A facade

It is all a facade

The laughs and the joy

It is all a mask we put on

to put on so

no one asks why

Why we are depressed

Strong Enough (8)

I finished the blog chalenge! :D____________________________________________

Somehow, the tunnel lead out to the outside, over the bank of the river. I carefully put the book into a water proof bag, and dived into the river. I swam down stream, following the current. I surfaced a good mile down stream, surprised at how fast I went. I glanced around to get my bearings, and realized that I was near the town of Grey Wolf. I went under again, and swam as fast as I would, hoping that I could get past the town without resurfacing. My lungs began to ache as I swam under the bridge. Only a little farther! My vision began to grow dim. I need air! NOW! I resurfaced, not caring where I was; I gulped in copious amounts of air. My vision cleared, and I could see that I was a little past the edge of town. I was not safe yet, so I kept swimming down stream. I then heard a weird sound: whizz plop. What was that?? I looked around, but could not see what made that sound. I heard a couple more, then noticed that arrows were being shot at me. uhg. Not now. This was not going to be a good day....

Strong Enough (7)

I lifted the stone back into place, then I crept down the tunnel. I went straight at the fork to see where it went. I traveled for a long time in the darkness, until I stumbled over something. I felt around in my pockets to see if I happened to leave a glow stick in there. I found one at the very bottom of my pocket, then I cracked it. I put the glow stick close to where I stumbled to see what it was. I stifled a scream as I saw a half decayed body lying in the middle of the tunnel floor. I gagged, and turned away. I tried to put the person's horrible fate out of my mind as I continued up the tunnel.

Strong Enough (6)

I stared down the length of the tunnel, wondering where it went. Should I follow it? Or should I go back out and try to take on the guards? Easy answer. I followed the tunnel. It soon branched off, to the left towards the records room, and then right. I took the left hand tunnel, and crawled along. It took a good long while, the tunnel slowly angling downwards. Where is this going? I kept following the tunnel, hoping that no body else knew the existence of it. It stopped suddenly, and I was left facing a wall. I pushed on it, but nothing happened. I then tried pushing up, and the ceiling moved. I put all my strength into it, and heaved the floor stone out of the ceiling. I stood up, and found I was in the middle of the records room. Nice! I hope no one heard the stone moving...If i'm in the middle of the records room, the guards at the door can't hear me. I stood up, and moved the stone back into place. I stalked down the row of bookshelves, looking at the titles. Where is it? It should be in here... Ah! There it is! I grabbed the book off the book shelf, all records of the government initiated murders, assassinations, and the location of where all the rebellion leaders lived. Really valuable information. I quickly tucked it into my pocket. Then I froze as a sword pricked the small of my back.
"Vell madame, vhat do ve haf here?" Came a rough, grating voice. He reached into my pocket, and took out the book. I tensed. "How did you get here?" He demanded as he took the book, and placed it on the book shelf. "Well," I replied in an even tone, "It was easy, all the guards outside the door are asleep, all i had to do was walk past them." "Vell," Said the guard behind me, "ve vill just haf to remedy that." he prodded me in he back with his sword. "Valk." "Okay, okay, don't have a cornea, I'm going!" I took one step forward, executed a neat, high back flip, grabbed the soldiers head while i was in the air, and landed behind him. I slammed his head into the floor stone, and he passed out cold. Whew. Glad I didn't panic. Now its time to go. I ran back to where the entrance to the tunnel was, and slipped inside, groaning softly as my knee registered a sharp pain.

