When you feel like you’re done and don’t want to stay

When you keep telling yourself it’s your time

When you hear that little voice in you your head saying, “Go no one will care”

When you start hurting yourself because of all the little things

When you start to believe what that voice is saying you’ll realize

No

I’m not done
I want to stay
It’s not my time
Some people do care
I’m not going to believe what my mind’s saying

I’m not going to hurt myself anymore

When you make that decision you’ll have second thoughts

I know

(But never stop fighting)

Common Writer’s Follies

by Griffin Fields

I find that despite apparent skill, many middle school writers make mistakes often, myself included. Their errors are usually similar to ones made by their peers. In this “article” I will be naming the common follies of Madison’s 7th grade writers.

I’m going to start with the obvious. Punctuation and capitalization. For the most part these are done correctly. However, small mistakes arise in the form of missing commas frequently. The statement “let’s eat grandma” is probably not what the writer meant. It was more likely intended to be “let’s eat, grandma.” Unless the author was a cannibal in which case, join the club!

Anyways, What else do Madison writers mess up? Paragraphing. I know you may think that it’s quicker to separate your thoughts after writing them. Imagine, if you will, killing a pig for bacon. If you try putting the unseparated corpse onto the grill it’s gonna take a while to cook the whole thing. And when you cut it up, the delicious ham is gonna have pig’s foot juices in it. Not pleasant. Similarly, separating your thoughts into paragraphs after finishing will take longer and the pieces will be mixed up.

Although both of these other mistakes can be problematic, the thing I find crushes the most stories underfoot is improper use of present tense. Sometimes people will use both past and present tense in the same story. For example, ” I run across the street and bought a sandwich” is a botched sentence. It could have been “I run across the street and buy a sandwich” is technically following the rules but still sounds wrong. This is because writing nearly always sounds better in past tense. “I ran across the street and bought a sandwich” is by far the most attractive of these examples.

Oh, and by the way, never say more cooler. Heck, never say anything including more and er. We’ll call this morer and mostest problem. He’s more taller, She’s the most smartest. Don’t do it. I will hunt you down.

A True Story: My Missing Half

by Ryleigh Andersen

In the summer of 2014, it became more clear that my uncle was a victim of suicidal thoughts, drugs and alcohol. His four year old daughter, Taylor, was exposed to those sights, growing up watching him pop pills one after another and shot after shot. My mother, a very loving and caring person, couldn’t bare watching her niece try to determine what was wrong, and what was actually right. When her brother ended up in the hospital after a suicide attempt, it was the last straw for her. On our way home back from California, we brought Taylor back with us, in hopes of getting custody of her.

As time pasted by, I felt the presence of a great bond between Taylor and I. I felt like she was a sister to me, meaning she annoyed me so much, that my head could have exploded, but yet we had the best times together when we were acting civil. She was the best at taking selfies, and she was the best partner you could have while tubing, and every sentence that came out of her mouth would make you crack up laughing without a doubt.

A few months pasted, and there was still no reply from our lawyer about getting custody, until today. My mom had told me to tell her if her phone rang, she said that she was waiting for an important call. The phone rang, and with a grin on my face, I ran straight up to my moms room to give her the phone. A few minutes later she opened her door, and made her way to Taylor. A tear rolled down her face.

Everyone was filled with silence and sad emotions, that is, everyone but me. My mom, holding Taylor and crying the hardest I have ever seen her cry, my 3 year old brother Reece, confused and immune to what was going on, raced around the house with a car in one hand, and a toy airplane in the other. My oldest brother chandler, and my dad Eron, rushed around the house, doing what ever my mother, or Taylor commanded, while I, sat still.

My mom was determined to do anything and everything that Taylor demanded before it was time to give her up. We got her some ice cream, and I watched as she smiled at everyone while eating her favorite- strawberry and vanilla ice cream in a cup. I felt bad, she was sitting there, having the best time, seeing tears fall of my mothers chin, and not even know what was actually going to happen tonight at six. We then we went to a skate park. I watched as Taylor had an amazing time watching the “big kids” do tricks and flips on scooters and skateboards. After we left, my mom pulled out Anna and Elsa dolls. Taylor got Elsa, and Reece got the matching Anna doll from the kid famous movie “Frozen”. She shook her fists in excitement and looked at Reece, who was also jumping out of his seat.

