Uglies Retelling

Author's Note: This piece is written as a retelling for the book Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld. 

The book, Uglies is about a girl in the future whose friend runs away, and is told that she can't turn pretty until she finds her. While trying to find her friend she learns the truth about what turning pretty is, but accidently gets her friend caught and turned. In the end she must choose between facing the truth of turning pretty and saving her friend, so chooses to accept the consequences of turning pretty and saves her friend from living with the pretty consequences forever.

Patriots Pen

Author's Note: I wrote this essay to show what I would say if I were able to meet the founding fathers. Also I wrote it to show my appreciation of this country. 

If I were lucky enough to meet the Founding Fathers there’d be so much I’d want to say to them. They did a great job starting our country. Personally, I believe that they don’t get enough credit. I can’t even imagine how difficult it must have been to organize and start an entire country. If I were lucky enough to meet the founding fathers, I would have many things to say to them.

First, I’d thank them for being intelligent, courageous, and generous enough to start a country. I admire the fact that someone cared enough about our country’s future, to start such a hard, time consuming job. With a job so difficult, I know that I would have never been so concerned about the country’s future to start a country. This is why the first thing I’d say to the founding fathers is thank you.

After thanking them, I would tell them all the things I really appreciate about this country. I appreciate, the right to have my own religion. I know this right was created after the first ten amendments were written, but it’s because of them that we have a country to have rights in. Something else I appreciate the right to vote. One reason why I really like that everyone who is eighteen or older can vote is, because the decisions the country makes affects everyone. For that reason, I am thankful that everyone can have their input on what’s best for the country. That’s what I really appreciate about this country.

The next thing I’d do, is ask them a very important question. Something I’ve learned is that it was all old, rich, white men who wrote the first ten amendments. Due to what I’ve learned I would ask, why they thought that only one social class should be able to vote? I’ve thought about this and it’s something that I’ve always wanted to ask someone who was there in that time. If I could, I’d ask why they thought that one social class was better than the other and why they thought like that? That’d be the last thing I’d ask and say.

I’d have so many things to say to the Founding Fathers, if I ever met them. Everyone should be very appreciative of what consideration and time went into forming this magnificent and free country.

Cause and Effect

Author’s Note: I wrote this piece explaining the cause and effect of the book Speak, and what would happen if the main conflict would have never happened.

In the book Speak, a teenage girl has something horrible happen to her at a party. She is bullied and harassed at school, because nobody knows what actually happened. Everyone at her school hates her, because she called the cops after that terrible thing happened to her, and she ends up busting the party. The climax in this book is when the main character, Melinda, gets attacked for the second time by the boy who raped her at the party, but this time she fights back. This is the climax, because after Melinda fights back and wins everyone finds out what happened to her and he is exposed. Therefore there is no changing what people now know.

I believe that the effect of  Melinda fighting back the second time, was that things got much better. When she did this, it exposed who raped her at the party and it made everyone believe her about what happened. Also, because she fought back, she got stronger and found out her strength, and that she is much stronger than she thought she was. She also learned that she has the strength to overcome anything. 

In conclusion, if Melinda had never fought back the person who tried to attack her she would be a very different person. She would still come home and lock herself in her room, and she still wouldn’t talk to her parents at all. Melinda’s life would never go back to the way it was before, if he was never exposed. The event of Melinda fighting back is the climax of the boo and if it didn’t happen, everything would be very different. 

Pewaukee sunset

Author's Note: I wrote this in the writing lab, it's about what I see, smell, taste, hear, and feel while watching a sunset on Pewaukee beach.

I can smell the revolting scent of a disgustingly dirty, and slimy lake, being brought to me by the slight breeze. The lights of the sunset are reflecting off the lake creating a rainbow of shimmering colors in front of me. With the scent so strong I can taste the disgusting, gooey, green lake water. While standing there looking out to the lake I can feel the quiet, with the occasional sound of people walking by on the sidewalk.