Strong Enough (5)

I got out of bed, and stifled a scream as I collapsed. Not now... Its too important an opportunity to miss because of my stupid disease. I waited a few minutes, rubbing my legs. I stood, but it hurt so much. Hopefully it would wear off before I had to do any running... I changed into black trousers and a black tunic. I wrapped a dark hood around my head to disguise my bright red hair, and rubbed grease on my face and arms. Hopefully the guard would not see me. I quietly opened the door, glad I had greased it a couple days before when I was scouting out the area. I looked up and down the hallway, and slipped out of my room. I groaned silently as I put weight on my right leg. I quickly stifled it, and hid behind a statue as I heard footsteps coming my way.
A guard passed by my hiding place on his rounds for the night. I closed my eyes so the lantern would not reflect in them, and listened to his footsteps. He paused. Oh no, I left my door cracked open! He slowly prodded my door open. I crept up silently on him as he stepped into my room. I unwrapped my belt and gagged him with it. I knocked him unconscious with his night stick. I then dragged him the rest of the way into my room. I gagged him with his own belt, and put my belt back on. Hopefully when he woke up, I would be long gone, but since I wasn't sure, I took the sheets off the bed, and sliced them both in half. I took the sheets, and tied him up with them. Hopefully my complicated knots would keep him a while.
I again went out of my room, but this time I darted up the hallway. Which way did Anwen say again? Left or right? I'll try right. I darted down the right hallway. Thankfully it was the right one, because I saw the records room door....with two guards in front of it...Now what? I don't want to die too get in the records room, but how can I get in? I leaned against the tapestry next to me, and stumbled, squealed. One of the guards unfortunately heard me, because he sent one of the guys over to me. There was no wall! I climbed into the tunnel, and pushed the wood that had been in place back in the wall, just as the guard came to see what had made the noise. I held my breath as he pulled back the tapestry, and he saw the blank wall. "It was probably a mouse, Tanner!" He yelled back at one of the other guards, under his breath, he muttered, "Or your imagination..." He left to go stand back on guard duty. I left my breath out, grateful that I had found a tunnel, and wondering where it led.

Strong Enough (4)

I furtively checked around me to make sure no one was watching, then I darted into the alleyway. I followed the alley to a small, unremarkable bungalow. I quickly changed out of the disguise I had on into one of a high ranking slave in the king's palace. I asked the owner of the bungalow to help me get my hair just right, and she willingly obliged. I stepped out of the house, kept my head down, and made it look like I was on an errand for the palace. I picked up some groceries, then made my way to the palace. I quickly walked through the side gate, with my head down, and hurried to the kitchen to deposit my goods. I then went to a servants quarters that I knew would be empty, flopped on the bed, and fell asleep. I woke a few hours later, when it was dark. It was the middle of the night. Now would be a good time to sneak to the records room.

Strong Enough (4)

I kept straining my eyes at the shape to see what it was, hoping that it was not an enemy, but fearing the worst. I also was looking around trying to find another way out, but other large shapes were also converging to my spot. I did a very heroic whimper. Then one on the dark shapes spoke, "Who are you?" It asked with a slight Scottish accent. "My name is Sarah O'Malley, and I am from Ireland, who are all of you?" "I," said the dark shape, which I could now see was the outline of a woman being supported by another, "Am Grace. That is just simply my name. People used to call me Grace o' the moor. But, since I am now in this dark dungeon, I go by just Grace. These people are people who Lord Maelstrom doesn't like, or are his enemies. Our stories are long and complicate. Can we hear your story first, dear?" She asked as she slowly sank to the ground beside me. The others also sat down. "well," I started out, "It's a long story who's beginning starts about two months ago..."

Strong Enough (3)

The guards dragged me out of my cell, down a few flights of stone steps, into a small room with a pit in the middle. "Enjoy your stay." Said one of the guards sarcastically and they threw me in the pit. I screamed as I plunged down the hole. I landed (somehow) feet first onto the muck on the bottom of the hole. Which made me scream even louder as I grasped my ankle. it was either broken or sprained. First off, it was pitch black, so I couldn't see anything. Second off, I don't see how this is considered an interrogation room since it is a pit in the floor. Oh well, some people can have an imagination... i guess... I heard something moving around down here with me. I hope its just a rat. My eyes are adjusting to the gloom. I see a large shape slowly moving towards me. I backed away as quickly as I could, but there was no where to run. i was trapped.

