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When I can’t feel my arms, I keep swimming. They burn, like tiny sparks traveling up and down my muscles. But I keep chasing, chasing down a good time, a record, a personal best. My friends, screaming themselves hoarse on the other end of the pool. It’s too close. One and a half laps left. I turn onto my stomach and prepare to flip, taking in a deep breath of the cool air, it tastes like the pool’s famous french fries, the best in the league. I flip quickly, snapping my legs around. The girl next to me flips at the same time. It seems impossible to sweat underwater, but it isn’t. I can feel my skin prickle with sweat as the blue plus on the opposite end comes into view. I don’t know If I can do this. The thought occurs to me as the girl’s neon green team suit comes into view in the corner of my eye. I don’t have time to breathe again, but I need to, I need to breathe, to break the surface. I pull myself up to the light and inhale deeply.

“The hell are you doing? You don’t have time to breathe!” My coach yells from the side of the pool. Oh do I know it. My arms feel weak, my legs are half numb. I’m almost there. I push my arms behind me one more time and kick. My hands hit the rough concrete wall. I made it. I spin around and look at the reader board.
HEIL, WILLA

I can’t make out the number beside it. My friend half pulls me out of the pool, screaming in my ear.

“You did it! You got first!” My limbs are heavy, I lean on her.

“So, you want a french fry?”

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The streets glistened like shiny ornaments in the rain. I get to the front door of my aunt's house. As soon as she opened the door, I could smell the fresh smell of our Christmas feast. The smell of cinnamon and cranberries lifted the room. I sat down at the dinner table, gathering with my family. We all shared looks at the huge amount of ham sitting on the table. I was so tempted to eat it right that second, I felt like a hungry animal watching their prey in silence. Just as soon as the last potato casserole had steamed out of the oven, sizzling like a rattlesnake. I looked harder, harder and harder. It was rising! It gushes out of the pot, onto the floor and all over the kitchen. My aunt looked horrified! No the potato casserole! My family all shared looks and silent stares. What were we going to do now, potato casserole was my aunt's favorite dish. We all sat there, every minute somebody's stomach growls of hunger. My aunt walks over to the table after cleaning up some of the mess. And just like that, we all started laughing, laughing as a family. We all shared a prayer and then we dove into the juicy ham like we haven't eaten in years. I knew the potato casserole moment will never be forgotten.

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30-30 and it's the 4th quarter in the semi-finals we’re down 10 seconds left. 9,8,7...one more layup...6,5,4...no fouls…3,2,1 errrrrrrrr. Overtime. Everybody was on the edge of their seats. We come over to our benches for our new plan. Our coach draws up a plan. Sweat pours from our faces. When we are back on the court, we have 5 minutes to score and then that's it we win. When the ref throws the ball up and we win tip-off. The parents from the other team yelling at the refs every foul are travel or double dribble. Number 20 from the other team goes for a layup everybody is all tense but it rolls out of the hoop! Our bench is screaming no fouls!  It was the loudest game and the older girls came and watched to see who would win. We have a crowd. The gym smells like popcorn. One of our guards goes up for a layup and the refs blow their whistle. She’s going to the line for a chance to win it for us. She does her routine and  misses the first one. Takes a deep breath, and shoots the ball. Up...up...up...SWISH! Our bench runs over to her and we celebrate our victory! We’re going to the championship!

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I put on my puffy burgundy coat and stepped outside. A cool breeze swept across my face. It was only 6:30 and the sun was just starting to rise. I watched wispy strands of pink and orange fill the dark blue sky. The sun slowly started to peek out from behind the tall evergreens that stretched across my backyard. In front of those evergreens were oak trees coated with bright reddish orange leaves.

Suddenly, I heard rustling from the piles of leaves that scattered the lawn. A big figure with brown hair jumped up. “Hey baby girl.”

“Felicity!? How did you get in my yard!?” I shrieked.

“I don’t know. I made a pie though.” She pulled a freshly baked pumpkin pie from the leaves. I was too confused to even start to wonder how she managed to make a pie in my backyard at 6:30 in the morning, but the pie smelled really good.

“Umm… Do you wanna eat the pie or not?” She carefully picked a few leaves off the top of the pie filling.

“Sure,” I giggled and carefully sat down in a pile of leaves, making sure I didn’t sit on another pie.

She pulled out a knife and two forks from her hair and cut a couple slices of pie. I was no longer surprised by all the things Felicity made appear out of nowhere.

She stood up and grabbed plates from out of an oak tree and placed a slice on each one. “Sorry about the twigs, I just couldn’t pull them out.” I looked down at what she gave me, disgusted. Pumpkin is my favorite kind of pie, so I ate it anyway.

