1 Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School 2019-2020

Imagination Collaboration

2

Cover: Elizabeth Gomez ’22

Inside Cover: Isabella Trotter ’20

The title of Imagination Collaboration sprang from the

creative mind of Lisa Bonavita ’98 during a contest to

name our newest publication.

3

Imagination Collaboration

Volume 24

Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School

1345 Sumneytown Pike

Gwynedd Valley, PA 19437

PO Box 902

gmahs.org

4

Editor’s Notes

As a Gwynedd community, we pride ourselves on our close-knit connection to

one another. The bond that each student shares is very much a reality, and the literary

magazine serves as mere proof of this. Imagination Collaboration is a space in which

students have the ability to come together as a creative force and display their inner-

most creativity. Every literary magazine that is published is an archive of the talent,

emotion, and depth that composes our Gwynedd community. In addition, it allows us

to reminisce on the everlasting bonds that we have created during our time at Gwyn-

edd. I am deeply grateful to have been a part of such a magical publication during my

four years here, and I hope that the words you are about to read inspire you as much

as they have inspired me.

Amelia Kunko ’20

The idea of storytelling has been around for centuries. It does not matter if that

story is about you, someone historical, or someone fictional. The desire to spread

awareness through words, music, and art is part of human DNA. Whether it’s in the

form of a pencil or sound, stories carry the power to influence the world. Every piece

in the Literary Magazine contributes to the idea of changing the world. From a story

about Danny DeVito to a poem based on famous artwork, this collaboration is de-

signed to take you through a rollercoaster of emotions. I hope you find all of the secret

messages Gwynedd girls wish to communicate to you through their art and words. A

picture depicts a thousand words and words are a powerful thing.

Juliana Valerio ’20

5

Minds Behind the Imagination Collaboration

Associate Editors

Vivianna Couchara ’20

Rachel Edwards ’20

Erin Corcoran ’20

Erin Stratton ’21

Megan Emmerling ’21

Gabriella McIlhinney ’22

Catelin Blaszczynski ’23

Kiley McMahon ’23

Amelia Kunko ’20

Co-editor-in-chief

Juliana Valerio ’20

Co-editor-in-chief

Ms. Anne Monsalve

Faculty Moderator

and Editor

Ms. Mary-Kate Kaminski

Staff Moderator

and Editor

Ms. Caitlin Fasano

Faculty Moderator

and Designer

6

Table of Contents

The Dogs of Football Liz Held ’20……………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………….…8 Artwork Amanda Wolk ’23……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………9 Candyland Anna LaGuardia ’20……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….….....10 Artwork Amanda Wolk ’23…………………………………………………………………………………………………...………………………………....11 Inspired by Christ In The Storm On The Sea of Galilee Hailee Weiss ’20…………………………………………………….…….…….….….12 Her Chloe Thum ’20………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………….….…….13 Friendship Amelia Kunko ’20………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………..………….14 Artwork Paige Jalosinski ’23…………………………………………………….……………………………………………………….………….…...…….15 Inspired by The Great Wave off Kanagawa Ella Fall ’20………………………………………………………………….………………….……..….16 Artwork Ella Fall ’20………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….....17 Four Lauren Schumacher ’21 ……………………………………………………….…………………………………………….………………………….….18 Photograph Elizabeth Gomez ’22…………………………………………………………………..…………………………………...……….………….19 Childhood Ashley Hartz ’20………………………………………...……………………………………………………………………………….….…….….20 Inspired by The Persistence of Memory Victoria Campbell ’20………………………………………………….……………..………….….…...22 Photograph Elizabeth Gomez ’22…………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………...…..…...23 Master of the Keys Juliana Valerio ’20 ………………………………………………………………………………………………….………….……....24 Photograph Elizabeth Gomez ’22………….……………………………………………………………………………..……………….……….………..25 Inspired by Christina’s World Lily Panunto ’20…………………………………………………………………………………...………..…...……...26 Artwork Alexis Kelerchian ’22……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….……....27 Almost Casey Styli ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..………..28 Photograph Elizabeth Gomez ’22…………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………….………..29 You are a villain, but unaware of it Caroline Sweeney ’20………………………………………………………………………………..…….…...30 Artwork London DiIorio ’23…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....31 Inspired by Girl with a Pearl Earring Amelia Kunko ’20…………………………………………………………………………………………….…32

7

Artwork Paige Jalosinski ’23………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….33 Danny DeVito Erin Mullen ’20…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………...34 A Day in the Life of Gru Sara Kuntz ’20………………………………………………………………………………………………..………………….35 Inspired by Interior Juliana Valerio ’20…………………….…………………………………………………………………………………..………...36 Artwork Isa Trotter ’20………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………..37 Inspired by The Scream Nicole Sasso ’20……………………………………………………………………………………………………...………….38 Artwork Devon Reinhardt ’21……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….39 Kevin Devon Enoch ’20 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....40 The Estate McKenzie Humphrey ’20………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………...…....41 Inspired by Five O’Clock Tea Kelly Byrne ’20 …………………………………………………………………………………………………...……...42 Artwork Gianna Olimpo ’22…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….43 Cement Building Erin Plamondon ’20……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……...44 The Inheritance Juliana Mack ’20…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……….46

Wednesday Elizabeth Marsden ’20………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...……….48 Artwork Ana Verch ’20…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……..50 The 5-Dollar Island Sofia Franco ’20 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...…….51 Journey under the Sea Kelly Hutton ’20 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....…53 Photograph Ella Magliente ’23………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..54 Photograph Elizabeth Gomez ’22…………………………………………….……………………………………………………………………...…….55 Artwork Gianna Olimpo ’22…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..56 Inspired by Café Terrace at Night Jessica Lelli ’20……………………………………………………….…………………………………..…..…..57 Artwork Amelia Kunko ’20…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….58 Nature’s Journey of High School Ashley Hartz ’20…………………………………………………………………………………………….…..….59 Artwork Gianna Olimpo ’22…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..60

8

The Dogs of Football

The football game had just started. The sun was starting to set and just like all other Friday nights, the lights came on. Two dogs sat side by side by the bleachers, brought there by some

parents of the players.

“I’ve never understood this game they play,” one said. “Me neither,” the other replied. “They tackle and scramble all over one ball. And when one

throws it to the other, he doesn’t bring it back but instead runs away! How silly!”

“My human spends hours in the backyard throwing the brown ball through a car tire. He gets mad when I grab it and run away.”

“Well, mine doesn’t even throw the ball, he just spends his time kicking into a net. It’s so confusing! Sometimes they throw, sometimes they kick, sometimes they catch, and some-

times they run! It’s a free-for-all!” “And they don’t even let us join in on the fun!”

A whistle blew from on the field and both dogs perked their ears up.

“I hate that thing,” one continued. “Hurts my ears.”

“They seem to not like it either,” the other commented. “Every time it blows, someone seems to be unhappy. One time I saw a human tackle another after he heard it. It makes them all

do crazy things, like yell or fight.” “And they stop playing every few seconds to set up the same way they did before. It’s just the same thing over and over until they get to the other side of their field. And when they finally

do, they kick it to the other side and it starts all over. How can you tell who even wins?” “Well, whoever gets to the other side of the field the most seems to be the happiest.”

“It’s quite the confusing game if I do say so myself. And such a long one, too. It takes almost

all night.” “Yes, all that time for a silly game. With no structure, either. It doesn’t seem worth it.”

