SkyLandOceAnna

Five furious fire foxes fight for freedom from ferocious furies.

I have two cats..a tubby charcoal one with a white spot on his belly and a multicolored girl cat with a tail like a husky because it got ran over before we took her in.

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters and The Wolverine back to back.

I really loved this movie. They had a great story and characters who played their parts perfectly. Definitely going to own it when it comes out DVD.

You seem very determined. It is incredible what you were able to accompllish and that you fought through it all and made it safely to your friend's house. Congratulations! I would not have been able to go 50 miles and then help move furniture the next day. Thank you!

Thank you Yukiko for response. I'll try to take some of what you mentioned and use it towards the final draft of the second part of the story. Thank you!

Looking at those eyes Staring back at me I couldn't help thinking We were meant to be You were like an angel Sent from above One I could marry One I used to love Now all that's left Is my memories Rising high in the sky Higher than the trees Without you To take me by the hand

Thank you Nuile for your comments. I agree with the posts you made in regards to my errors in grammar and style. I am glad to have received a thumbs up and high five. That is a first. Thank you!

Thank you for your comments Velox. I will take it all into account in future stories I write. I appreciate you taking the time to read my story.

I found this poem to be very profound and I enjoyed your take on 'truth' and admire the length you were able to give to this poem.

Tina: Jay, this is Tina! I need for you to come to the store. Jay: Alright, but only for a minute. I'm right around the corner. Tina: See you in a bit then. They hang up and then Jay runs to the corner of that street and then walks down the sidewalk to the store and then he goes in. Jay: Alright Tina! I'm here! Tina: How was your run? Jay: Awesome! I never knew I could run so fast. Wait! How did you...? Tina: It's a good thing your the only one. Jay: What do you mean? Did you...? Tina: I know what you can do. I've been waiting for it to happen. Jay: How do you know? I just found out. What's wrong with me? Tina: Nothing's wrong with you. It is your destiny as much as it is the girls' destiny. Jay: What? They can run as fast as I can. Tina: No, they're different. You're their help against the Shadow. Jay: Who's the Shadow? Tina: Come, I'll tell you everything. They go into the storage room and then you see Leah at the restaurant. Leah's waiting. She looks at her phone which says meet me at the Hard Rock Café at nine. Waiter: Would you like to order now miss? Leah: No, I think I've waited long enough. Here's for any trouble. I'm sorry! She grabs her sweater, gives the waiter the money, and heads towards the door. Back underground with Jay and Tina… Jay: So they have magical powers and are trying to defeat the Shadow, because he wants to take over the Earth, and it is my job to help protect them. Tina: Yes. Jay: And Whitney controls water, Emma controls the Earth, Felicia controls fire, Amy controls air, and Leah can… Oh, no! Tina: What? What’s wrong? Jay: What time is it? Tina: Oh! Um! It’s almost ten. Jay: Oh no! Leah! I gotta go! Tina: Wait! Jay: I can’t! She’s waiting! Tina: Yes you can! It’ll only take you a minute to get there. Jay: Fine! What is it? Tina: Here is your costume. Jay: What’s the B for? Tina: The Bullet. Jay: Cool name! He sees a letter fall when he opens it completely. He picks it up. Jay: A letter Tina: Don’t open it! Jay: Why? Tina: I can’t tell you that. Just don’t open or mention it to the girls. Jay: Then when do you want me to open it? Tina: When the time is right. And don’t worry, you’ll know when. Now, go save your date. He speeds out the door. Leah leaves the restaurant and hails a cab. She gets in, just as Jay slows down and sees her get in. He normally runs as the taxi drives off. He knocks on the window and runs while Leah rolls the window down. Leah: What? Jay: Look, I’m sorry I’m late. Leah: What took you so long? Jay: I went out for a run and then I st… Leah: Wait! You went out for a run? Jay: Yeah! Leah: Your sister was right. Jay: What do you mean? Leah: Maybe if you weren’t so in love with the thrill you get from speed, you’d know. At least I do. I'm sorry! I don't think we should see each other like this anymore. Leah rolls up the window, the cab speeds up, and Jay stops running. He then begins walking around NY,while Leah gets home and ready for bed. (Go back and forth between them.) Jay also calls Leah on his cell, but she ignores it, so he leaves a message. You see her phone light up. Jay: Hey! It’s me. Look! I’m sorry I was late. I really am. I was with Tina at the store after I ran, and you were right; I am obsessed with going fast. I now know