Thursday, September 25 - Bad Mistake

 

   I still visit him sometimes. I go to the animal shelter and sit there for hours just petting him and brushing him. The day we gave him up was the worst day of my life. It will go down in history as the worst mistake I have ever made. My cat, Fluffles, was my best friend in the whole world. My mother, though, was deathly allergic to cats. She took allergy pills, but eventually, they stopped working. She was miserable all of the time. I tried to pick up every stray hair so that maybe she could handle the cat, but it didn't work. Two years after receiving Fluffles as a birthday present, I had to take him to the pound. We tried to find someone to adopt him so that we would know he was in good hands, but nobody wanted him. I tried everything from keeping him outside (which he did NOT like) and keeping him in my room (which I did not like).

   As I placed him in his cage, I kissed his fuzzy head one last time and placed his favorite toy in with him. I just hoped that he got adopted soon and doesn't have to spend eternity in a cramped little cage. I sprinkled a few of his favorite treats into his cage and closed the door. I didn't look back because of the tears that were threatening to fall. If I could do it all over again, I would have found a way to keep him, no matter what the consequences. But I do not have that option. One day, when I went to the pound to keep Fluffles company, I noticed that his cage was empty. When I asked the lady at the front desk where he was, she said that a lovely couple had adopted him just that morning. With a heavy heart, I went back home and continued on with my life. While I was extremely happy Fluffles had been adopted, It still hurt to know that I could never see him again.

Wednesday, September 24 - Endearing Quality.

   If I had to pick a personality trait of mine that I think makes me unique, it would be how I am always nice to people and that I am always optimistic. My friends have said that whenever they see me, I am always smiling, which is probably true. I think that is important to have a positive outlook on life. I do not like when others are unhappy, If I do see unhappy people, I usually try to make them feel better. I think everyone should try and be nice to people, even if it is just with the little things. Even the smallest gesture can improve someone's day.

Tuesday, September 23 - Strange Fruit

   "If you look to your left you will see the world's most dangerous and delectable fruit in the world. The Dragon fruit!" The tour guide said with a strong Australian accent. "Legend says that long, long ago, this fruit fed the Greek gods, provided sustenance for starving travelers, and was created by the extinct dragons." All of the tourists on the bus nodded their heads and snapped some pictures. I couldn't believe it, were people actually buying this junk? "In the ancient times, this fruit was used as a healing balm, and it was said to provide eternal life to whoever ate it. Of course that was not true, but they believed it was." I rolled my eyes. "Documents of this fruit go as far back as the roman times, where it was recorded, 'this is the best thing I have tasted in my life; a fiery sweetness so strong, so light, it is as if I am walking on a storm cloud.' This was said by Socrates, who had a love for Dragon fruits so strong, that he tried to change the name of the fruit to his own. Obviously no one agreed." I couldn't take this any longer, even my parents were eating up his ridiculous stories like cake. "Though no one knows for sure, this fruit is said to have been around since the beginning of time, which makes complete sense because that is when the dragons were alive!" The tour guide said enthusiastically. "You can purchase the complete history of the Dragon fruit volume one from our gift shop if you would like. We also have a cd of songs that mention the Dragon fruit if you would like that as well. Thank you for attending Hawaii Tours and Co. We hope you had a wonderful time and we do hope that you consider signing up for other tours that we do, like the daily life of the beetle, or the volcanos from afar." The tour guide said with a smile as he ushered us all into the gift shop shack. "Bye bye now," he called cheerfully.
   "Oh, honey, look at that Dragon fruit necklace, I must have it!" My mother exclaimed as she pushed her way through the crowded shack. My father rushed after her to make sure that she didn't buy the entire store. I just sat down and took a nap.

Monday, September 15 - What the Deuce?

   I walked into the Museum and the first painting that caught my eye was this interesting piece by Marc Chegall. The scene includes what appears to be a bride, who looks as though made of porcelain, being carried or held by a man in blue. All while a band full of animals on the cello and piano play in the background. My guide informs me of the history of this painting. A long time ago, there were arranged marriages. This woman was sold by her father to a wealthy merchant that he had never met, her father just wanted the money. On the day of the wedding, her father and mother drove her out on carriage to the destination. When they arrived, the merchant was in mysterious blue robes and told the girl to come inside and change into the dress he had picked out for her. When she came out in an untraditional red dress and a long, flowing, white veil, she saw what had happened to her parents. They had been turned into a ram and a fish, and were playing wedding songs. The mysterious man saw her distress and urged her to dance with him. When she did not, the man (who was actually a wizard) turned her into a porcelain statue that one would see on a wedding cake, and danced the night away with her. The guide moves on with the rest of the tour group, but I just stand there captivated by the image. I don't know why people paint what they do, and the result can be weird or beautiful. But I do know that we have the ability to interpret paintings into whatever we think it means. And I think that is beautiful.