Suddenly, the game stopped and both dogs looked toward the field once more. Someone was

lying on the ground and everyone else around them had stopped playing.

“Very dangerous, too.” “Indeed. Always seems that someone is hurt. Is it Johnny this time? He started crying last time.”

9

Amanda Wolk ’23

“No, no, not Johnny I don’t think. This one’s taller. He’s – oh no, he’s getting up now. He’ll be fine, they’re all clapping.”

“That’s good. Last time, Johnny hurt his leg and was in a bad mood all week. He wasn’t able to take me on walks or play with me at all.”

“Well good thing this one is fine. I think that they were playing too hard. They must tone it down on this next go-around.”

“I think that they always play too hard. Why else would they wear those things on their head? It’s for protection; I heard Johnny talking about it one time.”

“Well good thing they wear them or else Johnny would have hurt more than his leg last time.”

“That’s true. It really is such a silly game.”

Liz Held ’20

10

Candyland

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Sherry who had always wished to go to the candy store. Her parents were very strict and would never let her go. Instead of asking her parents if they could take her because she knew they would say no, she decided that she wanted to construct her own plan of getting there. She went into the garage that was piled high with tools, old furniture, and storage bins. She grabbed her scooter that was lying right next to an old desk.

The old desk was given to her family by her grandfather, but no one had ever used it. She dusted off the desk really quickly using her hand and tried to open one of the many draw-ers. The first drawer she looked in was empty and so was the second drawer. She knelt down and tried to open the third drawer which was rather stuck. She pulled very hard and it finally opened. The only thing lying in the drawer was a key ring that held what looked like dozens of keys. She picked up the keys and tried to read the engravings on some of them. One of the keys said Wonderland and another said Candyland.

She looked around the garage for something that needed a key to open, but she had no luck. She wanted the keys to be a secret message from her grandfather. She had hoped that maybe he left them here for her. She was quite upset so instead of putting the keys back, she purposefully dropped them onto the floor. Sherry looked down because she noticed that the sound of the keys hitting the floor was really different. This was because the keys had not landed on the floor, they landed on a square piece of wood.

She knelt down to pick up the keys and she noticed that the wooden square was not just wood. It was a hidden door. She rushed to find a key to fit into the keyhole and she picked one that said Candyland on it. She put the key in, turned it, and the door flung wide open. Sherry was quite confused and decided to peek her head inside to take a look. It was not before long that she completely fell in.

When she opened her eyes after the fall, she noticed that cotton candy was everywhere, trees were made of lollipops, and it was snowing ice cream. She looked around and was amazed by all of the wonderful candy. She grabbed a blueberry flavored lollipop and stuck it into her mouth. As excited as she was, she was also terrified about how she would find her way back home. She looked up in the sky and saw the little square wooden door that she had fallen out of. Sherry looked around Candyland and she spotted a man.

She yelled at him to come over to her and she told him exactly what had happened to her. With his magic wand, he made Sherry fly all the way back to the wooden door. She was relieved that she was back home. As soon as she came out of the door, her mother walked into the garage. Sherry ran right up to her mother to give her a huge hug. Her mother asked her what she was doing in the garage and Sherry responded with a big smile and bright blue lips.

Anna LaGuardia ’20

11

Amanda Wolk ’23

12

Inspired by Christ In The Storm On The Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt

Van Rijn

The sky before was clear, And the sun was shining bright. But a storm was brewing somewhere near, Making the sky as dark as night.

The waters were wild and rough. The ship rose and fell with the waves. The men knew what came next would be tough, They had little hope of being saved.

Some men worked to keep the ship afloat, Many others’ hearts sunk like bricks. All wanted someone to help save their boat, One couldn’t help but get sick.

For them, minutes felt like hours. Their future seemed nothing but bleak. The waves were beginning to tower, Their efforts were growing weak.

The storm showed no sign of ending

And the men saw no sign of a light. Little did they know God would be sending

His son Jesus to put an end to their plight.

Hailee Weiss ’20

13

Inspired by Vladimir Kush’s Candle Her

Clouds that encapsulate, but not completely cover, Love her, adore her; their Apollo mother. Shine bright her flames, absorbing all the colors, And a distant moon, glowing just above her. The truth she ignites surpasses any false-knowing. Trust her, believe her; to all she is showing. Stands tall her stature, lifting us up with her, And the brightest sun, living e‘er within her. We have everything yet we are dissatisfied. Those who desire something leave their candles dry, With one exception, and just one exception: A desire to live over one to die. Riches and Power, the greatest threats to her bright spark, Tarnish you, take you deeper into the dark. Close but just one eye, face your fate, don’t you cry. Realize your mistake, surrender your pride. She awaits you, her warmness ready to embrace you, She holds you, delights in you; her truest self, born new. Shine bright your flames, absorbing all the colors, And the vast open sky, one like no other.

Chloe Thum ’20

14

Friendship

I parked in front of Samantha’s house, turned the car off, and took a breath. The longer I sat there, the longer it would be before I had to acknowledge that she was moving away. After several minutes, I started to honk the horn when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. Samantha was coming out her front door with about five bags in hand, one of them being a tiny, cream-colored bag. She ran across the yard to the passenger’s side of my car and smiled at me through the window.

After I reached over to open the door for her, she got in and started chattering at a mile a mi-

nute. She went on and on about her packing endeavors as I began to pull off of her street. “Giving me a ride to the airport is a big help, you know,” she said as we drove. “There’s no way I would have been able to get myself together in enough time without you.”

She laughed, and I looked over to admire my friend. This was the last time I would see her in a

long, long time. She was moving to Tokyo to accept a job teaching English, and she was beyond ex-cited. I tried my best to be happy for her, but couldn’t shake the feeling that I might lose my best friend forever.

As we pulled into the parking garage at the airport, I began to dread our walk to her terminal. We made our way to the elevator, and as we ascended I felt a lump form in my throat. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Samantha. We stepped out, walked to security, and stopped. Sam turned to me, her eyes tearing up.

“I know this is going to be hard for both of us. When I met you fifteen years ago I knew we we’re going to be joined at the hip forever.” She laughed a little bit. She stared at me for several sec-onds and looked as if she wanted to say something else, but could not remember the words. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she mumbled as she sifted through her belongings. She handed me the little cream-colored bag she had been carrying. I opened it and was puzzled by its contents.

“Keys?” I glanced at her with a confused look. “What do these open?” I asked. She didn’t answer my question, but gave me a cryptic reply. “These are for when you miss me.” With these words still hanging in the air, she turned around

and stepped into the security line. She gave me a little wave before disappearing into the crowd. My ride home was filled with confusion. Keys? What do they unlock? Samantha had taken

everything she owned with her, so what could these keys possibly open? I felt uneasy and decided to drive back to her house to see if she had left anything behind. I parked in the driveway and began to walk around the exterior of the house. I came to the back door and suddenly stopped. I was over-whelmed by memories of us running in and out of this door during the summertimes, with dolls and jump ropes and beach balls in our hands. I looked down at the bag of keys in my hand and counted them. Fifteen keys. Each key had a number etched into it, from one to fifteen.

15

Picking up the first key, I placed it into the lock and turned it. I stepped inside the room with a

gasp. A photo of Samantha and me on the first day we met was hanging on the wall. The tea party set that we used to play with sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by teddy bears and dolls. Nostalgia and happiness filled me as I looked at all of the mementos from the first year of our friendship.

