Mount Hebron Literary Review 2012

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The Mount Hebron Review

Faculty Editor

Maria McDonald

June 2012

Mount Hebron Middle School 173 Bellevue Avenue Upper Montclair New Jersey 07043


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Table of Contents

POETRYAnonymous, House 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I AM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Anonymous, House 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IN THE PRESENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7A. A., House 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

STORM WAVES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Ellie Gustavsen, House 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26P. K., House 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . To Be Free . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35N. M., House 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36D. M., House 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flowers on the table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Paul Mihalis, House 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Summer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

K. P., House 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wait and Listen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44G. W., House 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

PROSEAnonymous, House 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Environmental Position Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Anonymous, House 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Great Bath Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Anonymous, House 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jackie and the Beanstalk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Anonymous, House 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mancala Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Anonymous, House 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . My Day at Dorney Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Anonymous, House 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rules and Regulations: A Satire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Anonymous, House 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Untitled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Nell Beck, House 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Adam Behnke, House 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Day in Jamaica. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Kyra Bolt, House 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arranged Marriages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Zechariah Brown, House 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . A Day in the Life of a Mount Cleevon Fly: A Satire . . . . . . 22Christine Deep, House 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Satire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Caleb Deutsch, House 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hospital Visitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24T. E., House 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Position Paper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25M. H., House 3 Excerpt from Witches of the Woods:

A Hansel and Gretel Remake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

N. H., House 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Satire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28S. H., House 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . You Found a What? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29L. H., House 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Montauk Mud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33A. J., House 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nyx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34M. M., House 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Position Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

The Wright Brothers: First Flyers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Sam Vandermeulen, House 5. . . . . . . . . . . The Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45


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Anonymous, House 3Environmental Position Paper

Can you fool around with natural law and get awaywith it? The story, Wisdomkeepers, is about how peoplethink that they are stronger than nature and can destroy

it, but they actually cant because nature is much morepowerful. In the story, it is stated, You dont fool aroundwith natural law and get away with it. I agree with thisstatement. If people hurt nature they hurt themselves,too, as seen in our misuse of plant life.

Trees and other plants are a vital part of the naturalcycle. They produce oxygen, a gas that humans could notlive without. Humans cut down a vast number of trees,sometimes entire forests, without replanting and, in thisway, people are fooling around with natural law. If people

cut down too many trees, everybody will have a loweredamount of oxygen to breathe. Everyone will be extremelydisadvantaged when some people cut down trees forselsh reasons. If people respect natural law, the treeswill be saved, creating a lot of oxygen. Just as preservingthe land is important, so is conserving Earths water.

Less than 1% of water on Earth is drinkable. Peoplewho are disobeying natural law are making that statisticworse. Water pollution can be caused by many things,including radioactive and industrial waste, marine

dumping, global warming, and numerous other sources.A large amount of these causes would be nonexistent

if everyone obeyed natural law. If we want people inthe future to have clean drinking water, we have torespect natural law so we dont ruin the water that we

have. Many people think that clean water will alwaysbe available and dont think about the consequences,but they cant cheat natural law. The air is also a veryimportant part of our ecosystem that people sometimesdisrespect.

Air pollution is one of the more unnoticed formsof pollution. It is the cause of many dangers to humanand plant life. Air pollution can be caused by particlesof burning fuels for energy used by cars, homes andindustries. It contributes to many cases of lung cancer

and heart disease. This same process also affects plantswhen it releases greenhouse gases leading to unnaturalclimate change. The release of greenhouse gases causedby humans tampers with the perfect balance of naturallaw. If we respect natural law, everyones air will becleaner today and for generations to come.

Respecting and obeying natural law is essentialfor keeping Earths ecosystem in order. Nobody candisrespect natural law and get away with it. If morepeople didnt fool around with natural law, the Earth

would be at a better state right now. If more people obeyit in the future, the Earth will change a lot for the better.


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Anonymous, House 2The Great Bath Body

In about 1800 B.C.E. there lived a boy namedGajdant. He lived in a town called Mohenjodaro. Gajdantloved his town because it was near the Indus River, which

meant they had a nice supply of water. There were manyother reasons he loved Mohenjodaro, but his story beganat The Great Bath.

The Great Bath was a pool built of waterproofedbrick. On hot days he liked to go there to wash off, orsimply relax. Usually, the bath was crowded. But thisone day, it was practically empty. Gajdant assumedthat people just hadnt come yet, and were dealing withthings at their homes.

He slipped into the pool with instant relief. The water

felt like rain after a long drought. His sunburned skin wasrelieved. He was washing up, when he spotted anotherperson in the corner of the pool, not moving. Hes probably just relaxing, Gajdant assumed. But after a fewmore minutes, the man hadnt moved.

Good morning! Gajdant called across cheerfully.No answer.Are you alright? He asked.When he didnt reply again, Gajdant decided to check

him out. He placed his hand on the mans shoulder, and

gave him a gentle shake. His skin was surprisingly cold.He rolled the man around, and almost screamed.

The man was dead, and had a seal burned into hischest. It looked like a dead goat. Gajdant quickly wadedthrough the pool towards the stairs out. He needed toget help. He put on his clothes as well as his shoes. Heshufed past all of the changing rooms bordering theBath. He went into a full sprint once he hit the streetsbecause it was getting dark and the wind was nippy.

Gajdant swiftly went around the statues guardinghis house. He entered to nd his mother making a beadnecklace. Oh, how Gajdant adored those necklaces. Hismom sure was good at making them.

Oh Gajdant where have you been? His mother,Omaja, asked.

At the bath! There was a dead person there!Gajdant said, stumbling over his words. And he had aseal on his chest and he was so cold!

Slow down. Can you draw the seal? I might know

who did it then.Alright.I grabbed a piece of paper and quickly sketched the

dead goat.Oh my Go to bed, Gajdant.But Mom! Do you know who it is?Just go to bed. She said, more sternly.Fine!Gajdant slumped up the stairs to the second, last

oor of his ve-room house. His family wasnt poor, butthey werent rich. They were average.

Gajdant went to his room and stared out the window,playing with his dads old stone weights in his hands. He

had bought new ones when he had found some grainwhich we used as moneyon the ground. It was darkoutside, and Gajdant was startled to see his mom walkingin the night. She was crossing her arms to keep her coatclosed. She was also holding the drawing of the seal.

Gajdant rushed out of his room, nearly tripping overhis little brothers clay model of a horse pulling a cart. Heran down the stairs and slid on a pair of shoes. Gajdantran down the narrow alley that he had seen his motherin. He started to follow her footsteps. Gajdant ran past

many holes leading into their sewer system. That waswhere all of the towns disposals went. How hed hate tobe down there.

Gajdants mother was ahead. He hid behind a cartbecause his mom knocked at a door. She was acceptedin, leaving Gajdant alone in the dark.

Gajdant suddenly recognized the house. This iswhere his moms friend, Ora, lived. Still, Gajdant had tobe careful. He decided hed press his ear against theirdoor. A good plan it was, but he couldnt hear anything.Gajdant gave up and went home.

In the morning, his mother seemed a little stiff.Gajdant assumed Ora had said something, but he actedinnocent, not wanting to create suspicion.

So, do you know who the seal belongs to? Gajdantasked, in a pleasant voice.

Well, yes. His mother said, avoiding eye contactwith him.


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Well who?I dont know his name, but he is a merchant. He

sells wonderful seeris. I believe I bought one from him.But he will be in the town square at noon, so wed betterget dressed. She said, her voice wavering.

Gajdant headed upstairs thinking, why is my mom so

worried? Were solving a crime. He shook his head andquickly put a tunic and trousers over his body.

He and Omaja began walking to the square. Therewere many merchants, and many customers on the calmday. Gajdant mustve known what the man looked likebecause she went right up to a seeri vendor and said,Ok, speak up.

Whatever do you mean, Miss? The man askedkindly. But there was fear in his voice.

You know what Im here to talk about. It involves

The Great Bath.The man shifted uneasily. I dont understand.While Gajdants mother was busy scolding the man,

he slunk around his stand. There was a box lled withbags. Gajdant picked one up, and sure enough, therewas the Seal. He took the bag, and went around the cartagain to show his mom.

He didnt expect to nd the man gone. His motherlay on the street, unconscious. Gajdant turned and sawthe man running toward the houses. Gajdant pursued,but had a plan. Instead of following the man, he rantoward the police building. He was going to inform thepolice to follow and capture the man. He would then go

back and check on his mother.Gajdant ran up to the doors of the building. He took

a deep breath and patted his hair down with his hand. Heopened the doors and walked in.

There were many police men, and Gajdant decidedto speak to one near the door.

Excuse me, Sir. I need to speak to you. Gajdantasked him.

Can it wait? He asked politely back.No, not at all. Gajdant sighed.Ok, whats the problem kid.Alright, yesterday I was at The Great Bath. No one

was there but me. I was washing up when I saw a man. Isaid hello, but he didnt reply so I went to check him outand he was dead. Gajdant began.

