Standing My Ground

Author’s Note: This is an essay about the theme “bravery” as shown through Jason in Vampire Beach. These examples demonstrate how bravery can help you , and others.

Charging at the cold blooded beast that almost killed Jason, his emotions were mixed as he ran towards the vampire. Jason knocked the monster off of Zach, saving his life. Running at Luke and knocking him off Zach could be a life or death situation, lucky it worked out. The rouge vampire went for Jason forgetting that Zach was behind him, this small mistake caused Luke’s death.  In the book, Vampire Beach, by Alex Duval, the theme that is woven throughout the book is bravery.

When Jason secretly saved his friend from being killed by the vampire council, I though it took immense bravery. I believe this because, Jason didn’t think about how he was putting himself in harm’s way, all he could think about way saving his best friend. Just like in Cold Kiss, Gabriel didn’t care if he was putting himself in harm, he wanted to help the one he cared for. Wren had troubles with life, she kept it to herself and she needed someone there, yet there was no one. Gabriel came into her life, and helped her through everything. Loyalty and devotion lead to bravery. Bravery leads to self-sacrifice.

Once Jason sent Tyler safely on his way back to Michigan, he had to be the hero and fix Tyler’s mess. This makes me think about how much farther Jason will go to correct a wrong. He helped Tyler get away, and helped the vampire council get the challis back in the correct hands. As brave as Jason is, the vampire council can be very intimidating, but this didn’t hinder Jason from correcting Tyler’s error. Just like in the book They Don’t Know About Us, Niall helped Nicole. Niall had to take a massive step and send Nicole to therapy. Making Nicole go to therapy was the last thing Niall wanted to do, but he had to. This made Niall and Nicole drift apart, but she came around towards the end. Bravery is believing your doing the right thing against all odds, and that nobody can teach you. 

Jason the main character from the novel Vampire Beach built up bravery as the story advanced. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, and just as much to stand up to our friends. I don't think that bravery is about skin. Bravery is about a willingness to show emotional need.

Changing My Ways

Swoosh! The unremarkable feeling and sound of diving in the water hits Jason right away. In a massive hurry, Jason has to finish his breaststroke. With every hit to the water, a rush of amazing excitement flows through his body like the feeling you get when you have the chills. In the book, Vampire Beach, by Alex Duval, the one theme I strongly remember is, bravery.

The rage filled up in  Jason, when he figured out he had to move to DeVere Heights. Nothing can stop him now, his parents have decided, and they are moving. Losing friends, and having to gang new friends is hard. Although he hated the idea of moving, his little sister Dani was worse than him. Dani had been crying for days, not coming out of her room, Jason decided that he had to be a strong older brother and not show that he wanted to cry too.

Once moved, Jason found out quickly that DeVere Heights isn’t too bad. Right away Jason had fallen hopelessly for a girl just by bumping into her. Found friends quickly, and is one of the new popular boys at school. Invited to parties right away. Dani went to the same party as  Jason. The next day, Jason was running in the morning, on the beach. There lies the body of Carrie- a girl in Jason’s grade- eyes open, no heart beat. Dead. There stood Jason, scared out of his mind. Water forming in his eyes, not knowing what to do. Call the police!

Still terrified on what happened to Carrie, Jason has the urge to figure out what happen to Carrie. Having dealt with the situation with Carrie, Jason’s friend Tyler came to visit. Tyler  came  at a very unexpected time, and caused lots of troubles in DeVere Heights. Now acting strange, Jason questions his appearance. Taking Tyler to a party was the last thing that Jason wanted to do, but Jason’s school friends wanted him to. After stealing from the richest kid in the school, Tyler was death bound. Jason taking the key role in saving his life, getting him out of DeVere Heights was the first step to be done. Also getting back the valuables that he stole, was the second. Sticking up for his friends was the right thing to do and he stood strong with Tyler through the thick and the thin.

