Bed Time

Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who lived in the clouds.             

                Wait, you can’t live in clouds. They’re not solid.

Shush, this is my story! Anyways, her name was Riley.

                That’s a boy’s name.

It’s unisex, be quiet. Continuing, she was a gorgeous, smart, and talented princess. She had curly blond hair and silver eyes. People on Earth said she was actually a fallen star, but that was just a rumor. Riley excelled at everything her parents sent her from Earth because she learned almost everything she knew by watching life on Earth. She learned how to play every sport, speak every language, play every instrument, and even knew how to make sushi. Unfortunately, she had no friends. This was because-

                Because she lived in the clouds, right?

I said, this is my story. Shush. Her parents never told her why she could not visit Earth, she just knew that they were her parents and they knew what was best for her.

                Wait, is this girl supposed to be a teenager?

She’s fifteen, almost sixteen.

                How unrealistic is this?! What teenager just blindly follows what her parents tell her to do?

Will you be quiet?! The story isn’t done yet. The real reason she was not allowed to go to Earth was because-

                It’s a curse, isn’t it?

You know what, I’m just not going to tell you any more of the story. You don’t deserve it.

                No, please! Continue, it’s a great story. Pleeeeaaaaseeeee??

Fine. Yes, there was a curse put on their daughter by-

                By a witch, right?

No, by a magical bunny.

                Haha, that’s funny. Wait, you’re serious?

Yes. When she was a baby, a magical bunny cursed her and said the moment her feet touched the Earth, she would die. So her parents put her on a cloud. On her sixteenth birthday, she watched as her kingdom sent off balloons to meet her. She tried to catch as many as she could. One was different from the others. It was a bright orange in comparison to the stereotypical pink. Princess Riley grabbed a hold of it. On the end was a note. It said “Look down”.

                Look down? Really? What kind of message is that?

Shut up already! She looked down and saw a ravishing young man.

                Okay, who says “ravishing”?

I do! He beckoned for her to join him. She shook her head sadly. Through balloon messaging, they told each other who they were. The young man was Prince Leslie-

                Leslie is a girl’s name.

It can be a boy’s name, too! He wanted to meet her, face to face.

                Ooh la la!

I’m going to smack you. She told him that she would never be allowed. Her parents knew best. The prince looked very sad at this news and started to turn away.

                I’m sure he was just moving on to the next princess…

So she called for him to wait and jumped gracefully down to Earth.

                From a cloud?

She’s very talented.

                Where were her parents during all of this? Shouldn’t they have stopped her?

They were busy eating her birthday cake. Anyways, as soon as she landed, she collapsed. The prince caught her in his arms. Her parents came running out of the palace, telling them what the true curse was.

                Wow…

Princess Riley stared up at her prince lovingly-

                Prince Leslie *snicker*

-And in the last moment of desperation, the prince planted a kiss on the princess’s mouth.

                And they all lived happily ever after. The end.

No. She died.

                What?! She can’t die! What kind of bed time story is that?!

Hey, magical rabbit curses are serious. There are no kissing clauses. Her little feet touched the Earth. She died. The end.

                … You’re a horrible storyteller.

Good night, lowercase.

                Just- just go. You disappoint me.

                Hey, Backspace. Can you tell me a story?

THE END

Soap Box: You've Been Warned

This is not a story, but it needs to be said.

I am a strong supporter of Kony 2012, as I have been interested in helping child soldiers since I first heard about them. That was in 7th grade. I’m a junior in high school now, so it has been five years. This is not a bandwagon thing for me. Another thing before I start my rant, I was researching child soldiers the other night. A website said that over 300,000 kids are in military services. When I was looking at some research I did in 8th grade, I had written that around 250,000 kids were enlisted. That’s over 50,000 kids in four years. Just to put it in perspective.

I was so happy when I saw the video on Facebook, I was inspired, I couldn’t wait to do something to help the cause. I’m a writer, and I’ve been meaning, for the past four years, to write a book about child soldiers. I do not think enough people realize what is going on. Then I start asking around and people are angry about the video. ANGRY!

Why, you ask? Because, first of all, “just posting a video isn’t going to help anything”. Second, "they’re just gaining bandwagon supporters" and "it’s going to be a fad cause". And, my personal favorite, “Stopping one man isn’t going to do anything”.

Let me start by saying these are all excuses not to get involved. Why do you not want to help some defenseless kids out in the world who have no one to stand up for them? We talk all the time in America about how bad bullying is. Heck, there are commercials about it! But when one of the biggest instances of bullying comes up, we want nothing to do with it. As I learned in one of my classes freshman year, if you are not an upstander, you are a bystander and that is JUST AS BAD as the people doing the act!

