More Short Stories

I was organizing my closet when I stumbled upon a futuristic tiny little room. It

was about four feet tall on the inside and was also hot on the inside. It was white with

silver bits of decorations and bolts. Curious to see what I’d find inside I stepped

inside. I saw multiple monitors to my right and a bunch of controls in front of me.

“Please select a date.” A speaker to my left announces.

“This must be a time machine!”I exclaim quietly as if I’m trying to keep it a

secret. On the monitors to my right it says “January 1, 0001. I shift the joystick and

type on the number pad. “Do you want to confirm the date of ‘January 1, 3001’?”

“Yes! Yes, I would like to confirm that date!” I say with excitement but still

quietly. The door slowly shuts.

“20... 19... 18...” A voice counts down. I already feel different. A difference

that’s hard to explain. “3... 2... 1...” the voice resumes. The door didn’t

automatically open. I was confused and there was no handle to pull or push. I turned

back to the control panel.

“Nothing.” I say with a disappointed tone in my voice. I look up, and to my

astonishment, there was a button. “Door release” it read. I push it and the door fell

open. I get out and everything looks different. My family must have died and other

residents probably moved in here. There were clothes in the closet that weren’t mine.

They looked like they belonged to a twenty-one year old. As I get out of the time

machine I realize that nothing looks the same; nothing but my reflection looks the

same. I feel lost but excited at the same time. I look around, I see different paintings,

different furniture, different everything! Nothing’s the same, nothing but me and my

appearance. I go downstairs, expecting to find someone I can talk to, but no one is

there. I forgot that it is a Thursday, everybody has gone to work. I do notice some

signs that a kid could live in this home. There are little tables and Legos and toys

scattered about the floor.

“Who’s there!” a voice shouts, lacking ease. I can feel adrenaline pumping

inside me.

“Hello?” I respond with anxiety in my voice, “I mean no harm. Liste-” A voice

cuts me off.

“Why are you here, punk?” the man answers, annoyed, as he walks about the

corner.

“You see, it’s a long story. In 2023, I found a time machine in my closet. It

teleported me here. I used to live here many years ago. My room was upstairs and the

end of the hall and the time machine was in my closet. I ended up here.” I’m barely

able to stammer the words out of my mouth. I feel my anxiety levels rising as the time

passes with him standing in front of me. At this point I’m ready to go back to 2023. I

go upstairs to go back but I can’t find it. Someone must not want me to go back to

2023. I go outside and right outside the backyard fence lies a shiny object, half buried.

I dig it up wondering is it is a time machine or if I wasted a huge effort for nothing.

As I get deeper I can tell it isn’t a time machine but is more of a gold color with a

wooden supporting color. I’m able to pull the giant unwieldy object out of earth’s

hands.

“No way!” I shout. “A treasure chest!” There’s a rusty lock, I wonder where the

key is until I catch a glimpse of something. I go over and there the key is, at the

bottom of the pool. What are the chances! I’m timid to jump in until I remember I am

doing this for treasure. I dive in and retrieve the key from the depths of the pool. I

jump out shocked by how cold the pool was compared to the warm, lively air. I shiver

a bit but the sun helps warm me up and dry me off quickly. I jam the key into the lock,

eager to see the treasures that lie within the chest. I twist the key and snap the lock off.

I keep the lock for later just in case I need it and quickly open the chest. Inside the

chest isn’t any real treasure but there could be somewhere else since I see something

that resembles a scroll. It is a scroll along with a compass, jacket, a sleeping bag, and

a note saying Use all the given items to find the time machine, and you may get a

reward. After gently but abruptly opening the scroll, I can tell I have to walk far. I end

up at a point where I have to cross a stream. About 500 feet after I crossed the river

and got my pants drenched I see a bridge and feel disappointed. I walk further and see

a wooden plank on a post. The scroll told me to come to this location but the wood

has nothing written on it. I check the back and it gives me an unfamiliar address. I

walked all this way just to turn around and go back empty-handed, but at least I know

where my next clue is. I think of this as a scavenger hunt and try to enjoy myself, but

no matter how hard I try, I wasn’t having fun. I had walked over ten miles and

probably wasn’t even half way done stuck in a scorching hot temperature. I realize

that I can check the address on my phone. I feel unmotivated after I see the address is

23 miles away, even though there is a time machine on the line. I eventually trudge to

the destination.

“Invent a sandwich!” I yell, “How am I going to invent a sandwich!” I guess if

I want to move on I have to make a sandwich. I look in the huge box the note was

placed on top. Inside the box was a loaf of bread containing 12 pieces of bread. There

was swiss cheese, mozzarella cheese, salami, bacon, pork, and turkey, all neatly sliced

and put into separate bags. There were also condiments, they included a bottle of

ketchup, mustard, brown mustard! I didn’t even know that was a thing! They also had

mayonnaise, relish, and soy sauce. I removed the bags to find more ingredients. For

fruits and vegetables they had thinly sliced tomatoes, lettuce, two avocados, bell

peppers, jalapeños, and a handful of olives. It’s the end of the ingredients! I think to

myself. There is a huge counter space that must take a really long time to clean. I’m

quickly able to put together a sandwich and am ready for the next set of directions.

“Explain your in instructions!” a voice calls over a loudspeaker.

“How? How am I supposed to-”

“Write instructions” the voice booms.

What was the first step? I think over and over. All the sudden I remember it

wasn’t too hard. Put down a slice of bread! But what is the second step? I peel apart

the sandwich to discover each layer in order.

