writing – Page 5 – The Mint Girl Blog

NaNoWriMo 2021

If you remember, last year, I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). This year, I’ll be doing it again! I’m very excited with the plot/characters that I have created and I’m so excited to have this opportunity. Before starting, I have already created a plot, a sense of how much to write in a day/week, and some of my major character that will be involved.

Because of this, I am not planning on publishing many blog posts, only one more at the end of the month (The Top Reads of November). I am so excited to go on this journey again!

Have you ever considered doing anything like NaNoWriMo before?

First Week as a Seventh Grader

I just started school! This is my first week in person and I was so excited to meet everyone and see everything that I missed out in my virtual year. Here are some of the things that I experienced during my first week as a seventh grader.

Passing Periods
I have 5 classes each day, most of them being on the second floor (our school has 3 floors), though some are on other floors. We have 5 minutes to get to each class and after that you’re tardy. It can sometimes be a big race to get to your next class before the tardy bell rings, though I have been on time for everything so far.
One Way Hallways/Stairs
Because of COVID, our school has added one way hallways to the first and second floors. This can be a bit challenging, especially if your class is two doors down, but you have to walk all around the school in the crowd to get to it in only 5 minutes. Luckily, the crowd thins out as you walk around. We also have one way stairs, so you can only go up certain staircases and down certain staircases.
Homework
There’s a lot more homework than what I was expecting for the first week of school! A lot of it were only forms to sign, but I did have homework in my Science, English, and Social Studies class. Luckily, the homework is pretty easy, though it will most likely get harder as time passes.
Computers
We are given school computers to use for the tests and projects we do in certain classes. I got mine on Friday and have already used it in the second week quite a lot (for the beginning of year tests). It’s handy to have a second computer specifically for school work, where you can keep all of your assignments.
My Favorite Classes
My Favorite Classes so far are Theater and Science. I love theater because of all the fun activities we do and all the chances we get to learn what we like and how we do everything. Our teacher’s also very nice. I absolutely love our science teacher and the energy that she gives off. She makes learning much more fun and I’m really glad I’m in her class!

What’s your favorite part of school?
Also, due to school starting up, I will now only be publishing blogs on Wednesdays.

World Building

Recently, I did a WITS writing class (I wrote this story there). We did a few mini activities, one of them being world-building writing prompts based on artwork around the Rice University campus. World-building activities help you create a brand new world and develop it. It’s a common exercise writers use to be more creative. These are the questions asked and what answers I gave based off of the artwork.

Questions:

Imagine that the artwork is deeply important to people on an alien land. Why? What do they use it for? What significance does it have?
Imagine you are the size of an ant and the artwork is as tall as a skyscraper. What goes on inside of it?
Imagine the art is small enough to fit in your hand. Why would you give it to someone and what for?
Imagine the artwork could talk. What would it say? Would it be happy with its location?

The Questioning Column:

This is where rainbows come from. Colors are churned, releasing their vividness and making rainbows brighter. This is how the colors seem to blend together as well.
You can slightly see the churning of the rope-like strands of colors, twisting and turning together, eventually falling into place and forming a bright and colorful rainbow.
If you need something to cheer you up, you can create rainbows with the small rainbow maker. It’s easy to give as a gift and can help anyone perk up.
There are many Rainbow Makers around the world, some small, some big. They are all stationed in areas with desperate need of color and they do their job quite well. They would most likely be happy where they are.

Movement at the Edge of the Land:

These aren’t just piles of dirt. They help the government. Piles of dirt and holes in the ground can easily track movements around an area the way that normal cameras could never do.
You can’t see any action. The government made sure that the tracking was discreet. They couldn’t let anyone know what they were up to.
The government gifted these piles of dirt to anyone who they though was suspicious, tracking them as they wished. No one ever realized what the piles were actually used for.
The government would never let the dirt talk. If they even tried, they would be silenced forever right away. If they could talk, they would say that they hate their job.

