Monday, September 8, 2008
Untitled by Evan M.
It was a sunny, cloudless, hot day in New York City . And Alfred Brooks a tall slender black young man was on his way to work at the Mini Mart that he now owns. He walks to work not because he doesn’t have enough money but because it reminds him of when he was younger. As he had done since he was 15 years old. He had co me a long way, when he started working at the mini mart he was just a box boy. He now owns the store. The Mini Mart is right in the middle of New York City on Broadway and is across the street from the ESPN restaurant. It is a very busy place with thousands of people walking and shopping. Alfred has greatly improved the store’s outer appearance as well as it’s inner appearance. He put advertise me nts in the windows about concerts, music festivals and up coming sports events and he made the inside neat and clean. It was a store that welco me d it’s customers Becca was walking down the street when she saw the Mini Mart that her old friend used to work at and she thought she would check it out and see if he still worked there. Her old friend’s na me was Alfred Brooks.. She hadn’t seen her for many years. She was a little nervous about seeing him because the last ti me they had seen each other they had gotten into a fight about his views on the holocaust. She was mad about his lack of knowledge about the holocaust. She saw how afraid her grandmother was of even talking about the horrible things that she had seen and experienced. So seeing Alfred talking sofreely and openly about the holocaust made her very upset. She put all of their past disagreements aside and walked in the door. Alfred looked around when she walked in the door to see who had co me into the store and he was astonished and pleased when hesaw who it was. Alfred yelled out “Hey Becca” and ran over to give her a hug. With agasp of surprise at his warm hug she said hello quietly . She didn’t quite know what to say so she just said” hay” back Alfred was so shocked to see her he was at a loss for words the only thing he could think of was their last meeting and the fight they had so before she could say anything else he said “ im so sorry for what I said the last time we saw each other I was wrong to think I know more than I do about the holocaust” Becca said “it is ok we were young and we didn’t know better but now u can see why I Was so upset” “yes” said Albert after that short conversation the air got lighter around them and all the tension was gone . They started reminiscing about old memories of when they were younger. And then suddenly Becca said “ oh my gosh look at the time? Im supposed to be meeting one of my friends in five minuets! Albert said “well than I guess you better go ,it was so nice to see u. “it was nice to see u to, well goodbye” “goodbye” said Alfred and Becca walked out the door ..
Sunday, September 7, 2008
The Family Secret by Mia S
As Rebecca was in her perfect vacation spot, a Californian town for her yearly visit she sensed that something was different about this trip. It wasn’t as special as her past trips had been, like meeting all of her old friends, it was a special feeling that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. As she was taking her normal walk on the beach shore she saw a boy quite younger than her by himself crying on the rock that she normally rested at. Rebecca was not a person to go off schedule or ruin her routine. She quietly sat at the rock next to the completely distraught boy. Once the boy noticed that Becca was sitting there he pulled his head high and tried to stop the tears by his occasional sniffling.
Out of kindness and curiosity she asked, “Is there any way I can help?” There was a long pause before his answer but the light waves split the silence.
“Not really,” sniffled the boy. His blue eyes were red with the intense crying, his brown hair was in desperate need of a cut and besides some small scars on his face he was quite a handsome young man.
“Well, may I at least ask what is wrong?”
“Family problems,” the boy said. He seemed to be staring out into the open Pacific Ocean like there was an answer to all his problems.
“Well I know a lot about those,” said Becca “I have had quite a few, I would say more a mystery than a problem, I may be able to help you.”
“I doubt it. I have been troubled for a long time and mine problem isn’t any mystery.” He paused and brought his voice down to a low whimper. “It’s a crime.” When he said that he stared at Becca, her blue eyes and her long brown hair with the most intense feeling in his eyes they both looked like they were on the edge of tears.
“Well than, you couldn’t have done anything that bad now.” Becca was looking down at the boy who couldn’t have been more than twelve.
“Oh no, it wasn’t me, it was,” the boy stammered.” It was my my mother. She is an alcoholic and abused me”
“Oh little little boy…”
“My name is David, David Pelzer.” He interrupted.
“Pelzer, Pelzer is that really your last name?”
“Yes as far as I know. Why?”
“Well I spent time in Poland, more like family time. While I was there I looked through my family files to see if I could find any information about some lost ancestors and Pelzer was one of the key names in my family.”
“Really? Do you think we could be related?”
“I wouldn’t doubt it!” Becca and David had both beamed at the thought of having some kind of lost relative.
“That would be the best thing that has ever happened to me. My mother stopped talking to the people on her side of the family and the same for my father’s side. “
“So we might be related some how.” David said with a smile
“What is your father’s name?” Becca asked just as intrigued at the thought as David.
“Stephen Pelzer,” David said with some hope in his eyes.
“Well that would be valuable information. Where are you parents?” Becca asked, suddenly noticing that David had been alone for some time and no one had come looking for him.
“My foster parents are over there but they don’t care about me and I don’t care about them,” David said very crossly.
“Maybe I should have a talk with them. I could bring my copies of the family history to them and to social services and maybe we could work something out.”
ONE MONTH LATER
“Okay Becca, he’s all yours!” the social worker said.
“Finally!” Becca and David said in unison.
After a month from there first meeting David and Becca had finally become a family. It turned out that Becca and David had been second cousins. Since the families had never spoken neither one had known they were related. David was removed from foster care and was now in the custody of Becca. David had been through so much abuse that he was finally happy that a family member would actually treat him right. Becca was glad to be with David and have some one to take care of. All in all they both had gotten what they needed and were happy.
Out of kindness and curiosity she asked, “Is there any way I can help?” There was a long pause before his answer but the light waves split the silence.
“Not really,” sniffled the boy. His blue eyes were red with the intense crying, his brown hair was in desperate need of a cut and besides some small scars on his face he was quite a handsome young man.
“Well, may I at least ask what is wrong?”
“Family problems,” the boy said. He seemed to be staring out into the open Pacific Ocean like there was an answer to all his problems.
“Well I know a lot about those,” said Becca “I have had quite a few, I would say more a mystery than a problem, I may be able to help you.”
“I doubt it. I have been troubled for a long time and mine problem isn’t any mystery.” He paused and brought his voice down to a low whimper. “It’s a crime.” When he said that he stared at Becca, her blue eyes and her long brown hair with the most intense feeling in his eyes they both looked like they were on the edge of tears.
“Well than, you couldn’t have done anything that bad now.” Becca was looking down at the boy who couldn’t have been more than twelve.
“Oh no, it wasn’t me, it was,” the boy stammered.” It was my my mother. She is an alcoholic and abused me”
“Oh little little boy…”
“My name is David, David Pelzer.” He interrupted.
“Pelzer, Pelzer is that really your last name?”
“Yes as far as I know. Why?”
“Well I spent time in Poland, more like family time. While I was there I looked through my family files to see if I could find any information about some lost ancestors and Pelzer was one of the key names in my family.”
“Really? Do you think we could be related?”
“I wouldn’t doubt it!” Becca and David had both beamed at the thought of having some kind of lost relative.
“That would be the best thing that has ever happened to me. My mother stopped talking to the people on her side of the family and the same for my father’s side. “
“So we might be related some how.” David said with a smile
“What is your father’s name?” Becca asked just as intrigued at the thought as David.
“Stephen Pelzer,” David said with some hope in his eyes.
“Well that would be valuable information. Where are you parents?” Becca asked, suddenly noticing that David had been alone for some time and no one had come looking for him.
“My foster parents are over there but they don’t care about me and I don’t care about them,” David said very crossly.
“Maybe I should have a talk with them. I could bring my copies of the family history to them and to social services and maybe we could work something out.”
ONE MONTH LATER
“Okay Becca, he’s all yours!” the social worker said.
“Finally!” Becca and David said in unison.
After a month from there first meeting David and Becca had finally become a family. It turned out that Becca and David had been second cousins. Since the families had never spoken neither one had known they were related. David was removed from foster care and was now in the custody of Becca. David had been through so much abuse that he was finally happy that a family member would actually treat him right. Becca was glad to be with David and have some one to take care of. All in all they both had gotten what they needed and were happy.
Summer Reading Essay By Allie B
It was a quiet day in Daly City, California and Dave Peltzer was walking along the streets of his childhood. On that same day, Dave’s long lost friend Rebecca was on her way home from her trip to Poland where she was searching for her deceased grandmother’s past. Dave was walking on the sidewalk, head down, watching his feet glide across the pavement, as he had always done ever since he was a little boy. Coming in the opposite direction was Rebecca, who was day dreaming, once again, about all the new information she had just learned about her grandmother, Briar Rose.
As Dave inhailed the mouthwatering aroma from the Pizza Palace, he was once again reminded of the day that he first met Rebecca ten or so years ago at the Pizza Palace. Dave glanced up to check his watch to see how much longer he had until it was time for him to return to his family two towns away. Just as he looked up, there stood the same face he had seen ten years ago that belonged to Rebecca. Rebecca was immediately snapped out of her daydream and stood dumbstruck staring at Dave. They both stood there in total silence until Dave spoke up.
“Rebecca, is that you?”
“Dave?” replied Rebecca.
“Wow! I haven’t seen you since that day we first met ten years ago! How have you been? Tell me everything that has happened since then? Does your Gemma still tell those fantastic stories about the prince and princess?!” exclaimed Dave.
“Slow down! Slow down! You are still the same excited little boy that I remember from long ago. One question at a time!” smiled Rebecca
“Oh alright, but would you like to talk over some pizza? I’m starving!” replied Dave. They both walked across the street and into the small Pizza Palace. It was still bright yellow with red trim, just as it had been ten years ago. The waitress sat them down at a booth in the corner of the restaurant, next to the gumball machine that had been there since they were little.
“I bet those gumballs will still crack your teeth, Becca,” Dave said with a big grin on his face. Rebecca remembered that day clearly, as if it were just yesterday.
The two friends sat down in the red leather booth seats with a “plop” as the air escaped from the cushions. The waitress came and took their orders. Rebecca ordered cheese pizza, still plain and simple as she had ordered ten years ago, and Dave ordered Hawaiian, his new favorite. Rebecca started their conversation with Dave’s child abuse past. They talked about almost everything that happened to him from his starvation as a child and torturous chores, to his rescue and numerous foster homes. All the memories from Dave’s dark past came flooding back and brought tears to his eyes. By the time their pizza was ready, Dave had gone through Rebecca’s entire supply of tissues she had in her purse, and more than a dozen napkins from the table’s dispenser.
Their mouths watered, as each pizza was placed in front of them. Rebecca pulled back her dark brown, shoulder length hair into a ponytail and watched Dave’s blue eyes gaze over his pizza. “To my long lost friend, Dave, who has survived more than a child ever should have to experience,” toasted Rebecca.
“Cheers!.” replied Dave. Clunk. Their plastic glasses hit together and they both took a big gulp of their sodas.
“So, Becca, what were you doing in town?” questioned Dave.
“Well, I was on my way back from Poland, and decided to take a detour and walk through Daly City,” replied Rebecca.
“You picked a beautiful day to do so. Just look at the sunset, it’s gorgeous!” said Dave. The sun was just above the treetops and its golden glow filled the sky with mesmerizing pinks and oranges.
“What were you doing in Poland?” asked Dave.
“Well, I was searching for Gemma’s past because no one knew that much about her. So, right before she passed away, I made a promise to her that I would look for her past and find the truth behind her Briar Rose stories. The clues she left me in a little box, lead me to Poland and the sights of The Holocaust camps. There I met a man who ended up to be an old friend of my Gemma’s, who witnessed all the things that happened to her. I was lucky to talk with him. His stories and what he told me were unbelievable! He told me how he and another man rescued my Gemma from a concentration camp, after she survived being gassed in a truck and thrown in a pit to die, along with thousands of other people. She was the only woman to ever escape from a concentration camp! I never would have learned so much about her past if I hadn’t met him.”
“I’m so sorry about your Gemma.” Dave interrupted. “I know how much you loved her.” “Thanks Dave, but it was her time to go, she was getting old,” Rebecca replied.
By the time they finished their conversation and their plates were licked clean, it was dark. Reluctantly, they paid the check and walked out of the restaurant arm in arm. The night was clear with only the twinkle of stars and the sliver of the moon in the sky. The streets were empty and the only noises heard were the cricket’s cricket and an owl’s hoot far off in the distance. All the houses were dark and only the street lights lit up the sidewalk. Rebecca and Dave said their good-byes with great sorrow in their voices.
“I’m really going to miss you.” said Dave.
“Me too.” said Rebeca.
“When are we going to see each other again?” questioned Dave.
“I don’t know, but I am only a phone call away. Lets not wait too long to meet again. We still have a lot more catching up to do,” smiled Rebecca. They embraced in a hug that felt like magic. For a moment time stopped. Neither friend wanting to let go. However, they both knew they had to return to their homes and families. One last hug and they parted in opposite directions. Rebecca and Dave both walked into the moonlight with a single tear running down their cheeks.
As Dave inhailed the mouthwatering aroma from the Pizza Palace, he was once again reminded of the day that he first met Rebecca ten or so years ago at the Pizza Palace. Dave glanced up to check his watch to see how much longer he had until it was time for him to return to his family two towns away. Just as he looked up, there stood the same face he had seen ten years ago that belonged to Rebecca. Rebecca was immediately snapped out of her daydream and stood dumbstruck staring at Dave. They both stood there in total silence until Dave spoke up.
“Rebecca, is that you?”
“Dave?” replied Rebecca.
“Wow! I haven’t seen you since that day we first met ten years ago! How have you been? Tell me everything that has happened since then? Does your Gemma still tell those fantastic stories about the prince and princess?!” exclaimed Dave.
“Slow down! Slow down! You are still the same excited little boy that I remember from long ago. One question at a time!” smiled Rebecca
“Oh alright, but would you like to talk over some pizza? I’m starving!” replied Dave. They both walked across the street and into the small Pizza Palace. It was still bright yellow with red trim, just as it had been ten years ago. The waitress sat them down at a booth in the corner of the restaurant, next to the gumball machine that had been there since they were little.
“I bet those gumballs will still crack your teeth, Becca,” Dave said with a big grin on his face. Rebecca remembered that day clearly, as if it were just yesterday.
The two friends sat down in the red leather booth seats with a “plop” as the air escaped from the cushions. The waitress came and took their orders. Rebecca ordered cheese pizza, still plain and simple as she had ordered ten years ago, and Dave ordered Hawaiian, his new favorite. Rebecca started their conversation with Dave’s child abuse past. They talked about almost everything that happened to him from his starvation as a child and torturous chores, to his rescue and numerous foster homes. All the memories from Dave’s dark past came flooding back and brought tears to his eyes. By the time their pizza was ready, Dave had gone through Rebecca’s entire supply of tissues she had in her purse, and more than a dozen napkins from the table’s dispenser.
Their mouths watered, as each pizza was placed in front of them. Rebecca pulled back her dark brown, shoulder length hair into a ponytail and watched Dave’s blue eyes gaze over his pizza. “To my long lost friend, Dave, who has survived more than a child ever should have to experience,” toasted Rebecca.
“Cheers!.” replied Dave. Clunk. Their plastic glasses hit together and they both took a big gulp of their sodas.
“So, Becca, what were you doing in town?” questioned Dave.
“Well, I was on my way back from Poland, and decided to take a detour and walk through Daly City,” replied Rebecca.
“You picked a beautiful day to do so. Just look at the sunset, it’s gorgeous!” said Dave. The sun was just above the treetops and its golden glow filled the sky with mesmerizing pinks and oranges.
“What were you doing in Poland?” asked Dave.
“Well, I was searching for Gemma’s past because no one knew that much about her. So, right before she passed away, I made a promise to her that I would look for her past and find the truth behind her Briar Rose stories. The clues she left me in a little box, lead me to Poland and the sights of The Holocaust camps. There I met a man who ended up to be an old friend of my Gemma’s, who witnessed all the things that happened to her. I was lucky to talk with him. His stories and what he told me were unbelievable! He told me how he and another man rescued my Gemma from a concentration camp, after she survived being gassed in a truck and thrown in a pit to die, along with thousands of other people. She was the only woman to ever escape from a concentration camp! I never would have learned so much about her past if I hadn’t met him.”
“I’m so sorry about your Gemma.” Dave interrupted. “I know how much you loved her.” “Thanks Dave, but it was her time to go, she was getting old,” Rebecca replied.
By the time they finished their conversation and their plates were licked clean, it was dark. Reluctantly, they paid the check and walked out of the restaurant arm in arm. The night was clear with only the twinkle of stars and the sliver of the moon in the sky. The streets were empty and the only noises heard were the cricket’s cricket and an owl’s hoot far off in the distance. All the houses were dark and only the street lights lit up the sidewalk. Rebecca and Dave said their good-byes with great sorrow in their voices.
“I’m really going to miss you.” said Dave.
“Me too.” said Rebeca.
“When are we going to see each other again?” questioned Dave.