why. It’s because… Phone makes a buzzing sound. Jay: Hang on a sec. He looks at his phone. It says low battery. Jay: Uh! My phone is on low battery, so I’ll hurry. I know why I love speed and it’s because… Phone buzzes again. Jay: Oh no! I know because I’m the Bull… Phone:… Jay: Hello! Leah? Dang it! He shuts his phone. Jay: I’ll make it up to her tomorrow. Next day… Leah walks in the store and up to the girls. Leah: Hey girls! Emma: Hey Leah! Whitney: So how was your night with Jay? Leah: We broke up. Amy: Why? Leah: He was late. Whitney: How late? Leah: An hour. Felicia: Wow! Did he bring you anything to make up for it? Leah: No, and he didn’t even call to apologize. You were right Amy. All your brother cares about to going fast. Amy: I’m sorry! I didn’t want to be. Whitney: Well, I wouldn’t say he didn’t give you something to make up for last night. Leah: What do you mean? Whitney: Amy! Amy: My brother gave me these to give to you since he didn’t have work today. I didn’t know! She pulls a bouquet of roses out from the table behind her. Leah: Keep them Amy. These are for all the times he ignored you to go ride his stupid moped. She hands them to Amy. Leah: Now, let’s get to work. Amy sits the roses down and they get back to work. Nine o’clock. Tina: Ok, it’s time to close and go practice! Amy: Ok mom! Come on guys! Whitney and I want to show you our idea. They go down and Tina turns on the light. They have their outfits on. Whitney: Ok guys! Watch this! Whitney creates a big water cylinder in front of them and then Amy puts cold air on the water and freezes the water into a block cylinder. Felicia: Whoa! Now we can do some ice-sculpturing. Amy: Another time. How about you try and melt it Felicia. Felicia: Alright. She uses her power and melts it completely. When done, their rings begin to glow. Felicia: Cool! Whitney: Now our rings are glowing. Amy: And mine is doing it again. Leah: Guys do you hear that? They are all quiet and hear something speed around them. They then hear movement in the room coming from Bullet. Leah then listens closely and turns around and puts up a force field that knocks the Bullet to the ground. Bullet: Hey! Be careful! Tina: Girls, this is the Bullet. Felicia: This? Bullet: Hey! I’m good! Tina: Behave now. This is the one I was telling you about who will help you to defeat the Shadow. Bullet: I will fight until the end and I promise to protect all of you. He looks at Leah. Emma: Great, another speed freak. Leah: Please! I don’t want to talk about it ever again. He and I are through. Bullet stares at Leah. Bullet: Are you alright? Leah: Yeah! Hi! I’m Leah! Bullet: The Bullet. They shake hands slowly and look into each other’s eyes. Whitney: I’m Whitney! Emma: Emma. Felicia: It’s nice to meet you. I’m Felicia. Amy: And I’m Amy. Tina: Now that we have all been introduced, it’s time to practice. Emma(thought): I’m sorry about my mom you guys. She wants us to be ready. Leah(thought): Don’t worry about it. Felicia(thought): I forgot we could do this. Emma(thought): Tina’s staring at us. Do you think she knows what we’re doing? Tina: I know what you guy are doing? Amy: What are they doing? Emma(thought): We’re speaking to each other with our thoughts. Amy: Oh! Tina: Now I know for sure. You don't need to speak telepathically unless you're in danger. Bullet: Am I able to do that too? Tina: I’m sorry! I only know the same amount of abilities that you possess as I do about Leah. Ok, now let’s get back to practicing. They get ready to practice. Later…You then see them practicing. And then Felicia realizes she can throw fire balls. Felicia: Hey guys! Watch this! She throws some more fireballs out of her palms and then she begins juggling them. Whitney: That’s awesome! Felicia: I’ll try to make a bigger one. Emma: Leah… Felicia makes a huge ball of fire. Emma: You’ve got to see this. Felicia: I’ll take it to her. As she begins to run over to Leah and she turns around, Felicia falls over, and the fireball flies fast towards Leah. When she turns around completely, Bullet grabs her before it hits her. They fall to the floor. The others run over to them. Leah: Thanks! Bullet: You’re welcome! They look at each other for a little bit. Emma: Are you guys alright? Bullet: Yeah! Leah: Yeah! Bullet gets off Leah and helps her up. Felicia: I’m so sorry! Leah: Don’t worry about it! She looks at Bullet and walks away. Amy follows. Amy: What’s wrong Leah? Leah: It was his eyes. Amy: Him? Why? Leah: That is exactly the same way I met your brother. Amy: Oh! Leah: And he looked at me the same way. He has those same deep blue eyes. Amy: Just forget about it. He had his chance with you, but then he lost it. Tina: Ok guys! You can go home now. Emma: Thanks mom! They all leave and then you see the crystal ball again.

I think that was very interesting. I like your choice of words and the idea you placed in your work. Thank you!