Whether it is staying strong for your friend, sister, or just staying strong for yourself. Jason showed tremendous bravery. Although not everything went his way, he impacted many people’s lives.  Such as Tyler’s, Dani’s, and most important his own life. 

Feelings?

Sweat dripping down my face as I am calling for the ball. Giving hand gestures to my teammates. HERE! I scream at the top of my lungs. Making my run towards the goal, the defender pushing against my back; rain sprinkling down upon us, the heat of the two players jammed against each other. The very moment my mate realizes that I am open, the pass comes with a hard kick; I am ready to receive. It was a dark day; the sun hadn’t been out, raining non-stop. It was the energy raging inside of me that made me receive the ball, turn and let the hammer swing. Physical heath provides me with enjoyment, challenge, and social interaction.

Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find guts. The enjoyment that my sports bring to me is magnificent. The time I spend at soccer, basketball, and softball practice. It may just be me, but the happiness that learning new things bring to me is huge. Being taught new things make my life, I believe that I am smart but there is always more to learn!

I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. The things we fail in we can always learn in, everything happens for a reason. Challenges that I have in all my three sports is: your good, but do you want, do you care to put in more time to make you that much better? My answer is always yes, most days of the week I have some sort of practice, but the days I don’t I always go outside with my soccer ball and practice moves, juggling, and juggle walking. Sometimes I take a softball bat and I practice my swing, locked knee, use hips, and don’t pull your head out.

Although the challenge is quite fun, I think the most interesting thing is the new friends you can make just from a sport. I know this very well because I am on a Merton Fillies softball team, I am the only Pewaukee girl. On my softball team I have girls from Sussex, Merton, and even more! Our team has so much fun together, they are like my sisters, yet only two people go to the same school, the rest of us are different. Also like this my soccer team has three Waukesha girls, and about six Sussex girls, and the rest of us are Pewaukee. Although you would think that I get along better with my soccer team because I know more than half the girls, this is not true. Soccer girls haven’t quite jelled in yet, we don’t act as one team. I am trying to help this happen, to help everyone get along. There isn’t like a hatred between any girls it just that I don’t think that we are completely comfortable with the girls.

Sports to me are a huge deal to me in many ways as you can see. I love the sports I play and I hope that everyone has at least one sporting event that they can completely fall in love with. No one has really asked me this question, and it is a simple answer. I love my sports and I would never trade them in for anything! 

Deep, Dark, Mind Controlling...Hate?

Author’s Note: I wrote a piece on love and now I wanted to do the opposite. Write about hate, this is a very strong word, and its deep and dark. This piece is about how others hurt themselves more than they hurt you when hating.

Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you are riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake up and live! This is a feeling that everyone has to feel in life, and it is not a pleasant feeling to have deep in your heart. I say what I want to say and do what I want to do. There's no in between. People will either love you for it or hate you for it.

Remember, always give your best. Never get discouraged. Never be petty.  Others may hate you, but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself. This is a huge part of living, I am young yet I have figured this out. Set aside the ones who hate and bring forward the ones who really care. Destroying yourself won’t make anything better, believe in the ones who can understand you. Many of my friends don’t understand this yet, and that is what really destroys relationships between friends.

Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated. Even though we are deceived, still believe. Though we are betrayed, still forgive. Love completely even those who hate you. I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

Although, we have gone over and over what hate can be. Its different for everyone. Hate is the extreme love of anything. As in love, we want to be with the loved one ,we want to think feel the love object. Our ego is merged in the wholeness of being with the person, or the object of love.

That Deep Feeling....Love?

Author’s Note: Below is a piece written about love. Throughout the piece, I tried to put emphasis on the joy that it brings us.

Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable. One of the best feels that we all dream of!  A drop, just one simple drop of bravery is all you need, the day you've been waiting for your whole life and its perfect. A moment you will be implanted in your brain for life, the moment you will never let go. Timing perfect, I remember it like it was yesterday.