“C’mon, let's go eat this inside.” I stood up and started walking to the back door.

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I woke up one crisp fall morning. The wind blowing the leaves, birds chirping, and my alarm clock beeping. It was gameday! We were playing against the NW Blazers, in the championship for state. I woke up, made my bed, and went upstairs to make some pancakes. I turned on the griddle and poured my mix. My pancakes sizzled and I got out a plate and some syrup. After breakfast, I went downstairs and got my jersey on. I went into the bathroom to do my hair.  Brushed my hair then put it into a ponytail. Got my pre wrap, did my braid and was out the door. When I got to the gy, I was watching the game before us to help me get ready. Once the game was over I got my shoes on and went to go warm-up. The sound of the balls bouncing was a sign that the game was about to start. We go to the bench, talk game plays, and we go onto the court. We win the tip-off and we weave through the defense to get an easy bucket. But knowing we are playing the Blazers, it is going to be a really close game. At halftime we are up by about 10. We go to the bench, get a cold drink of water. All the siblings go out onto the court to go shoot. All we hear is all the squeals and laughs from kids chasing each other up and down the court. The buzzer sounded, beeeeeeeeeeeppppppp. It was gametime. You could feel the intensity. We got back onto the court and started to go to work but the Blazers had a fire in them. They were coming back. A little bit at a time.  By the last 2 minutes you couldn’t hear anything. The fans were going crazy for every bucket. I had the ball at the top of the key, the screen comes, I go off of it and get my defender skating and go get a bucket. We are up by 4, timeout by the Blazers. We go to the bench and then we go back on the court. 15 seconds left in the game it’s tied. They have the ball and they go into the lane and miss the layup, it’s overtime. In overtime, we trade buckets. 32 seconds left and Deets has the ball, uses some time and weaves through the defense and gets the floater, the bench goes crazy, the fans go crazy, and the Blazers have been defeated. We were all so pumped, it was our first time beating them!

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There it was. The smell of it was overwhelming. The steam from it rose into the air. The butter melted into it to make it smooth and creamy. The cheese melted into them causing it to become . The olives and tomatoes added the perfect pop of color to the blain white of the potatoes. The sour cream on top was the perfect touch. The spoon sank into the baked potato like a knife into butter. The potatoes were creamy and smooth, and the olives were the perfect texture and added more flavor. The potatoes were delicious!

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I sat in my chair patiently watching the waiter walk towards my table with a plate of food. The closer he came the more the delicious scent increased, I stared at my cheese burger. “Have a good meal,” the waiter said before walking away. I took a bite and my mouth was filled with a wonderful taste, partly because I was so hungry. I was quickly left with my last bite, I savored the taste.

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The sizzling of steaks cover the sound of my rumbling stomach. The fresh aroma of mashed potatoes makes my mouth water. I begin to fall inpatient as I listen to plates clanking while I grow hungrier. I can taste the sizzling asparagus and it only makes it worse. “Bbgbgedhbdhebbwhebdhwbdhhb”, my belly says as it senses food. I can see my order of steak and potatoes on the counter ready to be delivered by a waiter. My eyes tear as the waiter sets the food down on my table. My mouth becomes a river as I watch the juice spill out of the meaty steak. My fork sinks into the creamy potatoes and I cry happy tears. The steak explodes with juices as I bite into it. “Are you alright sir?”

“Oh I am better than alright” I whisper through gritted teeth trying to not let any juice out. I reach for another bite but all I hear is the scratch of the fork to plate. I yelp in pain, as I let out a different type of tears. I hear the loud sizzles of the kitchen but none of it is mine. I taste the creamy potatoes in the air but they are not mine. I feel the heat of the tender steak but it's not mine. The frigid air meets my face as I walk to my car. “Another successful visit to outback steakhouse”

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The sweet heavenly  smell of the fresh strawberries finely placed onto the whipped cream to make a perfect topping to the golden crust baked to absolute perfection. Served on a white plate and on the edges it was wavy forming the shape of the petals of a rose. I picked up the cold fork and stabbed it into the crust. The inside slowly started seeping out and the pinkish red filling fell on the plate with chunks of strawberries. I scoop up the filling and take a chuck out of the crust to have the perfect balance. I open my mouth and take a big bite. The tartness of the filling combined with the sweet whipped cream makes the buttery filling the best contrast to it. I swallow my first bite and I almost float away, this is a dessert i've never had before.

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I stepped out into the crisp fall air. The cool air quickly filled my lungs. All around me were the vibrant colors of fall. Reds and oranges, greens and yellows. I could hear the wind blowing through the trees. They swayed in unison, back and forward back and forward. I could hear the footsteps of children playing in the leaves ‘snap!’. I could smell the freshness of the air.