I stepped outside again and opened the door with each key. With every turn of the lock, I

watched Samantha and I grow up, year after year. As I turned the fifteenth key and stepped inside, I saw a framed photo of us on the day of our college graduation three months prior. We were beaming in our caps and gowns, holding our diplomas proudly in hand. I admired the picture, and I admired my best friend. These keys were a reminder to me that distance could not break the foundation that we had built together. Amelia Kunko ’20

Paige Jalosinski ’23

16

Inspired by The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai I panic and struggle to stay afloat, Waves crash and slam against my boat, The salty water whips my face, Why is the sea such an evil place? How did we lose all of our control? Until the tides had risen and the thunder rolled, All was calm and smooth at sea, Then the dark blue abyss began to swallow me. We have gotten so far off our course, The waves invoked such a mighty force. We stood no chance against the watery giant, It's as if the sea was a God, and we had been defiant. As we rise and crash with each tumbling wave, Our wills to fight begin to cave. My arms grow tired, my soul gives in, Weakness replaces where resistance had been. Into the wave we all succumb, Under the water, everything is numb. The world grows dark, and suddenly silent. The sea is peaceful; peaceful and violent. Ella Fall ’20

17

Ella Fall ’20

18

Four It was an unusual Wednesday morning when the wind started to howl, and the rain

started to pick up. That was the beginning. The beginning is a funny phrase because you know it's the start of something, but when is the end? The rain continued every day, every minute and every second. It never ended.

It wasn't just your regular rain, no, it was sometimes so heavy and it came down so fast you couldn't walk out of your home. The thing was though, that our earth never overflowed; no puddles, and no lakes the size of oceans. No one knew why or how any of this was possible, so we just let it happen because what else could we do? Then everything changed.

I woke up in a sweat. The temperature stayed the same as it was before the rain start-ed, so I didn't understand why it was so hot, especially since it was November. I was never a big fan of the heat, so when the temperature rose we suffered immensely. Again, no one could go outside, this being because of the scorching heat. No one was prepared.

Sometimes, on the worst days, fires just started randomly. That was the scariest part, not knowing. We weren’t sure if this was the last round. We were praying, hoping to wake up from this nightmare that we don't even remember succumbing to. We started calling these occurrences a “round”.

This being because after a boxing match there is always another round, but each round the boxer gets hurt a little bit more each time. That’s what happened to us and the earth. We suffered a little bit more each time. We just didn't know at the time that this would only be the start of all our lives being changed forever. The next round took out entire towns. The winds were the highest the world has ever seen. It started with just a small shift in the winds. There were tornadoes taking out anything and everything in their wake. Then it became worse.

Telephone poles went down, even houses started to fall. Resources were low, and peo-ple were starting to cause havoc. We were scared, I mean who wouldn't be. But fear is a funny thing; Some people hide in the shadows running away from it, while others conquer it. There was a pattern. I remember in my science class learning about the 4 elements: water, fire, wind, and earth. Looking back on this now I should’ve figured out sooner what we were in for. So we had to prepare for the hardest element to hit the earth. We didn't know how or where the “earth element” would hit.

It began with a tremble and continued on with a shake so big the fault line had fatally broken after continuous years of being held on by a thread. There was little to no chance of survival, but the people who did were scattered across the country looking at the destruction before them. The world after went silent, it was almost peaceful. But there was still this ques-tion as to what would happen next. Would we get hit again? Was this just a warning? Is there even an after?

Lauren Schumacher ’21

19

Elizabeth Gomez ‘22

20

Childhood

I stood in front of a black door with a bag of keys hanging from my hand. This door had always been a mystery to me since the time I was little. My dad kept it covered with a tall, golden chest to keep it hidden from the blind eye. Whenever I asked my father why there was an unused door in our house, he would turn away and tell me I had to wait until I was older. My curiosity grew throughout the years as I desired to know the secret. Sometimes when I was alone, I would pull and pull at the chest, but it would never move. Nobody ever seemed to go in or out of the door, which was not a thing that bothered me. It was the fact that nobody was ever allowed to talk about it. There were times when I would bring up the topic and would be quickly hushed by my mother who changed the subject. I waited and waited for the day where I would be given the chance to see what was behind that door. Whatever it was, it had to be something amazing.

Today was my 18th birthday and in a round, small box gifted to me by my dad, there

was a bag of keys. Immediately, I jumped up knowing exactly what this present meant. I ran down the hall, past my room, and stopped at the very thing that consumed my imagination for years. As my parents slowly pushed the chest, the large, black door stared back at me. As my mother walked away she said, “There are eight keys in the bag. Each key will open the door; however, what is on the other side depends on the key. Choose wisely.” I stood in awe, now faced with a decision that could take me days to make. I ran to my room, poured out the bag, and laid out all eight keys at the feet of my bed. Some were very large, others were small, some had shapes, and others had the most beautiful colors. I had no idea how I was to possibly choose only one. I held each in my hand, twirling it through my fingers, and staring at its unique design. After hours of uncertainty, there was a key my eye had been drawn to from the start. It was a small, brass key with a heart on the end. Suddenly, I knew this was the right choice. I walked to the door and placed it into the hole. With my hands shaking, I turned the key and the door clicked open. I took a deep breath and twisted the handle with ease. As the hinges on the door squeaked with delight, I closed my eyes and walked in.

21

I smiled from ear to ear as I looked around and saw the most beautiful thing. I was sur-rounded by three-dimensional videos of my entire childhood. I watched my three-year-old self dance past me in a Halloween costume. I recognized my joyful self as my baby brother came home from the hospital. My grandparents were standing on their porch, waving to me as I left their house. All of these moments from my life, everything that made me so happy was being lived out in front of me. I shut the door, sat on the floor, and watched as tears ran down my face. It was truly amazing. Ashley Hartz ’20

22

Inspired by The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dalí

Surrounded by nothing but desert, Alone and confused I feel. Nothing to look at but melting clocks; This scene is so surreal. Time does not exist here; Could this be a dream? I’m not comfortable in this odd place, Yet I can’t bring myself to scream. I examine insects roaming these clocks As seconds tick on by. I cannot escape this empty place; A tear falls from my eye. I desperately want to wake up, But I am trapped in this eerie land. While longing to return back home, An ant crawls up my hand. I observe this tiny creature, And time is sitting still. A strange new feeling I encounter; My core feels a subtle chill. I look out to the mountains, And start to feel serene. In this place where time sits still, I realize I’m the queen. Victoria Campbell ’20

23

Elizabeth Gomez ‘20

24

Master of the Keys They call me the Master of the Keys. Not because I hold every key in creation, but be-cause I guard the door that will open regardless of the key used. All keys open this door; how-ever, it is the key that determines what’s on the other side. That is why it needs to be protect-ed. This door is part of the earth. It has lived through centuries. It has witnessed countless wars and generations constantly repeating history. I have become a creation of the door. The wooden guardian. Countless people have followed the Legend of the Door to find their way home or to discover a world unknown. They have traveled all over the earth to find it; however, every time someone finds it, the door moves. We currently are safe in a lost pyramid of Egypt. Do not get the wrong idea, we have been every door in creation. From the door you were too afraid to open, to the door you were tempted to open but did not know why. Although we might be hard to find, it is the strong feeling of curiosity that allows you to find us. There is a reason why you always wanted to open that locked door in your house or the door under your stairs. The pull you felt to open that door is real; it is us. There is an untold story of King Arthur. The reason you do not know it is because of me, because of his failure to open the door. The fifth-century was a time when we had to move every month. It did not take long for the story of the door to get around. Countless empires tried to conquer the door; all failed. It was the British Empire that found us constantly. They sent every form of person to find us. From peasant to royal, every face of Britain has made an attempt. However, it is King Arthur that is the most memorable. He almost won the door. Merlin was the one who advised him to find us. Arthur and his Round Table did not take long to find us because it was in Scotland that we were hiding. In the mountains, the area north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault are known as the Highlands. Only those with courage and ignorance would climb these mountains. It was perfect for Arthur. The battle is hard to remember since 16 centuries have passed; however, victory was a difficult journey. I remember his use of his sword and the magic energy released. With that weapon at his side and his arrogance, no wonder he felt confident in victory. Yet it was this event that shot down his ego and brought him down to the earth that raised him. Do not think of yourself better than the dancing flowers or the singing rivers. No man should be able to rise above the trees and the stars; for if they do, the fall will be a great one. Juliana Valerio ’20