We're born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone. Most girls can think of when they feel in love with someone. His eyes, the way he expresses himself, the beautiful features on his head that I dare to call a face because of his perfection. It truly isn't that easy, many fall for the looks and force themselves to love the way they truly are.

For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul. It’s the way that you connect. The way you feel around each other, and how much you sincerely and truly deeply crave for each other. One can want, yet at the same time they doubt themselves, you want and if you truly want you will push yourself, make this happen.

We get confused and tied up in love, people will wonder, what is love? Simple but complicated, love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop. Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible - it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could. No one can explain the unremarkable love for each other, it is an unknown force. I’d love it to stay that way.

Fillies Family

Author's Note: The reason I wrote this piece, is to show the love for my softball team! Pay attention to the descriptive words at the start of the writing piece. 

Running around the bases, hands stinging from hitting the ball so hard, dirt in my mouth, sliding through home plate, running so fast it feels like I am gonna fly off into the distance, scoring the game winning run, having the joy of being able to play this sport. I love all my sports though, softball is a real joy. My team is so amusing, congratulating you on hitting home runs  even if you did bad, they still cheer for you and lift you up, they make you feel special, that's what it like to have a fillies family. Having a Fillies family is a big joy of mine, because all the girls are very sweet and I love the sport. Before I was a fillies I hated softball, I wanted to play baseball, and I thought softball was a girly-girl sport. Now that I do play softball I am so happy, all the girls are amazing. One of the reasons I love this sport is because of the girls, we have a cheer for each other, also they are all like me, loud, crazy, exciting! At first I thought that I couldn't be myself because they all looked mature, but none of them are! It may be a girly-girl sport but when the fillies come to town it defiantly gets rough!  Hard pitching, far hitting, great fielding, cute little girls. Like my team says "We may be cute, but when the Fillies come to town there's no turning back!"  After being on this team for a year, and waiting for the next year to come, I am so happy with my softball team and I would never change that for any money in the world!

Sally's Story

Author's Note: I wrote this story to have fun writing, and to make Sally have the adventure of her lifetime. This is a descriptive writing piece.

It was a black and stormy night; Sally was sitting up in her bed waiting for the storm to pass.  As she was sitting there watching the rain roll down the window, Sally pretended that the rain falling down the window was a race, WHICH ONE WILL WIN?! While glaring out the window she saw the now familiar figure she can’t explain. Sally’s eyes have seen a strange thing, she saw a person, who distinctly looked like her younger sister. When Sally would try to look harder the person would simply disappear; just like when that cheesecake you really like magically disappears. Sick of this nonsense, she decided to go find this mysterious fading person. Walking down the stairs, she notices the window was open. While looking at the window with curiosity Sally tripped on a random bottle. Sally picked up the bottle and saw there was something in it. After pulling the cork with all her might, it finally opened. Taking out the note, Sally discovered it was addressed to her. It went like this:

Dear Sally,                   
               I have noticed that you have currently found me. Sally, you have no idea what you just got yourself into! This is definitely not a good thing. Writing this note brought pain to my heart, I did not want to give this to you, but I have to. I’m sure that you will be very sad to hear this, but I will have to eliminate you. The reason for this is because you saw me. Before I eliminate you, I will be showing you who I am. You better watch your back, because I'm coming for you! Also you can't run... All connections from phones and computers have been disconnected. Ohh and it’s on…IT’S ON LIKE DONKEY KONG!

