"The Red Wheelbarrow" analysis and interpretation
Watch this video--it is tough to get. The guy is really intelligent and speaks quickly so you might want to use headphones or find a quiet spot.
After watching, or while watching, try to answer the questions posed in the next three blog posts... you need to click where the word comments is beneath the post and you must be signed in to answer. Be sure to sign in with your name and be sure to sign out when you are finished.
Monday, March 7, 2016
What is Daniel Candel Bormann's interpretation of the poem?
What is Daniel Candel Bormann's interpretation of the poem? What does he say the meaning of the poem is?
What does Daniel Candel Bormann say about...
What does Daniel Candel Bormann say about loneliness in the "The Red Wheelbarrow"? Do you agree with this interpretation?
This is what I think William Carlos Williams meant with his poem
What do you think William Carlos Williams meant with his poem, "The Red Wheelbarrow?"
Monday, February 22, 2016
Fwd: BENS
Seth Weidenaar
High School English Teacher
Rehoboth Christian School
505-726-9647
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: NEBssob . <bkstew17@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Feb 19, 2016 at 3:15 PM
Subject: BENS
To: seth weidenaar <sweidenaar@rcsnm.org>
From: NEBssob . <bkstew17@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Feb 19, 2016 at 3:15 PM
Subject: BENS
To: seth weidenaar <sweidenaar@rcsnm.org>
It felt so good to finally get out in to the woods and ride my bike. I could see the biggest jump on the trail coming in to site. this is my favorite part of the trail, I've hit this jump hundreds of times. I feel my self lift off. the Earth flies away from me and then i start to chase after it as I come down. I hear a loud snap I hit a stick that was laying in the trail. As I ride on I finally arrive to my car. as I step of i feel as sharp pain in my neck and a warm liquid fallowed. The search team found my body at the bottom of the jump two days latter with my neck cut open by my handle bars
rainey crawford
There was a old man that lived in high mountains of coyote peak. He lived in his small cabin all alone. His family went out one evening and never came home. He tried and tried to look for them the next 3 years or so. So then he gave up because he got tired of looking for them. He thinks that they might have got eaten by coyotes or something. Then the next 10 years he never saw another coyote around his cabin. He went out one cold winter to get some wood for the night. As he was walking around he saw a pack of mean growling coyotes. He went the other direction so that he won't go to close to them. He walked maybe about ¼ mile there was no sign of the coyotes. He thought they were long gone. He started to cut the tree down and just as it fell he slipped and the tree fell on his leg. He was trying to call for help thinking there was someone around that would hear him, but no luck. Then he heard the coyotes growling. He heard them coming closer and closer. Soon they were surrounded around him. That was the end of the old man's life.
Seth Weidenaar
High School English Teacher
Rehoboth Christian School
505-726-9647
selena delgado
I
We were walking along the cliff, throwing rocks out onto the water. We had come for a swim, but it got dark faster than we thought it would. She being more adventurous than I, still wanted to race across the gloomy water; claiming that the crescent moon had enough light for us to see as we crossed to the other side. She even stripped down to her swimsuit and started edging herself down to the usual diving place.
"You really gonna let me go out there on my own?"
She paused, looking down the intense drop; had it always been this daunting?
"I could get hurt y'know."
Oh, I knew. The cliff was at least 40 feet high from where she was standing, and we couldn't see the bottom.
She could get hurt... But I wasn't about to let that happen.
I started taking off my clothes and creeped down the precarious wall of the cliff. As I climbed down, I noticed that I could hear the crickets. I listened closer; I could hear the breeze rustling the leaves in the trees at least 50 yards away from where the edge of the cliff was. The waves crashing onto the rocks usually masked such delicate noises.
Unusual.
I got down to the ledge where she was and stood next to her; waiting for her signal. Noticing that I was shaking, she looked at me and told me not to worry.
"This is going to be fun," she paused to ruffle up my hair, "you need a little danger in your life; what? Are you gonna tell your grandkids wild stories about your stamp collection?."
I managed a lighthearted chuckle; just to make it seem like I wasn't that much of a stick in the mud. Truth be told, I was scared out of my mind; the fact that I was even in the presence of this girl terrified me.
She looked at me and grabbed my hand.
"Three, two, one…"
II
I had grown up in the nice part of town; starch-white fences, manicured lawns, etc. Never did get out much; I didn't like my fellow peers enough to hang out with them during the standard eight to three school day let alone enough to go down to the pier or tag along to go the Soda Shoppe with them.
She had grown up on the opposite end of the country; the "Wild West". A total mystery that I was immediately fascinated with, Came waltzing into class one day and sat next to me.
"How's it goin', my name's…"
III
"Bridgett!"
I waded in the ominous water; praying that she'd emerge any second.
"Bridgett!!!"
I saw a figure floating toward me.
"Bridgett?" I asked tenderly.
Her eyes were closed and she was smiling.
"Wasn't that fun?"
I finally caught my breath and started laughing. Yes. Yes, it was fun.
"Well, it may have been fun for you, but I have a headache," she exclaimed.
So, I pulled her to shore and laid on the soft sand; staring at her. Without any hesitation, I reached out and combed through her tangled hair. She smiled and closed her eyes. I traced all over her face; her eyes, her cheeks, her lips. I leaned in to give her the kiss I had wanted to give her since the day I met her.