“I don’t know, but I am only a phone call away. Lets not wait too long to meet again. We still have a lot more catching up to do,” smiled Rebecca. They embraced in a hug that felt like magic. For a moment time stopped. Neither friend wanting to let go. However, they both knew they had to return to their homes and families. One last hug and they parted in opposite directions. Rebecca and Dave both walked into the moonlight with a single tear running down their cheeks.
A Child Called It Gets A Visit From Ender by Desiree T
Dave made his way over to the kitchen table to eat dinner when he remembered that he wasn’t getting dinner tonight. He had just made his way to the table and as he turned around to leave mother called him. "Yes mother", Dave replied. "Your cousin Ender is coming to pay us a visit tonight so I want you to be on your best behavior. He just got his chip removed and he is feeling a little weird so please don’t bother or be a pest to him", mother said. Dave just thought to himself how much he hated Ender. He always got his way but yet the kids at school always picked on him so Dave would be nice to him. "Not this time", Dave said to himself. Mother then removed Dave from the kitchen table immediately and told him to go clean out a room for Ender so he would have a nice place to stay. Dave let out a huge sigh as he walked away. Mother heard it but she was way too hungry to have to deal with him now so she decided to wait till later to give that little kid a beating and really make him let out his breath. Before they Dave knew it, it was already 8:00pm and Ender was going to be coming over any minute now and Dave was dreading each second. When the knock at the door came Dave jumped like a jackrabbit and fell off the little chair that he had been resting on. Mother yelled from her room as she was smearing and pasting on her makeup in the mirror, "Dave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get off your lazy butt and go open the door for your cousin!" "Yes Mother", replied Dave as he very slowly, like a snail, made his way to open the door.
"Cousin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How has it been going?" cried Ender as he made his way through the door and practically tackled Dave to the ground. "It’s been going good Ender. Almost died a couple times though from mother’s games…. But I’m ok," said Dave. "Ah, good old auntie", Ender replied. Dave just stared at Ender and he could feel his anger raging and rising, but he had to keep it under control because if he blew his top who knows what would come out of it. Mother came out of her room and she looked like a clown. Dave sucked in his breathe trying so hard not to laugh and he managed to keep himself under control. Mother went over to Ender and hugged him so tightly it reminded Dave of a stress ball and Dave knew mother was stressed. Dave slowly started to walk away because he wasn’t needed anymore here and he knew it. "Cousin wait! You have to see my neck! The plate chip thing isn’t there anymore! It hurt like heck when they took it out, but that’s ok its all good now", yelled Ender. Dave became fascinated and decided to go over and see Enders neck. He figured why not? He asked him to didn’t he? It would be wrong to refuse that right? So Dave went to Ender and Ender bent over so that way Dave would get an amazing view of the space that was empty of plate now. "That Must feel weird", said Dave. "You have no idea", Ender replied. "Come on boys were going to get ice cream", mother said. "Ice cream", said Dave to himself, "I never have ice cream! I love Ender more now! Woo hoo!" Ender then hit Dave waking him up from is spaced out moment of talking to himself, and they left for ice cream.
We all walked into the ice cream parlor as we made our way up to the counter mother stopped me and told me that I wasn’t getting any. I knew it was too good to be true. As Ender got his ice cream Dave watched wishing that he had gotten an amazing ice cream like Ender did. " Hey cousin, why didn’t you get an ice cream?" Ender asked Dave. "Mother didn’t allow me to get one", Dave replied. Ender gave Dave an uncertain look and then decided he was going to be nice. Ender walked over to mother and told her to buy Dave an ice cream because he deserves one with all the dirt he deals with he deserves to be rewarded with something. Mother, in shock, made her way to the ice cream parlor counter and ordered Dave an ice cream then brought it over to him. "Here you go Dave", mother said trying to force a smile that Dave knew had absolutely no feeling that went with it. Ender and Dave then became pretty good friends and relatives and now that Ender had changed he had finally noticed the way that Dave gets treated and he didn’t like it one bit. Ender ended up staying for a couple days and then he had to return to his family because he hadn’t seen them for a while since he has been in the game for a long period of time. Dave will never forget the day that Ender, his cousin and new best friend, got mother to buy him an ice cream.
"Cousin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How has it been going?" cried Ender as he made his way through the door and practically tackled Dave to the ground. "It’s been going good Ender. Almost died a couple times though from mother’s games…. But I’m ok," said Dave. "Ah, good old auntie", Ender replied. Dave just stared at Ender and he could feel his anger raging and rising, but he had to keep it under control because if he blew his top who knows what would come out of it. Mother came out of her room and she looked like a clown. Dave sucked in his breathe trying so hard not to laugh and he managed to keep himself under control. Mother went over to Ender and hugged him so tightly it reminded Dave of a stress ball and Dave knew mother was stressed. Dave slowly started to walk away because he wasn’t needed anymore here and he knew it. "Cousin wait! You have to see my neck! The plate chip thing isn’t there anymore! It hurt like heck when they took it out, but that’s ok its all good now", yelled Ender. Dave became fascinated and decided to go over and see Enders neck. He figured why not? He asked him to didn’t he? It would be wrong to refuse that right? So Dave went to Ender and Ender bent over so that way Dave would get an amazing view of the space that was empty of plate now. "That Must feel weird", said Dave. "You have no idea", Ender replied. "Come on boys were going to get ice cream", mother said. "Ice cream", said Dave to himself, "I never have ice cream! I love Ender more now! Woo hoo!" Ender then hit Dave waking him up from is spaced out moment of talking to himself, and they left for ice cream.
We all walked into the ice cream parlor as we made our way up to the counter mother stopped me and told me that I wasn’t getting any. I knew it was too good to be true. As Ender got his ice cream Dave watched wishing that he had gotten an amazing ice cream like Ender did. " Hey cousin, why didn’t you get an ice cream?" Ender asked Dave. "Mother didn’t allow me to get one", Dave replied. Ender gave Dave an uncertain look and then decided he was going to be nice. Ender walked over to mother and told her to buy Dave an ice cream because he deserves one with all the dirt he deals with he deserves to be rewarded with something. Mother, in shock, made her way to the ice cream parlor counter and ordered Dave an ice cream then brought it over to him. "Here you go Dave", mother said trying to force a smile that Dave knew had absolutely no feeling that went with it. Ender and Dave then became pretty good friends and relatives and now that Ender had changed he had finally noticed the way that Dave gets treated and he didn’t like it one bit. Ender ended up staying for a couple days and then he had to return to his family because he hadn’t seen them for a while since he has been in the game for a long period of time. Dave will never forget the day that Ender, his cousin and new best friend, got mother to buy him an ice cream.
Summer Reading Essay by Allyson G
Damien had arrived in Memphis only a week before today. He remembered the first day. Junice and her sister were welcomed into a good foster family, which was hard to come around in these times. For that, he was grateful. He had a hard time finding a place to stay for the amount of money he had, and it had to be near Junice’s house, because she was the whole reason for coming here.
Sitting on the stoop of his apartment complex in his old, dark purple hoodie and baggy jeans, Damien remembered the long bus ride and the trouble it took him to find his new home. It had taken almost all of the money he had saved to get the apartment. He had paid the rent for the apartment two months in advance and in that amount of time, he would have to conjure up more money to pay for the next two months and this was why he got up and started to walk down the main street, looking for help wanted signs.
Soon, he was amongst the crowd that filled the street during everyone’s lunch hour. He observed the different people swarming about, trying to get into their favorite café. There were so many different people. They were all sorts of shapes and sizes and ethnicities.
There was one family that caught his attention. It was a family of six. There was a mother a father, and four boys, but one of the boys looked unhappy. Damien assumed that the boy was simply not getting his way and being sour about it, but then he looked closer and, Damien couldn’t tell what it was, but there was something different about him. The boy looked more than unhappy; it seemed that he was scared.
Damien also noted how the family was dressed. They were definitely tourists by their ball caps and cameras, but something was strange. The family was dressed nicely, but this one boy looked like he was wearing rags.
Noticing all of these strange things about this boy, Damien decided to follow him and his family to wherever they were going, forgetting all about his job hunt. They lead him to a nearby hotel and Damien stopped following them once they reached the lobby.
Leaning against the outer wall of the hotel, Damien thought. Why was he chasing these people around town? So, the little boy made him interested in them, but that was no reason to be following their family.
Damien was startled when his thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. Out walked two men that were wearing maroon bellhop uniforms. One man had curly blonde hair and the other had straight black hair. They were talking to one another.
“Sam, I’m not sure if we’re going to find anyone in time. We’ll never get that raise if we can’t find someone to fill Harriet’s spot. Mister Collins will assign the job to one of his daughters, and then we’ll be bossed around even more than we are now,” the man with curly, blonde hair said to the other bellhop walking beside him.
“Well, Barry, We’ve still got time. Tom said we have another two days. Who knows, we might find someone,” the other said reassuringly.
“Hey, you need someone to work here?” Damien asked, standing up straight. The two men spun around, surprised by Damien’s sudden interjection. Sam nodded his head vigorously.
“Yeah, we’re in desperate need,” Barry said with a smile. All you need to do is ask Tom Collins, but make sure you say Barry and Sam found you. His office is right next to the desk in the lobby. Ask the girl who‘s sitting at it.”
Damien nodded and said a quick thank you as he turned around and entered the hotel. After speaking to the girl named Candy sitting at the desk at the end of the lobby, Damien was allowed into Mister Collins’ office. Damien didn’t need to knock because Tom Collins had already opened the door to let him enter. He was asked to sit in a cushioned chair in front of Mister Collins’ desk.
Within thirty minutes, Damien walked out of the hotel with a smile on his face. He would start his new job tomorrow, and he would have enough money to pay rent within the first month.
On the next day, Damien arrived early for work in the morning. He walked down the stairs of the hotel to the basement, where the laundry mat was. He would be bringing fresh towels to people’s rooms while they were out.
He grabbed a white rolling bin that was filled with warm towels. A man named Carl had showed him how to do his job yesterday, so he already knew what to do. Damien pushed the bin up a ramp and into the elevator.
He took the clipboard off of the side of the bin and read it, going down the list of people who hadn’t had their towels restocked in a while. The first number was two hundred and seven, which was on floor six. He pressed the six button on the elevator and he felt it start going up. Damien scanned the rest of the list to see if there were any more rooms on that floor that needed towels. There were seven.
Once the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Damien quickly pushed the rolling bin out of it and went to the closest room, which was two hundred and three. He knocked on the door. Since there was no answer, he swiped his card through the lock and it opened.
He soon began throwing old towels into laundry bags and replacing them with new ones.
Then, as Damien left the bathroom, he heard something. It sounded like a quiet mumbling. It was coming from the bathtub. He thought it was strange and assumed he was just hearing things. He still had to see what was making the noise, if it was anything at all.
Damien slowly and quietly stepped towards the bathtub, his heart beat growing faster. Once he was standing right next to the bathtub, he yanked the shower curtain open and was startled. There was actually someone sitting in the bathtub. It was the boy he had seen yesterday. He was sitting on his hands and staring up at the ceiling, which made Damien crinkle his brow.
The boy brought his gaze to meet Damien’s eyes, instantly saying, “I’m sorry, mother.” He then looked in almost disbelief to see Damien in her place. “What?” he asked, puzzled. “Who are you?”
“I’m Damien. I brought clean towels up. I work here,” he told him.
The boy nodded and took his hands out from under him. “I’m David,” he replied.
“Well, why are you here?” Damien asked him. “Why isn’t there anyone else here with you? Where’s the rest of your family?”
David’s eyes seemed to look panicky the moment Damien asked him. “Well, I,” David stammered, trying to think of a sensible excuse. After a while of thinking, David just couldn’t find an answer. With a sigh, he said, “Mother made me. They‘re out getting breakfast.”
After Damien cocked his head in uncertainty, David told Damien the story of how his mother was once a nice person, and then she changed.
Damien, who was now sitting on a chair that he had brought into the bathroom, looked at David in shock. He had never heard of any mother abusing her child without being completely out of her mind, and David’s mother looked pretty sane to him.
“So, she does horrible things to you everyday, and doesn’t even treat you like a human being?” Damien asked David when he was done.
David nodded his head. “It’s not all that bad,” David said with a crooked smile. “Sometimes, when I’m sitting like I was when you came in, I pretend that I am Superman. I fly over the town and I rescue people. It’s loads of fun,” he told him, his smile increasing in size.
Damien then remembered the mumbling that he heard coming from the shower. That’s what it was. David was pretending he was Superman. Damien smiled weakly back at him, feeling an immense amount of pity for the child.
Damien’s eyes grew serious. “David, you need to get out of here. You need to get away from your mother. You can’t live with her beating you all the time. Why don’t you come home with me? I promise, everything will be better if you do that,” Damien told him, thinking of a fast solution.
“Come home with you? Is that possible?” David asked him in awe. Was he really going to get rid of his mother that easily? Could he go home with his new friend? There would be no more beatings, no more feeling like he was nothing. David couldn’t believe it. He was finally going to be free of her!
Damien nodded. “Come on, if we go now, they wouldn’t know what hit them. You’ll be free,” he said with a reassuring smile.
David was so happy, he couldn’t contain himself. He stood up and hugged Damien with all his might and they both laughed.
Damien’s eyes grew wide as he heard the doorknob jingle as a key card was swiped through the lock on the door. “Oh, no,” he said, breaking their hug.
David’s eyes filled with fear. He looked up at David for help. “What’re we going to do?” he asked, panicking.
“Quick, get back in the shower. I’ll come back tomorrow after they leave, I promise,” Damien quickly whispered into David’s ear.
He shut the shower curtain and took a deep breath. He then continued to pick up dirty towels and replace them, trying to make it look like he had been doing this the whole time.
David’s family then came in, talking in happy tones and laughing. They all stopped once they saw Damien. David’s mother looked at him in pure horror, hoping he didn’t find David in the shower.
“Sorry to scare you,” Damien said with a pleasant smile. “I was just restocking your towels. I’ll be going, now.” He pushed the bin out of the door after David’s family had moved out of the way.
Once the door was shut behind him, Damien let out the breath that he was holding in the whole time. He could hear David’s family start to talk again, but they were quieter this time. David’s mother could be heard over all of them.
“I never trust those people,” she said loudly. “They could take something of ours, you know. That man could’ve taken all of our belongings!”
The next day, the first thing Damien did was go up to number two hundred and three to see if David’s family were out. He didn’t even bother to go down and get his towel bin.
He knocked on the door. Once again, there was no answer. So, Damien entered with a smile. All of this was going to work out! He was so proud of himself.
He went directly to the bathroom and opened the shower. David wasn’t there. That was strange. Damien went out into the bedroom and called his name. There was no answer. He looked around the room. It seemed more bare than it was last time.
Something must have clicked in his mind because he knew what had happened. There was no luggage, which meant no David. Damien ran out of the room, not having time to close the door behind him. He then got onto the elevator and pressed the lobby button.
The time it took to get down to the lrobby seemed like forever. Then the elevator stopped and Damien ran out of it, almost bumping into two people. He ran to the front desk, cutting in front of everyone in line and said, “Number two hundred and three. When did they leave?” he asked quickly.
Candy looked up at him and looked through a stack of papers. “Oh, here it is. They left last night at eleven o’clock,” she said with a smile.
Damien stared at Candy in disbelief. “Alright, thanks,” he said gloomily as he walked away. He then felt this pang of determination run though him. No, he wouldn’t just leave David to live through this anymore. He had to be out there somewhere. No matter how much it would take, Damien would save David, even if it took him years!
Sitting on the stoop of his apartment complex in his old, dark purple hoodie and baggy jeans, Damien remembered the long bus ride and the trouble it took him to find his new home. It had taken almost all of the money he had saved to get the apartment. He had paid the rent for the apartment two months in advance and in that amount of time, he would have to conjure up more money to pay for the next two months and this was why he got up and started to walk down the main street, looking for help wanted signs.
Soon, he was amongst the crowd that filled the street during everyone’s lunch hour. He observed the different people swarming about, trying to get into their favorite café. There were so many different people. They were all sorts of shapes and sizes and ethnicities.
There was one family that caught his attention. It was a family of six. There was a mother a father, and four boys, but one of the boys looked unhappy. Damien assumed that the boy was simply not getting his way and being sour about it, but then he looked closer and, Damien couldn’t tell what it was, but there was something different about him. The boy looked more than unhappy; it seemed that he was scared.
Damien also noted how the family was dressed. They were definitely tourists by their ball caps and cameras, but something was strange. The family was dressed nicely, but this one boy looked like he was wearing rags.
Noticing all of these strange things about this boy, Damien decided to follow him and his family to wherever they were going, forgetting all about his job hunt. They lead him to a nearby hotel and Damien stopped following them once they reached the lobby.
Leaning against the outer wall of the hotel, Damien thought. Why was he chasing these people around town? So, the little boy made him interested in them, but that was no reason to be following their family.
Damien was startled when his thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. Out walked two men that were wearing maroon bellhop uniforms. One man had curly blonde hair and the other had straight black hair. They were talking to one another.
“Sam, I’m not sure if we’re going to find anyone in time. We’ll never get that raise if we can’t find someone to fill Harriet’s spot. Mister Collins will assign the job to one of his daughters, and then we’ll be bossed around even more than we are now,” the man with curly, blonde hair said to the other bellhop walking beside him.
