The Campground

By Rocco Lucas 

Book 2 of the Free Candy Series 

They finally arrived at the place Smith and his buddy Jordan Michael wanted to go. They woke Robert up and showed him around the campground. 

Robert saw a tent, multiple cabins, with multiple kids. Robert got put into one of the cabins, there were two more kids. One was named Joe, the other was named Matson. They were Robert’s best friends that went to Jockey Follows!  

Matson asked, “How did you get here?” 

Robert responded, “I got kidnaped.”

Matson explained, “Everyone here got kidnapped by Jordan Michel and Smith Will, I was playing basketball when I got kidnapped.”

Robert told Matson, “I got kidnapped because I fell asleep on the sidewalk because of a Dolly Rancher.”

Matson remembered, “Oh yeah your mom makes you walk home. she probably is glad you're gone!”

Robert whispered, “Yea...”

Joe interrupted, “I got kidnapped by jogging to a Denny’s.” 

Robert continued, “I will continue with what I was saying before, My mom hates…”

“Quiet everyone!” Smith will Screamed. “I want all of you to go to the cafeteria NOW!...” “ I SAID NOW!” 

When Robert was walking to the cafeteria he was thinking about when he would be able to leave. Why did Smith Will need this? Like what did Robert ever do? Robert saw the cafeteria, which wasn't too far away.  Robert took a seat next to Joe and Matson.

Smith screamed, “YOU WILL ALL START MINING IN MY CAVE FOR ANYTHING VALUABLE, WITH PICKAXES!” “ NOW LEAVE! GO BACK TO YOUR CABINS!”

When Robert, Joe and Matson got back to the cabin Robert told them, “What if we escape? 

Joe answers, “Well we can, right?”

Matson said, “What if we get caught?”

Robert told him, “what could be worse than this?”

Robert, Matson, and Joe went to sleep, hoping tomorrow they could escape. If they didn’t, they would want to escape by 12/23/12, the current date was 12/1/12. Robert woke up at five o'clock. Matson and Joe were still asleep. Robert began preparing escape plans.  They said they wanted to escape at seven. When it was six Robert screamed, “WAKE UP!”

Everyone was up. Today they will escape. Robert, Joe and Matson began coordinating plans. Their cabin was right next to the entrance. They could escape through the entrance when the bus comes with more kids. That might not be for a few hours,  possibly until night time. 

Robert wasn’t expecting a new bus to come at 7:30!  Robert crawled past the gate, Matson and Joe followed. They wondered where they were. They got up and ran away from the camp entrance and into the woods. The bus shielded them from view.  They wandered around in the woods until they saw a building.

They walked towards it. It was a small familiar hut shaped structure. They recognized it. Robert knew it was a McRocco’s, an abandoned Mc Rocco’s.  Robert and friends went into the McRocco’s. When they were walking around an old man jumped out of the counter.

                                                          Copyright © 2024 by Rocco Lucas

The Scary Series - Book #6

Dirk E. the Scary Turkey

Written by: J. Ryan O’Shea

Illustrated by: Joe Bender 

It was the morning of Thanksgiving. 13-year-old Henry Murphy and his family lived on a farm outside of Worcester, Massachusetts. The farm had livestock such as cows, pigs, chickens and turkeys. The farm also had crops of mostly corn and blueberries. The farm’s resources contributed to the huge Thanksgiving dinner the Murphy’s had each year. Henry’s dad, Bob Murphy, would grow the crops and feed the livestock. As Henry has gotten older, his Dad has taught him more and more about farming. Henry’s Mom, Elizabeth, cooked the best Thanksgiving meals. And finally, Henry’s little sister, Ava. She was 8 years old and loved everything about the farm. She loved hanging out with the livestock. She liked talking to them, in full-on conversations. 

For Thanksgiving, all four of Henry’s grandparents came over. His mom and dad’s parents. His Aunt Sarah and Uncle Andrew come over with their 11-year-old son Ben. Henry and Ben were so close, they were like brothers. They loved hanging out with each other when Ben came to visit Henry or vise-versa. Ben flat out loved Thanksgiving. Except for the part he hates. The part he absolutely despised, loathed about Thanksgiving. An abomination of an event that took place, on the morning of that famous Thursday. The part when his Dad got a turkey from the farm……and killed it for Thanksgiving dinner. 

“Henry, do you want to come out with me to the pen? You can help me catch the turkey!” Bob said. Henry had never told his parents about his hatred of the killing and eating of the turkey. He simply didn’t understand why they couldn’t go to the grocery store, just once a year, to get a turkey. Henry was sure the answer from his father would be: “It's a family tradition!” Bob really didn’t like when the outside, modern world was brought up. He liked to keep things old school. Sure they didn’t live exactly like the pilgrims in 1620 or the farmers of the 1800’s, but he liked to have everything they needed, the essentials, from the farm. Bob also wanted his son, Henry, to keep this “family tradition”. 

They walked out to the pen. Henry couldn’t do this, but he had to. He had to make his Dad proud. 

“Henry, will you hold the net for me? I’ll chase the bird in your direction. You need to capture the bird in the net, OK?” Bob said. Henry picked up the net. 

“Sure Dad,” Henry said. Bob went into the corner where the turkeys had huddled up. They knew that around this time of year, something bad happened. They knew the net ment you never returned to the pen. But, they still ran from Bob. The turkeys scattered in all different directions. Running left, right and center. Henry noticed one running right towards. Should he drop the net on it or should he just let it run right through his legs. He closed his eyes. He was so torn. He couldn’t think straight, everything was happening so fast. DROP. He dropped the net. He was waiting for one of two things. His Dad praising him that he caught the turkey or his Dad furious at him for screwing up. There was a moment of silence that seemed to last an eternity. 

