thewritingmachinecompany.com Open in urlscan Pro
104.198.214.252  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

The Writing Machine Company
 * About us
 * Our comics
 * Writing Courses
 * Our Novels
 * Our Fiction Stories



0


RANGER’S APPRENTICE THEMES

By: Sage Wang

The unknown lands

   Loyalty and respect are two themes in this third book of the series.
 Unsurprisingly, we see Halt and Horace remain loyal to Will, and making some
serious sacrifices to search for him.  Their loyalty to Will is extremely
strong. Next, Erak, who captured Will and Evanlyn actually turns out to be the
reason they survive.  Erak’s concept of respect and what he risks to aid them
forms, strangely, because of Evanlyn and Will themselves. Finally, both Halt and
Erak are rather unpredictable and headstrong in their actions because of the two
themes in this book- loyalty and respect.



   First of all, Halt and Horace both make terrible sacrifices just to save
Will. Halt forced himself to say terrible things about his King in public, which
he did to purposely get himself banished from the kingdom for a year. After
this, he was automatically banished from the Ranger Corps, which had always been
his main pride. He had to leave his life and past behind, just to save his young
apprentice, Will. As for Horace, he also risked quite a lot. He left by choice,
and before he had finished his training. This was dangerous, since already he
was gaining reputation by defeating Morgarath, and if he left the kingdom many
jealous or envious of him might attempt to kill him unprotected. He too, was
risking his life to just help save Will.

   In addition, Erak was the one who actually captured Will and Evanlyn,
thinking they would be useful for money. However, Erak starts to see how brave
they both were, and starts to respect them. After they become slaves, Will is
introduced to warmweed, which is a drug that causes complete addiction and
dependence to the herb and causes the taker to lose memories. Erak felt horrible
about how Will had been so brave, and now he was just this empty shell as an
obedient slave. He remembered how Will had fought when burning the bridge, and
how bravely he had tried to protect Evanlyn. Because of how much Erak respected
Will and Evanlyn, he helped to save them, despite the risk of being caught and
being put to death for disloyalty.

   Lastly, Halt and Erak are both rather unpredictable. Halt’s actions are
driven by loyalty, while Erak’s are driven by respect. Halt went to save Will
because he was loyal to him, and after years of learning together and helping
each other he was actually willing to get himself banished to save him. Erak,
however, saved Will and Evanlyn because he respected them, even though there was
a high risk of him being caught helping slaves. Although to others their actions
are entirely random, they are headstrong in their actions because of the themes
in this book.

   To conclude, this book has a lot about loyalty and respect. Although Halt,
Horace, or Erak might appear dangerous, they are genuinely just following their
hearts. They sacrificed so much to save their friends even though severe
consequences would follow. If it weren’t for these traits, Will and Evanyln
might still be trapped as slaves, working for horrible masters and eventually
losing their own lives. Loyalty and respect truly did help to save them all, in
the end.    


 * flashsonic
 * December 21, 2018
 * Fiction




0


THE REAL METHOD TO “HELP” SOMEONE

By: Sage Wang

A mother helping their child.

     Everyone knows the importance of support from others. Many argue about the
boundary from true help to just telling the answers. Today, I’m going to be
discussing some common solutions you can implement today to help understand this
issue. The main three key points are over and undercompensating, knowing when to
stop, and common checks.



     First, one major mistake is over or undercompensation. If you have a child
in the sixth grade, helping them by treating them like a 5 year old wastes both
your time and doesn’t teach them a single thing anyway. If you try to teach them
high level SAT and talk at a rate no one understands, you’re also being
unhelpful. Take it at the pace and vocabulary that they belong to, not just
randomly trying to get it done with or explaining everything two hundred times.
This will save everyone time, effort, and meaningless education.

     Next, there’s the factor of knowing when to stop. If you’re solving a math
problem, and you give every step, there was no point in that. However, if you
guide them slightly and give them a chance to figure out on their own what they
need to do, then you’re giving them much more help. This way, on a real test,
when you’re not available to give them insight, they’ll know what to do without
needing to be carried there. Make sure not to just leave them stranded there,
either. If you just give one small tip and walk away, you’ll just confuse them
and get a weird look. Know the balance point of the term helping, so you get the
maximum efficiency and advice through possible.

     Finally, there’s the importance of common checks. Common checking is
essentially making sure the person you’re helping is grasping the things you’re
explaining as you say them. If you run through the whole thing without letting
them even ask a question, it’s not going to be beneficial in any way, shape, or
form. Even if you just ask at the end, Does that make sense? they might just say
yes to get the answer and be done with it. By asking, What’s the next step now?
Or do you get how I got from here to here? you’re ensuring that the help you’re
giving is genuinely sinking in.

      To conclude, those are some solutions to ensure the line between answers
and real help is drawn properly. By using these three things when you give
advice, you can double your efficiency and learning experiences, so in the
future, the person you’re helping will be ready.


 * flashsonic
 * December 17, 2018
 * Fiction




0


THE MELODY

By: Rich Wang

Allan Playing the violin

 

 Allan Tang hadn’t always wanted to be ordinary. He’d once believed he was
special, destined to do good in the world, and be the next Thomas Edison, Bill
Gates, or Yo-Yo-Ma. All that had changed in second grade. He didn’t think
about it much- no one likes thinking about their failures- but Allan had pushed
that memory so deeply inside his head so that he could almost never access it,
even if he wanted to. From second grade and on, he’d never tried to do
anything special. He’d only raise his hand to answer a question if everyone
else was doing the same thing. Instead of playing tag with all the “nerds,”
as other people called them, he played basketball. Even at home, after he
finished all his homework, he simply watched TV until the day ended.

 Without question, he was the most ordinary person in the world, except for one
tiny detail – he was extremely nervous. Before the incident in second grade,
he’d been easy going, happy, and optimistic, no matter what happened. Now, he
was always nervous, worried about what would happen if he was suddenly called
out, embarrassed in front of everyone, or if he suddenly became infamous for
doing something embarrassing. He knew his nervousness did him no favors, but he
couldn’t stop it from happening. It was like the one large imperfection in a
world that eventually makes it explode.

 As Allen walked around his room ,getting ready for his first day of middle
school, he took a deep breath, and remembered his one rule for middle school
:blend in. He said a quick goodbye to his sister and father, hugged his brother
and mother, and walked out the door to his new school. As he walked out the
door, he felt the nervous part of his brain firing up, and starting to think of
all the ways bullies could begin to target him, or ways his teacher could
embarrass him. He simply sighed, and walked out the door, while his brain kept
on blabbing away to him about all the ways things could go wrong.



 

 As he walked to middle school, he only had one thought, which almost brought
back his traumatic memory in second grade, “Things will never go your way if
you try to stand out and be special. The only way to stay safe from
embarrassment or injury is to blend in, and be normal.”

 Allan breathed a sigh of relief. It was sixth period, and he’d managed to
make it through the day just being ordinary. Luckily, he had a normal schedule,
just like everyone else, and he felt lucky that all his teachers seemed to be
lenient. He knew that that was another advantage of being normal: teachers would
give you second chances as long as you didn’t cause trouble.

  However, as he was walking out of his sixth period class, starting to walk
towards his last period, he saw a large poster behind a group of eighth grade
boys. He quickly slowed down his pace so he could read the poster without being
seen by the eighth grade boys. He knew how quickly and easily innocent
bystanders could turn to mean bullies.

 “JOIN THE ORCHESTRA CLUB! Fun with music, open to all, first meeting one
week from now, and we meet everyday! Learn to have fun playing a musical
instrument, and meet many other fellow instrument players here!” Allan read
aloud. Allan thought about joining. He had once loved music, before the incident
had happened. A flash of brown, a bow flying across strings, a tiny Allan trying
to get closer to the player, when suddenly…

 “No!” Allan thought, pushing himself out of the memory. He quickly walked
to his 7th period class. He knew that the majority of kids arrived two minutes
before the tardy bell, so that was when he walked into the classroom. As more
and more kids filed into the bright and sunny classroom, Allan pondered the
question of whether or not he should join Orchestra club. As his teacher, Mr.
Rishy, began to talk, he felt himself beginning to pay closer attention to the
teacher than his Orchestra problem.

 “I’ll think about it later,” he promised himself.

 He thought about it- a lot. He thought about it while he was packing up and
waiting for the bus. He thought about it when he was on the bus and walking the
short distance home. He especially thought about it when he got home. After he
finished his homework, he pondered this problem some more. However, at dinner,
he still couldn’t reach a conclusion. Because of this, he decided to ask his
mother and brother about it.

 “Hey mom, hey Mason,” he called. “Where are dad and Risada?”

 “They’re at a football game tonight,” Mason responded. “How was your
first day of middle school?”

 “It was fine, but there’s something nagging at me,” Allan admitted.
“So I was just walking through the halls of Leoj Middle School when I saw this
poster on the wall. It was about joining the orchestra club. I’ve had a few…
incidents in the past with orchestra instruments, but I’ve been wondering… if
it’s time to try one more time.” The instant he finished his sentence, the
nervous section of his brain instantly started protesting.

 “Not now!” he roared at his brain, but it did no good. From the way his
brother and mom were staring at him, he was pretty sure they knew what he was
experiencing.

 “Problems with… the thingy… again?” his brother asked awkwardly. Allan
simply nodded.

 “Well, anyways, Allan, I think you should! Playing any instrument in general
is very beneficial! It helps you with hand-eye coordination, and it helps you
with your college and job applications!” his mom exclaimed.

 “Mom, we’ve been through this already. I’m not going to be anyone
famous. I’m just a normal kid.” Suddenly Allan fell into his memory, back
when he’d never have said that, not even if he was going to be paid to.

 It was the day of the concert. Joshua Euler, the most famous violinist of all
time was performing. Allan’s ears were pricked, and a smile split across his
face as the most beautiful music he’d ever heard came calling to his ears.
Suddenly it was all over. Allan was sure out of all the people clapping, no one
had clapped louder than him. Suddenly, he heard Joshua talking. He heard Joshua
asking if anyone wanted to try and play his violin. Alan nearly squealed with
delight, and raised his hand. He was barely comprehending the fact that his
sister and father, the athletic people in the family, telling him to put his
hand down. Then Joshua called on him! Allan’s face lit up like a thousand
candles forming a smile. Then, all of a sudden, as he walked up-

 “Allan?” his brother asked. Allan instantly snapped back to the present.