Good luck,
The Shadow Women

  Not only was Sally astonished by the note, she was scared at the same time. As Sally thought about what she had done, she didn't hear the ruckus coming from upstairs. Then out of nowhere someone jumped on her back, they fell  down the stairs. Smashing through the glass window at the bottom of the steps. After being smashed through the window Sally and the mysterious person have found themselves in a forest. When Sally looked up she knew it wasn't the normal forest that she was used to; it changed from being bright and filled with rainbows to feeling dark and murderous.
      Right when they stood up after smashing through the window, Sally and the mysterious person started rolling down the an enormous hill. At the bottom of the hill there's a large lake, Sally gets up quickly and runs into the water trying to get away from the crazy person. When Sally finally gets across, the person is just laying there. Sally though "Am I ok?" she looked at her clothes to see if there is any blood. She finds blood all over her side!
As Sally felt to see if her side hurt, she took a quick glance up, and found the person half way across the lake. Sally turned around and started running for her life, she was scared to death. As Sally was sprinting away, she was thinking who  could that be. "Who did I make angry, or was rude to?" Sally imagined. She was reviewing in her mind what had just happened, but there was blood on her side? When the person was in the water there was a trail of blood right behind him. My side doesn't hurt Sally thought, so the blood must be the other person’s.

Sally knew where she was going; she knew the forest inside out. Going all the way to the front of the forest, sitting by the Shore of Wacotichi Island. Sally believed that the person was behind her, she quickly looked for a boat to scream for help. There was not a boat to be found. Sally got up and went to the opposite side of the forest, still on the shore of the island.
Again Sally sprinted, she sprinted right back to her house. Sally went through the back door locking it behind her. Getting the old rusted hammer with the red handle and also a box of large nails. Sally got all of the aged rotten wood from the basement. Hammering the wood on the doors and windows. In a rush to get the last window done Sally had pinched her finger in between two bulky pieces of wood, hurrying to get unstuck. She didn't want to die, not here not now!

 Sally waited and waited, she thought "Is the person ever going to come and hurt me? But I won't let the person hurt me!"  Having unsure feelings on what is going to happen. One of the windows began to ache and moan. Sally didn't hear these noises because she had fallen asleep, to the silent waiting of the murderer. Once Sally woke up she looked around the house, catching her eye was one window. It was the window that had been moaning and aching. There was a circular hole in the wood boards. Sally stuck her head through the hole; it was big enough for a body to fit through. Investigating the house, Sally heard a loud sound. It sounded like a bird flapping its wings. When Sally turned into her guest bedroom she was in complete shock!
            When she walked in all her sheets and covers were over the windows making the room pitch black. She flipped the light switch with a shaking hand and with her head on a swivel; inside she was crumbling from fear. Sally knew something wasn't right, yet she kept moving towards the flapping noise. It was coming from the bathroom; Sally tried to be steady and silent. The old wood didn't help her at all, every step she took there was an earsplitting screech. Once Sally reached the bathroom, there was the faded black blob hanging from the curtain pole.  It was that very thing that made her run out of her house screaming bloody murder.

Out of plain instinct, she ran away. Sally ran with all her might, still sprinting until her home was out of sight. The sweat dripping down her face, yet no time to wipe the sweat away, Sally had fell a few times, but got up as quickly as possible. Coming to a halt, all the breaths she could have taken are gone, panting she stopped at an old oak tree. The oak tree stood tall and proud in front of her, great and mighty, she started examining it. Hands shaking from the running she had set them on her hips, crooked back, leaning forward, Sally had noticed something terrifying!

If seeing the slimy black blob in Sally’s house wasn't enough, the same blob was there! Little black blobs, dripping off of the gigantic one, as if it were raining black slimy, goopy, icky black blob! The rush of scariness has hit me smack in the face. There hung  the blob that will end my life, Sally thought as she backed up slowly. Not seeing the blobs eyes or face, she had thought, the blob hasn't seen me I must get away while I have my time! As If there was a baby in the room, Sally kept sneaking away farther and father. Quietly. She hadn't been looking at the ground, but just the blob. SNAP!! Sally had now just marched right on top of a stick! Looking down at the now broken stick, Sally instantly looked towards the blob.

For the time being, there were still no eyes! Wait a quick flash of light and now eyes, mouth, ears, and nose. The blob had her marked down in sight!  Oh-No what do I do? In a panic Sally starts to turn around but fails, and ends up hugging the ground. By the time Sally had looked up the blob was dripping on her! Right on top of Sally lays the key to being non-existent! The blob took a while examining Sally. Trotting in a circle around Sally, starring, the stair that Sally was given was strange, it felt like the blob had been starring into Sally’s soul. Letting all Sally’s emotions free, no longer afraid of the blob Sally sat up. Toppling back went the blob; he must not have been ready for that.