“Well, Barry, We’ve still got time. Tom said we have another two days. Who knows, we might find someone,” the other said reassuringly.
“Hey, you need someone to work here?” Damien asked, standing up straight. The two men spun around, surprised by Damien’s sudden interjection. Sam nodded his head vigorously.
“Yeah, we’re in desperate need,” Barry said with a smile. All you need to do is ask Tom Collins, but make sure you say Barry and Sam found you. His office is right next to the desk in the lobby. Ask the girl who‘s sitting at it.”
Damien nodded and said a quick thank you as he turned around and entered the hotel. After speaking to the girl named Candy sitting at the desk at the end of the lobby, Damien was allowed into Mister Collins’ office. Damien didn’t need to knock because Tom Collins had already opened the door to let him enter. He was asked to sit in a cushioned chair in front of Mister Collins’ desk.
Within thirty minutes, Damien walked out of the hotel with a smile on his face. He would start his new job tomorrow, and he would have enough money to pay rent within the first month.
On the next day, Damien arrived early for work in the morning. He walked down the stairs of the hotel to the basement, where the laundry mat was. He would be bringing fresh towels to people’s rooms while they were out.
He grabbed a white rolling bin that was filled with warm towels. A man named Carl had showed him how to do his job yesterday, so he already knew what to do. Damien pushed the bin up a ramp and into the elevator.
He took the clipboard off of the side of the bin and read it, going down the list of people who hadn’t had their towels restocked in a while. The first number was two hundred and seven, which was on floor six. He pressed the six button on the elevator and he felt it start going up. Damien scanned the rest of the list to see if there were any more rooms on that floor that needed towels. There were seven.
Once the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Damien quickly pushed the rolling bin out of it and went to the closest room, which was two hundred and three. He knocked on the door. Since there was no answer, he swiped his card through the lock and it opened.
He soon began throwing old towels into laundry bags and replacing them with new ones.
Then, as Damien left the bathroom, he heard something. It sounded like a quiet mumbling. It was coming from the bathtub. He thought it was strange and assumed he was just hearing things. He still had to see what was making the noise, if it was anything at all.
Damien slowly and quietly stepped towards the bathtub, his heart beat growing faster. Once he was standing right next to the bathtub, he yanked the shower curtain open and was startled. There was actually someone sitting in the bathtub. It was the boy he had seen yesterday. He was sitting on his hands and staring up at the ceiling, which made Damien crinkle his brow.
The boy brought his gaze to meet Damien’s eyes, instantly saying, “I’m sorry, mother.” He then looked in almost disbelief to see Damien in her place. “What?” he asked, puzzled. “Who are you?”
“I’m Damien. I brought clean towels up. I work here,” he told him.
The boy nodded and took his hands out from under him. “I’m David,” he replied.
“Well, why are you here?” Damien asked him. “Why isn’t there anyone else here with you? Where’s the rest of your family?”
David’s eyes seemed to look panicky the moment Damien asked him. “Well, I,” David stammered, trying to think of a sensible excuse. After a while of thinking, David just couldn’t find an answer. With a sigh, he said, “Mother made me. They‘re out getting breakfast.”
After Damien cocked his head in uncertainty, David told Damien the story of how his mother was once a nice person, and then she changed.
Damien, who was now sitting on a chair that he had brought into the bathroom, looked at David in shock. He had never heard of any mother abusing her child without being completely out of her mind, and David’s mother looked pretty sane to him.
“So, she does horrible things to you everyday, and doesn’t even treat you like a human being?” Damien asked David when he was done.
David nodded his head. “It’s not all that bad,” David said with a crooked smile. “Sometimes, when I’m sitting like I was when you came in, I pretend that I am Superman. I fly over the town and I rescue people. It’s loads of fun,” he told him, his smile increasing in size.
Damien then remembered the mumbling that he heard coming from the shower. That’s what it was. David was pretending he was Superman. Damien smiled weakly back at him, feeling an immense amount of pity for the child.
Damien’s eyes grew serious. “David, you need to get out of here. You need to get away from your mother. You can’t live with her beating you all the time. Why don’t you come home with me? I promise, everything will be better if you do that,” Damien told him, thinking of a fast solution.
“Come home with you? Is that possible?” David asked him in awe. Was he really going to get rid of his mother that easily? Could he go home with his new friend? There would be no more beatings, no more feeling like he was nothing. David couldn’t believe it. He was finally going to be free of her!
Damien nodded. “Come on, if we go now, they wouldn’t know what hit them. You’ll be free,” he said with a reassuring smile.
David was so happy, he couldn’t contain himself. He stood up and hugged Damien with all his might and they both laughed.
Damien’s eyes grew wide as he heard the doorknob jingle as a key card was swiped through the lock on the door. “Oh, no,” he said, breaking their hug.
David’s eyes filled with fear. He looked up at David for help. “What’re we going to do?” he asked, panicking.
“Quick, get back in the shower. I’ll come back tomorrow after they leave, I promise,” Damien quickly whispered into David’s ear.
He shut the shower curtain and took a deep breath. He then continued to pick up dirty towels and replace them, trying to make it look like he had been doing this the whole time.
David’s family then came in, talking in happy tones and laughing. They all stopped once they saw Damien. David’s mother looked at him in pure horror, hoping he didn’t find David in the shower.
“Sorry to scare you,” Damien said with a pleasant smile. “I was just restocking your towels. I’ll be going, now.” He pushed the bin out of the door after David’s family had moved out of the way.
Once the door was shut behind him, Damien let out the breath that he was holding in the whole time. He could hear David’s family start to talk again, but they were quieter this time. David’s mother could be heard over all of them.
“I never trust those people,” she said loudly. “They could take something of ours, you know. That man could’ve taken all of our belongings!”
The next day, the first thing Damien did was go up to number two hundred and three to see if David’s family were out. He didn’t even bother to go down and get his towel bin.
He knocked on the door. Once again, there was no answer. So, Damien entered with a smile. All of this was going to work out! He was so proud of himself.
He went directly to the bathroom and opened the shower. David wasn’t there. That was strange. Damien went out into the bedroom and called his name. There was no answer. He looked around the room. It seemed more bare than it was last time.
Something must have clicked in his mind because he knew what had happened. There was no luggage, which meant no David. Damien ran out of the room, not having time to close the door behind him. He then got onto the elevator and pressed the lobby button.
The time it took to get down to the lrobby seemed like forever. Then the elevator stopped and Damien ran out of it, almost bumping into two people. He ran to the front desk, cutting in front of everyone in line and said, “Number two hundred and three. When did they leave?” he asked quickly.
Candy looked up at him and looked through a stack of papers. “Oh, here it is. They left last night at eleven o’clock,” she said with a smile.
Damien stared at Candy in disbelief. “Alright, thanks,” he said gloomily as he walked away. He then felt this pang of determination run though him. No, he wouldn’t just leave David to live through this anymore. He had to be out there somewhere. No matter how much it would take, Damien would save David, even if it took him years!
The Unforgettable War by Katelyn
Daisy had always wanted to meet her family that lived in Europe so her father and stepmother thought it would be a perfect time for her to go since her stepmother was pregnant. When she got off the plane she met them all and they spent a lot of time together and learned a lot about each other in the few days that Daisy had been there. The house she stayed in was on a farm and it was far away from town. There was a wide rolling field and a lot of animals. It had only been a couple days since she was there but her aunt had to leave for on a business trip and wouldn’t be back for a week. The day after she left a train station was bombed and a war started to break out. Over the next couple of days everything seemed to be fine until a doctor showed up at the farm where she was living. He looked around and said that this was a perfect spot and it would be the headquarters for the army. Daisy and one of her cousin Piper were relocated to a house in Poland.
She meet Rebecca another American who was there trying to find out what happened during her grandmothers lifetime.
“ My grand mother Gemma always used to tell me about the story of Briar Rose and while she was sick in the hospital she always told me it was her.” Rebecca said
“What was it about?” Daisy asked.
“ It was about a princess who lived in a castle where everyone there fell asleep from poisonous fumes and only the princess was kissed awake by her prince.” Rebecca told.
“I wonder if your grandmother was the princess in the story?” Daisy asked.
“ That’s what I came here to find out.” Rebecca answered.
Daisy and piper got the few things that they had brought with them unpacked and looked around. It looked like Daisy and Piper where staying in Mrs. McEvoy’s sons bedroom. While Daisy and Piper where staying at the McEvoy’s they learned a lot about the war since Mr. McEvoy was a major in the war. They also learned a lot about Rebecca’s grandmother and what she already had been through trying to figure out what her grandmothers past was like. The war was getting worse so the McEvoy family, Rebecca, Daisy and Piper were relocated to an army base where they met some other families and people going through the same thing. While they were there they met a couple of people of interesting people.
“ Yeah I remember the war I escaped from a prison and hid out with other people. We hid out and traveled all over Poland and looked for other people who had escaped and were in hiding.” Joseph told.
“Do you remember any of the people that you met?” Rebecca said.
“ I wonder if one of them was your grandma.” Daisy piped in.
“ Was your grandma captured during the war?” Joseph asked.
“ Yeah, she was captured by the Nazis and taken to a camp, I came to Poland to figure out what happened in her past.” Rebecca replied.
“ What was her name?” Joseph said.
“ I am not sure, she had many. One was Ksiezniczka…” Rebecca said.
“ I knew a girl with her name, she had orange hair and pale skin, we called her that because she forgot her name and she told us she came from a castle.” Joseph interrupted.
“ That was in the story my grandma told me, that was my Gemma, how did you know her?” Rebecca excitedly said.
Daisy, Piper, and Rebecca sat quietly while Joseph told the story of how he meet Gemma and who Rebecca’s grandfather was. He had meet her when a fellow friend that was in hiding dug through dead bodies and pulled out a girl that was still moving. They kissed her alive and she told them how she was trapped in a castle and fumes knocked everyone out. Daisy Rebecca, and Piper realized that this was Gemma’s story and she was really Briar Rose. She had been taken to a concentration camp located in an abandon castle and been poisoned by car fumes as the Nazis brought to burry her and many others.
It had been many weeks since the war had begun. It was in the middle of the night when Daisy, Rebecca and Piper were woken up by people screaming and gunshots. The war had reached them. They grabbed all the things they could carry and ran into the woods. They walked until sunrise and then rested. They took the compass Daisy had taken from the McEvoy’s house and followed that. They weren’t sure where to go until they got to a river and Piper realized this river went by her farm. They followed it for many miles until they got to the town by the farm. They were so excited to see something familiar they ran to their farm. When they got there it was trashed from the soldiers but they cleaned it up to the best that they could.
Weeks past and Piper and Daisy were reunited with their cousins. Rebecca was happy with the information that she found and went back to America a couple days after the cousins were reunited. Rebecca told her story to her sisters and nephews and nieces Daisy eventually left and went home to live with her father, stepmother, and new stepbrother. Years past but Daisy went back to Europe and lived with her cousins since her aunt had died in the war trying to get home to her kids. Daisy and Rebecca kept in touch and stayed good friends and never forgot the days that they spent together.
She meet Rebecca another American who was there trying to find out what happened during her grandmothers lifetime.
“ My grand mother Gemma always used to tell me about the story of Briar Rose and while she was sick in the hospital she always told me it was her.” Rebecca said
“What was it about?” Daisy asked.
“ It was about a princess who lived in a castle where everyone there fell asleep from poisonous fumes and only the princess was kissed awake by her prince.” Rebecca told.
“I wonder if your grandmother was the princess in the story?” Daisy asked.
“ That’s what I came here to find out.” Rebecca answered.
Daisy and piper got the few things that they had brought with them unpacked and looked around. It looked like Daisy and Piper where staying in Mrs. McEvoy’s sons bedroom. While Daisy and Piper where staying at the McEvoy’s they learned a lot about the war since Mr. McEvoy was a major in the war. They also learned a lot about Rebecca’s grandmother and what she already had been through trying to figure out what her grandmothers past was like. The war was getting worse so the McEvoy family, Rebecca, Daisy and Piper were relocated to an army base where they met some other families and people going through the same thing. While they were there they met a couple of people of interesting people.
“ Yeah I remember the war I escaped from a prison and hid out with other people. We hid out and traveled all over Poland and looked for other people who had escaped and were in hiding.” Joseph told.
“Do you remember any of the people that you met?” Rebecca said.
“ I wonder if one of them was your grandma.” Daisy piped in.
“ Was your grandma captured during the war?” Joseph asked.
“ Yeah, she was captured by the Nazis and taken to a camp, I came to Poland to figure out what happened in her past.” Rebecca replied.
“ What was her name?” Joseph said.
“ I am not sure, she had many. One was Ksiezniczka…” Rebecca said.
“ I knew a girl with her name, she had orange hair and pale skin, we called her that because she forgot her name and she told us she came from a castle.” Joseph interrupted.
“ That was in the story my grandma told me, that was my Gemma, how did you know her?” Rebecca excitedly said.
Daisy, Piper, and Rebecca sat quietly while Joseph told the story of how he meet Gemma and who Rebecca’s grandfather was. He had meet her when a fellow friend that was in hiding dug through dead bodies and pulled out a girl that was still moving. They kissed her alive and she told them how she was trapped in a castle and fumes knocked everyone out. Daisy Rebecca, and Piper realized that this was Gemma’s story and she was really Briar Rose. She had been taken to a concentration camp located in an abandon castle and been poisoned by car fumes as the Nazis brought to burry her and many others.
It had been many weeks since the war had begun. It was in the middle of the night when Daisy, Rebecca and Piper were woken up by people screaming and gunshots. The war had reached them. They grabbed all the things they could carry and ran into the woods. They walked until sunrise and then rested. They took the compass Daisy had taken from the McEvoy’s house and followed that. They weren’t sure where to go until they got to a river and Piper realized this river went by her farm. They followed it for many miles until they got to the town by the farm. They were so excited to see something familiar they ran to their farm. When they got there it was trashed from the soldiers but they cleaned it up to the best that they could.
Weeks past and Piper and Daisy were reunited with their cousins. Rebecca was happy with the information that she found and went back to America a couple days after the cousins were reunited. Rebecca told her story to her sisters and nephews and nieces Daisy eventually left and went home to live with her father, stepmother, and new stepbrother. Years past but Daisy went back to Europe and lived with her cousins since her aunt had died in the war trying to get home to her kids. Daisy and Rebecca kept in touch and stayed good friends and never forgot the days that they spent together.
Summer Reading Essay by Thomas S.
It’s 6:05 in the morning, Alfred steps off his front porch and starts his jog down the street toward the park. The ground is wet and leaves are scattered everywhere. Alfred gets to the park, but out of nowhere something rams into him and he falls over.
“Watch it!” screams Alfred as he jumps off the ground and brushes the dirt off is pants. He extends a hand down to the smaller boy on the ground.
“Snifel, snifel, sorry I didn’t see you” the boy seemed to be on the verge of tears. Alfred helps him up and soon discovers that the little boys name is David.
“What are you doing out by yourself this early in the morning?” Alfred questions.
“I’m running away from my mother” David solemnly replies.
“Why would you run away from your mother?” asked Alfred
“My mother is very mean to me” replied David, “she often beats me and makes me do all the chores, and she rarely feeds me.” sobs David
“I can’t take it anymore, I just had to leave.” David is now heavily crying.
“Where are you going to go?” David asked. Do you have a relative or something where you can stay?”
“No I don’t, but anywhere is better than that my mothers house.” replied David
“Umm, well if you have nowhere to go than you can come to my house we can get you some food and you can stay for a little bit until you figure out where you’re going to go.” Alfred says
“Really, I mean I don’t want to impose, these are my problems I don’t want to make them yours!” shoots David
“No, my aunt pearl helps lost and hurt kids all the time it would be no problem.” Says David
“Well……., ok thank you so much!”
“Come on lets go back to my house, but first I have to go somewhere.”
“That’s fine with me.” replied David
Alfred and David walked side by side silently until they reached a small beat up building.
“What is this place?” questioned David “I’ve never seen it before.”
“This is the place where I spend most of my time.” replied Alfred“It’s the boxing arena” “I’m sorry but I have to do my morning workout.” “Is that okay?”
“Yeah diffidently, I’ll wait, besides I could learn a thing or two.”
After Alfred did some crunches, hit the peanut bag, and shadow boxed, he decided he could end his workout.
“Ok we can go know.” said Alfred On the way to Alfred’s house David did not stop talking about how much fun boxing looked, and how he wished that he could box too. Alfred said he would try to talk to Mr.Donatelli if David could try. When they got to Alfred’s house Alfred went in first to clarify everything that had happened to David. Aunt pearl came out and properly greeted David and assured him that he would not be treated like his mother treated him anymore. The next day Aunt pearl went to court to get custody of David and she got it. David never saw his mother again, and was very happy about it. David later went on to write about his experience, but how it was all turned around when he met Alfred and his aunt Pearl.
“Watch it!” screams Alfred as he jumps off the ground and brushes the dirt off is pants. He extends a hand down to the smaller boy on the ground.