“Well done Henry!!!” his Dad yelled, patting him on the back. Although Henry lost his breath with the “pat” on his back, he opened his eyes and saw that he had captured the turkey in the net. It was Dirk E. Henry hadn’t told anybody, not even his cousin Ben, that he had secretly named all the turkeys. Only he knew which one was named which. This was Dirk E. Henry looked the bird in the eyes and could see the fear in its eyes. Bob picked up the net with Dirk E. captured inside and brought him into the kitchen. There was nothing Henry could do. The bird was scared to death. There was no way it got out the net in time. Henry walked back into the house and he made sure to avoid the kitchen. He went into the living room and sat on the couch. The day he loved so much had hit it’s time on that day that he hated. Henry was grieving the fact that in a few moments he would hear the CHOP of his Dad’s knife. He closed his eyes and tried to distract his mind. CRRRACK!!!! This noise made Henry jump up and run into the kitchen. He looked up and saw the broken net on the counter, his Dad’s shocked face the broken window above the kitchen sink. 

“That darn turkey!!” Bob yelled. Henry looked out the broken window. There he was. Dirk E. He was standing on the hill just outside the window. He had a devilish look on his face. This wasn’t the Dirk E. Henry had seen before. Just as this was happening, Henry’s Aunt Sarah, Uncle Andrew and cousin Ben arrived to the house. Henry ran to their car. 

“Ben! Ben!! Let’s go, we have to go looking for him!” Henry said. Ben was very puzzled. 

“Looking for what?!” Ben asked. 

“The turkey!!!” Henry answered, yelling. Ben walked forward, then they both took off running. As they were running away, Henry could his Aunt and Uncle ask his Dad about what was happening. Bob started to explain just as Henry was out of ear shot. That didn’t matter, though. Henry felt like he was a character in a movie, running as fast as he possibly could. Ben was right behind him. 

“Hold up, Henry! Wait!” Ben yelled, now struggling to keep up. “Henry, STOP!!!” Henry came to a sudden stop. Ben walked up to him. They were both out of breath, panting like dogs for air. 

“Will you please…explain…to me…what the heck is going on!” Ben asked, still gasping for air in between phrases.  

“OK,” Henry said. “It’s a little bit of a crazy story. So, we captured the turkey and then my Dad was about to kill it as he does every year in order to cook it for dinner tonight but the turkey somehow got out of the net, jumped out the window and has now ran into the woods” Ben’s jaw was hanging off his face in shock and confusion. 

“So, let me get this straight. We’re chasing a turkey?!” Ben said. 

“Not just any turkey. Dirk E. the turkey. Although he looked so scary the last time I saw him, right after he jumped through the window,” Henry explained. Ben nodded in understanding. The boys ran into the woods, on a mission. Every time Ben came to Henry’s house or Henry went to Ben’s house they also loved playing in the woods. Whether they were looking for Bigfoot or now looking for their lost turkey, they loved the woods. Henry knew these woods like the back of his hand. They got out of the open field and into the tree line. Just then, Henry realized Ben was no longer behind him. A cold sweat of fear came over him. 

“Ben!!! Where are you?!!” Henry called out. The forest was silent, dead silent. “Ben!!!” 

“I’m over here!! Henry, come look at what I found!” a voice yelled. It was Ben. Henry dashed towards the voice. When he came upon Ben, he was death-staring the forest floor, as if it did something personal to him. Henry looked down and there it was. A footprint. A turkey footprint. And there were more. They all led in one direction: further into the woods. They boys followed the prints in order to find Dirk E. 

After walking for what seemed like a lifetime, they heard a rustling noise in thick, dense brush. Henry got his hopes up. Maybe it was Dirk E? But he also remembered all the other animals it could be. Dangers animals such as coyotes, foxes and maybe even the gray wolf, something Henry had never encountered before in his life. The boys were stopped, dead in their tracks, staring at the origin of the noise. They then heard another noise, this time from behind. And then a twig break to the right. Both Henry and Ben were scared to death. Suddenly, a loud burst and out came the creature. It jumped high into the tree canopy and landed right in front of the boys. They both opened their eyes and were amazed. It was Dirk E. Henry locked eyes with the bird, much like he did before. Only now, instead of fear and sadness, he saw bravery. It felt like Dirk E. was saying I’m OK. Henry smiled. Dirk E. winked at Henry, and Henry winked back. Dirk E. then turned and waddled back into the woods. 

“Uh…what just happened?!” Ben said, very confused. Henry didn’t answer for a moment. He then turned to Ben with that same, happy smile on his face. 

“It’s better for him. Out here, in the wilderness. It’s better than being cooped up in a pen and just waiting to be killed in a years’ time,” Henry explained. Ben understood. They then turned back in the direction of the farm. They were both starving for Thanksgiving dinner.

When the boys got back, they were met with a wall of smells. Dinner was just being set to the table. In the time the boys were gone, all four of Henry’s grandparents had arrived. Henry then was it the face with a realization. Did his Dad kill another turkey to use for dinner. Henry had to know. 

“Dad, Dad!!! Did you kill another turkey!” Henry asked. Bob smiled. 

“No, son. Your mom went to the grocery store to get a turkey,” Bob explained. Henry gave his Dad a huge hug. 