He had a seal burned into his chest. It was a dead

goat. I ran home to tell my mom. He paused, consideringtelling the man about him following his mother. Hedecided to skip it.

The next morning, she knew who it was. He wasa seeri maker and seller at the market. We went to hiscart, and I was checking out his bags and was about toprove him guilty, when he knocked my mother out. Hesrunning, please nd him. Gajdant concluded.

Well do what we can. The policeman said.Gajdant went to check on his mother. She was ne,

and she was looking for him. She told him all aboutwhat had happened, and Gajdant told her about whathe had done.


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Anonymous, House 5I AM

I am humble and intelligentI wonder what my life will be like when I am olderI feel triumph when I complete something difcult

I cry when my feelings get hurtI worry when I have a feeling I am in troubleI try to be the best I can beI say things that I sometimes do not meanI hear many voices giving me strengthI see myself becoming a successful actressI am humble and intelligent


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Anonymous, House 2IN THE PRESENT

One cannot liveOn what the future holds.But only

On what is in the present.

What is the benet of an ideaThat has not yetBeen put into action?

Freedom,When truly used,Will grant all the peopleTheir desired satisfaction.


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Anonymous, House 3Jackie and the Beanstalk

In a land far, far away, in a small village tucked awayin the woods, there lived a girl named Jackie. She was anaverage girl in her small village, maybe even better. She

got outstanding grades, was extremely good-looking andhad a loving family. Her family included her parents andher older brother, Jack, who would do anything to pleasehis younger sister.

Jackie had only one problem with her life. Theworld was too unsanitary for her. She hated germs.In her opinion, the world should be sterilized. If shefound a speck of dust or dirt on the oor of her house,Jackie would be the rst to alert everyone in the houseto stay away until the spot was properly disinfected.

Every minute of the day, she wore a large white suitthat covered her whole body. Along with that, she worehospital latex gloves. She changed the gloves and suitevery hour or when she did something particularlydirty, which in her case could be just a simple thinglike eating a meal. It was a shame because she was sostunningly beautiful and nobody ever had the chance tosee her face.

Jackies family had a cow, like several people inthe village. Jackie hated the family cow because it was

very dirty. She would always refuse to milk it. The lthcovering the black and white spotted skin of the animalirritated Jackie to the point where she just couldnt standit any longer.

Concealed in the nearby woods was a small standthat Jackie eyed with suspicion. Could that be a tradingpost? Jackie thought, I could trade in the cow forsomething useful like more latex gloves. My family wouldbe mad about that so I could trade it in for somethingto help my family more than the cow and it would becleaner too.

After concluding that she was going to trade in thecow, Jackie rolled out a long tarp over the unsanitary

forest oor like a carpet. She carefully stepped along thetarp, lugging the cow behind her until she came to themerchant stand.

Hello, said the merchant. I see you have a necow there. Would you like to trade it for any of mygoods?

Jackie eventually picked out many items that herfamily would love that, in her perspective were muchbetter than the cow, but what really caught her eye was alittle cluster of about ve beans. The merchant promisedher that the beans were magic. The beans did have a sortof magic glow to them, so she bought them with part ofwhat the cow was worth and walked back down the tarp

towards her home. When Jackies parents and Jack sawall the merchandise Jackie had gotten in exchange forthe cow, they were delighted. Jackie told Jack to plantthe seeds in their backyard because she didnt want to doit herself. The ground was too dirty.

After a day or two, the seeds sprouted and grew intoan enormous beanstalk. Jackie and her family wonderedwhat was at the top so they concluded that one memberof the family climb it. The stalk had mud covering it, soJackie would not climb it. She told Jack to climb the

beanstalk.Her brother didnt come down for days. Jackie and

her parents began to worry, but after about a week Jackcame down the beanstalk smiling from ear to ear. He toldhis family about all of his wondrous adventures includinggiants, treasures, golden eggs, and much more.

The whole town was amazed by his bravery and Jacksoon became famous in all the land. Jackies brother wasa hero and a role model. Jackie then published booksabout Jacks adventures. She became an award-winningauthor. Her best book was given to two brothers by thelast name of Grimm. The story became famous all overthe world. With riches and fame, Jack and Jackie bothlived happily ever after.


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Anonymous, House 5Mancala Business

When I was in the 3rd grade, I LOVED to playmancala in indoor recess. One day, I was playing with oneof my friends, named Brandon.

So how do you play mancala again? He askedconfused. I explained again.

Okay. I think Ive got it, he told me. We began toplay. Clank, clank, clank. I moved my pieces into my pot.Clank, clank. He moved his pieces to his pot. After awhile, one kid, Adam, came up to us.

Can I face the winner? Adam asked.Okay, we both replied.Can you guys teach me how to play again? Adam

asked us.

I explained to him. Around halfway through theexplanation, I grabbed a piece of paper and began todraw a dog. I worked pretty hard on the dog, erasing andmaking a mess out of its face. But it turned out all right.I nished explaining, and I started carefully droppingseashells into each hole.

Wait nothats not how you play! Adam burst intoa rage.

Okay, so how do you play? I asked. He tried toshow us, but he wasnt too good at explaining much,

even in class.Can we play Patricks way for this game and then

yours for the next? Brandon asked.NO! He yelled. Then Adam ripped up my drawing.

I looked at it. I didnt really know what to do. I stood up,trying to walk away but he followed me.

PLAY MY WAY OR ELSE, Adam said clearly, like hewas doing a good thing by forcing us to play with him.

UhhI dont really want to play mancala anymore.

Besides, we only have ve minutes until lunch. I tried topersuade him.

PLAY OR I THROW YOU OUT THE WINDOW, heraged THEN YOULL GET RUN OVER BY A CAR!

Errmmmokay, I said. I knew that he wouldnt and,even if he tried, he probably couldnt.

UURRGGGH! He sputtered. I walked away withBrandon, who was watching the entire time.

That wasscary. Brandon said.Yeah, I responded.

Around ve minutes later, my other friends, Niko andHenry, came up to me.

Heysorry that Adam ripped your drawing, Nikoapologized.

Uhhhits not really your fault guys. I said.Yeah, but we felt bad. Henry told me as he handed

me a card. I looked at it. It read, Sorry about Adamripping your drawing. It was a pretty cool drawing. From:Niko and Henry, your BFFs forever.

I still have the card today, but it might be a bit ripped.

Ill try to hang on to it as long as I can. It was around the8th or 9th day of school, and I was still a bit shy, trying toremember everybodys names, so to see this made mepretty happy.


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Anonymous, House 1My Day at Dorney Park

One of the most fun days I had over the summer waswhen I went to Dorney Park. I went to Dorney Park withmy two sisters, my brother, my two cousins, my mom,

and my Aunt Cathy. My mom and Aunt Cathy are sistersand my mom is the older sister. My brother, my cousins,and I all look somewhat alike too. My younger sister lookslike my aunt; my other sister looks like my mom. We wereat Dorney Park all day long and we went on a lot of ridesand had a lot of fun there. A few of the rides I did werethe Hydra, and the Meteor.

The Hydra is a green rollercoaster that looks veryscary, but is actually very exciting. On the Hydra, thevery rst thing that happens is you go on a very slow

corkscrew. While you go on the slow corkscrew the ridetakes a picture of you while you are upside down. Thepicture looks really cool. The rollercoaster then goesupside down several times and takes a second picture.At the end, when you look at the pictures, it puts the twopictures together so the upside down one was on top.The ride was very exhilarating and we did the ride severaltimes because the line was very short; otherwise wewould have only done it once. Everyone but my sistersand my mom went on the Hydra and each time we

screamed for basically the whole time. My little sister wastoo short and my mom and older sister were too scared.

The Meteor is a giant pirate ship, but with two boatsand they both have pictures of aming asteroids. TheMeteor was right next to the Hydra, and the line was veryshort so we did it several times also. The Meteor goesaround in circles and goes upside down a lot. My cousinis just under a year younger than me, and he went onit with me each time. On the second time we went, thepeople sitting across from us were scared. My cousin wasnot scared at all and he was kind of laughing because ofhow much fun it was. One of the people sitting acrossfrom us said, Im 20 and Im scared, at which my cousin

just laughed. The Meteor goes for about ve minutes,and after about two minutes the ride stops while you areupside down and everybody gets really scared becausethey think the ride is broken or theyre going to fall out ofthe ride.

Another ride at Dorney Park is called ThunderCanyon. Thunder Canyon is a ume ride and is very wet.On Thunder Canyon you go in a round tube with eight

seats. I started facing backwards both times. We went onThunder Canyon twice because the line was so short, andwe were excited each time, which is why we did it twice.It got us really wet and we were wearing regular clothes,but we found this drying station. On Thunder Canyonyou go on a small river. Along the river there are variousitems, like waterfalls and random drops and splashes.Thunder Canyon is one of the few ume rides that do nothave a big drop at the end.