At the very moment my lips met hers, I felt an immense pain in my chest. I didn't have
control of my body and a blinding light from an unknown source grew larger until eventually…
IV
Sunlight broke through the dense fog of the October morning. A group of teenagers ran into the police department out of breath; saying they had seen two bodies on the rocks of the base of the cliff. Further inspection showed that the bodies were in fact the bodies of two young residents; one boy and one girl.
The girl was unrecognizable; lacerations to the face caused by landing headfirst on the jagged rocks. She was pronounced dead on impact.
The boy suffered multiple broken ribs and a collapsed lung. Cause of death; bleeding out in a matter of minutes.
Seth Weidenaar
High School English Teacher
Rehoboth Christian School
505-726-9647
tashonia martin
It was December 16, we were driving to Minnesota. It was snowing outside. The trees were hanging over us slowly turning white. There was billion of stars in the smokey dark sky. It was a nice cold….a fresh cold. Music was playing softly in the background. My sister was sleeping in the passenger seat. My mother staring motionlessly at the never ending road. Headlights streaming through the car every once in awhile. it was nice, it was quiet, it was peaceful.
Then I woke up... And a cold white blanket, looking up in the sky. A bright light looking down on us, red and blue lights in the far distance. I can still hear the music playing in the background, and feel the snowflakes fall ever so lightly on my face. A man pops in from the corner of my eye. Telling me to stay still, don't move, stay awake, while shining his flashlight in my face
I feel myself being lifted and moved to a bright light, my eyes had to adjust to. I find myself being rolled down a hallway, watching the lights pass by. I see my mother and my sister, I walk up to them. We were all silent. We laid down and we all went to sleep.
Seth Weidenaar
High School English Teacher
Rehoboth Christian School
505-726-9647
jamiliere sweeney
One night, there was a knock on the door around three. A man woke up. He was scared and wondered what they wanted. Being tired, he got up and stumbled to a small cage. He slid open the door and said, "Attack whomever is at my door." Out ran hundreds of very small monkeys the size of a thumbnail. The knocking got louder and louder until he heard a small yell. He went out to see what had become of the intruder. The small monkeys had taken down a very large thief and were covering his face. The man who owned the house called off his tiny monkeys and they went back to their cage.
The thief on the ground looked up and asked. "What were those?" The man said,"They are my tiny attack monkeys. They are often more vicious, and you are lucky that they had been fed last night". The large thief got up and the man gave him a warning, "If you do ever come back, the monkeys won't be so nice" and let him go.
The man went back to his bedroom and locked the monkeys cage. He went back into his bed and soon fell asleep. It was minutes later that the man felt his bed shaking and he heard loud breathing to the left of his bed. He shot up out of his bed ready to unleash his monkeys once again only to find his dog sitting next to his bed. The sun was shining through his window and the clock read seven o'clock. There was no cage in the corner of his room and no tiny monkeys either. The knocking had been his dog's tail wagging and hitting the dresser. It was all just a dream.
Seth Weidenaar
High School English Teacher
Rehoboth Christian School
505-726-9647
keiyana denetdale
Shifting in her sleep and realizing the rough surface which rubbed against her skin has now awaken her from her slumber but not able to fully comprehend her surroundings from only opening her eyes halfway. She stretches her arms wide and sits up straight for a moment while simultaneously shutting her eyes then letting a groan slip from her lips. As she does her morning stretch she slowly comes to her senses and realizes she feels awfully thirsty which seemed normal for her since she usually felt parched in the mornings. Although, today felt oddly different as she tries to recollect events that occurred the other day but for some reason can't seem to come to mind. Trying to remember, she decides maybe being able to get some blood flowing would help, so she stands up but falls shortly after, catching herself of course but ending up being on all fours. "Hmm.. That's surely odd. For some reason, I feel weak and sore when I tried to stand up just now" She questions herself but of course doesn't think too deeply into the problem and decides to shrug it off.
"Hmmm.. Maybe it's nothing" She convinces herself and decides to attempt to get back on her feet and stands up but as she's now standing upright, she hears a dripping noise. Similar to it being, like a raindrop hitting the ground so she decides to look around and sees a blood trail and soon enough fear began to surge throughout her body but also a hint of curiosity. Although, her curiosity won the battle, so she followed the trail being quiet as possible without creaking the floorboards and peeks through the door and sees a motionless body but notices the movement of their chest indicating that their faintly alive. Taking a deep breath and gulping down her fear, she gets closer and realizes her thirst is coming back but tries to ignore it and succeeds temporarily but that temptation came back soon after.
As she stepped closer and closer, she hears a faint voice coming from the person before her "Cmmme Heeer" the person mumbles quietly but theirs a hint of fear found in their voice. What? What did they say? Should I get closer? Their is no visible wound but I wonder why they seem lifeless right now. As she was now centimeters away from the body, they moved their head to the side and now she realizes that the person is a little girl but her skin is really pale and begins to worry. "Little girl, what happened to you?" she speaks while trying to lift her head back to the position it was before but before she even is able to reach her other cheek, she sees a trail of blood flowing from her neck. Brushing her hair back and seeing the deep puncture wounds of two dots with a small blood flow that seemed like a small and narrow river.
She gasps quietly, covering her mouth and fails to realize the pale girl is now staring at her with weak eyes with a small smile and manages to say "You did this to me. Don't you remember? To save me from that sickness". She immediately now realizes the thirst she was feeling before wasn't something that she felt normally and begins to pull the pieces together "Then that means…" She slowly begins to reach up to her lips and opens her mouth slightly and touches her now bare fangs and begins to cry "What did I do.."