They all sat down for dinner, finally. Henry had just sat down, put the napkin on his lap and picked up his knife and fork to dig in. Then he heard something running past the window. He then heard a gobble. Henry laughed. 

“What’s so funny, Henry?” Bob said. Henry looked up at Ben. He was smiling, too. 

“Nothing, Dad. It’s nothing,” Henry answered. This was the best Thanksgiving ever! 

THE END?

J. Ryan O’Shea & Joe Bender, Dirk E. the Scary Turkey. The Scary Series, Book #6

© 2024, 01/19. 

The Puppet

A Christmas Horror Story

By Hudson Falco

Hey, come here. Let me tell you a little story. A story about a kid and his puppet.

It was Christmas, and all this kid wanted was a puppet. A puppet. That was all he wanted. So, on Christmas Eve, when he went to bed, all he could think about was getting a puppet. He hoped he would get one.

Well, his wish came true. When he went downstairs, he saw a puppet sitting on the table. It was a fine little puppet, with a sleek jacket and everything. The kid was so excited, he started playing with it right away. He was having so much fun.

But the puppet wasn’t. When the kid went to bed, the puppet leaped onto the kid’s face and said, “YOU'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO ME, OK?” The kid had no choice but to obey the puppet. If he didn’t obey the puppet, the puppet would terrorize the kid. Hurt him, maybe. The puppet forced the kid to do bad things, like steal stuff and lie. 

But, after two weeks, the kid had had enough. One night, the kid snuck down to where I……I mean, the puppet was sitting, and grabbed it and ran out of the house. He ran all the way to the lake, where he threw the puppet as hard and long as he could, and watched it sink into the cold, dark waters.

The End

The Store

By Lorenzo Lucas

“Make sure you go to the store. If you want, ask for The Secrets. But you can't just ask straight out, the clerk will just say that it is not real. If you get the right clerk, the one with curly hair and glasses, he will show you The Secrets. Just don't make him mad, all I know is that something bad will happen…”

All I can think about is that store. He gave me a slip of paper with the address, it is not far from where I am today. I am on a trip to Ohio, for work. After work today, I am planning to go to the store. 360 Park Avenue, Columbus Ohio. I checked my phone. It would be a 20 minute drive from where I am downtown. I could leave work in an hour, but my boss always needs to take forever to talk about how great I am. Today, I will leave through the side door. Of course, my boss stops me in my car. “Hey Bob! You did so great today! I can't believe you did 70 files today - while training! I think I will-” I left the lot. 

After the drive, I arrived at the store. Although being 20 minutes away from downtown, every building was a small shack. The store was no different. I walked in, with a bell chiming when I opened the door. 

“Hello there!” The clerk said. 

“Hi”. I replied as I walked up to the counter. 

The man had curly hair, and I saw glasses next to his cash register. 

“How may I help you today?” He exclaimed. 

“Well, I need to know something - it may be rather, how do I say it, weird.” I told him. 

He put his glasses on. I smelt the musty air of the shop. I saw lots of objects for sale around. There was a little section of the store with food, the floor was black and white tiled over there. I looked down, and saw the old, green carpet. 

“What is it that you're looking for?” He said, mysteriously. 

“Well, I needed something, like a game.” I told him. 

“We have Monopoly, cards, and Scrabble.” He told me. 

“No, not that” I said. 

“We have other board games too, over there.” 

He pointed to the board games section of the store. 

“No, not that type of game.” I told him. 

“Well what do you mean?” He exclaimed.

“I want something - from you.”

He looked at me cautiously, I hope I said the right thing. He looked around the shelves behind him for a little. He gave me a folder. 

“Take a look inside, it is a fun little game.” He told me. 

I wonder if this is The Secrets. I look, and inside is this very real looking photo of people playing games. I flip the page, and there are instructions on how to play a game. I touch the wrinkled paper, but am surprised to feel that it is flat. I look back at the first page, and the picture is gone. 

“Is this a joke!” I yelled. 

“No, no it is not. This is very real, you could be one of those people in that photo that you just looked at. Many people have always wanted to, but only those 14 have been through the process.” He told me, very seriously. 

“I don't believe you.” I shot back.

He started shaking his arm, and it turned a violet color. It started to grow. It had hulk-like veins, and oversized muscles. You could barely tell it was a human arm. 

“YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT!” He yelled.

He slapped me hard, right across the face. The next thing I saw was somebody looking at me.  I couldn't move, but in the corner of my eye I could see the board game from the photo, and the now very faint voice of the clerk...

The Scary Series - Book #5

The Scary Headless Horseman

Written by: J. Ryan O’Shea, with help from Joe Bender

Illustrated by: Siyi

A couple of weeks back on Halloween night in Northern Tarrytown, New York, a town nestled on the Hudson River, a boy named Daniel was going trick or treating a with his friends, Timmy and Martin. Daniel loved hanging out with his friends. But if there was something he loved most, it was his yo-yo. Anywhere he went, his blue yo-yo was always in his pocket. Daniel loved to do tricks with his yo-yo. 

While walking trick or treating, Daniel saw a weird looking glowing pumpkin out in the woods. It seemed to be floating at least 8 feet off the ground.

“Hey guys, what’s that?” Daniel asked, pointing to the pumpkin. 

“I…I don’t know,” Timmy said, slightly shaking in fear. He gets scared easily. Yet he still likes Halloween. 

“Well there’s only one way to find out!” Martin said, with a grin on his face. He started to walk slowly toward the treeline. 

“No, no, no, no…no, no, NO!!!” Timmy said. “I know exactly what you’re thinking and we’re not doing it!!!!” 