“Bread, guacamole, bacon bits, mayonnaise, bell pepper.” I whisper aloud. I’m

Unsure of what the next layer is. Was it brown mustard or regular mustard? What if it

wasn’t even mustard!

“Bread, guacamole, bacon bits, mayonnaise, bell pepper, yellow stuff, turkey

slices, more mayonnaise, bread.” I decide to do a taste test with all three. I put a drop

of mustard on my tongue, swallow, and taste the paste on the sandwich. They taste

similar. I then put a drop of brown mustard and before I swallow already know it was

brown mustard on the sandwich. Now i just have to write the instructions. I carefully

make the straightest grid on a piece of printer paper. I make a two by five gird and in

the first box label the ingredients. In the box directly below I put a one in the top right

corner. I label it so it says to get a piece of bread. I draw a picture of bread. I go to the

second box, put a number two and label it. I then make a picture of the guacamole on

top of the bread. It feels like a million hours but I finally finish the instructions. I

carefully decide on a name and chose “Monster Components” and am so exhausted. A

trapdoor opens and there it is! The time machine! I impatient wait for the door to

open, eager to go back to 2023. It finally opens after what feels like an eternity. I jump

in, put in the date of June 9, 2023.

“Do you want to confirm the date of ‘january 1, 0001’?” The speaker

announced. At this point I was so exhausted I was barely able to utter the word yes.

It started counting down. “20... 19...” I feel so exhausted I close my eyes.

When the machine said, “11... 10... 9... 8...”, I realized my biggest mistake. I spent

so long on this quest that I was extremely tired. Not paying much attention, I just said

yes, for some reason stupidly assuming the date was preset to the current date. “3...

2... 1...” boomed the voice.

Because you can’t change the date until you open the door and shut it again, I

tell myself to just do it as quickly as possible. That way I can set today's date and

return to the present...

The phone rings. “Pick up already, oh my god,” I say as I call 911. THUMP,

THUMP. I scream. I am in terror as my neighbor Justin from apartment 206B is yelling

and banging at my door.

“911 what’s your emergency?” the operator says.

“He’s insane,” I say.

“Who is he?” they say.

“My neighbor, he is trying to break into my house”.

“Ok, I’m sending the police. Is there a safe place you can hide until they get there”.

“My- My closet”.

“Perfect, just stay hidden and stay on the line”.

“Ok, when will they get here”.

“Any minute now”.

Then suddenly I hear the click of a key in my lock as the front door opens and I

hear Justin say my name over and over trying to find me. As I am silently crying of terror. I

hear the police sirens get louder and an overwhelming feeling of relief rushes over me.

I don’t remember the rest of that night except the police telling me that Justin got

away. If we go back in time to when I first moved in 3 months ago he was the nicest

person ever. He had been raised in the south so he would always call me darling. I never

would have imagined that he would do something like that. As soon as the moving truck

got here he offered to help me move in, got me housewarming gifts, and even baked me

cookies. Over the next few months, I wrote diary entries that fully show how he acted.

This is one that when I think about it I should have realized what was happening.

“Dear Diary,

My new neighbor Justin was so sweet today. After work I went to the grocery store and

when I got home my hands were too full to open my door. He saw this and offered to

open the door for me. He is the best. –Jessica”

Little did I know, that was when he got a mold of my apartment key. If I look back

at all of the times he helped me, I see the signs. He helped me move in to see the layout of

the apartment. He invited me to a party to see what car was mine. And so many other

things. Now that I think about it when I lost my key and he let me stay at his place, I felt a

little weird after drinking that cocktail.

A few weeks later, I was watching Modern Family on the couch when I heard a

click. I thought nothing of it and went back to my show. It is just my other neighbor

Debby. She usually gets home around this time. But then I feel a slightly wet cloth cover

my nose and mouth and an arm pin me to the couch. I try to make noise and struggle out

of their grip but I can’t, with every breath I take I feel more and more lethargic. Then I

hear a southern voice I recognize say “Good night Darling”. Then I realized right before

passing out that Justin had come back.

When I finally woke up there was a bag over my head. I was completely tied up,

rope tied around my ankles, and my hands handcuffed behind my back around a pole. “So

nice of you to join me, Jessica,” the same voice says as he takes the bag off my head. I now

see that it is in fact, Justin. I want to say something but can’t speak. “You won’t be able to

talk, your mouth is duck taped,” he says “ and you are going to stay here with me for the

rest of our lives”. As he takes the duck tape off he says “You can scream all you want but

no one will ever find you here”. I nod defeated. “Justin why are you doing this,” I say.

“Because every time I try to get a girlfriend they run away, and by doing this you can’t run

away from me, EVER” he responds. “That’s kinda pathetic,” I whisper under my breath.

“What did you just say?” he yells in an annoyed tone. “Nothing,” I say afraid.

It has been a couple of months now I think. He gives me three meals every day and

a few snacks unless I do something to make him mad. He doesn’t really seem that bad. He

cares so much about me and hangs out with me all the time. Justin lets me move around

the room but when he comes in I have to cuff myself to the bed. He also got me a new

diary because he knows how much I like to write.

“Dear Diary,

Justin is so handsome and charming. I love the way he calls me darling with his country

accent. Valentine's Day was last week. He got me flowers, chocolates, and the cutest

stuffed bear. He sprayed his cologne on it so it smells like him, isn’t he sweet? I feel bad I

didn’t get him anything. We cuddled with each other last night. He held me until I fell

asleep. Justin is so great. I think I am going to tell him I love him. But first, I will ask him

why I can’t leave this room. I truly love him. He is coming, so I am going to ask him.

–Jessica”

“Hello darling,” He says.

“Hi Justin,” I responded, “What did you do today?”

