Galaxy Literary Magazine

Home , Love Hurts (House)

Produced by Callahan Middle School’s Rambler Writers Group

Volume 1 2018

Galaxy Literary Magazine Staff

Managing Editor: Karli Kupfer

Poetry Editor: Makayla Davis, Jer’hydi Reed,

Adrienne Brown

Fiction Editor: Billie Ott, Hope Holland

Visual Arts Editor: Logan Vaine

Supervising Staff Member: Amanda Brahlek

About Our Journal

Galaxy Literary Magazine was established this year to promote the artistic and literary talent at Callahan Middle School. Our staff meets once per week during the submission acceptance period to review possible work for the magazine. Beyond the submission period, we meet every other week to continue to refine our work and the work selected for publication. Our dedicated editors attended every meeting over the course of the year. We strive for quality and originality and hope you enjoy what we’ve produced.

Table of Contents

Cover Art: “Sphinx,” 2017, ink and marker, by Ciara O’Neal

“Memory” by Karli K. ………………………….…….…...... 3

“The Ranger” by M.J. ………………………………...... 5

“Love Hurts,” 2017, pencil by L. V. ……………………...... 6

“Why” by Hope Holland …………………………….………….7

“The crickets chirping…” by L. V. …………………………..…..8

“Untitled” by adri brown ………….……………….…...... 9

“The Frost and the Flame” by Jer’hydi Reed ……………….…....10

“The Guardian” by M. J. …………………………………...…..11

“Untitled” by Hope Holland ………………………………..…..12

“Thalassophobia” by L. V. …………………………...... 13

“Wolf Love,” 2017, pencil by Island Lacost.………………....…..14

“tiny’” by Billie Ott ………………………………………....….15

“Puppies” by Jer’hydi Reed ………………………….……...... 16

“Runaways” by Ellie L. Holton …………...………….……….....17

“Just Kids” by Karli K. ………..……………………………...….21

“Untitled” by adri brown ………………………………….…….23

Contributor Bios ………………………………………………..24

Memory

by Karli K. “Attention, all students must report to the Auditorium for an unscheduled assembly. Students must keep all belongings in their fourth period classroom.” The speakers rang throughout the hallways as student got up and charged out of their classroom.

I knew what this assembly was for. It was for him. The only person that had been there for me in the past year. This assembly was honoring his memory. Although he hasn’t been found, the police presume him dead, but he’s not. I can feel it. He is out there somewhere.

I walked into the Auditorium. I stood in the doorway, alone seeing as I was the last one to reach it, or so I thought as someone forcefully shoved me out of the way. I fell to the ground and everyone stared at me. Getting up off the floor and dusting myself off, I realized the person that pushed me was still standing in the doorway, I spun around and opened my mouth.

“Hey, could you watch where you’re going next time buddy,” I snapped as I stared at the kid. He looked like a freshman. He was small and his black hair was going in a million different directions. His green eyes were wide with fear as he took in who he just shoved to the ground.

“Oh..I didn’t...I’m...I’m really sorry,” he stuttered as he walked backwards towards the bleachers, not taking his eyes off of me until he got to his seat.

“Pfft, idiot,” I mumbled as I climbed the emptiest area of the bleachers. I sat down in the corner and put my headphones in. I

closed my eyes, letting the music drown out the rest of the world. I sat like that for about 20 minutes. Deciding to check the time, I opened my eyes, only to be greeted with 300 pairs of eyes staring at me. I looked at who started the staring, the principal. She said something that I couldn’t hear with my music blaring, so I took out my headphones. “What?”

“I said, would you like to say a few words about Luther?” She asked with a smile. I cringed slightly. Hearing his name felt like a punch in the gut. I stared at her for a few minutes. The auditorium was eerily silent, like everyone was holding their breath. “Cameron? Would you like to say anything?”

I looked around the room, then back at her. I shook my head and she gave me a questionable look before saying, “Are you sure? I may help you and other people here.”

“Ah yes, it would just help my mental stability so much to talk about my presumed dead best friend in front of an entire auditorium filled with students that couldn’t care less about him,” I say as I climbed off of the bleachers. “I don’t really feel like it.”

I started to walk out of the building when I felt someone grab my arm. I whipped around and froze. Blue eyes were staring back at me. The boy that grabbed me slowly let go. I looked around and realized that everyone was whispering about me. My head started to spin and I heard ringing in my ears.