Thursday, September 11 - Music Critic

   With a melancholy tune and a good beat, Foster the People's song, "Pumped up Kicks", is played on what seems to be repeat on all of the national radios. The message of the song is actually quite dark, as it implies a kid, probably a teen, finding his father's gun and threatening the other kids with it. I think that maybe this song is implying that all of the stress of being a teenager and the peer pressure they have to endure. Maybe the kid was forced to use his gun and smoke to be accepted. By mentioning the "pumped up kicks" the band probably refers to the cool kids who can afford more things and who make fun of others. This song can be seen as having rebellious connotations. The kid is so fed up with society and the kids at school, that he just does not really care anymore. This song has a really nice tune, and in the background of some parts of the song, you can hear whistling, which I think adds a nice touch. Overall, this song speaks to the new generation, as a song of rebellion and revenge.

Tuesday, September 9 - Film Review

   Ladies and Gentlemen, I have just gone to see the most ridiculous movie ever. I am writing this review to save you from making the same mistake I did. The movie opens on a jungle, but not a regular jungle, no, a cursed jungle. With the ugliest monsters you could ever see and a castle with a clock tower just in the horizon. First off, why put a castle in the middle of the jungle? Just one of the many things wrong with this movie. Of course our hero goes to the castle to see about this curse, but as he does, he is ambushed by monsters. They kidnap him and take him to the clock tower, but not to see the residents of the castle, no, instead they take him to the very top of the clock tower. The heartless monsters situate him so that he is dangling from the minute hand of the clock. So there he is just dangling from the minute hand when all of a sudden the credits roll. Really? I just wasted ten minutes of my life and watched thirty minutes of commercials for this? Over all I would give this movie a negative one hundred. One life lesson I did learn from this movie is that life is short, and it should not be wasted on stupid movies.

xx

Monday, September 8 - America, Fairyville?

   Lindsey Marie was a fairy. Everyone knew it because she had told them. Lindsey loved to get attention, so as soon as she got an assignment to come to the real world, she tried to get as many people talking as possible. At first they didn't believe her, because she didn't have wings and she was normal sized. But as soon as she made it snow in the middle of August, she was suddenly the most popular person in the world. News stations were scrambling to get the inside scoop on the new fairy in town, and Lindsey was eating it up. So many specials on how hard it was to adjust to the real world after a life of magic and wonder. Lindsey was amazed at how much people would believe. Half of what she said in her interviews were lies, but nobody was the wiser. Lindsey was living the dream, and nobody could take it away from her.
  
    One day, The fairy King came to Lindsey's house in the real world. he was not happy.
   "I trusted you to carry out this mission like an adult," he said in a booming voice that shook her Swarovski chandelier. "instead you abuse this opportunity and disgrace the fairy name." He shook his head and rumbled on. "I am taking away your powers. You are no longer a fairy."
   "But Daddy," a distressed Lindsey protested.
   "But nothing. I have cast a forgetting spell on the world. nobody knows who you are anymore." The King said without emotion. "Your wand now." he held out his hand.
   Lindsey grumpily fluttered up to the chandelier and retrieved her sparkly wand that she had hidden there. "This isn't fair." she said as she handed her wand over.
   "I don't care, you have disobeyed me." The king said. "When you can learn to control your actions, maybe I will consider giving your powers back. Until then, goodbye." With a poof, the fairy King disappeared, leaving a tearful Lindsey in his wake. She decided then and there that she would carry out this mission and become the best fairy that has ever lived.

Friday, September 5 - Aliens in Egypt

     King Tutankhamun was in his chariot on what felt like the hottest day he had ever lived through. He was just accelerating to his maximum speed, when out of nowhere, A giant metal object blocked his path. The King had no time to swerve, so he crashed right into the reflective surface of the strange machine. King Tut was nearly knocked out, and it is a miracle he wasn't, because he broke his leg and hit his chest with a force so great that he would surely have problems with it in the future. Two aliens walked out of the machine.
  "Come on, man, you dented our ship!" The first alien said.
  "I told you this wasn't a good place to park," the other alien retorted.
  "Hey, buddy, you okay?" The second alien asked a writhing, bleeding King Tut.
  "No, Who are you?" King Tut struggled out.
  "We are back to finish what we started, who are you?" One of the aliens asked. "Do you live around here?"
  "I am the ruler of here," King Tut said.
  "Really, oh good heavens, I am so sorry your majesty, is there anything we can do for you, anything at all?" The second alien stuttered, bowing in the process.
  "You can tell me why you are here and why you decided to park there of all places," King Tut heaved.
  "Yes, of course, well, you see," The first alien stuttered, "Those pyramids you may have seen here and there, well, we made them and we were sent back by our ruler to make some more."
  "Why would you make pyramids out of all the things to make?" King Tut was struggling to breathe. He did not think he would be conscious for much longer.
  "Well, I don't know, they're distinctive and intriguing," the alien said nervously. "We can stop if you want, our ruler just likes to mess with the humans sometimes." The alien paused, a concerned look on his face. He was not sure if the Pharaoh was breathing any longer. "Your Highness?"  The alien asked. No reply. "Way to go, Loser, you just killed him with your excellent parking skills." The alien said with tears in his eyes.
  "How was I supposed to know he would crash into it?" The other alien replied, looking around nervously. "Hey, we should probably go. You know how our ruler feels if we are seen on the job."
  The first alien sniffled, nodded his head, and boarded their dented space ship.
 
  Later, when the aliens came back to pay their respects, they saw that the tomb the pharaoh was buried in was not at all what he deserved. Though there was nothing the aliens could do about the  state of the tomb, They cursed the area and blocked it off, so that if anyone disturbed the rest of the prince, they would pay with their lives.
So the aliens left Egypt, and never came back.