We all sat quietly in the car until my mother spoke, and tried to explain to Taylor that her father was coming to take her back. Taylor stopped shaking in excitement, now more like fright. I saw her shed tear after tear while she cries out- “I don’t want to go home! I don’t want to go to daddy, I want to stay her with you auntie” . As my mom cried one more time from joy of hearing Taylor call her auntie, I still felt no emotions. I have always thought of Taylor as a sister, but if that was so, why wasn’t I crying as well?

When we got to the police station, I thought for sure that I would feel the pain of loosing a loved one. She will be in California while I’m in Oregon, and I know her father will cut off as much contact that she has with us as possible, but still, I felt nothing.

Taylor was gone, my mom, still bawling her eyes out, and me, nothing. I felt nothing! All I could think was “I am a horrible person”. But still, nothing.

It wasn’t until Monday, that I felt the loss. I woke up and opened my door, where Taylor would usually meet me at 6:30, but she wasn’t there, I ran to her room, she wasn’t there. I broke down in tears. I went to the bathroom and started the shower, and I washed my body as I

listened to the water poor, which usually wasn’t the case, Taylor would always be talking my ear off but not this time.

When I got out of the shower, I went through my clothes trying to decide what to wear. I pulled out two outfits, and sat there looking at them for awhile. Usually Taylor would help me decide which one to wear (usually the one with the most pink on it), but I was forced to do it on my own this time, and forever more.

It’s nearly a year later, and I still can’t go to sleep with out her image appearing and her voice echoing in my head. I go to school everyday feeling incomplete, and when I arrive home my hopes are high and I’m exploding with excitement, until I remember that she’s gone. After she left, all I could think was never again would I take another selfie with a smile on my face, never again would I laugh as hard as I did, but I did. I laughed when I watched videos of us running around the house playing tag and singing let it go, and I smile in every single selfie that I take, because I can picture her sitting right next to me. To this day I have not lost hopes of seeing her again. She was my best friend, always will be, and I don’t give up on friends that easily.

Welcome readers to our second issue of The Monarch, Madison Middle School’s on-line monthly magazine.  We’d like to thank you for stopping by and enjoying the variety of writing.  Our writers write with high hopes of being read.   Please keep our mission in mind.  We are not interested in publishing only the best writing but rather to provide a space for all students to share their perfect, and not so perfect, pieces of writing.

Enjoy!

Melissa Ivan

Publisher

I’ve Got Tricks Up My Sleeve

by Geneva L.

The Girl

by Stephanie M.

December 2

Last night I watch a Video on YouTube about a girl, how’s hole life changes in one year. The video starts on her birthday, every day after that she video-tapes her self for 1 sec a day for a year. At first her life is happy and peaceful. As the video goss on she is force to leave her home,She become very depressed. When I was watching this video I began to think, what caused this and where did it happen.

December 3

Yesterday I watch the video again, I realized that at the end it said where it happened in Syria where they are having a civil war. A civil war is a war that happens with in a country’s boundaries, between the government and a large group of fighters.

Watch the video here:

The candle flickered a slight flame, a beam, shooting from the dark room onto his pale face. Half his face lit by the candle, with one dark brown eye gleaming like newly cut glass, a tear fell down his face. A light sobbing came from him, with every breath he took the candle stuttered. He blew out one last sorrowful breath, blowing out the candle. He went to sleep, isolated, and empty.

In the morning, he awoke. His warm, comfortable pjs lining his legs, making him, for once, feel accepted into somewhere, his bed. He sat up, reluctantly, if he wished to suffer another day in his life, he would go to school. But, if we wished to cry in anguish he would stay, both options left him with a bitter taste in his mouth. He decided to go to school, but had second thoughts as he stood up.

He stumbled out his bedroom door, tripping over his long, flannel pants. He reached to his shirt, pulling up his bruised and battered arm to the stairwell railing, where a shirt hang. He pulled it over his scared body, and walked down the stairs. With every step, his body ached like he was being stabbed with broken glass.

He walked outside, transitioning from his warm, safe house, to the cold, bitter reality. He stumbled to his bus stop, and sulked in his bitter loneliness. He turned his head slightly, and peered down the street. He saw the long, yellow bus driving towards him. “Another day in Hell,” he grumbled to himself. The bus pulled up to him, and he glared inside and staggered onto the bus.

He quickly found a seat in the back, as far away from those who tortured him. As he looked out the window, the bus started to move, and rain begun to poor. He watches the outside world move quickly, while he knew his day would be long, and apathetic.

“Hey Tyler!” A boy said sarcastically whilst swinging into the seat with him. “How was the gays day?”