“Oh, come on! I have my yo-yo to protect us,” Daniel said. 

“Yeah, come on, Timmy! It’ll be fun!” Martin agreed. Timmy didn’t say anything. He just kept his arms crossed. 

“Fine, we’ll just leave you here, all…by…your…self!” Martin smirked. Daniel laughed. They started to walk into the woods. Timmy took a double-take, seeing that his friends were actually walking into the woods. 

“Hey wait up!” Timmy yelled, running after the boys. They walked through the thick brush. The bushes and trees acting as walls in between them and something that could be 5 feet in front of them. 

“Come on guys! We have to be getting closer to that pumpkin,” Daniel said. Clenching his yo-yo so hard it might break. His hands were sweaty. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was a little scared. Not as scared as Timmy. The boys kept walking when all the sudden they heard some rustling in the bushes just next to them. 

“What was that!?!” Timmy jumped.

“Oh calm down, it was probably just a squirrel,” Daniel said. Timmy slightly nodded. 

“Yeah. It could be a squirrel…or it could be BIGFOOT!!!” Martin yelled. He scared Timmy so much, he scrunched up in a ball on the forest floor. 

“Oh come on, Bigfoot isn’t real,” Daniel said. 

“He is too!” Martin argued. 

“Fake!!” Daniel yelled. 

“Real!!” Martin said back. 

“Fake!!” 

“Real!!” 

“Fake!!!” As Daniel and Martin were arguing, Timmy got up and what he saw was far scarier than the Bigfoot joke. Just past Daniel and Martin was a large black horse, and its rider was wearing jet-black boots, a navy coat, and he was holding a sword. But that wasn’t the scariest part. His head…his head was a pumpkin. A glowing pumpkin with a face carved into it. 

“Abuduh….ahh…abud….a….guys!!!!” Timmy was shaking as if there was a 9.0 magnitude earthquake. 

“WHAT!!!” Martin yelled. Timmy pointed. Martin and Daneil turned around and they were speechless. 

“AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” the boys screamed at the top of their lungs. They then ran as fast as their legs would carry them!!!! They came to this clearing in the woods and they had a chance to catch their breath. 

“What……in the world was that!!!!” Martin yelled, pointing back into the woods. 

“I…I don’t know!!!” Daniel said, his hands on his knees, out of breath. Timmy was again scrunched down in a ball on the ground. He was shivering so much it looked like he was on the top of a mountain in sub-zero temperatures. 

“That…...that was the huu….headllle…..the headless horseman!!!” Timmy announced, standing up. He was still shaking. He looked as if he wanted to start balling his eyes out crying. 

“The what!!!” Daniel yelled. He was still holding his yo-yo. 

“The Headless Horseman!” Timmy yelled again. Daniel and Martin looked very confused. “Legend has it that in 1790, right here in Northern Tarrytown, a man named Ichabod Crane was on his way home from work on horseback,” Timmy explained. “Then suddenly from out of the woods came a horse. And its driver was headless!!!” Timmy yelled. 

“No…way!” Daniel said, leaning in closer. Martin had his arms crossed, rolling his eyes.

“This horseman chased Ichabod Crane. And that’s it. The legend ends there. Although after that night, nobody saw Ichabod Crane ever again, and Northern Tarrytown became known as Sleepy Hollow,” Timmy said, he was acting out every single action with emphasis. Daniel and Martin looked as if they were hypnotized. 

“And the legend says that a black horse with a headless rider still prowls the woods of Tarrytown searching for a head,” Timmy said, in a quiet, scary voice. Daniel had his jaw dropped down to the floor. Martin was very skeptical. 

“None of that ever happened!” Martin said, his arms still crossed. 

“It did, too!!” Timmy argued back, standing his ground. 

“OK then. How did the Headless Horseman become headless?” Martin asked, leaning in closely to Timmy, waiting anxiously for his answer. 

“The legend says that the horseman served in the Revolutionary War. And on October 28, 1776  in the battle of White Plains, which isn’t too far from here, a cannon ball accidentally hit his head, taking it off,” Timmy explained confidently. The boys were silent. Martin and Timmy seemed to be in a staring contest. Daniel noticed this and stood up to separate the two of them. 

“OK, that’s enough,” Daniel said, looking at his friends and then looking into the woods. “We have to find a way out of here,” he said, taking action. Just then, the boys heard a train horn. They all looked up. 

“We must be close to the Tarrytown train station,” Timmy said, pointing in the direction of the horn. “Maybe we could get there and then find our way home.” The boys started to walk through the woods and they came upon a parking lot. And just past the parking lot was the train platform, and on it was a sign with a green bar on top and under that is said in black, bold letters: Tarrytown.  The boys walked across the parking lot and onto the train platform. Just as they got to the platform, a train came around the corner, slowing its speed to come to a stop at the station. The train pulled up to the platform and stopped perfectly. 

The doors opened and the train’s announcement system made a ding-dong sound that made Timmy jump. It then said, “This station is: Tarrytown. This is the train to: Croton-Harmon. The next station is: Philipse Manor.” 

“Philipse Manor! That station is in Sleepy Hollow! I saw a map in school that said that!!” Martin said. 

“Yeah! That’s why I’m trying to tell you guys, sort of,” Timmy pleaded. “We’re in Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman’s home, practically! Do you see how this all makes sense!!” Martin and Daniel just stared at Timmy. 