Conflict and Resolution

Author’s Note: I did a conflict and resolution writing response to the book, The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. I talked about the main conflict of the book and if it was resolved by the end of the book.

The book, The Hunger Games, takes place in the future, where there are 12 districts, and every year there are games which are called the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are where one boy and one girl from each district are chosen randomly to complete in a fight to the death where only one survives. The winner is then named the champion. When the main character, Katniss’ sister is chosen to compete in the Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place. The main conflict is that Katniss must compete in a fight to the death and survive for her sister.

In the end of the book the main conflict is resolved when Katniss and her other boy tribute, Peeta challenge the gamemakers and win when threatening suicide so there is no victor for the games. They do this for two reasons. The first reason is, because Katniss found a great friend in Peeta and she started to develop feelings for him too. Lastly they did this because she was trying to show the President Snow and the capitol that they don’t own them, that they are people not just a part of their games. When they do this the director of the games quickly yells into the arena, and tells them that they are the two newest victors. This is how the conflict of Katniss trying to survive the Hunger Games is resolved.

Hold On

I was an excited kind of nervous. The kind you get before you go on a big roller coaster, or before a big game. Now me, I wasn’t going on a big scary amusement park ride, or getting ready for an important game. I was waiting to go on a horseback trail. Something I’d been waiting for the entire trip to South Dakota to do. Little did I know that would also be one of the scariest parts of my vacation.

Finally, the horses were being rinsed off and their saddles were being strapped on their backs. The anticipation was growing stronger the longer I was standing in line. First they called my Mom’s name and she hopped in a huge, beautiful, grey horse. Then my sister, and lastly they called my name. I walked up to a big, dark colored horse. Bigger than any horse I’d  ridden before. With my foot in the stirrup, I swung my leg over. I was on, that was something I’d been fearing I’d forget how to do. Luckily I didn’t and I’d made it on without falling off.

Unsteady, I had to wait for at least ten minutes, because we were the first ones to get on our horses we had to wait the longest. I could tell my mom’s horse, Blue Bonnet, was going to be trouble. He would freak the other horses out by getting too close or nudge them. I was terrified that he would do something like that to my horse, Scooter. When he started to inch his way over to me and Scooter, my pulse quickened and I was starting to freak out.

Slowly, Blue Bonnet crept closer. Naturally I began to try to calm Scooter by talking to her. The man who ran the trails said that once Blue Bonnet started to get moving he’d be okay, but I wondered,  if they knew Blue Bonnet hated waiting. Why did they put someone on him first? Putting that question to the back of my mind, I tried to move away from Blue Bonnet. While remaining in line.

Now the scariest part was coming. Blue Bonnet decided to get way to close to me and Scooter and my sister and her horse. This caused a lot of panic from the horses. My sister and her horse backed all the way into a stall behind the line of horses. Scooter and I got the worst of it. Amongst the panic my Mom couldn’t get control over Blue Bonnet and he nipped at Scooter, causing her to kick her hooves into the air.  This made me go grasping as fast as I could to her neck, and the reins. I could feel my body start to panic. With a scream caught in the back of my throat, I squeezed my eyes tightly closed and held on waiting for it to all be over.

I was completely stunned when all four of Scooters legs were back on the ground. In shock, I clutched the reins for at least a minute after it was all over. Breathing heavily. I couldn’t help but wonder, how did I manage to stay on that horse? Maybe I was more afraid to fall than to be in the air. Either way, I was just glad to be on the ground and to have a horse between me and Blue Bonnet when we  went on the trail.