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The steak looked juicy and ripe. It smelled so good as if it was made by a gourmet chef. I could hear it sizzle on the pan. It felt tender and hard in my hands . as i took a bite it tasted like an ocean of meat crashing around in my mouth. I felt the juicy tender steak get stuck in my teeth. It was like heaven in my mouth but it was all over the second I swallowed it. Just looking at it makes me so hungry that I could eat a horse.

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On any other afternoon, my mother was burning her three wick ‘Leaves’ Bath and Body works candle. I ran down all of the beige carpeted thirteen tiny steps, down the hallway with a fancy, hard gray and white carpet, the tiny kitchen where my mom and I make our daily packaged ramen.  When I had walked into the kitchen, my mom was making spicy shin ramen, while she wore her Barefoot Dreams blanket-like grey and cream colored cardigan. The air of pure spiciness made my mouth water, and it seemed to be close to finished, due the noodles' softness, and the water boiling so much that there is not a single crevice where it isn’t boiling.

“Is that for me?” I ask. It was right in my face, and the strong mouthwatering spicy aroma made me cough. Perfect.

“Well, I had originally made this for myself..” Dreams: crushed. My stomach was screaming on the top of its lungs, to the point where it could be heard throughout the whole house. I felt my stomach twist, turn, and rumble in hunger. It felt like the ramen had slapped me in the face and said, ‘That’s a you problem.’

“...but you can have it.” Oh my god, nevermind. Forget that entire sob story. It was like my stomach was now visibly smiling from joy, my mouth felt like it would jump off my body and never come back. And oh my lordy lord, it was better than I had ever imagined. All of my taste buds were jumping in joy, and the soup tasted like heaven in a soup spoon.

But the smell of ramen will stink up the house afterwards with a rotten smell. But let’s not think about the future.

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“It smells so good!” I squealed with delight. It was my favorite meal, homemade mac n cheese. I could smell it from my bedroom! The delightful fragrance had lured me to the kitchen. Then I saw the cream colored silky smooth bowl of deliciousness. I grabbed a cold metal spoon from the drawer and started to eat. The creamy cheese melted in my mouth. It was rich in flavor. It was the one food I would eat every day I could.

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My family and I sat down at the table as my mom brought over the delicious smelling, golden brown turkey on the round silver serving platter. “Dinner is served!” She said. I reach over for the shiny fork and knife to cut myself off a piece. I start cutting into the golden brown turkey. It’s so tender it cuts right into it with no resistance at all. The turkey falls right off the bone and onto my plate. Then I reach for the pepper and sprinkle it onto my turkey. I wait patiently for the rest of my family to get some so we can all eat together. Everyone grabs their delicious piece of tender turkey and the smell fills the room. We all took a bite at the time and mmmmmmmm that turkey was good. It was soft, but not too chewy and nice and tender. We were all stuffed after dinner but it was worth it and the aroma still smells amazing in the room. It was a great dinner.

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I stepped out from my cozy warm house-filled with burning candles and the warm fire crackling. I took three steps and the cold fall wind whipped across my face. I heard the rustling of the trees. I felt the sting on my warm nose from the cold breeze. I was bundled from head to toe with my hat, jacket and warm boots. Only my hand -holding my dogs leash and my face was free. The wind came and went as fast a eagle soaring high. I danced in the wind- letting myself fall where the wind blew. The giant trees surrounding my neighborhood swayed in the wind. The dry leaves whirled around the path- creating vertical spirals all around me. My eyes opened to the distinct fall colors- that beautifully filled the path. My dogs ears flapped in the wind and he raced onward hoping to return to our warm cozy home soon. I let the wind push me forward and I sprang along the path enjoying my lovely fall day. My mind perplexed on the days events as I planned for the the rest of the day ….. I made it to where my house was and pulled hard with the wind and the door clicked shut behind me- I suddenly heard a silence. No rushing wind no blowing leaves. Just a beautiful warm silence.

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I sat in the loud crowd, with loud fans like me cheering, and families on the edge of their seats. As I watch the rainy game, it goes down to the wire. It’s the fourth quarter, with the Seahawks down by 2, and in field goal range. Russel Wilson throws a speedy pass, and it is caught to give them a closer shot at winning this game. As the nervous kicker steps off the bench and onto the field, he feels worried. But the crowd cheers him on, knowing this shot will be the deciding play of the game. As the ball is snapped, his shaky legs shoot out with tons of force, and kick the ball. The raspy and loud wind carries it, but it goes right in to win the game! As the loud crowd storms onto the field and cheers, I join in! We won the game, and I couldn’t be happier.