“Oh come on!!. We saw the Headless Horseman, and then I told you guys the story, and then we ran, and then I told you guys the legend and Martin, you didn’t believe me, and now we’re here!!!” Timmy was out of breath. The train pulled away from the station. The boys didn’t know what to do. They were so close yet so far from home. The boys were just about to walk away when they heard neighhhh. A sound that only came from a horse. They turned around and there he was. The Headless Horseman. It was on the tracks, just feet away from the boys. They were frozen. Their eyes locked to the Horseman and his horse. After a few seconds, the boys took off running. Down the steps, into the parking lot and back into the woods.

“Why did we run into the woods!” Daniel asked. He was still clutching his yo-yo. 

“I don’t know! We just ran!!!” Martin responded, yelling. The boys were running as fast as they could. They came back to the clearing where they were just a few minutes ago. Even though it felt like a life-time ago.  They stopped for a moment. The Headless Horseman was out of sight. 

“Come on. We came in this direction, let’s try to get back home!” Daniel said, yo-yo in hand. Martin and Timmy followed suit and there was. The Horseman was right back on their tail. The boys ran some more. They ran right through the thick brush. Nothing was stopping them from getting away from the horseman. The boys came to a road and they all stopped instantly. They all looked at each other, very confused. 

“Wa…wa…wait!!” Daniel said. “Isn’t this the road we started this whole night on!” Martin and Timmy looked around at their surroundings. 

“Oh yeah!” Timmy said, a feeling of realization came over him. 

“Oh, thank god,” Martin said, taking a huge breath of relief.  The boys started to walk back in the direction of town on the road. This felt like the first time in their lifetime they weren’t running. They got the part of the road where the woods meet the residential part of town. The boys looked down and there it was. A crushed pumpkin. The boys looked at the pumpkin, looked at each other, and then looked back at the pumpkin. 

“OK. I guess it’s over,” Martin said. 

“Yeah,” Timmy said calmly. There was a pause with silence. 

“First one home gets all our candy!!” Daniel said, taking off running. Martin was just behind him. 

“Hey wait up!!” Timmy said, slowly catching up. It had been a long night. And the boys were on they’re way home. 

As the boys ran away, the slight sound of a horse's hooves hitting the pavement and an evil laugh were heard at the treeline between Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow. 

THE END?

J. Ryan O’Shea & Joe Bender, The Scary Headless Horseman, The Scary Series 

© 2023, 11/01.

Buddy - A Dog Story

By Shreya Varadarajan

Nobody knew how the dog got into the school.  The first sighting of the dog was when Mr.Gregory was assigning us homework in our math journals.  The new girl, Elizabeth Donna-zind, had left the door open when leaving the classroom to go to the bathroom. Daniella, my best friend, was sending me notes in crumbled pieces of paper.  Every second she was stretching to my desk with a paper in her hand and dropping it on the edge. I don’t want to be yelled at by Mr.Gregory in front of half of 6th grade and get detention again!

”Jenna…”Daniella calls to me in a whisper,”Look.”

She points to the bag where Mr.Gregory puts all of his food in.  I sighed and stole a glance.  I could not believe my eyes. The bag was opened and a large golden dog was sticking its face in it, looking for food.I looked at Daniella, shocked.

“Pinch me,”I whisper to Daniella. She reached for my arm and pinched.

”Ouch!”I muttered.

So…a dog was in my school. Not what you see everyday is it?  I turned around and the dog was eating Mr.Gregory’s lunch, a hamburger and 2 oatmeal cookies.I looked at my math notebook.Mr.Gregory would be so mad!!  I glanced at the door and the dog was heading out into the hallway.  Soon, the new girl, Elizabeth, came from the bathroom and saw the ruined bag.

”Mr.Gregory, ”Elizabeth said,” your lunch bag’s ruined.”

Mr.Gregory turned.  He was horrified.  Hayley Hills, the most popular girl in 6th grade, turned to her besties and whispered that the school was full of rats.  Daniella and I locked eyes.  Both of us were the only people who had seen the dog wreck Mr.Gregory’s lunch bag.  The bell rang for lunch.  Everyone closed their books, packed up and ran to the cafeteria to get the best seats at Hayley’s table.  Daniella and I were not in such a hurry because our best friend and the third member of our trio, Leeanna, always came late to lunch because she liked to study in the library for half an hour.  Leeanna was in 6th Grade Group two, while Daniella and I were in 6th Grade Group one.  That’s why we could only meet during lunch and after school during the school week.  On weekends, we go out for ice cream and dog-sit our neighbor’s dogs.  Speaking of dogs, I wanted to know where that stowaway dog was.

Daniella and I searched the cafeteria for the dog.The dog was nowhere to be found.  Probably, Mrs.Hankins, the worst lunch lady in the school threw him out.  Poor dog.  Just then, the golden dog came up to me.  I gave him a little bit of my ham and cheese sandwich.He gobbled it up as if he had never eaten anything for the past week.Maybe that was true.I didn’t want Mrs.Hankins to find him, so I took a ribbon and tied it loosely around his neck.  Then, I took a long string and connected it to the ribbon.

”Okay buddy,” I sighed, “Let’s get you in my locker.”

I pulled on the string.  He started walking towards me.  Doing this, I got him to the very end of the hall, where my locker was.  I opened the door and got him in with another piece of ham and cheese sandwich.I closed the door, locking him in.

”Okay, Jenna,” I whispered to myself, “Remember to take him when you walk home.  Mom’ll know what to do.”

A felt a tap on my shoulder.It was Leeanna.

”Math with Mrs.Habino was horrible,”She said.

”Same with Mr.Gregory.”I replied.