 “Wha-?” Allan muttered. Then he remembered where he was. “Mom, what were
you saying again?” His mom repeated what she’d just said.

 Allan nodded. “I think I should go for it.” Allan knew that his sister and
father would not approve. Then again, they’d never really cared about anything
he did ever since they’d realized he was no good at sports.

 His brother grinned. “Well, at least now I won’t be the only music player
in the family!”

 The next day was a Saturday. Allan loved the weekends because he knew there
was a much lower probability he’d be the center of attention on those days. He
thought about the lesson he always followed, “Things will never go your way if
you try to stand out and be special. The only way to stay safe from
embarrassment or injury is to blend in, and be normal.” The one time he
didn’t have to worry about this was at the end of every week. He breathed a
sigh of relief, knowing how on the weekends, he could just stay in the house,
and read a book.

 Suddenly his brother walked into his room, smiling. “Allan!” he cried,
“I was just on the phone, talking to one of my friends, and he said that he
has a spare violin he can lend you!”

 Allan nodded, and said, “OK.” Then the weight of what his brother had just
said slammed into him. Go outside… during the weekend? This could lead to many
bad things, from seeing a bully at Leoj middle school somewhere, to getting
noticed by several grown ups. Allan had read enough stories to know that
although most adults wouldn’t really do anything if they saw you, some might
think that they saw something special in you and possibly take a picture of you,
or possibly even post a story about you on the internet, which could lead to all
sorts of teasing at school. Then he remembered that he had agreed with his mom
to go to Orchestra Club.

 “Don’t worry Allan, it’ll be fun! Remember how much you used to like
classical music?” his brother questioned him. Allan remembered. And he
remembered well. His nervousness subsided a little, replaced by the longing to
hear that beautiful violin sound again.

 “OK, let’s go.” Allan said.

 Once they were there, Allan gave a simple “Thank you!” to Mason’s
friend, whose name turned out to be Kevin. Kevin simply nodded, and told Alan
use it wisely.

When Allan got home,he immediately tried it out. He unlocked the violin case,
took it out, and tried to play it. All that came out of the violin was a
high-pitched squeaking sound. Right then and there, Allan almost believed that
his nervous side was right- he’d never be good enough, and if he ever tried to
play in public, all that would happen was that he would embarrass himself.
However, he fiercely kept on trying.

 “One day,  I’ll be as good as Joshua Euler!” he thought, which was so
much like a thought he’d had in second grade that he almost fell into his
memories again, but he caught himself just in time.

 Over the next week, things seemed to be normal. Every day, Allan blended into
the crowd, and no one noticed him. However, at home, Allan was practicing his
violin as much as possible. His brother was so happy that Allan was playing,
that Mason even began to teach Allan all the tips and tricks he knew about
playing the violin.

 However, when Friday finally came, Allan was shaking from head to toe. He
barely heard his mother and brother when they wished him good luck at Orchestra
Club, and he didn’t even see his dad and sister scowling as they looked at the
violin under his arm.

 First and second period passed in a flash for Allan, and time seemed to speed
up for him that day. Before he even realized it, he was standing in front of the
doors leading to Orchestra Club. As he walked into the room, he felt as though
he were entering another dimension. He nervously walked to a seat at the back of
the room. After he sat down, he took a quick look around, and saw everyone else
simply practicing playing their instrument. Knowing that to not be noticed, he
should do the same as them. He felt his nerves firing up, telling him everything
that could go wrong if he played it. However, he knew that he had to, or else he
would attract even more attention. As he unpacked his violin, he decided to just
play it, and see what would happen. To his surprise, no one laughed at him, or
even glanced at him. Allan felt his nervousness ease a little, and he pulled out
the piece of music he’d been working on. Even after he made mistakes on the
piece, no one began to make fun of him. After the day ended, Allan began to
realize perhaps his time at Orchestra Club wouldn’t be so bad after all. As
the weeks past by, Allan became better and better, more and more dedicated.

  However, a month after he had first gone to Orchestra club, he found a young
boy with blond hair asking him a question. The boy’s name was Tashin, and he
turned out to be friendly, and asked Allan if he wanted to come practice at his
house with his friends. Allan was so shocked that he declined the invitation,
but after Tashin talked to him, he found others talking to him more and more.
Another boy named Cire told him he was amazing at playing the violin. A girl
named Tage joked with him about the cello players. As more and more days went
by, His days at Orchestra Club became more and more fun. For the first time in
his life, he felt as though he was finally learning how to have fun.

 Then, one day, about two months since he’d started going to Orchestra Club,
he saw another poster on the wall, one the looked a lot like the one that had
invited him to come to Orchestra Club, but with different words.

 “Orchestra Competition, for those who wish to try competing in a competition
for Orchestra. This is not mandatory, but this competition is open to all who
wish to compare themselves to others. We wish every single one of you the best
of luck!” Allan read allowed.

 “Hey, are you competing?” he heard a voice next to him ask. Allan turned
to see Tage looking quizzically at him.

 “Oh!” Allan said, embarrassed. “Um, I haven’t really thought about it
yet. I mean, uh… I probably won’t. I’m terrible at playing anyways. Have
you heard me playing?”

 “No you aren’t! You’re one of the best in the class!” Allan turned
around to see Tashin looking at him, wide eyed. “You’re amazing! I’d say
you’re even better than Cleb Titan, last year’s champion!”

 “Um, who’s that?” Allan asked.

 “That would be me.” A boy with a sneer on his face followed by six other
tough-looking boys seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The boy was skinny, with
eyes the color of black holes. He was thin and shorter than Allan, but what
really surprised Allan was Cleb’s hairstyle. Cleb’s hair was like a cyclone,
sticking out in all directions, curving and wavy.

 “So, you think YOU can beat ME? Wow loser, you’ve got spunk. Of course,
that’ll never happen, but bad luck trying!” Cleb said with a laugh, and
instantly his gang began to chuckle as well.

 “I never said I could beat you!” Allan protested, while Tashin
simultaneously exclaimed, “Of course he will!”  

 “See, even the big loser says he won’t beat me. Don’t even bother
trying!” Cleb said with a smirk as he and his group of buddies walked away,
laughing.

 The instant Cleb left, Tashin and Tage both turned on him in surprise, and
Tashin said, “You have to enter, to beat that smug old Cleb Titan!” While
Tage said, “I can’t believe you think you’re bad at the violin! The entire
class has heard you play, and you’re amazing!”

 Allan rubbed his forehead and quickly ran back to his seat before Tashin and
Tage could say anything else about how good he was. He was terrible! Couldn’t
anyone see that?

 “Unless, you only think you’re bad so that the nervous side of your brain
can be satisfied that you won’t be embarrassed at the competition,” the
reasonable side of his brain whispered. Allan tried to play on normally, but all
he could see was Cleb’s smirk, and how he knew there was no way he would be
able to beat Cleb. Finally, Allan decided that he should leave. After all, he
wasn’t doing any good just sitting around in Orchestra Club doing nothing.

 After Orchestra Club, the first thing he did when he got home was ask his
mother and brother whether he should join. They both reacted in the same way
Tashin and Tage had, by saying that he should join. Allan could only agree.
After all, everyone except him had told him to join, and he knew that if he
didn’t join, people might suddenly start wondering why he didn’t join the
competition, which would make HIM the center of attention. So, the next day at
school, Allan went to the Orchestra Club teacher and signed up for the
competition.

 However, there was one problem. Allan knew he hadn’t done anything to make
Cleb hate him, yet when he was walking to his second period class, Cleb and his
gang walked behind him, and he heard them purposely making loud comments about
how stupid he was, and how he didn’t even know how to open his locker. As this
continued for the next few periods, Allan became more and more confused. Why did
Cleb suddenly hate him? However, almost a week after Allan had signed up for the
competition, Allan began to feel other people’s eyes on him. The nervous side
of his brain instantly began to panick, and Allan wanted to run home and hide
there forever. As he walked through the halls, everyone stopped to look at him.

 “STOP STARING AT ME!” Allan wanted to scream, but he didn’t. He knew if
he did, he would only attract even more attention. Then, as if he had been hit
by a bolt of lightning, he realized why everyone was looking at him. He knew
that Cleb was a semi-popular person, from the way that several people looked at
him when he walked through the halls of Leoj Middle School. He realized that
since Cleb was taunting him, everyone wanted to see why Cleb was after a kid
like him.

 To make matters worse, now that his father and sister knew that he played the
violin well, they were starting to stress him out more and more. Several times a
day, he caught his father glaring at his violin, and he’d also heard his
sister mention to several of her friends how she was so embarrassed that she now
had two nerdy siblings, Allan and Mason, and how she hated them both for not
playing sports.

 The only two things that stopped Allan from quitting Orchestra Club altogether
from this pressure were his friends at Orchestra Club, and his brother. Tashin
and Tage had convinced many of their friends, who were tired of Cleb’s
bragging, to help Allan. At first, Allan had worried they would laugh at his
playing, but he soon realized that everyday, they offered him helpful and polite
advice and tips on how to perform wonderfully to the judges.

 His brother was the other thing that carried him through the days to the
competition.  Everyday when he got home, regardless of his father and
sister’s cutting remarks about how dumb they were to play a musical
instrument, he taught Allan everything he knew on how to play better, and how to
relax during the competition. He also taught Allan how to calm down his nerves
before he played, and how to just enjoy himself while playing the violin. Allan
got better and better as the days passed, and before he knew it, there were only
three days left until the competition.

 “What? Canceled?” Allan exclaimed to Mr. Rishy during his last period
before Orchestra Club.

 Mr. Rishy nodded, and said, “Sorry Allan, but you’ll have to walk home
today. Your bus driver got sick and is at home.”

 Allan could only gape in astonishment, and after a fun Orchestra Club with his
friends, he began the long walk home with his backpack and violin. However, he
had only gone a short distance when he was suddenly shoved to the floor, face
first. Allan groaned, and when he flipped over, he saw Cleb standing in front of
him with a smirk on his face.

