No honey. I was looking for how you reacted to the question.” “Your answer was completely irrelevant, because I already knew how you would answer. We’ve been married for over twenty years. You think I wouldn’t know how you felt about things. What I did find out was that you are worried you don’t make yourself approachable enough. Maybe you find yourself feeling insecure about the way you make people feel. You want to be seen as approachable and kind, but you worry not everything you do contributes to that goal.” “Honey,” Len said. He wasn’t sure how to continue. Everything his wife said was true, but this was the first time he really had his thoughts formed into words. He wanted to turn and head to work, but he knew he couldn’t leave this conversation unfinished. “How did you gather all that from a question?” he asked. “Were you not paying to anything I was saying. I’ve known you for more than half of my life. You are full of surprises, but for most of these day to day things I can pretty confidently make out your thought processes.” “Wouldn’t that mean I know how you’ll react?” Len asked. He looked at Mary for any sign of what she was thinking, but all that came back was a blank. He couldn’t help but notice that she was wearing her favorite summer dress. He still remembered how angry he had been when she had bought it. She shrugged it off then and probably had forgotten about it, but Len still remembered. “Yes and no. You have a vague idea about my reasons for doing anything, but you can’t confidently form it into a cohesive thought. This conversation has strayed a bit, so back to the question I wanted you to ask me.” She took another sip of her tea and put it down on the table before continuing. “What would I sacrifice to be free? That is the question you should have asked me.” “Why?” Len asked. He wasn’t sure about what his wife was talking about. Afterall wasn’t it the same question as before. “I would sacrifice my house for true freedom. This house is nice, but I miss my childhood home much more. But, would I sacrifice myself? Maybe, I don’t know. You don’t know how brave you are until you’re put into a situation where you have to act. But, if I had to sacrifice you. No, I would never accept that. You think you understand just a bit darling?” Len shook his head and said “Some of it. You are a very confusing person. You do know that dear, don’t you?” He took his coat and walked off to work. He wasn’t surprised that Mary would sacrifice the house to be free. It wasn’t much, but Mary didn’t complain usually because there wasn’t much they could do about it. Mary simply continues reading her book. She was glad her husband had worked up the courage to ask her about it. She took off the fake book cover she had put over her book. It was titled Sunsets are Beautiful. How corny can something get, Mary thought. She delicately slipped off the cover to the true cover. It was three colors you saw rarely together anymore. Red, white, and blue. The book was simply titled F.R.E.E. It was an account of what life had been like half a century before. Back when everyone was free and not chained to this society and its strict rules. This was definitely dystopian, but none of the romanticized ones she had read when she had been younger. She laughed when she thought about the books she had read as a teen. The YA dystopia that always started off with some perfect utopia turned into secret dystopia with some ridiculous teenage character who manages to always overthrow the government by the end of the third book. Ask someone fifty years ago if they would ever give up their freedom, they would have said no in a heartbeat. Ask someone what they would do to get it back now and they give you a serious stare and proceed to dodge the question. Now what would we give up our freedom for? Someone from before would have asked. Is it because you're facing an apocalyptic disease, or some great meteor crash. Maybe nuclear war? No, No and No said Mary’s consciousness. She takes her phone and stares at the screen. Oh how life has changed. There was an alert banner on the top of her screen and a message that read:

$1,000 due by 1/28/70. Current debt is $2,666,834 owed. If you are having trouble dealing with this debt please schedule an appointment with your local finance administrator.