When Leeanna went to go get lunch, Daniella and I went outside in the School Yard and sat on an empty bench.

”Did you see the dog?”Daniella asked me.

“Yeah.  Locked him in my locker,” I replied, eating the remaining of my ham and cheese sandwich.

”Oh, that’s why half of your sandwich is missing.”She said, surprised.

”Yeah.”I smiled.

”You must be hungry,”She said and gave me a chocolate chip cookie, “Here.”

I unwrapped the wrapper and took a bite out of the cookie.

”Thanks a lot,”I said.

“No problem,”She replied.

”Wait, did you really lock him in your locker?”She said, shocked.

”Yeah, why?”I said, looking at her.

“He can’t be there during the night!  The custodians will clean your locker and he’ll be discovered!”  She shrieked.

”Whoa, calm down, Daniella.  I’ll take him home on our walk.  No biggie.”I said, turning to her.

”Oh, okay,”Daniella sighed.

The bell rang.Daniella and I ran to science, the last class of the day.After science, Daniella and I walked home with Buddy, my new dog.

Summer By the Ocean

By - Maddie Kahn

Imagine not spending time on the beach in the summer… 

Imagine your summer vacation wishes not coming true… 

Well… for this fictional character, June, it’s true. Instead of having fun, June spends her summer vacation helping her mom look after all the endangered animals at her family’s endangered-animals-clinic. But June is tired of NO summer vacation. She wants one to happen. VERY badly. 

*** 

“June! I have a surprise for you!” June’s mom calls. 

June runs downstairs, “Yes, mom?” She asks. 

“This year, you, me, your dad, and brothers are going on vacation!”

“YES!” June cheers, practically jumping up and down. 

June waited and waited for July 16th to come, the day she’d finally leave her little small town. Then, the day came. 

June is going to Block Island, an island off Rhode Island. “YES! VACATION!” Drew, June’s brother cheered in the car. 

June had to cover her ears because her brothers were being so loud. And they hadn’t even left their road yet! Being a triplet drove June crazy sometimes. “Guys, we’re only on the ROAD, chillax!” June says. 

June has to constantly police her brothers, mostly Drew, who acts less 13, and more 7. “Oh, are we being to LOUD?” Drew taunts. 

June rolls her eyes, takes out her earbuds and iPod to listen to music. 

Later… 

The Johnsons finally arrived at Block Island a few hours later. “Cool.” Oliver says. 

Oliver was MUCH calmer than Drew. He mostly just followed in his brother's footsteps. Because, who else was he supposed to be? A mouse. He’s quieter than a mouse in his heart. “It’s more than cool! It’s VACATION! I can’t wait to spend time on the beach tomorrow!”

Great. Now Oliver had to follow in MORE footsteps. Maybe he should be himself… 

June was so excited, that she winded up just like Drew, crazy loud cheering. Thankfully, she was able to keep herself under control. June sat in her room of their beach house, and saw Oliver walking up the stairs sadly. “Ols, what’s wrong?” SHe asks. 

“I don’t like being like Drew.” He mutters. 

June didn’t know what to do. Drew and her were spirited. “Well, maybe DON’T be Drew.” 

Oliver looks at June with a questioning face, “How?” 

“I… don’t know.” 

Oliver scowls at June, and June hides her face by putting a book up to her face by pretending to read.

Oliver enjoyed the feeling of being tough, and this summer by the ocean, he was going to prove that he’s his own person. 

*** 

June had so much fun swimming in the ocean, she might as well be part fish. She was happy to finally swim outside the pool. She’d only been to the ocean three times, for quick, one day vacations. And now she knows what she wants to be while spending the summer by the ocean, a swimmer. She’s good at it. She also takes swim lessons. 

*** 

Drew was happy, and VERY excited. But the only problem was that he’s a bit TOO happy and excited. But wasn’t that natural? He’s also competitive. He plays practically every sport possible. “Mom?! Where’s Oliver?!” Drew asks. 

Drew’s mom comes to see him. “Taking a walk with June. Why?” 

“I was going to have a catch with him.” 

“Oliver isn’t you, Drew.” 

“I know.” 

“Well, you treat him like that. I think you need to learn how to accept that not everyone you meet is an exact copy of you.”  

*** 

The triplets each walked away from that vacation with 3 valuable lessons, and they looked back to that vacation happily forever. 

Notes - 

ENJOY YOUR VACATION! SUMMER IS PRACTICALLY HERE! 

~ The End ~

It’s Almost Summer!

By: Sidney  Lampley

It’s almost summer,

School is almost done,

I know you might be sad,

But you will have lots of fun,

You can sit by the pool,

And relax all day,

While listening to music all day on replay,

Or you can go to camp and play lots of games,

It’s better than staying home and rotting your brain,

And even if sports is not your cup of tea,

It’s summertime and you are finally free,

To do what you want with no distractions 

If you listen to me your summer will be full of action,

You can draw or paint and color too,

I know I can’t believe it’s true,

Just spend your days sipping cola,

Or even you can take up yoga,

There are so many things to do that are fun,

Really anything under the sun,

And maybe even go on a road trip

Or maybe even take a ride on a ship,

I really hope your summer is awesome,

So look at this poem if you are feeling any boredom.