I’ll be the first to admit, I was ready for that blob to hurdle on top of me and battle me down to the ground again. Yet nothing, just the blob being frightened. If the blob wasn't ready for me to sit up…what about bolting away, I had caught my breathe long ago.  As I make my master escape, the blob trapped me, I am immovable  It has tied me up—with what?—wait I’m covered in black blob, it must be him! 

Jenna or Nancy?

Author's Note: The reason I wrote this piece, was to show a different point of view. I based this story on the song Titanium. I feel like the song is about losing a best friend, and in the song it is Sia's point of view. Now I wrote my story in her ex-best friend's point of view. 

Have you seen Becca’s hair? Is it just me or does that makeup make Sue look worse. OMG! Those clothes looked like your mom picked them out to go to an 80’s dance. She is so uncoordinated that she looks like a old man with a broken leg trying to walk! I’m not sure if she will ever be coordinated enough to play an sport. These are all examples I used to say to my friend, we use to make up jokes about kids. Then it all changed, because the tables turned.

To start our journey, it was a casual day when Jenna first came to our school. I remember seeing her for the first time; I was sitting next to my BFF. Now just for fun, I’m gonna skip the boring part and get to the real action! Jenna and I had become great friends, in fact better than Nancy and I. We turned into the little besties that Nancy and I used to be, spending time criticizing many of the other girls. After time went on we forgot to invite Nancy, and we started to like it!

I’ll be the first to admit that I was the one, who started talking about Nancy meanly, but Jenna didn’t care, she just went along with it like always. Jenna was the same as Nancy, they just listened to what I said then commented along. Jenna could have cared less about other people’s feelings and that’s why I left Nancy for Jenna. Well, by that time Nancy had a different BFF and she was a snooper! She was friends with Jenna and then the worst thing happened!

To put a cherry on top of my sundae, Jenna left me for the snooper. Her name was Eleanor; apparently she was the sweetest around! She had managed to stay friends with both Jenna and Nancy. Jenna finally cut loose; she spilled the beans. Jenna told every single little word that I had said about Nancy! I was in pain; by that time everyone in the school knew that I said mean things about Nancy. When it’s all said and done, I thought my life was over, but it was that very day that changed me.

After this huge crisis another was just around the corner. It is tricky to admit, but I miss Nancy. That day I thought it could get better because of the courageous thing Nancy was going to do. Nancy came up to me with her chest blown up and her chin higher than the empire state building. At that moment I wanted to get on my knees and crawl over to Nancy hold her leg and say I miss you.  Although I had to stay strong, it was my choice that messed up our relationship.

Of all the possibilities, Nancy came up to my face and stated everything I had ever said about her. It was her way of saying why? How? All these things were asked when I had said I didn’t even like her. The last thing I wanted to hear come out Nancy’s mouth, and it was nothing. She stood there and I stood there, tears in Nancy’s eyes as I walked straight passed her. Not one time I could get away with Nancy!

To put the cream on my coffee, when I brushed our shoulders against each other, she grabs my hand and put a sweaty, folded up paper in my hand. She let go of me as she walked the opposite way. Nancy walked swiftly away; I turned to watch her go. It was hard but I let her go, I looked down at the paper then looked back at her then down again. Once I looked up again Nancy had disappeared around the corner, I finally look down and unfold the piece of paper.

Not only was it a paper, it was really a flash drive wrapped up in paper. On the way home, no one wanted to sit by me like the past week and everyone gave me the evil eye. I was sitting on the bus all alone in my seat and tossing the flash drive up in the air and catching it. It wasn’t the big throws like if I were to throw a basketball up. It was just a fun little toss to the other hand, kinda like hand football.