The Dominator is a giant frog hop and there are two

towers side-by-side. The Dominator is red for one towerand green for the other tower. The rides are the Dropand the Lift. On the Drop, the ride brings you up to thetop very slowly, then it lets you sit there for a minutethen it drops you at about 50 miles per hour, so as youredropping it feels like youre on a rollercoaster becauseit feels like your stomach is still at the top of the ride.The Lift ride brings you slowly to about 10 feet in theair were you just hover for a minute, then suddenly theride blasts you up to the top at about 50 miles per hour.

Each time we did it we were scared at rst, but my auntdid it too so we were not scared. When we did the Dropsomeone was screaming in a very high-pitched voice. Isoon realized that it was my brother. When the ride wasover I said, You scream like a little girl, to him. And hesaid, I know.

At Dorney Park we had tons of excitement and everyride brought ahead a very different experience with it. Ihave to say that my favorite ride was the Hydra becauseI like to go upside down, and the slow corkscrew was alittle strange and very interesting.


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Anonymous, House 2Rules and Regulations: A Satire

To: ParentsFrom: [email protected]

Subject: Rules!

Dear Mount Ronheeb School Parents and Guardians,From the recent administration meetings, we

have collaborated to form new rules and regulationsfor the safety of our students and to improve ourschools environment. We hope you jump onboardwith the idea!

First off, beginning next year, all students willbe given a personal danger detector in homeroom

on the rst day of school. This will set an alarmsounding every time a person enters the 1-footradius surrounding the student. This will eliminateany unnecessary hand-shaking or hugging. Everytime security hears an alarm, they will be thereimmediately to provide assistance and stop anyharmful hugging from occurring. Its a simple solution!

Secondly, sagging is an extremely commonhabit among our male students. Because of this, weare enforcing our new footie rule that can solve

numerous issues, like sagging and inappropriateshorts. All students are required to wear footiepajamas as a new school policy to keep studentslooking presentable in the classroom without theirsaggy jeans falling too low. Also, it will be able tox our open-toed shoes problem right here in Mt.Ronheeb. What could be better?

Thirdly, lunch will be taking on a brand newtwist. With our 15 to 20 minute lunch period in place,

students really took a signicant amount of timeaway from learning in a classroom. To x this, we arehiring a new company called EXPRESS LUNCH.This blends all lunch ingredients into a delicious andwonderful drink! Containing the meat of the day,milk, vegetables, and one whole-wheat cookie, thisconcoction gives all required nutrients to the studentsin an incredibly fast and easy way. This will make sure

students can get the maximum number of hours inthe classroom.

Lastly, I know our profanity problem issignicantly growing. But, no need to worry, we havefound a solution. Every time a student utters onesingle inappropriate word, an invisible bubble appearsaround them so they are secluded from all Mt.Ronheeb activities and voices. Not only will this teachthem an important life lesson, but show them thatthey must receive consequences for their reckless

actions.Thank you so much for your time and I wish yourfamily a happy and wonderful year. Mt. Ronheebwishes the best to all!

Warmly,Mr. Lockwhit


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Anonymous, House 5Untitled

Liam dragged his feet through the loose mulchunder the swing set and dismally watched childrenplaying and screaming excitedly. Parents fussed over

their children, reprimanding them and rushing to savethem from near self-inicted injuries, all the while barelyglancing at Liam as he daydreamed. Actually, if you paidclose attention, youd notice that not a single person eversettled their eyes on him. Liam was never noticed.

You may at rst think of many perks to never beingseen, pranks, spying, and maybe some minor thefts,but youd be wrong. If you were to ask Liam, hed sayhis life was a living hell, and he wouldnt be far off. Notonly was he never seen, he was never heard, and the

most extreme attempts at physical contact were alwaysblamed on someone or something else. It was almost asif he didnt exist, except for the fact that he was aware ofhis existence. He was completely alone, but surroundedby people to taunt him. Even his own family had failed tonotice him.

* * * * * * * * *One morning in late March, Liam woke to the

irritating sound of his alarm clock, as he did everymorning, and dragged himself out of bed. He sat down

at the kitchen table for breakfast. A box of cereal, someorange juice and milk, and a bowl were already sittingon the counter. Pouring himself some juice, he watchedhis mother walk over to the staircase and call up, Liam!Youre going to miss your bus. Get down here!

Mom, Im right here! Liam said, taking a biteof his breakfast. His mom then continued up thestairs, completely ignoring his latest comment. Liamdisregarded this, which wasnt too insane, consideringthat his mom had been working 17 hours a day fromhome and rarely got more than ve hours of sleep. Sleepdeprivation could do some crazy things to people.

Liam started to get suspicious when his teacher, Ms.Hogan, marked him absent and didnt talk to him at all.He was once one of her favorite students. He startedto suspect some giant prank, but when his best friend,James, joined in on the charade, Liam knew something

was wrong. James was always dead serious. Not always aquality youd want in a friend, but he listened to Liam andconsidered what he said instead of turning everything

into a joke. James would never be part of any type ofprank, Liam decided, especially not one that wouldpurposely irritate Liam. Liam gradually came to acceptthat no one noticed him.

Liams family called the police, suspecting that hedrun away. As you would imagine, their investigation verynearly drove Liam insane. For one, the police snooped allaround his room, even daring to open his journal, whichvery clearly says, DO NOT OPEN all over the front.Then, his family spent huge chunks of time and money

looking for him throughout the country when he wasin their very house. Most of all, though, Liam hated notbeing noticed. He was all alone in a huge population ofpeople, something that haunted him every day.

For the rst couple of weeks, Liam stayed in hisroom, ate his food and went about life as usual. Healso went to school, even though he wasnt technicallyenrolled after his disappearance. After not long though,he became sad that he couldnt talk to anyone. Hewished he could talk to James and talk to his family.

Sometimes, he got so frustrated that he threw thingsagainst the wall, mad that everyone he knew was sodumb and unobservant.

Liam eventually left his home, believing that it wouldkeep him distracted from his sad reality and help him. Hetook to the streets of New York City, nding shelter in thesubway, the backs of shops, museums, and sometimesthe sidewalks and alleys of the city. He raided thedumpsters behind food stores and restaurants for food,and the results were often surprisingly satisfactory.

* * * * * * * * *Soon deciding that a squeaky swing provided little

entertainment, Liam got up and dropped his wornbackpack to the ground. He spied a folded up newspaperin a nearby trashcan, and snatched it up, opening it to arandom page. His eyes fell upon the classieds, and hewas about to turn the page when something caught hiseye. In small, black, ordinary letters, one ad said, Does


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No One Ever Seem to Notice You? Call 438-668-4233and well solve this puzzle together.

Liam was intrigued. Sure, it could just be some crazykid who feels under-appreciated, but who knows? Youmay think that Liam was being brainless when he calledup some unknown person. For all he knew, this person

was a mass-murderer, but Liam trusted his instincts, andhe proceeded to follow his gut.

You have reached Nora Raidley at 438-668-4233.She is not here right now, so please leave a messageafter the beep. If your reason for calling is the ad in thenewspaper, you can meet Miss Raidley in the lobby of theFour Seasons Hotel, at 57 East 57th Street, on Tuesday,November 16, at 12:30 for lunch.

The Four Seasons Hotel. Liam had walked by thatplace before. There were always important-looking

people coming out of expensive-looking cars who werealso quite obviously extremely wealthy. To Liam, itseemed to be a reasonable deduction that Nora Raidleywas rich.

As the week wore on, Liam began anxiouslyanticipating this mysterious meeting. On Monday, hewoke to nd the world blanketed in snow, a sight thatIm sure would have been very pretty if he had a houseto stay in. His mismatched clothing offered minimalhelp in his battle against the cold. For most of the day,he lounged in an armchair in the shadowy corner of aStarbucks, relaxing and pondering what he was to wearthe next day. (After all, its not every day that you visitthe Four Seasons Hotel!)

Liam arrived the next day at the hotel wearing fadedbrown cords, a blue plaid annel shirt, and a relativelypresentable winter coat he had stolen from the Goodwillstore. Liam hated to steal. The only way that he couldsteal the coat without a guilty conscience was to promiseto himself that hed wash it and return it to the store the

next day. Also, the fact that he stole it from a Goodwillstore, a store that is full of used and discarded thingsthat no one wants anymore, made him feel slightly lesslike a horrible person.

Liam mounted the stairs to the hotel and grabbedthe door handle, feeling as if he was in a story and therewas about to be a major plot development. (No! Not thefourth wall!)

A sudden thought made Liam lower his hand fromits rm grip on the door and let it fall to his side. Even

if Nora Raidley wanted to see him, how had he everdeluded himself into thinking that she would? Whatmade her special? It had been nearly three years sincethe day he became unnoticed, and not once in those longyears had he ever talked to, or even made eye contactwith one human being.