New Neighbors

By Lorenzo Lucas

It was the middle of summer, a few years ago, when my whole life changed. I lived in Granville, Ohio my whole life. It was a Monday. I was playing video games, and my dad was at work. My Mom often let me play games all day, because there were no other kids in the neighborhood. That all changed that day. The moving truck was pulling into the house next to us. A boy my age knocked on the door, and my Mom told me to come down. He was a little weird, but he seemed nice. He wanted to play football, and my Mom told me I should play with him, so I went outside and played for a little while. He had to go home, and I was glad I could go back inside. The next day, I found out his parents were crazy. They got a chainsaw, and they wanted to expand their house. They went through their wall, the dividing fence, and right through my bedroom wall! Now that my bedroom is open air, I have to sleep in the basement. My Mom still made me play with the kid. 

On the first day of school, we got put in the same classes, every single period. We got to pick our own seats, and he would always sit next to me making weird noises. I could not focus in class, and would always get bad grades. I told the teacher, but she told me to stop tattle tailing. Now that I am 18, I am moving out. If it wasn't for that new kid, I would have better grades and not want to move out so soon. 

Four years ago, I moved to a new town in Ohio. It is called Granville. My mom wanted to move there because the name sounded sweet. It was hard adjusting, and the school was weird. This was my first time moving. I was so surprised how my whole bedroom fit into two boxes! I wanted to play with the neighbors, and I love football, so I went over. The next day, my parents took out a chainsaw. They thought the house was too small, so they wanted to expand. I was so excited!  My dad got all his tools ready, but his ancient chainsaw began stalling and starting on its own and he ran right through the neighbors house trying to turn it off. The first day at my new school was hard, but luckily my new friend was in every class! In my old school, we could not sit where we wanted to, so having this freedom made me super nervous, I was getting confused. Then, I saw my friend walk in! After a while, he stopped talking to me, but I thought that maybe we were still friends. I was sad to hear that he was moving. He was the best friend I ever had. 

Jerry the Scary Snowman

Written by: J. Ryan O’Shea 

Illustrated by: Joe Bender 

Once upon a time, in the Northeast of the United States. There was a tiny village in up-state New York. They had just gotten 6 feet of snow! There has been no school for a week. The children were getting bored. They couldn’t go to school or even play outside. It was too cold and too much snow! Mayor Edward decided to build a bunch of snowmen in the town center. He wanted the children of the town to have fun with the snowmen. There was one snowman bigger than the others. He was 7 feet tall. Every snowman had a different scarf and top hat. The children created a game. The first snowman to fall over because of getting hit with snowballs, loses. The first day, we were normal. Only 1 snowman fell over. Overnight, there was a blood moon. Little did everyone know what they would wake up to. 

The next morning, the children woke up circle-looking snow tracks in the snow. It led all over town. When the children went down to the snowmen, the snowman they had knocked over the previous day, was back up. They were all very puzzled. One child threw a snowball at the big snowman. All the children laughed. Suddenly, that kid got hit with a huge snowball. 

“Hey! Who did that!” the boy said. Every child looked at the snowman in horror. The 7 foot snowman was holding a huge snowball and devilishly smiling at the children.

“My name…is Jerry! Jerry the Scary Snowman! I am sick of you throwing snowballs at me! And now…you’re going to pay!” Jerry said. Suddenly, Jerry started firing snowballs at all the children. One child took a snowball right to the head. That child fell flat on his face on the snow. All the children ran away in all different directions. Jerry stood his ground.

The next morning, all the children woke up to the sound of sirens. They went down to the town center and they were in shock. There were police officers and firefighters trying to fend back Jerry the Scary Snowman. The children were cheering on the first responders. Just as the people had Jerry caught, he practically exploded with anger. He rolled away as fast as he could. 

“It’s OK, children. It’s OK!” Mayor Edward said. “We will find and capture that horrible monster. Please return to your homes.”

The next day was Christmas Eve. All the children were so excited that Christmas was just a day away. They were also scared. Where was Jerry? The children went down to the town center and what they saw was even more frightening than what they saw yesterday. They saw Jerry captured in a net made of metal. There was yelling and yelling.

“OK…OK!!!” Mayor Edward yelled. “Why are you doing this! Why!” “Because…I am sick of being hit with snowballs!! I HATE IT!!!!!” Jerry roared.

“But we were just trying to have fun!” one of the children said.  “Yeah. We didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” another said. There was silence. Jerry’s facial expression changed to a smile. 

“Thank you.” Jerry said. “Thank you…so much.” That night, the whole town gathered in the town center to drink hot coco and sing christmas carols. All the children were playing with Jerry. They were throwing snowballs at Jerry. Jerry was alright. He loved the children now.

“MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!” Jerry said!

The End    

The Haunted Church

by Emily Clark

Monroe, Connecticut, 1789

“I saw a ghost,” complained Captain Flynn, turning to Colonel Westport. “I saw a GHOST!” 

“Nonsense,” said Westport, a twinkle in his eyes. “Ghosts aren’t real, hear me?” He tapped Flynn’s shoulder.

 “It’s Sunday,” Westport said. “The bells of St. Peter’s are going to ring any second.” 

“Okay,” said Flynn. “But I am not going. If there are ghosts in there, I can’t go.”  

“But you have to go to church! Orders!” roared Westport. “If you don’t go, you’ll be put in jail. “ 

“I’m nervous abo-”

“About what?” asked Westport. 

“Ghosts.” 

“There’s no such-”

“Hush, Flynn.” said Westport. 

“There’s no such thing as ghosts, Father,” said a voice. A small girl butted in. She was probably about four or five, had very curly blonde hair, blue eyes, and a torn dress. 

“Alice,” said Flynn. “What are you doing here?” Alice came down to kiss her father. “Are we going to chur now?” 