Once I got home, I ran to my bedroom to go, look at what was on the flash drive. I opened the flash drive folder named “I wish U never had”.  Just reading the name of it made my heart ache. I now recognized that reading this was going to be very difficult. The first thing it said was that I can keep the flash drive. I thought for what she is going to put me through, of course I’m keeping the silly flash drive. Next were all the pictures of when we used to hang out. There were even pictures from when we were babies. We were friends for a long long ohh my looonnnggg time. And I missed her, I really did, nothing compares to having fun with your friend. Now the next thing was the time I was with Jenna, it was hard to look at because almost every picture I forgot all that Jenna and I did together. Also in almost every picture I was rolling my eyes, I guess I forced myself to love Jenna, but I really didn’t.

More than anything else there was an unknown item, it was a weird symbol on my computer. I couldn’t figure out what it was, there were many questions to follow “WHAT THE HECK DID YOU PUT ON THIS FLASH DRIVE!” I was also thinking is it going to give a virus? But after thinking about, I most likely deserved being given a computer virus. So after having that debate in my mind I decided to open the unknown.

There I am sitting in my room, my computer on high brightness the sound blasting and then I click. I finally click on the unknown.  As I open the unknown file, I wipe a drop of sweat off my forehead. Not as bad as I expected, but a voice recording pops up. Now onto a different debate, should I open it or not?  I took a while, I turned my head slightly and looked at a picture of me and Nancy at the zoo, and we were having a great time. We both shared a funnel cake and we were hyper the rest of the day, that’s why we made funny faces in the picture. Next I look down at the flash drive, she must want us to be friends again she did have the guts to give me the flash drive and also make it.  Then the choice has come to mind.

Although it may seem like an easy decision, it really isn’t. I am sitting in this uncomfortable stool at my desk, now I’ve been staring at my computer for about a million years! Making up my mind, it can’t be that bad, I mean what you record that would be can mean. Maybe it’s Nancy stating all the things that she doesn’t like about me, just like I did to her; who knows it’s a mystery until I open it. Now the decision is made, I am done deciding, I mean you can’t live your whole life under a rock!

Shaking, sweating, wondering were all things I was doing as I played the voice recording. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be, it was just Nancy singing a song. At first glance it was just a song, and I figured she just was sad and stuff. After a while it was a tune stuck in my head, and that Nancy is a good singer. I exited out of the song, it was hypnotizing! After that was over with there was still more thing to look at. It was the lyrics to the song I just heard moments ago. Thinking why this song is so important to Nancy, I looked through the lyrics.

Not that big of a deal, why? It just didn’t make sense to me. I read the lyrics again, and again, but I still don’t understand. Once I’m done failing at trying to understand the lyrics, I search what the hard words mean.  Back to base one, looking what each word means and putting them together.  It all fits together now! The song is about being sad and wanting someone back. Although it also is saying that the mean words you say don’t bring me down at all because I am a strong person. After reviewing the lyrics to me it means that she doesn’t want me back and I was just being mean, and being mean will get you nowhere in life. I believe that to, but I’m not being mean, I’m just suggesting trying different, BETTER ideas.

USA Softball Slam

Author's Note: I wrote this story to show my love for Jennie Finch. I always look up to her, and I wish everyone would appreciate her as much as I do.

BANG! There goes the softball as Jennie Finch swings the bat as fast as lighting. The ball flies off into the distance miles away. Jennie runs quickly, knowing that she hit the softball far, so she rounds the base. Outfielders are still scrambling to catch the ball, she keeps running. Taking one last stride Jennie slams her foot down on home plate!  Suddenly, there is an up-roar; this is what the crowd has been waiting for! Here’s why; half the people came  to see Jennie hit the ball. In addition, they couldn’t pass up the chance to see the wicked pitch that she can put down on any plate at any time. Yet the umpire still can’t say anything but…STRIKE! 

Have you ever heard of Jennie Finch? Well, I have. She is a big inspiration to me and I look up to Jennie Finch in many ways. Just like I look up to both of my softball coaches. They always use Jennie Finch to show us technique. We also have watched her whenever there was a softball game on.