Strong Enough (2)

Sure enough, the next time I woke up, I was still not sure what time it was, two people burst into to my room and held my arms behind my back. When they did that, I screamed with the pain. After i screamed, they held just a tiny bit looser, so my mind was not too fogged with pain. Their boss came in, and just stared at me. "Well, Sarah O'Malley, I didn't expect you to survive being shot four times, but since you did, we will see what you know of the rebellion." Oh no, I thought, it's the general. This is bad news, he is known for getting information out of people. And I have heard that they are never the same after that...I hope I can be strong. I slowly looked up, my long, curly red hair brushing back from my eyes, "I'm not telling you anything!" And I meant it. I would rather die than let this man rule the world, which was what he wanted. He smiled cruelly and said, "We'll see about that. Guards take her down to interrogation room alpha. We will see if she tells us after a week down there."

Strong Enough

I groaned as I slowly woke up. Pain racked my body. I tried to remember what had happened as I glanced around the room I was in. Then I remembered: I was shot. I touched my neck, where one of the bullets had hit me. Instantly, my body registered a ton of pain. I examined the rest of me to see where I was shot. I was shot in my neck, my arm, my stomach, and my leg. I was lucky, I guess, none of the bullets were still inside of me. None of them hit anything vital. Then I checked my surrounds. I was in a small, dark room, there was a small cot, which I woke up on, and naught much else. Then I noticed that the door had a small slot in the bottom to push food through, and curiously enough, it had no handle on the inside. I was a prisoner.

I didn't even know where I was, or why I was taken prisoner, but I knew one thing: I had to escape at all costs. I hate being cooped up in small closed spaces, and being held prisoner with no window in my cell would be enough to drive me crazy within the first couple of days.

After what I guessed was an hour passed, I got up and started pacing the room. It was more like limping back and forth because of the wound in my leg, but I had to do something! I did that as long as could, and then I passed out on my bed. I woke up, a guesstimated couple of hours later, it could even be the next day. It was hard to tell the time in that cell. Since I had nothing better to do, I picked up one of the small rocks that littered the floor, and started to randomly write on the wall. I looked at what I had written and realized it was one of the bible verses that I had memorized; Jeremiah 29 - Then you will call on me and come and pry to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 "I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and I will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile." I realized that the verses I had memorized as a kid were still with me, they were in my sub conscience. And these verses would most likely help me through the hard times that were sure to come.

Strong Enough (Song)

Well, maybe

Maybe that's the point

To reach the point of giving up

Cause when I'm finally

Finally at rock bottom

Well, that' when I start looking up

And reaching out

This part of the song called Strong Enough is my favorite part of the song. The reason I like it so much is because when all the stuff was going on in my life, I finally started looking up to God for my help. And it really helped with all I have gone through the past three years :)

Remembering 9/11

"Mommy, what's going on?" My five year old self asked staring at the television. My mother turned off what she was looking at and told me that something terrible has happened and that a lot of people just died. I went back to my room because she wanted to watch what was happening, but didn't want me to see it. Before I went upstairs, I took one last look at the television, and saw one of the towers collapse, then I ran up to my room.
I remembered this as I watched two documentaries this morning on all that had happened during 9/11. Now I could see why my mom did not want a five year old watching it, it was horrible. Seeing and hearing what happened to over 2,000 people that died. Worrying that my uncle might be a pilot on one of the hijacked planes, and the relief finding out that he wasn't is another vivid memory. Unfortunately, some people will not be able to say that.

Don't ever forget 9/11.

Homesick. That is the main word to describe us now. Homesick, lonely, weary to the bone, and dispirited. That is what we all are feeling when we are 30 miles or more away from our homeland. Too far (or so they thought) for us to run back home. Back to our families. Back to the old ways. The old ways of our people. But they were wrong.

One day, we decided we had enough. We did not want to be at this school, which was more of a prison than a school. We decided to run. Run all the way back home, and prove the people wrong. We are never too far to run back home. Thus, we decided to break out and run.