Sitting straight upright and panting wildly with sweat droplets forming on her forehead and clutching the bed sheets in fear. She looks around the bedroom in a fast manner and realizes it's completely different from her dream and soon comes to her senses that she's in her actual bedroom. Soon enough a light touch grazed her forearm and she looks in the direction that it came from and sees her little sister, who was now half awake from her startled older sister. "What's wrong sissy" the little girl asks quietly with concern on her sleepy figure and soon enough the older sister calms down and smiles warmly and brushes her little sister's bangs to the side and plants a small kiss on her forehead and says "I'm fine. Just had a bad dream. Get some more sleep little one, I'll sleep after you". The little girl smiles sleepily and closes her eyes once again and falls back to sleep and the older sister faces forward again and releases a deep breath and remembering the dream that slight sense of fear was beginning to bother her. So she decides to convince herself that she was overthinking about the dream and reaches to her neck and to her disappointment she herself feels two small holes in her neck.
Seth Weidenaar
High School English Teacher
Rehoboth Christian School
505-726-9647
Fwd: Autumn Tsosie
Seth Weidenaar
High School English Teacher
Rehoboth Christian School
505-726-9647
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Autumn Tsosie <autumntsosie@rcsnm.org>
Date: Sun, Feb 21, 2016 at 9:17 PM
Subject: Autumn Tsosie
To: Seth Weidenaar <sweidenaar@rcsnm.org>
From: Autumn Tsosie <autumntsosie@rcsnm.org>
Date: Sun, Feb 21, 2016 at 9:17 PM
Subject: Autumn Tsosie
To: Seth Weidenaar <sweidenaar@rcsnm.org>
I was sitting in class, dazing off into the sky looking out the window in the deep blue sky. I was on top of clear blue water looking down below yonder, with patches of green. Where in the world could I be going? Was it a tropical place, indeed so? I was flying to the Dominican Republic! There was sand between my toes, with the warm sun hitting my skin. I was soaking up the sun, getting tan, with beach waves flowing through my hair with the wind. If there was a chance to stay here forever, than I most certainly would. The beautiful rich culture, with the people who inhabit, proudly. All of a sudden I heard the bell ring, and I was back into reality. Now off into my next class, with my imagination just being a dream, wishing that it could all be a reality.
Friday, February 19, 2016
josh bitsilly
Joshua Bitsilly
As the final minutes were ticking down in the fourth quarter, we, the Rehoboth Lynx were down by 4. Now, since I was the star of the tonight's game, I knew it was up to me to try and bring us back. As the other opposing team shot the ball, I knew it was off. So I quickly ran to the goal and jumped for the rebound, but as I was coming down, I seemed to have landed slowly. All my senses seemed to have sharpened. I could hear the crowds breathing, see the sweat of my teammates, smell the odor of my defender, I could feel the air that filled the ball as I came down slowly down from getting the rebound. There was only 10 seconds in the final quarter, as I landed on both feet, I quickly ran past my defender. When I passed the half court line, another defender awaited me. I could see the concentration in his eyes, so I quickly pulled up and let the ball fly in the air. The defender jumped trying to block me, but slapped my hand, but I could tell the ball was in the right route for the basket. As I came down I could hear this swish of the net and the whistle of the ref. I went to the line, and I knew the pressure was on me. As I shot the free throw, I awoke in the locker room with a sprained ankle because I tried grapping a rebound but landed on my ankle wrong.
Seth Weidenaar
High School English Teacher
Rehoboth Christian School
505-726-9647
Fwd: Paul Andrade
Seth Weidenaar
High School English Teacher
Rehoboth Christian School
505-726-9647
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Paul Andrade <paul5andrade@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Feb 19, 2016 at 2:21 PM
Subject: Paul Andrade
To: sweidenaar@rcsnm.org
From: Paul Andrade <paul5andrade@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Feb 19, 2016 at 2:21 PM
Subject: Paul Andrade
To: sweidenaar@rcsnm.org
I really am a superhero. I just found my super strength. As I fly above the city I look down and see my house. My alarm clock rings but I ignore it. Flying is too much fun. From the heavens I hear the song "I believe I can fly." This melody is great while I am flying it makes me ignore the thought of school in an hour. Flying has always been my dream, it is finally happening. Wow, this feeling is amazing, I begin to wonder if this is my only power. As I am flying, I land abruptly and open my eyes. It's my mom, she says to me, "wake up, you're late for school."