Moving on to the first excuse made. Yes it is helping! What are you talking about?! You know his name, don’t you? He’s become a hot topic of debates. Kony is no longer invisible! So the people saying this obviously haven’t seen the video. That was the point! To either gain people to their cause or annoy people enough (which I’m sure wasn’t their intent but it works) that they will not forget who Kony is, if only to argue about. How has it not helped?

Second, does it really matter what kind of supporter they have? I don’t think it does. And they are gaining some serious supporters out of all of this. In the long run, they’ll have more supporters than they began with. And this is the first time I’ve heard people be so adamant about something being a fad. I’ve seen people wearing skinny jeans and watched converse come in and out of fashion. News flash! Those are fads! When our generation has children, they’ll think our style is just as weird as what we view our parent’s teenage years as being.

Lastly, and the most annoying, pointless one in my opinion, “Stopping one man isn’t going to make a difference.” What are you talking about?! How many soldiers does he have? 30,000. I’m pretty sure all of their lives will be changed based on how we respond to this, for better or for worse! That’s not a small number. Yes, Kony is just one man, but we can start with him. Then I’ve heard that he’s out of Uganda so why are we still arguing about this? Because it’s not just Uganda. It’s Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Lebanon, and so many others. Or, hey, the country we’re already in a war with! This is not confined to one country. “So what’s the point? There will always be people to replace Kony.” they reply. If that’s your outlook on life, I pity you. Seriously. What is the point of getting up every day, striving to better yourself, becoming good at a sport or hobby, or living life?! No point, really. We’re all going to die, anyways. What is one life in the world? What can one person do? Not much, according to those people. I REFUSE to live my life thinking like that. I believe that anyone can make a difference when they put their mind to it. So get out there and do something!

I’m not saying you have to support my cause, just stop berating those who do and support something! I believe that if we all gave 10% of our time and/or resources to a cause of our choosing, most of the world’s problems would be solved. Of course, I understand that not everyone is going to do that. But I believe everyone needs to support something. There is a poem I’ve seen around, especially when talking about the Holocaust. But it’s not just for the Holocaust. It’s something to live by:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out --  Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out --  Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out --  Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me.

-Martin Niemöller

If we don’t stand up for our fellow humans, no matter who they are, we are going to end up facing the enemy alone. I’m not saying Kony is going to take over the world, but when did we get involved in World War 2? After Japan attacked us, and we were just lucky enough that England hadn’t fallen yet. If they had, we would’ve had a much harder time fighting off Germany and Japan, and more soldiers would have died. We need to get involved not when it affects us, but when we can help make a difference. As many intelligent people have said, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” So stand for something. Make a difference with one measly life. Prove everyone wrong.

That’s my goal.

Asking

Here's a poem I wrote:

“Oh, what to do? Oh, what to do?”

Asks the child inside of you.

“Shall I play pretend, or dance, or sing?

Or sit around and just daydream?”

“Oh, what to do? Oh, what to do?”

Asks the teen inside of you.

“Shall I listen to music, or watch TV?

Or eat, or sleep and try to dream?”

“Oh, what to do? Oh, what to do?”

Asks the adult inside of you.

“I must go to work, never resting, it seems.

I have no time to sit down and dream.”

But then the adult talks to child and teen,

They all share their thoughts and their hopes, yes all three.

The child learned to listen, the teen, to pretend,

And the adult, he remembered to dream, in the end.

“So what will you do? So what will you do?”

I ask, sincerely, I ask of you.

“Will you be the child, no work and all play?

Or the adult who works hard every day?

Will you be the teen, who sits to relax?

Or will you be all three? The mixture never lacks.

Well, whatever you choose and whoever you’ll be,

I ask that you always sit still and you dream.”