Thursday, September 4 - Historical Accuracy

Joe Malone was walking along the street into a bar, as he always did, but this time felt different, somehow. He could not remember what he had done earlier that day. When he walked into the bar that Sunday afternoon, he was surprised to find it completely abandoned. Even the bartender was gone. Confused, Joe walked back out of the pub into the streets that were also abandoned. What was happening? He wondered. He overheard an abandoned radio announcing the newest president of the United States. He wondered why no one was around to hear this very important news. There seemed to be much commotion near the Empire State building, so he decided to walk in that direction. The closer he got, the more anxious he became. Was there an attack; Did something devastating happen? Not being able to answer these questions, Joe weaved in and out of various journalists loitering around trying to get the scoop on whatever was happening. Now he was getting really nervous. He felt as though he was the cause of this happening. He decided to ask a harmless by-stander what all of the commotion was for. When he tapped the man reading a newspaper on the bench's shoulder to ask, he got the opposite reply of what he wanted. The man looked up, his eyes went huge, and he proceeded to scream. Joe was then surrounded by reporters and cameras and the cops were running towards him. Not knowing what else to do, Joe ran from them. Out of breath and confused, Joe took several turns until he thought he lost them. Joe Collapsed onto the asphalt, Why would they chase me like that? Joe wondered. He then got up and continued walking, thinking maybe that he would find friendlier people. Across the street at the Barber Shop, something caught his eye. A giant, ugly green monster was staring straight at him. Petrified, Joe just stood there, waiting for the monster to leave. It didn't budge, though, and with a jolt, Joe realized that he was the monster. He was staring into the mirror of the barber shop windows at himself. The alien that had taken residence in his body then retreated and went to find another unsuspecting victim. Shaken up by the whole experience, Joe went to the abandoned bar and poured himself a drink.

Friday, August 29 - Two Moons

                         Two Moons

Two moons mark the place where brave scientists were lost,
Researching from their submarine, but at what cost.
You can just barely see it if you search from the shore,
Away from the world, away from the wars.
The moon's appearance was a worldwide catastrophe,
Half the earth flooded, the other half in agony.
It brought a disease, the worst one yet,
I just caught it, soon I will be dead.
I came to the shore that started it all,
To say my goodbyes, to silently bawl.
I just want to know why this extra moon appeared,
To know why it killed us, to know why it's here.
Some say that the researchers are still out there searching,
I guess they don't know that the moon caused a purging.
I will always remember the men and the moon,
For when I die, I want them to remember me too.
The girl whose father was one of the researchers,
Who started the worst possible thing to ever occur.
I hope that there are some survivors,
And I hope that they get all they desire.
For they are our future, our past, and our present,
On them the dead and alive are dependent.

Thursday, August 28 - Space, 2199

  Hank was seriously bothering me. We had just left the earth's atmosphere and he had already put on sunglasses.
    “What are you doing?” I said while trying to swerve around a small piece of space debris.
    “What? I look cool in them,” Hank said, checking out his reflection in the tinted glass of the windows. “Take a chill pill, man, we have a long way to go,” He was right, there was a really long way to go, I was just a little high-strung because the fate of the world was in my hands. No big deal.
   “We should be arriving at our destination in three and a half days. You know the plan, right?” I asked.
    “Yeah, yeah, drive to the sun, shoot the thingy in it, then drive off and hope for the best.” Hank recited in a bored manner.
     “That thingy is the most important part of this mission, now where is it? I was getting more and more agitated with him, how did he not realize what a big deal this was?
    “I got it, I got it, it’s right…” Hank stopped in mid-sentence, and started looking around.
    “Right where?” His searching was making me nervous
    "Just kidding! it was under my foot." Hank said as he stooped down to get the machine, causing the ship to lurch forward.
    "Hank!" I yelled, this was going to be a long ride.

    After a day and a half of steering the ship and ignoring Hank, I decided to take a break. Hank could not operate the machine (I don't even know why he is on this mission) so I needed to park the spaceship in the middle of space. it wasn't ideal, but as long as we watched out for space junk and comets, we would be fine.
    "Do you want to hear a scary story?" Hank asked me.
    "Not really," I replied with a mouth full of dried fruit.
    "Okay, so once upon a time, in a land far, far, away, there were two scientists stuck in the middle of space. They had stopped just to have a snack, but when they tried to start the spaceship, it would not start. So they called for help, but nobody came and they were stuck out in space forever until they died." Hank rattled off with chocolate sauce on his mouth.
    "Lovely," I replied. "That is not a true story though, there will always be help."
    "That's what they want you to think, but really, why waste all of that fuel rescuing people, who, if you let them die, can't tell people that help never came?" Hank said with his eyes wide.
    "Shut up and finish eating, "I said, "we need to get this machine in the sun as soon as possible. Earth is counting on us." So with that, I walked back to the cockpit and started the engine again. Luckily it started, so there was no need to fear that we would be stranded out here forever.