James Turrell Skyspace:

This is a hangout for astronomers, meteorologists, and others who use the sky and space for their line of work. Though the government doesn’t trust their kind and has banned them, some still meet here day and night to practice their work. At night it is lit up to resemble a party, so the government doesn’t get very suspicious. In the day, there is a special forcefield surrounding it. It is a sign of resistance and perseverance.
Inside, astronomers and more scurry around, trying and succeeding to practice their art. It can be messy and dangerous sometimes, but it’s a safe space for the “sky lookers”
It wouldn’t be given as a gift, but as a signal from worker to worker signaling a meetup in the skyspace. They are usually very small, to avoid drawing attention.
The skylight would be pleased for being used in such a noble manner, though sometimes it wishes that its job wasn’t so dangerous and life-risking.

Barn Raising:

These ribbons are a festivity, or at least, that’s what most people think. As soon as you step into the forest, you’ll doubt yourself. Something about the rustling of the ribbons sneaks up on you and makes you wonder if you made the right choice (spoiler alert- you didn’t). Slowly, without the ribbons doing anything, you’ll start to lose your mind. You mind will turn against you- starting with self-doubt and ending with complete insanity.
The ribbons blow with the wind. Something about the way they move so gently, but with a ferocious demeaner is frightening to people. In the end, not many know that the ribbons are the villains in this story.
Only true villains who know the power of the ribbons gift it to others. Though it’s smaller, it works in the same ways.
The ribbons would just laugh gently, with a slightly horrifying edge. They don’t have and conscience and therefore don’t care.

How would you build a new world?

The Stolen Colors

This year, I participated in a WITS writing camp. For the camp, we wrote a short story and talked about the other elements along the way. This is the story which I wrote. I hope you enjoy!

Imagine a world where color is stolen. The world is naturally grey, so colors are taken from other planets that are both willing and unwilling to give their source of brightness away. Now imagine what would happen if all the colors suddenly went out.

“Why are you making such a fuss?” I asked tiredly, “It’s not that big of a deal,” I rolled my eyes, much to the annoyance of my best friend, Jadelyn.

“Yes it is!” Jadelyn insisted, “Don’t you think it’s weird that we steal colors, Edith?”

I shrugged, “That’s the way it’s always been on Arcus. Stop thinking about it too much and let’s just go home,”

Jadelyn sighed before nodding with a pasted-on grin. I smiled thinly, relieved that a conflict had been avoided. We hurried to my house, excited for our sleepover. Jadelyn trailed behind slightly, but I knew that she would forgive me and I would forgive her. We always made up after our arguments, usually about the same topic that we had fought about today.

We got home and my eyes lit up when my cat, Rosa, came to greet me. I chuckled, relenting to Rosa’s indignant purrs to be petted. When I finally stood up, I realized that Jadelyn had gone inside. I smirked, knowing that my best friend couldn’t resist the special cookies my mom made when she came over. Petting Rosa one more time, I stepped inside to the warm and familiar smell of freshly baked cookies. Jadelyn was climbing up the stairs, a tray in each hand, beckoning me to go with her. I raced up the stairs, eager for us to get to my room.

We played a lot of games and talked about everything. I picked up the TV remote and had just opened Netflix, when something flickered. We looked around, scared and trying to figure out what it was. There was another flicker and I looked at Jadelyn wide-eyed. I could tell that she had also figured out what it was. “The colors,” I murmured, frightened. They flickered one more time, then stopped at grey. Jadelyn and I both made the decision simultaneously. We dashed downstairs to check if it was just our room or the whole world.

As we biked through our neighborhood, my stomach sank lower and lower. When we reached the normally red party lanterns emitting a faint grey light, about a mile from our house, we realized the truth. I checked my government-given watch frantically for an update. There was none. I stared at my usually bright clothes in despair. Jadelyn looked down, biting her lip. It was official. There was no color anymore on Arcus.

Jadelyn’s eyes glimmered, but not from tears, “The Rebellion- they’ve done it”.