Hunter Johnson
After A long day of work I drove home in my black matt grey 1990 Chevy. Once I got home I put my stuff away, and walked over to my fridge. And I thought to myself "you know I was once told chocolate milk is good for your body after doing any kind of laboring work'' But out of all the days I didn't realize I was out of both milk and any chocolate syrup. So I decided it would be best to drink some water and leave it at that. I was feeling very lethargic at this time and most of the day was a blur. I got back home pretty late today it's 11:30 PM but it didn't feel like night time to me I still had a little energy left in me so I turned on the old flat screen I bought for a good chunk of money a couple months ago. It's A 90 inch T.V. Just looking at it makes me feel rich. There was nothing too interesting on besides America's funniest home videos which was just reruns of older episodes by and by my eyes slowly started to close...zzzzZZZZZ
an image started to form in my head. I remember I got up and walked outside and it was morning already seemed like I'd only been home for half an hour. I looked down at the ground were my welcome mat was and there were 12 glasses full of milk which is a little odd , I picked up the box and brought it inside my house I don't remember how many I drank but i'm sure it was a lot. I decided I would like to go eat breakfast this morning at my favorite breakfast restaurant " Free Real Food" I took my wallet out from my back pants pocket and checked to see how much money I had. I guess I forgot money was never a problem for me I had at least a good $5000 in cash which made me feel surprised Usually I never have that much in my wallet. So I drove to Free Real Food In my favorite vehicle That I own. My All black and matte grey Audi R8. I was feeling very free But yet something was weighing me down inside. So I decided I'd drive as fast as I could. I seemed to fly through other cars I was going so fast! I reached Real Free Food faster than I ever imagined I could I didn't quit know how to feel. I parked my car, And walked inside I made sure I gave every waiter a hefty tip I didn't care I was feeling free and alive. I had no problems to worry about a feeling I had never had before But yet still something was weighing me down it was like something was telling me to ''wake up''. Anyway I ate a huge breakfast I ate and ate for hours. My wallet seemed to fill itself up I'm sure it was just my bad math skills I gave at least 2000 Dollars away to that restaurant. But when I counted how much money I had left I had 8000 not 5000 like I had before.l The feeling was like no other nothing could stop me I was in control. So after a great breakfast I drove back home and it seemed like I never even drove Almost like I just appeared at my front door. My Audi R8 Was parked in front of my house. I walked inside my house and laid down on my bed the strange feeling I've been having got stronger. I opened my eyes as I looked up at the ceiling the feeling of being free and in control was gone. I rolled over to look out my window and it was night time. I guess working hard all day really takes it out of you.
Fwd: Lance McMullin
Seth Weidenaar
High School English Teacher
Rehoboth Christian School
505-726-9647
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lance McMullin <lancemcmullin@rcsnm.org>
Date: Fri, Feb 19, 2016 at 10:17 AM
Subject: Lance McMullin
To: Seth Weidenaar <sweidenaar@rcsnm.org>
From: Lance McMullin <lancemcmullin@rcsnm.org>
Date: Fri, Feb 19, 2016 at 10:17 AM
Subject: Lance McMullin
To: Seth Weidenaar <sweidenaar@rcsnm.org>
After a brutal early-morning drive to Albuquerque, I arrived at Popejoy Hall at UNM where the All-Sate choir tryouts are held. All-State tryouts are always nerve racking to some extent, but this year I was ready. Hours upon hours of practicing the tryout piece and my solo, coupled with mastering the most difficult vocal sight reading lines, made me more confident than ever before. I knew it all by heart. Every dynamic change, accented syllable, vowel shape and rest had been permanently etched into my mind. All I had to do now was wait until they called my name to take me to the waiting area, where I would wait to meet with a judge. I never liked the small, cramped rooms where we had to audition. Other people talked about how uncomfortable it was to be in such tight quarters with only the judge. I never minded singing in front of a judge, though. Singing in front of them was far easier than having to sing in front of my peers. I sat by the other guys auditioning for a tenor part, and waited patiently for my name to be called. The chairs we were seated in were plush and seemed to suck us right in to their soft grasp. The constant chit-chat I first heard upon joining the tenors had now died down to almost a whisper.
Sooner than expected, my name was called. I made my way to the door everyone else had gone through, where a brunette woman guided me down the hall where the tenor judges' rooms were located. To my horror, all of the tenor rooms were occupied. Typically I would wait until one of the boys was done auditioning and follow in after him, but the woman insisted that I needed to be taken care of immediately. Apparently the judges had fallen far behind schedule, and still needed to see over 100 tenors before the day was through. I followed the brunette through another set of doors and directed me to an entrance she said would be another tryout room. When I went in i found myself on a stage in front of all the other auditionees seated in the same plush seats I had previously enjoyed. My judge sat in front of a piano and CD player on the far right of the stage, and, without taking any notice whether or not I was ready to begin, pressed start to commence the tryout piece in the CD player.
The music that echoed through the performing hall was nothing I was familiar with. All my hours of practice seemed to slip away with the push of a button. Nerves racked my body and I started shaking anxiously. When I felt that I should come in, the lyrics that I sang were utter nonsense. Snickers from the observing crowd rang in my ears, and I nervously asked if I could move on to my solo. Like with the audition piece, no words came to my mind when attempting to sing it. Afterwards followed the sight reading portion of the audition. However, it was made impossible by the fact that the notes on the paper were ones I had never seen before. I felt the weight of all the eyes pressing down on me in judgement.
My tryout was a disaster, and I just wanted it to be over already. But, before I could finish my sight reading, I shot up out of the same plush red chair I first sat in, and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. There were still six or seven guys ahead of me in line to audition, but having another dream like that one was not something I wanted, so I kept myself awake until it was time for my real audition.