    A day passed since Hank's story, but so far, the spaceship has held up. Past expeditions to do the same thing we are doing have failed, and we are literally earth's last hope. The planet is collapsing, and scientists have discovered that the sun has moved a centimeter nearer to us, which is causing many problems like glaciers melting, volcanic eruptions, and countless earthquakes. That is why this machine, which is supposed to push the sun back into place, is very, very important.
   "Are we there yet?" Hank yelled from the back.
   "I guess, we have another day of travel until we reach the sun." I replied.
   "Uggh!" sighed Hank, who I could just imagine was dying inside from being away from his video games for so long. "Why don't we use the hyperdrive button?" Hank asked in a whining voice.
    "Because it can only be used once, and we need it to return to earth if something goes wrong." I replied.
    "Ugh!" Hank said again.
  
    "Hank, wake up!" I yelled, kicking Hank's seat with my foot.
    "Wuh?" a confused Hank grumbled as he fixated himself so he was sitting upright. "I thought you said we had another day," he said, rubbing his eyes.
    "I did, you have been asleep for a day," I said. "We are almost there, are you ready?"
    "I was born ready, now where did I put that thing..." Hank trailed off.
    "Hank," I said in a warning tone.
    "Just kidding, it was in my lap, just tell me when to activate it."
    "Okay, I'm going to do a U-turn, and right when I turn, I need you to push the button and throw it," I told him. "can you do that?"
    "Of course I can, that is why I'm on this mission, I am the best football thrower in America."
    "Oh, I was wondering why they assigned you to this mission," I said
    "How did you not know who I was, I'm basically a celebrity." Hank said in amazement.
    I just shrugged, "I don't like sports." I could tell Hank was about to say something else in protest to this statement, but before he could, I cut him off. "Look, if anything happens today, you have been a pretty good partner," I said awkwardly.
    "What do you mean? What could happen?" Hank asked nervously.
    "Well, anything, the sun could explode or something like that."
    "Wow, that's never going to happen," Hank said.
    "Just think about it though, no one has returned from this mission yet, what makes you think we will succeed?" I asked, thinking about every possible outcome from this mission.
    "I just know we will, because the most decorated and brilliant scientist is sitting across from me, and the most attractive male football player is sitting right next to her. This mission will go as planned and we will go back to earth and be heroes." Hank said with a gleam in his eyes.
    I smiled at his words. Maybe we would succeed. Maybe we would become famous. I closed my eyes to prepare for this moment. This machine would either work or it wouldn't. I opened my eyes, of course with the hyper-sun glasses on, and told Hank to get ready. The cabin was already overheating. Hank had just opened the door that would soon face the sun. The heat was unbearable, and the super thick spacesuits we had to wear were not helping. I counted down from three, then did the sharpest U-turn ever away from the sun.
    "Now!" I yelled. I just hoped that  Hank had thrown it in time. All of a sudden, the sun exploded.

    At least that is what I had thought, it turns out that the machine had just caused a large sunburst to come up really close to the ship. The heat of the sunburst nearly hitting us caused Hank and I to pass out, but I remembered to press the hyperdrive button just before I blacked out. The next thing I remember was docking in the launch pad from where we had taken off. I didn't think it was real, because all I remembered was a flash of white light, which usually means that you're dead. But no, the president had already been contacted about the success of the mission and was there, and all of my fellow scientists were there cheering as Hank and I walked out, dazed by the events of the day. A few weeks later, Hank and I were called to the White House to receive the Badge of Courage, and we went down in history as the team who saved the world.

Wednesday, September 17 - Alphabet Soup

   Amerson Corper was the CEO of Limitations inc. Briskly walking to his next meeting, he questioned the mission statement of his company. “Creating a better tomorrow.” Drudge, his best friend and assistant, had come up with it fifteen years prior. Everything was going smoothly until earlier that year. Framed for murder, and disrespected by everyone in the nation, Amerson thought it would be best to put this company behind them all until the scandal died down. Great pains were taken to release a statement that was indirect and did not address the issue. Having a scandal of this proportion was the last thing this famous company needed. Indeed, this company had brought the world back on its feet after the worst war in history. Just in time, Amerson Corper had swooped in and put a stop to a gnawing hunger problem cursing the world. Knowing that there was suffering occurring everywhere he went, he placed limitations on all of the food and water supplies around the world. Limitations inc, formed after Amerson had designated the middle of the United States and most of Brazil for the food supply of the world, and then created a system of water supply and meticulously placed wells around the world. Making billions of dollars for creating a network of farms and wells was something anyone could have done, but Amerson was the only one who actually put in the effort to make it happen. Nobody could have foreseen this type of regeneration and growth in the world after such a devastating war. Once most of the food ran out, most people had turned to drugs and alcohol to sustain themselves for another day. People did not know how to handle a world that was so desolate and obsolete, and so many people took their own lives out of fear. Quitting was not an option, Amerson had decided. Restoring the world into the powers it had been and making it even better was what he believed in; hence the mission statement. Shut away in his office building, Amerson had a thought. The world needed him to maintain the agriculture and distribution aspect of the world. Under the new laws set by the president of the world, he could not be accused of something he did not do. Very few people actually believed in him now, though. Weather he would run this company with force or with compliance, he knew what he had to do. X-radiation bombs that had killed so many people lately had been linked with him, which was why he was disrespected by most of the world’s citizens. Yet, he knew that he had nothing to do with them, and he wanted to make things right and continue to provide food and support to the world. Zealously, Amerson called Drudge in the middle of the hallway on the way to the meeting, and announced that he would run for president of the world.

