Webkinz Fashion Show

I found this draft that's still been left unpublished. It's probably been 4-5 years since I actually did it- but they're fun photos all the same (if you liked dressed-up Webkinz Stuffed Animals)
, if you're curious what "Webkinz" are.


Rachel and I did a fashion show with our webkinz. There are two judges whose names are Chriss and Jorden (two of the webkinz). There were also four contestants: Katie (pink pony), Katherine (elephant), Violet (black and white cat), Sponge Bob (a card) and Elizabeth (rabbit). They dressed up and practiced their posing. Here are some pictures of them:

Jorden the Panda (judge 1)

Chriss the Chocolate Lab (judge 2)

Coming of Age Poem

When she started kindergarten,
Her gaze rested on a boy
With chocolate hair
and a playful smile
Just to say that she could
Staring at him
And he never knew

The boy with the playful smile
Played with another girl
But she kept gazing
Just to say that she could
Staring at him
And he never knew

The wait was too long
And her eyes grew tired
Of staring at the boy
With chocolate hair
and a playful smile

So she gazed at the boy
Who had stories to tell
A superhero at the age of eight
Her gaze rested on the boy
With the stories
And the hero's features
Just to say that she could
Staring at him
And he never knew

She was whisked away
To a far away land
And lost sight of the boy
With the stories
And the hero's features
So she closed her eyes

But there, in the desert
Was the boy with blue eyes
Who stared at the girl
Wishing she would open her eyes
So she did-
But he never knew

So the boy gazed at her still
But the wait was too long
And his eyes grew tired
Of staring at the girl
Who stared at the boy
And he never knew

The boy with blue eyes
Found another girl
Who stared right back at him
So he would know
And the girl looked away from
The boy with the blue eyes

Then the girl grew up,
And looked around.
Her gaze rested on a boy
With the hazel eyes
And military standards
Just to say that she could
And he never knew

But then she caught sight
Of another pair of eyes-
Large, brown and intent
Staring at the boy
With the hazel eyes
And military standards
So the girl looked away
But she kept glancing back

She plummeted deeper into
The unforgiving desert
Where she was left alone
With no one to look at
For guidance or comfort
But the image in her mind
Of the boy with the hazel eyes
And military standards

An oasis was found
But the girl kept her eyes down
Not daring to look up again
For fear that she'd be whisked away
Where she would be left alone
With no one to look at
For guidance or comfort

But then came the boy
With the brown eyes
And a heart of ruby
Who met her gaze
Without shame
Without excuse
Just to say that he could

And the girl gazed back
At the boy with the brown eyes
And heart of ruby
Staring at him
And she thought that he knew

Her worst fears came to light
As she was whisked away
To a far away land-
Where castles stand
And heroes dwell

Now she can't stare
Because she can't
For the line has been crossed
And the veil has been lifted
Tumbling off her shoulders
And sinking into the ground

Now everyone knows
When you stare at someone
And when you stare at them back
Everyone can, for
Everyone sees
And when everyone sees,
Everyone feels
Just to say that they can.
And that is when you know.



In case you didn't quite get it (I'm not the best poet), the intended storyline is following a girl (of my imagination, I couldn't think of a good name, which is why none is stated in the poem).
This girl is traveling through life, moving on from one boy to the next, saying that she likes them, just because it's something everyone does/expects, and she wants to say that she can as well.
There's a pattern to everything: staring without the boy's knowledge, then backing off for some reason or another.
Eventually, in the last 2 stanzas, she grows up.
Crushes are no longer the thing, and no longer enough in this stage of life.
People are becoming more open and doing more than simply liking a guy/girl, and so she can't just say she likes guys anymore.
She's growing up, or coming of age, which was the theme inspiration I had for this poem (thanks to my Honors English class).
I hope it wasn't too confusing to read, and fairly enjoyable. Thanks for reading!
 

Short Story Beginning

Here's just a little idea I had for the beginning of a story...