Alone

“I don’t need a babysitter,” I screamed sending echoes crashing through my house. “I am fourteen years old and I can stay home alone for one night,” I said my voice booming with anger. I could feel my parents eyes moving towards each other, the official sign of defeat. Could it be true had I finally talked my parents into leaving me alone for a night. I waited for my parents to utter one word,  one word could make or break this deal. Minutes later, of awkward staring and my parents expressions giving away every thought in their head, my mother sat and explained what I already knew. She’d said that they would be back by seven in the morning and that if I felt scared or unsure at all throughout the night to call my neighbors who’d been informed that I’d be staying home alone all night. Was it too immature to scream and jump up and down, would it make them think I’m not mature enough for this yet? I decided against it. I had been waiting for this moment for so long and I had every part of my night planned out.

After practically shoving my parents out the door, I finally had the house to myself.  I had already completed the first movie in my scary movie marathon, and I’d begun to dance around the house listening to songs too explicit for my parents to stand. I didn’t care how ridiculous and immature I looked, I’d been waiting for this moment for so long, and now that it was here I didn’t want to waste one second. But then suddenly there was a sound, a sound that could only be described as footsteps. Although I knew better, I couldn’t help feeling like someone was in the house, I’d gone around to check the doors and they were all still locked as they had been all evening. So the question still remaining is, what’s making that sound and is there someone in the house with me. Not ready to give up my night of freedom I started to look around the house myself instead of calling my neighbors.  If only I’d known what was in store for me, I would have clung to my parents legs screaming, “don’t leave me in this house with him!”

I’d searched almost every room in the house and found nothing, but still I kept hearing creaking boards and the pitter patter of footsteps always coming from above me. There was only one room left to check and I was dreading it, but I knew I had to suck it up and go to the attic. I slowly stepped up the wooden creaky staircase, getting spooked with every step I took. I finally got to the top and skreeeechh, like nails on a chalk board, my ears ringing and my heart pounding. I look frantically around the room for the source of the sound. My eyes stopped along with my heart, when I saw this dark shadow of a figure standing in the corner of the attic. Hoping that if I don’t scream the figure wouldn’t see me, but to my misfortune the figure’s head slowly turned, it’s milky white eyes connecting with mine. Slowly it started to step out of the shadows of the room  becoming more and more visible. It’s nails long, sharp and jagged, reaching out for me. I could hear it moaning my name, “Emily,” it moaned it’s voice sounding rough and hoarse. Slowly my brain beginning to comprehend what was happening I took a step back, which only seemed to anger it. The figure moved closer to me almost completely backing me into a corner, but with one swift movement I sidestepped out of the corner. It’s reflexes too slow to catch me it reached out with its long nails scratching me as I ran.

The blood oozing from the gash in my arm seeps through my hands leaving a thin trail of blood droplets for the creature to follow. Within seconds I’d gotten most of the way down the stairs, my heart pounding in my ears. With no time to think I raced to the only place I’d ever felt totally safe, my room. Unsure of the amount of protection I’d receive hiding in my room I raced into the darkness of the back of my closet crawling into to fetal position, hoping, praying that somehow the creature from my attic wouldn’t think of finding me here. I heard the steps slowing, which only meant one thing, he was unsure of where I’d gone and had stopped to look for a trail. I thought to myself that I must have done well keeping my bleeding under control, because I heard the footsteps start again heading the opposite direction of me.

It must’ve been at least one in the morning, I was starting to get tired. But I couldn’t sleep, not with that, that, thing walking around in my house. My eye lids felt like weights pulling me closer and closer to sleep, the only thing that kept me from passing out from exhaustion was the feeling that if I fell asleep the creature would find me. I was sweating, my arm was losing a lot of blood and I didn’t know what to do to help it. Then after sitting in gut wrenching silence for so long. I began to sleep.

The morning sun greets me through the window and I see it’s nearly six in the morning, but I fear going back to sleep will bring the monster back. Had it all been a horrible nightmare? Was I safe from that creature in my dream? Ready for my parents to get home, I turned on my light and started to walk around my room and everything was just as it was supposed to be. I laugh reassuringly, but a scream gets caught in my throat as I look down at my arm. The gash is still there.