“Nothing much just missed you, how about you”.

“Just a little journaling”.

“I picked you these daisies, I know they’re your favorite”.

“Thank you so much, I meant to ask you something”.

“Let’s hear it”.

“Why can’t I leave this room?”

“Now why would you even ask that,” he says angrily.

“I- I’m sorry,” I said uneasily.

“You know what happens when you make me mad,” he yells.

“No dinner,” I say timidly.

“That’s right!” he yells as the door slams shut.

“Dear Diary,

I was right. I knew it was a bad idea to ask him. I am so hungry already, it is a good thing I

have some chips stashed under my bed. He is so mad at me. I feel bad about it. I am going

to give him some time to cool down. I am going to try and get out to see what he is hiding.

I have no idea how I will do it, or even how long I have been down here. I will start

planning tomorrow. I will have to do it in secret because if he finds out who knows what

he will do to me.

–Jessica”

“Dear Diary,

I started my plan. I don’t know when but I know how. I know exactly how I want to

escape. Will it work? Only time will tell.

–Jessica”

I love him. Do I want to leave him? Does he love me? Should I do this? When

should I do this? Will it work? Do I love him? How will I find other people? Will people

believe me and my story? Where will I go? Should I turn him in? Should I go to the police?

I think I love him. I’m not sure. I have nothing. What will I do? What if he finds out? I

need to do this! I thought.

“Dear Diary,

I am going to stop writing in this book. It is for the best, in case he reads it. I don’t want

him to know what I am planning.

For the last time

–Jessica”

“Justin!!! Come here please” I yell

“What do you need darling,” he responds

“I just can’t stand it anymore”

“What”

“Do you love me?”

“What do you mean?”

“Just that, do you love me?”

“You’re crazy”

“That doesn’t answer my question”

“Why are you asking?”

“Just answer”

“Tell me why first”

“I’ll take it as a no then”

“That’s not what I said”

“Then just answer”

“Fine I love you, happy”

“You don’t mean it, get out!”

“Ok I’ll leave and I won’t come back for a while”

Once he left I started to break out. I gathered everything I needed. I found out what

the code was to my window so I could unlock it. I put my stuff in my bag even though it

would just slow me down. I unlocked the window, climbed out, and ran. As soon as I

went through it a blazing alarm went off. I saw Justin in a different room. He looked at me

with rage. At that moment I knew he would come. I knew he would find me and probably

kill me. All I could do was run.

I went to the woods. I hope that there is a town on the other side or a cabin in the

woods I could hide in. Justin could follow me on foot, in a car, or even on a motorcycle.

All I know is that he would be faster than me. My only hope was to find someone to help

me or hide. Then I saw it on the road, his car. It was the same one he would drive at the

apartments.

I’m screwed. He is going to kill me. All I can do is hope. If I run behind his car

maybe he won't see me.

So I did just that, I ran behind his car but he saw me. I kept running as fast as I

could. He got out of the car and chased after me. My only hope was that someone would

notice and help but no one was around.

Run, Run. Just run. Don’t look back.

I tripped on a pothole. I face-planted into the sidewalk. Then I felt a cold hand

touch my shoulder. It was Justin. Just then I felt a sharp pain stab my back. I spent my last

minutes in fear, running. But, in my last minutes, I was free.

On a misty Sunday morning, Mark set o

down the busy, bustling block

of New York City, hoping to make it to his Little League team practice. He was a

very bulky boy. Mark wasn’t very good at baseball and his teammates knew. As

soon as his practice started Mark missed a routine fly ball. “Mark you’re so

trash!” his coach yelled. “You’re going to be cut from the team, and this is

Little League!” his coach exclaimed.

“But I'm trying my best coach!” Mark pleaded.

“Well try better. NOW!” Mark’s coach responded.

Suddenly, Mark’s teammate, the star pitcher, hurled a baseball at him

110 miles per hour and yelled.

“THINK FAST!” 10 minutes later, Mark limped o

the field rubbing the

bruise on his forehead in sorrow. From that day on, he knew he needed to make

a change.

Three months later, Mark’s birthday rolled around. Baseball season had

ended, and his team got last place. That year, Mark only asked for performance

equipment and that's what he got. His grandma gifted him a year's gym

subscription and his mother installed a pullup bar on his bedroom door. Every

day from then on, Mark trudged through the ice and snow, walking miles from

his house to the gym. Once, Mark had forgotten his coat and snow equipment

but he knew he had to keep going through the snow. He did everything he could

to stay warm until he collapsed into the tough ice and snow. It took him weeks

to recover, but once he did he went to the gym every second of free time he had.

Even though it was DISGUSTING, Mark would choke down the slimy, yet

chalky raw egg smoothie that his sweet grandma made for him every morning.

When baseball season came, he was ready for whatever could be thrown at him.

The second he tried out for the baseball team, he was drafted for college at

Clemson University. Then he kept rising through the ranks, winning the

championship for his team and moving up to the minor league playing for the

Birmingham Barons. This was a setback. Last season the White Sox set a record

for the worst team season in MLB history, 0-162. Mark was disappointed, yet

determined to make this their best season.

Mark was determined and worked his way to the MLB in a matter of

weeks. Once on the White Sox, he trained every day as hard as he could with all

of his teammates. He got to know them and what got them to where they were.