“Snifel, snifel, sorry I didn’t see you” the boy seemed to be on the verge of tears. Alfred helps him up and soon discovers that the little boys name is David.
“What are you doing out by yourself this early in the morning?” Alfred questions.
“I’m running away from my mother” David solemnly replies.
“Why would you run away from your mother?” asked Alfred
“My mother is very mean to me” replied David, “she often beats me and makes me do all the chores, and she rarely feeds me.” sobs David
“I can’t take it anymore, I just had to leave.” David is now heavily crying.
“Where are you going to go?” David asked. Do you have a relative or something where you can stay?”
“No I don’t, but anywhere is better than that my mothers house.” replied David
“Umm, well if you have nowhere to go than you can come to my house we can get you some food and you can stay for a little bit until you figure out where you’re going to go.” Alfred says
“Really, I mean I don’t want to impose, these are my problems I don’t want to make them yours!” shoots David
“No, my aunt pearl helps lost and hurt kids all the time it would be no problem.” Says David
“Well……., ok thank you so much!”
“Come on lets go back to my house, but first I have to go somewhere.”
“That’s fine with me.” replied David
Alfred and David walked side by side silently until they reached a small beat up building.
“What is this place?” questioned David “I’ve never seen it before.”
“This is the place where I spend most of my time.” replied Alfred“It’s the boxing arena” “I’m sorry but I have to do my morning workout.” “Is that okay?”
“Yeah diffidently, I’ll wait, besides I could learn a thing or two.”
After Alfred did some crunches, hit the peanut bag, and shadow boxed, he decided he could end his workout.
“Ok we can go know.” said Alfred On the way to Alfred’s house David did not stop talking about how much fun boxing looked, and how he wished that he could box too. Alfred said he would try to talk to Mr.Donatelli if David could try. When they got to Alfred’s house Alfred went in first to clarify everything that had happened to David. Aunt pearl came out and properly greeted David and assured him that he would not be treated like his mother treated him anymore. The next day Aunt pearl went to court to get custody of David and she got it. David never saw his mother again, and was very happy about it. David later went on to write about his experience, but how it was all turned around when he met Alfred and his aunt Pearl.
Summer Reading Essay Shane W.
“It’s time for me to go; I can’t live in this house any longer!” David says to himself. “That’s it I’m leaving.” David took a towel from the laundry basket, maybe it somewhat keep him warm, and quietly to creep up the stairs. “Mother should still be asleep from her nasty hangover, but I shouldn’t wake her.” As he walked each step creaked ever so slightly, but David was afraid maybe his brothers would hear, they were already awake, they would tell mother for sure and he would get the worst beating ever.
When he finally made it up the stairs, he wrapped himself in his towel, and quietly opened the front door. Down the red steps he went, and there was no stopping him, David ran to the nearest bus station. “One ticket to
It was a very cold day in
“Hey kid, where are your parents?”
“Well…they are,” remembering he didn’t have to lie anymore, “they don’t want me I ran away.”
“Oh, so you have no place to go?”
“No.”
“Aren’t you scared?”
“I’ve been through worse.”
“Oh.” there was a long pause, “Well come on.”
“Where are you going?”
“To get you some hot chocolate, you look like you’re thirsty.”
Hesitating for a minute David looked at Damian, “he doesn’t even know my name, and he wants to get me something to drink?”
“Are you coming or not?”
Quickly, David got off the bench and followed Damian across the street into a coffee house. Damian ordered two hot chocolates and a blueberry muffin.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you.” Said David like the hot chocolate was the best thing in the world.
“Would like some blueberry muffin?”
“Yes please,” said David, I’ve never had one but it smells really good!”
“What do you mean; you’ve never had a blueberry muffin before?”
“I’m rarely fed at my house, and when I do get food, it’s because I steal it, or sometimes my mom gives me leftover cereal or something small like that.” David took a big bite of his muffin, “it’s very good, thank you.” There was a long pause of chewing and sipping.
“My name is Damien, what’s yours?”
“My names David.” He said, swallowing his muffin.
“So what am I supposed to do with you? I can’t just leave you out in the cold.”
“It’s okay, I’m not your problem, I ran away and the cold is much better then my mother, I’ll be all right, thank you mister for the hot chocolate and the muffin, I better get going now, bye.”
“Oh I don’t think so. I have met some kids whose parents don’t want them, actually a lot, see kid; around here that kind of thing happens a lot.”
“So there are more kids like me? Really?”
“Yeah, and there’s kids with a lot worse problems too. See around here there’s a lot of bad stuff, like drugs and gangs, believe me I would know.” Damian and David picked up their hot chocolates and whatever was left of their muffins and headed for the door. “You’re coming home with me.”
“Really? You’re parents wouldn’t mind?”
“Nope they’ll be cool, they might be a little mad I skipped school but that’s ok.”
And as they stared to walk away, David look up at this tall strong boy, and he felt safe, like no one would ever hurt him again.
By Kara G
The day started as any other. David woke up from my little room down in the garage shivering cold and went upstairs to precede the chores his mother was going to make him do. First was to make breakfast for everyone in the house, though he could not eat it himself. David had to watch everyone have delicious food while he just sat there starving. Next David had to clean the whole bathroom while his mother yelled at him and stuffed him in the bathroom barely allowing him to breath with a sickening mixture of ammonia and Clorox filling the room. He couldn't stand the thought of living there anymore. Five years David's torture had been going on, his whole childhood taken away from him. Everyday as he would do his chores he'd have a flashback of the good old times where everyone in his family got along. He didn't know why, but that day all he could think of is enough was enough; he had to get out of that house. As David was thinking of his plan to escape, he could hear mother walking down the hall.
"Get up!" mother screamed.
Without saying anything he did as he was told. David followed her into the kitchen where he was to scrub every single tile with a simple toothbrush while his mother was yelling at the top of her lungs screaming about how worthless he was, nothing but an it. Davis had not finished scrubbing the floor on time so his mother had an extra punishment. She took him to the stove already burning hot and grabbed his arm.
“What are you doing?” David screamed.
“You’ve been a bad boy David.” His mother said in a harsh tone.
David just kept struggling and pulling away to keep his mother from burning him knowing that someone was going to be home soon and the torture would stop. After five minutes of trying to save his skin his brother Kevin walked in and his mother quickly let go of his arm.
After his long day he was forced to go down to the garage until the next morning. Sitting in the basement he knew that tonight was the night he would escape. One of the windows of the garage was already broken and had a large piece out of it. David would break off every piece of the window in order to escape, making sure he was as quiet as possible. Piece by piece David was closer to freedom until he heard his mother coming. David ran to the cot and sat there. She stared at him and went away.
"That was close," he thought to himself.
David wanted to get out of there as fast as he could; he needed to get out of there as fast as he could. Finally, the last piece was gone. The window was big enough for him to fit through since he was so frail and had nothing but scraps to eat for five days. David just ran and ran for four days straight until he found himself in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Everyone just stared at him looking at his ripped clothing with stains all over it looking nothing more then a homeless boy. He was at the harbor when he saw that there was a boat on its way to France. David had snuck on underneath the boat where the entire luggage was. After three days of being cramped up and hiding on the boat, it had finally made its stop and he took a train to Poland. He had no idea where in Poland he was, but what a disaster it was there. The streets were all mud, filth was everywhere. Houses were broken down; trees were burned to the ground. Men were walking everywhere in these green suits with some kind of star he could not make clear of. They had guns with them and many carts would roll by the streets and David did not know where they were going but just heard deafening screams of people which made a shiver down his spine. He walked down the road until he was stopped by a man in a green uniform.
"What is your name?" the man asked David.
"My name is David." he had told him.
"Where are you from?" the man wondered.
"I come from America." he answered him.
"So do I. I am just making sure you are not Jewish." He said in a harsh tone, "Just keep on walking. Oh, kid, be careful."
David had not known why the man wondered if he was Jewish or not, he didn't think it mattered. David came across a big white house with miles of woods in the back. There was a little dirt path he took to find a shelter of some sort where he could stay. David was looking down walking through the woods when the next thing he knew he was down on the ground. David arose from the hard fall and a woman about the age of twenty-two was sanding in front of him.
"Who are you?" the woman asked.
"My name is David, David Pelzer." "What is your name?" he responded.
"Well, my name is Ksiezniczka, which means princess in polish, so I am called Princess for codename.
"Why would you have a code name?" he questioned.
" Well, right now there is a time where a man named Hitler is going against all Jewish people and he is trying to demolish our population, he doesn't feel we fit into the population, he doesn't think we belong. A war called War World I is going on right now about these issues. I escaped from my camp and have been running away trying to save myself. Unfortunately I have lost my group and I am now on my own." she said sadly.
“That’s terrible, but what camp are you talking about" David had said.
“A concentration camp is where we are brought in a small cart and have to suffer and do work. They treat us like slaves, even worse. We are beaten and forced to do labor and have to freeze during the winter. I don't think anyone will make it out alive
“I thought I had it bad." he told her.
“Why would you say that?" she asked him.
David told Ksiezniczka about the abuse he had gone through for five years. He told her about the stove incident nearly burning his arm, how he could barely breath in a bathroom and suffocating from horrible gases and the chores he was made to do just so his mother could see him work and be unhappy.
“Oh my, I am so sorry.” Princess said.
David and Princess had been on the run for quite some time. They were trying to get to another country to be away from all of the madness. They had taken a train in Lithuania to Estonia. They could not believe the change in scenery. It was beautiful there. The trees were tall and green and the air was fresh and crisp. They walked on the road just to get away and came across a little cottage. It was empty and showed no one had been in it for years.
David and Princess lived in Estonia for about a year. They were at the store one day when they heard someone on the radio. I’d like to announce that War World I is officially over! Everyone cheered and screamed at the great news. David and Princess walked back to their new home and lived there for the rest of the lives.
"Get up!" mother screamed.
Without saying anything he did as he was told. David followed her into the kitchen where he was to scrub every single tile with a simple toothbrush while his mother was yelling at the top of her lungs screaming about how worthless he was, nothing but an it. Davis had not finished scrubbing the floor on time so his mother had an extra punishment. She took him to the stove already burning hot and grabbed his arm.
“What are you doing?” David screamed.
“You’ve been a bad boy David.” His mother said in a harsh tone.
David just kept struggling and pulling away to keep his mother from burning him knowing that someone was going to be home soon and the torture would stop. After five minutes of trying to save his skin his brother Kevin walked in and his mother quickly let go of his arm.
After his long day he was forced to go down to the garage until the next morning. Sitting in the basement he knew that tonight was the night he would escape. One of the windows of the garage was already broken and had a large piece out of it. David would break off every piece of the window in order to escape, making sure he was as quiet as possible. Piece by piece David was closer to freedom until he heard his mother coming. David ran to the cot and sat there. She stared at him and went away.
"That was close," he thought to himself.
David wanted to get out of there as fast as he could; he needed to get out of there as fast as he could. Finally, the last piece was gone. The window was big enough for him to fit through since he was so frail and had nothing but scraps to eat for five days. David just ran and ran for four days straight until he found himself in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Everyone just stared at him looking at his ripped clothing with stains all over it looking nothing more then a homeless boy. He was at the harbor when he saw that there was a boat on its way to France. David had snuck on underneath the boat where the entire luggage was. After three days of being cramped up and hiding on the boat, it had finally made its stop and he took a train to Poland. He had no idea where in Poland he was, but what a disaster it was there. The streets were all mud, filth was everywhere. Houses were broken down; trees were burned to the ground. Men were walking everywhere in these green suits with some kind of star he could not make clear of. They had guns with them and many carts would roll by the streets and David did not know where they were going but just heard deafening screams of people which made a shiver down his spine. He walked down the road until he was stopped by a man in a green uniform.
"What is your name?" the man asked David.
"My name is David." he had told him.
"Where are you from?" the man wondered.
"I come from America." he answered him.
"So do I. I am just making sure you are not Jewish." He said in a harsh tone, "Just keep on walking. Oh, kid, be careful."
David had not known why the man wondered if he was Jewish or not, he didn't think it mattered. David came across a big white house with miles of woods in the back. There was a little dirt path he took to find a shelter of some sort where he could stay. David was looking down walking through the woods when the next thing he knew he was down on the ground. David arose from the hard fall and a woman about the age of twenty-two was sanding in front of him.
"Who are you?" the woman asked.
"My name is David, David Pelzer." "What is your name?" he responded.
"Well, my name is Ksiezniczka, which means princess in polish, so I am called Princess for codename.
"Why would you have a code name?" he questioned.
" Well, right now there is a time where a man named Hitler is going against all Jewish people and he is trying to demolish our population, he doesn't feel we fit into the population, he doesn't think we belong. A war called War World I is going on right now about these issues. I escaped from my camp and have been running away trying to save myself. Unfortunately I have lost my group and I am now on my own." she said sadly.
“That’s terrible, but what camp are you talking about" David had said.
“A concentration camp is where we are brought in a small cart and have to suffer and do work. They treat us like slaves, even worse. We are beaten and forced to do labor and have to freeze during the winter. I don't think anyone will make it out alive
“I thought I had it bad." he told her.
“Why would you say that?" she asked him.
David told Ksiezniczka about the abuse he had gone through for five years. He told her about the stove incident nearly burning his arm, how he could barely breath in a bathroom and suffocating from horrible gases and the chores he was made to do just so his mother could see him work and be unhappy.
“Oh my, I am so sorry.” Princess said.
David and Princess had been on the run for quite some time. They were trying to get to another country to be away from all of the madness. They had taken a train in Lithuania to Estonia. They could not believe the change in scenery. It was beautiful there. The trees were tall and green and the air was fresh and crisp. They walked on the road just to get away and came across a little cottage. It was empty and showed no one had been in it for years.
David and Princess lived in Estonia for about a year. They were at the store one day when they heard someone on the radio. I’d like to announce that War World I is officially over! Everyone cheered and screamed at the great news. David and Princess walked back to their new home and lived there for the rest of the lives.
Summer Reading Essay by Hannah P
That’s it! David thought. I can’t take this anymore. David’s mother just finished one of her “games” with him. This time she fed him a spoonful of bleach to calm his hunger. Mother is a monster. She plays these horrible games and never lets up! I’m starving half the time and tortured the rest. I’m deprived of nice clothes and locked in the cellar to stand alone in the dark. No one can help me. Mother blames her bad relationship with Dad on me. Everything’s my fault! I’m “The Boy” to her, not even her son! Tonight I’m leaving.
David looked around the desolate cellar. He spied a window barely the size of a shoe box for him to escape out of. He had thought about this before. He thought about running away and never looking back but how could he? He always thought mother would come around and stop but this will never happen. He needed to get out. That’s what I’ll do .I’ll run away. But I have to be fast, but what will I do after that? I have no where to go. David thought about this for a second. It never occurred to him what he would do after he broke out of this prison cell. He had distant family over seas but this was pure imagination. There was no way he could travel to Europe and have his relatives take him in. But he had no other choice that was his last hope of being rescued. This won’t be like other failed attempts to eat food. He promised himself. I’ll have to do it quickly and quietly.
He thought about climbing out through the miniscule window. Mother’s probably passed out on the couch drunk out of her mind again so she won’t hear. David tip toed to the dirty window dusted with cobwebs. The window was too tall for him. He couldn’t reach. Ugh! He thought. How am I going to reach this! He looked around surveying the room for any small box or sturdy item to stand on. Nothing. His mother knew sooner or later David would try to escape and so she cut off all his resources. There was nothing he could do the only way to get out would be to run out the back door. This idea seemed almost impossible for an innocent young boy to cross paths with a hideous monster. I have to do it. He thought. He stared up the intimidating stairs and took a step closer reluctantly.
Becca looked out the airplane window awaiting liftoff from the tarmac. She was anxious to learn about her grandmother’s secret past. Becca was flying to Poland to find the city that was written in black ink on a wrinkly, old paper. Chelmo was its name. Becca never heard of this place before. Gemma never mentioned it to her. But Becca knew this was a clue to unlocking Gemma’s past. Becca repeatedly asked herself the same question in her head who was she? She always knew that she was her Gemma, her grandmother, who she knew and loved. She was the one who would tell her the famous story of Briar Rose at night. The only thing on her priority list was to finally understand Gemma’s life.
When the plane finally reached its target height in the sky, all Becca could do was relax. She closed her eye lids slowly and drifted off into a deep slumber.
Yes! David thought I made it! David just snuck through the long hallway after successfully creeping up the stairs soundlessly. He leaped out the front door and bolted towards the nearest pay phone. He had fifty cents that he found at school a day ago. He hoped to save it up for some food at lunch but only collected a small amount so far. He popped in the change and dialed the number. He called his step aunt on his Dad’s side. She has lived in Poland her whole life. When her Dad got remarried and moved to the U.S.A. she decided to stay and make a family of her own.
David’s hand shook on the receiver. Many thoughts ran through his mind in seconds. What if she doesn’t remember me? What if she moved and I have the wrong number? What if she doesn’t accept me and I have to go back to my terrible home? What if I can never get out of this place? He heard a thick voice on the other of the line when his heart stopped.