“Yes,” said Flynn. He grabbed his coat and hat, got Alice’s hat and coat, and went out the door. 

As the carriage pulled to approach, Alice asked, “Who’s the ghost of, Reverend Abbott?” 

Flynn frowned. “Shhh,” he said. 

“Daddy, who’s Reverend Abbott?” Alice asked. 

“Reverend Abbott was a former St. Peter’s minister who died in a fight with the lay reader. People say his ghost still lies there.” 

Alice was shocked. “Why?” she asked. 

Flynn ignored Alice. The coachman pulled up to the church, let Flynn and Alice out, and they saw something strange.  

As they arrived, a mob of people were standing on the church lawn. There were shouts of “I saw a ghost,” and “I didn’t.”  

A gray haired man with a mustache came out and went straight to Flynn. “I need a seat,” said Flynn, pulling Alice’s arm. “Church is canceled,” he said, leaning into Flynn’s face. “There’s a ghost in the basement.” 

Alice began crying. A man soon came up and locked the door with a bunch of wooden boards. “People,” he said. “This church is off limits.” 

“GO!” the man yelled. All of the people murmured as Flynn took Alice’s arm and turned  to the carriage to go back home. 

“Daddy,” Alice said. “Is Reverend Alden still in the basement?” 

“Yes,” Flynn said. “And he’s back.” 

Monroe, Connecticut, 2022

The bell rang at Masuk High School as a group of happy high schoolers screamed out of the building. One girl, Vanessa Oleson, was greeting her best friend Bridget Lewis, as they grabbed their backpacks and headed for the bus. 

“Yo, Bridget,” said Vanessa, her teeth fluttering in her mouth, desperate to say hello. 

“How are you doing?” asked Bridget. The two girls quickly hugged. 

“Bridget,” said Vanessa. “I’m choose St. Peter’s for my research project, and I’m going to the church. Wanna come?” 

“Uh, Bridgie, I’m not sure.  Aren't there ghosts in there?” said Vanessa, her teeth began to clatter like the bones of a skeleton. “Can you still get into the church?” 

“I think so,” said Bridget. “Let’s go to the bus!” 

The two girls leaped to the bus and found a seat. Marco Mitchell, Masuk’s best basketball player and trickster, was sitting in the seat across from the girls. 

“Yo,” said Marco. “Whaa’s up?” 

“Nothin much,” said Bridget. “Well, Vanessa’s coming over to my house and we’re going to St. Peter’s to see the ghosts.”

“THE St. Peter’s?!” said Marco. He looked shocked. “Man, are ya sure you can go? It sounds spooky!” He raised his arms to scare the girls. Vanessa and Bridget leaped and squealed like a pig. 

The bus stopped in front of one of the creepiest churches ever. “Is this St. Peter’s?” asked Vanessa. They walked up the creepy steps and took down the wooden boards. 

Vanessa and Bridget stepped in, calling. “Hello?” they called. 

The front lobby was a mess. Spider webs on the chandeliers, dust in the corner, and a floor that had not been mopped for years.

The girls turned around and walked into the sanctuary. It looked a lot like the lobby  They stared at the broken and dingy stained glass window of religious figures and children. 

“It seemed like they need a cleanup,” said Vanessa. 

Soon, a loud sound came from the doors. It rattled the chandelier and the pews, and finally a white-dressed minister came up to the pulpit and started talking. More white figures appeared, one at the organ, one of a man dressed in an army uniform and a little girl, probably about four or five. 

Vanessa and Bridget stood dumb for one moment. They screamed. “GHOSTS! AAAAHGGGHH!” 

They ran out the door, far as their legs could carry, leaving their notebooks and backpacks behind. 

They ran all the way to Vanessa’s house and her mom was making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner. 

“Hi, Vanessa,” said her mom. “Hi, Bridget.” 

“Why do you look so scared?” 

“Um,” said the girls, scared. “We saw ghosts.” 

After that, Vanessa, Bridget, and her mom began to giggle.

Valentines Day

A heart has two sides, like us.

A chocolate has a hard shell, that won’t let you in, but then they have a soft and sweet center, like us.

A card has to be opened in order to see the kind message inside of it, like us.

A rose has many layers, like us.

Cupid has a nice bow, but it’s arrows can hurt, like us.

A balloon seems strong, but it can pop very easily, like us.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2021’s Chance

I listened as the people cheered, “60, 59, 58, 57…”

The flashing lights on the board caught my attention, and I found myself staring at them unknowingly, until my mother exclaimed behind me, “30!”

I woke from my trance, and quickly joined in the counting. 

The people’s voices were muffled by the masks, but that just made them want to shout louder. 

This year had been a difficult year; we all could agree on that.

I remembered the day that I welcomed 2020 with wide open arms. I thought it would be a new beginning, a new chapter in my life, and most importantly, a new chance. And it was. It was a chance for everyone to prove that they are strong, that they are resilient, and that they are brave.

“20!”

The hardest part of 2020 was having to accept that life was like this now, and I never really did. No one did. No one got to the hard part.

Because we didn’t need to.

“10!”

We understood that we could get through this, we understood that we could do it. 

So we never accepted it.

“5!”

The voices all turned to a whisper, just for a moment. Just for a moment I could hear the excitement and anticipation in their voices. 

“4, 3, 2, 1. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!”

The ball dropped.

The people smiled.

The city exploded into a wave of colors, lighting the way for the new year.

This was my new beginning, my new chapter, and most importantly, my chance. 

This year would be a difficult year, we could all agree on that. But I would welcome it with wide open arms.

~Ishani Tyagi