Christian Rider recently lost his father to cancer. The loss hit Christian hard. He grew up admiring his father. They spent all of their free time together going fishing, bowling, and playing or watching sports. Now he no longer played or went to the lake. He just slept or sat on the sofa. It had been over a month since his death, but Christian couldn't get over the fact that he had lost his best friend, and that everything in his hometown reminded him of him. So he went to his mother and asked if they would go away for the rest of the summer. She agreed and the next day, they left for his grandma's, who lived one state over in Minnesota. Once settled, Christian went for run around the town, while mom spoke with grandma. He ran for several blocks before he stopped for a breath. The sun was already beginning to set, so he decided to head back. As he turned to track back, he noticed someting blue floating in the sky. With closer observation through squinting and walking towards it, he determined it to be a balloon with what appeared to be some black writing on its sides. It chalked it up to having had blown away from some kid or adult at a birthday party or other celebration. He didn't think it came from around here though, since he could hear no laughter or any other sounds or signs that would signify the fact that a party was occurring. He assumed it probably got caught by the breeze from earlier and blew to this neighborhood and got caught on some telephone wire or tree branch or whatever else that got into its path, luckily without bursting. There was no wind now, so it must've just been released from its prison, and began its upward journey to meet the clouds or get hit by a plane or bird or something. He so wished he could be free like the balloon from all the pain he was feeling, but all he could do was shrug and jog back home. He ate supper, thanked his grandma for letting them come and stay there for awhile, and for the supper she prepared, before retiring to his room to go to sleep. He slept most of the next day until his mom made him get up and have brunch with his grandma and her. Afterwards, he flipped through the channels on the tv for awhile until he landed on a Twins' game. He and his dad used to watch them all the time during the last bit of the school year until summer vacation. His dad grew up here with his mom, dad, and sister, so they were his favorite team. His dad's dad used to take his father to the games until he became an adult, got married, and moved away for a great job opportunity. Soon after, his mother became pregnant with Christian. His father promised to one day take Christian to a Twins' game, but now that wouldn't be happening. Christian became sad remembering his father's words, so he turned off the TV and went to go for another run. After running several blocks like he did the day before, he stopped and stood beneath the shade of a tree. He then watched the sun go down over the lake just across the road, atop the hill overlooking it. He had noticed the shimmery blue water reflecting the sunlight off the surface of the water and found himself walking towards it. He sat there watching the people walking along the sand of the small lake and saw some kids swimming and splashing water at each other. He listened to the laughter and screams of the children and got lost in the sounds and beauty that was below him. It didn't last long though, as he saw a father chasing his young daughter around, before lifing her high into the air and bringing him back to his chest. Soon memories poured from his head and reached his heart, releasing a single tear, which found its way past the barrier he had put up after his death. As the sun began disappearing, he stood up and began his walk back. When he got back to the street, he noticed another blue balloon floating above the houses across the street. He thought it was just a coincidence, that maybe it too had gotten stuck, or maybe both had been tied to a pole or something, and they were slowly breaking free. He ignored it as he continued home, but after dinner, he went to his room and laid in his bed, unable to fall asleep and staring at the ceiling, because he couldn't ignore it anymore. He thought he could forget about that silly balloon, but his blue walls and the blue shirt his grandma was wearing, didn't help him to do so. He decided he would go back again tomorrow and see that it was nothing more than a mere coincidence. The next morning, while Christian's mother and grandmother were eating breakfast, they saw him appear before them. Their jaws dropped at the fact that he was awake so early and that he had wished them a 'good' morning. He grabbed two pancakes from the stack on the plate and a glass of milk before going back to his room. They didn't understand what caused this change in Christian. Later on in the day, his grandmother got a bigger shock. He asked if she knew where he could find a set of binoculars. She told him that his grandfather had put it in a box that he took to the basement, but that it was such a mess down there, she didn't know where he had put it, or if he'd be able to find. Later she walked by the basement door and heard strange noises. When she opened the door and went down the stairs, she noticed that it was clean. All the boxes were placed on the shelves near the back wall and that they were marked, while the floor appeared to have been swept. She heard a noise to the left and saw Christian carrying the final box over to the shelves. On the desk next to him, were the binoculars. After placing the final box on a shelf, he turned to see his grandma descend the last two stairs with huge eyes staring at him. He explained that it took him awhile to find the box and since he wasn't busy with anything else, he just kept going after he found them. She tried to hold back tears as she went to hug him. She was so