Peter Pan

The sun is shining brightly down on the earth. The grass and trees, still bright green despite the season, waver in the soft wind. The sky, as with every autumn, seems a more radiant blue than at any other time of the year.  I rest my chin in my palm and admire the quickly-passing scenery on the car ride home from school.
When we pull into the driveway, I breathe in deeply, the cool, fresh air soothing after the long, hot summer. Florida autumns are always my favorite out of the seasons. The cold fronts are just beginning to hit, but not cold enough to turn my breath into little clouds in the mornings. Our planet has shifted enough that the sun, though unforgivingly sweltering in the summer, is just enough to warm you after a particularly cold gust of wind.
I sighed and go into my home. I eat a quick snack before heading to my room to start my homework. When children shriek with joy, I get off-task and glance out my window. A squirrel is sitting on the window sill, nibbling on an acorn. I can hear the neighborhood children playing. I watch as they hold out their arms and run in circles. One was shouting, "I'm Tinker Bell, I'm Tinker Bell!". Four were arguing over who would be Peter Pan. The six players were girls, and Wendy and Tinker Bell had already been taken. Apparently, the only boy acceptable to play as would be Peter. Their mother, having heard the argument, opened the door and scolded them. "If you can't play nice, no one can be Peter Pan!".
I smile, reminiscing. When I was their age, my neighbors and I would play pretend. We would be anything from princesses to wild Indians to Tarzan's children. During October, we would play haunted house or vampires. Of course, there was always the occasional game of freeze tag or follow-the-leader. Those were the days when my mother or aunt would kick us out of the house and tell us to find something to do. If we wanted to come inside, well, she could always find us something to clean.
Once, in the middle of the summer, we chased a Sears A/C truck around the neighborhood. Those were the days.
Now, my days were seven hours of work with a half an hour lunch break. Monotonous sitting at a desk under fluorescent lights, with four six-minute stretch breaks. Of course, one cannot forget the four hours of homework that await my return everyday.
I am between two worlds, wishing for the simplicities of  childhood yet also the freedom of adulthood. I shook myself free of my reverie, knowing it is only an excuse for procrastinating on what needs to be done.
Adulthood will come in time. Patience it the key to that problem; patience and responsibility. For now, I need to focus on my work.
As for my other wish, for a continuation of childhood, I can try to maintain the carefree qualities thereof. But growing up will hinder it. Responsibility does not always allow for an untroubled attitude. It's not necessarily a bad thing, it just happens as life goes on. It has to happen, because, well, none of us can really be Peter Pan.

Hello!
I'm PenStroke, it's nice to meet you. *I shake you warmly by the hand*. Anyway, this blog will mostly be some random short stories I come up with. All will be fiction, and a lot will probably be fantasy. So we'll just jump right in with a silly one. This is a story I made with a friend last year as a joke. I'll put her parts in bold. Here we go!

Once upon a time there was a flower named Alexander. His petals were a soft pink and he was one of the prettiest flowers in the garden. The sun gleamed over the horizon this Easter morning. Alexander yawned and awoke next to his bestest buddy, Florence. Florence's deepest desire was to rule the world through fear and violence! Muahahaha!!! *Cough* anyways... Alexander did not know of his friend's desire. There was a rustle in the bush. They peeped through the bush to see a large giant alien hiding an egg.
"What are you doing with that egg?" yelled Alexander. The alien screamed and threw the egg right into Florence's outstretched leaves.
"Florence!" Alexander rushed to his side as the strange being ran away. Florence lay in a pile of confetti. The egg was not real. Alexander was very curious. First, he helped his friend up, who only suffered minor bruises. He then cautiously handled the strange substance.
"What is this madness?" asked Florence. "Is it powerful?"
"I don't think so. I think it's... fun?" Alexander said insecurely. Florence threw confetti at Alexander and a confetti-war ensued. Of course it continued until Florence came out on top. "This was fun." he stated. "But why an egg?"
Alexander then responded, "I don't know, but I will find out about this exciting substance, and look!" The alien was crawling through the bushes, carrying a basket full of eggs.
"There are three more!" Alexander pointed to the three large aliens hiding eggs.
"What do you think it is doing?" Alexander asked Florence. Florence shrugged and the two trailed the large aliens through the woods. Florence, being the mischievous, devil-like flower he is, smiled and said "Let's re-hide the eggs to a point they won't be able to find them."
"That's a great idea! But shouldn't we figure out what they are for, first? Come on, they're done hiding the eggs!" Alexander suggested.
"Let's investigate."


The two flowers crouched under a table, watching the aliens. The large aliens were issuing orders to smaller aliens. "Maybe it's commanders and soldiers trying to destroy the world, or a training mission or something." supposed Florence.
"I highly doubt that. Watch! They are going back into their cave." Alexander said in surprise. "And why is their cave so weird?"
"I don't know." replied Florence. "Let's go, I think it's safe." As they walked out of the safety of the table, pounding reached their flower-ears.
"Look out!" Alexander warned, jumping back. Florence was too far away. He was trampled under the feet of the young aliens.
"NOOOO!!!" Alexander yelled. When the aliens were gone, he rushed forward to his friend.
"Continue my dream. Please." Florence begged. "Take revenge on them all. Rule for me."
"I promise." Alexander said, tears in his eyes. And Florence died. Alexander carried his friend to their garden and buried him. He kept vigil until, above Florence's body, sprouted baby flowers. Alexander, hope filling his eyes, raised the mini Florences until they were old enough to leave the flowerbed. Then, Alexander, with his army of Florences, took over the world and ruled through fear and violence for eternity.
He never forgot Florence.

THE END