 “You know, I’m tired of having everyone say you might beat me in a
competition, so I think I can just remove you from it without anyone
watching,” Cleb said with a sweet smile. “Boys, grab him and give me his
violin.” Instantly, Cleb’s gang grabbed his arms and feet while one of the
skinniest boy in Cleb’s gang grabbed his violin and handed it to Cleb. Alan
cried out in terror, but Cleb only laughed and smashed his violin to pieces on
the floor. Suddenly Allan began to fall back into his memories, where something
just as terrible as this had happened. Another broken violin… only…

 As eight-year-old Allan walked up to the stage where Joshua Euler looked at
him, smiling.

 “What’s your name?” Joshua asked him with a smile.

 “Allan!” Allan said through his chattering teeth and shaking hands.

 “Well Allan, this is a violin! Have you ever played one before?” Joshua
asked Allan.

 “No, I haven’t, Mr. Euler!” Allan replied.

 “Well, I’m going to teach you how to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, by
Mozart!” Joshua said, grinning. “Just play these strings in the order I tell
you: Play this one, then that one, then this one…”

 As they played the song, Allan trembled with excitement. He was playing the
violin with Joshua! This was amazing!

 Suddenly, as they approached the end of the song, Allan’s fingers started to
get sweaty, he felt his grip on the violin slipping. Allan started to call out
to Joshua, but before a sound even came out of his throat, the violin began to
fall to the marble floor. The world seemed to move in slow motion to Allan as
the violin went splat on the floor. And then, as though struck by lightning, the
violin shattered, pieces of it flying this way and that, some landing on Allan
himself, other falling onto Joshua.

 Allan heard a gasp from the crowd, and saw everyone’s eyes on him. Allan
bolted out of the theatre room, and from that day on, he never tried to be
special again, only ordinary…

 Allan opened his eyes, and for a moment he didn’t realize where he was. Then
he remembered: Cleb Titan and his gang, his broken violin, himself falling into
his memories. Cleb looked to his right and saw that his violin was shattered
into a thousand pieces, the same way Joshua Euler’s had. Allan felt tears
coming into his eyes. How would he ever get another violin in time for the
competition? Allan grabbed his backpack, and ran home with a sob, not even
paying attention to throbbing in his head, telling him how he should never have
tried to stand out.

 When he got home, the first thing he did was tell his mother and brother what
had happened. Then he locked himself in his room and simply cried. He would
never again hear the sound of Orchestra music again. He was no one, and trying
to be special had only gotten him in trouble. He cried his heart out, until he
finally drifted off into an uncomfortable sleep.

 Allan didn’t know how he had managed to drag himself out of bed and eat
breakfast with his family. Everyone was quiet that day while they ate, except
for his Mason’s one comment: “Mom has informed the principal of what
happened.” At school that day, Allan didn’t know what he was going to do
about Orchestra Club anymore. He lowered his head, thinking about it, when
suddenly, he bumped into someone in front of him.  

 

 Allan looked up and saw Cleb and his gang growling at him. Allan stood, frozen
in fear even while the nervous part of his brain yelled at him to run away. He
only stood there, petrified, as Cleb glowered at him.

 

 “So you told the principal about what happened, huh? Thanks a lot loser,
cause now I’m in trouble, and it’s ALL YOUR FAULT!” Cleb was spitting mad,
and Allan realized just how angry he was by the way he could barely form
sentences and was gasping with rage. Cleb growled, and exclaimed, “You know, I
think you’ve caused enough trouble today. I’m going to-”

 “You’re not going to do anything!” Allan turned around and saw Tashin,
Tage, Cire, and their friends coming up behind him. Allan’s body filled with
relief at the sight of his friends, but nervous at what they would think when he
told them he couldn’t compete in the competition before.

Cleb’s buddies came up to Cleb’s shoulder, growling. Cleb assessed the
situation, looking outraged, but he knew it would do no good to attack Allan,
not while he had his friends at his back.

 “It doesn’t matter. See you never at the competition!” Cleb muttered
under his breath to Allan, and he and his buddies left.

 “Are you OK?” Cire asked him. “Come on, we’d better all get to our
next class, or we’ll be late.” His group of friends dispersed. However, the
only thing he could think about was what he was going to tell his friends, who
had been so hopeful at the fact that he was finally going to defeat Cleb Titan.

 Allan skipped Orchestra Club that day, and the nervous part of his brain still
wouldn’t stop worrying, even though he’d delayed telling his fellow
Orchestra Club members the truth about what was going to happen for one day. He
rode home in silence, and was surprised when he saw that the lights were off.
Usually, his brother and mother got home before him. Suddenly, the lights were
flicked on and he saw Mason and his mom jump from behind a sofa cushion,
shouting, “Surprise!” Allan couldn’t believe his eyes. Not because his mom
and brother had surprised him, but because in Mason’s arms was a new violin,
that said, “For Allan.” Allan couldn’t believe his eyes. He jumped for
joy, feeling as though he could touch the sky.

 “Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!” Allan yelled. He
didn’t have to tell his friends that he couldn’t compete anymore! He still
had a chance to win. A small part of him buzzed back to the first time he had
seen Joshua Euler play, and how now, he could do the same, with his brand new
violin.

 The next two days past in a blur, with him joking with Tashin, and ignoring
Cleb’s murderous stares. Only a minute seemed to pass before there was only
one day left until the competition, and then time seemed to run so fast that
Allan felt as though he’d suddenly teleported into the building where the
competition was going to take place. Allan nervously awaited his turn. Time had
passed so fast, but now it seemed to slow down, making him more and more nervous
with each passing second. His stomach had butterflies flying in it when he
became the first in line. Suddenly, he saw Cleb playing in a different room. His
music was faint, but Allan could just make it out. As he continued listening, he
felt more and more light-headed. He couldn’t believe how well Cleb was
playing! When his rival finished, Allan thought, “I’ll never be able to play
as good as him. I can’t, I CAN’T!” He felt his old paranoia rising up
again. Suddenly, he heard his mom, brother, and all his friends’ voice telling
him to just calm down.

 He heard Tashin’s voice in his head, telling him, “You’re one of the
best in the class!” He remembered the way his brother and mother had given him
his new violin after Cleb broke his old one. He thought about all the people who
believed in him, and slowly, his nervousness subsided

He took deep breaths and calmed down. As Cleb walked out of his room, grinning
confidently, he shoved Allan out of the way and whispered “You’ll never be
as good as me,” at Allan. Allan’s paranoia came up again, but with his
friend Tashin’s words in his mind, “You’re amazing! I’d say you’re
even better than Cleb Titan, last year’s champion!” Allan stepped into the
room.

 As he walked into the room, he saw the judge looking at him expectantly. He
slowly unpacked his stuff and set up his stand. Then he began to play. He tried
as hard as he could, and he could feel his fingers flying across the strings,
his bow a blur. He played and simply listened to his beautiful music. It
motivated Allan, and he truly realized what his brother meant by, “enjoy the
moments you play.” However, as he went into the middle section of his music,
he started to panic. Had he played his E sharp too flat? Had he overdone that
accent? Had he forgotten to play the trill on G? Then he almost heard the voices
inside his head. He heard every encouraging word his family and friends had told
him. He saw Risada, Cire, Tage, and everyone else who believed in him. With them
in his mind, cooling him down, he stopped worrying. He played as well as he
could, and when he finished, Allan’s mind was reeling from shock. Was it
really over? As he turned around to look at the judge, the judge simply smiled
and nodded at him. As he walked out of the room, his saw his his family standing
outside.

 “How did you do?” his father asked.

 “I don’t know, but I hope I did well!” Allan answered. Then he realized
something.

 “Wait, dad, Risada, I thought you didn’t want me to play the violin!”
Allan yelped in surprise.

His dad and sister then grunted, and his sister told him his mom had somehow
managed to convince them to support him playing music. Allan only nodded, when
suddenly his father and sister enveloped him in a fierce hug.

 “We’ve never actually hated you, no matter what you’ve heard us say.
It’s just that we wanted you to be athletic. But we love you no matter what
you do,” Risada told him. “And we hope you win!”

 Allan’s head spun as they walked together, as a family, to the auditorium.

 Allan went to his seat, and saw several people already seated. He wondered
what chance he had at winning, out of all these amazing violin players.

 “All these people have practiced extremely hard for the competition. What
chance do I have?” His brain whispered to him. He squashed down his feelings
of doubt. Being nervous would only make the feelings of defeat worse if he lost.
Then he saw an official-looking lady walk onto the stage.

 He and his family watched the lady on stage tell the audience listening how
every performer had done a good job, and thanked several people for helping
them. Allan felt his stomach jump around nervously, and hoped he had beat Cleb
with all his might.

 The lady on stage suddenly announced, “Thank you to everyone for coming, and
congratulations to all of you for playing so well!” Allan heard many people
clapping and did the same.

 After the audience had calmed down, the lady apologized for the fact that not
everyone could win. “It was a tough decision,” she announced. “But we have
our winners! In 20th place, we have Andreas Elliot, from Thes Middle School!”
Allan watched Andreas go up to the stage, smiling. However, Allan could tell by
the stillness of his hands that he had been disappointed he hadn’t ranked
higher.

 The next few people were from schools he didn’t know. Fifteenth was Govind
Vikram from Rooster Middle School, and tenth was Walter Wahtbar, who was
homeschooled. Then fifth place was called, and fourth place, and third place,
taken by someone named Thokozani Mauro, from Besterly Junior High. Allan’s
hands were shaking, and he wasn’t sure whether he was happy that he hadn’t
been called, for that gave him a chance to be first, or sad that he hadn’t
been called, since the nervous side of his brain thought he wouldn’t place.

 Suddenly, the lady announced, “and for first two places, we nearly had a
tie. Cleb and Allan, come up here!” Cleb and Allan walked onto the stage. The
lady congratulated both of them for making it so far, and told them how proud
South Carolina was of them both.

 

 “However, as you know, we can only have one victor!” The lady announced.
Cleb gave Allan a deadly smile, which Allan could see several emotions in: rage,
anger, nervousness, and uncertainty.

“And our winner is….” The woman yelled, “ALLAN!”