Magic in my Blood: A Short Story

This is a short story I wrote for my English class. It is still in the rough draft stage, though I hope to give it more structure in the coming weeks. Hope you enjoy!

It was in spring when I first realized I could do magic. I had seen some unusual things happening around me before, but I never understood that it was me causing them, me who was the unusual one. It was in summer that I realized I could control my magic. Ever since then, I’d started experimenting with potions and what others called witchcraft. Because of this, I was shunned. No one except my 3 closest friends, Phoenix, Althea, and Kalie, wanted to associate with me. The others called me the “Magic Girl” and laughed at me. But I always knew that I was meant for something more. I could always tell.
“Isa!” My friend Althea called, “It’s boiling over!” I hurried over to the other side of my little workshop. There was a diamond shaped window at the far end, where a potion was set up. This one was special. If I used it properly, I could be able to share some of my powers with my friends, one of my lifelong dreams, “Kalie! The wax please!” There was a stove at the other end where purple wax was being heated. Kalie brought the wax over quickly and I dropped a little gemstone into it before pouring the wax into the pot. The potion was an eerie blue and it smelled strangely like cake which I could also imagine it tasting like. I could hear the bubbles popping and though I wanted to reach in, I stopped myself. Who knew what would happen? “Now to wait” I proclaimed, then brought out 4 stools for us. We all sat down and I poured us a glass of lemonade that I had made yesterday. All three of us were close. We were all outcasts, in some way or another, and we supported each other’s dreams. Arpin, the place where we live, is a beautiful place, but the people are very traditional. I knew that I would never be able to join the army, Phoenix would never be able to be a marine biologist, Althea wouldn’t be able to become an architect, and Kalie would never be a singer, simply because our parents weren’t born that way. Of course we could all hope for that to change, but knowing Arpin, it wasn’t likely. “So Isa,” Phoenix started, “Have you seen the posters for army recruitment?” I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes, “Of course I’ve seen them. But there’s no point in trying out. We all know that I’m not going to make it” “Well…… I had an idea. What if you use your magic to change yourself into what they want to see? Later, we’ll take the potion that you’ve made and use it to change you back” I considered the plan and shrugged, “Why not? It actually seems like a thought up plan for you,” I teased. Phoenix smirked and Kalie giggled. “I helped,” Althea joked. We all laughed and as we drank lemonade with a special potion bubbling and boiling in the background, I couldn’t feel more at home.

***

I walked up to the leader of the army and tried not to wince as I smelled his breath. I had a completely new body without an ounce of magic. Instead of my recognizable lilac hair, I had a blonde French braid and brown eyes instead of my normal green eyes, “What’s your weapon?” the leader barked. I tried not to grin. This could actually be it! I could truly be in the army. I took out my bow and arrow and fired a perfect shot. While I was hopelessly waiting to be recruited, I had practiced my archery skills until I could shoot a bullseye in my sleep. I quickly shot 10 more arrows and waited for the leader to check my accuracy. He came back looking impressed and handed me a form to sign up. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was finally going to be in the army. I couldn’t wait to tell my friends. I took a breath to calm myself down and looked the officer straight in the eye, “Thank you,” He snorted, “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Next!” It was all I could do to not skip home in joy. My friends, seeing my cheerful mood grinned and motioned me over. I ran over quickly and showed them my form. They all beamed, knowing how much it meant to be, “I knew you would get in!” Kalie squealed, squeezing my arm. Althea had already whipped out her notebook and was drawing a schedule for my practices and work. Phoenix, on the other hand, was jumping around and making strange noises, occasionally getting strange looks from neighbors. I was on top of the world and on cloud 9 right now. I was with my friends, and I was in the army. There was absolutely nothing better than that.
***