>
Fwd: Kelly Johnson
Seth Weidenaar
High School English Teacher
Rehoboth Christian School
505-726-9647
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kelly Johnson <kellyjohnson@rcsnm.org>
Date: Fri, Feb 19, 2016 at 9:09 AM
Subject: Kelly Johnson
To: sweidenaar@rcsnm.org
How I found my self in this lonely cell, I cannot say or rather I cannot remember. The guards will not say and my family will not make any contact with me. They act towards me as if I had committed some kind of heinous crime. Have I? It appears so because I am being led to execution in a few minutes. To escape would prove ignorant and to hope would be useless. I am guarded day and night, three meals a day, two showers a week and no time outside. I am locked in a cold cell, which seems to be underground, locked behind a glass wall which is very thick. With my time I have been here, I've learnt to call this cell home. With its four walls, it strangely brings me comfort and sanity. I have all I need in here; a bed, sink, toilet, and books. I've found great comfort in books. I've learnt to escape into them and let my imagination take me where it wants go, out of this cell, out of this prison, into the world. Yet I am still locked behind numerous doors which are sealed by a button. I should just accept that I am going to die for a crime I did or didn't do.
I hear the various buzzes of doors as the guards come to take me to my unfortunate fate. There boots stomping rhythmically against the cold stone floor. When they arrive by my cell, they are covered in armor. With helmets and they have weapons so as if I attempt to escape. My mind used to tell me that when I get the opportunity to make a run for it. But now I've come to suppress that thought and accept it as it is. They yell at me to come to the opening slot and put my hands in so they can cuff me. I abide and after, they tell me to back up against the wall. After they have put me in chains and taken all the precautions, they lead me to a place which I am to meet death. These men take me down a labyrinth of hallways and finally into a room. I see the big chair and all the entanglement of wires surrounding it. My heart begins to beat faster and I feel the cold sweat dripping down my neck trailing down my back. As I enter the room, I see a crowd of people have gathered and a priest, I trust they are there to see me leave this world. The room has an uncanny feel to it, which makes me rethink how I feel about escaping. I know that escaping would be great, but definitely not easy. I begin to look around the room and search for an escape route. There are not many guards and not many weapons to hurt me should I choose to leave. I sit on the chair and feel its hardness along with it being strangely warm. The men begin to strap me in. Right hand,Right foot, left foot, although I saw it wasn't strapped right and its loose. I feel my left hand being strapped in, but the strap to my left hand snapped. The sound of the leather snapping was incredibly loud in the room filled with people. My mind started racing and I saw it. My opportunity to freedom. As the guards exchanged glances, they begin leading the crowd to the exit one by one. Leaving me only with the two men and the priest. I see I have been given an opportunity to at last grasp the thought I have been suppressing for months and take action on it. As one of the guards starts to take the broken leather strap off, and the other is finding a new one, I take advantage of the loose strap on my left foot. Slowly inching it out of the restraint. Once I had gotten my leg loose, I kick the guard in the groin and he doubles over. I quickly try to undo my right side of the restraints and they miraculously come undone with my little effort. The guard who was looking for a new restraint came back into the room and sees what I had done, he starts to reach for his gun but something happens to him and he falls over, knocked out. I look to see who my savior or my killer is and its the priest! I stand there shocked and stupefied. The priest tells me to run. I tell him I have no where to actually run. He shows me a door I hadn't noticed before by the pulpit. He tells me to go and keep running when I see the light. I ask him what he will say to the guards when they come back. He says to me that he'll tell them I knocked him out and he had barely just woken up. Not knowing where I had gone. I thank the priest a million times and begin to leave. I hear the door close behind me and begin to run. I appear to be in a tunnel and My nose fills with the smell of dirt. As I begin to run I start to become exhausted. With my legs becoming like metal weights dragging me down. My lungs begin to burn like a fire inside my chest, with every breath I take. My muscles aching and screaming at me to stop. My mind wanders and I start to think if they are looking for me now or if the priest is playing tricks on me. As the thought of them possibly coming down the tunnel searching for me sinks in, a burst of energy and adrenaline pumps through me like a shot of lightning. My senses start to become more sensitized to my surroundings. The smell of dirt becomes less distinct and I begin to smell something else. It brings back a flood of memories.. Memories which I can't exactly place my finger on. As I near, a light becomes visible in the distance and I start to hear what sounds like birds. I near a door from which all these sounds are coming from. I slow to a walk and try to control my rapid breathing. I approach this portal to another world I have been deprived from since childhood. I reach for the door handle and the instant my clammy hand touches the cool metal I feel a surge of electricity course through my veins causing me immense pain. As I turn the handle,despite the pain, I see nothing but hot, white light. And I feel the electricity again,but this time it didn't stop.. The light was fading and fading as I fell into the darkness away from the sound of birds. I open my eyes and see the priests shaking hand hovering over the button which will send me to my death. He looks at me as if he is sorry and closes his eyes. The smell of dirt envelopes my senses and I feel the electricity burn through every inch of my body. Finally,setting me free from this place.
From: Kelly Johnson <kellyjohnson@rcsnm.org>
Date: Fri, Feb 19, 2016 at 9:09 AM
Subject: Kelly Johnson
To: sweidenaar@rcsnm.org
How I found my self in this lonely cell, I cannot say or rather I cannot remember. The guards will not say and my family will not make any contact with me. They act towards me as if I had committed some kind of heinous crime. Have I? It appears so because I am being led to execution in a few minutes. To escape would prove ignorant and to hope would be useless. I am guarded day and night, three meals a day, two showers a week and no time outside. I am locked in a cold cell, which seems to be underground, locked behind a glass wall which is very thick. With my time I have been here, I've learnt to call this cell home. With its four walls, it strangely brings me comfort and sanity. I have all I need in here; a bed, sink, toilet, and books. I've found great comfort in books. I've learnt to escape into them and let my imagination take me where it wants go, out of this cell, out of this prison, into the world. Yet I am still locked behind numerous doors which are sealed by a button. I should just accept that I am going to die for a crime I did or didn't do.