Despite his demoralization, Liam decided to check itout anyway, partly because he didnt really have anythingelse to do, and partly because he was so desperate forsomeones attention. He opened the large door andstepped inside.

To be continued...


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A. A., House 2Music

Music is what makes you moveMusic is what makes you grooveMusic can be good or bad, depending on how its used

Music can make you choose different clothes to wearMusic can make you change your hairMusic can make you choose new friendsMusic can make you want to danceMusic can make you ghtMusic can make everything all rightMusic can take care of you when youre aloneMusic can make everything feel like homeMusic can harm and take awayMusic can make you want to stay

Music is the only friend I haveMusic is my mom and dadMusic is what keeps me aliveWhen I feel like I cant survive


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A. A., House 2STORM WAVES

Crash hard against the sandy shoreThunder crashing, lightning ashingSeagull cawing in the light blue skyOcean water glistening from the suns bright rays

Some days youre calmSome days youre loudRainy day stormsSunny warm daysAll of which you continue inhabiting all the wonderful sea creatures of the world


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Nell Beck, House 4The Letter

It was August 31, 2082. I was thirteen years old. Theweather outside wasnt too abnormal for the time; black,toxic clouds blocked off the sun; it was nearly 78 below

zero; the ground was nothing but gray and black rubble,and the air was too polluted to breath. Something wasdifferent, though. Instead of the usual hustle and bustleof this over-populated planet, instead of the constant,loud inhales of breath through billions of gas masks,everything was silent, empty.

This day had been planned for over ten years.Scientists had calculated the exact date that would bethe perfect time for the human race to leave Earth forgood - the time that would just save us from imminent

doom. Every last one of us had been put on specicships, all as big as the state of Texas, to escape the holdof the home we ruined. We were clothed in heavy, graysuits, thick black combat boots, and ridiculous gogglesthat would keep our eyes from being damaged by thepoisonous gases in the air. There were billions of littlebubbles called Air Spheres that were handed out toevery person that could get their hands on them; thosethat couldnt

The Air Spheres were eaten, and they kept us

breathing. Normally, we would wear gas masks, but themasks are not able to hold nearly as much oxygen as theSpheres are. I was grateful that my parents and I wereable to get our hands on them. If we didnt, we would nothave been lucky enough to get onto Ship 01559824B. We would not have been lucky enough to be a part of thesearch for a new home.

Attention all passengers. Attention all passengers.The crew of Ship 01559824B warmly welcome you onour new journey. We will be taking ight at about 14:00hours. Please stay seated until we take off. Thank you.The voice that boomed through the ship cut off, andI turned to see an old womans eyes watering as theypeered out at our destroyed planet. I didnt understandwhy she was so upset. This home was horrible - itcouldnt support life anymore. Wasnt it a good thing thatwe were leaving? That was what everyone told me, and Ihad to agree. I spent my whole life with a gas mask stuck

to my face, looking down at a dead world. I couldnt thinkof anything better than leaving.

Amber. My mother, who sat next to me, looked

down at me through her thick goggles. Her voicesounded robotic due to the Air Spheres. I think youshould have this.

I watched as she rummaged through our only bag,and brought out a yellow slip of paper. My eyes bulged. Ihad only been told about paper before; paper was the olddays, I had only seen pictures of it. She handed it to me,and I gently took it, in case it ripped in my hands.

Read it.My eyes traveled down to the writing on the paper.

It was a letter, something I had only ever heard about. Itook a deep breath, and began to read.

Dear Future Granddaughter,Hello. I am your grandmother, though Im not quite

sure how many greats, because Im not quite sure which one of my granddaughters will be reading this. I do know this, though. This letter will be passed on from generation to generation, until the perfect time, when the world is coming to a close.

They are already predicting the day when everyone will be evacuated from Earth. It is the year 2058, and we all know that there is no stopping the future from happening. I just wanted you to leave this beautiful planet with some memories, memories that you possibly never got to experience.

I will tell you two of my favorite memories. Here is the rst:

I was twelve years old. The year was 2009, and the sun was shining, birds were singing, and the weather was warm. My parents, brother and I had all gotten into the car and drove up to our new summer home in Pennsylvania. We rumbled up the gravel driveway to the big, blue house. A thick, lush green forest sat behind the house. I tumbled out of the car, and raced to the trees.

Before I could get there, though, my mother called me back. Anne, she called, wait a minute!

I reluctantly raced back to her, the soft grass


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cushioning my every step. Once I reached her, she tossed me my bathing suit.

There is a beautiful stream, great for swimming,somewhere inside of that forest. She winked at me, and whispered, Go and nd it.

I grinned, and bound back towards the woods,

swimsuit in hand. I never questioned how my mother knew about the stream. I raced through over the soft pine needles, the moist dirt, and tall grass. I dodged in and out of tall trees, jumping over rocks and roots,determined to nd that stream.

Soon I was lost. I was in the middle of a tangle of giant trees, thorn bushes, and wild plants. Immaculate owers stood tall, their bright colors penetrating the green grass. I wandered aimlessly, hoping desperately that somehow I would stumble upon the stream. I did.

I had been walking, getting worried by then that I would never have found my way back, and that I would have been stuck in the woods -- which at the time was starting to seem menacing -- for the rest of my life.

The stream was beautiful. Clear blue water lapped up against the grassy edge, a small bird dipped its beak in for a drink, large trees hung over it, and it reminded me of someone leaning over to get something on the oor. I changed into my bathing suit as quickly as possible, wanting to make the most out of the time I had.

I raced to a leaning willow tree, and scrambled up the branches. The leaves hung down in front of me so that they were like walls, protecting me from nothing.The bark was rough against my skin, but it was easy to grab onto, and the branches were thick enough that they wouldnt break when I stood on them. I curled my bare toes to keep me from falling (I was pretty high up) and reached for a branch in front of me.

I jumped off of the branch, swung on the next one for about three seconds, and then I was airborne. I could feel my hair ying backwards in the wind, cool air washing against my face and then I was dunked into the water. It was freezing, but I really didnt mind. I paddled around, and watched silently as a frog hopped from a lily pad and landed with a tiny splash.

I spent the rest of the day by that stream. Eventually,the rest of my family arrived, and we all had a nice picnic,sitting under a tree and basking in the sunlight.

Here is my next story: I was sixteen years old. The year was 2013, and I was

at the park. I sat under a large maple tree, watching as the water from the pond lapped against the ground in front of me, almost like it was reaching for something.Soft grass brushed against my ngers, and warm wind

whispered across my face. The sun sparkled onto the pond, making it glimmer like a large jewel. The fresh air made me feel relaxed, serene.

I watched as a squirrel scurried up the base of a tree,scrambling into the high green branches. It met another squirrel and they clashed, chasing each other around and jumping from one spot to another with ease.

I watched as a bird swooped down from the sky and landed gracefully onto the grass. He hopped over to the water, splashed into it, and rinsed himself off. He then

hobbled back out and took to the sky, soaring through the blue. I watched until it disappeared into a puffy, white cloud.

I just wanted to share these memories with you before you leave this beautiful place. I wanted you to go with some picture of a once beautiful home. You might already have these memories, but I just wanted to be sure.

Say goodbye to your home, and have a safe trip.

Sincerely,

Grandma

Her words struck me like a gun. Of course, I hadheard of Earth as once being a rich, fascinating place,but they had never really gotten into many details aboutit, and when they told me I wasnt about to leave it. Mygrandmas letter gave me a clear picture of everythingthat I missed out on. I snarled at the ground, suddenlyfeeling a severe hatred at the human race for causingthis mess, at the way everyone had told me it wasgreat that we were leaving, and at how I was born intoEarths darkest and last hour. I abruptly longed to haveone glimpse at what this planet used to be like. I feltlike I knew nothing, had no knowledge about this onceamazing place.

I glanced back at the woman, who, as the time for


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lift-off inched closer and closer, now looked horriblydistraught. This time, though, I understood why. She wasold enough to have climbed trees and swam in naturalwater; she was old enough to have sat under maple treesin pastoral parks.

Attention all passengers. Attention all passengers.

At this time, please make sure you are securely fastenedinto your seats. We have take-off in ve four threetwoone.


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Adam Behnke, House 1A Day in Jamaica

Have you ever gone to Jamaica? If you havent,then you should. I went to Jamaica in the middle of thesummer, on the Allure of the Seas with my parents,

my sister, my grandparents, my cousins, my uncle, andmy aunt. The cruise ship stopped in Labadee, Haiti,Falmouth, Jamaica, and Cozumel, Mexico. The ship wasamazing and the whole trip was very exciting.

The Allure of the Seas is the biggest cruise ship thatRoyal Caribbean has ever made. It has over 17 decks.The back of the ship is hollowed out and made into aboardwalk, and the middle of the ship is also hollowedout and made into a central park. There are over fourpools on the ship. There is also ice skating, a zip line, ow

riders, rock climbing, many choices of food and lots ofshops.