25

Elizabeth Gomez ’22

26

Inspired by Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth

There I was, outside taking in the cool, Spring day, When my wheelchair took a sharp turn, spinning me away. Now I am in pain, trying my best not to yelp - Shouting and screaming for any sort of help.

It seems my worthless body is unable to move. No matter how hard I try, I cannot improve. Wishing and praying that someone may come, Beginning to realize my body is going numb.

My pink dress is now covered with nature’s stains, As I hopelessly lay here in the wide, grassy plains. Looking at the few, old houses there in the distance, Still hoping for any kind of assistance.

Here I am, without an ounce of hope, After falling down this deep, steep slope. Feeling as dead as the grass around me. Just a few moments ago I was full of glee.

Curse and shame on my inborn disease. What I would give to move with ease. Tired of hearing everyone’s derogatory talk. Will I ever be able to freely walk?

Lily Panunto ’20

27

Alexis Kelerchian ’22

28

Almost

I almost finished, but didn’t. I almost got it, but didn’t. I almost achieved my dream...but did-n’t. There is so much sadness tied to this word. All the almosts but not quites. All the failures that were almost successes. And then there are the almosts like me. I’m the person who al-

most succeeded, who almost made it, but never makes it past almost… the person who almost reached their dream, but couldn’t. I’ve always believed I could reach the stars, but now I’m only left with almost. That’s all I’ll ever be, an almost...but you know what? I’m okay with

that, because there’s a bright side to everything. Almost reaching your dream, but not quite means you can make new dreams and chase them until your heart’s content. Almost putting your life back together, just for it to fall apart again? That just means that you get the chance to build it in a new way; however you want! Maybe I’m an almost, but maybe I just haven’t

found the right path yet, and when I get there I may be stuck at almost again, waiting for the next door to open. Thinking about everything, being an almost isn’t so bad. So... to all the

almosts out there. Keep dreaming, the right path may be just around the corner.

Casey Styli

29

Elizabeth Gomez ’22

30

You Are A Villain, But unaware Of It

It was absolute chaos. Once news broke that the world’s most dangerous villain was back on the streets of New York City, pandemonium erupted. Civilians ran, hid, and took shel-ter in an effort to save themselves from the infamous criminal who would now, once again, walk the streets of the Big Apple in search of her next victim. I walked up and down the streets, desperately trying to look for a familiar face to find some comfort in this time of tur-moil.

Instead, however, I was met with frightened faces, as if they had just seen a ghost. My heart pounded, I stopped in my tracks. I spun around, mentally preparing myself to come face-to-face with the villain, but I saw no one. I continued running, determined to find someone, anyone, I knew. In the midst of the chaos, I found myself in Times Square, surrounded by blaring news stations reporting the story: “New York’s deadliest criminal has reportedly re-turned to the city and was seen darting throughout the main streets among civilians.”

I was shocked, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. She’s back again, I thought. I ran down 7th Avenue, unsure of where I was going but determined to get away from her. Suddenly I heard the roar of the helicopter blades in the sky above me. It must be the news station try-ing to find the criminal from a higher point of view. I ran and ran, but noticed I was the only one heading in this direction. Weird, I thought, as I saw an unusually busy road turn vacant. Soon enough it was just me and the helicopter above traveling south of Times Square. It must see the villain up ahead.

I stopped. The helicopter did too. I started to get nervous, anxiously spinning in circles trying to understand what the chopper saw that I didn’t. And then it happened. The spotlight was released from above and shone right on me. I looked up, blinded by the light. Suddenly, eight police cars with their sirens blaring surrounded me.

“What’s going on?” I screamed. I couldn’t understand what was happening, why aren’t the authorities looking for the villain anymore?

I heard one officer say, “That’s her! That’s who we have been looking for.” My stomach dropped.

How could they possibly be talking about me? They started yelling. “Put your hands in the air,” “Don’t make this difficult!” It was then when I realized, I’m her.

I did what I was told, I put my hands in the air and cooperated with the police. When or how I became New York’s most dangerous criminal, I didn’t know. But I realized that every-one else did. I soon realized that this was, in fact, not a mistake. For years, the New York vil-lain has terrorized the city, causing violence among the civilians. Turns out, I was the villain, I just didn’t know it at the time. Caroline Sweeney ’20

31

London DiIorio ’23

32

Inspired by Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer A sparkling drop dangles in the air adjacent to a fair complexion A curtain of beige is suspended by its side its creases folded to perfection Soft blue contrasts a plane of white as an ocean resides against a beach A thin slope divides an unusual face and rests above two lips of peach Curious emotion beams from grey eyes and a longing air plagues their pale gaze They glance behind with a bright and fixed stare; an image of light in an ashen haze A caramel cloth rests upon her slight frame swaddling her in a yellow heat Flecks of blue and green cling the cloak like a clear sky to crops of golden wheat In her unwonted face simplicity teems; in her doe-eyed stare plainness reflects but by the precious gem bestowed upon her ear her inward and outward charm connect

Amelia Kunko ’20

33

Paige Jalosinski ’23

34

Danny DeVito Not too long ago in a town not too far from here, there was a girl named Lucy Diamond. She was 27 and recently married with a child on the way. Unfortunately, just a few months ago her parents passed away and she thought she was left nothing in the will. That was until one day she received a mysterious call from an unknown number, who turned out to be her dead parents’ lawyer. As it turns out Lucy’s parents bought an abandoned estate which they had the hopes to fix up then give to Lucy for her new family. Unfortunately, they passed away before getting a chance to finish the house. So now Lucy, her husband John, and their soon to be born child are to move into a giant estate and fix it up, all before the baby is born. However, while stressed Lucy is excited about the possibility of a new life with her new family. That is until the lawyer tells her there is a catch to it all. In order to inherit the estate, Lucy and her husband must seek out her parents’ favorite celebrity, and get his autograph in their name. So, with limited time left, Lucy is forced to go on a crazy exhibition to find Danny DeVito and get his autograph for her dead parents, so it can be buried with them. Because Lucy is pregnant she only has 3 weeks be-fore she is not allowed to fly anymore. The clock is ticking as Lucy frantically packs her bags and books the first flight she can find to LAX. The race against time starts and Lucy does not even know where to begin. Where does Danny DeVito live? What if he is on vacation? Will I be arrested for stalking Danny DeVito? - all questions currently going through her mind, but she has no option. Her and her husband could really use this estate and she does not want to let down her dead parents’ legacies, so she must do everything she can to track him down and get the much-needed autograph. She hops off the plane at LAX with a dream to find Danny DeVito. She got in the first cab she saw and immediately went to all the local celebrity hangouts. Yet she had no luck. She headed to star boulevard, the bottom of the Hollywood sign, and the infamous TCL Chinese Theater. But she still had no luck. Lucy was hopeless as time began to fly by with no progress being made. It was the last day before Lucy had to catch her flight back to her home town in South Dakota and with no hope left and the settling idea of disappointing her parents dying wish she walks into a random diner just outside of the Calabasas neighborhood where so many celebri-ties are known for living in. Disappointed in herself, Lucy sits at the first table she sees and orders a huge stack of chocolate chip pancakes. That is until she hears a familiar voice behind her. She hears an older man asking his waitress for another glass of orange juice in a voice just out of the films she knew so well. No way! she thought. Could it be the man so famously known as the dad from Matilda and the neighbor from the Christmas classic Deck the Halls. It couldn’t be! She turns around slowly with the fear of having her hopes let down again, and that is when she sees him. The man she has been searching for weeks, just casually sitting behind her in some random diner. Danny DeVito, live and in person! Eager to meet him, Lucy slowly approaches his table, explains her whole story and how it was her parents' dying wish to get an autograph from him, and he willingly signs. In his little Danny DeVito cursive, he wrote on the napkin from the diner: My best wishes and rest well <3 Love, Danny DeVito. Knowing she has completed everything she needs to, Lucy catches her flight home with peace of mind knowing she has granted her parents’ wishes and now is ready to start her life with her husband and child in their brand new estate. Erin Mullen ’20