As the season progressed Mark had some highs and lows. At the beginning of

the season, Mark struggled to keep up with his teammates. Even though they

were White Sox, they were still better than anyone he had seen before. For

Mark, anything could be done if enough e

ort and hard work were put in. In

weeks of grueling training, he became the best player on his team. Mark's hard

work had even inspired his other teammates to stay after practice and work

hard with him. The White Sox against all odds, had finally made it to the World

Series. Mark knew he had to win. Every day he SCREAMED at his teammates

and hyped them up for the game. He spent all of his money on training

equipment for the game. Finally, the White Sox had popped o

and won the

World Series. Mark stood on the pitcher's mound, salty tears rolling down his

cheek because all his work had paid o

. Mark had lost everything, his girlfriend

all his money, he was disowned by his parents all to win this game. His family

then jumped onto the field and so the whole stadium, overjoyed with the win.

He was finally able to show the bullies on his baseball team what he was made

of. They had a 162-0 record, won the World Series, and became the best team

EVER all because of Mark. Many years later, Mark retired and got to become a

White Sox broadcaster along with his best friends from the White Sox dynasty.

One hot spring day in Springfield, Illinois, three kids named Tim, Joshua, and Sam met in

the fourth grade and became great friends. Tim is tall and skinny but is not intelligent. Joshua is

always nervous along with being shy. Sam is the leader of the group, and always bosses everyone

around. After school at Springfield Elementary, they decided to bike behind the school. “This is

going to be so sigma I'm gonna cook all of you,” Sam exclaimed. Joshua was excited, but deep

down he knew he couldn't ride a bike!

Tim went and did a wheelie “Yessir, I rizzed up the huzz in front of Da boyz”

It was Sam's turn, and he magnificently did a double backflip. “You can do that, can't

you?” Tim questioned Josh.

Josh knew he couldn't but he also couldn't choke in front of everyone so he tried to back

out. For some odd reason, Joshua felt like someone was watching them.

“Do it! Do it,” Yelled everyone while slowly pushing him into the corner with a loud

furious yell. Joshua thought, How hard can it be? Joshua sped up and after the ramp and

everything slowed down, he slowly turned upside down and wiped out before he knew it.

“AHHHHHH!!” he yelled in pain. Josh's jagged bone was sticking out and everyone

rushed to him.

“Are you okay?” Tim asked.

“No, I'm not!” Josh yelled. “My leg hurts so much!” he exclaimed.

They heard sirens and the kids ran away. The EMT arrived and announced. That the leg

was a clean break and Joshua would most likely be out for 8 months from everything. Principal

Smith saw the entire thing.

The next day, while Tim was in social studies class, the speaker loudly announced, “May

Tim and Sam all report to my office now!” All the boys had no idea what was happening, but

then they realized. As they shamefully trudged down the hallway, all the other students laughed

at them. In the office, Mr. Smith was silently waiting for them, and when they walked in, they

were in deep, deep trouble.

“I saw it all and I wanted to talk to you guys”, Mr. Smith said. “I think that was terrible

how you pressured your friend into something he was not comfortable with.”

“But we didn't know,” Tim responded.

Principal Smith countered, “He backed out, though.” They continued for 12 minutes until

Principal Smith said, “You are all suspended for two days.”

When all the friends arrived home, they all had to tell their parents somehow what they

had done. Their parents were enraged because they got suspended for the next week. It is safe to

say that the two friends did not ever get their bikes back.

One week later, all of the boys went back to school. The friends then apologized to

Joshua but not that sincerely, they then told him to meet them in the boy's locker after school.

The end of the day neared, and Joshua felt it. Something was wrong. When Joshua entered, he

was immediately tackled and then slammed into a locker.

Tim was furious, and then Sam yelled, “Bro, that was not chill you big back!”

That night, Joshua silently entered his room and then started tearing up. He was sad that

his friends betrayed him for something that wasn't his fault. For the rest of the year, he couldn't

make any friends, so he was heartbroken about where he was. In the summer, Joshua asked to

move, and his parents answered yes. He then moved to Connecticut, made new friends, and

never rode a bike again. The story's moral is to never do something you are too uncomfortable

with and avoid peer pressure.

Birds fly, grass grows, sun shines. Only three of many things that happen in our world. I’m not

entirely sure what things I do, but I do something. I’m not sure why I’m making this... but I am.

Who am I? Well, I’m me. Me. Just good,ol, me. Not sure if I spelled that right. Why am I making

this? I don’t know. I just want to. When I think of making something like this, it seems boring.

But when I do something like this, I like actually enjoy it kinda. Sure, I’m not entirely devoted

to it, but I still enjoy it. People have dreams. I have dreams. What are my dreams? I’m not

sharing. I will share them later, if I remember to. Fun fact from me: I believe you are the main

character in your life. Everyone else like friends, mom, dad... they are all side characters. Thats

what I think sometimes. You create your own life. Only you. I like play around. I like to by

myself or with friends. I also like school. I like music. Its fun. I don’t read a lot, I admit. Its hard

to be devoted to read every single day in my perspective. I don’t like talking about that. When its

the weekend, I sleep in. I love sleeping in. Sometimes, school is chill. Other times, it can be

stressful. At this point, I don’t what else to say. I’m just sayin things. Thats all. I want this to be

three pages, but I don’t know if I will have time to do that. Would I even have enough thoughts?

Idk. I might call it on the first page. I don’t care at this point. I just like to say: Just be yourself.

You don’t have to be the most popular or most coolest, you just be happy of yourself. Carve your

story. Tell your story. And ya, I guess thats all I have to say. So, talk to you later, I guess.