Tyler frowned, and felt inferior, but tried to defend himself. “You know Ryan, I have normal days like you!” He said angrily.
“BUT YOU’RE GAY!” Ryan yelled, and struck Tyler on the face.

“OUCH,” Tyler responded, “that hurt!”

“That was the point, Gay Lord.” Ryan said rudely.

Soon after Ryan’s daily homophobic rants, the bus got to school and they went on with their daily lives. Ryan, being the alpha dog of his school, went on with a day of fulfilled, confident, importance. While Tyler, on the other hand, went on with his usual inferior, victimized, emptiness that at this point, consumed him.

When he returned home, Tyler threw his backpack to the wall, with a large thump it landed on the ground. He then fell onto his bed, face first, and started to cry, like usual. He sobbed until he he couldn’t feel his body. After he sobbed, he got up, empty inside, and went to grab some food like usual.

His night went on like all the others, crying, eating, and hiding from his family. His morning also went the same. But, in the cafeteria, he heard an announcement, odd, he never hears those, and when he does, they are insignificant. But this one was odd, they mentioned an assembly.

Later that day he went to the assembly, expecting a pep rally, or some sort of cheery stuff like usual. But the lights went down, and Tyler nuzzled into his hoodie, covering most of his face. Then a video started playing.

The entire time the video played, Tyler was amazed by it, it was about equal rights, and respect of others choices. He was looked at, but not the usual sinister looks he got, these were looks of odd… confusion. People looking around at others, not seeing as vague differences, but as people.

Tyler stood up after the video, reluctantly. He tilted his head over to the door. A sea of people gathering and talking to each other, odd, Tyler only ever saw people being upset over differences. But this…this, was love, laughter, and acceptance.

Tyler stumbled over to the crowed, curiouser and curiouser of what was happening.

“Hey dude!” Tyler heard Ryan say with an odd glee.
“Oh, here it comes” Tyler thought to himself.
“What’s up?” Ryan said surprising instead of an insult.
“A-” Tyler stuttered, “Aren’t you gonna say something mean?” “No! Why would I do that, you’re human!”

“I just thought since you usua-”
“I know, I know. I’m so sorry for the past…”

Tyler and Ryan talked on and on, but not as victim, and victimizer, but as friend, and friend. But when Tyler got home, instead of the usual sorrow, and emptiness, he was happy, and full of glee. He went to sleep that night, happy, for once in years instead of a bitter, sorry, feeling for his future, he saw a new bright and loving one instead.

The following story is Geneva L. winning entry:

Little Sister

 “Well… Are you black or are you white!” It’s a question I hear a lot and can be hard to answer. My name is Tribuo. Why do people ask me this? If my clues haven’t given you the answer yet then I will tell you that my mother is from Europe and my father’s parents where born in west Africa. I am “half black and half white.” ” don’t talk to my sister that way, or you’ll walk home half black with bruises.” They walk away snickering, but they know I would do it. I would do any thing to protect my little sister.

The following story is Molly B’s winning entry:

The sun shined off the snow so brightly

From the mountaintop it was so cold

Going on a small hike

The beautiful sunrise

Everything was an amazing yellow and orange

With the sun light on the snow

It felt like heaven

Zombies

by Zeke M.

One day I woke up and I didn’t know where I was. It looked like I was in the hospital. I sat there for a while and started to wake up then all of a sudden I heard something trying to break in and it stopped. By the time I got up I looked through the peep hole and nothing was there so I opened the door and I took a left. As I was walking heard a sort of grounding sound and when I got to the end of the hall way I followed the sound and I took a right for about twenty five feet. I came to a dead end, literally a dead end. There was something written on the door with blood the door was all chained up and the same sound that I heard about an hour ago was behind the door. When I got up close to it something reached for me gladly it didn’t grab me. As I turned around there was that same sound to the left. But instead of going the way the sound was coming from I go down the emergency EXIT and find a door. When I’m opening the door I hear one of those things trying to open the door. As I kick the door down it falls and breaks it’s scull. as I see the sun it blinds me with shear brittleness. As I’m getting my site back the stench of rotting bodies gets me light on my feet and I almost faint. I walk down the wheelchair ramp and I get out of the back parking lot and go up a hill. There I see even more bodies than before. I see a helicopter it has about six full gas tanks. I find a key and start it up to see if it is ok to fly. Before I head out I fill it up and I’m on my way.

P.S. Sadly he dies as soon as he makes it to the border of Mexico and California. And his name was John bullet.