Being in the army was exhausting. The schedule that Althea had made had proved to work out very well and it was what my whole life was balancing on. I had also made a few friends like Ladon, Hadie, Lamani, Poli, Jayce, and Fanis. They always stuck to my side and helped me out in tough situations. My best friend in the army, Ladon, would often help me out in the logistics of war and was a great person to confide in. In fact, I started to build a bond with him, one that wasn’t as strong as my bonds with Kalie, Phoenix, and Althea, but the type of bond that had the potential to get there. We hung out after practice sometimes, and I decided that I could trust him. I led him to my secret potion making workshop, where Kalie, Phoenix, and Althea were waiting, “Hey guys!” I waved, a bit nervous, “This is my friend from the army, Ladon. Ladon, these are my previous friends, Kalie, Althea, and Phoenix.” I breathed out, “Ladon, I have something to show you. Kalie, can you transform me please?” She nodded and after taking a sip of the potion, put her arm out on me, presumably imagining me in her mind. I flashed back to Isa Chamberlain, the ‘magic girl’ and turned to look at Ladon. His eyes glinted, though I couldn’t tell if it was from excitement or anger and the scar on his face seemed more prominent. He nodded once, before telling us he had to go. Before he left, he turned to take one last look at me, as if really seeing who I was.

***

The next day, I wasn’t allowed into the training center. Before pounding on the door and few times and checking my outfit to make sure I was still under my disguise as Lilah Carter, Ladon came out. The glint in his eyes was definitely cruel and the scar didn’t help his case, “Ladon!” I cried, “Why am I not being allowed inside?” “Why, because you’re Isa Chamberlain of course,” he said, as if it were the most casual thing in the world, “B-but” I stammered, “No one else but you knew about it. Why would you tell them?” “Didn’t want any traitors or magic girls in our army,” he sneered. I look at him, shocked. This was the boy who I had believed I had a real chance at friendship with. Who used to be so kind to me. Who betrayed me. I blinked my eyes a few times and stood up strong. Ladon may have ruined my chances at getting in the army again, but I still had my previous friends. I couldn’t go down, this easily. I had to be strong. But what if it was too hard? I’ve been in the army, I reminded myself. I’ve faced ‘too hard’ more than once. I can do it. I have to. I decided not to go home right away, instead taking a detour around town. As soon as I stepped into the town, bad memories engulfed me and I stepped into the forest instead. The magical forest was like no other. Lanterns hung from the trees and paper swans and cranes flitted around me. I laughed as a hummingbird fluttered around my ears, before checking my watch. It was already 4:30, around when the army practice would let out. The time in the forest must be warped. I sped home and through open my door to see Hadie, Lamani, Poli, Jayce, and Fanis standing there. Seeing the door open, the stood up, before realizing it was me, “What are you doing here?” I asked, perhaps a bit harshly. After a lot of side nudges from everyone, Poli blurted out, “We want to help you,” I blinked. Out of all the answers I was expecting, it certainly wasn’t that one, “R-really?” I murmured. They nodded enthusiastically. I put on a bright smile and looked up again, “Let’s do it!”

***

Sweat beaded my face as I aimed my last arrow right at the heart of the giant scorpion edging towards us. After ensuring that my aim was perfect, I let go and wiped the sweat off my face just as the monster exploded into golden dust. The army leader had made me a deal. If I could deal with all the monsters heading my way successfully, then I could join the army again. I had accepted instantly and ever since then went on monster hunting missions with my friends. Hadie, Lamani, Poli, Jayce, and Fanis has all become as close as Kalie, Althea, and Phoenix. We had all discovered our strengths and weaknesses, making us an unstoppable team. The last monster we killed was a chimera and recently we just ended the life of quite a few giant scorpions. Suddenly the bushes rustled and we crept closer together, anticipating the next attack. A hellhound bust out of the bushes, but I knew it wasn’t any old hellhound, it was my friend Nilo’s. I ignored my friends screaming at me not to go closer and started to pet it. Its fur was soft but matted and I run my fingers through its tangles. I stood up suddenly and addressed my friends, “This is my friend Nilo’s hellhound. I promise that she’s not a bad monster and she’ll be very useful for us,” They looked at each other, slowly warming up to the idea, before Hadie jumped on its back and the rest followed suit. I laughed and got on the hellhound, whispering the name of the training center into its ear.