Xavier’s dark chocolate hair seemed to bounce as we walked up the steps to his house. As he unlocked the front door, I sniffed the air. It smelled like barbecue. “Dad, can Vicki stay over for dinner?” Xavier hollered.  “Of course! Mi casa es tu casa.” Mr. Mcginley replied. “Dad!” Xavier groaned at how corny his dad was. I thought Mr.Mcginley was hilarious but then again I thought everything was funny. “Vicki, can you stay over for dinner? Dad’s barbecuing brisket?” “Sorry Xavier, mom’s making stuffed bell peppers!” I said trying to hide the fact that I was about to burst into tears. The word dad was always close to my mind. 

Growing up without a father figure is hard. In second grade, I had to dance with my mom while everyone else danced with the father for the daddy daughter dance. In fourth grade, we had to do research on our fathers for father’s day. Obviously it was summer homework. Mrs. Mickle was beyond confused when I tried to tell her, I couldn’t do the research. 

“Vicki, can we do the science homework first? I’ve given up on trying to tell the hypothesis!” Xavier exclaimed.  Xavier was in the drama club, so sometimes he could be overly dramatic. Still, instead of saying any of that, I just chuckled and helped him with his homework. “Okay my brain is now overly full. Do you want a snack? My dad has cream cheese peach tiny sandwiches set out!” Xavier told me. “That sounds delicious but I have to walk the dog! Sorry!” 

I rushed out of there before Xavier could say anything. I still hadn’t told him I went to therapy. I was told I had severe anxiety, three years ago. Medical problems seemed to run in my family. My mom has Hashimoto's. Nothing’s wrong with my brother, his body seems to be made of literal steel. I have severe anxiety, there’s four levels of anxiety. I have level three, severe anxiety, anxiety. I was also diagnosed at four years old with being partially deaf in my left ear. My dad, well my dad…he died of leukemia six years ago. One day, we’re at a pumpkin patch, on a hayride, and the next we’re at the hospital, my mom holding my dad’s hand while I sobbed. A year later, that hand went cold. I try to shake this thought from my head and take the quickest route home. 

As soon as I open the front door, I get slobbered by my Auss-Tzu, an Australian shepherd and shih tzu mix. “Hello to you too, Pineapple.” I tell Pineapple. “Willa?” my brother, Mitchell asks excitedly. His face droops when he sees it’s just me. “Oh, it’s just you.” He says and turns on his heel. “What a warm welcome.” I say sarcastically and head to my room. I throw my backpack on my chair and go back to the living room. “Dinner’s ready!” my mom proclaimed. “Mom, Willa’s not here!” Mitchell stated. “Maybe she canceled at the last minute?” I guess with a shrug. “ Willa never cancels at the last minute.” Mitchell says. He's very fond of his girlfriend, Willa. His phone has a loud ping. “Oh, looks like she canceled at the last minute. Who could have known?” Mitchell says as he looks at her text. I want to say I could have known but keep my mouth zipped. “Dumplings!” My mom says warmly. “I thought you were making stuffed bell peppers?” I ask. I am confused. “That didn’t work out. GrubHub comes really quick though.” My mom says sheepishly. “Dumplings are great!” I say and pick up my chopsticks. I’m actually really annoyed that mom's not making stuffed bell peppers. It’s my favorite meal. Dad was an amazing cook. He owned a restaurant, actually. Levi’s. Levi was my dad’s name. It shut down five years ago. They tried to keep it open for a year after my dad died. Dad was head cook. They had to get a new head cook. They were short on money, so they got a woman, who would work for minimum wage. Her cooking was beyond terrible. They had to shut down the restaurant because of how many people were getting food poisoning. My family was there that day, the restaurant shut down. And with it, my father’s memory.

After dinner that night, Mitchell invited me to the patio. “Is everything okay?” I asked. He’s only invited me one other time. The day dad died. “Just thinking about dad.” He says and his eyes seem watery. Mitchell bursts into tears. I bring him for a hug, just like he did the day on the patio before. “I should have been there when his hand went cold. Not buying you and I snacks at the vending machine.” My fingers comb through his hair. “I thought it was just a game. Dad is sick. I thought he could stop being sick whenever he wanted.” I say softly. I continue “The day, he breathed his last breath. He whispered something to me. It was meant for you but you had left.” Dad knew he was dying I think to myself. “He sees himself in you every day.” Mitchell brings his head up. “Really?” He asks, eyes full of wonder. “Really. He’s not wrong, either. You remind me of him, too.” I say with a sad smile. I bring my head down into Mitchell’s lap. We notice a shooting star, go by. “Make a wish.” Mitchell tells me. “What can I wish for? I have everything!” I say and watch the star sail by.

It was a normal Tuesday morning when I arrived at Rockberry High. The car

tires screeched to a stop as I got out of the car. The warm shine of the California sun

filled the dew-dropped grass field as a soccer ball whizzed by my head.

“Over here!” Madison hollered from upstairs. I sighed as I reluctantly trudged up

the stairs while she practically bounced. Summer had just ended and I didn’t know why

anyone would want to be back at school. I groaned as another spray-tanned face

strutted past me. I tuned out Madison’s rambling and opened my locker.

“Hey! Are you doing okay? Madison can be a handful,” a friendly face smiled as

she tossed her long, ginger hair.

“No, it's all good. I haven’t seen you in like forever,” I reply.

“Did you already forget my name? My name’s Gabrielle but you can call me Gabby.

Anyway...,” she trailed o

as the screeching ring of the morning bell cut her o

. We

walked into the main building, laughing together. Somehow, we all had English first

block together with Ms. Peaches. Ms. Peaches was always known for being the

strictest teacher and I was not looking forward to listening to her lecture us for 90

2

minutes. We all asked to go to the bathroom together to get away from Ms. Peaches'

endless rant. She scowled and rolled her eyes, but let us go after a LOT of whining.