The boy grabbed my arm again and I shoved his hand away, but as soon as he let go, I collapsed. I saw the boy start to freak out before my vision got blurry and I passed out.

The Ranger

He runs the empty streets and hides in the cover of the silent night.

Tortured Ghosts of regret haunt the roads of his heart, and vicious demons of fear prowl the forest of his mind.

For he has spilled the blood of another, and the void the act has left in his soul can never be filled.

by M. J.

“Love Hurts” by L. V.

Why?

Why must I tie up my hair? And cross my legs? Cake my face, In skin tone paint.

To sit upright. And like a lady. Perform with every beck and call. And I ask myself, Why? Why am I told I must wear dresses, And like the color pink.

Why? Why am I cat-called On the street, And told it’s a compliment? Why am I told to be ashamed For loving my size, and how I look?

Why am I told, to go into the kitchen? I want to play video games And enter in races Without being asked Why? It seems no matter How much I try, Makeup or not, Dress or pants, I’ll always be asked Why?

by Hope Holland

The crickets chirping…

The crickets chirping in the cool black night sounded throughout the house. I was sleeping in my new home’s bed, softly asleep, when I hear Alexa say something. I think of it as nothing and slowly drift off again, looking at the clock, 2:47. I bolt upright, clock reading 3:00, as I hear a large crash. I'm so startled and confused, all until Alexa speaks again, and I here it clear as ever, “someone outside has entered and is outside your bedroom door.”

by L.V.

how harsh does the household have to be in order for the child to count the days down until she leaves ?

by adri brown

The Frost and the Flame

So different, yet so alike The red, burning flame And the blue, freezing frost One bent on destruction The other on restoration But which wants what? Maybe it’s both, Did you ever think of that? The flame gives you warmth But will burn if you ignore it You get caught up in frost's beauty But it will bite if you’re not prepared Give the elements your full attention Or be ready for a sting and a burn

by Jer’hydi Reed

The Guardian

He lives in the forest, Translucent and tinted green. Long and lean, He rides the winds.

He looks over his home, Searching for evil. An almighty dragon, Keeper of a vibrant land.

Made of the beliefs of thousands, He opposes those who seek to harm the land he protects. Mostly from tree destroying mechs that have a rather awful effect.

Spikes run down his back. And horns sprout from his head. His winding body twists in the sky. He soars so high as he passes by.

His intimidating appearance frightens many, But those who know the good he brings fear him not. With a bright flash of light the evil is reduced to a dot.

He stands for those who cannot for themselves. He stands for the world, And he stands for its health.

I have come to know him as the guardian. But alas, he is only a legend.

by M.J.

Everything changes Once or twice, It’s hard to accept it, I know. But imagine- If we never changed, We wouldn’t grow, We wouldn’t realize our beauty. We’d be stuck with racism, slavery, and no equality.

So let's think; Change. Our. Ways. And accept the growth

by Hope Holland

Thalassophobia

Deep waves of vast blue The white moon shining over the moving ocean Unable to be seen through unlike glass The pale blue cover, But pitch black underneath. Scales of the creatures that lurk unknown Waiting for your eyes to be void of the sea The broken hull The terror in your eyes The fear you once wished to contain leaks out in your scream And then You see it.

by L. V.

tiny

His tired eyes His dead soul You probs can’t read this I wanna go home

by Billie Ott

Puppies

All puppies are pretty in their own way Puppies can be fun Puppies can be tall or short Puppies were made for everyone Some can be fat Some can be thin And that’s just that They obey when you stay sit or stay They may not have ears, tails, or a leg But they are still pretty in their own way