Josh sat weary eyed at the window sill. All the adults rambled on in the dining room, talking about this that and the other. And Josh really couldn't care less. He glanced down at his watch. It was nearly half past eight. He looked up again, out the window, which was streaked with water. It had been raining nearly all day, which meant Josh had been stuck inside the house all day. Cooped up with nothing to do, except play chess with his father or watch tv. Then his aunts and uncles came, as they did every Sunday evening for dinner. Talking on and on into the middle of the night.
Lightening illuminated the room bright white momentarily, turning Josh's normally red hair to gold. He closed his eyes against the glare. With his head tilted on his hand, his eyes closed and his body completely relaxed, one might have thought he were taking a cat nap, curled up at the window seal.
He continued staring out the window, thinking of everything and nothing all at once. The possibility of a driver's licesnse in a few months time. The many exams he would have to take this upcoming week- no of which he had studied for so far. (As if anyone actually did.) The previous episode of "Universal Wonders" he had watched that day. The friends he would see tomorrow at school. The need for sleep. The urge to tell his family to kindly shut up for a second.
He turned away from the window and slowly stretched out his leaden limbs, resolved to try to go upstairs and get some sleep, away from the babbling adults. Half asleep, he began walking across the living room towards the staircase that led upstairs. An uneasy feeling crept up his spine. The hairs on the back of his neck stood upright and his stomach coiled up in a knot.
Josh turned around, wondering if it was the adults staring at him from their place in the dining room. They were all doing as they had been for the past few hours. Chattering on and on and on. Yet he couldn't get rid of the uneasy feeling that he was being watched, observed.
Creeping past the staircase, Josh peered around for any indication of someone watching him.
A flash of lightening blazed through the windows. Josh squeezed his eyes shut against the blinding light. Blinking red spots out of his vision, he glanced round about him, looking for anything unusual. He saw nothing.
Probably paranoid, he thought. Too much tv and too much time spent trapped inside. He proceeded up the stairs.
It was quieter upstairs, with the adult's voices muffled to a mear murmur. Josh opened the door of his bedroom and was confronted with a wave of moist wind hitting him in the face. He had left his window open.
How he had been so stupid, he had no idea. He had probably opened it up during one of the brief intermissions or rain, and forgotten the close it. Josh just hoped that his stuff wasn't going to mold over the next day or something. That would be awful.
Beyond the splatter of rain, Josh heard a faint wimper. Perhaps an animal had been stranded outside. Poor thing.
Now much more awake than he had been a few minutes ago, Josh quickly tiptoed down the stairs towards the front door, making sure to keep an eye on the adults still babling away at the dining table. They always liked to tease him about his love for animals. And Josh wasn't one who appreciated teasing.
Grabbing a raincoat from the rack next to the front door, Josh slid outside into the wet, cold night. The porch light illuminated the street for him, eliminating the need for a flashlight. Already, Josh's red hair was soaked, turning a nearly brown color as it glued itself to his head. Thunder boomed.
A dark figure lay in the corner, ambiguous in the shadows. Indeed, he could catch whimpering now and then, though he couldn't quite discern what was making them.
As he got closer, he noticed that it wasn't a dog at all. Much too big.
Josh inhaled sharply. This was not what he was expecting at all.
Before him lay a boy, probably about his age, with cuts and bruises all along his cheek bone, as well as on his wrist, which lay exposed to the cold, moist air, as the coat he wore went only a bit past his elbows. The boy lay unconsious, his head propped up on the knee of a girl. She had long hair plastered to her back and face, which was bent down towards the boy. Her body was hunched against the wind- a pathetic attempt to block the two of them from the ongoing downpour of rain and wind.
She glanced up at him, her eyes wide. She seemed just as surprised to see him there as Josh was to see the two of them.
Josh knelt down next to the two of them, and tried to make his voice sound as gentle as he could.
"Hey there. My name's Josh. It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you. I won't turn you in or anything. I can help. It's alright, ok? Everything's alright."
She just stared up at him. Lightening struck and the girl's wide, staring eyes flashed a brilliant blue.
Josh gently pried the other boy off of her lap. She grabbed his wrist, her grip like iron.
"It's ok. I'm just going to bring him inside, ok?"
The girl nodded. Gosh, she was mute. He wondered if she could even speak english.
Josh pulled the boy up over his shoulder like a fireman, as he had practiced countless times in his Emergency Protocol class at school. The girl trailed behind him towards the front door.
He closed the front door behind him, as quietly as he could, and proceeded up the stairs. The boy he was carrying was much lighter than he would have suspected, which may not have been a good thing, but it certainly made it an easier trip with the stairs for Josh.
All three of them were soaking wet from the rain. Josh guided the other two to the bathroom, where they dried up the best they could. The girl dried off the still-unconsious boy first, covering him in a clean, fluffy towel before wrapping one around herself. She was still shivering. And silent.
"So, what's you name?", Josh asked quietly.
"My name is Katherine. And this is William.", she replied, in a voice much stronger than he had expected due to her silence earlier.
"Well, nice to meet you Katherine. What brings you away from home in such weather?"
There was silence for a while, Katherine staring at the boy at her feet. After what seemed like forever, she spoke, her voice so soft Josh had to strain to make out what she said.
"Long Story", she exhaled.
Josh had no idea what to make of that. Katherine was still shivering violently and William looked like he had been beaten dead. This was not the time to find out.
For now, he would situate them in the guest bedroom and tell his parent about it tomorrow morning.
"Well, Ms. Katherine," he smiled, "I've found you guys too. And that means you and him get to spend the night at the Nesdam Hotel: where we do not leave kids out on the street in the rain. If you'll follow me..."
He extended his arm towards her, and she took it, smiling the smallest of smiles for the first time.
And that was how it all began. 