In fact, when we were being taught to lock our front knee and use our hips, the coaches took a video of Jennie Finch and showed us what she did amazing and that’s what we needed to do.  Showing me this video helped a lot, and now I can lock my knee and use my hips really well. For instance when you bend your front knee when swinging a bat, you have less power; that is because when you bend your knee you already wasted your hips. You want to use your hips to snap, so you can follow though and hit the ball far and hard. If I were to lock my font knee then use my hips the ball will go much farther faster.

 

 At the end of the day, I look up to Jennie Finch because I one day hope to be able to be just as good as her. She never gives up and keeps working on what she needs to improve on; that is one thing I will never forget. You never give up, you never quit, and don’t look down on yourself; those are three hard things not to do, if you do just dust yourself off and get back up. These are the reasons I look up to Jennie Finch, I hope you appreciate her as much as I do.

Cody and Gold Hook

Author's Note: The reason I wrote this story was to show that I have the ability to show an alternate ending. Also because the story left me hanging, when I'm left hanging I go out on a limb and make up the rest of the story! Make the fun ending the real story never had! 

Sprinting with all of his might, Cody came to a harsh stop when he reaches the steps of his home. Grabbing at his loose thin jacket, Cody suddenly notices there is a miniature error in his plan. “Oh No” screamed Cody, fiddling faster with the jacket.  What was the flaw in Cody’s plan?  He quickly turned around, Cody stood looking at the ground and scratching his head. Two drops of sweat raced down Cody’s forehead and he whispers, “Where’s my key!” Cody proclaimed this, in a very tense voice.  Yet again he rumbled,“Where’s my key! It ain’t got legs, it don’t just chew its way out of my pocket and walk away!” Now Cody approached this problem differently, he closed his eyes and  calmed himself down. Now speaking in a rather peaceful voice he says, “Now I must retrace my steps and find my key.”  Taking one step at a time and having glued his eyes to the ground, a few steps away from the house lays the key. Once Cody reached the point where his eyes saw a shining  sliver object on the ground , his face lit up like the sun. Cody didn’t want to attract attention to himself so he did a swift stride over to the key. Now  bending over, Cody had a tight grip on the key and looked left then right then left yet again. He stood up like a nutcracker and walked like an soldier back to the house.

 The key was stuck in the lock with firm force.  Cody opened the door with ease, he took a stander in. It was dark and gray inside Cody Miller’s house that night. The Old wood had sounded when the wind would pass, and the  house would slightly sway back and forth. Maybe it was just Cody’s head, but who could feel worse sitting in bed knowing that you stole the gold hook from the old man you promised to. Laying down and looking up at the cracked ceiling Cody got light headed. Then his mouth went dry, his head was throbbing. Cody could feel the heart beat in his head, the room went black, a strike of lighting. The room was swirling, the ceiling was cracking, the pieces of sheet rock falling on Cody’s floor. BOOM!  There was Cody passed out half way in bed.

Before he had passed out he was trying to reach for the gold, then he passed out right on the floor. His arm dropped and then he was out! BOOM! Another crack of lighting an hour later, Cody woke up. It was three in the morning the sheet rock all over the floor, Cody sat up his eyes went big there was the hook. “It’s still here” he screams with excitement and the joy drooled out of Cody’s mouth. Cody grabbed the golden hook and ran, he ran for his life.

Out of town and even farther. Yet though he ran, the haunting of Clarence Buchanan stayed with him. The chills ran down Cody’s spine and the quiet whisper of the old man’s voice had ran through Cody’s head. Back and forth, left ear to right ear, ear drum to ear drum, and there the thought of Clarence Buchanan stood and stayed in Cody’s brain. Cody was just about to go mad! The next thing that Cody heard from the ghost was “Run! Run until you can’t run anymore, until your feet are bloody, until you die!” From that night on Cody did just that, he ran. He never stopped, he never put on shoes, he just ran. 