Tuesday, September 16 - A Spoon's Perspective

   Alright, so the best part of the week is on its way. Fork is dusting himself off, even though the Washy will get him all clean. Whisk is jumping around gleefully as though he can't wait to get clean. Which is true, I don't think anyone could get as excited as he is. And I, Spoon, am ambivalent. Sure, getting all of the grime and grease off is great, but I've done it before. Nothing special. Maybe if the people used one of those scented clean cubes, instead of the classic unscented kind. Our owners are so cheap, it is a wonder I am stainless steel instead of plastic. There is something weird taking up most of the Washy. It is a giant dome shaped something that looks really stupid. I have just been informed by knife that it is a pot, and that I just hurt its feelings. Not my problem Pot is so sensitive. Our little carts get rolled into the Washy to finally get clean after everyone is in. But something was different about this load. When it started, A wave of strawberries overtook us utensils. Strawberries! This means the humans do care about us and splurged on the scented clean cubes. Life in the drawer will be much better now.

Wednesday, August 27 - Animal Invention

  June 5, 2268

 
   Today is an exciting day. I, Professor James McClay, head scientist of Harvard University, will check up on my most revolutionary experiment yet. One of the world's greatest mysteries is why tortoises live so long. So that is why I, head scientist James McClay, jumped on the thought of taking a study group, giving them a tortoise lifestyle, and putting them in a safe environment. Tortoises are very serene, docile creatures, so it was easy to get some volunteers for my experiment. I first formulated pills that lowered the metabolism of my volunteers that they were instructed to take every day. Then, I had them all become vegetarians. Some were not happy about that, but hey, it was their choice to volunteer. I also instructed them to quit their job, because that could become stressful, and we cannot have that. Tortoises don't move very often, so they are not  put in danger to many things. I have instructed my volunteers to move as little as possible, for if they did move, they could fall and then would no longer be fit to conduct my experiment. So my subjects must just basically eat and sleep during this experiment.
   My subjects have arrived, and they are being taken to the lab to be tested. I am extremely excited to see how much they have expanded their lives by. The first subject was tested and everything, but showed little signs of improvement. The next two are the same. The fourth has some notable improvements, but just not enough to formulate a recipe for increased life times. The fifth person comes in, just an average Joe, but the tests results were quite surprising. His life expectancy  had increased by 50 years! Eureka! He is now being taken in for extensive testing, and I will hopefully be able to come up with an explanation and be able to help the future of this world live long and prosper.

 

January 1, 2278

 

   I have done it. I, Professor James Henry McClay the third, have increased the lifespan of humans by fifty years. All with a pill that one has to take every day since birth! The wealthy will really benefit from this, because they can afford to make the changes to their environment that would aid in their tortoise lifestyle, but taking the pill works just as well! Of course, it is not required that people take the pill, as it is quite expensive and you need one every day, but who wouldn't want to live forever? It has been ten years in the making, and all I have to say is that I hope the world can do better things now that they have more time to work. I can retire, now that I'm going to be a billionaire! the pill goes on the market today, and while it is better to start taking it as a baby, the adults who take it should have a few good years added on. I wouldn't be surprised if I was just elected president, right now. Now all I have to do is just sit back and watch the world change for the better.

 

May 21, 2280

 

   I have to escape, My test results from ten years ago were faulty and now everyone is dying prematurely. I, for one have not taken the pill yet for a long list of reasons, but now I wish to be dead like all of the pill-takers. So many dreams for a longer life to spend with their loved ones, gone. Crushed. I have taken great care to buy an island in case of a disaster happening, so I am on my way there now. The remaining people will call me a coward, but I don't care, I just want to escape. The only people left are the poor who could not afford the pills. I don't want to witness the chaos that will occur once every one else is dead, it is only a matter of time. Even the president took the pill. The only way this could have happened is if someone had sabotaged the formulation of the pill. I only know of one person who could have done that. The average Joe volunteer from the experiment. I had him tested so much. I practically destroyed him in order to get what I wanted. He must have tampered with the formula right before it went into production to get revenge. I can't say I blame him. I am a terrible person for trying to change the world.

   I have written these journal entries in hopes of others finding them and never making the mistake I made ever again. You can't change the future, so don't ever try! Give Up!

 



Tuesday, August 26 - Concert

  Thursday, August 15 

   Ugh. So my friend got tickets to see a cellist. A CELLIST. She said I absolutely have to go, so I guess there's no getting out of this one. Blah.

Friday, August 16

   Today is the day. What do you even wear to a cello concert? My friend said to dress fancy, but I'm not sure. I will probably wear a dress anyways just so that I don't embarrass her.

6:00pm

   The traffic was terrible, but we finally made it to our seats, so now we just wait I guess.