“Hello?” She said
“Hi, uh, Auntie Wanda, this is David, your nephew…who lives in America,” He said.
“David? Oh yes, I know now, what’s wrong?”
David explained his whole situation and when he finished there was a moment of silence on the other line. He hesitated.
“I know it’s too much to ask you but please! I need to get out of my house! I need help! Can I please stay with you? You’re the only family I have.” He pleaded
“Yes David of course you can stay with us.” She said in a comforting voice. “We’ll work things out don’t worry.”
They discussed their plans on the phone and planned out everything. Aunt Wanda’s friend would order a passport for David and in a two weeks David would be on a plane to Poland to live with his aunt. Everything was taken care of. David would be free for now. He was relieved of the situation. He could finally relax when he boarded that plane to Poland. No one was going to hunt him down and drag him back to the dungeon.
Becca’s plane arrived on time in Poland. Their, waiting for her, was a women named Magda. Magda showed her around the country taking her to the places she requested. They uncovered more and more of her Grandmother’s secret past. She traveled to a quiet city of Chelmo with citizens more than ashamed and scarred from the horrible past of the city. They interviewed and priest who led them to another informative person, Potocki. Potocki told them the full story of Becca’s grandmother. The scary details haunted Becca but yet she was satisfied with the information she received. In the end there were still some details unresolved. She didn’t know where Gemma’s name changed to Gilt. Although some questions were left unsaid she found out that the story of Briar Rose, which was told to her for so many years, was Gemma’s life story. Magda and Becca left Potocki’s house and went back to the apartment the next day.
They arrived at the apartment that day and found a surprising guest there.
David sat in the corner of room on the couch and stared doe-eyed up into the new coming faces. He was timid and quiet. He sat by himself watching Polish T.V. He obviously couldn’t understand it.
“This is David, girls,” Auntie Wanda explained to them. Wanda was Magda’s aunt too. She lived with Wanda in the apartment. “He has come to visit for a few months. He’s had some family issues and needed a place to stay. Magda this is your distant cousin. He’s your step uncle’s son. You know the one that lives in America.” Magda nodded her head.
“Hello David. I am Magda.” She said nicely.
“Hello I’m Becca. I’m from the states too.” Becca said to him. He looked up and smiled. They had something in common. David was really lost being in a new culture and all. It was a relief to have someone there with him who could relate to him in that way.
It was a cozy apartment all small and humble. They ate gingerbreads and drank tea after supper. David couldn’t remember the last time he had such a good dessert, or even the last time he had dessert. He was happy there in Poland. He liked the distance between his mother and him. He felt free for the first time.
After dinner David proceeded back into the living room and watched some more television. Although he still couldn’t understand what he was watching.
“Girls, why don’t you go and talk to him. He’s come so far from his home and has no one to talk to. His mother is cruel to him and he needs some comfort. Becca why don’t you go and talk since you are both from America.” Wanda said. Becca looked at Wanda smiled, and nodded in agreement.
“Okay.” She said and walked into the room. She strolled by and sat down on the couch. “Hi David, what are you watching?” she asked trying to start a conversation with him.
“I don’t know actually.” He said flipping the channels with the remote. Becca and David chatted about Poland and how they liked it. They both were very kind to each other. David was still quiet and shy even as the conversation progressed. He didn’t open up to people that well. But he got up the courage to ask Becca a question.
“Where are you from again?” He asked. He was curious and wondered why she was here.
“I’m from Massachusetts. It’s along the eastern coast” She explained.
“I know where it is,” He stated without any tone in his voice. “Why are you all the way out here if you live in Massachusetts?”
“Well it’s complicated. See I came over here to get some answers about my grandmother. No one really knows about her past or life before my mom. I made a promise to her that I would find out who she was and know for myself.”
“So did you find it….What you were looking for? Whatever it was” He asked in an interested tone. He was fascinated by her quest. He wanted to know more about it.
“Yes and no. I found out the main secrets but not all. I also was told about a story of her life and found out something more. But there are still some things left unfinished. I just don’t know what to do about it.” Becca sighed. Even though she accomplished a lot she still wanted to know more. I guess her information would have to do for now.
“Sounds interesting, I wish I could remember my grandmother. I don’t see my relatives very much.” David said.
“Why not? Don’t your parents ever let you visit them?” Becca asked
“No never. My mother isn’t a family kind of person.” Becca cocked her head to the side in questioning position.
“She doesn’t like having company over or going out. All she does is drink and fight with my dad. Things are different at my house. I’m the one treated differently. I’m the one that’s just ‘The Boy’.” He said in a depressing voice. Becca could see by the expression on his face that something big was going on. She judged the bruises on his arms and head and assessed the situation briefly.
“How long are you staying here?” Becca asked.
“Hopefully I’m staying here a long time. I have no intentions to go back any time soon.” He said and yawned. Becca looked at her watch and it was late. She said good night to David and packed her things. She was leaving to go back home tomorrow.
The next morning Becca woke up and packed the car up. She said her goodbyes to Aunt Wanda and David and Magda escorted her to the airport. She checked in her baggage and was off to board the plane. This time her airplane flight was different. There was a sadness inside that wasn’t there before. She thought about David and wondered if he’d be okay. He didn’t say it aloud but Becca had a feeling that his mother was not the nicest person in the world to him. She wondered if he’d stay with Wanda and Magda forever or until things are worked out at home. She knew he was in good hands because he was with them. She took out her book and read to pass the time. She didn’t get very far until she totally fell asleep.
Becca made her way home safely and met Stan at the airport. They walked backed to the car and discussed the new article she’d be writing about her grandmother’s fairy tale.
David looked around the desolate cellar. He spied a window barely the size of a shoe box for him to escape out of. He had thought about this before. He thought about running away and never looking back but how could he? He always thought mother would come around and stop but this will never happen. He needed to get out. That’s what I’ll do .I’ll run away. But I have to be fast, but what will I do after that? I have no where to go. David thought about this for a second. It never occurred to him what he would do after he broke out of this prison cell. He had distant family over seas but this was pure imagination. There was no way he could travel to Europe and have his relatives take him in. But he had no other choice that was his last hope of being rescued. This won’t be like other failed attempts to eat food. He promised himself. I’ll have to do it quickly and quietly.
He thought about climbing out through the miniscule window. Mother’s probably passed out on the couch drunk out of her mind again so she won’t hear. David tip toed to the dirty window dusted with cobwebs. The window was too tall for him. He couldn’t reach. Ugh! He thought. How am I going to reach this! He looked around surveying the room for any small box or sturdy item to stand on. Nothing. His mother knew sooner or later David would try to escape and so she cut off all his resources. There was nothing he could do the only way to get out would be to run out the back door. This idea seemed almost impossible for an innocent young boy to cross paths with a hideous monster. I have to do it. He thought. He stared up the intimidating stairs and took a step closer reluctantly.
Becca looked out the airplane window awaiting liftoff from the tarmac. She was anxious to learn about her grandmother’s secret past. Becca was flying to Poland to find the city that was written in black ink on a wrinkly, old paper. Chelmo was its name. Becca never heard of this place before. Gemma never mentioned it to her. But Becca knew this was a clue to unlocking Gemma’s past. Becca repeatedly asked herself the same question in her head who was she? She always knew that she was her Gemma, her grandmother, who she knew and loved. She was the one who would tell her the famous story of Briar Rose at night. The only thing on her priority list was to finally understand Gemma’s life.
When the plane finally reached its target height in the sky, all Becca could do was relax. She closed her eye lids slowly and drifted off into a deep slumber.
Yes! David thought I made it! David just snuck through the long hallway after successfully creeping up the stairs soundlessly. He leaped out the front door and bolted towards the nearest pay phone. He had fifty cents that he found at school a day ago. He hoped to save it up for some food at lunch but only collected a small amount so far. He popped in the change and dialed the number. He called his step aunt on his Dad’s side. She has lived in Poland her whole life. When her Dad got remarried and moved to the U.S.A. she decided to stay and make a family of her own.
David’s hand shook on the receiver. Many thoughts ran through his mind in seconds. What if she doesn’t remember me? What if she moved and I have the wrong number? What if she doesn’t accept me and I have to go back to my terrible home? What if I can never get out of this place? He heard a thick voice on the other of the line when his heart stopped.
“Hello?” She said
“Hi, uh, Auntie Wanda, this is David, your nephew…who lives in America,” He said.
“David? Oh yes, I know now, what’s wrong?”
David explained his whole situation and when he finished there was a moment of silence on the other line. He hesitated.
“I know it’s too much to ask you but please! I need to get out of my house! I need help! Can I please stay with you? You’re the only family I have.” He pleaded
“Yes David of course you can stay with us.” She said in a comforting voice. “We’ll work things out don’t worry.”
They discussed their plans on the phone and planned out everything. Aunt Wanda’s friend would order a passport for David and in a two weeks David would be on a plane to Poland to live with his aunt. Everything was taken care of. David would be free for now. He was relieved of the situation. He could finally relax when he boarded that plane to Poland. No one was going to hunt him down and drag him back to the dungeon.
Becca’s plane arrived on time in Poland. Their, waiting for her, was a women named Magda. Magda showed her around the country taking her to the places she requested. They uncovered more and more of her Grandmother’s secret past. She traveled to a quiet city of Chelmo with citizens more than ashamed and scarred from the horrible past of the city. They interviewed and priest who led them to another informative person, Potocki. Potocki told them the full story of Becca’s grandmother. The scary details haunted Becca but yet she was satisfied with the information she received. In the end there were still some details unresolved. She didn’t know where Gemma’s name changed to Gilt. Although some questions were left unsaid she found out that the story of Briar Rose, which was told to her for so many years, was Gemma’s life story. Magda and Becca left Potocki’s house and went back to the apartment the next day.
They arrived at the apartment that day and found a surprising guest there.
David sat in the corner of room on the couch and stared doe-eyed up into the new coming faces. He was timid and quiet. He sat by himself watching Polish T.V. He obviously couldn’t understand it.
“This is David, girls,” Auntie Wanda explained to them. Wanda was Magda’s aunt too. She lived with Wanda in the apartment. “He has come to visit for a few months. He’s had some family issues and needed a place to stay. Magda this is your distant cousin. He’s your step uncle’s son. You know the one that lives in America.” Magda nodded her head.
“Hello David. I am Magda.” She said nicely.
“Hello I’m Becca. I’m from the states too.” Becca said to him. He looked up and smiled. They had something in common. David was really lost being in a new culture and all. It was a relief to have someone there with him who could relate to him in that way.
It was a cozy apartment all small and humble. They ate gingerbreads and drank tea after supper. David couldn’t remember the last time he had such a good dessert, or even the last time he had dessert. He was happy there in Poland. He liked the distance between his mother and him. He felt free for the first time.
After dinner David proceeded back into the living room and watched some more television. Although he still couldn’t understand what he was watching.
“Girls, why don’t you go and talk to him. He’s come so far from his home and has no one to talk to. His mother is cruel to him and he needs some comfort. Becca why don’t you go and talk since you are both from America.” Wanda said. Becca looked at Wanda smiled, and nodded in agreement.
“Okay.” She said and walked into the room. She strolled by and sat down on the couch. “Hi David, what are you watching?” she asked trying to start a conversation with him.
“I don’t know actually.” He said flipping the channels with the remote. Becca and David chatted about Poland and how they liked it. They both were very kind to each other. David was still quiet and shy even as the conversation progressed. He didn’t open up to people that well. But he got up the courage to ask Becca a question.
“Where are you from again?” He asked. He was curious and wondered why she was here.
“I’m from Massachusetts. It’s along the eastern coast” She explained.
“I know where it is,” He stated without any tone in his voice. “Why are you all the way out here if you live in Massachusetts?”
“Well it’s complicated. See I came over here to get some answers about my grandmother. No one really knows about her past or life before my mom. I made a promise to her that I would find out who she was and know for myself.”
“So did you find it….What you were looking for? Whatever it was” He asked in an interested tone. He was fascinated by her quest. He wanted to know more about it.
“Yes and no. I found out the main secrets but not all. I also was told about a story of her life and found out something more. But there are still some things left unfinished. I just don’t know what to do about it.” Becca sighed. Even though she accomplished a lot she still wanted to know more. I guess her information would have to do for now.
“Sounds interesting, I wish I could remember my grandmother. I don’t see my relatives very much.” David said.
“Why not? Don’t your parents ever let you visit them?” Becca asked
“No never. My mother isn’t a family kind of person.” Becca cocked her head to the side in questioning position.
“She doesn’t like having company over or going out. All she does is drink and fight with my dad. Things are different at my house. I’m the one treated differently. I’m the one that’s just ‘The Boy’.” He said in a depressing voice. Becca could see by the expression on his face that something big was going on. She judged the bruises on his arms and head and assessed the situation briefly.
“How long are you staying here?” Becca asked.
“Hopefully I’m staying here a long time. I have no intentions to go back any time soon.” He said and yawned. Becca looked at her watch and it was late. She said good night to David and packed her things. She was leaving to go back home tomorrow.
The next morning Becca woke up and packed the car up. She said her goodbyes to Aunt Wanda and David and Magda escorted her to the airport. She checked in her baggage and was off to board the plane. This time her airplane flight was different. There was a sadness inside that wasn’t there before. She thought about David and wondered if he’d be okay. He didn’t say it aloud but Becca had a feeling that his mother was not the nicest person in the world to him. She wondered if he’d stay with Wanda and Magda forever or until things are worked out at home. She knew he was in good hands because he was with them. She took out her book and read to pass the time. She didn’t get very far until she totally fell asleep.
Becca made her way home safely and met Stan at the airport. They walked backed to the car and discussed the new article she’d be writing about her grandmother’s fairy tale.
Summer Reading Essay by Edward M
In the old, hot, dark gym of Mr. Donatelli there is an African American 17 year old high school drop out named Alfred is getting ready to practice boxing. When a 10 year old boy Dave wearing torn and old beet up clothes comes running in screaming at the top of his lunges. There is a moment of silence as they stare each other down in shock. Dave who has been beaten several times and is like a slave boy to his abusive mother has never seen an African American boy.
To break the silence Alfred asks “what are you doing here and why are your clothes all torn?”
“I’m Dave and I am hiding from my mother.”
Why are u hiding from your mother and I’m Alfred?”
“My mother has hit me and beaten me all my life and I finally got the courage to run away and she is chasing me so I need to hide.”
“Do you need a doctor or the police?”
They hear the front door slam shut then a ear piercing scream
“David I know your hear!”
As she walks into the gym she sees David and another older boy she yells
“Back away from my child or else!”
“No you have no right to this boy because you have broken the law you child abuser!” says Alfred
“What did you call me you boxing little brat?”
“I called you a child abuser and do you want to settle this in the ring?”
“O no you didn’t call me that so now I’m going to slug you in the ring.”
They entered the ring in boxing gloves no mouth guards no head protectors to settle weather she keeps the kid and he never tells any one or If Alfred wins David is free! The battle starts and vicious mother gives everything she has and the unprepared Alfred who had no idea that the mother could hit so hard so has to battle back. The battle was hard and well fought but finally with one last mighty left hook Alfred knocked out the mother. As Alfred slumped out of the ring David was both happy sad and scared.
“What’s wrong you’re free?” says Alfred
“I’m sad because even though she beats me she still is my mother.”
“But your free you can go live with some one nice and caring.”
“That’s true I can now live with my dad but I’m also scared because what if she finds me my dad was always a push over to her.”
“I will take care of that for you.” in about ten minutes a cop car and a brand new 89 Honda pulled up and a scruffy man that smelled like old spice got out of the Honda and yelled “David my boy were moving back to my new house in California and your going to be safe.” Then the unconscious mother was dragged into the police car.
“Good luck David I hope your happy.” said Alfred then the Father gave Alfred 500 dollars for saving his son and as they parted ways Alfred turned into the gym were his boxing manager Mr. Donatelli said “I think your ready.”
To break the silence Alfred asks “what are you doing here and why are your clothes all torn?”
“I’m Dave and I am hiding from my mother.”
Why are u hiding from your mother and I’m Alfred?”
“My mother has hit me and beaten me all my life and I finally got the courage to run away and she is chasing me so I need to hide.”
“Do you need a doctor or the police?”
They hear the front door slam shut then a ear piercing scream
“David I know your hear!”
As she walks into the gym she sees David and another older boy she yells
“Back away from my child or else!”
“No you have no right to this boy because you have broken the law you child abuser!” says Alfred
“What did you call me you boxing little brat?”
“I called you a child abuser and do you want to settle this in the ring?”
“O no you didn’t call me that so now I’m going to slug you in the ring.”
They entered the ring in boxing gloves no mouth guards no head protectors to settle weather she keeps the kid and he never tells any one or If Alfred wins David is free! The battle starts and vicious mother gives everything she has and the unprepared Alfred who had no idea that the mother could hit so hard so has to battle back. The battle was hard and well fought but finally with one last mighty left hook Alfred knocked out the mother. As Alfred slumped out of the ring David was both happy sad and scared.