35

A Day in the Life of Gru

Dear Diary,

Like everybody living on this Earth, I follow and stick to a general routine. I wake up in the morning, change into my black pants, black sweatshirt, and grey scarf (regardless of the weather) because I like to start conversations with my outfit choices. I brush my teeth and comb my hair before I realize I am bald. I chuckle to myself and my silly mistake of attempt-ing to brush my nonexistent hair. Of course, I need my morning pick-me-up, so I head to the local café to grab a cup of coffee. As I walk down the street, I smile at those who pass me by. However, they just look at me as though I did something to offend them. Every day this hap-pens, and every day I wonder what I did to make them feel that way. But, all is better when I get to the coffee shop.

But today was the day they were giving out free pumpkin spice samples. Pumpkin spice is my favorite of the seasonal flavors and I just had to get my hands on those free samples. But the line was so long! So naturally, I used my Freeze Ray to turn all of the civilians in line to ice, as one does. I once again received that offended look from the barista, even after I tipped her!

I let things like this roll off my back. I typically do not care what others think of me; however, I do want people to like me. So after I grab my daily coffee, I head back home to plot the rest of the day with my friends. They all talk very fast, but my life would be very boring without them. My friends Kevin and Dave are always the ones who have something to say, so I usually just send them out to run some errands for me. And because I am a good friend, I give them a gift when they get back, every time!

All in all, my daily life is fairly normal. My one wish would be to make other friends. While my friends at home are great, they can be hard to understand sometimes. Then again, I’ve been told I have an accent too. Maybe I should think about adopting some kids. That would be a new and fun challenge as well as an opportunity to put myself out there even more! I will include an update in tomorrow’s entry. Until then, Gru Sara Kuntz ’20

36

Inspired by Interior by Edgar Degas

I see you behind me; lurking in the shadows. Could you let me go? I wish for the kindness, that shines through the darkness. I'm never going home. I packed my clothes; Ready to leave. Oh, how I cannot breathe. How dare you stare at me with those eyes How dare you stand there and act wise. You waited for this. How I loved you. Could you feel it? Or was I just an accessory of your outfit? Do not treat me like a prisoner. Do not act like an executioner. Could you act like a lover? Do not stand in the shadows and act like the light. Do not stand there among the roses ready to bite. Do not stand there all proud as if you no-fault. I am ready to be locked up in your vault.

Juliana Valerio ’20

37

Isabella Trotter ’20

38

Inspired by The Scream by Edvard Munch The blues and orange in the sky, And several people walking by, Made me notice all the beauty of the Earth. This pretty place of my birth. How could I not scream with joy? I walked along a narrow bridge, And made my way to the ridge, Where I found a pleasant beach, With boats and oceans within my reach. How could I not scream with joy? The many people in the sand, Gave me time to think about all I had planned, For this lovely day. All I wanted to do was have fun and play. How could I not scream with joy? I went out on a boat, And at sea it stayed afloat. Then later it took me back to the bridge where I relaxed. This part of my day was the max. How could I not scream with joy? At the end of the day when the sunset, I made a bet, That the Earth would again show me the orange and blue. They were so lovely I could not imagine anything more true! How could I not scream with joy? Nicole Sasso ’20

39

Devon Reinhardt ’21

40

Kevin

It was the summer of 1980. Cooper Warshaw and his family just moved to a small town twenty miles north of Portland, Maine. They just moved because of Mr. Warshaw’s job. Cooper was extremely reluctant to move because he was so used to going to school with his childhood friends, playing sports with them, and the amazing food and shops back in Beverly Hills. Cooper was silent the entire forty-five-hour car ride because he couldn’t help but think of his entire life he just left behind. Cooper was an only child so he didn’t even have a sibling that could suffer with him. His mom kept turning around in the car saying, “You’re going to love your new school and all of your new friends.” Cooper knew she was just saying this to comfort him, so he just smiled and turned towards the window. They arrived at their new house and it was a beautiful Victorian mansion, but it looked haunted. They brought their bags in and Mrs. Warshaw quickly called the movers to bring the rest of their belongings to their new house. Cooper looked around in disgust and couldn’t believe this was his new house. The house was beautiful, yet it just had a creepy vibe. Cooper decided to go on a tour of the house. He put his headphones on and began to walk up the steps. With every step he took, the stairs made a loud creak and sent a chill down his spine. When he reached the top of the steps, he looked around and noticed how long the hallway was. He got another weird feeling, but continued to walk down the hallway. It was full of rooms that reeked of old people and dust. He noticed one door that was a bit darker than the others and had a silver handle, while the rest of the doors had gold handles. He went up to the one with the silver handle and tried to open it, but it was locked. Cooper brushed it off because it didn’t really affect him in the moment, but as he started walking down the hallway he heard something hit the ground. It sounded like metal.

Cooper takes his headphones off and turns around to find a silver key laying on the ground. He picks it up and is immediately drawn to the door with the silver handle. Every other door has multiple keyholes, but this particular one only has one. He then starts to hear a multitude of metal things hitting the ground. He turns around and finds more keys that look exactly like the first one, but different colors. He picks a few up and starts to unlock the door, then he hears a voice. A voice that tells him to choose his keys wisely because whichever key he picks determines what’s on the other side. He picks up the one with two heads and decides to try this one. He calls out to his mom and dad but he gets no response. He unlocks the door anyway and walks in. In this room, there is a screen; he sees a boy that looks just like him on it. The boy is in an area that looks like Los Ange-les but he can’t really tell. The boy is skateboarding and happens to look over directly at Cooper. He smiles at him and says, “Hi Cooper. It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’m your twin brother Kevin.” Cooper doesn’t know how to react, but suddenly all he sees is black.