On a Wednesday morning the ship docked inFalmouth, Jamaica. When I woke up that morning, Iwent straight out onto the balcony and I saw a hugemarket place. When I looked to the right I saw a lot ofsoccer elds, and when I looked out beyond the marketI saw hills of green stretching out over the horizon. I sawsome rivers going through these hills also. I looked downand I saw water, as blue as possible. I stayed out on the

balcony for a little bit until everybody woke up.When we were all dressed and awake, we got

our grandparents and cousins and went up to theWindjammer. The Windjammer is basically an all-you-can-eat buffet that serves food for every meal. Wewent to the Windjammer a lot because they always hadsomething everyone could eat. That morning, I hadorange juice, a banana, bacon, and a wafe. It all tasteddelicious. At breakfast we talked about what we all weregoing to do in Jamaica. After breakfast we went down toDeck 3 and went through security customs to get off theship and enter Jamaica.

My parents, my sister, my cousins, my uncle, my auntand I quickly made our way through gates and manycrowds of people to a bus to take us to Dunns RiverFalls. When we made it to the bus, the bus aide, Nekesha,welcomed us to Jamaica. We boarded the bus and waiteduntil the bus was almost full. Once the bus was almostfull, our driver, Boomshot, introduced himself to us and

started driving. During the bus ride, Nekesha told us allabout the history of where we were driving through.She told us about Columbus discovering Ocho Rios and

how there are really only four rivers. She told us some ofthe sayings in Jamaica, such as Jamaica, no problemand The left side is the right side and the right side isthe suicide. That last one was used for when they weredriving. Jamaica was a British colony, so they drive onthe left side of the road.

Finally, we made it to Dunns River Falls. We waited ina line for about 5 minutes then we were all able to enterthe falls. I reached my toe in to feel the water but oneof the islanders shoved me in and shouted, Jamaica,

no problem! I was not ready for this and on my way inI drank a lot of the water by accident. I found out thewater was fresh water though, so I didnt mind. The waterwas kind of cold. Once we were all in the water the tourguides made us hold hands to go up the falls in case oneof us slipped. The water was up to my waste at parts andat other parts up to my shoulders. We walked throughthe water and climbed up little drops in the water. Therewere many repeated drops that we climbed up too. Atmany of these falls the tour guide would have us jump

off or slide down. Finally we made it to the big part ofthe waterfall. We all ducked our heads under and tookpictures by the waterfall. We started climbing up the sideand then moved into the center of the falls where thewater was rushing against our legs. There were somerocks that jutted out that we stepped on and climbeddiagonally up the waterfall. Some of the rocks were veryslippery while others felt rough. At the top it turnedinto a river with more little drops. We climbed up themand eventually made it to the exit. We all got towels andwalked through a little market back to the bus.

In the market, my mom bought me a Rasta hat.My cousin, Daniel, also got a Rasta hat. We continuedthrough the market and back to the bus. On our wayback to Falmouth, Boomshot had us stop at the center ofa different town where we all had an hour to look around.My dad got a soccer ball from a soccer shop. He alsobought me a Jamaican soccer shirt. My mom bought afancy bracelet. We went and sat in the A.C. at one store


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for the rest of the time because it was so hot outside.Finally when the hour was up, we got back onto thebus and drove back to Falmouth. At Falmouth we wentthrough the markets and we all got jerk chicken, whichwas amazing. We all got non-alcoholic pia coladas andstrawberry daiquiris, and sat on a bench. My pia colada

tasted so good especially in the hot sun.Eventually, we went through security again and

boarded the ship. The adults all went to a restaurant inCentral Park for dinner that night, so my cousins, Aliyah,Brian and Daniel, my sister, Allie, and I all went and gotpizza in the promenade for dinner. After that we wentback to our room and played card games on the balcony.

That was the end of our day in Jamaica. As you cansee Jamaica is a wonderful place with waters so blue,trees so green, and people so nice. So if you havent been

to Jamaica yet, you should go. It is a place you will neverforget visiting.


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Kyra Bolt, House 2Arranged Marriages

There are many reasons why I think arrangedmarriages are an insult to natural love and naturalmarriage. It provides unacceptable pressure, you could

suffer from abuse, and you may not actually love theperson. All of this connects with forced marriages. This iswhy I am against arranged marriages.

Arranged marriage leads to unhappy marriage. Mostof these reasons are because of love. For example youmay not love the person. According to Mrs. La Rosa, Itis argued that love marriages offer more independenceand freedom, as compared to arranged marriages wherethe girl/boy is chosen by the parents. Another exampleis it gets rid of most family values because you actually

had someone pick your husband/wife for you, and youdidnt get to meet anyone through real love. The linesplitting the difference between arranged and forced isso blurred that it is unreasonable. On the other hand, italso brings imbalance of power in the relationship. Thisconnects with a movie I watched called, Princess Diaries, where the arranged marriage did not work out andshe wound up marrying someone else. This is why I amagainst arranged marriages.

Abuse disrupts many arranged marriages. There

are many reports on abuse. For example in the words of

www.enotes.com, Women have been known to stay inabusive relationships. In addition it makes them morelikely than in other cases to suffer kidnapping, because,

you really do not know who they are, and what theywill turn out to be. This connects with a TV show I oncewatched when a woman stayed in an abusive relationshipso she would not upset her parents. This is why abuseupsets and ruins arranged marriages.

Unacceptable pressure is involved in arrangedmarriages. There is too much of it. For example inthe other words of Mrs. La Rosa, To allow arrangedmarriages leads to unacceptable pressure on those whoare involved. Another example is a quote from www.

enotes.com, Men, and women fear and have emotionaltrauma of going through the process and courtship, thenbeing rejected. This connects with a show I had seenabout bosses who went undercover to nd true love andwas much happier than those in an arranged marriage.Arranged marriages lead to unhappy marriages.

In conclusion, arranged marriages are not the wayto go. As said before you could suffer abuse, there isunacceptable pressure, and out of everything you maynot actually love the person. This is why I am against

arranged marriages.


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Zechariah Brown, House 2A Day in the Life of a Mount Cleevon Fly: A Satire

Buzzz, buzz, buzz! Oh no, homeroom is starting!Said Dave the Fly, as he darted past the water fountainand narrowly through the door of Mrs. Yellows room.

Morning announcements were about to begin shortly.Dave found a nice area of the wall where he could putall of his eyes to use. Moments later the announcementsbegan.

Ding, ding, ding. Dong. Ding, ding, thespeakerphone went.

Good morning, students. This is your principal hereto read the code of conduct to you guys once again, theprincipal said in his usual, way-too-happy-for-a-Mondaymorning voice. As he nished his sentence, a collective

sigh was heard around the school. He mumbledsomething under his breath and shortly began.

Now I am sure that all you students at MountCleevon are aware of the rules, but some of you need areminder. Rule Number One: there shall be no touchingbetween students. No high ves, no hugging, and if anyteacher even sees you reach out to shake someoneshand you will have detention faster than you can spellthe word. Just then Dave turned his head slightly tosee two children kicking each other under their desk. He

chuckled to himself.Rule Number Two: there shall be no spraying of

perfume or cologne on school premises. Personally wehere at Mount Cleevon only want our students to smelllike barnyard animals. Any pleasant-smelling children willbe dealt with accordingly. Because if it is one thing weknow here at Mount Cleevon it is that no one is allergicto the smell of dirt and sweat after gym. Just then Davegot a whiff of the smell that was being talked about.

Being a y he was used to the smell of garbage but thiswas one thousand times worse. All of his eyes started totear up.

Rule Number Three: Running is not permitted inthis school. Walking leads to running and running leadsto tripping. There is no excuse for tripping here at MountCleevon. So to prevent this, we have implemented a newtop of the line security protocol. Every student at MountCleevon will now be forced to stay in a wheelchair all dayat Mount Cleevon. Students, I advise you to take care ofthese chairs because the specially-made attachment nowallows us to make these chairs your desks too.

Rule Number Four: Instead of StarPortal, where

your parents can know your grades before you do, MountCleevon is trying out a new system in which students willhave their grades stamped onto their foreheads. Thisrevolutionary system will change the way children feelabout their education. Until...well...there will be a change.Now it is time for the quote of the day: Laws control thelesser man... Right conduct controls the greater one.Mark Twain. Thats all for now children.

Dave looked all around; he saw that the studentshad spotted him and were now wheeling toward him

hopelessly trying to avoid any form of physical contactin their new wheelchairs. Dave felt pity as he looked atthe smelly students bumping into tables and desks. Withthat, Dave ew away. He went to nd another school...hopefully one that had food in their garbage cans unlikeMount Cleevons, which was lled with bottles of cologneand perfume.

THE END


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Christine Deep, House 2A Satire

September 1, 2011

Welcome back, Parents and Guardians!

After extensive debating and making some crucial decisions, the staff here at Mount Heh-Bron is pleased to inform youof a few changes in the school system, to be effective September 7.