***

“Will you take the offer?” The words rang in my ear. I could instantly be back in the military and I would be one of the most respected officers. It was my greatest dream……. or was it? I honestly didn’t know anymore. Ever since we had fought the last scorpion, I wanted to do something different, give myself a break from relentless fighting. Maybe practice using my magic a bit. So did I really want to be in the army? In the beginning, I would have said yes, but now, my answer, my real true answer is becoming clearer and clearer, “No,” I said, my refusal echoing in the almost empty town square, “No,” I repeated, sure of my answer, “but…. I would like to open a magic shop, where I wouldn’t be shunned. Yeah, I’d like that,” I said grinning. Truthfully, I had no idea of how to own a shop and how to work with anything, but I figured my friends could help me out. The army leader looked stunned, blinking for a few times, before nodding stiffly, letting me go off with my friends to figure out how to open a magic shop.

***

“Thank you so much! This is perfect!” A customer exited the shop, clearly happy with her purchase. The magic store is the perfect place for me, where I’m surrounded in my element, magic. No one fears or shuns me now, instead, they welcome me with open arms. My friends pop in from time to time to help me run the shop or just for a little talk. My old potions workshop is where all the brainstorming happens. I’m also hoping to create a school for witches. Well, currently, there are no others with magic born into their blood, but with magic, you never know………

Snowpocalypse 2021

Blankets of snow cover the ground
Millions of people with their power out
Houses and trees and cars all covered in ice
Doesn’t feel great, but looks somewhat nice.

People without water, their pipes have burst
No price gouging is a rule that has been enforced
There is a boil water notice on all tap water
I hope that it soon gets hotter

Hummingbirds- a research article

I wrote this non fictional piece of writing as a part of my school’s English class. It’s about hummingbirds and what makes them one of the coolest birds.

Have you ever seen a hummingbird flitting around, flying in the breeze? Maybe you’ve seen one hovering, flying backwards, or upside down? Hummingbirds are amazing birds that have so many built in features. They are one of the coolest birds in the animal kingdom. Don’t believe me? Let me tell you why.

Hummingbirds belong to the Trochilidae family. This family is made up of the 340 different species of hummingbirds. Out of the 340, 17 species regularly live in the US. You might be asking, well, where do they live? The cool thing about hummingbirds is that they can live anywhere, from deserts to places like Alaska to tropical forests. Many of the ones that live in the US live near the Mexican border, but not all do.
Some of the recognizable features of the hummingbird is their long bills and small wings. These long bills help them get nectar from tubular shaped flowers. Another discernible feature is their gorgets. Gorgets are stiff, reflective feathers on the throat and upper chest that look black in the shade. When the hummingbird turns its head to catch the sunlight, the true color is displayed. This color is usually metallic and intense and it can range from a dark magenta to a deep purple. These colors can fade over time with exposure to the sun. Typically, only male hummingbirds have gorgets, but some females do have one. For the males, gorgets are used when mating, and the rare female that has one will use as a way to signal threats.
Hummingbirds are the smallest birds and they only weigh around 2-20 grams, meaning they’re about as heavy as a mouse at their biggest. They also lay the smallest eggs, which are about the size of navy beans. Female hummingbirds usually lay 2 eggs which they incubate for around 15-18 days. The chicks leave the nest when they are around 18-28 days old. Hummingbirds’ hearts can beat anywhere from 225 beats per minute to 1,200 beats per minute.
Hummingbirds can go into torpor, a mini state of hibernation. The only difference is that these birds can do it whenever they want, not just in the winter. They don’t stay in it for long either, only around 20 minutes to an hour, instead of a few months or weeks. Hummingbirds go into torpor when it gets too cold, as their feather provide poor insulation. They only wake back up when they can regain their body temperature of 105°F.
My favorite fact about hummingbirds is how much agility they have while flying. These are the only birds which can hover in one place for more than 30 seconds, fly backwards, and fly upside down. Their wings don’t flap, instead they rotate, which makes them different from other birds. Another difference is that they don’t fly flat, they actually fly upright. Hummingbirds can also fly for up to 18-20 hours straight. Their wings beat about 70 times per second in normal flight and around 200 times per second while diving. These birds can fly at an average speed of twenty-five to thirty miles per hour, and dive at a speed of up to sixty miles per hour.

