Monthly Archives: November 2011

By Dom Devore

Rough Draft

I was running through the forest.  Running, and breathing, and surviving were the only things on my mind to get through this.  I hear the crunch of my feet as the step on the crisp, cold fallen leaves of the trees.  I hear my heavy breathing from this tiring run.  I can see my breath getting in the way of my glasses, fogging my vision.  I’m looking down at the ground so I don’t trip on the “unknowns of the forest”.  What is wrong with him?  

Evening:  October 29, 2009

     Two more days until Halloween.  I have plenty of time right?  To get a costume, host the Big Halloween Bash that Katie always loves to have back at the house.  Oh, Katie, by the way, is my sister.  Twin sister. Her real name is Katherine.  My name is Katrina.  You can call me Kat.  Everyone else does, so go for it.  Ever since Katie and I were little, we’ve always had those nicknames.  She started calling me Kat, because those are my initials.  Katrina America Taylor.  I know, weird name right?  Anyway, I have a huge dilemma.  I DON’T HAVE A COSTUME YET!!!  Katie’s going to kill me. Not literally though.  I hear we have this new kid.  I think his name is Peter, Patrick, something that starts with a P.  I’m walking home from school through the cut path in the forest that I know.  As I walk in the fresh, chilly air a breeze continues blowing in my face.  The only sound I hear is my feet pounding against the wind blown leaves on the old dirtied path.  Then I hear footsteps behind me.  It seems like they’re following me.

      “You’re just being paranoid,” the voice whispers to me in the silence. 

I turn around and look.  Nothing is there except the trees and their familiar, lurking shadows that I’ve grown up with.

      “I told you, you were being paranoid,” the voice eggs on.

      “Shut up,” I say to myself, “leave me alone.”

      “You know talking to yourself is a sign of insanity,” a new voice adds.

Wait, what?  A new voice?  What the elk?

      “Who’s there?”  I shout into the trees.

A murky shadow-like figure jumped down from an old, rickety tree with a thump, landing on his feet perfectly.

      “Calm your chizz girl,” he replies sarcastically.

      “Oh, it’s just an arrogant prick,” I say to myself, but loud enough for him to hear me.

      He strolls up to me.  And you could honestly see the testosterone drip off of him like an aura.  We were about 100 feet away so you could see his swagger as he walked.  I may admit he was pretty hot.  He had wavy-straight, dark brown colored hair.  With an addition of gold-ish highlights.  He was wearing a long sleeve Hollister shirt under his Abercrombie vest.  His pants were just regular jeans with Vans.  His face was of perfect complexion with teal-like blue eyes, mixed with pure hazel and violet.

      “Wow,” I whisper to myself, “he’s gorgeous.”

      “Why thank you.  I already know I am but it’s always so good to hear it.”

What?  He heard that?

      “Okaayy, well whatever but I gotta go so I’ll see you later..  Or not,” I reply back. 

      “My names Parker by the way.”

      “So you’re the new kid.”

      “Yep.”

      “Yea well I got to go, so bye.”

      “I didn’t catch your name,” he shouted after me.

      “Katrina,” I shout back, “but call me Kat.  Everyone else does.”

      “Katrina that’s beautiful.  Well see you tomorrow Kat.”

Then he was gone.  Just like that.

Morning:  October 30, 2009

      I’m going the costume shop after school today.  Last night I dreamt about my encounter with Parker.

      “Wow he sure is dreamy,” the voice says sighing.

He sure is I think to myself as I walk into first period.

Evening:  October 30, 2009

      I’m walking down Main Street to the costume shop for my costume until-

      “What the heck?”  I hear a voice say as they slam the door into my face.  Awesome, right?

      “Oww.  Oww.  Oww.  Oww!”  I shout angrily.

      “I’m soo sorry..  Oh hey its you.  Kat right?”

      “Uh yea it is.  Hi, Parker.”

      “What are you doing here?”

      “Well obviously getting a costume, duh.”

      “Oh, cool.  I just got one.”

      “What are you going to be?”

      “Not telling.  It’s a surprise.  So I’ll see you at the party?”