1. The problem of students running in the halls has arisen lately. To protect students from the extremely likelyproblem of breaking a bone, all students shall be issued Ofcial Mt. Heh-Bron School RunNoMore sneakers.These sneakers, similar to soccer cleats, have suction cups on the soles and prevent your childs foot from leavingthe ground quickly. With RunNoMore sneakers, your child is guaranteed to have a safe, hospital-free journey toand from his or her classes. If, in the case that your child misplaces his/her sneakers, more are available at theMt. Heh-Bron Middle School Ofcial Store, at $49.99 a pair. Refusal to wear the sneakers shall result in a Saturdaydetention.

2. Today, students everywhere curse or speak obscene words daily. To try to stop this deadly disease fromspreading even further, students shall receive a mouth guard-like retainer, to be worn at all hours during the schoolday. This guard lters out profanities so no one can hear those dangerous words. In fact, this mouth guard is soeffective, it will lter out any word, ensuring a silent learning environment.

3. Gum chewing is quickly becoming a problem during school hours. A handy device has been invented to x this.This device will be installed in every classroom. Students will simply line up before they go inside their classroomand place their chin on the chin pad, allowing the robotic arm to move inside and probe their mouth for stickysubstances (Note: We are not responsible for destruction of any dental equipment.) Of course, these are one-timeuse arms, disposable and, most importantly, sanitary. Please note that this device is highly recommended by theUSDA (United States Department of Agriculture).

4. Finally, cell phones are to be prohibited on school grounds during school hours. If your child needs to contactyou in any way, there will be no need to worry. Our Ofcial Mt. Heh-Bron solar-powered megaphone will be givento the student, who shall proceed to repeat their message, through the megaphone, into town. Lets hope you hear

and immediately come to the school for clarication (assuming you are in town). Please remember that, althoughyou may not hear, the rest of the town will, so it is advised that you stay home to ensure you hear these messages.Also, please do not be alarmed if the Fire or Police Department, including the rest of the town, les a complaint.

Thank you for your time. Have a wonderful summer break, and we look forward to seeing you!

Sincerely,

Yugo DumpkeyPrincipal


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Caleb Deutsch, House 5Hospital Visitors

I NEED TO DO SOMETHING! I thought. I was stuckin the hospital doing a video EEG, since my doctors hadseen some seizure activity in my other EEGs before that.

An EEG is where these wire-like things called leads areglued to your head and hooked up to an electronic box.The box is connected to a computer, which shows mybrain waves.

I was bored out of my mind in the hospital, sinceI was stuck in my bed watching TV and playing videogames and Scattergories all day. I was so sick of doingthe same old activities that I decided to call my friends,Ian and Kyle.

Hey, Ian. I was wondering if you and Kyle could

come to the hospital and hang out with me. Ive gottentired of the same-old, same-old here and I thought itwould be great if you guys came to visit me.

Yeah, I think that would be great! Coles here, sohes going to come, too.

Thats even better, I said.So youre at St. Barnabas, right?Yep.All right, see you soon, bye!While I was waiting for them to come, I heard my

phone ring and saw that it was Ian. I picked up the phoneand he said, Hey, Caleb. What ice cream do you want?

What? Theyre getting me ice cream? Thats great, Ithought.

Were getting ice cream, so what avor do youwant? Ian said.

Can I have mint chocolate chip, please? I asked.Yeah, see you soon, Ian said.When they came in, they gave me my ice cream and

we all happily scarfed down our treats.Thanks for getting me ice cream, guys. This is

delicious! I said. The ice cream had chocolate sauce

and sprinkles on it. It was funny seeing how fast or slowpeople ate their food. Kyle and Ian ate really fast. Colenished pretty quickly.

Once we were done eating our ice cream, I toldthem all about my EEG. I told them how it works and howthey glue on the leads to my head. After that, I showedthem all the things I won from bingo. (I won ve out ofsix games.) At the hospital, 26 was the bingo channel.It showed two old guys sitting at a desk. One spun thecage with all the bingo balls while the other picked up thephone when someone called to say they had bingo.

We took out the mini Nerf basketball that I broughtwith me from my house to play catch with my mom.

At rst, we played catch with it, talking about schoolbecause there were only a few days left.

So, what have you guys been doing at school? Iasked.

Nothing much, just slowly nishing the last monthof the school year, Cole replied.

I cant wait to get out of Watchung, I said.I know, right! Ive gotten so tired of it, Ian added.Ive still got a whole year after nishing this one!

Kyle complained.

True, but graduation cant come any sooner, Iresponded.

Agreed! Ian and Cole replied.Once we got bored of playing catch, we decided that

since the trashcan was empty, we could shoot trick shotsinto it with the ball. I could still shoot from the bed andthe rst shot I took hit the door, then the wall and it wentstraight into the trashcan. Another cool shot was where Ihad Kyle bend down and I shot it off his back and in. Theyalso took shots, but they let me take the majority of theshots. We took videos of the shots and every once in awhile I look at them, remembering how much fun we had.


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T. E., House 1Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Position Paper

Do you think that sometimes the best thing to dois nothing at all? In the essay, Is Humanity a SpecialThreat, the author states the smartest thing they

could have done after the [ Exxon Valdez oil] spill is notone single thing. The author is completely correct. Heis correct for many reasons. One reason is that the areathat was not cleaned healed faster.

The Exxon Valdez oil spill covered a large area, butsome of the areas of the spill werent cleaned. The areasthat werent cleaned seemed to heal faster. When theother areas were power-washed, the animals and plantscould not come back for a long time because of the soapand heavy cleaning. The areas that were not treated

with the soap allowed the oil to go underground and theplants and the animals to return earlier because therewere no chemicals in the soil, and the power-washersblow out a lot of the soil for the plants. Also, the cleaningmade people go away because the area was loud andcrowded, but the untreated area allowed people to comeback to a calm and peaceful area. While cleaning the areathe workers over-cleaned the area.

Sometimes over-cleaning can lead to worse matters.Cleaning a large area can lead to the destruction of a

habitat and the things that live there. When they cleanedthe area after the oil spill, they over-cleaned some of thespots. When they used too much soap and high-poweredwaters they destroyed the land and any habitats in thatarea. The soap can seep into the ground and kill presentplants and even future plants. The high-powered water

pulled up rocks, plants, and maybe animals. The over-cleaning also cost a lot of money.

The Exxon Valdez oil spill was a very expensive

cleanup. The $2 billion cleanup was a waist. The purchaseof all the chemicals, hoses, and people was unnecessaryin the cleanup. As said before, the cleaning was notneeded because the untreated area healed faster. Also assaid before, since they bought all of the equipment theythought that they had to use it all so they over-cleanedwhich destroyed a lot. Overall the money was spentfor no reason. That is also why they should have donenothing at all.

In conclusion, the cleaning made the area heal

slower, it made matters worse, and it cost a lot of money.Again all of these reasons show why Exxon should havedone nothing at all. the smartest thing they couldhave done after the [ Exxon Valdez oil] spill is not onesingle thing. The author is correct when stating thisquote because if they hadnt done anything, the beach inAlaska would have healed faster and Exxon would havesaved a lot of money. Doing nothing usually seems like abad thing, but in this situation it would have helped a lotmore.


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Ellie Gustavsen, House 5Book

book.green as grass,pages rumpled,

cover so smooth.

book.sits on the shelf,with all of its brothers and sisters,all the noisy words chatting happily inside.

book.I pick it up,look inside,

and sit for a while.


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M. H., House 3Excerpt from Witches of the Woods: A Hansel and Gretel Remake

After a few hours of wandering around the forest,Gretel broke the silence. We should really start trying tond a road. Its going to get dark soon.

Thats a good plan, responded Hansel.Soon enough they came upon one that seemed

to lead to nowhere, but it was their only hope. Duskwas quickly falling, so they stepped up their pace. Theynoticed that the road was becoming more and moreunkempt and rocky, as if no one ever rode down this wayanymore.

Gretel looked up. What she saw stopped her inher tracks. Not far behind with his head down, Hanselbumped right into her and was about to yell at her for

being in the way when he, too, caught a glimpse of whatwas transxing her. What lay in front of them made their

jaws drop -- a house made with every kind of candy youcould imagine. The walls were giant Hershey bars, withfrosting-glue to hold it together. There were windowsmade from rock candy and hard suckers, and Twix thatheld nice candy owers on the sills. Twizzlers lined thecorners, and a Snickers formed a chimney from whichcame cotton candy.

Wow! Amazing! They shouted in unison.

The kids dug into the house. They found almostevery single type of candy they knew of, including thingsthey didnt. They didnt think about anyone owningthe house, they were too busy chowing down. All of asudden, they heard a loud HEY! coming from inside. Anold, sweet-looking lady came out.

Just because I am old doesnt mean I cant workthe security cameras, children. Now, where are yourparents?