happy, she wanted to cook his favorite meal; lemon pepper chicken with mashed potatoes and sweet corn. They both went back upstairs and Christian took a quick shower while his grandma prepared supper. After his shower, Christian threw on a tee and some jeans, grabbed the binoculars, and told his grandma that he would back and that there was something he had to do before supper was done. Her only words were 'okay'. He saw the sun was starting to fade, so he ran until he reached his destination. He brought the binoculars to his face and began searching for a possible balloon drifting in the small breeze this evening. He waited ten minutes, looking through the binoculars at the houses where the balloons could've came from. The sun was close to gone and he knew supper was probably done. He was filled with disappointment, half-hoping the balloons weren't some sort of coincidence, so he put the binoculars arond his neck He then pulled them back off as he saw it; a blue balloon appeared above the trees. He looked through the binoculars at the backs of houses until he saw a figure moving around. He then went over and peered over the bush beside the fence of the figure's backyard. There was a girl about his age with short blonde hair staring up at the balloon. Although he was curious why she was letting off these balloons every night, he quickly shyed away from communicating with her. He turned to leave, but then heard the girl speak. "Hey!" He looked back as she was making the last couple of strides to the fence, so he turned back and walked up to her. "What are you doing?" "Nothing. I was just taking a walk and I noticed your balloon." "So you were watching me?" "No. No. It's just that I've been seeing your balloons for the last couple of nights and I was wondering where they came from is all." "What's your name?" "Christian." "Oh! I am sorry to hear about your dad. Your grandmother was telling me about your father and about you after it happened." "You know my grandmother?" "Yea. I live with my grandma and your grandma comes over a couple times a week to play bridge with my grandma and a few other grandparents in the neighborhood. I join them once in awhile as well when I don't have homework or work to do. She hadn't come for a few weeks and I had heard from my grandma about her losing her son. She came about four days ago to play again and she began telling us about him and about you." "Oh I see." "Yea! My name is Trinity by the way. So...how are you handling it? Have things gotten better for you? " "I don't know. Just one day at a time, I guess." "I know how you feel. I lost my parents seven years ago in a car accident." "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" "Don't worry! It's alright! I mean at first I thought it was the end of the world, but after the first couple of weeks, my grandma gave me an idea to help me get through the pain I was feeling of losing them." "What was that?" "Come on. I'll show you." She opened the latch on the gate and invited him into the backyard. He followed her to the stairs and waited as she went inside. She emerged a few moments later with a bag of balloons, some sort of a tank, and two black markers. She opened the bag and placed it in front of Christian. "Here. Pick one." "What for?" "You'll see. Now pick your favorite one." He stared at her for a moment before reaching into the bag and pulling out a green one. She placed the bag on the porch step and went up to the tank. She filled them up with air and he tied them off. "Okay. Now take this marker and write down everything you want to say to your father. Write until you run out of room. I'll do the same." "I don't think I can do that. I don't even know what to write." "Write anything you want. Tell him how you feel or what's new in your life or how much you miss him. It doesn't matter what you write as long as it comes from the heart." "I guess I'll try." They both sit down on the porch with their balloons between their legs as they write. Christian wrote how much he missed his father and how he was staying with grandma for awhile and that mom was doing well. He wrote until he ran out of room on the balloon. Trinity then told him to stand up and follow her. He followed her to the middle of the backyard, cradling the balloon carefully in his arms. "Alright! Now what?" "Isn't it obvious? You let it go and it'll fly up above the clouds to your father, so he can see what you wrote." She tossed hers up to the air and it began to go higher and higher. She turned to see Christian staring at his balloon still in his hands. She then went over and grabbed one of his hands and held it tight. "It'll be okay. Trust me. This helped me so much when I lost my parents. I was so happy that my grandma had helped me find a way to send messages to my mother and father. She actually works at a party store and that's how we have the helium tank, so when she saw how much I was hurting, she thought this was worth a shot, and I did it. I was still sad, but I felt a huge sense of relief as well. I've been doing it almost every day since and I only use blue balloons because that was their favorite color. You can do this too, okay?" He looked at her for a moment in her hazel eyes and then released the balloon. It rose above them and relief washed over Christian's body. She was right. It felt so good to have written all of it down on that balloon and release it. He watched it until it disappeared and then turned to Trinity and thanked her for giving him the balloon and marker. They talked for a few minutes more until he realized his grandma and mother were waiting for him. She told him he could come back again if he wanted and that she always did it at sunset because she remembered watching the sun go down with her parents on their porch swing with she was younger. He agreed to come back and hurried home; he had much to think about.