“What’s wrong you’re free?” says Alfred
“I’m sad because even though she beats me she still is my mother.”
“But your free you can go live with some one nice and caring.”
“That’s true I can now live with my dad but I’m also scared because what if she finds me my dad was always a push over to her.”
“I will take care of that for you.” in about ten minutes a cop car and a brand new 89 Honda pulled up and a scruffy man that smelled like old spice got out of the Honda and yelled “David my boy were moving back to my new house in California and your going to be safe.” Then the unconscious mother was dragged into the police car.
“Good luck David I hope your happy.” said Alfred then the Father gave Alfred 500 dollars for saving his son and as they parted ways Alfred turned into the gym were his boxing manager Mr. Donatelli said “I think your ready.”
The End to Abuse by Chris A
David, get out of this house your worthless and no one loves you,” screamed David’s mother, as she chased him out of the house with a baseball bat.
David limped away for his leg was severely bruised from being pushed down the stairs. He left “home” and hopped on a shuttle flight out to the battle training school. There he planned to meet his friend Ender who he had met in school. They had only known each other for a year when Ender got the chip removed from his head, and he was called to go to the battle training school.
When David arrived at the training school he went to the battle simulator where he found Ender about to enter a battle with the rest of his team. He called out to Ender.
“Hey Ender,” and Ender turned around quickly, and saw David walking towards him.
“I’ll be in in a minute,” Ender said to his team captain. Who glanced back and signaled that was alright.
He ran up to David and was about to give him a big hug when he realized he didn’t want to get made fun of by the older boys. He stopped in front of David, and shook his hand.
“Hello,” Ender said.
“Hello,” said David.
“How have things at home been?” asked Ender.
“There not the best, the abuse has still been going on but school is good and I like my teacher, Ms. Snicker-doodle, and how are things here at the battle training school going?” asked David.
“They are going pretty good,” replied Ender, “I’ve already been boosted up to the next army, right now I am in salamander army,” replied Ender.
As They were talking David glanced around at the room he was in, it was a long hallway with different colored light strips all over the floor, some of which were going the same direction while other turned and went down a separate hall way.
“You’re not really supposed to be here,” Ender said.
“I’ll quickly go back to my room and grab you my spare battle suit.” said Ender.
David pulled on the battle suit and they both quickly ran into the battle room just as the battle was starting.
David had never been in a battle room before so he wasn’t really sure what to do. After a few minutes he realized that he needed to shoot the other team. They had run in so quickly that David had not noticed the shape of the battle area; it was like being inside a big ball. The best part was he was floating. They were all wearing what looked to be blue jumpsuits with weird shaped helmets. David started shooting away and he fired off twelve shots before he finally hit someone, and by that time one arm and one leg were already frozen.
Ender came floating over to him and they hid behind a wall for a little while and talked about what had gone on since the last time they had seen each other. Ender talked about what his experience at battle training school had been like and how much better he had gotten at battle training than he had been when he first started.
“Its really hard not having seen my family in over a year now,” said Ender
“Sometimes I dream about my sister and my mother,” Ender said gloomily.
David started talking about how the abuse at home was still the same and how much he needed to leave that place. He also explained why he had come.
“I decided to leave my house after the last incident, I was at home doing my math homework when my mother got a phone call from my teacher, before she even found out the reason she was calling, she immediately thought I got in trouble, she came over to me slapped me and brought me to the top of the stairs where she called me names and then pushed me making me fall down the stairs,” said David with his head down. Ender was shocked the expression on his face showed that he felt much sorrow for David. “I couldn’t take it anymore so I left and I didn’t really have any place to go so I came to see you,” said David.
“I don’t want you to go back there,” Ender said. “I’m going to go to the commander of the training school and ask him if you can stay.”
After the battle Ender went to the head of the battle training school and pleaded for the commander to let David stay. The commander finally gave in when Ender mentioned how much abuse David had gone through. David was relieved that he wouldn’t have to go back to his home, and was glad he could help in the fight in the future war against the buggers.
David limped away for his leg was severely bruised from being pushed down the stairs. He left “home” and hopped on a shuttle flight out to the battle training school. There he planned to meet his friend Ender who he had met in school. They had only known each other for a year when Ender got the chip removed from his head, and he was called to go to the battle training school.
When David arrived at the training school he went to the battle simulator where he found Ender about to enter a battle with the rest of his team. He called out to Ender.
“Hey Ender,” and Ender turned around quickly, and saw David walking towards him.
“I’ll be in in a minute,” Ender said to his team captain. Who glanced back and signaled that was alright.
He ran up to David and was about to give him a big hug when he realized he didn’t want to get made fun of by the older boys. He stopped in front of David, and shook his hand.
“Hello,” Ender said.
“Hello,” said David.
“How have things at home been?” asked Ender.
“There not the best, the abuse has still been going on but school is good and I like my teacher, Ms. Snicker-doodle, and how are things here at the battle training school going?” asked David.
“They are going pretty good,” replied Ender, “I’ve already been boosted up to the next army, right now I am in salamander army,” replied Ender.
As They were talking David glanced around at the room he was in, it was a long hallway with different colored light strips all over the floor, some of which were going the same direction while other turned and went down a separate hall way.
“You’re not really supposed to be here,” Ender said.
“I’ll quickly go back to my room and grab you my spare battle suit.” said Ender.
David pulled on the battle suit and they both quickly ran into the battle room just as the battle was starting.
David had never been in a battle room before so he wasn’t really sure what to do. After a few minutes he realized that he needed to shoot the other team. They had run in so quickly that David had not noticed the shape of the battle area; it was like being inside a big ball. The best part was he was floating. They were all wearing what looked to be blue jumpsuits with weird shaped helmets. David started shooting away and he fired off twelve shots before he finally hit someone, and by that time one arm and one leg were already frozen.
Ender came floating over to him and they hid behind a wall for a little while and talked about what had gone on since the last time they had seen each other. Ender talked about what his experience at battle training school had been like and how much better he had gotten at battle training than he had been when he first started.
“Its really hard not having seen my family in over a year now,” said Ender
“Sometimes I dream about my sister and my mother,” Ender said gloomily.
David started talking about how the abuse at home was still the same and how much he needed to leave that place. He also explained why he had come.
“I decided to leave my house after the last incident, I was at home doing my math homework when my mother got a phone call from my teacher, before she even found out the reason she was calling, she immediately thought I got in trouble, she came over to me slapped me and brought me to the top of the stairs where she called me names and then pushed me making me fall down the stairs,” said David with his head down. Ender was shocked the expression on his face showed that he felt much sorrow for David. “I couldn’t take it anymore so I left and I didn’t really have any place to go so I came to see you,” said David.
“I don’t want you to go back there,” Ender said. “I’m going to go to the commander of the training school and ask him if you can stay.”
After the battle Ender went to the head of the battle training school and pleaded for the commander to let David stay. The commander finally gave in when Ender mentioned how much abuse David had gone through. David was relieved that he wouldn’t have to go back to his home, and was glad he could help in the fight in the future war against the buggers.
Summer Reading Essay by Andrew P
It was a dark night in harlem and I was walking down the street. There was trash everywhere cause it was just after new years eve. I was thinking about wat mr.Donatelli had told me. Alfred your last fight is going to be in march. But little did I know it would in a battle school 60 years in the future in space.
Then out of the corner of my eye I saw something fal down to earth. I started to run to it. As I aproached the massive glowing hole I slowed down and waited. Furin g my wait the glowing became much less intense. I could now make out the shape of a small like rocket ship thing in the whole. Then all went dark and a small boy pobably like 9 or 10 years old came out. I just stood there staring at him.
“Are you Alfred brooks?”. Questioned ender
“ Yes , I am alfred brooks who are you?” alfred asked nervously
“ my name is ender wiggin and I am from 60 years in thte future you are wanted in the battle school. You have to come with me now.”ender told him
“Why?” alfred asked
“the reason has to be kept a secret untill you are evalutated, now don’t make me take you by force.” Ender said fiercly
“ fine I’ll come just tell me where it is” alfred said angrilly
“Good, and you will find out soon” ender told alfred.
Ender took me to his little rocket ship and strapped me into the baackseat. As we started to take off I started seeing plaid stripes everywhere. I saw in movies that this means we gouing at the speed of light. I also strated seeing really important inventions wiz by us as we were flying.
“How do you like time travel alfred?” ender asked me
“It’s alittle bit different but it is cool.” I answered
Then there was silence. For a long time. What seemed like hours was days days were week and weeks were years. We traveled 60 years at the speed of light. Then finally we saw the battle school. The batle school was dark place with walls that rounded up as you walked to keep the gravity on. Ender and alfred were in the same army ender was the comander and alfred began to get jealous of enders power after a couple of months. So he then went to general graff and requested a switch. When he got back to the armys baracks…
“where have you been?” asked ender in strict tone
“why do you care?” alfred retaliated
“I care because I’m the comander of your army” ender holared back at alfred.
“whatever I don’t care im switching armys anyway.” Alfred yelled
Later that night alfred was named the comander of rat army. He found out that he was facing enders army tomorwo he planned for revenge on ender so he could have some power.
The next morning they fought… ender won. Not very surprising but they didn’t have there war they fought in the shower room. Alfred beign mucvh bigger and stronger than ender wrapped him up in a headlock. Then ender countered with a really hard headbut to alfreds chin it made him bite his tounge off and die. Enders went on to win the whole bugger war with this guilt on him.-
Then out of the corner of my eye I saw something fal down to earth. I started to run to it. As I aproached the massive glowing hole I slowed down and waited. Furin g my wait the glowing became much less intense. I could now make out the shape of a small like rocket ship thing in the whole. Then all went dark and a small boy pobably like 9 or 10 years old came out. I just stood there staring at him.
“Are you Alfred brooks?”. Questioned ender
“ Yes , I am alfred brooks who are you?” alfred asked nervously
“ my name is ender wiggin and I am from 60 years in thte future you are wanted in the battle school. You have to come with me now.”ender told him
“Why?” alfred asked
“the reason has to be kept a secret untill you are evalutated, now don’t make me take you by force.” Ender said fiercly
“ fine I’ll come just tell me where it is” alfred said angrilly
“Good, and you will find out soon” ender told alfred.
Ender took me to his little rocket ship and strapped me into the baackseat. As we started to take off I started seeing plaid stripes everywhere. I saw in movies that this means we gouing at the speed of light. I also strated seeing really important inventions wiz by us as we were flying.
“How do you like time travel alfred?” ender asked me
“It’s alittle bit different but it is cool.” I answered
Then there was silence. For a long time. What seemed like hours was days days were week and weeks were years. We traveled 60 years at the speed of light. Then finally we saw the battle school. The batle school was dark place with walls that rounded up as you walked to keep the gravity on. Ender and alfred were in the same army ender was the comander and alfred began to get jealous of enders power after a couple of months. So he then went to general graff and requested a switch. When he got back to the armys baracks…
“where have you been?” asked ender in strict tone
“why do you care?” alfred retaliated
“I care because I’m the comander of your army” ender holared back at alfred.
“whatever I don’t care im switching armys anyway.” Alfred yelled
Later that night alfred was named the comander of rat army. He found out that he was facing enders army tomorwo he planned for revenge on ender so he could have some power.
The next morning they fought… ender won. Not very surprising but they didn’t have there war they fought in the shower room. Alfred beign mucvh bigger and stronger than ender wrapped him up in a headlock. Then ender countered with a really hard headbut to alfreds chin it made him bite his tounge off and die. Enders went on to win the whole bugger war with this guilt on him.-
Summer Reading Essay by Allyson G
Damien had arrived in Memphis only a week before today. He remembered the first day. Junice and her sister were welcomed into a good foster family, which was hard to come around in these times. For that, he was grateful. He had a hard time finding a place to stay for the amount of money he had, and it had to be near Junice’s house, because she was the whole reason for coming here.
Sitting on the stoop of his apartment complex in his old, dark purple hoodie and baggy jeans, Damien remembered the long bus ride and the trouble it took him to find his new home. It had taken almost all of the money he had saved to get the apartment. He had paid the rent for the apartment two months in advance and in that amount of time, he would have to conjure up more money to pay for the next two months and this was why he got up and started to walk down the main street, looking for help wanted signs.
Soon, he was amongst the crowd that filled the street during everyone’s lunch hour. He observed the different people swarming about, trying to get into their favorite café. There were so many different people. They were all sorts of shapes and sizes and ethnicities.
There was one family that caught his attention. It was a family of six. There was a mother a father, and four boys, but one of the boys looked unhappy. Damien assumed that the boy was simply not getting his way and being sour about it, but then he looked closer and, Damien couldn’t tell what it was, but there was something different about him. The boy looked more than unhappy; it seemed that he was scared.
Damien also noted how the family was dressed. They were definitely tourists by their ball caps and cameras, but something was strange. The family was dressed nicely, but this one boy looked like he was wearing rags.
Noticing all of these strange things about this boy, Damien decided to follow him and his family to wherever they were going, forgetting all about his job hunt. They lead him to a nearby hotel and Damien stopped following them once they reached the lobby.
Leaning against the outer wall of the hotel, Damien thought. Why was he chasing these people around town? So, the little boy made him interested in them, but that was no reason to be following their family.
Damien was startled when his thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. Out walked two men that were wearing maroon bellhop uniforms. One man had curly blonde hair and the other had straight black hair. They were talking to one another.
“Sam, I’m not sure if we’re going to find anyone in time. We’ll never get that raise if we can’t find someone to fill Harriet’s spot. Mister Collins will assign the job to one of his daughters, and then we’ll be bossed around even more than we are now,” a man with curly, blonde hair said to the other bellhop walking beside him.
“Well, Barry, We’ve still got time. Tom said we have another two days. Who knows, we might find someone,” the other said reassuringly.
“Hey, you need someone to work here?” Damien asked, standing up straight. The two men spun around, surprised by Damien’s sudden interjection. Sam nodded his head vigorously.
“Yeah, we’re in desperate need,” Barry said with a smile. All you need to do is ask Tom Collins, but make sure you say Barry and Sam found you. His office is right next to the desk in the lobby. Ask the girl who‘s sitting at it.”
Damien nodded and said a quick thank you as he turned around and entered the hotel. After speaking to the girl named Candy that was sitting at the desk at the end of the lobby, Damien was allowed into Mister Collins’ office. Damien didn’t need to knock, because Tom Collins had already opened the door to let him enter. He was asked to sit in a cushioned chair in front of Mister Collins’ desk.
Within thirty minutes, Damien walked out of the hotel with a smile on his face. He would start his new job tomorrow, and he would have enough money to pay rent within the first month.
----------
Damien arrived early for work the next morning. He walked down the stairs of the hotel to its basement, where the laundry mat was. He would be bringing fresh towels to people’s rooms while they were out.
He grabbed a while rolling bin that was filled with warm towels. A man named Carl had showed him how to do his job yesterday, so he already knew what to do. Damien pushed the bin up a ramp and into the elevator.
He took the clipboard off of the side of it and read it. Going down the list of people who hadn’t had their towels restocked in a while. The first number was two hundred and seven, which was on floor six. He pressed the sixth button on the elevator and he felt it start going up. Damien scanned the rest of the list to see if there were any more rooms on that floor that needed towels. There were seven.
Once the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Damien quickly pushed the rolling bin out of it and went to the closest room, which was two hundred and three. He knocked on the door. Since there was no answer, he swiped his card through the lock and it opened.
He soon began throwing old towels into trash bags and replacing them with new ones.
Sitting on the stoop of his apartment complex in his old, dark purple hoodie and baggy jeans, Damien remembered the long bus ride and the trouble it took him to find his new home. It had taken almost all of the money he had saved to get the apartment. He had paid the rent for the apartment two months in advance and in that amount of time, he would have to conjure up more money to pay for the next two months and this was why he got up and started to walk down the main street, looking for help wanted signs.
Soon, he was amongst the crowd that filled the street during everyone’s lunch hour. He observed the different people swarming about, trying to get into their favorite café. There were so many different people. They were all sorts of shapes and sizes and ethnicities.
There was one family that caught his attention. It was a family of six. There was a mother a father, and four boys, but one of the boys looked unhappy. Damien assumed that the boy was simply not getting his way and being sour about it, but then he looked closer and, Damien couldn’t tell what it was, but there was something different about him. The boy looked more than unhappy; it seemed that he was scared.
Damien also noted how the family was dressed. They were definitely tourists by their ball caps and cameras, but something was strange. The family was dressed nicely, but this one boy looked like he was wearing rags.
Noticing all of these strange things about this boy, Damien decided to follow him and his family to wherever they were going, forgetting all about his job hunt. They lead him to a nearby hotel and Damien stopped following them once they reached the lobby.
Leaning against the outer wall of the hotel, Damien thought. Why was he chasing these people around town? So, the little boy made him interested in them, but that was no reason to be following their family.
Damien was startled when his thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. Out walked two men that were wearing maroon bellhop uniforms. One man had curly blonde hair and the other had straight black hair. They were talking to one another.