The twins explained their situation and asked forhelp. The lady thought for a few moments and said

that she would let them stay until she could arrangesomething. Gretel smiled and walked in but Hanselwas more cautious. He thought there was something

suspicious about the woman.As she put the children to bed, the old woman

wondered what she would have for dinner tomorrow,as it was her birthday. She had an idea and broke into awide, hungry grin. She tucked the kids in, went out, andlooked up a recipe in her favorite book called, Ill Get You My Pretty: Offbeat Treats.

The next morning, the kids found a nice stack ofBelgian wafes on the table ready for them with aglass of orange juice and some fruit on the side. They

absolutely loved it, especially the syrup. Then they gotto play on the X-Box the old woman had. Next, theyhad lunch. Hansel and Gretel both loved grilled cheesesandwiches, and they were very full by 2:00pm. Afterlunch, they went outside. Hansel and Gretel decided togo into the womans garden to talk about their day.

What luck we have had today! Commented Gretel,I sure am happy we stopped here! The lady is so nice.

Really? Hansel said grimly, Why do I get thefeeling weve walked into a trap here?

What do you mean?Havent you seen the ladys books? They are all

things we like. Also, dont forget everything else thathas been happening. How did she know we liked grilledcheese? And what about that psychotic smile she had onlast night? What old woman has a video game console? I

just think we should be careful. Hansel became slightlystressed as he listed all of the clues.

Suddenly they heard a crinkle of leaves behind them.

To be continued


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N. H., House 2A Satire

Good Morning, Sixth-Graders! Welcome to Mt.Lebron. As you might suspect, we are not located inCleveland. Now, the behavior of last years students was,

er, less than satisfactory, to say the least. It is the aim ofthe principal and myself to change that. Therefore, thisyear we came up with a solution that we think will solveall of our problems.

Sarcastic Cheer From Audience

A school uniform!

Cue school uniform

Now these are not your average school uniforms,might I add. They are touch-sensitive, language-ltering,GPS-equipped, EMP shock wave jumpers. That meansno touch, period, and most certainly no swearing. Justas a warning though, the language lter is a tad out ofdate, due to budgetary restrictions, and might lter otherwords. And by other words, I mean all words.

Cue quiet conversation

Now due to this slight issue, a new class has beenadded to your schedule: Miming. Take care though. If the

jumper thinks youre touching a person, it will instituteShock Protocol 001.

Cue Disclaimer

DISCLAIMER: Mt. Lebron is not responsible for any injuryoccurring from, or associated with, our school uniform.

Cross Stage

Of course, the next feature is my favorite. The EMPshock wave. It means all of your electronic devices willbe shut off, no way around it. However, the shock wavetends to reach a bit farther than expected, so you may

experience some, ah, minor power outages aroundschool.

Cue power outage in auditorium

Audience Screams

Cue power

Ahh . . . err. Okay listen, dont expect electricity inschool. Luckily I have come up with a solution to theproblem, TORCHES!

Cue Disclaimer

DISCLAIMER: Mt. Lebron will not be held responsiblefor burning, bullying, arson, death, or injury due to ourtorches.

The last feature on the suits is their GPS. The daysof cutting class are over. We can nd you in the school,whenever we want. And as if that werent enough

Huff

--We have added a K9 unit to patrol the schoolproperty.

Enter K9 Unit

Growl Menacingly

Cue Disclaimer

DISCLAIMER: Mt. Lebron is not liable for the K9 unit orits actions.

Have a great year at Mt. Lebron! And remember,DETT (ditching, electronics, talking, and torches)!


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S. H., House 4You Found a What?

Marin and her best friend, Annika, sped downthe halls in their school to the thick wood doors. Thechatter of a normal Friday was bouncing off the walls of

the opened lobby and everyone was trying to squeezeout the doors. Kids hopped onto buses or ran to theirparents cars. The girls made their normal route throughthe stampede of students to the bike rack. Marins newbike was blue and shining in the exuberant light of thesun. Annikas bike was her older sisters but she used itanyway; it was a red beach bike with a basket where shedumped her backpack.

The girls grasped the handles and peddled towardsMarins house. The crisp autumn air reddened theirfaces and they exchanged funny moments from the day.Annikas basket sagged down lower than usual becauseshe had stuffed her backpack full of clothes for the night.Sleepovers at Marins house were always the best. Theywould stay up all night watching scary movies in the TVroom, and eat all the popcorn they wanted. BecauseMarin had a popcorn machine and a mini fridge in the TVroom, the possibilities were endless.

When they reached Marins house they climbed offtheir bikes and dumped them on the front porch. Dad!

Im home! Marin yelled, as she kicked off her shoes andput them in the mudroom. Annika followed, and the girlsmade their way to the kitchen, where Marins dad sat atthe kitchen table. His Blackberry was pressed to his earand as they approached he held up a post-it.

Almost done with my conference call, be quiet please, it read.

They walked up the stairs to Marins room. Herclothes were scattered all over the oor and her binderswere opened on her desk. The family had recently moved

into the new house. Boxes still ooded the basement andpainters were still coming every day.

Im just going to grab this box from the basement,Marin said.

Ill come. Annika replied. The girls ran back downthe stairs past Marins dad and down to the basement.The basement was done but still a little murky. Marin dugthrough the boxes and Annika looked at the big dressernext to the stairs. It had six drawers and fancy knobs. She

ran her hand along the top drawer admiring the carvings,when her ngers stumbled upon a keyhole.

Marin, this is so pretty. Where did you get it? she

questioned.Marin stopped for a second, looked at the dresser

and shrugged her shoulders. She went back to huntingfor her box. Annika walked away from the dresser andover to help her friend. Her foot bumped into a box and itknocked over. Contents spilled all over the oor, includinga rusted key.

Hey look at this. I think its the key to the dresser.Annika said.

You found it! Marin yelped, My dad has beenlooking for that forever. She ran over and snatched thekey from Annika. I think he said he left a pair of pants init or something.

Marin shoved the key into the hole of the dresserand turned the lock. The dresser drawer had to be pulledhard, and when it nally opened the friends stood therein shock. A chunk of solid gold was resting in the drawer.Both girls reached out to snatch it, but Marin got to itrst and pulled it out and spun it around in her shakingngers. There was a shield on it that had a sun at the topand what looked like a pirate ship at the bottom. Under

the shield, the words, Forward Upward Onward Together, were carved into ribbons. A amingo was on the rightof the shield and a marlin sh was on the left. The girlscouldnt gure out what was at the top of the shield, butabove it was some type of shell, all carved into solid gold.It was the most salubrious thing she ever saw in her life.

Wow, Annika stammered. What is this? Who put ithere, in your house?

I dont really know. But I think I know who can tell uswhat this is. Marin said, still gazing at the gold object in

her hand.Well we dont want anyone to see this, right? What

if they try to take it? I mean, it looks pretty valuable, saidAnnika.

Yeah, okay. Lets put it back. Here, take the key.Marin said shoving the key at Annika. She quickly placedit back in the drawer and locked it with the key. Annikaput the key in her pocket. The two girls walked back upthe stairs, without their box.


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Marin?Yeah.Why would your dad want that thing? Why was he

so desperate to nd the key? That thought had nevercrossed her mind.

The wind had picked up and the house was getting alittle colder. Marin and Annika were in her room trying toforget the oddness of what they had found hours before.It was dark outside and the curtains were closed, but coldair still seemed to permeate the house. So Marin kneltdown by the vent and turned the heat up. Suddenly, shesaw something she had never noticed before. A mirrorwas tucked into the vent, blocking off the other partbut making it look normal. Her ngernails werent longenough to grab it so she called over Annika.

Hey, can you get this? There is a mirror lodged in myvent.

You do it, lazy. Annika replied. Marin held up herhand, showing off her chewed nails. Chewing her nailshad been an idiosyncrasy of hers since she was three.Oh. Annika knelt down and clawed at the mirror untilit came loose. The mirror fell to the bottom of the ventand a small box was visible in the light from Marins room.Annika hunched over farther and collected the box. It waswrapped with green ribbon and had a small card on it.

Michael D. Higgins, From: Anonymous

Who the heck is Michael D. Higgins? Marin asked,peering over Annikas shoulder. Annika didnt know, butshe started opening the box. She tore the paper evenfaster and she pulled out a gold circle with something inthe middle of it that resembled a harp.

Gold, Annika whispered.WHAT!? Are you kidding me? Is their another hunk

of gold in my house!? How did it even get there? Marinsaid, her eyes full of wonder. Okay, put it on the bed.Ill be right back. With that she grabbed the key out ofAnnikas pocket and left.

Marin returned to her room in less than a minute withthe rst hunk of gold held tightly in her hand. Okay, inthe bedside table. She took the other piece and placed itwith the rst. Well deal with this later. Movie?

The girls were in sweats and on the big couch in theTV room with a bucket of freshly popped popcorn. Theyscrolled through Netix trying to pick a good movie they

hadnt already seen.Should we just watch Project Runway? Marin said.Yeah, I dont care. Annika replied. But both friends

knew that neither one would really be watching. Theirminds whirled with possibilities of what these randomgold things theyd found in Marins house could mean.