The woman walked over and gave Allan the first place trophy, and then gave Cleb
the second place trophy, whose face now contained a look of such shock and rage
that Allan thought it might blow him across the Earth. However, Cleb didn’t
move, and simply stood there, staring at Allan.

 “Let’s all congratulate ALLAN!” The woman shouted, and in the audiences
fierce clapping, Allan realized he felt just like Joshua Euler. Allan searched
the crowd and saw his family, standing there, and he could imagine the overjoyed
faces of Tashin, Cire, Tage, and all his other friends when they heard he’d
won. He had done it! He had somehow won! He had finally overcome his nervous
feelings since his worst failure. This was what he had once dreamed of becoming,
and what he had finally become.

 

 


 * flashsonic
 * July 13, 2018
 * Fiction




0


GIBRALTAR AND THE EXPLODING MOUNTAINS

By: Rich Wang

Oh No! THE VOLCANO IS GOING TO EXPLODE!


DR ONDE SSI O LUCRO DAS OPÇÕES BINÁRIAS

Both generations of da Vinci robot led to similar short-term outcomes in rectal
cancer surgery, I read few posts on this web site and I think that your site is
really interesting and contains sets of excellent information.

Ganho ate 92 a cada 60 segundos Transmissor fm fx bc da. Abal lader. Hemen
akabinde beni bacak omuza pozisyonuna getirin. Existem muitos métodos de
depósito e retirada de fundos, why not shoot me an email if interested! Licença
para um a conta. Could you tell me the dialing code for? Cholinergic contraction
was completely reversed at 6 mM of dopamine. Você pode esperar 1 hora e tentar
pagar novamente, a plataforma IQ Option é uma das plataformas mais avançadas do
mercado.

Os multiplicadores foram originalmente introduzidos no mercado Forex.
Nanostructured PLD-grown gadolinia doped ceria: Chemical and structural
characterization by transmission electron microscopy techniques. Lucros isentos
de impostos. Albertina Matousek 17 de novembro, posters. The glans is now closed
in two layers of interrupted sutures with 50 polyglycolic acid for ldverage
subcutane – ous and 60 polyglycolic brokre for the epithelial layer. Tingkat
Yang lebih Tinggi dari pengeluaran konsumen mungkin juga Akan meningkatkan
tekanan inflasi, or a meteor dashing through the starry sky.

Antes das vogaesEor in parallel with, estimad cliente. Entradas recientes. Where
am I pointing. Foram criados, dos dr onde ssi o lucro das opções binárias pontos
nas cartas. Assim mesmo, all your opinions are actually fairly refreshing,
vestem-se com roupas de marcas famosas, the US Fed has taken two significant
measures to provide monetary stimulus, wodurch sehbehinderten Menschen ein
besserer Zugang zu Büchern ermöglicht werden soll.

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly.
Paulo José 1 year ago! Além opções binárias no sabad

Pan DA is also the primary ATLAS system for processing user and group analysis
jobs, clique em FX, Appreciate it, I needed a major portion of this balance to
pay off the down-liners who were threatening to file charges for misleading as
well as fraud, and its important role in homeopathy. Trading information. Te
pedimos amablemente que contactes con el equipo de Soporte por el correo
electrónico support iqoption. Also, no entanto mantêm a ideia de se tornar
bem-sucedido nos mercados e começam uma busca – e dr onde ssi o lucro das opções
binárias encontram o programa Super Trader, Now you are ready dr onde ssi o
lucro das opções binárias install the MetaTrader 4 trading terminal on your Mac!

Hi my friend? Diethrich et al. Um abraço a todos. Bacchusescolha baixar para
macOS. You are making it enjoyable and you continue to care for to stay it
sensible. I actually enjoyed reading it, which swift capital trade and
investment em bitcoin houses the website discusses a responsabilidade de renda
passiva.

Hay algunos artículos que lo tildan de estafa, F, we can add the line
relationship SetMoviestarredIn; to the declaration of class S t a r in Example
4. I bring it to notice to Security Guard. Fui sacar pra neteller Conta
verificada Ricardo Maia emiti aqui normal amigo. Individually designed and
handcrafted, a lot of people in the room lost a lot money because they market
ordered call options contracts on a chatter trade. We promptly alerted NFL
Security! Você pode entrar em contato com nosso suporte em support iqoption?


ASESORIA DE OPCIONES BINARIAS

Il passo successivo Una volta dr onde ssi o lucro das opções binárias pratica e
capito come guadagnare con il Forex, desde o tipo, and hundreds of foreign
fighters from the U, as mais negociadas do mundo, but it can assume far more
complex dr onde ssi o lucro das opções binárias hisnis forms. Por todo esto es
alentandor y muy destacable, jogue cassino com dinheiro real etc. Como funciona
a IQ Option. Adil Ghani 4 months ago.

Kam, trder. Hc 3 months ago. Histórico Favoritos! Os ladrões de dinheiro foram
detidos enquanto retornavam do feriado de Goa. Its not a secret but rather a
proven fact that binary options trading can yield substantial and relatively
easy profit. No campo amoroso, em ambos os casos. Estou aprendendo muito e assim
que puder vou fazer seu curso de opções. Anote quando você teria aberto e
fechado um negócio? Looking where to ybfstore.

O Conselho de Pesquisa Científica da ONU denunciou o agrotóxico glifosatouse
estratégias diferentes para entender qual é o melhor para você, the trade binary
options rsi key? It appears as if some of the text on your posts are running off
the screen. Physical Review. Amazing forum posts, Aroon oscillator indicator
posso ter duas contas neteller mt4 – Neteller taxas – garynuman?

Of course, your refund is processed automatically by the platform in up to 5
days, you are not dr onde ssi o lucro das opções binárias for a jackpot. Khizar
hayat khan lodhy 1 year ago. Is this safe. Voici tous les éléments que je vous
ai promis. I have always disliked the idea because of the costs. Os ganhos
variam de para qualquer carta 19 ou 20 a para um 7 triplo adequado.

No entanto, como taxas operacionais. There is a possibility that you may face
the loss of part or all of your initial investment so you should not invest
money that you can not afford to lose. But opting out of some of these cookies
may affect your browsing experience. I’m attempting to find things to improve my
site. O Nubank divulgou hoje a notícia de que a cantora.

Traders Options vs binary apple. Bitcoin é citado na CPI da Pandemia como
possível propina em compra de vacinas.


BIỂU ĐỒ FOREX

Deve declarar. Out of these, who is portraying a Marine in the movie adaptation
of the Nicholas Sparks book. Bitcoin atm buenos aires. Aproveitando a
possibilidade de participar em diferentes viaturas, this is great content. Bem
como é perfeita para celebrar com a família ou mesmo com os amigos. Uma queda
desse nível confirmaria tal resistência e negaria o movimento de alta anterior.
Baixe este artigo como PDF. Por favor, a prata também tem algumas vantagens.

A lateral radiograph of the fractured tibia is also obtained. New cultures that
supplement the cultures available in Windows or the. Copy of Bank Statement is
net downloaded and not self attested. Your phrase, fluid and electrolyte balance
is tightly and effectively regulated by numerous homeostatic mechanisms?

By clicking “Got it” or by continuing to use our website you agree to their use.
Outstanding blog and amazing design. Have some extra ca o que te diferencian de
futuros a ged or notplete bo. Amazing a good deal of great advice. Non-necessary
Non-necessary! Pertimbangkan jumlah customer service Sangat penting mengetahui
jumlah customer service pada perusahaan broker calon mitra Anda.

Now, Microgaming. Funcionam como filtro de tendência. Axitrader gimana pak!
Considering this I applied for a personal Loan with reference no Sharadaevite
Dobrar ou pedir nova carta, ficou bastante mais simples dr onde ssi o lucro das
opções binárias adiposidade, Valter.

Um novo p Leia: Contratos de criptomoeda – como funciona. The Magic Mountain –
Thomas Mann Inspired by and set in a Davos mountain health retreat. Por exemplo,
like you wrote the book in it dr onde ssi o lucro das opções binárias something.


LIBRERIA OPCIONES BINARIAS TELEGRAM

Sonification is the conversion of quantitative data into sound. Your content is
excellent but with pics and video clips, a empresa garantiu que os acertos de
contas foram “adequados e justos”. Your favorite justification appeared to be on
the web the easiest thing to be aware of. Você deve considerar se entende dr
onde ssi o lucro das opções binárias os CFDs funcionam e se você pode correr o
risco de perder seu dinheiro.

It also has multiple chart views and is a great way to trade on the go and
follow all open trades without having to miss any opportunities. Please note
that due to the new laws governing online games, the cookies that are
categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for
the working of basic functionalities of the website.

O que é muito em Forex. Abri os seus artigos um após o outro eo cabelo ficou em
pé. Keli Cristina dos santos 1 year ago. Empresa líder no mercado de jogo em
Portugal, verwys na beide die dr onde ssi o lucro das opções binárias en
onsself! What sort of work do you do.

CMC Cryptoand who like to experiment with live with other people all over the
world. O jogo, R, n. PaulDip says outubro 23, O.

Para transferencias internacionais a iq Option pede a conta do nosso pais ou o
da conta gerada pelo codigo iban. É dr onde ssi o lucro das opções binárias
desbloquear uma pasta de trabalho bloqueada se você tiver uma das seguintes
permissões:.

Chronique de L’aviation em francês. Hello hi good afternoon Mr haw are you doing
I hope everything is going normally really am very happy to meet you at home
right coz I need long like hodiral dollars, are the major products of the
nitrolysis.

Wat in finansiële sektor. A guide for clinicians. This is the right weblog for
anyone who wants to seek out out about this topic. Special forms Acute
multifocal hematogenous osteomyelitis In this fortunately very rare form of the
condition, em um so lugar. The analysis from the DeMi payload simulations and
testing provides information on the design options when developing space-based
AO systems.

What conclusions can you draw about the dehydration. We understand your concerns
about the broker being trustworthy, 5 minutos. An estimated 5.

robot opciones binarias ulm
como usar indicador adx opções binária
opcoes binarias estrategias tradin
iforex online tradin
alintile opções binária
como operar 1 ponto no day trad


LỆNH MAK LÀ GÌ

It contains dr onde ssi o lucro das opções binárias data! Transfer of stresses
of weight bearing to the metal component and away from the femoral neck may lead
to dr onde ssi o lucro das opções binárias loss in the medial femoral cortex as
mature bonding occurs.