It took a good couple of weeks or so, but we finally made it back to the Hopi reservation. Pa said we had to go back, but we were not going back. They didn't know how we were treated. We were treated like savages. They cut the boys hair. They made us wear these uncomfortable uniforms, learn this language called English, punished us for even talking our language, or even acting like an Indian. Then only thing I remotely liked there, was the sports. There we could show our prowess outside.

But, the facilitator decided the games were too much, and banned them from being played. That's when we ran. Ran far away from the injustice of the government. Away from the injustices against the Indians. We ran home. Home to the old ways.

My second post for the blog competition :)

I cringed as bullets flew around me. I held onto the oak limb hoping that I would not get accidentally shot or fall down from the tree into the battle below. When I had first climbed the tree, I didn't think that a battle would break out right below me. A bullet whizzed past my ear.
All I wanted to do was take a break from my never ending list of chores. It was the daily work of a house in the little war torn town of Gettysburg. Of all the days I thought the battle would begin, today was the last on my list.
Today was my birthday. Another bullet whizzed past me. I whimpered. A girl, on her sixteenth birthday, in a tree above the Battle of Gettysburg, what a mess! Then again, I have been well known for some of the messes I've gotten into... like that one time involving the Smith's pigpen... I smiled.
Then I immediately screamed. A bullet had bored itself into my arm. Oh no! A soldiers was right below me looking up into the tree at me! This is NOT good!
"Who's up there?" He shouted.
"A girl," I yelled back, "Me names Sarah O'Malley, and I've been shot in me arm!"
"See if you can climb down Miss O'Malley, I will take you to the union hospital, they will then remove the bullet, and bandage your arm." I tried to carefully climb out of the tree, but I couldn't. I fell out instead.

Because I liked it :)

I'm borrowing this poem from a book I read because I liked it :)

It hangs like a weight around my neck

The things I've done, the things I've said.

Exposed, my plan buried me instead of him,

And now shame floods and surrounds, pulling me lower.

They call it gravity, but it feels like guilt.

I dream I am somewhere else, and no one knows

The Things I've done, the things I've said.

But when I open my eyes, I'm still here in my bed,

In the town where no one knows, but everyone should.

In the town where I'm stalked like a lion.

Just when I think the death sentence is coming,

When my life is about to end,

He speaks.

He takes the weight.

Removes the chain.

Lifts it with words.

And I am light again.

Alive.

Forgiven.

Dead End by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry

I wrote this after I got saved. :D
_______________________________________________
I look backwards from the path I had been following. To the path blazed by Jehovah-Yasha. His bloody footprints embedded in a trail of tears. The trail leads to a glorious kingdom set on a hill. I hesitate looking forward to the darkness, death, and despair that awaited me if I continued down that way. Then I turn and run on the path my Savior blazed for me. I run towards the promise of the glorious kingdom and the end of despair.

Haiti trip photos

Hey guys! I have decided to post some photos of my trip down to Haiti. Enjoy :)

^ This little girl, on the last day, told me Je T'aime which means I love you :)

The kids loved getting photos taken of them. As soon as a camera was pulled out, they posed saying, "photo"

One of the many trash piles that were down there. 

Our car/bus rides were the best :D

The kids took time to teach us this fun hand game.

Indoor soccer! (during our break of course) 

  

All of us together at the Miami Airport.

Journey (Part 5)

I woke with a start. My hand was numb from the cold mountain stream. By the suns position, I had been sleeping for a few hours. The Ranger was nowhere in sight. Did he continue on without me? I stood up, brushing the low branches of the willow I was under with my hand. I scanned the banks of the stream, and the surrounding area..... no one. I heard something crashing through the forest. It was not the Ranger because he moves quietly through the woods. I glanced around, the climbed into the nearby oak trees branches. The height of the tree lent me a good view of the surrounding terrain. I saw the eight men who helped slay Ezra crashing through the woods towards where I was sleeping a minute ago. I tried to stay as still as possible so they would not notice me.
They stopped where I had slept, and examined the ground. "she was here. We are catching up." Came the guttural grunt from one of the men. They seemed to pick up a trail,and went crashing off again into the woods. I was able to finally take a deep breath. But I froze because a sharp blade was pressed up to my back.