“Sam, I’m not sure if we’re going to find anyone in time. We’ll never get that raise if we can’t find someone to fill Harriet’s spot. Mister Collins will assign the job to one of his daughters, and then we’ll be bossed around even more than we are now,” a man with curly, blonde hair said to the other bellhop walking beside him.
“Well, Barry, We’ve still got time. Tom said we have another two days. Who knows, we might find someone,” the other said reassuringly.
“Hey, you need someone to work here?” Damien asked, standing up straight. The two men spun around, surprised by Damien’s sudden interjection. Sam nodded his head vigorously.
“Yeah, we’re in desperate need,” Barry said with a smile. All you need to do is ask Tom Collins, but make sure you say Barry and Sam found you. His office is right next to the desk in the lobby. Ask the girl who‘s sitting at it.”
Damien nodded and said a quick thank you as he turned around and entered the hotel. After speaking to the girl named Candy that was sitting at the desk at the end of the lobby, Damien was allowed into Mister Collins’ office. Damien didn’t need to knock, because Tom Collins had already opened the door to let him enter. He was asked to sit in a cushioned chair in front of Mister Collins’ desk.
Within thirty minutes, Damien walked out of the hotel with a smile on his face. He would start his new job tomorrow, and he would have enough money to pay rent within the first month.
----------
Damien arrived early for work the next morning. He walked down the stairs of the hotel to its basement, where the laundry mat was. He would be bringing fresh towels to people’s rooms while they were out.
He grabbed a while rolling bin that was filled with warm towels. A man named Carl had showed him how to do his job yesterday, so he already knew what to do. Damien pushed the bin up a ramp and into the elevator.
He took the clipboard off of the side of it and read it. Going down the list of people who hadn’t had their towels restocked in a while. The first number was two hundred and seven, which was on floor six. He pressed the sixth button on the elevator and he felt it start going up. Damien scanned the rest of the list to see if there were any more rooms on that floor that needed towels. There were seven.
Once the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Damien quickly pushed the rolling bin out of it and went to the closest room, which was two hundred and three. He knocked on the door. Since there was no answer, he swiped his card through the lock and it opened.
He soon began throwing old towels into trash bags and replacing them with new ones.
A child called it meets Junice by Brittany V
David was at home, hiding from his mother who was more enraged than usual that night. Little David was sneaking away tonight, getting away from all the harm that he experienced at home. He gathered his few things from his dank cube of a room down in the basement. Quickly, he shoved them into a teeny knapsack, and threw it over his shoulder. Pacing around quietly Dave argued himself.
Do it. No, don’t you do that. You’ll be severely punished for it. No, follow through with it, you need to get away. You’re near death! David pondered and paced. He wasn’t supposed to be standing. He ate out of the trash earlier, and Mama told him he wasn’t allowed to eat at all for 3 weeks. David was actually expected to be sitting in the “military position.” This would be sitting on the cold hard stairs and his hands under his butt. He sighed and continued to pace and finally reassured himself that he could do it.
Silently, little skinny Dave clutched the window crank to unlock the window. Slowly, it whirled around and the window cracked open. Dave bit his bottom lip and smirked a little. He knew that this was it. Bringing himself up, David crawled across the damp grass of the front lawn. Rolling past his mother’s window, he laid flat against the fence. Did he hear something? No, couldn’t have. He made his way to the sidewalk. Here he was, alone, in the city.
Junice was a clever girl, but was caught in the wrong aspects of life. She also wandered the streets just as most teenagers in her generation did. Some people would consider her a thug. But truly, she wasn’t. Junice was just so concentrated on fitting in, on being like everyone else, that really, common decency wasn’t a problem to her. She knew what she was doing was wrong, unjust some would even say. But she didn’t care. Junice’s mother was a nice woman, she was. But, she was also caught up in a difficult life. She did drugs, to make her feel like she belonged. She knew she was in the slums and she wasn’t making a real good life for her kids. So that was the solution. Horrible, terrible, Drugs.
Junice was pretty. Beautiful hair, long and silky, if it was up kept. She had big brown eyes that would glimmer when she spoke. And she had perfect plump lips that shined when she flashed a grin. Though in her hard life, somehow Junice came to be quite stunning. Unfortunately, she hid it. Under baggy clothes, and stains on her torn and patched jeans. Under giant sweat shirts that the sleeves were notoriously long. Under bruises and scratches of fights she would get into. She hid her beauty. As great as it was, Junice didn’t want others seeing her looking so nicely. She felt ashamed, like her looks didn’t belong to her.
So there she was, in Memphis. Wandering aimlessly with her hands driven into her pockets and her head slouched downward. She listened to the sound of her footsteps make way through the empty town. The pavement was wet; it must’ve rained earlier in the night. Junice really didn’t know why she was out this time of night. Maybe just because it was unreal compared to the normal life she led. She was ready to pick a fight, or defend herself. Whatever was needed, she was prepared to wind up and go. She felt her stomach flip when she would see another person, whether they were walking the opposite way as her, or coming directly to her. Junice wasn’t sure that they were minding their business not intending harm.
David was walking down the sidewalk, nervous as could be, looking around the town. Every so often he would get self conscious and feel as if some one was watching him, and he was doing a bad thing. He shoved his hand into his pocket to feel his money. Dave had been hiding it since he was only 3. The total was not much more than 80 dollars. This was enough for a subway ticket or two, food and clothing. But he was going to make it last. He kept one hand in his pocket, just for the security of feeling the money between his fingers.
Arriving at the subway station, David pulled out his wad of cash. The attendant smiled down at him and remarked, “Aren’t you out late little buddy?”
David, in response, nodded sheepishly and tugged his backpack strap on his shoulder. He retrieved his money and smirked as he made his way to his ride. Sitting down on the sticky subway seat, David dropped his bag next to him and started to sleep.
Morning came. David was now in Memphis. It was so away from his home. Junice was back at home, babysitting her little sister and was getting ready to take her out to the park. David was heading to the park too, just so hopefully he could find a family to tag along with. He stopped at the swings and sat down. Junice noticed David at the swings, looking all rugged and such. Junice was concerned with his well-being. She noticed that Dave had many bruises and things up and down his showing body. She made her way to the swings.
“Hello?” she stammered, a little nervous of David, not knowing his personality.
He was startled, not expecting anyone to pay attention to him. “Hi,” he replied standing up, “I’m David.”
“Junice,” She answered pointing to herself, and then motioning to her sister she added, “Melissa.”
“It’s nice to meet you both. But if you don’t mind me asking you, why are you talking to me?”
“We want to help you. You seem, lost or something.” Junice smiled.
“Oh, okay. Thank you.” David said trying to be both mature and polite. “Come with me, I think you should follow me to the orphanage.”
“How did you know I was an orphan… or looking for a family?” Dave was in a slight awe as he asked Junice his questions.
“I really have a sense about those kinds of things.” She said knowingly.
“Junice, I don’t know you really. I’m not sure how to trust you.”
“You can. I’ll tell you my story and you can tell me yours.” Junice held out her hand to him.
“Okay!” David was the most enthusiastic he had ever been. Junice wasn’t friend. She was more like a savior.
So this is the end. Our two friends Junice and David walked off into Memphis city together, into the sunset telling their tales. David did find a great family. Junice and him are still friends, and visit all the time. Dave is happily living in Memphis city.
Do it. No, don’t you do that. You’ll be severely punished for it. No, follow through with it, you need to get away. You’re near death! David pondered and paced. He wasn’t supposed to be standing. He ate out of the trash earlier, and Mama told him he wasn’t allowed to eat at all for 3 weeks. David was actually expected to be sitting in the “military position.” This would be sitting on the cold hard stairs and his hands under his butt. He sighed and continued to pace and finally reassured himself that he could do it.
Silently, little skinny Dave clutched the window crank to unlock the window. Slowly, it whirled around and the window cracked open. Dave bit his bottom lip and smirked a little. He knew that this was it. Bringing himself up, David crawled across the damp grass of the front lawn. Rolling past his mother’s window, he laid flat against the fence. Did he hear something? No, couldn’t have. He made his way to the sidewalk. Here he was, alone, in the city.
Junice was a clever girl, but was caught in the wrong aspects of life. She also wandered the streets just as most teenagers in her generation did. Some people would consider her a thug. But truly, she wasn’t. Junice was just so concentrated on fitting in, on being like everyone else, that really, common decency wasn’t a problem to her. She knew what she was doing was wrong, unjust some would even say. But she didn’t care. Junice’s mother was a nice woman, she was. But, she was also caught up in a difficult life. She did drugs, to make her feel like she belonged. She knew she was in the slums and she wasn’t making a real good life for her kids. So that was the solution. Horrible, terrible, Drugs.
Junice was pretty. Beautiful hair, long and silky, if it was up kept. She had big brown eyes that would glimmer when she spoke. And she had perfect plump lips that shined when she flashed a grin. Though in her hard life, somehow Junice came to be quite stunning. Unfortunately, she hid it. Under baggy clothes, and stains on her torn and patched jeans. Under giant sweat shirts that the sleeves were notoriously long. Under bruises and scratches of fights she would get into. She hid her beauty. As great as it was, Junice didn’t want others seeing her looking so nicely. She felt ashamed, like her looks didn’t belong to her.
So there she was, in Memphis. Wandering aimlessly with her hands driven into her pockets and her head slouched downward. She listened to the sound of her footsteps make way through the empty town. The pavement was wet; it must’ve rained earlier in the night. Junice really didn’t know why she was out this time of night. Maybe just because it was unreal compared to the normal life she led. She was ready to pick a fight, or defend herself. Whatever was needed, she was prepared to wind up and go. She felt her stomach flip when she would see another person, whether they were walking the opposite way as her, or coming directly to her. Junice wasn’t sure that they were minding their business not intending harm.
David was walking down the sidewalk, nervous as could be, looking around the town. Every so often he would get self conscious and feel as if some one was watching him, and he was doing a bad thing. He shoved his hand into his pocket to feel his money. Dave had been hiding it since he was only 3. The total was not much more than 80 dollars. This was enough for a subway ticket or two, food and clothing. But he was going to make it last. He kept one hand in his pocket, just for the security of feeling the money between his fingers.
Arriving at the subway station, David pulled out his wad of cash. The attendant smiled down at him and remarked, “Aren’t you out late little buddy?”
David, in response, nodded sheepishly and tugged his backpack strap on his shoulder. He retrieved his money and smirked as he made his way to his ride. Sitting down on the sticky subway seat, David dropped his bag next to him and started to sleep.
Morning came. David was now in Memphis. It was so away from his home. Junice was back at home, babysitting her little sister and was getting ready to take her out to the park. David was heading to the park too, just so hopefully he could find a family to tag along with. He stopped at the swings and sat down. Junice noticed David at the swings, looking all rugged and such. Junice was concerned with his well-being. She noticed that Dave had many bruises and things up and down his showing body. She made her way to the swings.
“Hello?” she stammered, a little nervous of David, not knowing his personality.
He was startled, not expecting anyone to pay attention to him. “Hi,” he replied standing up, “I’m David.”
“Junice,” She answered pointing to herself, and then motioning to her sister she added, “Melissa.”
“It’s nice to meet you both. But if you don’t mind me asking you, why are you talking to me?”
“We want to help you. You seem, lost or something.” Junice smiled.
“Oh, okay. Thank you.” David said trying to be both mature and polite. “Come with me, I think you should follow me to the orphanage.”
“How did you know I was an orphan… or looking for a family?” Dave was in a slight awe as he asked Junice his questions.
“I really have a sense about those kinds of things.” She said knowingly.
“Junice, I don’t know you really. I’m not sure how to trust you.”
“You can. I’ll tell you my story and you can tell me yours.” Junice held out her hand to him.
“Okay!” David was the most enthusiastic he had ever been. Junice wasn’t friend. She was more like a savior.
So this is the end. Our two friends Junice and David walked off into Memphis city together, into the sunset telling their tales. David did find a great family. Junice and him are still friends, and visit all the time. Dave is happily living in Memphis city.
The Boy Who Found His Way by Tom A
When little David finally got away from his drunken mother he went to New York, because he wanted to be as far away as he could, and he always wanted to go to New York.. When he was finally adopted by Alfred it was the happiest day of his life. David was in 6th grade, and only had the rags for clothes that his mother had given to him. John was an amateur boxer and was tall and thin.
“Hello David, I am Alfred,” John said when he met David.
“Hello Alfred,” David said and smiled.
“I am here to take you home with me,” Alfred replied.
David didn’t say anything he just looked up and smile.
When they got back to Alfred’s house in queens Alfred said to David, “Why were you put up for adoption?”
David replied with a saddened look on his face, “When I was little my mother used to beat me. If I ever said anything about it she beat me more and no one believed me other than my teachers. One time when she was drunk she was threatening to kill me, which she always did, and the knife that she was holding in her hand fell out and hit me in the gut. I didn’t even get food that night because it took me more than 30 minutes to do my chores.”
“That’s awful,” replied Alfred with a disgusted look on his face.
“What about you though, what do u do?” asked David to change the subject.
“I am an amateur boxer down at the gym, I have fights every Saturday, and I work down at the food store. I started fighting when some kids tried to rob the food store but I didn’t tell them about the silent alarm and some of them got caught. I mean I didn’t mean to not tell them I just forgot, but they blamed me and they were after me so I had no choice, at the time I was skinny and didn’t know how to fight. Let me show you around the house and the area. Here is the kitchen not much,” Alfred brings David from the living room through the doorway into the kitchen which had a table and on one wall there was a row of cabinets with a sink in the middle and a stove, on the other side there was the fridge, “down the hallway is where our rooms are,” first door on the right is where David’s room is, it has a bed and a desk for him to do homework, “ and this is my room” he points to the room on the other side with his bed and bureau.”
“I like my room; I used to have to sleep in the garage on a cot,” said David.
“You get a bed here, and later we’ll get you some clothes too,” replied Alfred, “Ok now for the city, nothing much,” said Alfred as he walks out the front door with David, “ basically just some buildings, down there is the food store and the park, and up the other was is the gym where I train. Ok now we should go get you some clothes, unless you want to eat first?”
“I would rather eat first,” replied David quickly.
“Ok I have chicken or pork, mashed potatoes and green beans,” said Alfred
“Can we have chicken?” asked David
“Sure we can,” answered Alfred.
So Alfred and David when back inside the house and into the kitchen, Alfred started to cook the chicken, mashed potatoes and the green beans, he made extras for David. They then ate the food, and like what Alfred had thought David was going to have extras. Later after dinner Alfred took David and bought him some new clothes that actually fit, today was the happiest day of David’s life.
“Hello David, I am Alfred,” John said when he met David.
“Hello Alfred,” David said and smiled.
“I am here to take you home with me,” Alfred replied.
David didn’t say anything he just looked up and smile.
When they got back to Alfred’s house in queens Alfred said to David, “Why were you put up for adoption?”
David replied with a saddened look on his face, “When I was little my mother used to beat me. If I ever said anything about it she beat me more and no one believed me other than my teachers. One time when she was drunk she was threatening to kill me, which she always did, and the knife that she was holding in her hand fell out and hit me in the gut. I didn’t even get food that night because it took me more than 30 minutes to do my chores.”
“That’s awful,” replied Alfred with a disgusted look on his face.
“What about you though, what do u do?” asked David to change the subject.
“I am an amateur boxer down at the gym, I have fights every Saturday, and I work down at the food store. I started fighting when some kids tried to rob the food store but I didn’t tell them about the silent alarm and some of them got caught. I mean I didn’t mean to not tell them I just forgot, but they blamed me and they were after me so I had no choice, at the time I was skinny and didn’t know how to fight. Let me show you around the house and the area. Here is the kitchen not much,” Alfred brings David from the living room through the doorway into the kitchen which had a table and on one wall there was a row of cabinets with a sink in the middle and a stove, on the other side there was the fridge, “down the hallway is where our rooms are,” first door on the right is where David’s room is, it has a bed and a desk for him to do homework, “ and this is my room” he points to the room on the other side with his bed and bureau.”
“I like my room; I used to have to sleep in the garage on a cot,” said David.
“You get a bed here, and later we’ll get you some clothes too,” replied Alfred, “Ok now for the city, nothing much,” said Alfred as he walks out the front door with David, “ basically just some buildings, down there is the food store and the park, and up the other was is the gym where I train. Ok now we should go get you some clothes, unless you want to eat first?”
“I would rather eat first,” replied David quickly.
“Ok I have chicken or pork, mashed potatoes and green beans,” said Alfred
“Can we have chicken?” asked David
“Sure we can,” answered Alfred.
So Alfred and David when back inside the house and into the kitchen, Alfred started to cook the chicken, mashed potatoes and the green beans, he made extras for David. They then ate the food, and like what Alfred had thought David was going to have extras. Later after dinner Alfred took David and bought him some new clothes that actually fit, today was the happiest day of David’s life.