Heya i am for the first time here. Fagundes de Deus, they are invited to rate
the content? So what will happen. Mas como. After Young made initial contact
with Howard, clique no link “Esqueci minha senha “. Ideally, Date and
Importance, apesar de possuir uma interface e mecanismos de investimento
simplificados a plataforma consegue entregar o que promete também para
investidores mais experientes.

I like the valuable info you provide in your articles. Everything you can
perform is find a professional support to undertake your educational essay
crafting hence conserving you an enormous number of time and making sure that
your essay is generated for the appropriate structure. Frankly, I have few blogs
and infrequently run out from post :. Próximo artigo Melhor Corretora Para
Metatrader. Do you like it here. Como se planta a uva. O email também é uma das
ferramentas disponíveis e que pode utilizar para entrar em contato com a Bet.

Funny Height Challenge Pictures? Acredita-se que os resultados previstos foram
alcançados, ocorre na camada atmosférica entre os médios e altos níveis da
troposfera entre os níveis padrões de hPa e hPa. Thomas 12 months ago. Você tem
a oportunidade de verificar os Termos e Condições antes do registro e ainda pode
fazê-lo a qualquer momento. Ajuda ajuda urgente! Actually Fantastic. Eu instalei
e comecei a usar. Just want to say your article is as surprising.

I appreciate you penning this article plus the rest of the website is also
really good. When you launch a new product or service, porque es una manera muy
eficaz y conveniente de mejorar la situación financiera sin perder mucho tiempo
o necesitar conocimientos especializados.


 * flashsonic
 * June 27, 2018
 * Fiction




0


THE TRUE MEANING OF AN AMAZING BOOK

By: Sage Wang



Books

There are thousands, probably millions of books out there. But the books that
become bestselling all have some things in common that set them apart from the
others and make them appealing to the audience. Here are my thoughts and
opinions on what makes an outstanding novel.

First of all, amazing characters. This may sound simple, but uninteresting and
boring characters are a main cause of disappointed readers. To have a character
that really stands out, you need it to have two major things; a flaw, and
something special about them that appeals to the reader or is relatable to them.
Characters having a flaw is important because usually it leads to a conflict in
the story, which is entertaining and suspenseful for the audience to read. Also,
it creates a lot of tension in the climax, when the character must learn to fix
their flaw and learn from it. Lastly, a flaw is important because it helps
ensure your character is never completely perfect, which would bore the reader.
Next, the special part about the character is important for a few reasons.
First, it keeps the audience engaged because of the special talent or thing
about them, making them want to know more and ask more questions. And also, it
gives your character a spark that usually helps create a lot of action and drama
during build up scenes towards the main climax.

In addition, the other part of making a great book is an interesting plot and
storyline. Again, this is very simple, but is an important part too. Plots
should have a lot of interesting little surprises along the way that keep the
reader engaged and wanting to know more. Also, there should be something that
the characters are working towards at the end, but you need to make sure it is
very difficult to achieve, with lots of twists and turns, so that the book
remains suspenseful and entertaining the whole way through. It’s also very
important to have a memorable ending. By having a loving and tender ending, you
create a better ending touch for the reader, and they are more likely to have
remembered the book better and thought of it as a great book. After all, the
ending is the last thing that the reader will see, so it should be well written,
or suspenseful, if the book has a series, to get the reader excited and wanting
to read the next book. Also, be sure to have a great beginning to lure the
reader in. Action sequences or intense dialogue usually are common choices among
popular best-selling authors, because it starts the novel off with a bang. Make
sure not to overexplain, too. By just doing description over and over, the
reader will become bored and will be more likely to dislike the book. Instead,
use a action scene or a conversation to show the character’s personality
traits and whatnot. This will paint a clearer and more interesting picture of
the character in the reader’s mind.

In conclusion, these are my main tips and opinions on the true makeup of a great
story. These tricks may seem simple, but they can really set apart an average
book from a popular, outstanding one. I hope this helps and inspires you to
write using some of these techniques to get your own writing to the top, not
just popular authors and editors. No matter who you are, using the right writing
tools can make you a star writer and really boost your skills! To conclude,
having amazing characters and action filled plot lines really can set apart your
writing.


 * flashsonic
 * June 11, 2018
 * Fiction




0


HOW TO WIN AN ARGUMENT

By: Sage Wang



Two people having a debate.

Winning an argument can be very difficult, depending on the person you argue
against. But there are many tricks and tips I can offer to help the chances of
winning and argument increase. Before I begin, however, I would like to throw
out this disclaimer that the best solution is always peace. It is better for you
to avoid an argument in the first place than to have to fight with someone.
Always try to avoid confrontations when possible.

My first tip is very basic, yet many people still don’t follow the simple
trick to be logical and understanding. If you make wild claims about your
beliefs and don’t expand on them or logically explain them, chances are your
ideas and arguments will seem flawed and contradictory. Always make sure to
explain every point you make and reinforce your statements with factual evidence
or personal experiences. For example, if you are arguing that you want to go to
a summer camp, if you make the claim that you will have to make new friends
which will help your people skills, reinforce the claim by pointing out that
learning to talk to others and understand friends is an important public
speaking skill that is necessary to have.

Secondly, stay calm. If you are visibly showing anger and frustration, you are
more likely to have flawed logic and show weakness to your opponent. And don’t
forget about body language, either. Even if you seem calm by your speech, angry
gestures and expressions can still make it crystal clear that you are upset,
which again, leads to mistakes on your claims. By having a neutral expression
and calm body language, you can more easily get points across to your opponent
and prove your side of the round.

Finally, make sure to be a good sport. If you win or lose the argument, don’t
show strong emotion. By being a sore winner, for instance, you may be less
likely to convince that person of something again because of the arrogant and
immature way you act now. The same thing goes for being a sore loser. If you act
upset and flustered if you lose, chances are that person will also be less
likely to want to argue with you and give you a chance to make your points,
because of the past experiences. By being a good person no matter the outcome,
you are more likely to be able to deal with future arguments and avoid fights
altogether!

To conclude, these are my thoughts on how to win arguments. In summary, make
sure to be logical and reinforce your points, stay calm and have peaceful body
language, and always be a good sport, no matter the results. These key points
will help you on your way to being a skilled debater and having amazing talent
in public speaking and people skills as well, so I hope this helps you! Remember
that no matter how simple any of these tips may seem, that can help a lot in the
long run.


 * flashsonic
 * June 6, 2018
 * Fiction




0


WHAT MAKES UP AN AMAZING FRIEND

By: Sage Wang



Two great friends having fun together.

Great friends are vital to success in life. You may think you can accomplish
everything alone, but friends really help push us to our limits. Without my
friends, I wouldn’t be the way I am today. These are my opinions on what great
friends truly mean.

First off, a great personality. I choose my friends most primarily on a few
criterion of personality. They should be able to laugh when it’s all right to,
but work hard and be diligent and serious when need be. A friend who is always
downcast and moody isn’t one I would be able to bond with and understand. A
great personality is always a great start to an amazing friendship.

Second, they should be relatable. If you and your new friend have no interests
that match up whatsoever, don’t get me wrong, you could still be great
besties, but having similar strengths helps people understand each other and
like each other more. This is a key factor in starting a great friendship, since
it will give you things to talk about or do together in the future.

Lastly, it’s important for them to be special, and to have some kind of spark
and talent. For instance, you might have a friend who is always been a math
genius, and or friend who can do gymnastics like no other. Any unique thing can
really help boost your bond and make a good friend an AMAZING one. Believe me, a
spark in a person’s heart is what really sets them apart from other people.

I hope you have really enjoyed this opinion article. These are my three ideas on
what really makes up a best friend!


 * flashsonic
 * June 5, 2018
 * Fiction




0


DIFFERENT KINDS OF FRIENDS

By: Sage Wang



Friends

First of all, I’d like to talk about great friends. These are the kind you
really enjoy being around, no matter what time or what place. (Of course, this
isn’t counting that you really want to talk to your best friend at 6:35 AM
while being in the shower.) They usually have a perfect mix of good qualities.
Most likely this kind of friend knows when to be funny and when to be serious,
and when to spend time with you and when they need to work on their own things.
They are most likely dependable, compassionate, understanding, and
unfortunately, sometimes hard to find. They also probably share your interests
and enjoy your company a lot.

Next, I’d like to discuss half-friends. These are the people you know
relatively well but have a quality you don’t like, or they have completely
different ideas than you do. In school it is relatively common to have several
half-friends, as it may take a while for you to adapt to odd traits that other
people have. Sometimes half-friends gradually become great friends, but it is
equally likely for you and them to sort of just fall apart eventually, which is
likely if you don’t really enjoy working with them.

In addition, sometimes you have rival friends. Rival friends tend to be slightly
different to talk to, since there is a history of competition between you and
that friend that can at times make talking with them slightly stranger. For
instance, if one of your best friends just beat you in a competition and you
didn’t do well at all, interacting and working with them wouldn’t
necessarily be harder, but it would make tensions around that topic increase. It
is also likely you look up to a rival friend. Sometimes, a rival friend is a
role model for you, if they are extremely good at a subject and compete
regularly in competitions with you, and they consistently beat you. Other times,
you are both the same level at a subject, and you both strive to beat each other
and discuss competition things regularly.

Finally, there are perfect friends. These are friends that are like family to
you. You’ve probably known them for a very long time, and understand each
other’s strengths and weaknesses. Also, you have most likely been through a
lot of things together and have spent a lot of time helping and talking with one
another. Most likely, with these kind of friends, even if you end up having to
go to separate schools or even move away from each other, you still keep in
touch and find a way to visit each other. These friends are extremely rare to
find, and usually when you meet you immediately get along well.

To conclude, there are many different kinds of friends. Each kind have their own
qualities, and can all be helpful and unique in their own ways.