Discontinued Story

Okay- so that story I started writing is really....well, it's just not developing the way I wanted it to. So I'm discontinuing it for the time being. I'm just going to start writing clips of a story and then see if I can weave them together after that. We'll see how it works out. Thank you for your patience with me and my developing author-skills.

Chapter 13: The Adventure Begins

                Once Andrew and Lauren were gone, Alex led Emily down a ways , following the outskirts of the Strawberry fields towards the armory to get Emily a weapon. He never told her where he was going, she just followed silently, lost in thought. She looked so depressed, and Alex couldn’t help but wonder why.

“You okay there?” he asked.

Emily looked up, her expression pained. “It’s all my fault. All over again. The prophesy Andrew told me- it’s happening isn’t it? And I caused it. I came here, I found a brother. I may have just doomed the world to a second darkness. I’m just bad luck, that’s what.” She sighed, and smiled weakly up at him. “Thanks for letting me stay with you, by the way. I don’t know if I could face the other demigods.”

 Her voice was quiet, solemn.

“That’s not all true.” Alex consoled, “No one can avoid fate: that prophesy was bound to happen sometime or other. You are NOT bad luck.”

Emily didn’t seem to believe him. She sighed. “When wisdom and water become intertwined, the two halves shall the other find. She who is three shall take they who gave birth. A second darkness shall engulf the earth; only through wisdom may all be saved. Or all shall be lost as the minds are enslaved.” Alex was completely taken aback at how she had just recited the whole prophesy from memory, but her expression stayed gloomy, continuing like nothing out of the normal had happened. “I get most of it: wisdom and water are Athena and Poseidon. Annabeth and Perseus, our parents. The two halves are me and Andrew, together making up the powers between Athena and Poseidon, which must be divided up between the two of us. Not all to one of the other, thus the whole ‘intertwined’ bit. The rest is what worries me. She who is three shall take they who gave birth. Andrew’s parents aren’t here, which makes me suspect that she who is three has kidnapped them or something. She’s planning to engulf the whole earth with darkness, enslave our minds, and the only way we can stop her is with wisdom. But how do you even do that? How on earth would you outsmart a goddess, who has the power to kidnap two powerful, polished heroes, enslave minds, and engulf the earth in darkness. And why does it have to be us? Why are we so special, or is it not us in the prophesy?” She huffed in exasperation, then gave Alex an apologetic look. “Sorry about monologue on you like that. I know my opinion probably doesn’t matter so much in the whole scheme of things. I’m really sorry.”

Alex nodded, his thoughts swirling together like a beehive that had just been bumped. Something she had said, as she explained her thoughts on the prophesy, made him think she had figured out more than he certainly had.

“You asked how we could outsmart a goddess, but no goddess was ever mentioned in the prophesy. And shouldn’t there be three goddesses, right? She who is three? Like a group of them, like the fates or something?”

Emily shook her head. “Maybe, but I think I know who she who is three is. I think.” She muttered, so quietly Alex could hardly hear her despite the fact she was right next to him.

