Listened

Paria Shahir (9) | STAFF REPORTER

I sat on my chair scouring through my mind, feeling very sedentary, searching for an excuse for the anger I carried everywhere with me. As the heart meandered through the mind–or perhaps it was the other way around, I’m not sure–I heard the first drops of rain hitting the ground. The gentle thrumming turned into a cloudburst at once. I struggled to rise from my chair, pull back the thick shut curtains, and watch the night getting more blurry and vague each second. I was pushed back on the chair in awe of the delicate music being played outside. read more

A Curse of Snow and Beauty

Luana Wu (9) | STAFF REPORTER

Winter was such a beautiful place, especially on Earth. With the beautiful snowflakes floating down and the trees full of snow… oh, I was obsessed. I wished it was the same in my world. Unfortunately, my world was cursed a thousand years ago by a witch to never be beautiful again. Our winters were cold, dreary, and grey. read more

Red Fog

Vicky Shi (9) | STAFF REPORTER

I’ll never forget his devilish grin, the rouge stained on his pale cheeks like the Joker, and that sing-song voice that could bring an avalanche down from the mountains. Not even in death will that image fade from my mind—how could it? It was the last thing I saw before falling asleep and the first to creep back into my sight with the dawning light. It consumed my every thought, becoming my entire world. It was my beginning and my end, the only thing I lived for. It was… read more

TAROT READINGS & FORTUNE TELLINGS

Elaine Chang (10) | Staff Reporter

TAROT READINGS & FORTUNE TELLINGS — 

$2/10 minutes

The sign stood, propped up on a potted plant, outside a tiny, four-post tent. As Molly read the hand-lettered, swirly font, she privately thought the material of the tent’s drapes looked just like her grandma’s carpet. Despite her skepticism, she counted her palmful of change: two dollars exactly. Between the overpriced ice cream and the bustling arcade, there wasn’t exactly anywhere else along the boardwalk to spend the money. I suppose there’s no reason not to. She surveyed the dense bead curtain, shrouding the figure inside from a proper view, and stepped through it.   read more

Bark Bites And Treats

Alyssa Lai (9) | STAFF REPORTER

Coco placed the wooden sign announcing “Available to host any Bark-Be-Que Nights or Paw-some Pupcake Parties” on the front doors of her cafe, allowing it to sway gently as she opened up for the day. Inside, she flicked on the lights, entered the kitchen, and began preparing a variety of treats, including peanut butter pupcakes, coconut crunch bites, and sweet potato chews. After thirty minutes of baking, she arranged the delicious offerings on separate platters in the window display. Shortly after, her co-worker Winnie arrived, and together, they crafted the daily menu, organized dishes, and set up chairs. At 8:00 am, Coco flipped the open sign, ready to welcome in customers. read more

The Fall

Mia Tamondong (10) l STAFF REPORTER

I’m awake. I glance around as if that would help, but all I’m met with is blank space. Nothingness. It’s dull. Everything is so dull. It’s cold here, wherever “here” is, and I begin to shiver. I try to make sense of it all, the grey, the chills, the sensation of being suspended in something I can’t see. Before I can understand my surroundings I’m falling.  read more