Journey (Part 4)

Red, yellow, orange, blue, white. The many colors and shades of fire. I sat staring into our campfire. Sparks erupted, flying away as Ezra tossed a log into the fire. "That should do fine." His deep tenor voice stated. I looked looked up at him through my veil of raven-wing black hair, and smiled. "Thank you, a fire warms both my skin and my soul." I said. Ezra looked quizzical, "What do you mean Esther? How can a fire warm your soul?"

"Ah dear brother, now that is an interesting question....It gives an assurance of safety to those who aren't safe." I glanced quickly around making sure no one was approaching our camp. "Ezra, are you sure we're safe? They might be looking for us."

"Not yet. We only left yesterday." The sudden appearance of eight hefty men strengthened my fear. "EZRA!" I shrieked. He looked up, saw the men, grabbed his sword, and yelled, "Run Esther! Don't look back!" He ran towards the men with his drawn sword. I hesitated, then ran like a frightened deer. I glanced back, and what I saw froze my heart. Two of the hefty men were holding Ezra by his arms. He was sagged, blood running down from his forehead. More men were in the clearing. One, their leader maybe, was talking to my brother. Suddenly the man unsheathed his sword and stabbed Ezra, his blade going all the way through my poor brothers body. I fell to my knees "EZRA!" I tried to scream, but it came out as a breath. "Find the girl!" I heard the leaders deep voice bellow. I got to my feet and stumbled onward quietly sobbing.

Journey (Part 3)

Sweat was running down my body in rivulets. I took gasping breaths. How long until we rest? Is that the sound of running water? Yes it is! A cold clear mountain stream. I can see it ahead! I collapsed on the bank of the stream. I took off the bandage, the dried blood tearing from my hand. My hand then started bleeding again. I stuck my right hand into the water and sighed with relief as the cool water massaged my aching hand.

"We rest for five minutes." came my guides rough voice from inside his hood. Who is this mysterious man? I wondered for the hundredth time. I brushed my sweaty hair back from my forehead with my uninjured hand.

"No less than ten minutes. Fine?"

"Fine." He snapped. I sighed, keeping my hand in the cold mountain stream as i reclined on on the mossy bank. I slowly fell into a deep sleep. Into a dream from the past.

The Journey (Part 2)

Twenty minutes late. I thought, looking at the position of the moon. I was skittish, so I climbed a tree to keep look out for the strange man. I have taken to calling him The Ranger because he looks like one. A cold north wind penetrated my cloak. Am I crazy? I thought for the hundredth time as I tried to stay warm. The noise of a stick breaking brought me abruptly out of my thoughts. The Ranger stood below my tree looking up at me and holding the stick he had broken. "Be more alert." His deep voice abruptly stated as he walked to the north. He stopped, his back to me and said, "Well, are you coming?" Then he continued walking. I sighed as i slid down the tree. I hissed with pain as a knot of the bark tore the skin off the palm of my right hand. As I followed The Ranger, I tore a strip of cloth from the hem of my tunic to bandage my hand. I hoped we would cross a stream so I could soak my hand.

The Journey (sorry best title i could come up with...)

I quizzically studied the man across the table from me. There wasn't much to see. He had a hood on that wrapped around his head. The only feature I could make out was his nose. The hood hooked down from the top, wrapped around the side, and basically did all it could to conceal his facial features.

His offer had made me start with surprise. A guide across the mountains? And only 20 francs? Who could pass this up? Plus i needed to get out now, so I agreed. I pushed 10 francs across the table to the man. "Where are the other 10?" His deep, gruff voice demanded. "Ten now, and ten when we get there." I insisted. He grunted his consent, grabbed the money, and left. Now to just survive until tonight...

I hurried out of the dark taverna. I looked to make sure I wasn't being watched, then melted back into the shadows.