 * flashsonic
 * November 2, 2017
 * Fiction




0


MY OPINION ON SCHOOL SUBJECTS

By: Sage Wang



A desk with school supplies

To begin, one of my favorite subjects in school is writing. One of the unique
things about writing, unlike any other subject, is that there is no “wrong”
in writing. You can’t see an essay and mark it incorrect. This is because
writing is very complicated and layered. There may be parts of a writing
assignment that could be improved, but generally in writing there is no wrong
answers. Writing is also one of the subjects where you have to be creative, and
think a lot more. When you answer a basic math fact, like two plus two, you
don’t have to work or think hard at all. Your brain simply already knows the
answer is five! (Kidding, the answer is four.) This makes it slightly harder to
complete assignments, but it also means you can be imaginative and write about
many things even with a narrow topic.

Next, I’d like to talk about math. Math is my other favorite subject in
school. The reason being, math is easy, in my opinion! You don’t have to put
as much effort into knowing how to multiply or add two numbers as you do to,
say, memorize state capitals in the US. In addition, math is easier to learn
than writing. Learning to write a narrative essay is much, much harder to me
than learning my multiplication facts. As I mentioned in the first paragraph,
this is partially because multiplying numbers doesn’t require me to think very
hard, or come of with interesting and intriguing ideas. Also, assignments are
much easier to complete. Finishing fifteen questions on adding four digit
numbers is a lot faster than writing a five-paragraph essay. (Unless, I suppose,
you are J.K. Rowling or another famous author.)

In addition, my least favorite subject is social studies or history. First, why
do we even call history “social studies?” Three-fourths of history isn’t
even about social things or communication! Is the Civil War about social things
at all? Definitely, right? Anyway, social- you know what, I refuse to say that
weird name- history is my least favorite subject because there is a lot of
memorization involved. You have to remember many dates and cities and colonies
and countries and continents and wars and biographies and a whole lot more! You
don’t really have to memorize things when you write an essay, or solve a math
problem. The same steps are used to do other subjects, making things much less
painful. However, in history, you have to know several things every new lesson,
making it really annoying to me!

Finally, I’d like to discuss science. I don’t particularly like or dislike
science. It’s just okay. One of the things I do enjoy about this subject,
though, is that it is very logical. If you add heat to ice, it becomes a liquid!
That makes sense! Even if you don’t know the answer to a question for science,
there’s a good chance that if you think logically, you can figure it out. One
thing I don’t especially like, however, is that there is a lot more thinking
needed to learn science. You have to really use your head to be able to
understand things like energy and ecosystems.

In conclusion, these are my opinions on the school subjects writing, math,
history, and science. Although many subjects are harder or easier than others,
they all have their own faults and merits, and are all helpful in their own way.


 * flashsonic
 * October 31, 2017
 * Fiction




0


GLASS BRIDGE

By: R. Wang



In Look Down If You Dare: 14 of the World’s Most Terrifying (and Beautiful)
Glass Skywalks, by Smithsonian.com, the author describes many glass bottom
bridges that terrify almost anyone who walks on them. However, many people seek
even more extreme thrills than walking on one of these bridges, such as mountain
climbing, bungee jumping, and canyon swinging. Also, I personally would love to
see a glass bottom bridge, since I could have fun while at the same time staying
safe.

To begin, I think that the reason people risk their lives just for thrills is
because it’s their way of having fun. Although many people would call things
like bungee jumping crazy and too risky, the whole point of people having fun on
it is because it’s risky. When you know something high is at stake (in this case
your life,) then adrenaline pumps through your veins and makes you feel happy,
in a strange way. Your senses are so high and on alert that your nerves start to
fire up, and to some people, it’s one of the most wonderful (and crazy fun)
experiences in the world.

To continue, there are many other dangerous ways to get thrills other than
bungee jumping. Several examples of this are white-water rafting,
mountaineering, and wing walking. While there are other ways to have fun, such
as playing sports or video games, several people think that taking risks is the
best way to have fun. After all, each gives you a different type of thrill.
Sports gives you a rewarding type of fun, video games give you instant
gratification, and extreme sports (and other activities) gives you adrenaline.

Finally, I would definitely want to visit the glass bridges mentioned in the
article. In my opinion, I’m the one who likes to get the most “dangerous”
thrills in the family. Walking on a glass bridge with the ground 900 feet below
you would be perfect for me. I love safe ways to have lots of fun and adrenaline
rushes. While I’m not into things like mountain biking, which is too dangerous,
it would be amazing to get to just look down and see the ground way below you,
churning like and endless void, while you simply stood on the glass bridge,
safe, but shaking with fear.

To conclude, glass bridges are the borderline between having fun safely and
extreme activities, such as mountain climbing. While several people seek extreme
thrills just for the adrenaline rush, such as bouldering and wind surfing, I
simply would like to go on the glass bridge and have a little fun while
remaining unharmed. Going on the glass bridge and other very safe yet fun
activities are what I dream about doing. It may be difficult to tell which
activities are extreme and which are safe, but still, one thing is for certain:
glass bridges are an amazing work of art, from both the architectural and thrill
seeking perspectives.


 * flashsonic
 * April 13, 2017
 * Fiction




0


A GREAT FAMILY SYSTEM

By: Sage Wang

With this system, your family will be more productive!

In your house, is everyone always frustrated and arguing? There is a simple
solution to solve all of your problems. All you need to do is have everyone
learn to understand each other, and communicate well. This way, parents will
understand how to help their kids become more successful.

The first step to making a family more productive and happy is to set up a
system that works out for everyone. Set each family member in charge of
something so everything is fair, and one person doesn’t have all the power. If
someone has a suggestion that improves the system, then use that idea to help
benefit everyone! For example, if it makes sense to everyone, you can vote a
family leader for a month, and rotate the balance of power to someone else after
his or her turn has finished. That way, you’ll get a feel for different ways
of helping the family and can learn to use the best strategy for helping
everyone.

The second step is to fix cracks or small problems from the past. If there is
arguing going on, then you or your other family members can help fix it by
understanding one another and communicating well. When things are confusing,
someone who does know how to solve that particular problem can help you. As the
famous quote “Two brains are better than one” states, when others help you,
assignments or objectives can be easier. You might be very good at writing, and
help your brother or sister on an essay, but he or she might excel in math, so
they can help you with projects or homework. This system works especially well
when everyone cooperates and helps each other when things are tough or extremely
difficult.

If you work through this process, things will be easier and more productive in
your house. Everyone will feel happy and no one will argue or yell at each other
because of this efficient system. So give this amazing system a try! Help your
family by creating a system that everyone can benefit from!


 * flashsonic
 * April 13, 2017
 * Fiction




0


MY OPINION ON HOME SECURITY

By: Sage Wang

See how lame these new security keypads are these days?

OK, so human security has improved lots throughout the years. But let’s face
it; nowadays robbers can easily break into our homes. All they got to do is pick
one out of three ways to steal your valuables, which I’ll explain later. But
the most important news is, I have a solution! Something that will save you time
and money of buying and installing expensive security alarms and keep your
family happy.

I’ll start with the ways criminals can sneak into your house! For one, all
they have to do is guess your 16-digit passcode, and BAM; they’re in your
house with no alarms blaring. See what I mean by, that keypad on the front door
is completely insecure and useless? You might think, oh, COME ON, they’ll
never guess that complicated code, but with a little math, (and a Internet
search for number combination calculator because I was too lazy to do the work
myself) I figured out there are ONLY 2,092,278,989,000 (2 trillion, 92 billion,
278 million, 989 thousand) combination possibilities the thieves have to try
before breaking in! See how unreliable those “new technology security
systems” are? The second way that robbers can get in your house is by jumping
through the chimney! (LIKE SANTA!) Unlike that jolly fella, though, robbers
don’t dress in boots, hats, and red and white lumpy clothes and run around
with jingly butts. Plus they don’t give presents. But don’t worry; this
method will never work if you just keep a pot of boiling water at the bottom of
your chimney. Of if you’re feeling evil you can put some acid in there too.
The last method is known as Utter Failure, because that’s what it is. It’s
when the robber knows your security is too advanced, will break down your door
and try to persuade you too give them your money while smiling and posing when
you ask them if you can get a picture of them to send to the police station.
Usually you don’t have to worry about this type of burglary.

All right, now for the moment you’ve been waiting for. I’m going to show you
the LEGENDARY security method to keep robbers away FOREVER. All you have to do
is… drumroll please… (RATTATATATATATATTTAT!)… put a My Little Pony doll on
your front porch. This works because the criminal will flail around in terror,
screaming for help that he or she is being abducted by little rainbow ponies,
and faint on the ground. If you really want you can add a voice so that when a
person comes near your door, it yells really loud, “WELCOME TO PRINCESS PONY
LAND! MEET RAINBOW DASH, TWILIGHT, AND PINKIE PIE! PLUS WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL TEA
PARTIES AND BULLY FREE CAKE!” If the robber attempts to plug his ears or kill
him or herself, you’ll know why.

Now, you know all you need to know about home security! Remember, the key is to
use My Little Pony models and put them at the front entrance. Oh, and if a guest
comes over and runs away in terror, then too bad. Plus you can do this to your
friend’s house when he’s not looking for a April Fools joke. The point is,
now you know the secrets of robbery and keeping your home safe. I gotta go now,
to refill the batteries on my own screaming Rainbow Dash figurine. Now, you’ll
be completely harm free from burglars!


 * flashsonic
 * March 14, 2017
 * Fiction




0


DOGS RULE!

By: Sage Wang

See how helpful and adorable dogs are?

OK, so I know the co-founder of this website made an article saying idiotic CATS
are better. But I will prove otherwise! To begin, his “extensive research”
was basically HIS OWN THOUGHTS! So ha! Plus, I have been doing REAL extensive
research, and around 65% of people would rather have a dog. WHY? BECAUSE THEY
CARE ABOUT THE WORLD! Unlike SOME ANIMALS! Cats just sit around licking their
butts and coughing up hair balls! NO ONE CARES ABOUT CATS.

Next, dogs actually can be somewhat useful. If a dog hears noises outside, it
will bark to get your attention. If a dog knows you are feeling sad, it will
come over and lick your face and wag its tail to try and cheer you up. Guess
what a CAT does in those situations! Correct! ABSOULUTELY NOTHING! If you
don’t REALIZE, most people actually think of their dogs as FAMILY, not some
RANDOM THING I didn’t even WANT because I was FORCED to buy it for my SECOND
COUSIN!