      “What party?”

      “Some girl named Katie I think invited me to this Halloween party she has every year.  You know she kinda looks like you except with blonde straight hair with blue eyes, with no glasses.”

      “Oh well Katie is actually my twin sister.”

      “Twins?  Impressive.”

      “Thanks I think.  Yea but I gotta go so see you later.”

      “Ok well bye!”

Before he disappeared again he whispered in my ear, “but I prefer girls with curly brown and big brown, amber eyes.  With glasses,” he adds.  He exactly described me. 

I felt my blush coming as he stepped away from me, and he noticed.

      “I’m so delighted I could make a pretty girl blush,” he said in an aristocratic, phony British accent.  My blush grew a deeper red than it already was.

      “See you later Kat.”

Morning:  October 31, 2009

      Yay!  It’s Saturday!  Oh, crap.  The party.  Even though the party is and was my sister’s idea you’d think she’d decorate the house, living room, patio and pool area.  Or even clean up the mess the party-goers leave as a contribution to MY hard work.  Apparently not, I have to do it according to her and my mom.  You’d think that since I’m the youngest I would get babied.  Anyhow it’s almost noon so I better get started.

  Evening:  October 31, 2009

      It’s around 7:45, so people will be coming around in 15-30 minutes.  Usually this place is crowded around 9:00 with everybody. 

-*-

      Time passes and it’s around 9:15 and everybody is here.  It’s so crowded!  I just came from room on the third floor and the hallway is packed!  I’m trying to squirm pass all the couples and party-goers as I try to make my way to the kitchen to get a drink of the punch bowl and the island counter. 

      “I wouldn’t drink that if I were you,” he whispered loudly in my ear to make sure I heard him. 

      “Why not?”  I ask curiously.

      “You never know what could be in it,” he replied this time normally.

      “Ok, then,” I say then walk away outside to dip my feet in the pool.

      As I pass the dancers and the half-naked teens, I go to a quiet side of the pool that is unaffected by the ripples of the cannonballs and chaos.  As I look at my surroundings, I see Parker going into the woods that are around the house.  I watch him go until his figure disappears from my view.  Then I see shadows creep up after him.  What the heck?  I dry my feet off from a nearby towel put my shoes on, and follow him into the dark unknown. 

      As I start walking past the tree house me and my sister made about 10 years ago, I hear chanting.  As I’m nearing the pit of fire I see and the smell of ghastly smoke I see Parker.  He’s talking to someone.  He looks about our age but a few years older.  I’ve never seen him before but he looks a little familiar though.  Then Parker drops on top of the ground, covered with moths and leaves.  I hear his bones snapping, it is such a horrible thing to hear.  He doesn’t scream or yell in pain though.  He just has the tears of pain flowing down his cheeks.  I want to help him but the other guy is helping him it seems.  Well it seems like he is trying to at least.  He’s down next to Parker, with concern and anguish in his facial features.  Then the dude blocks my view!  I hear a growl and a wolf took Parker’s place.  I look in horror.  The eyes look so sweet but his sharp canines say otherwise.  I break into a dead sprint.  What the heck is going on?

I’m trying to run to the safety of my home.  Back to the party where others could help.  Running, and breathing, and surviving was the only thing on my mind to get through this.  I hear the crunch of my feet as the step on the crisp, cold fallen leaves of the trees.  I hear my heavy breathing from this tiring run.  I can see my breath getting in the way of my glasses, fogging my vision.  I’m looking down at the ground so I don’t trip on the “unknowns of the forest”.  What’s wrong with him?  I loose my focus and trip on the ladder that Katie made to the tree house.  As I fall I hear the padding of paws against leaves.  Before I fall and black out, I land on fur.

 By Shelby Burke

Rough Draft

                “What comes next in this thing we call life?  What will become of this beautiful 15 year old girl?  Collage is so close but yet out of her reach.  School has become second nature to her.  Moving to this small community we call Meeker Colorado, has become nothing more than a burden in her life.  She moved here in honor of her mother’s wishes.  Her daddy died when she was a baby girl, and her mom has raised her since the age of three.  The year is 1985; the month is October.  School is terrible, her mom is never home and she has no friends.  Halloween is right around the corner; her favorite holiday of the year. 