Tina: You guys need to change into your normal clothes now. All of them, except Whitney change. Whitney (thought): Why do we have to change? Everyone except Tina and Whitney: Huh! Whitney: What? Felicia: Did you say something? Whitney: No! Felicia: Then who said why do we have to change? Tina: No one said it. They turn to Tina, but as soon as they open their mouths, she raises her hand. Tina: No one said, but it seems Whitney thought it. Emma: We can read each others thoughts. Tina: Yeah, but only when they want you to hear it. Emma: Cool! Respond to what I think Amy. Emma closes her eyes, breathes in, and then opens them. Emma (thought): This is so cool. Amy (thought): I know! Emma: Awesome! Tina: Make sure you don't use your powers or think all the time. Because everything you do affects your power and will drain the rings if you use them and they aren't activated, at least until you are strong enough, but hopefully by then you won't need them anymore. You'll be able to use your power or change what you look like without even needing them. Leah: What is they get lost or are stolen until then? Tina: Then you can use another ring to find yours. Emma: Can we find anything else that's lost or stolen? Tina: Yes, but only use them to find the rings. Come on now girls, before we close. They begin cleaning normally until Whitney puts on a radio and then they begin fooling around and using their powers to clean up. Emma uses vines, Leah uses her flying powers, and Amy uses gusts of wind to put cds in a pile. They all giggle about it, until one of Amy's piles of cds falls. Leah was on the ground below so she puts her hands above her head, which activates her force field. She then begins to stand up and then put it back in a nice stack. She then uses her power to put them away. Emma: That was awesome Leah! Hey, your ring is glowing. Leah: Yours too. Amy: So is mine. Leah: Why are they doing this? Tina: They are glowing because of how you three have improved with your powers. Whitney: Too bad for us. Tina: Don't fret. Yours will too. When the ring is in full glow that means that you have full control of your powers. Amy: What time is it? Leah: Where did the clock go? They all look up on the wall above the storage door. Tina: They took it! Leah: Why? Tina: To remind us. Leah: Of what? Tina: They wanted us to always remember that our time is limited. Amy: Well, I'm not worried! Emma: Yeah! They can't separate us. We're a team. Amy: Yea Team Awesome. While they talk, Leah slips out the door. Tina sees her. Whitney: That's correct! They'll never beat us. Felicia: And we can't forget about our magnificent leader. They look around. Felicia: Wait! Where did she go? Tina: You guys can go talk to her. I'll be fine here. She went that way. Tina points with her left hand. Emma: We'll see you later! They begin going to the door. Tina: Remember not to tell anyone! They go out the door and see Leah walking around the corner. Whitney: There she is. Emma: Let's go! They begin running after her until they finally catch up with her. Emma: Leah! Leah turns around and sees them. Leah: Hey, I'm sorry I left without saying good-bye. Felicia: What's wrong Leah? Leah: Nothing. Amy: If it's about you going out with my brother, I'm fine with it. Emma: And we're worried to about the final battle. Leah: It's not about those things. Whitney: It's not? Leah: No! I mean yes! Kind of. Emma: Then what is it about? Leah: I'm not used to having friends or a boyfriend or being part of a group. Emma: How come? Leah: Growing up, I traveled a lot to other countries, so I wasn't able to make friends. The people I did meet spoke a completely different language. Felicia: What about school? Leah: I was homeschooled. I've never been used to talking with other people and hanging out. When you called us a group, I felt really weird and had to get out of there to think about all of this, but I wasn't ditching you. I will fight those monsters and help you stop them. Whitney: We know. We're sorry. We didn't know. Leah: I should've told you. I'm sorry. Emma: I have a wonderful idea! How about you name our group. I mean, we need a name. We're like superheroes. Felicia: That's a good idea Emma! Leah: That's ok! You guys can name it. Amy: Sorry, but you’re the one who has to. You're our leader. I mean remember what I said? Team Awesome. That is lame. Leah: We don't need a leader. All of us should be the leaders. Emma: No! We need one leader. All in favor of Leah being the leader, say aye. Everyone: Aye. Leah smiles and realizes there is no point in fighting them. Leah: Thanks guys! I feel better now. Amy: You're welcome boss! They laugh. Leah: Well, I should probably go home and get ready for my first date. Or is it my second? Whitney: It's your first. That other thing wasn't planned. Felicia: Alright, but first you have to give us a team name. Leah: Fine! How about... the Elementals? Felicia: That's perfect, but what about you? Leah: What do you mean? Felicia: Well, your power isn't an element. Amy: Like Emma's mother said. Emma: Yeah, but my mom said she didn't know the total extent to her power. Amy: Yeah and what about the boy in our group! All he can do is move really, really fast. Leah: We need to find him guys. He can help us in the final battle. Whitney: I say we should give him a name. Leah: No, we should let him. It is his power alone. Whitney: Fine! Leah: Well guys, I’ve got to go! I have a date with a boy. Amy: Please don't tell him about the way I feel. Leah: How did you know I knew? Amy turns around and looks at Emma. Emma: Guilty! I'm sorry Leah! Leah: I don't mind as long as Amy doesn't. Amy: Oh, I'm fine! It's good he has a girl in his life again. Leah: Alright! If you're absolutely sure. Amy: Yes. Go on, Get out of here! Leah: Thanks! Bye ya'll! She turns and begins walking away. You then see her at her house. You see her trying on clothes and makeup. You then see the clock; it is almost time (8:30), so she leaves. You then see Jay. He sees his clock (8:30) and so he leaves. When he goes out the door, he sees someone driving away on his moped. Jay: Hey! The guy zooms away, Jay then begins to run after him, but is unable to catch up. The thief starts laughing and Jay gets angry and begins running again. This time he realizes he can move fast. He catches up to him and rips him off his bike and gets on and stops it. Jay: Whoa! He drives back to the thief. Thief: I'm sorry man! How did you do that? What's wrong with you? Jay: Shut up! He then picks the guy up and begins to run with the thief to the police station. Two police see the thief handcuffed to the lamppost. One of them sees their cuffs missing after a gust of air guides them to the sight of the thief. Thief: I'll talk! I'll talk! But no more running. You're making me dizzy. Officer: Alright! Uncuff him! You see Jay running again. He runs all around NY and blows newspapers off their stands and coffee and food and clothes to fly as well. What he doesn't know is that Tina was leaving the store and saw him with his power when he slowed for a second, so she hurries back in the store. He then receives a call on his cell phone from Tina, so he stops running and pulls out his phone. Jay: Hello!