by Jer’hydi Reed

Runaways by Ellie Holton

Yet another long and boring lecture about humans. Today the topic is what they eat. They eat what we fairies eat, but our fruit is different. It holds magic made for fairies and fairies only. Since the Jumpers had announced that the Unicorns lairs was discovered and invaded by humans. Most Unicorns were viscously slaughtered and, found hornless. The Jumpers are still are trying to figure out how humans got past the Border. Now we have to take long boring classes on how to blend in to the human world. That means their history, their culture, and their currency. We are assigned continents and states. If you were assigned America you either got Florida, California, or New York. I was assigned Florida, with my best friend Eve Williams. Although we both got the same state we have this class in different periods. Jumpers are the descendants of the Guardians, a group of powerful warlocks who could change form. They created the Border to protect the creatures humans called myths. After the great Divide, the war between the humans and magic, the magic force went into hiding. The government convinced the public we were gone and now the younger generations are made to believe that we are not real. The bell rang and I hurried out the huge oak doors. The doors towered above us, casting a long shadow. These doors are made to house giants. The School of Magic is a school for all magical creatures from pixies to giants. I walked to the birch bunches hidden behind the Evergreen shrubs. Eve and I are the only ones that I know of who know it’s there. Eve emerges from the bushes with an angry look on her face. “What’s up? ” I asked already knowing the answer. “Mrs. Higgins is failing me. Just because when I transform into animals they end up strange and mutated. My snake has cat legs and ears. Too bad you have transformation fifth period and not fourth period,” she said with dismay. I asked her if she wanted to come over, and I could give her some pointers. She agreed and went to call her mom. She went over to the bushes behind the benches and pulled out her phone. I knew that something was wrong before she said anything. Her eyes

17 were crowded with tears. I rushed over and she started crying on my shoulder. She cried for a solid five minutes. She looked up at me and the words started to flow out. “They got into a fight. They’re getting a divorce. Mom told me to stay with you for the rest of the week. She’s already called your mom and brought my clothes over,” she said losing her breath. The muscles in her face started to pop as she tried to get all the worlds out. She then started hyperventilating. I brushed her hair with my fingers as we flew to the bus lot. I ride the bus for fairies (I‘m a fairy of course). We got on and Mr. Poxs, the bus driver nodded. We went straight to the back and sat in the cold seat. The soft leather crunched as we sat. She looked at me and I saw the immense sorrow in her eyes. Saw her bottom lip quiver and knew that she was about to break. I was so relieved when I saw Rocky come down the aisle. She yelled that Mr. Pox wanted to talk to me. I yelled back, hoping to be heard over the roar of the bus. I grabbed Eve’s hand and yanked her to the front of the bus with me. When we got to the front Mr. Pox looked at me from the mirror. I could see the wrinkles around his mouth from yelling at the other kids and the bruises under his eyes. “Is she with you today?” he asked his voice a little rougher than usual. “Yes sir, she’s getting off with me,” I replied. We turned the corner with a lurched we had to lean on the seats for support. Gripping the seat we made our way back. Eve flopped down and I slid into the seat behind her. The bus lurched to a stop and Rocky stood. Rocky stood at the edge of the stair and her wings emerged, they were a murky brown and purple. She jumped and fluttered off. Flutterville is a town of floating houses; each its own island. Each island holds three houses. The islands also had a portal that leads to your assigned state in case of an emergency exit. I share an island with Eve’s family. The other house is vacant. Our stop was next, so I nudged Eve and we pulled out our backpacks on. We made it to the front just in time. As the bus stopped Eve’s wings emerged. I was always jealous of her purple and aquamarine wings. My wings are violet and fuchsia, although the colors are beautiful, my wings are chipped and torn. I was born with my wings like this. I had to take classes and learn how to fly. Most fairies can fly at birth, but due to the tears and rips in my wings, they couldn’t catch the wind like

18 wings are supposed to. Unlike a pixie our wings can’t be touched. So therapy was extra hard. They gave me an injection so they could grab them. The experience was traumatizing. We flutter to the third island were my house is. We wiped our feet on our “Hang In There Baby” cat doormat. I leaned over and pulled the key out from underneath the mat and slid it in the hole. A satisfying click greeting me as I opened the door. We dropped our backpacks beside the coat rack and hung up our coats. The smell of bell peppers flooded the room. I knew it was sloppy joe night. I saw Mom stick her head out from behind the wall and she smiled, enhancing her rosy cheeks. “No wings in the house and make sure to lock the door. Hey Eve, how’s it going. Your duffel bag is on the couch.” Mom stuck her head back behind the wall as Eve grabbed her bag and headed down the hallway. I followed and opened the door and she flopped down on the bed As I closed the door she pulled out her beads. I knew that she was about to break. She always beaded when she was upset or mad. I walked over and sat beside her on the bed. She buried her head in my shirt and cried. “Do you want to talk about it?” I asked. She shook her head. We sat there for a good half an hour in silence. There was a knock on the door and she sat up so I could answer. I opened the door surprised to see my Mom. “Turn on your TV,” she said urgently. She walked over to Eve and rubbed her back. I heard Eve sniff as I turned on the TV. I walked back to the bed and Slumped down beside them. “Breaking news, pack a bag of clothes and some food. The Jumpers have reported that the humans are nearing. They will be at the border at 8am. Find your information packet and use your portals to escape’ The alarm sounded and Mom looked at me and I knew what to do. Mom pulled out her phone and left the room. Eve looked at me confused and terrified. “My Mom is calling yours. She’s calling our new house in the human world to let them know we’re going. Your bag has your information. Your name is the same but you’ll be from L.A and we live with each other. I’m getting my clothes together.” My words made her more terrified.