                In her old town they always dressed up and went to parties.  They would always play spin the bottle or watch scary movies.  This year was going to be different.  She has no rules, no friends, and her mom was going to be gone.  The question of what she could do flutters her head.  Should I stay home… No, should I go to the fire?… No…  All the sudden her mind filters all the lame thoughts out and it came to her; the cemetery!  

                That next day at school her first friend approached her.  Off first appearances she seemed fake.  The perfect fake tan, the perfect white teeth and the bleach blonde hair reminded her so much of the Barbie she had when she was a little girl.

                “Hi my name is Terra Mee,” She says.

                “Hi my name is Ruby,” she reply

                Over the next couple days Terra and Ruby become friends.  They chit-chatted on the phone, they had sleep over’s, and everyday they went to lunch together.  Halloween night was in exactly 2 nights.  Ruby decided to invite Terra to go with her on this exciting adventure she had planned.  Ruby not only wanted to go, but she was thrilled to take on such an adventure. 

                 It’s Halloween Night.  It is exactly 9 o’clock and the girls began to make there way to the scariest place in Meeker Colorado.

                “Come on Terra,” Ruby yells.

                “I…. I am coming, I have a really bad feeling about this Ruby.” Terra replies

                “Oh hush up it will be fine,” Ruby replies.

The girls creep through the cemetery.  It’s almost as if someone is behind them.  The girls try and ignore the sounds that fallow them.

“Terra are you ready to go?” asks Ruby.

No reply.

“Terra this is not funny,” Ruby Yells.

Still no reply…

Ruby starts to make her way back when she sees the open hole where a grave is, but no casket. She looks in the hole and sees her….. Sees Terra laying there with blood shot eyes, her hair filthy dirty, and her body covered in a thick red liquid.  Ruby jumps in trying to save her life.  Dirt starts running down her back, she looks up in hopes to find the full moon, but instead a man is there shoveling her in. 

She screams, “Someone save me!”       

                 “No one can save you.  Halloween night the dead are let out and if you disturb us we will make you one of us,” A man said.

~ Next day~

                 The next day in the newspaper there was an article about two missing girls.  No one knows where these beautiful women ended up.  People have different versions of the events that happened, no one knows the truth.  Growing up my grandma use to always like telling my sister and I haunting stories.  This is her version of the events that took place, so if on Halloween night you decide to take a trip up to the cemetery then remember these beautiful young girls, and watch out for the man who is here to take your life.

By Jordan Smith

Rough Draft

            When Halloween is brought up, several people think this holiday is just about getting dressed up in the scariest costume possible, walking the streets looking for free candy, and awaiting a future dentist bill that will haunt them forever. What people don’t see is that there is more behind this celebration than that.  The side people don’t see is being covered by all the pleasant thoughts of the yummy treats.  The truth is really being hidden behind all of the smiles and laughing faces.  What is really going to happen on the night of the 31^st of October this year? 

      On October 13^th, according to the Kent, Ohio Record-Courier at Kent State University, there were rumors flying left and right about a prediction of a massacre that was suppose to take place the night of Halloween.  This prediction was supposedly made on the Oprah show by the same woman who had predicted the Oklahoma bombing a few years back. This prediction has been in papers, on the radio, and it even got to the point where investigations were taking place.  The prediction was about a massacre that was going to take place at a college in Michigan, near some railroad tracks. This was the prediction the woman had made on the show:

“Before the end of October there is going to be a mass murder (bombing) in a large H-shaped (name begins with H) building on a (Big Ten) university campus (in Michigan) (that has a morgue in it) (near some railroad tracks).”

            Many parents called into the Oprah show and the college with worried complaints about the students’ safety. Who wouldn’t be worried?

The strange thing about this specific prediction, is that there are rumors flying over other campuses in different places such as the University of Dayton, the University of Michigan, and many others. Is this the real deal, or just someone trying to get a scare out of people? Many have been questioning if this is just some old urban legend or if there is a real reason to be worried and try to do something to prevent it. This is a hard prediction to just over look.