By Sarah B
Today was like any other day. I awoke to my alarm clock, slipped my sneakers on, and headed out the door for my morning run. I’m usually the only person out this early, with the exception of a few other runners, and police that are on patrol. I run to escape my thoughts. My thoughts of my last fight tonight. As I turned down the corner to cut through an alley, I heard a loud groan. I was startled at first as I paused and looked around. Lying there in a pile of trash was a boy about 8 years old. I looked around to see if there was an adult around but I didn’t see anybody. “Hello?” I said walking closer to the boy. He didn’t show any kind of sign that he was alive, so I gently shook him with my hands. He jolted up, eyes wide and filled with fear. “Wh-what do you want?” he asked me.
“I’m Alfred Brooks,” I said “I was out running, and I saw you, what are you doing out here?”
“I’m David, I uhm must have fell, when I brought out the trash last night.”
I could tell David was lying. He smelled of sewer, and urine. And even though he was sleeping in a pile of trash, there was no way one night of garbage could make a child smell that bad. The boy also had scratches, bruises, and cuts all over him. He was shaking and fidgeting, and every time I got close to him he flinched.
“Hmm.” I said, “Where do you live? Why aren’t your parents lookin’ for you?”
“My parents care! They do! They really do!” he stammered.
“I believe you, I believe you. Just I want to help you. Where do you live?”
“NO! I can’t go back there. I can’t go home.”
There was something about this boy that made me think I couldn’t just leave him. I was going to be late to the gym if I stayed here all day, and Mr. Donatelli was going to be upset, but this boy needed help. He had something about him that I needed to find out.
“Ok, if you don’t want to go home I won’t make you.” I assured him, “you just need to tell me about yourself, and why you don’t want to go home.”
The boy sat looking up at me with a blank look in his eyes.
“I-I can’t tell you.” He whimpered as tears began to pour out his eyes.
“How about this, I’ll take you back to my house, get you all cleaned up, and then I’ll take you out to a breakfast spot that is right around the corner from my house? Hows that sound buddy?” The boy sat looking at my straight in the eye. I knew that he wanted to, and I knew that I could probably talk to him and help him if we talked. After a long while of silence, he finally cleared his throat and said, “As long as you don’t tell anybody..”
“I won’t don’t worry.” I assured him, even though chances were that I was going to have to tell somebody to get this boy some help. We were still a good half mile away from the apartment, and this boy looked like he wouldn’t be able to take four steps without collapsing, so I lifted him up and put him on my back, and started walking home.
When we arrived home I put him down in my room on my bed because he was sleeping. Even though his stench got wrapped up in my sheets, I didn’t mind. I jumped in the shower, washed up, and then walked back in my bedroom to find David still sleeping. I decided to wake him, that way he could shower before he stunk up my whole apartment.
When he got out of the shower I gave him some of my old clothes that were from about 6 or 7 years ago. They were a little big on him but anything was better than the rags full of holes he was wearing before. He asked to get on my back to go to the diner, I didn’t have a problem with that.
We sat down at a little booth with red vinyl seats. Our waiter came over and I ordered us both two chocolate milks. When the waiter placed our waters down with our silver wear David grasped his and clutched it tightly that he has white knuckles, and in a matter of seconds he was slurping it down, and coughing. It was apparent that he was mistreated at home. I started to make small talk.
“David, remember everything you tell me is a secret. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”
He waited and helplessly looked at me, like a little abandoned puppy crying for help. David was crying inside for help and attention. After a while of thinking he cleared his throat.
“My mother abuses me.”
I wasn’t very surprised when he told me, but I asked him to tell me more. “Yesterday she put me in the bathroom with ammonia, and bleach. She barley feeds me, and when she does it’s the scrapings from my family’s plate. I live in the garage, it’s cold and dark. Everyone at school makes fun of me and I have to lie to my teachers saying my mother is a great woman.”
I knew that the child’s mother abused him, but this is just wrong! I decided not to make it apparent I felt sorry for him, because I couldn’t do anything. I decided to tell him about my friend James who used to be my best friend but is now doing drugs, drinking, and getting in a lot of trouble. I told David that I could have followed David down a path of bad choices, but I decided to get involved in boxing and work hard at the grocery store I work at, to make sure I can be the best person I can, and hopefully help my friend out.
“How do you do it all?” David asked wiping the tears from his eyes.
“You gotta have dreams for yourself David.” I answered.
I then got up and left $30.00 on the table, and left the gym’s number on a napkin for him. I had to be at Mr. Donatelli’s Gym, because I had a fight tonight.
“What’s all this?” questioned David.
“Order yourself a big meal, once your done; use the change that’s left over to make a phone call on one of them phones over there.”
“Whose phone is that?” he asked.
“I told you a little about how I am a boxer, but I have my last fight tonight, and I need to be at the gym right now to meet with my trainer. When you call, I’ll have one of my friends from the gym come down and pick you up, you can come check out the gym for today, and come to my fight at night.” I said.
“What about my mother?” he asked.
“I’ll take care of her, just come out for one night.” I said. I winked and then walked out the door on my way to the gym. As I walked by David had a big grin on his face, and was waving at me.
“I’m Alfred Brooks,” I said “I was out running, and I saw you, what are you doing out here?”
“I’m David, I uhm must have fell, when I brought out the trash last night.”
I could tell David was lying. He smelled of sewer, and urine. And even though he was sleeping in a pile of trash, there was no way one night of garbage could make a child smell that bad. The boy also had scratches, bruises, and cuts all over him. He was shaking and fidgeting, and every time I got close to him he flinched.
“Hmm.” I said, “Where do you live? Why aren’t your parents lookin’ for you?”
“My parents care! They do! They really do!” he stammered.
“I believe you, I believe you. Just I want to help you. Where do you live?”
“NO! I can’t go back there. I can’t go home.”
There was something about this boy that made me think I couldn’t just leave him. I was going to be late to the gym if I stayed here all day, and Mr. Donatelli was going to be upset, but this boy needed help. He had something about him that I needed to find out.
“Ok, if you don’t want to go home I won’t make you.” I assured him, “you just need to tell me about yourself, and why you don’t want to go home.”
The boy sat looking up at me with a blank look in his eyes.
“I-I can’t tell you.” He whimpered as tears began to pour out his eyes.
“How about this, I’ll take you back to my house, get you all cleaned up, and then I’ll take you out to a breakfast spot that is right around the corner from my house? Hows that sound buddy?” The boy sat looking at my straight in the eye. I knew that he wanted to, and I knew that I could probably talk to him and help him if we talked. After a long while of silence, he finally cleared his throat and said, “As long as you don’t tell anybody..”
“I won’t don’t worry.” I assured him, even though chances were that I was going to have to tell somebody to get this boy some help. We were still a good half mile away from the apartment, and this boy looked like he wouldn’t be able to take four steps without collapsing, so I lifted him up and put him on my back, and started walking home.
When we arrived home I put him down in my room on my bed because he was sleeping. Even though his stench got wrapped up in my sheets, I didn’t mind. I jumped in the shower, washed up, and then walked back in my bedroom to find David still sleeping. I decided to wake him, that way he could shower before he stunk up my whole apartment.
When he got out of the shower I gave him some of my old clothes that were from about 6 or 7 years ago. They were a little big on him but anything was better than the rags full of holes he was wearing before. He asked to get on my back to go to the diner, I didn’t have a problem with that.
We sat down at a little booth with red vinyl seats. Our waiter came over and I ordered us both two chocolate milks. When the waiter placed our waters down with our silver wear David grasped his and clutched it tightly that he has white knuckles, and in a matter of seconds he was slurping it down, and coughing. It was apparent that he was mistreated at home. I started to make small talk.
“David, remember everything you tell me is a secret. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”
He waited and helplessly looked at me, like a little abandoned puppy crying for help. David was crying inside for help and attention. After a while of thinking he cleared his throat.
“My mother abuses me.”
I wasn’t very surprised when he told me, but I asked him to tell me more. “Yesterday she put me in the bathroom with ammonia, and bleach. She barley feeds me, and when she does it’s the scrapings from my family’s plate. I live in the garage, it’s cold and dark. Everyone at school makes fun of me and I have to lie to my teachers saying my mother is a great woman.”
I knew that the child’s mother abused him, but this is just wrong! I decided not to make it apparent I felt sorry for him, because I couldn’t do anything. I decided to tell him about my friend James who used to be my best friend but is now doing drugs, drinking, and getting in a lot of trouble. I told David that I could have followed David down a path of bad choices, but I decided to get involved in boxing and work hard at the grocery store I work at, to make sure I can be the best person I can, and hopefully help my friend out.
“How do you do it all?” David asked wiping the tears from his eyes.
“You gotta have dreams for yourself David.” I answered.
I then got up and left $30.00 on the table, and left the gym’s number on a napkin for him. I had to be at Mr. Donatelli’s Gym, because I had a fight tonight.
“What’s all this?” questioned David.
“Order yourself a big meal, once your done; use the change that’s left over to make a phone call on one of them phones over there.”
“Whose phone is that?” he asked.
“I told you a little about how I am a boxer, but I have my last fight tonight, and I need to be at the gym right now to meet with my trainer. When you call, I’ll have one of my friends from the gym come down and pick you up, you can come check out the gym for today, and come to my fight at night.” I said.
“What about my mother?” he asked.
“I’ll take care of her, just come out for one night.” I said. I winked and then walked out the door on my way to the gym. As I walked by David had a big grin on his face, and was waving at me.
Summer Reading Essay By Brei R
While walking around one day, David stumbled upon what looked to be an ordinary cardboard box on the side of the road. At first he thought nothing of it, until he saw the words, “time machine” scribbled across the side in black marker. He figured it was nothing, maybe something a small child was using for a game one day, but still, he couldn’t help but wonder. He decided to try it, because he was so tired of his mother, and everything else around him, he was desperate to go somewhere, anywhere, as long as it was far from here. He crawled into the box, and made himself into a small ball. There was words on the inside as well that read: past, present, future.
David decided he wanted to go back to the past, to see what things were like. He didn’t want to spoil the future, for he loved surprises. He wasn’t exactly sure how he was going to work this so called time machine. He finally decided that he would say where he wanted to go aloud. He closed his eyes, and whispered, “past. I want to go to the past.” He had no specific time in mind, just anywhere was fine with him, he loved adventures. For a time, nothing happened. He was about to give up when he felt a jolt, and got a free-falling sensation that made him feel nauseous, and then he felt himself hit the floor of the box. All was still, so he snuck a peek outside of the box. Everything looked so dark and bleak, and there was not a soul to be seen. He seemed to be a little ways into a forest, but not too deep into it that it was all he could see. In the distance, he spotted a small house. He was getting hungry, and thought maybe the owner of this house would be kind enough to give him something to eat. He slowly climbed out of the box, being careful not to rip it, and started walking towards the house.
It seemed like just seconds when he was out of the forest, and right in front of the house. It was a cozy looking house, not too large, not too small. The lights were on, and dimmed to a warm yellow color. He could hear voices from inside, there was more than one person home, he assumed. He could hear some little, excited voices, and one older voice, that sounded wise and patient. He knocked on the door lightly, trying not to disturb what was going on inside. Moments later, an old woman came to the door. “may I help you?” she asked in a very kind voice. David looked at her, debating what he should say.
“Hello, um, I am from the future, and I’m lost and hungry and-”
“slow down child.” She interrupted him, putting up a hand to silence him. “come inside, and tell me the whole story.” David nodded and followed her inside. The house smelled like ham, and it made his mouth water. As if she could read his mind, she got a plate and put a generous helping of ham on it, and held it out to David. “thank you ma’am.” He said, and she smiled. She lead him into a room, where three little girls sat on the floor, looking irritated that their story time had been interrupted. “sorry girls, we have an unexpected visitor. I’m going to have to cut snow white short for tonight. Remember where I left off, and we’ll continue tomorrow, deal?” she questioned.
“Gemma!” all three complained in unison. She silenced them with just a look, and walked into another room that had a few old chairs, and a table in the middle. David had already cleaned his plate by the time they sat down.
“so, I think we should start off formally. My name is Rose, and you?”
“David.”
“Well that’s a handsome name. I certainly like it. So, David, you say you’re from the future? How exactly does this work.”
“well Rose, I was going for a walk, and I found a box on the side of the road that said time machine. I didn’t think it was actually going to work, but I gave it a try. All I had to do was say I wanted to go to the past, and it brought me here.”
“that’s rather interesting. Why did you want to time travel?”
“that’s a long story”
“well, we have time.” Rose said, glancing at the clock. It was only 4 pm. They sat there for a few moments in silence, until David finally spoke.
“well, my mother, she isn’t very nice to me. She beats me and does very cruel things to me, and I just wanted to get away. You wouldn’t understand.”
“I might understand more than you think.” She looked at him, and he raised his eyebrows. He was curious to know how this old woman could have anything in common with him.
“You’re lucky your little time machine didn’t land you somewhere 50 years before now. I was in a concentration camp. It was torture beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I was the only woman to survive.” She said, and you could see her eyes starting to get shiny, she was struggling to hold in tears. David could tell it must have been hell, for her to remember so many years later.
They continued to talk about how horrible the conditions were, and David explained how he was abused by his mother, and they compared the two. Surprisingly, Rose and David had a lot in common.
“It’s getting pretty late, I think it’s about time you head back to your time period.” Rose suggested. David got up and walked towards the door, and waved goodbye as he departed. He got back into the time machine, and told it to take him back to the present. He was happy that he was able to make this journey, and learn so much more about that past, and also see that he was not alone, and he could also survive the harsh beatings of his mother. He was able to go to bed that night and sleep very peacefully, for what seemed like the first time in his life.
David decided he wanted to go back to the past, to see what things were like. He didn’t want to spoil the future, for he loved surprises. He wasn’t exactly sure how he was going to work this so called time machine. He finally decided that he would say where he wanted to go aloud. He closed his eyes, and whispered, “past. I want to go to the past.” He had no specific time in mind, just anywhere was fine with him, he loved adventures. For a time, nothing happened. He was about to give up when he felt a jolt, and got a free-falling sensation that made him feel nauseous, and then he felt himself hit the floor of the box. All was still, so he snuck a peek outside of the box. Everything looked so dark and bleak, and there was not a soul to be seen. He seemed to be a little ways into a forest, but not too deep into it that it was all he could see. In the distance, he spotted a small house. He was getting hungry, and thought maybe the owner of this house would be kind enough to give him something to eat. He slowly climbed out of the box, being careful not to rip it, and started walking towards the house.
It seemed like just seconds when he was out of the forest, and right in front of the house. It was a cozy looking house, not too large, not too small. The lights were on, and dimmed to a warm yellow color. He could hear voices from inside, there was more than one person home, he assumed. He could hear some little, excited voices, and one older voice, that sounded wise and patient. He knocked on the door lightly, trying not to disturb what was going on inside. Moments later, an old woman came to the door. “may I help you?” she asked in a very kind voice. David looked at her, debating what he should say.
“Hello, um, I am from the future, and I’m lost and hungry and-”
“slow down child.” She interrupted him, putting up a hand to silence him. “come inside, and tell me the whole story.” David nodded and followed her inside. The house smelled like ham, and it made his mouth water. As if she could read his mind, she got a plate and put a generous helping of ham on it, and held it out to David. “thank you ma’am.” He said, and she smiled. She lead him into a room, where three little girls sat on the floor, looking irritated that their story time had been interrupted. “sorry girls, we have an unexpected visitor. I’m going to have to cut snow white short for tonight. Remember where I left off, and we’ll continue tomorrow, deal?” she questioned.
“Gemma!” all three complained in unison. She silenced them with just a look, and walked into another room that had a few old chairs, and a table in the middle. David had already cleaned his plate by the time they sat down.
“so, I think we should start off formally. My name is Rose, and you?”
“David.”
“Well that’s a handsome name. I certainly like it. So, David, you say you’re from the future? How exactly does this work.”
“well Rose, I was going for a walk, and I found a box on the side of the road that said time machine. I didn’t think it was actually going to work, but I gave it a try. All I had to do was say I wanted to go to the past, and it brought me here.”
“that’s rather interesting. Why did you want to time travel?”
“that’s a long story”
“well, we have time.” Rose said, glancing at the clock. It was only 4 pm. They sat there for a few moments in silence, until David finally spoke.
“well, my mother, she isn’t very nice to me. She beats me and does very cruel things to me, and I just wanted to get away. You wouldn’t understand.”
“I might understand more than you think.” She looked at him, and he raised his eyebrows. He was curious to know how this old woman could have anything in common with him.
“You’re lucky your little time machine didn’t land you somewhere 50 years before now. I was in a concentration camp. It was torture beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I was the only woman to survive.” She said, and you could see her eyes starting to get shiny, she was struggling to hold in tears. David could tell it must have been hell, for her to remember so many years later.
They continued to talk about how horrible the conditions were, and David explained how he was abused by his mother, and they compared the two. Surprisingly, Rose and David had a lot in common.
“It’s getting pretty late, I think it’s about time you head back to your time period.” Rose suggested. David got up and walked towards the door, and waved goodbye as he departed. He got back into the time machine, and told it to take him back to the present. He was happy that he was able to make this journey, and learn so much more about that past, and also see that he was not alone, and he could also survive the harsh beatings of his mother. He was able to go to bed that night and sleep very peacefully, for what seemed like the first time in his life.
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