I hear the various buzzes of doors as the guards come to take me to my unfortunate fate. There boots stomping rhythmically against the cold stone floor. When they arrive by my cell, they are covered in armor. With helmets and they have weapons so as if I attempt to escape. My mind used to tell me that when I get the opportunity to make a run for it. But now I've come to suppress that thought and accept it as it is. They yell at me to come to the opening slot and put my hands in so they can cuff me. I abide and after, they tell me to back up against the wall. After they have put me in chains and taken all the precautions, they lead me to a place which I am to meet death. These men take me down a labyrinth of hallways and finally into a room. I see the big chair and all the entanglement of wires surrounding it. My heart begins to beat faster and I feel the cold sweat dripping down my neck trailing down my back. As I enter the room, I see a crowd of people have gathered and a priest, I trust they are there to see me leave this world. The room has an uncanny feel to it, which makes me rethink how I feel about escaping. I know that escaping would be great, but definitely not easy. I begin to look around the room and search for an escape route. There are not many guards and not many weapons to hurt me should I choose to leave. I sit on the chair and feel its hardness along with it being strangely warm. The men begin to strap me in. Right hand,Right foot, left foot, although I saw it wasn't strapped right and its loose. I feel my left hand being strapped in, but the strap to my left hand snapped. The sound of the leather snapping was incredibly loud in the room filled with people. My mind started racing and I saw it. My opportunity to freedom. As the guards exchanged glances, they begin leading the crowd to the exit one by one. Leaving me only with the two men and the priest. I see I have been given an opportunity to at last grasp the thought I have been suppressing for months and take action on it. As one of the guards starts to take the broken leather strap off, and the other is finding a new one, I take advantage of the loose strap on my left foot. Slowly inching it out of the restraint. Once I had gotten my leg loose, I kick the guard in the groin and he doubles over. I quickly try to undo my right side of the restraints and they miraculously come undone with my little effort. The guard who was looking for a new restraint came back into the room and sees what I had done, he starts to reach for his gun but something happens to him and he falls over, knocked out. I look to see who my savior or my killer is and its the priest! I stand there shocked and stupefied. The priest tells me to run. I tell him I have no where to actually run. He shows me a door I hadn't noticed before by the pulpit. He tells me to go and keep running when I see the light. I ask him what he will say to the guards when they come back. He says to me that he'll tell them I knocked him out and he had barely just woken up. Not knowing where I had gone. I thank the priest a million times and begin to leave. I hear the door close behind me and begin to run. I appear to be in a tunnel and My nose fills with the smell of dirt. As I begin to run I start to become exhausted. With my legs becoming like metal weights dragging me down. My lungs begin to burn like a fire inside my chest, with every breath I take. My muscles aching and screaming at me to stop. My mind wanders and I start to think if they are looking for me now or if the priest is playing tricks on me. As the thought of them possibly coming down the tunnel searching for me sinks in, a burst of energy and adrenaline pumps through me like a shot of lightning. My senses start to become more sensitized to my surroundings. The smell of dirt becomes less distinct and I begin to smell something else. It brings back a flood of memories.. Memories which I can't exactly place my finger on. As I near, a light becomes visible in the distance and I start to hear what sounds like birds. I near a door from which all these sounds are coming from. I slow to a walk and try to control my rapid breathing. I approach this portal to another world I have been deprived from since childhood. I reach for the door handle and the instant my clammy hand touches the cool metal I feel a surge of electricity course through my veins causing me immense pain. As I turn the handle,despite the pain, I see nothing but hot, white light. And I feel the electricity again,but this time it didn't stop.. The light was fading and fading as I fell into the darkness away from the sound of birds. I open my eyes and see the priests shaking hand hovering over the button which will send me to my death. He looks at me as if he is sorry and closes his eyes. The smell of dirt envelopes my senses and I feel the electricity burn through every inch of my body. Finally,setting me free from this place.
sam faz
Today was like any normal day for Shaun. He woke up at 5:30 which was normal for where he lived, showered and began his day with a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal, just normal bran flakes like he always had. While reading the paper in his chair Shaun noticed a story in a section he did not read normally, it included a story of a hiker whose remains had been found at the bottom of a cliff eaten by wolves . This sort of thing was very unusual because Shaun lived in a very plain town, and lived a very plain life, that followed the same plain pattern: wake up early, work late, and repeat. Shaun simply shrugged off the news of this incident and continued his routine by brushing his teeth with a plain toothpaste, dressing himself in his plain clothes a t-shirt and cargo shorts, and then he packed himself a plain lunch.
Eventually he noticed the time, and realizing he had read the paper a few minutes too long he rushed out the door and grabbed his helmet and his bike, this was his prized possession and the least ordinary thing in his possession. It was a large bright blue mountain bike because Shaun was a very tall person, however Shaun only rode it on the normal road to his normal job so it was immaculate and well taken care of. However being late Shaun decided to take a shortcut over the ridge that separated his house from his office.