A few investigators went on in the investigation and tried to get this issue under control. They came to believe that this was just an urban legend, while others still believe that it is going to happen.  Which is the truth?            

An article was written in a local paper stating that “Students need not to fear a Halloween massacre this year,” yet many still seem to be worried.  A freshman at the Michigan College had stated to a newspaper, I’m scared…  [But]  I’m going to the fraternity house for the weekend.  I don’t care if it is true or not.  I’m not waiting to find out.”

State News staff writer Jennifer Meese summarized the whole story, so people who have only heard part of the story knew what was being said. Now it is being said that the serial killer will be dressed in a Little Bo Peep costume. Some people think this is just a joke but some believe this is the real thing.  The only question left to ask is, Will this massacre really happen on Halloween night?

      By Perla Romero

Rough Draft

      Halloween.  What is Halloween?  Halloween is a holiday that’s celebrated annually on the night of October 31.  It originated in Ireland, and is celebrated in quite a few countries including Ireland itself, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and Sweden, among others.  It’s celebrated in a variety of ways and activities including trick-or-treating, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, “haunted house” tours, carving pumpkins (Jack-o’-lanterns) and reading / watching scary stories / movies. 

       Many people don’t celebrate Halloween because of religious matters. They think that by celebrating Halloween they are worshipping the devil and we shouldn’t judge them because it’s their religion, their beliefs.  Halloween in my opinion is just honoring the dead.  Which isn’t that bad.  On Halloween not only do the dead come alive but the inner child lives once again.  Never underestimate a kid hungry for candy!

       “Teenagers are too old for trick-or-treating,” is what I always hear and it’s not fair because I love trick-or-treating, not because of the candy but because it’s one of the best holidays to spend time with your siblings.  Spending time with your younger siblings is the best thing you could do.  There are two benefits you get when you go trick-or-treating, because you get candy and you get to spend time with your family just like Christmas.

       The basic thing to do on Halloween is dress-up. You can dress up scary or goofy looking, whichever one you prefer.  I prefer to dress-up scary because it’s very fun to see the expression on people’s faces when they look at you.  Or to scare everybody in your neighborhood.  Once you’re all dressed-up then you can go trick-or-treating.  For those who don’t know what trick-or-treating is; it’s when you go door to door and then you say “trick or treat” and they decide whether to give you candy or tricks.  Trick-or treating is really fun and I recommend it to everybody!

By Zack Williams

Rough Draft

      As I was walking down the snowy road on Halloween night,  I saw many little children getting candy and having a blast tripping over their costumes and digging through their candy trying to find that one piece that would satisfy them until they got home.  I saw the teenage kids scaring the little kids and some were partying, the usual thing that goes on. The parents just wanted to go home so they could sleep, because they had to work the next day.  Although Halloween seems fun when everyone is out, what happens when everyone goes to sleep? This is when it really gets scary.

It’s about three in the morning, still dark, even colder and I see a man with a really good costume on.  It has a burned up face, a top hat, and a really big knife. While getting closer I realized that, either that was a good costume or…it was real. How could it be real?  It’s easy to think that I am just scared because its Halloween night, but then he gets closer and screams my name.

I start running the other way as fast as I can.  I got to get away from him, still thinking he has a costume on.  He finally got me “stop moving!” who is this guy what did I do? Then he put the knife to my neck. I see it this way-  if I was going to die tonight, I want to know who my killer is, so I reached for his mask, the problem is this thing didn’t have a mask, this is his real face. I somehow manage to hit him and stand up and keep running away just like last time he got me. “What are you!?” I scream in pain “I’m your worst nightmare.” Then at the blink of an eye I am in another world.  There is fire bursting from the ground.  It smells like sulfur and ash. “Where am I?” I hear a voice say- “Welcome to the underworld, it is Halloween.”

   By Emily Cardlie

Rough Draft   

      Unlike most people, my family does not celebrate Halloween.  While everyone else is all dressed up, and out trick-or-treating, my siblings and I get to stay at home and take turns answering the door and handing out the candy. My dad has been telling my brothers, sister, and I that Halloween is not a holiday that we will never be participating in. But while other kids would hate this way of doing things, I don’t really mind it that much.