Just as we were about to enter the bathroom, the deafening wail of a siren echoed

throughout the halls. Panic rushed through me as adrenaline started pumping through

my veins. Fear took over me as Gabby clung onto my arm. The intercom buzzed as a

static voice announced, “This is NOT a drill! Get in a classroom, lock the doors, and shut

the blinds, NOW!” it said with a sense of urgency and finality. I got shoved as the

teachers herded us into the nearest classrooms.

“I’m sure we’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it. How about we go hide in that

corner?” Gabrielle said, almost scarily calmly. “Wait, where's Madison!” Gabby

exclaimed. “I thought I saw her come with us,” I said nervously. A familiar voice shouted

“Gabrielle, Abigail!” “ Is that madison!?” She ran up to us and led us to her new

discovery. “Wait,” I stammered. Madison didn’t seem to care and grabbed my wrist as

she dragged me in.

We kept walking and found a random classroom, “It looks old, almost like it

hasn’t been touched since 1985.” Madison says, while glancing around the abandoned

classroom in awe. Gabrielle and I didn't look as we leaned against something and a

secret door opened. “Are you ok Gabby?” I asked, frightened, Gabrielle nods. “Wow!

What is this,” I asked as I looked around in wonder. “It looks like another room,” Madison

whispered as she looked at Gabrielle who was too stunned to speak. As we walked

around this “secret room” that looked older than a dinosaur fossil, I noticed the red

3

velvety-like walls with chunks of fading old wallpaper and the dust that has been

collecting on the books for years. I glanced over my shoulder to see what Madison and

Gabrielle were doing. I saw Madison holding this huge, leather book. Gabrielle and I

rushed over to her with curiosity. I peered over Madison and saw the title “The Secrets

of Rockberry High“. We gasped collectively, as Madison lifted open the cover. Plumes

of dust filled the room as the book plopped to the ground and the sound echoed

throughout the chamber. We all sat down ready to unveil the “secrets” of our school.

Suddenly, a large boom sounded behind us. We all whipped our heads around and saw

the only exit slam shut behind us. We were stuck. There was no way to get out. I

thought to myself if we were ever going to get out of this dusty, old room.

I began to speak, but was shocked to see the book rise in the air. The pages

whirred, and spun, and flipped until they landed on one special page. The simple bolded

text at the top of the page read “1884, Three Girls Missing after Lockdown”. A picture

fluttered to the ground as Gabby picked it up. I squinted my eyes and saw a grainy,

black and white photograph of three girls that looked just like us. A bold, red stamp

covered the photo that said MISSING in big, bold letters. I had so many questions and

thoughts filled my head jumbling into a tangled mess of hectic panic. What secrets are

being held from us, and why? I thought to myself. I was coming to a realization that

maybe I shouldn’t have blindly trusted everything the teachers had told us about the

school. Little did I know, things were going to get a whole lot more interesting.

One foggy morning, a man named Joe woke up from bed and went on his T.V

heard the news say “police chase on 5th Ave in Los Angeles.”

After a while of watching the police chase, he switched the channel and heard

“Deadline for the NFL, one of the biggest tournaments in the U.S. today.”

Last second he signed up his team for the NFL on his iPhone 16 Pro Max and

texted the group chat where they would meet.

A few hours later after eating his Jersey Mike’s sub, he gathered his team, the

Hamsters, and announced “Boys, we’re going to be in the NFL tournament.”

The team was overjoyed but a little nervous. John, the linebacker, Derek, the

quarterback, Noah, the wide receiver, Vincent, the center lineman, and Cayden, the

kicker trained for hours and hours on end. The next day Coach Joe got a notification on

his phone on what team they would be playing so they had a team meeting on their

home field to plan, and Coach Joe exclaimed “Our first team is the Red Bulls. They are

one of the best teams in the state but I think we can beat them!”

“Why did they have to assign us the best?”

Noah complains. “We can beat them and positive energy, Noah.”

Coach Joe says.

A week after intense training they were at their first game in Arizona. They were

playing at the Red Bulls stadium. The crowd was cheering “Bulls! Bulls! Bulls! Bulls!

Bulls!”

but the Hamsters weren't going to give the Red Bulls a free win. After lots of

booing from the crowd, they started the game. Already sweating they did the coin flip to

see who would get the ball and they got it! In the first play of the game the Hamsters

quarterback Derek got sacked and on the next play he threw the ball and it got

intercepted they ran it in for a pick-six and then they got the two-point conversion the

Hamsters got the ball back After inching along and getting the first down 2 times they

threw a hail mary to Noah and he catches it! And then they win the two-point conversion

so the score is 7 to 7, Red Bulls are locked in then they start scoring touchdowns like

crazy left and right, and each time the Hamsters try to get the ball back, they get tackled

and the Red Bulls get the ball back every time and they can't keep up, then,

unfortunately, the time runs out and they lost 7 to 22.

A couple of weeks after the Hamsters had a talk with coach Joe. They were

going to play the Staples, one of the worst teams in the tournament. They were pretty

good to the Hamsters even though they were the worst team. The game started in the

Hamsters stadium so they had a home-field advantage. The first throw was to Noah the

wide receiver and he caught it and made an amazing touchdown. He started hitting the

griddy to flex on them.A few hours later after they had many more fabulous touchdowns

and they eventually won 27 to 0.

The next day Coach Joe woke up with a notification saying the Hamsters had

somehow made it into the finals against the Red Bulls again “Time for revenge” Coach

Joe thought.

He messaged all the Hamster’s parents and they met up. “We made it into the

finals,”

Coach Joe shouted “We are playing against the Red Bulls. Time for our

rematch!”