Marin stopped the show.We need to gure out who did this, who put this

stuff here. They might want it back. Marin thought fora moment, Are we beginning to get crazy about this,acting like its a big deal and all? She laughed, I bet theyare just little fake gold pieces.

Well, lets nd out. Annika jumped up and headed toMarins dads ofce.

They opened up the computer and clicked on Safari.Annika opened up Google next and typed, shield withamingo and marlin. The scroll bar became tiny and amillion links popped up. The rst one read: Gold Coat Of Arms Of The Bahamas STOLEN. The girls looked at eachother in astonishment.

Go get the coat of arms thing. Ill try to nd apicture. Annika said to Marin. Marin rushed back to herroom. Annika clicked on photos and she couldnt believewhat she saw. There was a picture of the gold piece thatthey had found in a dresser drawer in Marins basement.Marin rushed back into the ofce and held it up next tothe photo.

Cool, she said.No, Annika shouted. Not cool. You have a stolen

coat of arms in your house that people have been lookingfor, for a long time. Your dad could be sent to jail forhaving it in his house, she said, looking away.

Lets try the other on, Marin said quietly, shakingoff the thought. Annika typed into Google, gold circle withharp in the middle. Like before, several articles about theitem being stolen were in bold letter throughout the page.Annika shook her head in disbelief. Marin stood looking atthe page, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly opened.

What about the Higgins guy? Should we Google himtoo? Marin asked Annika.

Oh yeah, she said. Annika clicked back to theGoogle home page and typed in, Michael D. Higgins.Annika pressed on the rst link. It was a Wikipedia pagethat clearly stated that this man was the president ofIreland. Next to the picture of Michael D. Higgins therewas an image of what was said to be the presidential seal


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of Ireland--the same thing the girls found in the vent inMarins bedroom.

Later on in the night, the girls were in sleeping bagslying on the TV room oor. They were quietly talkingabout who could have done this.

I mean, what person even wants this stuff? Marinasked.

I...I dont know. Annika replied, Maybe they justneeded money? Marin couldnt think of a reason whysomeone would steal something of so much value. Whatwould you do with it anyway? She just didnt understand,and was silent.

Annika?Yeah?Do you think my dad could have snuck this stuff in?

Maybe he had some reason he wanted it. After Marinsaid this, Annika couldnt really ponder that idea. Marinsdad was one of the nicest people she had ever met in herlife. He was full of funny quirks.

Who has keys to this house besides you and yourdad? Annika asked, instead of staying on the subject ofher best friends dad being a suspect.

Nobody. At least, I think. Marin thought about that.What about the previous owner of the house?

Couldnt he have kept a key maybe? I mean he just mighthave not have had all his stuff by the time he sold the

house. Maybe he hid these things in your home when heknew there was nobody home! Annika went on and on,trying to come up with ways the previous owner couldhave put these things in the house. She just didnt want tothink that it was her friends dad doing the crime.

Okay, okay. Marin laughed, Thats denitely apossibility. Going back to the key thing, we do have aspare one under the mat in the back. But wouldnt yoube the only one besides us that knows about it? I mean,who...the cleaning lady! She knows about it too! That ishow she gets in if my dad isnt home to open the door.

So maybe if you guys werent home then she wouldhide the pieces! Annika lled in for Marin.

At the end of the night the girls had three solidsuspects. Marin thought it might be her own dad, Annikawas hooked on the previous owner, and there was themaid. The maid seemed a little farfetched; she only knewthe parts of the house that were intended to be cleaned.Not the creepy basement.

The next morning went by quickly. The girls tried toavoid Marins dad, which didnt really work.

Where are you guys going? He asked.Library, Marin responded.But you didnt even nish your--

Bye Dad! They rushed out of the house and hoppedon their bikes. The library wasnt very far away butthey were frozen by the time they stepped into the oldmansion stacked with books. It smelled of old leather andcottage cheese, but still managed to have a palatial feel.Not many kids were around but the computer room waspacked with grown-ups. A man stood up and shufed allof his papers into an already-overowing manila folder.The girls rushed to get to the free computer.

Why couldnt we just use your laptop? Annikawhined. I hate the library. It smells so weird.

Just chill. If my dad found us looking up the lastowner of the house, he would question us.

Oh, ne. Just hurry up. Marin typed in her addressand started scrolling down through the pages. There werearticles about the Open Houses it had had and websitesfrom the local real estate places advertising the house.Under all of the Century 21 websites was a small Wikipedialink. The mans name was Eric Hanford, and he was listedas the owner of Marins house from 1974 through 2010,when Marins dad had bought it.

Ok, so we found a random Wikipedia page on theguy who last owned your house. Now what? Annikaasked.

Well, my friend, they didnt make Yellow Pages fornothing did they? When Yellow Pages opened up, thegirls typed in, Eric Hanford. He popped up as Marinsaddress and they clicked on it. Apparently the library hadaccess to his bio and all information on him with YellowPages Plus, which was kind of creepy considering it wasan old library. His bio listed his family, his previouslyowned houses, his wife and kids, and--Bingo!--phonenumber.

So are we just going to call him?Guess so, Marin said pulling out her phone.They left the library and went across the street to

Starbucks. With her peppermint hot chocolate in onehand, Marin looked down at her other one. Jotted downon her palm was the cell number of Eric. She dialed thenumber and a gruff voice picked up.


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Hello?Uh, hi. Is this Eric Hansford?Speaking. May I ask whos calling?Yes, my name is Marin Heausen. My family bought

the house on Gatz Street last year.Ah yes, Scott Heausen. Beg my pardon but why is his

daughter calling me?Well I wanted to ask you a couple of questions about

the house.You found what? Eric exclaimed.Yes, we found two gold pieces...one that is the

Bahamas coat of arms and the other the Presidential sealof Ireland...in my house...in what used to be your house.Do you by any chance know how they got there? Marinasked. She looked at Annika and crossed her ngers.

Well, I mean I never saw them there. To tell thetruth someone doesnt really search in the vents in theirhouse, but thats just me. There was a hint of sarcasmin his voice, I have nothing to do with this, if thats whatyoure asking. I dont even have a key to the house. I gavethem all to your dad. He paused for a second. I lovedmysteries as a boy, I can help you if you want. Maybe wecan take ngerprints or something. Try to see if therewere any before yours. Eric seemed to be volunteeringhis help, so it couldnt be him.

No thanks, Mr. Hansford. Thank you though. Theysaid their goodbyes and hung up.

Well, its not him, I guess. Annika said, who waslistening to the whole conversation.

Marins hopes that the robber was Eric oated away.Her face became blank, as Marin realized that this meantthat her dad might be sent to jail. It made her solemn tothink about that, her mom was dead, where would she gowithout her dad around?

As the girls biked back to Marins house, Marin askedAnnika if she should tell her dad that they know what hedid.

Marin, I really dont think your dad did it. Annikalaughed, a little bafed that Marin really thought her dadwas a criminal.

Annika, I was thinking about it last night and itmakes sense. He, well...He went to the Bahamas with mymom; before she died. There you go. He could have stolenthe coat of arms. Besides that, he took a business trip toIreland once. Right before we moved here. He went to

Ireland, he could have stolen the seal.As much as these facts sounded convincing, Annika

just couldnt let herself believe that Mr. Heausen did it. Asthe girls reached Marins house once again, they quietlyput their bikes down and discussed what their plan was.

Okay, because youre convinced its your dad, well

show him what we found. Then we can ask him if he hasever seen them before.

But Annika, what if he lies? You and I both know heis good at that.

Whatever, well think of something. Lets go.Wait...What?I just realized something.What!?My dads car is gone. He went to a work brunch.Jeez! Well have to wait until later. Want to nish

Project Runway? Yeah!The girls went through the front door silently.

Because they had nothing to say and were cold fromstanding outside for so long, they went down the hall andinto the kitchen, which led to the TV room.

Oh my god! Marin screamed. The Heausenshousekeeper was placing a small shiny crystal under apiece of uplifted carpet. She screamed and tried to run.Out of pure instinct, Annika shot her foot out and tripped

the housekeeper at the doorway.

Yep, this is her. The ngerprints on the seal and thecoat of arms match. The head police ofcer said. I dontthink youll be nding any more weird treasures in yourhouse.

Thank you, said Marins dad. The girls and theirfamilies left the police station and walked toward theparking lot.

Marin snifed.Whats wrong? Annika asked.Its such a bummer, she repliedWhat?I felt like Nancy Drew there for a minute.They both laughed.


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L. H., House 1Montauk Mud

We all look forward to summer. It means no school,sleeping in and vacation. Everyday you can do whateveryou want because there is no school to tie you down. You

can stay up as late as you want and always hang out withyour friends. Every year I go with my family to Montauk,Long Island. And the best part is,

Mount Hebron Literary Review 2012

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