    We don’t believe in all the ghosts, goblins, witches, evil spirits and the like, so we don’t participate in a celebration that exalts these things.  Halloween is a time to have fun with your family and friends.  Disguising yourself as something you’re not while getting a bunch of free candy would cause my siblings to be hyperactive.  They don’t need any more sugar in their diet.
     So, we just sit at home and eat candy apples and watch movies until we are so bored to death that we go to bed.  That is all Halloween is to me and my family, just another day on the calendar, and that is perfectly fine with me.

By: Jose Camargo

Rough Draft

       October 31^st is the ultimate night to load up on candy and have fun. It is the one night you can dress in amazing costumes and not get criticized. So don’t be shy.

          Halloween is one of the greatest holidays of the year besides, Christmas.  The night of Halloween is the night you can pull tricks on your friends and family. Halloween is the darkness when witches, goblins and vampires come and devour their victims.  The Halloween celebrators dress up in costumes, and go to collect candy for their own enjoyment.  

           If you dress up for Halloween you will have heaps of fun with your friends. You will see many different costumes on one night that will scare you, make you laugh, and give you a great time out.  When the night of Halloween is upon us, it is the night that little kids get stomach aches from all the candy they munch on. The entire world celebrates this holiday with many exhilarating methods.

          If I was you, I wouldn’t miss out on this one unbelievable night of pleasurable memories that you will cherish forever. Just remember to never go over your normal consumption mode just because it’s an amazing night. So, go out and have fun with all of your friends and live life. Happy Halloween!!

By Mariah Jensen

Rough Draft

Halloween, a night for kids to run the streets, trick or treat and have the times of their lives.  It’s a time for scares, pranks, and costumes, but do you really know what Halloween is about?

All Hallows Eve, hallow as in holy an e’en meaning evening, what happens when the two words are combined?  That’s right, Halloween “holy evening.”  This day is a Christian day.  Now get a load of this, most people go around town and collect candy from people on Halloween but some traditions are just too much.  Did you know that Satan was said to be a nut gatherer, so on Halloween nuts are used as a magic charm?  Or that some claim that if you hear an owl on Halloween night that they would dive down and eat the souls of anyone dying that night?  And another thing, we all hear about witches but have you ever seen one?  Some people claimed that if you put your clothes on inside out and then walked backwards on the night of Halloween, then at midnight, you would see a witch riding through the sky, but my favorite superstition is, if you happen to see a spider on Halloween night, then the spirit of a loved on is watching after you.  Try this!  Snails were used to predict the first initial of your sweetheart.  Basically, catch a snail and lock it in a flat dish, then check in the morning for what initial the snail’s slime has made.

Halloween was a time for the group called Celts to celebrate Samhain, but on November 1.  The start of the new season.  It was in a season of winter because it was said to be the time when most deaths occur, the night before Samhain was also believed to be the exact time that the separations between the living and the dead became intermingled.  During the Samhain crops were burned, animals and people were sacrificed.  And the reason we ware costumes on Halloween is because we walk with the dead and we confuse them into thinking we are one of them when we dress up so they will leave you alone.

Sources:

http://www.halloween-website.com/superstitions.htm 10/25/11

By Linda Olivas

Rough Draft

          Have you always wanted to be terrified to the point where you want to just run?  Have you ever wanted to scare your friends into insanity? Well then you need to have an ultimate Halloween party.

          To make sure you have a bombing party, you have to make sure you have all of your friends there, even your friend’s friends.  Make sure they are dressed up in costumes anything from funny, to horrifying is superior. 

          Decorate your house with small decorations, or even better, make a haunted house!  Serve your guests whatever food you want.  Use dry ice to make fog surround your friends.  Play terrifying music to frighten everyone in the room.  Have your parents hide creepy items around your house so when your friends are going to turn a corner, something pops out and scares them. 

          That is how you have the most amazing, remarkable and memorable Halloween party!