So Shaun started on his way, hesitant at first but soon became confident and returned to his normal pace. As usual Shaun was on track to make it to work on time as he reached the crest of the ridge, this area was about two miles from his house where on his normal route he would go through a quiet neighborhood and loosen his grip, however this was not his normal route. When Shaun relaxed his grip for only a moment it was enough time for tragedey to strike, a stone scraped against the right side of Shaun's tire turning it sharply on a 90° angle to the left. This drastically slowed the bike down however Shaun did not, he was flung forward only to be stopped by his gut hitting the solid metal of the bike's handlebars. Shaun's weight pulled the back tire of the bike off the ground, its tail swung quickly to the right following the direction Shaun had been thrown 180°, until Shaun fell back miraculously into his seat where he put his feet down to stop.
Shaun took a moment to catch his breath, and to settle the breakfast that his bike's handlebars had churned. Eventually after assessing himself Shaun mounted the bike, this time being very careful to hold on tight, he very gingerly rode down the ridge to his job. This is where he chained up his bike in his normal spot, where he would have continued his normal day.
However Shaun was not so lucky, he was lying in a ditch at the bottom of the ridge motionless. His bike had only rotated enough to line up with its front wheel and when he fell back into his seat it sent him rolling backwards down a steep rocky slope. The bikes back tire had become wedged between two rocks at the top of the ridge so when Shaun fell off his foot became stuck and the weight of his body dislocated his right ankle. He continued to ragdoll down the rest of the jagged incline breaking his right arm and gashing his left, his helmet had cracked down the middle but worst of all Shaun had tumbled and had the full weight of his body land on his neck, right on the edge of a rock. This left him unconscious in the middle of a ditch in the scorching sun.
When Shaun finally came to his senses he assessed himself. He rolled his tongue around in his mouth only to find a piece missing and he was disgusted by the grittiness of the sand I his dry mouth with the taste of blood, he felt the burn of the sun as he lay there as he had been for hours but he could do little more than that because he was paralyzed. Shaun could only lay there in his own pool of dried blood and limp useless body. Eventually the sun started to set, he was facing west and just as the sun was crossing the horizon he had to squint to see a large dog shaped figure, only Shaun knew it was no dog. Shaun began to realize at that moment that he had not been fulfilled in his life and he wanted to do more, but he was sure that he would not make it throught the night, so he did the only thing that he could do, cry.
Seth Weidenaar
High School English Teacher
Rehoboth Christian School
505-726-9647
katie holtsoi
The soft notes of music played as couples piled onto the dance floor. The gentle rhythm swayed every person into a dance of admiration of the other. Observing others, I lead the two of us into the same dance. We seamlessly mold to each other's hold and step wholeheartedly to the beat. Scanning the room suddenly becomes dull and my attention turns to her. Her features magnificent as ever and her exemplary attire tops it all. The long gown she wears crashes against my own in a wave of elegant fabrics of black and blue. Her hair, long and thick, curls to one side of her neck and spills out across her arm. It tickles my arm that holds her shoulder and I can't help but notice her grip on my waist. Everything about her in this ballroom, on this spring night, in this exquisite attire seems magnified.
As I look at her, I notice a small grin spread across her features which snaps me out of my reverie. She giggles (it's a noise I could listen to on repeat) and explains to me the reason for her laughter.
"You were staring. It was kind of funny." She laughs again because I seemed to have been completely infatuated by her again. I force myself to say something and it comes out as rambling gibberish. She seems confused by the sight of the furrowing of her brows.
"Sorry, I don't usually ramble. I only do when I'm nervous." Now her look is shock and she tilts her head in question. I close my eyes and internally berate myself for revealing my nervousness.
"It's fine. I don't think anyone in this room is as nervous as I am. You just look so great and perfect and I'm nothing in comparison and…" I look at her with disbelief my mouth slightly ajar and think that if anyone is anything close to perfection, it's her. She stops talking and looks uneasily at me. I then feel invincible and plant a chaste kiss on her cheek.
"You are perfect."
Her eyes almost pop out and her smile reaches her ears. Before I lose my courage, I grab her and begin to sway again as she rests her head on my shoulder and tightens her grip on me.
Everything is at ease until the first scream. At the other end of the dance floor there seems to be a fight or a commotion of some sort. My instincts kick in and I start mentally preparing for the worse. Or at least what I thought could be the worse. A guttural scream rips across the room and everyone stops in their tracks. Now, the room holds a feeling of danger and fear. The screams continue as others join until it's a chorus made of pure agony. The once dancing couples at the other end of the dancefloor are now ravenous, rageful, and running towards other couples at full speed. It hits me. They are the undead. The realization comes to light as soon as I see a woman get violently bitten on the neck. I cannot move. I can only see and hear. Screams of terror and hunger fill my ears as pictures of the undead multiplying flood my eyesight.
I feel her tugging at my arms and my legs move at their own will. They carry me to a door where loads of people are desperately trying to escape out of. I snap back to my full self and the panic starts to grow. I turn to her and the fear in her eyes boosts me with the will to protect her and get out of here.
"We have to get out of here! They're so fast and…" I turn around and see the undead approaching me at a rapid pace. The dead band player runs towards me and as if I've known how to for years I bring my leg up at lightning quick speed and kick it in the neck. Its neck breaks and falls down but then slowly starts crawling to me with a loud growl. I reach for the flag staff at the door and with quick speed spin it and firmly plant it into its decaying head. Blood spews onto my gown but I don't care. I grab her arm and kick the door down and we run out safely into the large garden. The overwhelming smell of fresh flowers hits us as soon as we escape. There is no undead but they will start following us. I keep running with her hand in mine as she trails behind me. She stops me once we're a safe distance away and she looks me straight in the eye.