Devon Enoch ’20

41

The Estate

I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing loudly on my bedside table. I lazily got up to look at the name on the phone. It was my lawyer. I picked up the phone and blurted out an annoyed, “Hello?” My lawyer said, “Hello Beth. Sorry to wake you this early in the morning, but I would like to share with you some exciting information.” I started to sit up in my bed as I asked, “What kind of exciting information?” My lawyer continued to explain to me how I had inherited a massive estate from my deceased grandmother. I asked, “Why am I the one inheriting it when there are many family members who were closer to her than me?” She explained, “You are the only family member in good health who could inherit and maintain the estate; however, I must tell you that there is a catch.” In a confused tone, I asked, “What kind of catch?” My lawyer continued to explain how the estate was built over an ancient burial ground and how there was much-unexplained activity there including the disappearances of people. I have never been one to believe in haunted houses or ghosts so I was very excited about the estate and could not wait to explore it. When the sun rose I got up and got ready for the day. My plan was to go to the estate and explore the land within it. I left my apartment and drove to the estate which was about 30 minutes away from me. I encountered an old creaking gate with a large “S” on it, probably because my grandmother’s last name was Salisbery. I got out of my car to try and open the gate, but instead the gate opened by itself. It was probably a remote-controlled gate. I got back in my car and drove through. I encountered an incredibly large plot of land surrounded by a fence, and at the center of the land was a large mansion that was a dark burgundy color with large windows. There were no lights on except a dim light shining through one of the windows. It was probably a maid or someone who works in the mansion. I knocked on the door and it swiftly opened; however, no one was there. I stepped inside and observed the foyer that surrounded me. It had tall ceilings, dark furniture, a large grandfather clock, and a large window that hung over a table. As I looked in the mirror I saw a shadow behind me in the corner, but when I turned around it disappeared. Thinking nothing of it, I continued to explore the house and stumbled upon a sitting room with the fire still lit. If I could describe the smell in the room I would say it smelled like mildew and rotten food. Therefore, I walked into the kitchen to see if there was any expired food in the fridge or pantry. I opened the fridge and there was nothing in there so I continued to look through the pantries and drawers but still came up empty. Puzzled by this, I decided to head upstairs. After I got up the steps I decided to check out some of the rooms. There were 8 bedrooms each with a bathroom, five additional bathrooms, two recreational rooms, and three additional rooms that were locked. As I was trying to get into the last room, I heard footsteps running behind me. When I quickly turned around, there was no one there. Maybe it was the wind. I walked back down the stairs and decided to walk around the property. I opened the door to discover a woman standing there. She was pale and skinny with long black hair and dark eyes. She looked up at me and quickly ran away. I yelled, “Hey wait!” She ran behind the house and I quickly followed after her until she just disappeared. I did not know where she went. It was like she disappeared out of thin air. I decided to walk back to the front of the house and as I looked up there was the pale woman peering behind one of the curtains in the window. I looked at her straight in the eyes and I turned pale. I got a chilling feeling that I was not supposed to be at that house. I drove away and did not look back. McKenzie Humphrey ’20

42

Inspired by Five O’Clock Tea by Julius LeBlanc Stewart I took a sip of my tea and felt the hot liquid travel through my chest, It is a quarter-past five now and there is much excitement for the ball, Conversation fills the room, the weather is perfect, I can feel Charlie’s eyes on me, waiting for a piece of cake to fall, Charlotte watches over the twins and Georgia talks with her guest. The smell of flowers and sweetness fills the air. It is my favorite time of day to relax and ponder, As I sit, I begin to fall into the abyss of my own thoughts, I think of seeing Henry tonight, I cannot wait much longer, I practice what I will say if he asks me to dance, and how to style my hair, I contemplate the book I have been reading and what might happen, I dream of becoming a mother one day and starting my own family, I do not know what I wish to do with my life exactly, Perhaps I will travel the world and visit each and every country, I wonder what it feels like to swim in the ocean, as I have never been, Yet, dull and boring is life when the future is foretold, There is a thrill in not knowing what lies ahead, what could be, Endless possibilities, memories waiting to be made, hugs to be given, Sometimes I wish to know, but I trust in God and His plan for me, The sound of a distant train pulls me back into reality, my tea is now cold. Kelly Byrne ’20

43

Gianna Olimpo ‘22

44

Cement Building

One summer my friends and I were going on a long drive and found an old abandoned building in the middle of a field. It was one of those huge white cement buildings that looked like something right from a horror film and definitely not a place you would want to visit alone. However, my group of five was ecstatic to embark on this journey and enter because they thought it would be something we would always remember.

Though I was hesitant, deep down I was dying to find out what was inside. So, I pulled over, parked right on the grass, and we crossed this huge field in order to get to this old, white, cement building. After being totally freaked out by the many critters we passed on our walk, we walked around the perimeter of the building and found one single door on the backside. The door was normal size and white - just like everything else - with a single keyhole.

Though we should not have expected anything else, we were utterly disappointed when in front of us was simply this locked door. Most of the group gave up after pushing and pulling their hardest and began to walk back to the car, but I refused to give up that easily. I inserted my nail, a bobby pin, my credit card, anything I could find to see if it would budge, but it did-n’t. Then I tried to shove my car key in it even though I knew it would be too large for this lit-tle keyhole. But wait...the door came loose!

The door opened slowly from MY car key. Well now I was freaked out. Why would my key open this old abandoned building? I yelled to my friends who had started to walk away that I got it open and they came running back. We then slowly walked in and looked around. What did we see? An absolutely giant indoor waterpark!! It was clearly out of date, but still not what we were expecting. Then, we turned on the light and couldn’t believe our eyes. Sud-denly, the old faded slides that looked like they were about to fall apart, turned into sturdy shiny red and blue slides.

It was an impressive system of waterslides, wave pools, ropes courses, that all seemed to be completely untouched. Though this was exciting, there were many remaining questions. First of all, how did the light switch completely transform this broken-down ghost town of a waterpark into a space with fresh flowing water and tons of up to date activities. Secondly, why was no one here…no employees and no families running around as you would expect.

45

My friends are more adventurous than I and jumped right in. I continued pondering and was quite frightened, to be honest. I stepped outside to get some fresh air and when I tried to reenter the door was again, locked. I knocked and yelled to my friends in hopes that they would let me in but I don’t think they could hear me.

I did not have my car key but I did have my school lanyard around my neck so I

thought I would give my locker key a try. It worked! However, when I opened the door it was the most serene spa you could ever imagine. I blinked about fifty times and pinched myself because I was certain this was a dream, but it wasn’t.

I found my friends scattered throughout the spa, some getting pedicures, one in the hot

tube, one in the sauna, just enjoying themselves. I told my friends about how weird this was and we then gathered every key we had on us and inserted them into the tiny keyhole. A few had their car keys, house key, or locker keys, and each key opened the door. Even stranger, each key took us to an entirely different place.

We walked into ice skating areas, bowling alleys, multiple restaurants, and even a ho-

tel. This old white cement building became my friend group's favorite place in the universe. We had a list of what each key opened up to, so whenever we wanted a certain place to appear we would know how to find it!

We have made incredible memories in this cement building that none of us will ever

forget. Erin Plamondon ’20

46

The Inheritance

A little past midnight, I hear my house phone ringing downstairs. I let it ring, hoping one of my parents or siblings will answer it and I can go back to sleep. It’s unusual for our house phone to ring let alone in the middle of the night, but being as tired as I am I don’t pay much attention to this. The ringing finally stops and as I am about to go back to sleep, it rings again (it seems to be ringing louder but that may be because of my growing annoyance). Knowing that my family has not woken up to answer it, I make my way downstairs to see what could be this important on a Tuesday night. I pick up the phone:

“Hello.”