7:00pm

   Finally! The curtains are opening and a man is walking out. This better be good. He starts to play and I feel... happy. Like indescribably calm and happy. Huh. It's like the sounds his bow is creating is hypnotizing and joyful at the same time.  He finishes his first piece and everyone in the entire stadium stands and claps for what seems like fifteen minutes. When the people calm down, He continues to his next piece with tears in his eyes. His melodic and rhythmic playing continues to fill the audience's hearts and souls, including mine. I blink back emotions that I never even knew I had. This music doesn't even have words! But just as well, I think that I have found a new favorite genre of music. The cellist's bow goes and goes like a train on its way to deliver goods to the people. It creates soft noises, harsh noises, sad songs, and joyful tunes. All too soon the concert is over, and I feel like a changed person. After an even longer standing ovation than last time, He leaves the stage and we are told to exit the theatre and are thanked for coming.

9:00pm

   Everyone is quiet on the drive back from the most magical thing to ever be heard. After my friend drops me off at my house, I go to my room and download every song this man had ever created. I will never doubt a cellist ever again.

Monday, August 25 - Literary Character

   Eeyore was having a rough day. His tail was missing yet again, and all of his friends were on an adventure to who knows where. Eeyore told himself he didn't care one bit about being left out, but he was in denial. Trudging to his stick house, Eeyore had a marvelous idea. Why don't I just go and find them? He mused. It would surely be better than sitting under my sticks and being bitter. So off he went. He went to Rabbit's garden, Owl's tree, and Pooh's house, just to see if there was a party that he wasn't invited to.
   "Sure wouldn't be surprised," Eeyore muttered under his breath. With a tremendous sigh, he started to follow the river. Seeing no signs of anyone, Eeyore started to doubt he would ever find his friends and thought that everyone had moved to get away from him. He was about to go back to his gloomy place, when all of a sudden, something pink caught his eye. Was it a flag? Was it a small animal? Eeyore had to go and check, for if it were a small animal, he would want to help it get back to his friends if it had any. Walking a few more feet down the river, Eeyore noticed that it was not an animal, but it was in fact his tail. As content as he could be, Eeyore tried to reach the tail, but was not quite tall enough. This was when he noticed something was being held up to the tree by the pin in the tail. It had words on it and it was just high enough that Eeyore could not make out the words. Frustrated at his shortness, he went in search of a rock to climb up on. Once he finally retrieved a good sized rock and had climbed on top of it, he read the scribbles on the page.

 

Der Eeyore:

we r en a nu place.
go down teh hole rabbit made
se u soon
-pooh

   Eeyore let out a ginormous sigh as he followed the arrow at the bottom of the page that said, "dis way." When he found the hole, he hesitated. What if this is a trap and they just want to get rid of me? Eeyore wondered, but seeing as he had no reason to stay if he was not wanted, he jumped through Rabbit's hole. Bright purples and blues clouded his vision as he fell through what seemed like an endless chasm. All of a sudden, there was a bright gold light, and  he had stopped. When his vision finally cleared and he could see again, Eeyore looked around. At first it seemed like nothing special, just a room with lots of other toys in it, maybe a kid's room. But those toys looked familiar. They were his friends! they did care about him and they did want him to join them in wherever they were. After many hugs and greetings, Eeyore asked where they were.

   "We are in Christopher Robin's room!" Pooh yelled excitedly.

   "But what about the hundred acre wood?' asked a confused Eeyore.

   "Oh, this will be much better, and see so many books to read and things to do!" Owl said with a gleam in his eyes. "It is like the best thing since the discovery of the moon!"

   "Alright, I guess I can live here, where should I build my new home?" Eeyore asked.

   "Oh, you won't need a home here in the real world, this room will protect you from anything! and the best part, no monsters!" Pooh exclaimed.

   "Well that's just great, because my house would have fallen apart anyways." Eeyore said.

   "That's the spirit, now let's explore!" Roo yelled as he bounced off the bed.

   So the Hundred Acre Wood gang was back together, and Eeyore was finally happy.