As you can see, hummingbirds are amazing birds. They can live almost anywhere, they are a huge species, they have many recognizable features which play a big part in their life, they are one of the smallest birds, they are part of the small number of birds that can go into torpor, and they have a lot of agility when flying. Now, when you see a hummingbird, don’t forget what marvelous creatures they are!

Sources: ⭐ https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/hummingbirds
⭐ https://www.worldofhummingbirds.com/index.php
⭐ https://www.birdsandblooms.com/birding/attracting-hummingbirds/hummingbird-nest-facts/
⭐ https://www.perkypet.com/articles/flying-jewels-gorgets-and-other-little-known-facts-about-hummingbirds

Best of 2020

2020 has been a strange year, but here are some of the things that happened.

1. Starting the year with family:

I love spending time with my grandparents. I’m glad I got to do it in the beginning of this year, even if I couldn’t make my annual summer trip to India 😭. I also got to spend some time with my uncle and aunt, before they moved countries.

2. Ending my elementary years and staring my middle school ones:

I finished 5th grade (virtually) and started middle school and the school of my choice (also virtually)! Virtual school is less than ideal, but I’ve learned to adjust. You can read about my experiences here.

3. ARCADIS Science Fair:

I participated in the ARCADIS science fair and did a project on supercooling and snapfreezing water. I learnt a lot and was really surprised when I won!

4. Mini Getaways:

Since we couldn’t travel a lot, I relied on a few small breaks to get away . My favorite one was definitely my birthday weekend getaway with a few of my friends and family. I also liked the Corpus Christi, Driftwood, and Pensacola Beach breaks.

5. Dance:

I spent a lot of time focusing on dance during these COVID times. I’ve taken place in a Bharatanatyam dance exam (for both theory and practical) and started learning a new Indian classical dance form, Mohiniattam. I performed a few solo items and recorded them. I’ve also began to learn Carnatic music to support my skills.

In Western dance, I was able to get one last performance on February in my elementary school dance company and I’m in my new school’s Drill Team. It’s less than ideal, but I’m hoping to be able to go back to performing soon.

6. Life Skills:

2020 has been a year where I learnt and tried so many new things.

I learned to crochet, and did a few art projects including tie-dye projects and wreaths for our door.
I cooked and baked (I even made my first layered cake!) and got comfortable in the kitchen. Some of the treats I made include mint chutney bread, cranberry cookies, brownies, and more. I also learned to make rice and keera kootu.
I’ve learned a lot of handy household chores like doing the laundry and handwashing clothes as well as ironing and sweeping.

7. Improved Technology Skills:

I started to use Instagram and I wrote on my blog more. I got better at using Google Drive, Docs, and Slides. I’ve learnt about different features on computers and got better at navigating through the digital world.

8. Writing:

I wrote 2 stories (which I’m going to edit this year) and a few short stories for my blog.

9. Reading:

I’ve read a ton this year and made friends with a few bookstagrammers. On my instagram, I took part in two challenges, the #mgbookmarch challenge in March and the #mgbooktober challenge in October. I’ve also started new series, and began to read a higher level of mglit!

**(If you’re not following me yet, you totally should)**

You can check out my insta here.

A Spooky Tour

I wrote a brochure for a ghost tour that takes part in Houston and Galveston. Here it is!

Hello and welcome to Ghosty Graveyards, the best ghost tour out there! In this brochure, I will be explaining all the spooky sights you’ll see on your tour!