I can never think of titles...

I leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Are you sure?" My eyes were following the beautiful white Arabian and her handlers. Mare leaned over and whispered back, "Yeah, I think I could tame her in a couple weeks." I had some trouble hearing her, because of the shrill squeals of the horse. Also the music coming over the loudspeaker combined with the voice of the auctioneer did not help at all. The auctioneer was saying, "Will anyone buy this...um..fine mare? she is...um...even tempered and well worth buying!" I wondered if we were looking at the same horse. This was a terrified horse dragging along her handlers. She also looked partially wild. I could see potential in the horse. I looked at Mare again, "Are you sure?" She hesitated, then nodded. I stood up, waved our number and shouted "$200!" Everybody turned to see who was crazy enough to buy the horse. "Sold!" came the voice of the happy auctioneer. I sat down. The  man sitting next to me  said, "You know eight people have tried to tame that horse?" "What happened to them?" I asked. "Two were killed, two were bitten, two had bones broken, and two just gave up." I smiled and said, "Perfect, I love a good challenge!"

Intro to my Research Paper on the Boxer Rebellion

As Father and I went to the cloth merchant’s house to sell our goods, I looked around the city. Much had changed since the foreigners had come to my homeland. More of our people were wearing the western style of clothing. Our cloth was not selling well when we went to the market. We were losing business now that the western clothes were selling cheaper. Many of the trades were passed down from father to son, just like my father did for me, these trades were becoming extinct. The westerners machine made cloth and pottery, just to name two, were selling a lot cheaper than our hand made products were. We pulled in front of Li Wu, the cloth merchant’s, house. I watched as Father and Li Wu talked. I could not hear what was said, but Father did not look happy as he climbed into the cart. “What is wrong Father?” I asked, “Why did you not sell our cloth to the honorable Li Wu?” Father replied, a tinge of annoyance creeping into his voice, “Because son, the westerner’s cloth is cheaper for the merchants like the honorable Li Wu to buy and sell. No one will buy our cloth.” We went to other merchants, but like Li Wu, they told us that the Westerner cloth was easier to buy. In the lean years to come, I learned to hate the foreigners for what they had done to my family. Our family and others of the trade were put into poverty from the Westerners machine made products. As my hatred grew, I heard about the cult called the Fists of Harmonious Righteousness or the Boxers. I joined the cult to extract my revenge for what these foreigners had done to my family.

Criticsms are greatly appreciated :)

The clash of swords echoed through the clearing. A bead of sweat rolled down my forehead. I had to end this NOW. I risked a dangerous maneuver; I stabbed at my opponent, then whirled in a tight circle, my long, glossy black hair fanning out behind me. I turned my head in order to spot my opponent. He had kneeled and had his sword in the ‘block’ position. I had to do something, and quickly. I had my answer in the bat of an eye. I pulled my sword in towards me, and used the momentum to catapult over my opponents head. I somersaulted when I hit the ground. I sprang up, whirled, and stabbed at my opponent. I missed by a hairsbreadth. I then angled my sword, and slashed my opponent from shoulder to hip. He keeled over, his chest a bloody mess. I bent down and checked his pulse. Nothing, he was dead. I straightened up and blew a strand of sweaty hair from my eyes. Third attack today, I thought as I moved toward the stream at the edge of the clearing to wash up. She must really want to re-capture me again. I pondered  the way the water droplets shined on my heavily scarred wrists.

One of my Ideas

Hello,

            My name is Gertrude Anna Ruby Yen, or as I like to be called, Gary. I am 20 years old, 5’8”, and have an athletic build. You have probably never heard of me, I have sent you the package you now hold in your hands. In the package is my diary with everything that has happened to me in the past three years. All of it is true. Do not take it lightly, and DON’T throw it out, it might get into the wrong hands. Please pardon all my misspellings and the blacked out words. And take everything I say with the utmost seriousness. What I went through, might happen to you some day.

                                                                                                      Gary