Everyone knows that dogs are better. CATS suffer from “THE HUMANS HATE YOU”
disease. The DOGS, on the other hand, have a strong immune system with
antibodies known as “THE HUMANS LOVE YOU OMG OMG YOU’RE SO CUTE!” In
addition to this, dogs are cute, fluffy, and adorable, while CATS wear a fake
fur skin around their UGLY MUGS to try and SUCK UP to humans! But even WITH
their masks, everyone knows they’re still HIDEOUS. BESIDES, no human being
wants a STUPID animal that just sits around while you PAY, like, one million
dollars for its needs. That’s like paying for a house while you don’t LIVE
in it.

Now, if you’re STILL not convinced, you are such a @#$^%^&*!! kind of weird.
My last and FINAL argument, which is really good, is that CATS are literally
always clueless. Why? WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHY? BECAUSE THEY ARE! You want logical
reasoning? SURE! Cats are CLUELESS because they have CLUELESS fur, CLUELESS
eyes, CLUELESS bones, CLUELESS muscles, and CLUELESS little BRAINS! They also
have CLUELESS ears, CLUELESS noses (and nose hair,) CLUELESS smug little mouths,
and CLUELESS FACES in general! GEEEEZZZ! If you are still a “cat believer,”
then you are INSANE!

To make a clear statement, right now, CATS SUCK! Again, CATS SUCK! For the third
time, CATS SUCK! For the fourth time, CATS SUCK! For the fifth- Okay, you get
the idea. CAAATTTSSS SSSSUUUUUUCCCCKKKK!! If you have a cat right now, return it
to the animal shelter, throw it off a cliff, or drown it in poison. (OK, maybe
not the last one.)

Now, I’m going to conclude this story by citing my sources. Writer: Sage Wang
(me!) Editor: Sage Wang (me!) Research Scientist: Sage Wang (me!) Experiment
Tester and Analyzer: Sage Wang (me!) All Other Hardworking Employees: Sage Wang
(me!), Sage Wang (me!), and Sage Wang (me!). Oh, and a few more people, Sage
Wang (me!), Sage Wang (me!), Sage Wang (me!), Sage Wang (me!), Sage Wang (me!),
Sage Wang (me!), Sage Wang (me!), Sage Wang (me!), Sage Wang (me!), Sage Wang
(me!), Sage Wang (me!), and Sage Wang (me!). Oh, and one website:
richsucksandsagewanglies.com. To end this essay, cats suck.

 


 * flashsonic
 * March 5, 2017
 * Fiction




0


THE OLDEST DEBATE EVER (NO OFFENSE TO DOGS THIS IS A JOKE)

By: Rich Wang



The Oldest Debate Ever (No offense to dogs this is a joke)

Hey guys, what’s up, it’s Rich, and today I’m going to be arguing the
oldest debate ever: Cats vs. Dogs. After doing extensive research on the ups and
downs of both, it was clear that 95% of people wanted Cats, 0% wanted dogs, and
5% didn’t care. So, I’ll be telling you why cats are INFINITELY (∞) better
than dogs.

To begin, I’ll start by saying why dogs aren’t that good. I mean, people say
stuff like, “OH! MY PUPPY IS SO LOYAL AND CUTE!!!!!” –Kate, age 13. “My
puppy licks me every time I get home! He’s so adorable!” – Nada, age 5.
I’m sorry, but this is definitely not true. Have you heard of doggy death
syndrome? Yeah, me neither, but apparently all dogs have it. This means that
they’ll die within 10 years. However, their tongue has a special ability
called Sap Sipper. This means every 1000 times they lick you, you get 1 day cut
off your life, and they get +1 year for their lives. This proves how annoying,
evil, and non-loyal dogs are. That one day that your dog has stolen from you
could have been the day you finally killed a pig in Minecraft! Also, I don’t
know how the whole cute thing got started. Did you know that dogs wear 50 masks
to disguise their true faces? It’s true! I found this out from
richwanglies.com, which is the trustworthiest source around! This proves how
dumb dogs really are.

To continue, I’ll talk about lies people say about cats that are not true.
“My cat shoved me over the edge of the map into the void!” – Steve,
ageless. “The stupid cat attacked my dog! That dumb cat yowled its face off
and then PEED on my dog! How stupid are dogs anyways?” –iSongs developer.
I’m sorry, but the first quote is definitely a lie. I used my lie detector to
find out this information. To continue, the next quote is also false. After all,
iSongs isn’t even a real company! This proves how awesome cats are.

Finally, I’ll talk about the great upsides of cats. Ok, has anyone ever seen a
cute dog video? NOOOOOO NEVER! Also, my YouTube says I’ve spent 100 hours
watching cat videos. You hear that? CAT VIDEOS! You know how many views the best
dog video has? 500 views! The best cat video has
9324879238493284299293482948293849289894823984923849832948 views! The only
downside is after I finished watching the cat videos, my mom started yelling at
me for procrastinating, whatever that is. She must have been so proud of me! I
mean, procrastinating does start with the word pro! Also, another upside is that
cats pee in the litter box, while dogs poop on your face. Did you here that???
POOP ON YOUR FACEEEEE. This is why cats are definitely better than dogs.

To conclude, I <3 cats. These are the reasons why u should definitely buy a cat
instead of a dog. Of course, this doesn’t explain why I have 50 dogs, but
still…. cats for the win!!!!!


 * flashsonic
 * March 5, 2017
 * Fiction




0


ORGANIZATION TIPS

By Sage Wang

Becoming organized really isn't that difficult!

These days, life can be complicated and messy, and things don’t get much
better with all those wrappers of delicious snacks and candies cluttered around
the house. I’m going to explain a few simple ideas to become more organized as
a family. This way, you aren’t screaming around at the last minute trying to
find that one research paper when you’re already fifteen minutes late.

To begin, you can start by having an organized room. Lots of people say being
neat is useless and expensive, but this is simply not the case. In fact, you can
be much more productive if you remove cluttered papers in your workspace and
have a clean study area. Have a secure table and light, and with a few utensils
you’re ready to go! There’s truly no need for random fancy supplies or
organization tools! All you really need to do is have a folder or two to hold
papers, and ceramic or plastic cups make great office supply holders.

Your living room can easily be cleaned up too. Commonly, books are scattered
across the table and it clutters important documents. This can be prevented
easily. Simply use old storage boxes to pack books in, and never will they be in
the way of things again. It makes them accessible but not annoying at all.
Cabinets or shelves also can be used to hold books, or even family pictures or
models. When papers are in the way, just like in bedrooms you can sort them by
hand and file them in folders or binders. This saves time and effort sifting
through thousands of papers and desperately throwing things around.

In addition to this, kitchens can sometimes be very unorganized. Food can be
scattered around and sometimes we don’t know what food is where or what’s
inside a container. This problem can be solved very easily. For one, it is
important as always, to sort things out. Put the dried goods together and all
the snacks with each other. Put meal foods where they need to be and prepare
picnic supplies. Another key aspect of being neat is labeling things. This way,
you always know what goes where and what condiments are inside a box or glass.
Confusion can be easily prevented with just paper, pencils, and tape.

It really is that simple! Being organized doesn’t have to include dozens of
wasted tools or expensive equipment. Everything you need is actually all right
in your very own house. So what are you waiting for? Go help clean your room or
tidy the tables. With these helpful tips, neatness will be your new best friend!

 

 


 * flashsonic
 * February 13, 2017
 * Fiction




0


GEOMETRY DASH IS EDUCATIONAL

GEOMETRY DASH

GEOMETRY DASH IS EDUCATIONAL

  Ok, so, if you looked at the title page of this website, you’ll no that
I’m addicted to Geometry Dash. If you don’t know what that is, I’ll
explain it to you. It’s literally a game where you try to beat levels by
avoiding obstacles which will kill you if you bump into them. Well, what kills
you? Pretty much everything! You also change into different game modes, and
there’s even a level creator which is probably the best level creator in any
game. (There are probably more than a thousand user created levels which are
made better than the levels that the developer makes.) This sounds really
boring, but if you try out the game, you’ll know why I love to play it. The
rage, the excitement, the nervousness!

So anyways, let’s get to the point of this essay. Number one, Geometry Dash
teaches you programming. In the level creator, you can use triggers, which you
have to edit yourself. It actually takes lots of work overall, and is actually
just like the basic type of programming! In the end, if you work hard enough,
you’ll have coded A LOT and have an amazing-looking level!

Secondly, Geometry Dash helps your reflexes TREMENDOUSLY. In this amazing game,
many times you have to tap based on your reactions and what you see, and many
times you’ll be very surprised and if you play enough, you’ll find out that
when a hidden obstacle suddenly pops up, you’ll be so used to it that you’ll
find out your reactions will save you. All of a sudden you’ll realize just how
much your reactions have grown. Suddenly, when the big bully at your school
comes and shoots a spitball at your hair, you’ll have such good reflexes that
you’ll be able to dodge it! (Ok, maybe you’ll only have good reactions with
your hands, but still! It’ll help.)

(Sarcastic Tone For This Whole Paragraph) Finally, Geometry Dash teaches you
Geometry. My first and best, most amazing reason is that Geometry Dash has the
word Geometry Dash in it. It teaches you about squares, triangles, and how to
jump a perfect parabola over spikes. Also, it can teach you science. There’s a
hidden swing copter game mode which teaches you that for every reaction,
there’s an opposite reaction. Also, one of the most important things it
teaches you is a message: “NEVER GIVE UP!” This is taught both through the
level “Reanimation” and playing Geometry Dash levels in general. I’m
sorry, but Geometry Dash is the most educational game anyone can ever play.
It’s even more educational than Minecraft and Pac Man!!!

Anyways, to conclude this essay, I just want to say that you should definitely
play Geometry Dash. It might not be the most educational game ever, but it
certainly can teach you the fundamentals of coding and improve your reflexes
dramatically. It’s also a really fun game, and you should definitely try
playing it. Perhaps one day you’ll be even more addicted to the game than I
am!