You did real well with your descriptions. I saw a clear picture of the scene and the events that occurred throughout the story and I enjoyed how you led the scene up to what the story was really about. Thank you!

Christian Rider recently lost his father to cancer. The loss hit Christian hard. He grew up admiring his father. They spent all of their free time together going fishing, bowling, and either playing or watching sports. Now he no longer played or went to the lake. It had been over a month since his death, but christian couldnt get over the fact that he had lost his best friend and that everything in his hometown reminded him of him, so he went to his mother and asked if they could go away for the rest of the summer. She agreed and the next day, they left for his grandma's, who lived one state over in Minnesota. Once settled, Christian went for a run around the town while mom spoke with grandma. He ran for several blocks before he stopped for a breath. The sun was already beginning to set, so he decided to head back. As he turned to track back, he noticed something blue floating in the sky. Closer observation determined it to be a balloon with what appeared to be black writing on either side of it. He chalked it up to having blown away from some kid at a birthday party somewhere besides where he was, because he couldn't hear the laughter or celebrating of any children or adult party nearby, unless it had gotten stuck in some telephone wire or tree branch until now. He thought that was probably what had happened because it was slowly ascending and with no breeze like their was early, it should've been higher up by now. He shrugged and jogged back home. He ate supper, thanked his grandma for letting them come and for supper, before retiring to his room to go to bed. He slept most of the next

I love stories that have a deeper meaning behind the words of the creator. I think you did a great job in creating a story in which the reader can identify its purpose. I understand what Velox meant by the veteran one day being on the streets and the next with the carriage. I'll just assume it isn't a very grand carriage, but rather old and just functioning. Still, I enjoyed the story very much. Thank you!

Thank you Takuaka for your comment. I do hope you liked it even though it didn't rhyme...I'll do another one in the future that does rhyme for you.

Chaos and disasterAffect many livesNever knowingWhen it will occur with theEnd of the day bringing new hope forSurvivors as sunlight fadesTomorrow is upon usA new dawn approachingRendering actions of yesterdayTo become the pastOpening new opportunitiesVeering our course in new directionsEntering your new path Remembering Just the lives lost Once cherished Halo-bound now No one could’ve seen it coming.

I agree with Oneiromancer. I think a background story would've been good placed in your story. Maybe you could continue on with the story and add a little background with another meeting point of theirs in the future. You could also explain the mission that was unsuccessful. I am curious as to what her mission was this time, but otherwise I did like the story, and the title was a good decision. Thank you!

Thank you for continuing your story. I like where this is heading and how all the students seem like they will be working together on Matt's idea. It's nice to have friends to help you with your vision or a dream someone has, whether it be through fundraising or support for a future career choice or the decision to join in the army or make a difference. Looking forward to the next chapter.

*Just something I thought of and wrote quickly. All comments considered and appreciated. Thank you! Courage and braveryAre seen and lived.No one knows when they’ll be called uponIn this dangerous and beautiful worldTil that moment with your strength is necessaryAnd then yourLife will begin anew.Kicking adrenaline to the surfaceThe worldOnce known will be changed.You are needed.Only you can do what must be done.Using your newfound powerAn action will occurTaking fear away with just one lookSince a miracle has happened Creating a new opportunityHaving a new pathOpened up for youOn which the future remains brightLeaving the past but remembering the oldJust knowingOnce you leave hereHappiness has given you aNew life to protect and love.