“You want to tell me who it is?” he asked gently, trying to get her to open. She hesitated, her mouth opening to talk, before closing it again.

“I’m probably  wrong.”

“So?”

She just shook her head. “So it won’t even matter if I tell you because it’ll not even be right. And-” she looked around, searching for something he didn’t know. “And it’ll probably plague you with nightmares. I wouldn’t want that on anyone.”  

Alex wasn’t satisfied. “All demigods get nightmares, you know. It’s normal.”

Emily just shook her head. “You have no idea. It’s the reason so many monsters came at me, why it started to get so bad. Still-” she paused, considering something, “Still, this is a safe haven, right? That could be why I didn’t have them last night. No monsters can get in here.” She sighed.

“Hecate.”

Alex felt his stomach drop at least six inches. She had children here, at camp. And one was sitting in there, discussing the quest with Andrew, Lauren and the other head counselors. Hopefully he wouldn’t misguide them or something. That could be very, very bad.

He was so lost in thought, he barely realized they had reached the armory already.

“So, am I allowed to have one of these, or just use them for activities?” Emily asked, snapping Alex out of his daze.

                “No, you get to keep it. We just have to find something decent. You’re a child of Athena and Poseidon, so probably something like a sword or dagger, probably. We’ll see what works best.”

Emily thought for a second. “I’ve never really had a sword before, but I’ve used kitchen knives. Those are like daggers, and they worked well for me on the most part.”

“Um, only celestial bronze or imperial gold works on monsters, you know.” Alex pointed out. Emily cracked a smile.

“Exactly. That’s why I use them for self defense and setting up a trap which actually will kill the monster.”

She picked up a double edged sword by her foot, holding it at arm’s length away from her. She rotated the blade, examining every inch, and cautiously swung it a few inches. Alex could tell the balance was off, as she always listed to the left.

“I don’t think so. Let’s try another one.”

Emily nodded, strolling around the small warehouse like she were shopping at a mall. Alex began to look around himself.

“So would you normally go with something more powerful, something more maneuverable, or something else?” he asked, bringing over a few for her to try.

“I don’t think it really matters if I can’t use it well,” Emily pointed out, as she tried to lift up a particularly broader sword and nearly sliced off her own toes when she nearly dropped it. She weighed a dagger in her hand, tilting it from side to side.

“Technically, we’re supposed to use swords instead of daggers.” Alex pointed out. Emily sighed and placed the dagger back in the pile of weapons.

She jerked her head to the side like she’d been slapped. She spotted something on a shelf and walked over. Curious, Alex followed.

In her hand, she held a bronze gladius, maybe twenty inches long with a polished wooden handle at the end where a turquoise was embedded. She tilted it, her face seeming to turn almost blue when the gem caught the light. She ran her fingers along something engraved in the hard wooden hilt.

“Caliburnus." Emily whispered. She turned to look at Alex, frowning at his expression. “You said to chose a weapon. Why not this one?” she asked.

Alex shook his head. “It’s the design, a Gladius pompeianus, a roman model. I don’t even know how it could have gotten here, but the fact that a roman sword is in a Greek camp… well, it may not be the best omen.”

Emily stayed silent for a minute, studying a sword.

“Everything that’s happened so far has been a bad omen." she pointed out, "The way I came, who I am, the, um,” she hesitated for a second, “circumstances. All that. Honestly, it isn’t much different from what my life used to be like. Monsters followed me everywhere I went, so whoever was with me was always in danger. Greek camp or not, I’m still me. I’m bad luck. So, who else to take a bad-luck weapon than someone who is already bad luck?”

Alex didn’t quite know what to say. It was definitely a depressing thought- and unfortunately, it didn't seem to be a lie.  

She twisted the gem in the hilt. Why she did that, Alex hadn't the faintest idea. Emily  kept rotating her wrist until the gem twisted a full 360 degrees. The gladius shrank into a ring, the turquoise gem still gleaming on top. Emily smiled.

“Bad omen or not, it’s super cool.”

Alex smiled.

“You know,” Alex started, trying to keep up the optimism, “the Greeks and Romans finally got along during the Giant war some years ago. Maybe all the Roman stuff isn’t actually bad luck anymore.”