First, the bus will meet you at Finn Hall at 8:00 PM sharp. We suggest that you eat a good meal there before you board. Trust me, you will need to eat well.

While we ride the bus to the Niels Esperson and Mellie Esperson buildings, you’ll have the chance to take a good look out the window. It’s a short ride, so be ready to hop off as quickly as you came in!

So, let me tell you a bit about the building (these facts plus more will be told during the tour). Mellie Esperson had the Niels Esperson building made for her husband, you guessed it!, Niels Esperson. He was a real estate and an oil tycoon. Right next to his building is Mellie’s building. Mellie’s building is not very tall and is constructed in a very different fashion. Mellie’s ghost haunts the elevator, making it malfunction and close and open randomly.

Now after those 15 minutes spent there, we’ll get back on the bus for the 3 minute (yes, only 3 minutes) ride to the Julia Ideson Building. You’ll listen to violin music on the ride there and you’ll find out why in a few seconds.

Ok, so we’ve arrived at the Julia Ideson building! In November 1936, 79 year old groundskeeper, Jacob Frank Cramer died. When he was alive, every night he would go to the 3rd floor and play his violin. Nowadays, you can hear him and his dog late at night, making music. Sometimes, you’ll even see his sheet music scattered around!

Let’s hop back on the bus. We’re going to go to the Spaghetti Warehouse. It’s a 5 minute drive so buckle in and relax (as much as you can on a ghost tour of course!)

We’re here! The story behind the Spaghetti Warehouse is that the pharmacist living here died by falling down the elevator shaft. His wife died soon after that. Now, they haunt the second floor by making objects float, rearranging furniture, making dishes dirty, tapping guests, and pulling their hair. Sounds pretty creepy, huh?

Now we’ll take a one hour drive to Galveston Island to see my personal favorite ghost appearance. This is where your electronics come in handy. We would love to hear a few ghost stories or cool (and creepy) facts about ghosts that you may discover! Also feel free to take a nap, we’ll wake you up when we reach.

Well we’re there! Do you hear anything as you clamber out of our bus? Perhaps the flapping of sails? Maybe the cry of voices? If you do, look out to the horizon. You might see a ship. Now you might think “A ship! We see ships all the time!” Well, this isn’t a normal ship. It’s the ghost ship of Pirate Jean Lafitte. You might have heard of him. On November 1821, Jean Lafitte’s ship was ambushed and he was taken prisoner. The ship was said to have sunk somewhere around Galveston Island in the years 1822-1823. Look! There it is! Do you see that magnificent ship sailing across the waters? It’s name is Pride and I think it certainly looks prideful. Well, that’s all for today, everyone! I hope that you definitely consider coming on my tour. You’ll learn even more crazy facts! After all, where else would you see a ghost ship? Thanks for reading and we hope to see you on our next ghost tour!

Vanilla Berry Lotion

I wrote a short story for my writing class recently. Our prompt was to write a story about any object on our desk. I wrote a realistic fiction story about my vanilla berry lotion.

I open the lotion jar and sniff its contents. The smell floods my body, sending warm and happy tingles all the way down. I close the lid, but not before taking one last longing smell. I follow Mom throughout the beauty shop, my mind still on that sweet lotion. All I know is that I must have it before it runs out, because surely a lotion with such a smell would run out soon. “Tara!”my mom snaps. I jolt to attention, not sure if she had been calling my name before. “Well?” she asks. I guiltily shrug, not able to picture what she might have been talking about. Mom sighs, exasperated and narrows her eyes at me. “I said,” she repeats,” that I am going to buy something here. I also asked you if you wanted to get anything.” I leap up, my eyes shining bright. I could get anything I wanted! I race to the front of the store, pick up the lotion and race back. My mom laughs at how quickly I’ve chosen. We pay and go home.

To this day, I still love the scent of that lotion and keep it on my desk as a reminder of that happy, lucky day.