She sighed and went back to reading her book. The Spooky Nightmare By Yasmin Lashin Two years have passed and there was one week left for Mia to be a ghost. But she didn’t know how and when, so that made Mia scared. In those two years, Mia gotten to know many ghosts like: Mrs. Goody and her husband Dr. Seuss. They were very good at cooking. Mrs. Goody always liked to cook for Mia, especially chocolate cheesecake and all the sweets. She also got to know Carla. She always had problems with her husband and their triplets Julia, Sophia, and David was very kind to her. On The first day he saw that she was crying after she knew that she was going to be there forever. He told her that they were all together and they were all going to be like her family. A lot of people were very kind to her, they were like her family that died years ago. One day when Mia was walking in the castle she saw the witch sneaking into her room on the second floor. So, Mia followed her. She saw the witch opening a secret wall, it was just like a door opened to another small room. Mia followed her. She didn’t see anything except for the witch standing behind a table. She was going to grab something, but suddenly something fell down on the first floor. The witch got scared and closed everything quickly and then she disappeared. Mia didn’t know what was in the room, so she went inside and opened the secret wall. She saw a book called Spells. She didn’t understand anything. She heard footsteps coming. Turning around slowly, she tried to think about what she was going to say to the witch. But, to her surprise it was David. He asked, “What are you doing?” She said, “I don’t know, I saw the witch coming here and opening this wall and then I was sure she was going to grab something, but then something fell down so she returned everything back and then she disappeared.” “That is Julia’s doll,” he said, asking Mia to show him what she saw in the room. Mia took him to the table and showed him the book. Mia started to talk about it a lot, but David didn’t pay attention to any word and he kept staring at the book. Mia asked, “Why are you staring at it?” “This is the same book that the witch was holding when she turned me to a ghost,” answered David. “Wait a minute so that book contains the spell to turn anyone to a ghost or human. So if I take that book and turn all of you to humans and then I burn it, so the witch will not turn me or anyone to a ghost.” Mia said. ********* Two days passed while Mia was trying to understand any word of the book of spells, trying to find the section for turning ghosts back to humans, but she couldn’t. She didn’t have any choice except to take the book and show it to all of them and see if they can find anything. So she got everyone in her room. She was sure that the witch was outside Looking for people. Then they all tried to understand anything but they didn’t. A minute passed and the door got closed very hard and a very scary voice said “NO ONE WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND THIS BOOK EXCEPT THE WITCH AND ALL OF YOU WILL BE GHOSTS FOREVER” They all got scared, but it was not their problem, they didn’t want to understand the book they just wanted to find a spell to turn them normal. While they were looking through the pages they saw a bookmark. In the left page the title said, “How to be a Ghost.” and on the right page the title said, “Back to Normal.” When they saw those two pages, they were very happy. Mia said, “Let’s try it… The sentence says, ‘From being a ghost you will be a human. I command all your bodies back to your souls NOW!’ ” Then a wind came from the widow getting all their bodies to the ghosts as if they were not buried for years. Mia was very happy that she saw them as humans not as ghosts. David took Mia to the garden, so both of them could look for a spell that can turn the damned castle to a beautiful castle. Eventually, they found the two pages they were in search of. On the left page the title says “Turn your castle to a demand caste.” And on the right page the title said “Turn your castle to a beautiful castle.” In a loud voice Mia said, “FROM AN UGLY CASTLE YOU WILL BE BEAUTIFUL. I COMMAND THIS CASTLE TO BE BEAUTIFUL NOW AND FOREVER.” A wind started to go around the castle, but before the spell could work, the witch came and said something. No one heard it, but in one second later, they all got turned into ghosts again. The book was still with her, and in a very quiet voice she turned the witch into a human. When her body came to her she was very happy and her look didn’t look like one of a witch. Mia didn’t have anything left except to turn them and the castle back to normal. They all said together the two curses. They also got the devil out. They all went out in the garden to celebrate. David went to Mia to propose to her.

♡And they all lived happily ever after.♡

♡The End♡ drawings and digital art By Isabella Naguit By Isabella Naguit By Isabella Naguit By: Isabella Naguit Ameeka Patel By Katelen Estrada By: Katelen Estrada By: Katelen Estrada By:Molly Wright By: Molly Wright By: Molly Wright By: Molly Wright By: Molly Wright By: Molly Wright By: Molly Wright By: Molly Wright By: Molly Wright By: Molly Wright By: M. Patel by: Frank Grade 6 By: Angie Bush By: McKenzie Ann Abuzo By: McKenzie Ann Abuzo By: Eshani Manjrekar By: Eshani Manjrekar By: Eshani Manjrekar By: Eshani Manjrekar By: Eshani Manjrekar By: Eshani Manjrekar By: Eshani Manjrekar By: Eshani Manjrekar By: Eshani Manjrekar By: Eshnai Manjrekar By: Rithvik Ganipineni By: Rithvik Ganipineni By: Rithvik Ganipineni By: Rithvik Ganipineni By: Rithvik Ganipineni By: Angelica Oriol By: Jahnavi Mareddy By: Jahnavi Mareddy By: Jahnavi Mareddy By: Jahnavi Mareddy By: Jahnavi Mareddy By: Jahnavi Mareddy By: Jahnavi Mareddy By: Malia Alhadi By: Ava Wallenstein By: Ava Wallenstein By: Grace McNulty By: Grace McNulty By: Grace McNulty By: Grace McNulty By: Grace McNulty By: Grace McNulty By: Yilin Zheng photography By: Angelica Oriol By: Jayani Dutta By: Jayani Dutta By: Jayani Dutta By: Bella Cianci By: Ryna Asim By: Ryna Asim By: Ryna Asim By: Ryna Asim By: Anoushka Banerjee By: Anoushka Banerjee By: Anoushka Banerjee By: Anoushka Banerjee By: Anoushka Banerjee By: Anoushka Banerjee By: Anoushka Banerjee Editors & Publishers Teacher Advisor Mrs. Kirsten Wrightson Editing Team Maria Lima … Editor in Chief Anoushka Banerjee …

Co-Editor in Chief Ameeka Patel … Editor Amoli Patel … Color Coordinator Sanika Karode … Proofreader 8th Grade (publishers) Shrikhar Gandhesiri Maria Lima Jayani Dutta Rayan Hashmi Shakil Ashrafi Gianna Gittlitz Ruhi Patel Sam Buditi Yasmin Lashmin Isabella Naguit Ameeka Patel Bella Cianci Anoushka Banerjee 6th & 7th Grade (publishers) Katelen Estrada … Editor Ryna Asim … Editor Rithvik Ganipineni … Editor Molly Wright Eshani Manjrekar Angelica Oriol Grace McNulty Ava Wallenstein Malia Alhadi Jahnavi Mareddy McKenzie Ann Abuzo Angie Bush Frank Galante Francisco Linares Tyler Davis Andrea Kumah Christopher Kirk Malachi Tyson Yilan Zheng