“Oh hello! Thank you for answering!” the voice seems to be from a girl in her early 20s, I don’t recognize the voice.

“May I ask who’s calling?” I ask, relatively annoyed that I’m wasting precious sleep. “Ah yes… I’m your family lawyer.” Last time I checked, I’ve never met the “family law-

yer” or have ever heard of her. “Ok? Can I help you?”

“Well, I can help you. You see, your uncle has moved away- the uncle from Arizona- he needed to go back for uhh “family business.” But there is good news- he’s given you his farm estate in the mountains. He didn’t want to go through selling the house. Please meet me to-morrow at the local Wawa to discuss details and I can show you the house. Congratulations!”

She hung up immediately. Right now is a good time to state that I do not have an uncle from Arizona, I have never had a “family lawyer,” but I was intrigued so the next morning I went to the Wawa. I arrived at Wawa to see a woman in a long black coat and blonde hair. She approached me before I had the chance to approach her. She told me about my “uncle” again and offered to drive me to the estate. I agreed (not the safest choice, but I was excited to see what this was all about). After 15 minutes of driving, we arrive at a huge white brick house with a black gate and beautiful purple flowers. We went into the house and everything was in pristine condi-tion. The spring air was coming through the open windows which made the whole house feel more open and bright. I was not about to tell the mystery woman that she might have contact-ed the wrong person because I wouldn’t mind spending a few weeks here. After the tour of the house, I received the keys to the house. I was surprised at the lack of questions asked or instructions given. The whole situation made me a little uneasy but I had a new house that I didn’t have to pay for- I couldn’t complain. My days spent here were full of amazing food and the comfiest beds, I was hoping no one would figure out that I was living a lie. Surprisingly, my parents didn’t care to ask where I’ve been spending my free time, they probably assumed I was just spending the night at my best friend’s house.

47

After many days, I started getting bored with the house. I did enjoy the house but I was getting lonely without the company of my friends and family. I was on my way out to leave for the last time when the front door became locked from the outside. I pulled on the handle as hard as I could but it wouldn’t budge. I turn around to see the mystery woman, my “family lawyer,” standing behind me. Ignoring her presence, although extremely frightened that she magically appeared inside the house, I began running to the side door and windows but eve-rything was locked. I wanted to leave the house that two days ago I wanted to stay in for the rest of my life. Finally, the girl moves towards me and holds out a cellphone. I try calling my parents and asking for help. Nothing works. Finally, I knew what I had to do. I picked up the phone and dialed a random number. The phone rang and a girl on the other end answered. “Hello?” she asked in a sleepy voice. “Hi,” I said, “I’m your family lawyer. Your uncle’s estate was just left to your possession. Any questions?” Juliana Mack ’20

48

Wednesday

It was an unusual Wednesday morning when I heard a sudden crash from outside my win-dow. I thought it must have been a horrible car accident, or maybe gunshots in the distance. The time had come to face what we had done.

Wait, let me start from the beginning. The peculiar instances that began following my football practice after school. The lock-

er room was dead quiet, the only sound audible was the faint drip of water falling from the faucet. I walked through the hallway, ignoring my teammates around me, and rinsed off my face in the bathroom sink. With my eyes still shut, I reached for a towel, but my hand didn’t reach quite far enough.

I squinted my eyes open, my vision blurred with the droplets that had not yet fallen away from my eyes. I heard faint voices of my teammates in the background of the heavy sound of my heart racing in my chest. My feet slowly began to dance around the outskirts of the tile pattern lining the floor, the dizziness almost unbearable. With my vision almost gone, I tried to speak, but no words came out.

I felt my eyelids growing heavy and the sound of my heartbeat overruling any sounds that my ears may have been picking up. The next thing I remember, I had reopened my eyes feeling sick as ever, but I was not in the locker room anymore. I was in some sort of closed-in space...a closet maybe? A shed? I honestly could not tell in the pitch-black nothingness that now surrounded me.

I was alone. My teammates were gone, as was the dim light that usually illuminates the grey lockers

that line the perimeter of the locker room. The boys must be playing some sort of mind game on me; a cruel trick for someone feeling faint after practice. I straightened out my back, reach-ing out into the darkness, only to feel the surrounding of walls that I couldn’t even make out the shape of.

“Guys, this isn’t funny for real.” My words shook as I thought about what would hap-pen if I were to stay in this state forever.

“Where’s Dylan?” they’d ask – or maybe I’d just fade away into this darkness surround-ing me, not leaving enough for anyone to even miss.

I traced the thin walls with my cold fingertips, reassuring myself that there was some-thing else in this blackness to refrain me from going too deep into my thoughts. My fingers felt weak as I pulled them back in close to me, useless fingers couldn’t free me. I leaned back, resting my spine against one of the walls of my containment and kicking my legs forward. The wall didn’t budge.

49

I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration, my mind still not thinking straight. I kicked again; the wall held firm regardless. My legs now felt heavy as I dragged them into my chest and rested my head on my knees; the back of my neck felt pressured and still. Not but a few moments later, the wall to my left began to reveal a streak of low yellow light onto my sneakers. I looked up; my eyes squinted and tired.

My teammate Jason stood there, having opened the door to the storage closet they had locked me in. His face looked pale as if he had just looked death in its face.

“Jason what’s –” he shook his head, not allowing any more words to escape my lips. “He came for us D; the rest are gone.”

I slowly regained my balance as I stood up and moved along the wall outside the clos-et. Each breath I felt heavier as we moved together towards the bathroom. I couldn’t help but notice every dent and hole that now took form in the lockers around us. I felt the sweat drip-ping from my hair and down my face.

I strained to keep my eyes focused as I walked forward, afraid of what I may see on the floor. The time had come for our team to face our mistakes. The stupidity of teenage boys can only go so far, too far, I guess. Our reckless nights of partying were over, as most of us were now done ourselves. I hadn’t even been there when it happened, it wasn’t my fault they fell!

5:57 AM. I awoke for my morning run, dried tears on my cheeks from the sleepless night before. I heard a sudden crash from outside my window.

I thought it must’ve been a horrible car accident, or maybe gunshots in the distance. I glanced down on my floor, Jason laid fast asleep as if our lives were not changed forever. I slid open my glass door that led into my driveway.

There he stood; my words quivered in the cold, “Ryan, you don’t have to do this…I wasn’t even there when it happened.”

His bloodshot eyes matched with my gaze, the look of pain hazing over his mind - like a fog that never lifts for the sunlight. He stood there, debating his next move. My eyes crept left, catching sight of my car windows smashed in. He stood for a second more, then a single tear traveled down his flushed cheek.

He turned away, the image of his pain-filled face still clear in my mind, and he ran off with his crimes; with ours as well. Liz Marsden ’20

50

Ana Verch ‘20

51

The 5-Dollar Island

Day 1: There it was, finally. Our island. Our very own island. It looked beautiful above the waves of fog, but there was still one question to be answered: why had they sold it to us for only five dollars? I could barely sit still in the small jet seats, and by the squeals I heard from Brenna, I knew she felt the same. After a rocky landing, we opened the door and took our first breath of paradise. I dug my feet into the warm white sand and thought Thank God I’m not at school. I looked beside me to see Brenna prancing along the waterline, splashing in the crys-tal blue water. I couldn’t believe this was all ours! So many fruits and coconuts bursting from the treetops, birds chirping, and vibrant flowers far as the eye can see.