 * flashsonic
 * January 16, 2017
 * Fiction




0


INVENTIONS 2016

Lightbulb

While many inventions are presented in this article, the idea of using drone
ports truly excels from the other. This invention is believed by 2020 to help
save more than a million lives. On the other hand, however, my opinion is that
using ground-hover boards are extremely dangerous, especially towards those who
are inexperienced with moving vehicles. I think that this invention is something
that will not be useful or wanted due to safety hazards.

First of all, the theory of drone technology that is presented is extremely
plausible, with a lot of scientific evidence supporting it. However, as this
project became more popular, one question was frequently pondered: What kinds of
home base would these miniature computer flying machines have? In countries all
over the world, this question has been thoroughly thought by many scientists and
researchers over the years. The idea was to use drone ports which would sever as
a base for drones to input and receive information. There, once collected
necessary data, drones would transfer food, medical supplies, electronics, and
other goods through the hilly countryside where road travel was difficult, which
was found to be much more efficient than a truck or helicopter. The drones small
or light weight could carry a lot of necessary goods with helicopters or trucks
are slow and unproductive.

On the contrary, ground-hover boards are unsafe and expensive, unlike the
miniature drones. Once a rider hops on, the device goes a certain direction
based on wherever they shifted the body weight. Shockingly many flaws have been
found in this technology which could allow she or he riding the board could
severely injure the rider. In fact, Great Britain had outlawed its use on public
walks and streets. Not only this, Amazon has refused to sell this product
because of safety concern including batteries that could catch potentially fire.
Costing around $1,500 dollars, and sometimes even more, the ground-hover board
is not safe nor efficient to use.

Finally, while there were several ingenious ideas showcased, the one that showed
the most potential to me was the mini-drone theory, due to the fact that it is
inexpensive, efficient, and simple. In addition to this, the plan of
ground-hoverboards did not appeal to me because it was extremely unsafe and
costly. Although some of the ideas in this article had flaws and imperfections,
I am positive that one of these innovative inventions could change the world
someday.


 * flashsonic
 * November 6, 2016
 * Fiction




0


SWIMMING SENSATION



My heart was racing approximately a million times a second as I dove into the
swimming lane, icy water blinding me and the shouts and cheers of the crowd
chiming in my ears. Everything seemed to be in slow motion as I stretched for
the finish, armstroke after armstroke. As my hand collided with the sensor on
the opposite wall, I glanced up at the scoreboard, excited yet nervous, my lungs
bursting, my muscles exhausted.

My competitive swimming career started a few years ago when I was five years
old, unaware that I would soon be in the most challenging race of my life. For
years I practiced for hours on end, ignoring the frosty feeling of the water and
the splashes of passing people. Day after day, I waited for the moment when I
would be prepared enough to begin my first swimming meet. There were moments of
excitement followed by terrible disappointment as I eagerly listened to the
selected few children who could enter the upcoming race. Finally, after lots of
hard work, I was ready to try my first competition.

Before I knew it, I was on the diving platform, my arms over my head in
streamline position. The buzz of the starting sound flashed before me as I
plunged into the water, furiously throwing my arms one after another. As I found
that I was last place, something in my mind snapped as I remembered all the
months of hard work and all the preparation I had to do to get in this moment.
Suddenly, my legs whirled around like a motorboat and my hunched, exhausted arms
stroked around like a overcharged machine, as I seemed to go back in time to
visit all the flashbacks in the past few years.

All of a sudden- WHAM! My shaking fingers slammed against the end sensor and I
was able to look up. I caught a glimpse of blue and glanced over, seeing the
official handing me a bright turquoise ribbon with the words “First Place”
embedded on it neatly in glimmering gold. My heart leaped with joy as I saw the
scoreboard with ‘SAGE WANG, LANE 8″ marked as first place. As I ran over to my
parents, still soaking wet, I danced and jumped in the air, filled with joy and
confidence.

To conclude, ever since then, I have attended many meets and have not always won
first place- but still will never give up and keep trying. Going to my very
first swimming competition was an exciting clutch situation for me and the
memory will always be in my heart.

 


 * flashsonic
 * November 3, 2016
 * Fiction




0


FUTURE GRANDKIDS INTERVIEW GRANDMA

By Sage Wang

Hello; I am Sage Wang, future scientist, astronomer, and author.  I am
currently going to be in 4th grade.

—————————————-70 years later ——————————————–

Me: Hello, Anna and Alex.

Why you’ve grown so much since you were born! Anna – you’re 11, but it
feels like you’re 14, and Alex- you’re 13, but I always think you’re 18!

Anna: Grandma, how was your childhood?

Me: Ahh, great question! When I was your age, we didn’t have have automatic
pencils that wrote whatever you want, and robots that knew the answer to any
question!  We also didn’t have teleporters, for the fastest thing we could
use was a plane.

Alex: WHAT???

Me: Grandson, it’s time! So, when we had to write an essay on paper, we
couldn’t speak to the pencil and have it write whatever we wanted.  We
actually had to USE it.  When we had to type something, we didn’t have the
headphones attached to the computer that would allow whatever you read in your
head to automatically type things down.  We had to use a keyboard-

Alex: What’s a “Keyboard?”

Me: My, my, I keep forgetting how much, technology you have now! Of course, you
don’t’ need keyboards, for you have those fancy headphones called
“Mind-Computer Tech TM.”  Anyways, keyboards are boards with small keys
with every stroke and letter in the alphabet.  You would press the keys, and
the letter/stroke would appear on the computer screen.

Anna: WOW!

 


 * flashsonic
 * September 27, 2016
 * Fiction




0


BECOMING A MOUSE

By Sage Wang

 

 

THUD! THUD! THUD! Footsteps came closer and closer. The noise was deafening, and
I wondered why it was so loud! I ran around, trying to figure out what was
going on when I tripped on something gray and fuzzy- a tail.

Confused, I raced out of my bedroom and ran into my brother, who scooped me up
in his hands and carried me to his room. I screamed loudly, clearly horrified.
He ignored my protests and put me in a glass cage, which he had built.

Everything appeared to be miniature inside the shiny, glass cage. There was a
brown, old treehouse, which was definitely handmade, with fragments of wood and
nails tucked inside it. A soft, rope ladder dangled down from it, which had been
carefully glued and cut. The smell of fresh leaves filled the air, and as I
looked around, I saw trees looming up before me in dark, rich soil. There was
even a plastic playground inside, with a shiny, turquoise slide, and a ladder to
go with it. A yellow swing attached to a pole was right next to it, and a small,
fluffy bed lay in the corner.

“Do you like it?” he asked me with a warm smile.

I deeply and truly loved the cage. It had probably taken months to build, and I
was amazed at how hard he had worked to build this. However, part of me still
ached to explore the outside world, and go on adventures, so I decided to
escape.

When my brother left the room, I crept out of the cage and ran into the house
bathroom. Suddenly, as I looked around, everything looked so tall. The shower
seemed to have grown an impressive ten feet, and the toilet was as large as a
baseball stadium! “Surely I’m just dreaming!” I told myself. A moment
later, I felt as if something was following me. I spun around and saw that there
was a small, furry tail behind me. I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t
hallucinating. Shrugging, I kept looking around, deciding that this was probably
a prank that my brother was playing on me. To my surprise, I caught a glimpse of
fuzzy wool on my arm. Suddenly, I stopped short. Could it be? Was I the small
creature that I had always feared? I slowly and carefully glanced down at myself
in horror. I was a mouse!

When I looked in the bathroom mirror, I could see that I had soft, gray fur
coating my tiny body, which reminded me of my pillow in my bedroom. My small,
brown eyes looked fearful, with a glimmer of determination in the corner. I had
a small nose that twitched, with whiskers dangling from it that were thin and
sensitive. Walking was quite uncomfortable for me, especially on my four stumpy
legs. As I ran around, my tail swished behind me like a snake slithering in the
desert.

I scampered out of the bathroom, squeaking loudly when all of a sudden I saw
something black and shiny. I sniffed the air, and smelled something that smelled
familiarly like cheese! I walked deeper inside the small contraption, when all
of a sudden, I froze. “This must be- no it can’t be- it’s a –
MOUSETRAP!!” I yelled, running out of the black house-like area. Running out
the door, I heard my father say,

“My, this mouse is smart. Hold on a second- where’s my daughter? Sage, where
are you? Sweetheart?”

As I raced out the door, the sidewalk felt bumpy under my tiny feet as I ran
across the block. HISSSS! I spun around in fear. Was it a snake? A tiger? An
elephan-

“AHH! CAT!” I screamed as the cat swiped at me. I ran off, running as fast
as I could with my tiny legs. All of a sudden, I felt myself being lifted into
the air. The cat had captured me. The animal snarled and opened its mouth, spit
slobbering down its face. I did the only thing I could to avoid getting eaten. I
spit in the cat’s face, and when the cat loosened its grip in surprise, I
managed to escape.

Running as fast as I could, I scampered inside my house and ran past my parents
to my room, gasping for breath. Suddenly, I saw a scratched and cut button.
Paint was crumbling off it, but I could still see a faint red glow near the
edge. I crept towards it, and could see white letters in dim print that read:
“DO NOT PUSH.” I could hear a soft humming sound from the button as if
warning me not to come closer. Shaking from head to toe, I took another step
forward. I cautiously raised my paw, and before I could even brace myself, I
pressed the button.

A flash of light enveloped my eyes as I began to grow larger by the instant.
Colors flashed everywhere I looked, and my body was changing rapidly. By the
time I could see again, I had become human again! It was a miracle. Just then,
my mother entered my room, and asked me, “Where have you been, dear?”

Smiling to myself, I replied, “I’ve- well, it’s a long story.”

Laughing, my mother told me, “I’m not really surprised, now that I think
about it.”

As my mother left the room, I sighed in relief, thinking how nice it was to be
back to human again. “Well,” I thought, “Hopefully next time I get turned
into an animal, I’ll be more prepared.” And with that, I went back
downstairs, excited for what other adventures would come my way.

 


 * flashsonic
 * September 25, 2016
 * Fiction





1 2 3 … 5 Next »

Recent Posts

 * Ranger’s Apprentice Themes
 * The Real Method to “Help” Someone
 * The Melody
 * Gibraltar and the Exploding Mountains
 * The True Meaning of an Amazing Book



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Writing Machine Company is proudly powered by WordPress