I pull out my duffel bag and empty my drawers into it. I pull out my Box. I close my eyes and when I open them my room is empty and Eve is sitting on the floor. It was a spell that I remember learning in third grade, the shrinking and placing spell. I pick up the light box and place it in my bag. Eve and I grab our bags and rush it of the room. I look up around my whole house was empty except for the five boxes on the ground by my Moms duffel bag. She appeared from behind the wall and places the boxes in the bag and, silently, we walk to the door. We stand in front of the door as my Mom casts the key into the abyss underneath the islands. I hear babies crying and inaudible speech. Our wings emerge. We fly down to a faded blue door in the side of the island. “Wait, what about my Mom?” asked Eve “She's going to meet us at the house-we’re roommates,” she answered. Eve nods her head. Mom opens the door and steps in to a room. There was a flick and the lights came on. I stepped in and was bombarded with a musty smell. The room was empty except for the long black mirror on the back wall. Eve ran her finger along the dust covered wall. The room was made of cobblestone. My footsteps echoed as I walked to the end of the room to inspect the mirror. The mirror was long and slender; its glossy paint was shirred. When I touch the mirror, it shimmered purple. My Mom pushed my aside and put her hand flat on the mirror. It simmered again. Then her hand slipped through the mirror. She stepped aside and gestured towards the mirror. I stepped through the glass into a blinding light. I felt warm on my face. The smell of greenery was overwhelming. I was standing in the middle of a greenhouse. I turned around and a gate of leaves surrounded the portal. All of a sudden Eve appeared in the clearing. She looked around in awe. Mom appeared dazed. I grasped both of their hands and confidently I said, “Here we go.”

Just Kids

I used to miss you The days that I would sit in my room And listen to how quiet it is without you Then I would see you a few days later And the happiness would overwhelm me

Then I lost you And I missed you even more I would sit in my room in the dark And stare at nothing while I wondered what I did wrong Missing you was destroying me

And even though we still talked I felt utterly alone I could cry I could scream But it never helped

You were always there In the back of my mind Mocking me Telling me that if I wasn’t good enough for you Who would I ever be good enough for?

But I decided That I needed you out of my life It hurts So badly But I need this to move on

And I realized 21

That if you truly still loved me You wouldn’t have just let me cut you out Because love is fighting for the other person Not just letting them walk away

But what would I know? I’m only a kid I don’t feel as heavy as adults do I just let the feelings pass by me We don’t need feelings

We don’t feel like we’re gonna die If we spend one more night Crying ourselves to sleep We just don’t Because we’re just kids

But what you don’t realize Is that we feel these And maybe some kids don’t But the ones who do Are the ones that are the kindest

These kids are the ones Who want people to feel included Because we feel the most alone And no one, no one Should feel like that

by Karli K.

she looked at him with a love. a love that couldn’t be broken. one day, he decided to give up on her. in a snap. and her problem? read the second sentence.

by adri brown

Contributor Bios

adri brown is an 8th grader who enjoys reading and writing poetry.

M. J. is in 8th grade, and her talents include her refined attention to poetic image and precise grammar. Her poems show great depth.

Hope Holland is an aspiring author who is obsessed with cats and video games. She’s currently in 8th grade at Callahan Middle School.

Ellie Holton is a 6th grader and sees herself becoming a professional writer in the future. Her writing is inventive and inspired. Her talent shows on the page.

Karli K. is an 8th grader. She enjoys writing short stories and helping her fellow writers through her thoughtful criticism.

Island Lacoste is a 6th grader at Callahan Middle School. She enjoys art and music. Her creative talent shines through her imaginative work.

Ciara O’Neal is in 6th grade at Callahan Middle school. She enjoys watching movies and creating artwork. She has a bright future.

Billie Ott plays guitar. She is in the 8th grade.

Jer’hydi Reed likes to read and play with her dogs, Remy and Chloe. She is in the 8th grade.

L. V. is an 8th grader at Callahan Middle School. His talents are limitless. He is able to capture the many aspects of life through his artwork and his written work.