"How did you learn how to do that?! It was amazing! You saved us!" Her eyes don't leave my face for one second and her hands tightly grip my waist. The distance between us is made up of only inches. I can finally convey to her what I've felt for her for months so I put all reservations aside and lean my forehead against hers. Her eyes close and we're breathing the same air now. I close my eyes, my lips ghost over hers and as I'm about to close the space between us her hand tangles into my hair almost violently and she yanks away from my grip and has a death grip on my wrist. My eyes open and I feel the pain surging through my wrist and up my arm. It intensifies every second and the weight in my legs gets heavier. My lungs burn with an intense fire that spreads across my whole body. I can no longer take the pain and let out a shriek. As it leaves my mouth, it sounds inhuman with echoes of a beast.
I turn to her and look straight into her eyes. She has tears streaming down her face and is yelling something but all noise becomes muffled. Her eyes shoot to my wrist and I follow. And there I am, seated against the wall of the ballroom spewing blood from a bite mark encircling my wrist.
Seth Weidenaar
High School English Teacher
Rehoboth Christian School
505-726-9647
casia esparza
Pam and her brother Greg had decided to to go camping that weekend. They had picked out a nice spot, near the lake. It was a nice day, sunny and warm. They had gone hunting, fishing and cooked what they caught for dinner. Greg brought marshmallows and Pam brought the gram crackers and chocolate. They were sitting around telling jokes and stories, having a good old time. Who knew that "sibling bonding" could be so much fun. That was until Greg remembered that he had to talk with the park ranger about retrieving some more gear. Pam decided to stay at the campsite and read by the fire. Realizing that she had left the book in the tent, she went to retrieve it. As she was rummaging around she heard a noise. "That was fast." she thought. Pam turned around and stuck her head out of the tent and that's when she saw it.
A great big Black bear was rummaging through some of their leftovers. She knew that they should have put it away after dinner. The bear was huge with black, beady eyes and long, sharp claws. Pam realized that staying around to see what the bear would do, wasn't the smartest idea. If she could get away from the campsite, then she could run to the Ranger's Cabin. In her haste, she step on some sticks, alerting the bear of her presence. It move toward her.
Pam froze on the spot and her heart stopped, as the bear rose to its hind legs. Scared, the bear swiped at her, catching her cheek. Pain woke her from her frozen state and she turned and ran. The tables had turned, the hunter had become the prey. She could hear the bear chasing after her as she ran. Ba-bum, ba-bum. Pam stopped and hid behind a fallen tree. Ba-bum, Ba-bum. Her heart was pumping out of her chest and all of her limbs were heavy. She was as white as a ghost. Laying down and keeping close to the ground was her only option. Ba-Bum, Ba-Bum. It was coming closer. BA-BUM, BA-BUM, BA-BUM, BA-BUM.
"This is it", she thought as she closed her eyes," if I play dead I may get out of here alive." She could hear a growl echoing through the trees, as the bear gave up the hunt. It was gone. Ba...bum...ba...bum…
It is true that fear can take over the mind if you let it. Pam never made it out of the forest that night because before the bear had even taken a swing at her she had died of fright. A heart can only take so much strain.
Seth Weidenaar
High School English Teacher
Rehoboth Christian School
505-726-9647
mallory bayless
"Don't leave Calvin", Calvin's mother said to him as he walked out the door. Calvin Peters is a young man who just left home for the first time and is embarking on the newest, most daring chapter in his life so far. Calvin is traveling to New York to embark on a new journey and is leaving behind his mother, father, and two younger sisters. Calvin has never been far away from home and his family fears that he may have made a huge mistake, and honestly so does Calvin.
Calvin arrives in New York and immediately notices how much bigger, brighter, and more frightening it is compared to his hometown in Indiana. He meets a few people in his new apartment building and throws himself into his new life. On his third night in town Calvin decides to go out and explore a bit. He goes to all the "touristy" places, where no real New Yorker would be caught dead. When he arrives home he see she has four missed calls from his mother. Calvin tries to call her back but the call is dropped several times. Calvin attributes that to his phone, something's always wrong with it these days. A couple months ago his phone got water damaged and ever since it has had problems here and there.
Calvin went out for the day to pick up a few things around the city and when he got home he found that he had missed a call from his mother. She left a voicemail and Calvin decided to listen to it after dinner. When he was finished and had tidied up a little he remembered to listen to the message. "Calvin oh hunny, we miss you so much. I think about you everyday and pray you're ok, love you." Calvin and his mother had always had a strained relationship and didn't know how he should react to her voicemail. Part of the reason Calvin moved was so he could leave behind the fighting and yelling at his home. But deep down he knew how much he missed his parents, siblings, and even his hometown. He felt homesick and felt a deep longing for his home. Even though Calvin knew that he could never go back there, three months ago his life changed forever.
Calvin is not able to go home because in reality he died three months ago in an automobile accident. It was late Thursday night and Calvin was driving home from a friend's house while on the phone with his mother. They argued and in frustration Calvin threw his phone on the ground causing him to swerve of the bridge he was driving over and into a river. Paramedics were unable to resuscitate him on scene and it was ruled an accident. Calvin's mother calls her son's phone everyday just to hear his voice on his voicemail. On the good days she will leave a message on the bad ones she will just call and call hoping for an answer one day.
Seth Weidenaar
High School English Teacher
Rehoboth Christian School
505-726-9647
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