Friday, August 22 - Wacky Words

   Woody the cowboy had been planning the Super Spectacular Ranger Rodeo for weeks, and it was finally the big day. Mr. and Mrs. Potatohead were in charge of snacks, Ham was in charge of seating and construction, and Rex and Trixie were both in charge of decorations. Of course Jessie, Bullseye, and himself were in charge of the entertainment, and Mr. Pricklepants was the announcer. It was going to be the best event ever, because Bonnie was on vacation, the Sunnyside crew was coming, and everything was in place. What could possibly go wrong?
   "Uh, Woody?" Slinky called from under the bed, which was where the Rodeo preparations were taking place.
   "What, What is it?" Woody called impatiently.
   "We have a bit of a situation down here," replied Slinky.
   "Oh for crying out loud," Woody muttered to himself as he jumped off the bed to see what the problem was. Not knowing what to expect, he opened the flap of the sheet to walk under the bed, and saw the three peas in a pod stuck to Chuckles the Clown. "What on earth happened!" an exasperated Woody asked.
   "Well,... uh... you see," Slinky stuttered, tongue tied.
   "What, What do I see?" Woody asked, tapping his foot and staring Slinky down. Chuckles the Clown was awkwardly standing next to them while the peas squirmed and protested on his body. Chuckles was definitely not smiling now.
    Slinky chose his next words very carefully. "We found this thing under the bed, and before we knew, it had gotten everywhere and made everything sticky."
    Woody let out a big sigh. "That's because this thing is super glue!" a problem like this was the last thing Woody needed.
    "Oh." Slinky replied sheepishly. "Well...uh, we'll fix it, won't we chuckles?" Chuckles just glared at him with a frown on his face.
    "You better fix it before the Rodeo, we need Chuckles to do the stand-up comedy before the show," Woody said, feeling like he was losing control of everything. "Now where did you put the superglue?"
   "Oh it's right..." Slinky trailed off and started to look around frantically.
   "Slinky, where is the superglue?"
   "Uh, I don't know, Woody, it was here just a minute ago," Slinky said, feeling very sorry for ever opening the superglue.
   "Great, just great, as if I didn't have enough to worry about already," Woody muttered while pacing back and forth.
   "Well I could look for it if you want, cowboy,"Slinky suggested
   "Really?" Woody was a little unsure about this idea.
   "Sure, you got enough on your plate as it is, I'd be happy to help,"
   "Well, alright, but take Chuckles, and see if you can unstick the peas from him."
   "Sure thing, cowboy, I won't let you down," Slinky said with confidence. Woody left to deal with other things and Slinky started operation superglue. Slinky and Chuckles' first stop was the decoration headquarters, where Rex and Trixie were intensely cutting out cowboy hats and horseshoes to place everywhere like confetti. When asked if they had seen the superglue, they both shrugged and continued to cut out shapes.
   The next stop was to ask Mr, and Mrs. Potatohead if they had the glue. Slinky caught them at a bad time, because they were arguing over which color of jellybeans was better. Not wanting to disrupt them, Slinky checked around, and when he did not see the superglue, continued on his way.
   Finally, operation superglue went to Ham, who was building the stage and setting everything up on top of the bed.
   "Hey, have you seen some superglue by any chance?" Slinky asked.
   "Sure, I got loads of it right here, how d'ya think I made the stage?" Ham replied.
   "Really? well that's just great, because you see, there was a tube of it under the bed and it got everywhere, and well, the peas are attached to Chuckles," Slinky rambled out. "Can you fix it?"
   "Of course I can, I'm Ham the handyman, I can fix anything," A few minutes later, Chuckles was free from the squirminess and loudness of the peas.
   "Thank you so much, Ham, I don't know what we would have done without you, Chuckles, go tell cowboy that we did it. But wait, what happened to the superglue from under the bed?" Slinky asked Ham.
   "I don't know, buddy, where do you think it went?" Ham replied unhelpfully. All of a sudden, there was a cry of disgust, and Mr. Pricklepants appeared covered in jelly beans and with an angry Mr. and Mrs. Potatohead hot on his trail.
   "Ugh, get these disgusting atrotions off of me!" Mr. Pricklepants called out worriedly.
   "I'm coming!" Ham called back.
   "How dare you mess up our beautiful jelly bean display we worked so hard on!" Mrs. Potatohead exclaimed as Mr. Potatohead tried to calm her down.
   "People, people, please, what is the problem?" an annoyed Woody appeared, carrying a clipboard with almost all of the boxes on his to-do list checked off. "The Sunnyside people will be here any minute, and we need to be prepared, not fighting like a bunch of trolls!" Woody had had enough of all this nonsense, and he was going to make sure this rodeo went off without a hitch.
"I know you are all stressed out, and believe me, I am to, but we need to work together to make this the best possible show we can, now who's with me?" Woody the cowboy got a few whoops and hollers at that, so he continued his speech. "Alright, Ham, help Mr. Pricklepants, Potatoheads, get more jelly beans, and dinosaurs, decorate things," Everyone scrambled to do their assigned jobs and by the time the Sunnyside crew came, everything was in place, and Chuckles was getting ready to do his stand up comedy routine.
   "What's black, white, and read all over?" Chuckles asked in a monotone voice, "A newspaper." He got a bunch of laughs from the crowd, and by the time he was over, everyone's sides hurt from laughing so much.
   "Alright folks, it is now time for your main source of entertainment, The Super Spectacular Ranger Rodeo!" Mr Pricklepants announced to the gathered toys, "Buzz, hit the lights. Buzz did as he was told, and the whole audience was transported to the wild west. Woody the cowboy provided lots of amusement and jokes as he and Bullseye tried to rescue Jessie. Overall, it was the best show in the history of the toy world.

Thursday, August 21 - Mystery Woman

With a cat on her shoulder,

And a gleam in her eyes,

The mystery woman

Tells everyone lies,

They think she's a witch,

Sent down to save them,

When really she's evil, conniving, and brazen.

 

She thinks she's the most beautiful of all,

But everyone knows that's not true,

For she looks like frog,

All pointy and shrewd.

 

A wart on her nose and a broken broomstick,

Two crooked hands, a curl to her lips,

Sags under her eyes, and a tremendous sigh,

This wicked witch is a sight for sore eyes.

 

The people are wounded, and tired, and sick,

What kind of a witch doesn't listen to what they say,

They hope water will do the trick,

And yes, it worked, hooray!

 

Though at times she was a hard to reach itch,

They are free!

Gone is the wicked witch,

May she rest in peace.