They start the game a day later in their home field so they have a good

advantage from that. The game began with a coin flip and the Bulls won the coin flip.

“Time for defense Hamsters”

shouted Vincent and the game started. In the first play of the game, Vincent got

the ball back by a pic against the Red Bulls wide receiver but he got tackled and was

not able to run it in to get the touchdown. The Hamsters had a trick play with a handoff

to Noah and they ran it in to get the touchdown. They cheered but they didn't cheer too

much because the game had just started. Then the Red Bulls got the ball back and they

scored a field goal for three points. After an hour and multiple back and forths time runs

out and half time starts giving both teams a small break. Then the game starts again

and John scores another touchdown and the 2 points. The Hamsters know the game is

going to be close. The Hamsters continued to play but they weren't able to keep up with

the offense and the Red Bulls scored a touchdown down. In the final countdown it was a

tie game and the Hamsters got the ball back from Vincent tackling the Red Bulls

quarterback. The Hamsters go into a huddle where John runs to the end zone for a hill

mary. The Hamsters unpause the game and as soon as the ball is in John dashes to the

end zone but he is being covered well. As soon as Derek was about to be tackled he

saw an opportunity and didn't waste it and he launched the ball to John. John sees the

ball and makes a run for it, dives and catches the ball! The hamsters won the NFL!

Coach Joe is proud and amazed at the team and is shocked they thought the Red Bulls

were going to crush them. They had a huge dinner together at Dominoes. “No way we

won that game!”

Noah exclaimed. “If I'm being honest you scored half the touchdowns,”

Vincent said. “But you still had lots of good defensive plays,”

Noah said. “Either way we still won,” Caden said. “Yep,” John says. “

If we didn't keep trying we’ll lose.”

“Ms Boustia told us today that due to the constant disruption in class, she is making

us all write an essay on how bad our behavior has been,” River said, frustrated. The girls

walked home from school together every day. River had short black hair and piercing

ocean-blue eyes; she was kind, caring, loyal, funny, extroverted, and very hyper due to her

ADHD. In contrast, Lily was shy and had long brown hair, while Aria had soft blue eyes and

long brown hair, and was smart, kind, loved reading, introverted, and timid. The girls lived

in a small village on the edge of a forest rumored to harbor terrifying creatures—foxes, but

with human-like traits. The stories depicted them as scary and strange.

Intuitive River noticed a side path leading up the hill on the dirt path back from

school. She pointed it out to the others, and Lily eagerly bounded up the path. Aria was

hesitant, but the three girls ventured up the dirt path together. In the distance, a cave

emerged from the mist. The girls felt an inexplicable pull towards it and began walking

towards the dark, damp, moss-covered cave to discover why they felt so connected to this

mysterious place. They observed a faint glow from deeper inside the cave and started to

follow it. They found three distinct crystals—one river blue and shaped like a raindrop,

another pearl white with a wind-shaped symbol engraved in it, and the third a bright

forest green shaped like a leaf symbol. Each crystal resonated with a different girl: River

with the raindrop, Lily with the leaf symbol, and Aria with the wind symbol. They each

placed their hands upon the symbols, feeling a surge of energy flow through them. The

energy subsided, and the crystals ceased glowing. Each girl felt a stronger connection to

the world around them. Exchanging a glance, they quietly exited the cave. A fox-like

creature darted past, letting out a frightened sound, and the girls turned to see an angry

villager chasing it with a torch.

“Huh?! What was that, and why are the villagers angry at it?” Lily exclaimed, turning

to the others.

“Should we help it?” River asked.

“Yes! Definitely!” Aria shouted, and the girls ran after it.

They found themselves within the forest. A creature peered out from behind a branch; it

was fox-like with human qualities. One ran away from River as she approached.

“What are these beings?” Aria asked.

“I don’t know,” River shrugged, “but they’re rather cute!” she said, admiring their fox

ears and tails.

“Can we keep them?” Lily joked. “They would make lovely pets!” She laughed. The

girls explored the forest a bit longer before stumbling upon a small, adorable creature.

The girls exclaimed in unison, “Awwww!” as they reached out to pet its velvety fur.

However, its eyes glowed red, and a telekinetic force flung them back thirty feet. “We

come in peace! We are trying to help your kind from the villagers!” the girls shouted in

unison. The creature inquired about their powers, leaving the girls bewildered.

“We’re just normal girls!” River insisted, and the creature studied them curiously. It

beckoned, and the girls followed.

In the following month, the Kitsunes taught the girls how to harness their

newfound powers. It was hard, but the girls picked up quickly. River could control water,

Lily harnessed earth, and Aria commanded the wind. Once the Kitsunes felt the girls were

ready, they prepared to act. One hundred and sixty Kitsunes and three girls emerged from

the forest. They confronted the villagers at the forest’s edge. The girls' parents called out

to them,

“Aria! River! Lily! What are you doing? Those things are the enemy!”

“No! You are the enemy! You are judgemental and rude!” Aria shouted back, and a

big thumbs down from River shut the parents up. The village leader raised his hands in a

gesture to attack.

“You drove us from your town because we were different! Girls, now!” a Kitsune

screamed. A tsunami, powerful gusts of wind, and a mass of vines ensnared the villagers

together. None were harmed, but entangled in vines and trapped within a wind forcefield.

“You must accept others, and if you are unwilling to do so, then leave,” Lily stated,

and the villagers relented.

“Fine! We can coexist with the Katsininuiies,” he said, severely mispronouncing

their name. The girls rolled their eyes.