Whitney: Leah! Leah: Hey! She walks up to the others. Leah: I'm sorry you guys! It’s just that this came along so fast and I was afraid, but it's our job to protect the Earth! I know I haven't known you guys very long at all, but I feel like I've met you before and I wanna protect you as well. Tina: We're glad you came back Leah. Amy: Yeah! Leah: So you mentioned I could fly. How do I fly? Tina: You first need to activate your ring. Press the middle jewel. All of you need to do the same. They all press the jewels and then they shine. You then a bright light surround them in their color and then see them in a new outfit. Whitney: Cool! These are awesome. Emma: Yeah they are. Whitney: They're all different in color, but the same outfit. Amy: So? We are a team. Whitney: So... I'm changing mine. Felicia: Me too. But how? Tina: Just turn the jewel in your ring. Whitney: Cool! Turn yours twice so they're different. Felicia: Alright. Whitney: Same time. One. Two. Three. Whitney pushes it once, while Felicia pushes it twice. Lights shine around them and soon you see their new outfits. Leah: Better? Whitney: Yeah! Much better and cuter too. Felicia: Uh-huh! Leah: Ok, now what do we do? Tina: Whitney, Felicia, Amy, and Emma need to just point or use your hands and think and feel what you want. Don't try anything yet, though. I don't want anyone set on fire or drowning. Felicia and Whitney look at each other and grin. Leah: What about me? Tina: For your force field, you need to hold up your hands or stare at the oncoming force, and to fly you need only to think about it and feel yourself lifting off the ground. Leah: That's it, but it's so simple. Tina: I know and it's easy to remember once you get the hang of it. Go ahead! Leah: Yeah, there's one problem. Tina: What's that? Leah: I'm afraid of heights. Tina: Then you don't have to fly that high. You can start out close to the ground and then slowly increase your height until your comfortable with it. Trust me, you'll be able to conquer this fear easier than you might think. Leah: Ok, here it goes! Leah closes her eyes and concentrates. Suddenly a pair of wings begin to come from her back, but they aren't that big. Leah: Did I do it? Whitney: Well you're not flying, but you got something to help with that. Leah: What? Amy: Yeah, but they are so small. Leah: What are you guys talking about? She opens her eyes. Emma: What's wrong with her mom? Tina: There's nothing wrong. She has to practice to make them bigger. She looks at the small wings protruding from her back. Leah: You mean these will get bigger. Tina: In time, yes. Emma: Try them out Leah. Leah: Um...Ok! She closes her eyes and then her wings begin flap and she rises in the air. She then opens her eyes. Leah: Oh my goodness! I'm flying! I'm actually flying! Cool! She begins to fly around the room. Whitney: Wow! I wish I could fly too. Tina: You can. Whitney: How? I thought only Leah could do that. Emma: Yeah? How? Amy: All of us? Felicia: Me too. Tina: Leah can raise you with her power so you can fly too. All of you. Whitney: Cool! So me first. Leah: Ok, but won't I have to be grounded to do that? Tina: No, you just need to concentrate on them now. It should just become natural to you now. Those rings just held your powers until it was time for you to need them. The more you practice, the less you'll even need to wear them. Just start them off low and then allow them to get higher like you did, okay? Leah: Okay? Here goes nothing. She faces her hands towards Whitney and she begins to lift off the ground. Whitney: Whoa! This is sweet! Hey! Move me around! Leah: Which direction? Whitney: To that far wall and back. She flies her to the wall and back. Whitney: That was so much fun. Let's fly around together Leah. Leah: What about the others? Felicia: Yeah, what about us? Leah: Can I do that Tina? Tina: I don't see why not Leah. If you think you're strong enough, than you can, but you can't doubt yourself. Eventually, you'll be able to allow them to fly without having to concentrate on them. Leah: How's that? Tina: I'll show you when the time comes. Leah: Ok! Here it goes! She concentrates and everyone begins to rise off the ground slightly. She then gives up and only Whitney and she are left in the air. Leah: I'm sorry guys! Emma: That's alright. You're not used to your powers. You've only had them for an hour. Amy: She's right. We don't blame you. Let's try our powers now. Tina: Yes! We need to get you all use to them. Before we start, Leah would you get a fire extinguisher? Leah: Sure. Leah lets Whitney down and flies to the extinguisher room and lands and picks one up. Whitney: Show off! Felicia: We will get to show off soon enough, Whit. Leah walks out of the room with the extinguisher. Whitney: What? No more flying. Leah: It took me a little bit to get use to it, but I think I'll be able to handle it now. Tina: Who shall we start with? Felicia: Oh, me! Tina: Alright, but first we need something to aim at. Felicia: But what? Tina: This room is bare for a reason. This is the training room. Emma, will you please go into the computer room and grab the first controller on the table. Emma: Ok mom! Emma goes into the room and grabs the first controller of three from the table. Tina: Thank you! Now, this controller will allow me to prepare you for the battle. Each of the buttons on here will activate a training tool according to each of your powers. Felicia: How do we know which button is for which power. Tina: How do you think? Emma: Color. Tina: Are you ready Felicia? Felicia: Yes. What do I need to do? Tina: Aim and concentrate. Are you ready with the extinguisher Leah? Leah: Yeah! Tina pushes the red button and a pile of logs come out of the floor near them. Felicia: Logs? Tina: Like I said. There are three controllers. They each represent a different level. This is level one. Now, I want for you to try and start a fire. Are you ready? She aims her hands towards the log pile, fire comes out, she screams as the fire circles around her and then it hits the logs. Felicia: I did it! Tina: Leah! Leah puts out the fire. Tina: Good job Felicia! Felicia: Thanks! I can't believe it. Whitney: Yeah, except it hit me when it went flying around. Felicia: Oh, I'm so sorry! I couldn't control it. Tina: Actually, it has taken the previous fire starters the full week to achieve a fire swirl. Felicia: Wow! I'm a fire starter! What other moves do I have? Amy: And what are ours? Whitney: Yeah! Tina: Sorry girls, but you're going to have to figure those out for yourselves. I am not going through all of them. Now, it's your turn Emma. She pushes the brown button and a pile of dirt comes up from the floor. Emma: What am I supposed to do with a pile of dirt? Tina: I planted seeds in the soil. I want you to focus your energy on the seeds and make them grow. Emma: What are they going to become? Tina: You'll see. She raises her hands over the soil and the ground begins to shake. It splits from her feet to the dirt pile and then a bunch of lilies rise from it. Amy: They're lilies. Emma: Thanks mom, they’re my favorite. Whitney: Those are beautiful. Emma: I'm sorry about the floor. Tina: Don't worry. That was a good ground split. You should use that move for the final battle. Emma: A ground split. Sweet! Tina: Ok! Are you ready Amy? Amy: Let's hope so. Tina pushes the gray button and a huge fan comes out in front of them. Amy: A fan. Ok, this looks simple. Tina: Don't be so sure. She raises her hands and concentrates, but nothing happens. Amy: I'll try again. She tries again, but nothing. Amy: Come on fan! She thinks for a minute and kneels down in front of the fan. Amy: Phfffffff! The fan then begins to spin really fast and it blows towards the others. It throws them from the ground into the air, which causes Leah to create a force field instinctively, fire to come from Felicia's hands onto the lilies and water from Whitney's that extinguishes the fire. Amy then turns the fan away from them and the girls begins to scream and descend, except for Leah who stops herself. She faces her hands towards them and concentrates really hard until they stop a foot from the ground. She becomes tired from it, drops them on the floor, and then slowly descends onto the floor. Everyone, except Leah, stands up. Tina: Amy! You need to concentrate now and stop the fan. She nods her head, closes her eyes, and the fan turns off. They then look at Leah. Amy: Your wings. Leah: What? She turns slightly to see that they have increased slightly in size. Emma: Wow! Tina: You learned to control your power to help keep the others from falling and Amy now doesn't have to use her hands to activate her power, just her mind. Are you alright Leah? Leah: Yeah! I'm just really tired. Emma and Amy help her up. Tina: You did real well. The weakness you felt was because you weren't use to it and when you lift three other persons besides yourself, it tends to weaken someone, but don't worry you'll get it. You did great, which is why the size of your wings increased. You guys are progressing well. Leah: Yeah and now I can use my force field. Tina: And Whitney can use her water abilities. Your first level is now complete. You learned to work together, even if it was accidentally. Now we really need to get back to the store. Felicia: How come? Tina: Because it is a mess up there and since you now know how to use your powers, you can use them to clean up the store faster. Felicia: Well, not all of us, unless you want all the cds burnt. Whitney: Or water damaged. Tina: Then you two can finish the inventory. As for the rest of you, it will be like training. You may learn something new that you can do with your powers. Amy: I already found something new. Look! They look at Amy and see her making her bracelet fly in the air. Amy: I'm just like Leah. She then raises herself in the air and spins around. Leah: Except you spin. Emma: Like a tornado. Tina: That is called a twister. Amy: Cool! Tina: Now let's go back up. They go up one by one: Tina, Whitney, Emma,... Amy: You and I can use our powers to get up. Leah: Maybe we shouldn't. At least until we are stronger with our powers. ...Amy, and Leah. You then see them back in the store.

The ending shocked me. I was not expecting that. Good job! The story was good and I think you accomplished what you set out to create with it. The only thing I got as far as criticism besides the twilight part Cederak mentioned, was that you had too many adverbs. I'm not sure if you were using them to reach a work limit or not, but if you can go without, my recommendation is 'do it.' Your biggest towards the end there was 'truly.' You used it twice as the statement 'truly knew peace' and then again shortly after, referring to the place where she was presently in all three of them. Now I'm not saying all the adverbs were unnecessary, but some of them were. The last two paragraphs seemed to contain the most and not all were needed in your story. However, I loved the story, especially with the twist at the end and the flashback to just minutes before she went to the place where 'she truly knew peace.' I look forward to your next short story. Thank you!