“Come on Brenna!” I sighed, chasing her for an hour to help me set up camp. “Can you please help me get the hut ready?”

“Dolphins! Starfish! Seahorses! Coral!” Brenna blabbered, pointing to the animals far and wide in the ocean.

Here she goes again, letting her imagination get the best of her, I thought. Soon Brenna ran to me, and we split jobs. It was fairly easy; Brenna would get branches, and I would get strips of palm tree to bind the branches together.

“Let’s meet back here before sunset, okay?” Brenna asked, somewhat hesitant to go off on her own.

“Yeah, definitely,” I assured her.

Brenna went deeper into the jungle while I worked on the palm trees that were right at the border of the coast. As I stripped layers off of the bark, I noticed something strange. The sap was a dark red, almost black. I washed it off quickly, eerie of its blood-like features. Hours passed, and no Brenna. Suddenly, she burst out of the jungle.

“SOFIA!!” she cried.

I ran to her frantically, worried that an animal was chasing her or she saw something dangerous. Panting, I asked her what was wrong.

“The tree!” Brenna said through gasps, “It tried to grab me!”

“Brenna, what??” I said, confused at her odd remark.

“I went to grab branches but,” her face grew pale, “it wrapped around my arm and pulled me to it! I barely had time to break it and run away!”

52

I reassured her it was probably the wind, but deep inside, I was worried that it was something more. The combination of the blood sap and the branches made me feel uneasy. We built a little hut, and soon the lull of the waves and smell of the sea led us into a deep sleep.

Day 2: Brenna and I have both calmed down from our scary experiences, and woke up hungrier than ever. I wanted to eat meat and hunt, but Brenna, the vegetarian, wanted to find fruits to eat.

“First one to find breakfast wins!” I shouted, running to find some sort of food.

I ripped open a beautiful plump mango, the flesh ripe as I devoured it. I ate several and filled up my bag to bring some to the hut. My hands were sticky with juice and I ran to look for Brenna, calling her name wherever I turned. I finally found her admiring a lavish orange flow-er, somewhat hypnotized by it.

“Brenna!! Look what I found!” I yelled at her, showing her the mangoes. Brenna turned to me and her face lit up, excited to eat the mangoes. But before she could reach me, the flow-er opened wide and swallowed her whole.

“Brenna!” I shouted, grasping at the flower and trying frantically to get her out. I heard her screams from the bottom of the flower and I assured her that everything was going to be okay. But soon, all the screams stopped. I stumbled back in awe as the tree spit out freshly rip-ened mangoes, from where Brenna once stood.

I’m putting this message in a bottle and throwing it in the ocean so that someone can find this and alert others to never, ever buy an island for five dollars.

Sofia Franco ’20

53

Journey under the Sea

Friday morning on the day of our senior prom, Emma and I went for a morning jog in our usual spot. As we were racing each other to finish out the last sprint of our jog, we both came across a path that neither of us had previously noticed. Curious as ever we went down the path. Hanging from a string appeared to be a golden key with my name on it.

Obviously, we both had lots of questions as to why a random key with my name on it appeared in the middle of the woods. We took the shiny key and headed back to Emma’s house to get ready for our big night. We went out to get food, but when we came back the key had a paper attached to it. It was a list of instructions that stated to use in times of loneliness and sadness, but it has to be 50 years from now. Again, we remained utterly confused but continued on with our day. Everything was pre-pared and perfect for prom.

From what I remember, prom night flew by and so did the rest of our senior year. Graduation and senior week just seemed to disappear. The year is 2070 and I still have the key hidden in my draw-er next to my bed and have yet to use it. I miss Emma and I miss being youthful and adventurous. I decided to use the key.

Here goes nothing. I walked up to the door and placed the key into the hole as I suddenly watched my life flash be-

fore my eyes. When I could finally see again from the blinding white light, I thought that I possibly had died. In the blink of an eye, Emma and I stood on a boat in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. We were lively and 18 again. Something felt off though.

We decided maybe it was the heat, so we jumped into the transparent, and crystal blue water. My legs felt tingly and numb, I could not see my legs, but rather I saw a massive tail with iridescent colors of blues and greens. Emma and I transformed into mermaids. It was possibly the most magnifi-cent thing I had ever seen.

With each twist and turn, our scales shimmered when the sun hit them. I swirled around the warm water and could now communicate with wildlife under the sea. My simple life had turned into a fantasy with my best friend by my side. The world had seemed to come to a halt, and life had never been more intriguing.

While under the sea, we realized that if this scenario was possible for us, it must be possible for other humans too. We searched around the cove for other humans but the only things we saw was an-other door. I still had the key around my neck and decided to place it in the slot. A whirlwind of colors covered my every move. I could not feel the ground, the wind blew in all directions, and I was in the air. I was on a flying magic carpet holding my breath in spite of crying out of fear.

We flew through tunnels, over icy oceans, above tropical treetops, around mountainous volca-noes, and below the sparkling night sky. I was unaware that beautiful views even existed. Specifically, the Aurora Borealis was breathtaking and magnificent. This journey allowed me to realize all the beau-ty around me, some of which I never appreciated before.

The experience of traveling the world with Emma truly opened my eyes to the endless possibili-ties even at my age. After this experience, I refused to allow myself to give up on my hopes and dreams no matter the circumstance. I realized that dreaming fuels humanity. Kelly Hutton ’20

54

Ella Magliente ’23

55

Elizabeth Gomez ’22

56

Gianna Olimpo ’22

57

Inspired by Café Terrace at Night by Vincent van Gogh

At first the city showed me no kindness, I walked the unfamiliar streets with a sort of blindness. No one I knew could offer me comfort, So I stayed in my own corner with the things that I remembered. After a while I thirsted for adventure, Soon nightly walks served as my quencher. I wandered down many cobblestone streets, Though I learned if I walked too long they would hurt my feet. The stars above shone so bright, As I walked the dimly lit paths they served as my guiding light. Every night I ventured farther, Then one night I turned the corner and saw the parlor. The fluorescence of nightlife bustling with vitality, As I realized the trance that I had mistaken as reality. No longer afraid to be on my own I took off like a baby bird ready to be flown. As I neared, I heard the murmur of those gathered, Like I entered a parallel universe where nothing else mattered. As I observed my surroundings it lifted my mood, I started to relax and ordered some food. I no longer felt like a stranger in this place, It soon became my safest space. All the stars were aligned and everything felt right, As I sat eating a scone in the Café Terrace at Night. Jessica Lelli ’20

58

Amelia Kunko ’20

59

Nature’s Journey of High School

I walked along a silent path Feeling at peace with the beauty of the world. The stone path below my feet Crunched with every unknown step. The golden leaves upon the trees Danced off the branches by me. The cold wind grazed my face, On this long and lovely path. I walked along a silent path That brought me to a flowing stream. The water washed over the rocks, As I saw the reflection of my face. The person who stared back at me Was one who had changed. I realized I had grown up, While on this long and lovely path. As I walked off the silent path, A warm cabin greeted me with delight. The seasons were changing, And so was my life. Time moved fast without a warning. The path had come to an end And the long and lovely journey Disappeared in a moment’s breath. Ashley Hartz ’20

60

Gianna Olimpo ’22

61

Mission Statement

Rooted in the Catholic faith and charism of Mercy, Gwyn-

edd Mercy Academy High School educates, inspires, and

empowers young women to be merciful in spirit, innovative

in thought, and courageous in leadership.

62

#SHEISTHEFUTURE

2020