The National Championship

by Riley F.

My favorite team the Oregon Ducks made it into the national Championship to play the Ohio state Buckeyes. The game started at 6:30pm the game started off with the ducks scoring first. After first quarter, Ohio state was up 14 to 7 . During the second quarter,Ohio state scored one more touchdown. The Ducks just got a field goal. After the first half was over,the score was 21 to 10 with Ohio state winning. At the beginning of the third quarter, the ducks scored the first touchdown to make the score 17 to 21. Then the Ducks made a field goal to make the score 20 to 21. Then Ohio state scored two more touchdowns to make the score 20 to 35. At the beginning of the forth quarter they both didn’t score at all. Close to the end of the game, Ohio State made a touchdown to make the ending score 42 to 20. The Ohio State Buckeyes were the national champions.

This is the time, this is the time we find out what’s wrong with my grandpa and the test came back. After a long day of sixth grade I come home to see my mom crying talking to who I think is my grandma but could be anyone. That’s when I see the word forming in my moms cracked voice say “chemo” this is no new word to me, my mom, grandma, grate-grandma, great aunt and a countless of others had to go through this horrific thing that all leads back to “cancer”

I don’t know how bad the cancer is and at this point I don’t care. The next thing I know is that I’m in my bedroom crying on the floor and that’s when my door opens to my teary eyed mom telling me it’s going to be okay when I know it’s not. I remember my grandpa saying “cancer is curse on the bell family” and, right know I think that might be true.

After my mom explains what has happened to my grandpa to my siblings, hearing only soft weeps on both sides but I don’t shed s tear, not because I’m not sad it’s because I know it will make it worse and one of my best strengths is holding my emotions back. My loving grandpa I think who I have know to be strong willed and good hearted is know suffering from what now I name the grate sacrifice. One of the most unfair prices to pay is cancer.

After countless weeks of my mom leaving to see my grandparents every weekend it’s starting to become a life style, I don’t need to ask anymore if she is leaving because I already know.
(4 months later)
My grandpa is doing good for what I have heard but, “for the pas few weeks it’s like he is doing worse and getting sicker” my mom said. There doing a scan on him tomorrow and his results should come back on Friday witch is in 3days and that means 1 month until school ends.

When I get off the bus on Friday I see my mom waiting there like she needs to tell me something so, I run to her thinking that she will tell me something exiting but then I remember my grandpas results coming in today. I ask my mom ” is papa okay “‘she is surprised because of how I remember and that’s when her mood changes to teary eyed and manages to say ” Raynie they have stopped the chemo ” and she dose not have to say another word before it all clicks. He has ether stopped his chemo because he is cured or because it’s spread but how can it have spread, he was doing so good. I can’t think and that when my mom tells me the cancer has spread.

I remember how every day walking into school feeling like a battle field, how much I missed. How I missed the Cost trip in school, how I missed every Friday and how i missed a lot of birthday party’s. To see my grandpa get worse after the weeks, his body getting thinner, his life getting shorter and his hope like mine getting lesser.

The last night I saw him was a hard night I lot of family was over at my grandmas house and my grandpa couldn’t walk. Me my dad and my sister and her baby didn’t have a place to sleep and my mom was going to stay and comfort my

grandma so we went to my aunts house and luckily my older cousin was on a church trip so I slept in his bed while my dad slept down stairs.

When I woke up I saw my mom and my dad right then I new something was wrong. My mom said “papa passed away today” hardly keeping her tears in but I didn’t cry I guess I’m strong and I new he was in a better place and that I had to expend that. I have to be strong it’s a little act of kindness I could do for her.

When I got to my grandmas house sadness filled the room as everyone was conferring the family and I thought this is what kindness really was. We as a family will never let one and another down.
(At the end of summer)

Today is when I spend a week with my grandma. I know there will be a lot of tears. Ever since the funeral I always think my grandpa is coming back soon but I know I’m lying to myself.

Me and my grandma are going to a play but today out of all is the worse because it’s my grandmas and grandpas wedding anniversary so it’s tough. When we are driving my grand ma brakes down. I want to lie and say its all right but I know it’s not so I tell her…

“It’s never going to be okay” I start this surprises her but I continue It’s not right that he is not here with you even if he is in a better place, so if anyone tells you it’s okay there a liar. No one can fix this not even you people say it’s better to forget but I would rather remember because sometimes remembering is the best thing to do and only you can make the pain it better than it already is.