 

 

 



Wdnesday, August 20 - Alter Ego

  In a small, willowy cottage just outside of the Kingdom grounds, sat Belle, sitting in the most comfortable enchanted rocking chair that rocked by itself, and reading her favorite book for the fifteenth time. She had been in this cottage for weeks, though she had only meant to stay for the night. She was actually scared to go back to the castle with the beast, because he was not acting like himself. Their first few weeks had been magical, everything a girl could ever want. There were magnificent feasts, beautiful dresses, and their wedding had been the best experience of her life. After things settled down, though, Belle had started to feel lonely. The only other person at the castle besides her and the beast was her father, and he usually stayed at their house in town. So Belle had started to wander off and explore the palace some more, along with her friend Chip. One day when they were exploring, Chip had noticed a door that they had not noticed the day prior.
   "Ooo! I'm gonna go in, and then unlock it, and then you come in, and then we can search it!" before Belle could protest, Chip had wiggled his little self in under the door. Belle stood there, waiting for the click of the lock to come, but it never did.
   "Chip?" Belle asked nervously. She wiggled the handle, but it was still locked. "Chip!" she yelled louder, desperately shaking the handle and pounding on the door. Minutes passed and still nothing. Belle did not know what to do, because she did not want to tell the beast for fear of his reaction to her snooping around. She decided to wait for Chip to come out, if he ever did. A moment later, though, Belle heard a click. She scrambled for the handle and threw the door open. Inside was a dark windowless room, so she turned the light on quickly and frantically searched for Chip. He was in a heap just inside the door, looking terrified and twitching.
   "Chip! Chip! What happened? Are you okay?" Belle asked, searching for more chips on his frail little body.
   "Ju-Just look around," Chip said, shivering with fear. Belle slowly turned around, and at first did not know what she was seeing. Then it hit her. Shattered plates, burned and decayed wood, rusted candlesticks, broken clocks. Horrified, Belle turned around to block Chip from the view, but the damage was already done. "He's just go-going to throw us away!" Chip hiccupped, shaking and crying.
   "No, I won't let that happen," Belle said reassuringly, "This is probably not what it looks like," But Belle knew it was exactly what it looked like.
   Later that night, after Chip had gone back in the cupboard and Belle had warned him not to tell anyone about what they saw that day, Belle went back to the room. It was just as horrifying as before. Belle knew something wasn't right about the beast. He couldn't have been trapped in a beast's body for so long and just suddenly go back to normal, there had to be some side effects. These broken pots and candlesticks, though, seemed like they were years old and had been collecting dust for a long time now. Belle wondered why the beast had not gotten rid of this stuff as soon as he turned human again. With hesitation but determination, Belle decided that she would bring it up to the beast in the morning.
   When morning came, Belle nervously put on her clothes to go have breakfast. Mrs. Wardrobe could tell that something was amiss, and started to say something, but Belle just waved her off and said she just had a slight headache. Downstairs, the beast was nowhere to be seen. Belle wanted to talk with him before she lost her nerve, so she asked around if anyone had seen him. Cogsworth and Lumiere both said they had not seen him since the day prior, so she went to Mrs. Potts.
   "Bonjour, Mrs. Potts, have you seen the beast this morning?" Belle asked.
   "Oh, hello love! Have I seen the beast, no, I don't think so, I've been busy with Chip, he seems to have gotten quite a cold, hasn't he?" Mrs. Potts said, shaking her head at the fact that her son was under the weather.
  "Yes, I'm afraid he has," Belle replied, "But I am sure he will feel a hundred times better after you are through taking care of him."
  "Oh, you are too kind, now, about that beast, check the gardens, I've noticed him walking about out there quite often lately," said Mrs. Potts.
   "Thank you so much, give Chip my best," Belle replied as she went on her way to find the beast.
   Belle began her search in the garden as Mrs. Potts had suggested. She decided to start among the rosebushes that she and the beast used to share a love for. When she rounded the corner to the rosebushes, however, what she saw nearly made her faint with fear. Every single bush was burned, uprooted, or destroyed. Pink and red petals scattered the walkway, and what looked like claw marks were scratched into the wall above where the bushes used to be. Horrified, Belle ran back into the castle to get her belongings. She knew that she was not safe there anymore, and needed to get away for a night to think about what to do. She left without telling anyone, for she did not want to put her friends in danger. Making sure to walk out as quietly as she could, and confirming that the beast was in the living room, Belle left the castle and ran to a cottage she had found one day while wandering around. She knew she would be safe there for a while because the beast never left his castle, even though the curse had been broken.
   While thinking about all of the strange things that had happened in the past few weeks concerning the beast, Belle came to some shocking conclusions. Belle had started to doubt the beast which was causing him to sometimes turn into his beast form again. Those broken pots, clocks, and plates were all a result of the beast's uncontrollable temper tantrums during the curse. The door had appeared after hiding from sight with an invisibility enchantment because Belle needed to know the truth about the beast. He had not recovered from being the beast and as long as Belle could not trust him, he would continue to change form on and off again.
   Weeks later, After being in the cottage for a while and thinking things over, Belle decided to look through the mirror the beast gave her when they first fell in love that shows whatever she desires to see. She had considered going back to save Chip and everybody else, but the castle was their home, and she had no place for all of them. Belle had also contacted her father, telling him that she would be on a long vacation and warning him not to go back to the castle; that she would inform him of her return. She looked through the mirror, wishing to see the beast back to normal and calm again, but what she saw confirmed her thoughts. He had completely turned back into the Beast, for she had discovered his true self, and did not love him anymore.