“Fine. Return home,” Aria commanded, and the wind calmed. The water receded,

and the vines dissipated. The villagers apologized. The Kitsunes rejoiced, and the girls

high-fived. The Kitsunes lived with the villagers until they decided to drive them into the

forest and take over the village.

Once upon a time, there was a girl who loved the sea. She always wanted to be a marine

biologist. So, when she turned fifteen Mila got an internship at Birch Aquarium. Mila wasso

excited for her first day. Bob, her mentor told Mila on her first day that she would eventually get

to go on a submarine “Oh yay, I’ve always wanted to go on a submarine” Mila said. Mila thought

I wonder if I will get to go alone down there that would be so much fun.

“Ok,” Bob said “Before you go in an actual submarine you and I will go in the simulation”

A few weeks later while Bob wasteaching Mila. Clarissa, Bob's girlfriend, came over and Bob

said she would wait till he was done teaching. Clarissa was furious so she came up with a plan to

keep Bob for herself,she was going to send Mila to the bottom of the ocean so she never comes

back. Mila thinks that when she goes in the submarine it will be a fun submarine ride, but little

does she know what Clarissa has in store.

Mila was so excited to go in a submarine for the first time but then Bob said “For your

first time we will go together.” “What” Clarissa interrupted “You won't be doing anything

together.” “But I need to go with her so I can see if she can go alone,” Bob said. So, Mila and Bob

opened the hatch to the submarine and started to lower themselves down. Bob said “In order to

prove that you can go alone I need you to run all of the safety checks that I taught you,so to start

you tell me where the oxygen masks are'' Mila walked over to the oxygen masks and said, “right

here, can we go down now?” “Sure,” Bob said as they descended into the water. Mila had a fun

time looking at all of the sea life then Bob said “When you go alone you will be going much

deeper.” Asthey ascended and got out of the submarine Clarissa came over to Bob and said “You

missed our date, what were you doing.” “I was with Mila,” Bob said defensively. “Of course you

were,” Clarissa said in disgust. A few weeks later, Bob said that she was ready to go alone,so he

helped her get ready and then sent her off on her own.

When she starts the submarine she goes deep into the sea and is fascinated by all the

creatures but then something happens the submarine stops working and Mila is starting to sink.

She pushes all the buttons until she remembers the SOS button she runs to it and pushes it.

Later up on shore, Bob gets a warning on his phone saying the SOS button has been pushed, but

Clarissa takes the phone and deletes the message. Please see the message, Mila thought.

Mila is starting to get worried because it is so dark and the submarine is broken,she gets

worried as water fills the submarine and isin Mila's stomach. She swims to the scuba gear even

though it's deep and knows many dangerous animals could kill her. She was willing to take the

risk though,she got on the scuba gear, and just in time as the submarine was flooded with water

and she breathed, but then it didn't work she got scared and couldn't breathe. She remembers

all the things she wanted to do before dying. She wanted to live her life so she tried to swim up to

the shore, but it was too late. She was too deep, and she began to lose continuously and started

falling to the bottom of the ocean.

On the sand Clarrisa was watching Mila fall to death through her camera on the

submarine, and wasso happy Bob was all hers.

“Mila should have come back by now, don't you think?” asked Bob.

“I think I am going to go down there with the other submarine to check if she is ok, '' Bob

said.

Clarissa thought Bob mightsave Mila before she died so she needed to act quickly.

“Babe why don't you take me to lunch, you said you would, '' Clarissa said.

Bob agreed to get lunch but then said straight after that he would check on Mila. Clarissa

knew it would be too late then, as they went to lunch Bob had a bad feeling about Mila being

down there so long. Mila by this time was drowning and lost consciousness and died. Onshore

Bob finished his lunch, then headed down into the ocean and found the submarine Mila was

riding in, and next to it, he found Mila. He got out of the submarine with his scuba gear on and

got her inside the submarine and tried to save her, but it was too late,she died.

With tearsin his eyes, he swam back up to shore, then saw Clarissa she said, “Oh no poor

Mila she died.” How did she know that Mila died? I never told her, Bob thought. “You killed her!”

Bob said in realization. Clarissa started to explain but Bob didn't want to hear it on the spot he

broke up with her. Bob went to the police and filed a report and later Clarissa was taken into

custody and was sentenced to life in prison. “Noooooo don't take me,” Clarissa exclaimed. Bob sat

on the shore stunned as the breezy wind whisked by him and he realized how he loved Mila. He

felt the wet droopy tears fall on his face, he knew Mila would always be in his memory. I love you

so much, Bob said. He decided to go back under the cold scary sea all by himself to see Milasface

one more time. As he divided into the water he swam for a long time then he finally found Mila

and saw her face and realized he never got to share her first kiss with Mila, he took off hisscuba

mask and knew he wouldn't be able to get back to shore if he kissed her. At least if I die I will die

with the love of my life. He couldn't breathe but he leaned in and kissed Mila and died kissing

her and knew he made the right decision by giving his life for someone he loves. 15 years later,

Clarissa got out of prison due to good behavior and felt so guilty for killing Mila and was still sad

that Bob was dead. She wanted to go to Bob's favorite spot to say one final goodbye since she

didn’t get to go to his funeral. So, after a long 5-hour drive from the Centinela Prison, she had

arrived at the Santa Monica Pier to spend her last moments with him. She had so much fun at

the pier, and it all made her realize why Bob liked it so much. But, it also made her think. She

thought about how everyone she loved was gone. Her mom and dad had died in a car crash

when she was young, her grandparents who had raised her had died while she was in prison, but

the person she had loved the most, Bob the love of her life, was dead and it was all her fault .