Emily smiled too. “Think they’re done yet?”

It took him only a second to realize the “they” was the senior counselors down at the big house. He shrugged. “Only one way to find out.”

The two of them set off back towards the Big House, Emily’s new weapon dangling at her side. However optimistic Alex tried to be, he couldn’t help thinking about the appearance of the gladius. He could have sworn it was definitely not there before. Plus, most weapons there did not usually have automatic disguises, like a ring or bracelet or pen. They were just weapons, hidden in leather sheathing.

They had only made it half way there when Andrew caught up with them, having dashed off to meet them all the way from the big house.

“Dude- what’s the hurry? And where’d Lauren go?” Alex asked. Andrew was breathing hard, but he managed to answer him still. “Lauren… went… back… to camp… not… going… on quest… my idea…” He looked a little ashamed at that last part, his eyes cast down upon the ground. “Have to..tell you…before…”

“Before what?” Alex asked, exasperated by his best friends a bit too melodramatic attitude. The world was not ending, and, as far as Alex was concerned, everything was fine, for the most part at least.

Andrew had gotten his breathing under control and stood up straight.

“Before she finds out.”

Alex didn’t quite get that answer, but Emily probably did.

“Could this she be three?” she asked. Andrew nodded.

“Quests can only have three people. Emily, you gotta come, you’re the second half, so to speak. And Alex, you’re coming with me too. That makes three. I don’t want Lauren to get hurt or- or something. The three of us will be fine. Let’s go.”

“Now?” Alex asked incredulously.

Andrew nodded. “You two have your weapons, right?” Both Emily and Alex nodded. Alex ran his finger over the bow slung over his back and the full quiver of arrows. He never went anywhere without them.

“Let’s go then. Chiron knows. But so do the children of Hecate. That’s not good. We need to go now.”

“But WHERE? And HOW?” Alex inquired. Andrew just smiled, looking expectantly at his little sister. “A ship. I’ll tell you where we’re going when we get there.”

Mr. Mysterious all over again. Alex sighed, following Andrew to the Long Island sound. The three of them trudged around the forest, past all the cabins and the Mess Hall until they finally reached the shore. A ship rocked gently in the waves, anchored down to be used in the mock sieges the campers sometimes did. A girl stood near it, looking a little miffed: Lauren.

“Laur-” Andrew started, but Lauren cut him off.

“I know why you did it, and I probably would have done the same thing is our places were reversed. The prophesy requires two halves, and having medical personal and a good archer, which you are most definitely not, by the way, is a good idea. I just came to wish you luck.”

She gave Alex a hug. Her soft, white blonde hair tickled his neck. When she pulled away, Andrew threw his arms around her and she hugged him tightly back.

“Promise me you’ll come back. Please.”

“I will.” Andrew promised. Lauren turned to Emily and the two girls embraced.

“I set some fresh new clothes for you all on the ship, you know, so you can freshen up a bit while on your voyage. Plus a few drachmas. You HAVE to iris message me, okay?”

Alex, Andrew, and Emily went aboard the ship. It was similarly built to that of the ancient Greek trireme but much more simplified. For one thing, it wasn’t nearly as long so it didn’t have the hundreds of oars you would normally see. And for another, the oars were spaced out over the ship, so there were one or two holes between each ore left vacant, empty. In the vacant oar holes were gleaming bronze ropes looped and knotted like a harness of some sort.

Alex almost jumped when the boat suddenly hummed to life. The boat rocked gently in the waves as the anchor lifted all on its own. The mast was let loose and hung ready to catch the slightest breeze. The ship seemed to have a mind of its own. Alex looked over at his two quest companions and was a little annoyed to see that neither or them looked startled in the least. Emily looked more relaxed than ever, and Andrew stood there smiling, looking mildly surprised at most. He lifted his hand and a wave pushed them off into deeper water. They all waved goodbye to Lauren, but soon she was just a mere speck in the distance. All the water around them made Alex nervous- no land for miles and miles. If something happened, it would be an extremely lengthy swim to shore.

Turning to his friend, he voiced the question that had been pestering his mind this whole time.

“So, where exactly are we going? And what are we doing?”

Andrew turned to his companions and grimaced.

“We’re going to Central America to rescue my parents and stop Hecate.”