Ten years later there is a paper of Cody, he had just died, he was running when he died. No one had cared about him, so when he died there was a body laying in the grass, moldy and rotten. But wait! Where had the hook gone when the ghost said run, he did just that. The ghost did not say give me the hook, that day was a mysterious day for everyone. Some brave men came along and went out to the house where Clarence Buchanan had lived. Found the very spot Cody buried him and they found the hook still attached to Clarence Buchanan’s arm. None of the men were brave enough to take the gold hook, even after the gold hook was confirmed with Clarence Buchanan still no one wants to touch Clarence’s treasure.

Who is the Most Powerful?

Author's Note: The theme in a book is a large part of reading the book. It's kind of like the lesson at the end, yet not exactly the same.Finding the theme in a book is hard to do, because there may be a theme just for each character, you have to find the theme for the whole book. This is my theme piece on the book Cold Kiss by Amy Gravey. 

Spark!  All of the sudden the light popped into Wren’s head. Wren thought her life was going to end when her loving boyfriend died. Forgetting what she could really do, the mysterious girl took two months to plan her master scheme. This special scheme would be bringing her dead boyfriend back to life! In the book Cold Kiss, by Amy Garvey, the theme is how people need to realize the unique special talents each person we meet has within themselves.

Wren had special powers from the start making the fire go on for 2 hours longer than it should have, and making a candle light up by her. All these special gifts came to her at a very young age. As I said she lit a candle only when she was twelve. The magically powers are supposed to come on to you as a teen being fourteen, yet Wren was different getting them at twelve. As Wren grew up she took an interest in one boy, that boy was Danny. The year Danny died was a very tragic year. Wren sat and cried herself to sleep; keeping one shirt of Danny’s and hung it on the wall. Wren didn’t get out very much anymore and now is unsocial even to her best friends. The only thing Wren could think about was Danny, and then remembering that she is magic and she can do anything. Not telling her mom she took all the spells books, she scanned the pages looking and looking for a spell to bring her boyfriend back to life. No chance she thought, there is no chance! Wren took a deep interest of getting her boyfriend back. She searched, and found potions and looked when, where, how. Following through on her plan she had gathered all the potions, scoped out the graveyard that Danny lays in. One full moon later Danny was alive and Wren had a little secret. Up above the next door neighbor’s garage, Danny laid alive.

Gabriel just moved to the school that Wren goes to; he is new and needs friends. Although he is new, he didn’t have any trouble getting friends. The boys liked him from the start and there is nothing that could ever break that “bro” relationship. Yet Gabriel went a different way when he moved to the school, he went for Wren to be his friend. Wren hadn’t had another boy talk to her since the Danny accident. Gabriel wasn’t afraid because he knew she was magical, Gabriel could read peoples’ minds. The difference was that he couldn’t read Wren’s mind, he knew she had a stronger power than him. And Gabriel wanted to know what was up with her being so strong.  To get Wren to believe about the truth of Gabriel being able to read minds she had him try to guess Wren’s best friends mind. It was easy because Wren always knew what was on Jess and Darcia’s minds. Eventually Wren cracked telling Danny everything, still confused Gabriel instants that they should hang out more.

Wren isn’t the only one in her family that was different, apparently every girl born into Wren’s family is supposed to have magical powers. As a younger child Wren remembers her mom doing magic, not big magic. She could remember the time she got mad because her phone died, yet five minutes later it was charged, and this was in a train station. Now that Wren has her powers, Robin (her younger sister) should get her powers in about four more years. “It’s not exactly the most exciting thing in the world to figure out you have magic powers, because no one teaches you how to use them. You’re kind of just out on your own.” Wren states in the book. I would have to agree with her. Being able to have magic is fun but not knowing how to use them is bad.

To sum it all up the theme would be about how people need to recognize the special talent every person we meet has within themselves. Over all I love this book and recommend this book to any person that likes a mysterious, magical, and romantic book.