Richard quickly puts on a very plain plaid pajama pants and a shirt of mismatched variety, the conflicting colors making any well respected fashionista cry. But the need for a cool room overwhelms the very little respect he had for the clothing industry in a desperate attempt to gain control of the temperature of his resting place.

He quickly travels from his room past the bathroom, from which he hears one of his family members showering, to the kitchen, which has a sink overflowing with dishes and plates which are his task to clean today,  then to a hallway leading to the living room, which has his father watching the morning news.

“Good morning Richard. Nice day for a walk today, isn’t it?” He says, sarcastically. Richard is usually never up this early.

“It is too hot for me to sleep in, so I am going to the basement to try to cool down.” Richard quickly responds back and, in full seriousness, turns to open the door to the basement. The cold handle of the doorknob makes his hand feel nice, to the point where he is tempted beyond belief to keep holding the handle for the foreseeable future. Instead, Richard powers through the short term heat exchange in an attempt at perfect frigid air.

He quickly opened and closed the door making sure not to let any air escape, hearing a faint, “No good morning back? Tough love.” from his father, but he has no care for that, the air which surrounds him makes him feel euphoric, but disappointed. It is not nearly as cold as he wanted at the top of the stairs, not a good sign of the temperatures to come. 

Quickly down the stairs and around the corner to find it still unfortunately warm, yet every metal railing and object is a cool temperature which makes him desperate for more. So he starts stealing the heat from every object he can find, every last surface which has metal is warmed by him and cooled by them.

This continues until he finds a certain metal tea pot looking thing, probably made of some sort of brass due to the somewhat golden hue it gave off, so he rubbed his palm on it. Making sure to steal any of the warmth until suddenly, to almost no one but Richard's surprise, a genie appears, or at least, a very real hallucination caused by Richard’s craze for no longer being too hot.

“I can give you any three wishes you may want, anything at all and I can make it true. With some exceptions, now let me run through the rules. Firstly, you—”

“I WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE THE PERFECT TEMPERATURE!” Richard quickly cuts off the genie, to which the genie shrugs and snaps his fingers, causing Richard to smile in delight as he immediately sleeps a dreamful sleep, at the perfect temperature, much to the genie’s confusion. The father’s too, when he comes to investigate the noise and finds the genie waiting.

“Shame, I thought for sure you were a clubber.” She said. 

I sat uncomfortably on the tall armchair across from her, slouched, watching the wax of a lit candle mounted on the wall drip slowly down its length. The candle had been there for a bit it seemed, and was staining the red wall behind it. 

I didn’t quite know how I’d gotten here, or why I was staying. I’d come upstairs to attend to some guest, and had been pulled into the club room. It was hot but I didn’t want to take off my jacket. I shifted in the seat and the material of the chair rubbed loudly against my clothing. 

She looked up, eyelids hooded in a way that resembled the sleepy look of one glued to a hookah in a foreign harem-room, but she fixed her blue eyes on me and I felt the look down to my feet, which were planted firmly on the carpet below my chair. 

“Why are you uncomfortable?” 

The directness of the question took me aback just slightly. We had been talking aimlessly, lazily, frequent breaks for her to light up and stick a cigarette back in her mouth. She’d talk around it. Small talk, asking who I was, though I didn’t ask her anything about herself, only answered in small breaths similar to the smoke she was exhaling from her mouth, lazy streams that glowed like white liquid in the dimness of the room. I was sharp with her because I was sure I had to leave at some point soon. 

I told her just as such: “I’m on duty, should be getting going.” 

But I didn’t move and neither did she. 

“Ah,” she said, looking down at her hands with a light nod, “that’s a nice thought.” 

“Indeed.” I said, and looked around for a clock. 

“Do you come here often?” She said, and for a fuzzy moment I was sure she’d asked this question before, but no, I’d just gotten here.

I was nauseous suddenly, and I told her. 

“I feel sick.” 

“Shame.” She said, and looked down at her hands. 

She took a long drag on her cigarette. I began to doze slightly in my seat, opening my eyes a few times to the light of the candle flickering. A new drip had started downward, piling upon the stream of the last one. I closed my eyes as it reached the base of the candle-holder. 

The smell of smoke and the distant noise of chatter and wood popping are what led me to my family sitting by the large and illuminating bonfire in the thickly wooded area of New Hampshire we stayed in for a peaceful week in August.  Every night my family sat by a bonfire, this one however was different.  On the last night of our stay we made sure it was always the biggest one.  All of our faces were lit with an orange tinge from the light of the flames.  The heat felt like a warm hug and we just sat there in silence.  But it wasn’t silent.  Not really.  You could hear the calming cracks of the wood while they char from heat, the sound of the water from the lake behind us hitting the dock, where we had swam in the warm water everyday.  Sometimes we even took baths there because the well water in the house smells like eggs.  A smell I had never gotten used to no matter how many years we had stayed there.  We could hear the rustling of leaves in the distance from a small animal nearby, but most importantly we couldn’t hear fighting.  New Hampshire was always calm for my family.  There was no Wifi, no tv, and to me that meant no MTV on every second of the day.  The annoying laughter, stupid fail videos, and inappropriate jokes never appealed to a young old girl.  Everything around me smelt so fresh and clean when we would sit in the woods by the fire.  The sky would be so open and beautiful that it was captivating, and I would get sucked into just staring up at the sky and looking at all the stars.  My two brothers would sit at the dock behind us and try to catch one of the many squawking ducks that would come around everyday.  Sometimes with that the water would splash loudly and we would turn to make sure one of them didn’t fall in with their failed attempts.  While we didn’t make smores every night we always did them on our last stay, because it made it “more special” as my parents would say.  We would scavenge through the woods until we would find the perfect stick, one with not too many branches coming off it, it had to be somewhat straight.  We would slowly break it off a tree with every crack it made, trying to be more and more gentle with its rough edge so as to not completely ruin the branch.  We would take that jagged, sharp stick and shove a marshmallow on it and roast it until mine was golden brown- nothing more or less otherwise it doesn’t taste right, and sandwich it between 2 graham crackers and a piece of hershey's milk chocolate.  It always tasted like the best thing I have had all day.  The perfectly gooey marshmallow, slightly melted chocolate, and the crunch from the gram cracker had always been the best combination.  If the marshmallow had charred even the slightest bit it had always tasted burnt to me.  Towards the end of the night we would always tell jokes about what had happened throughout the day,  the campfire was always surrounded with laughs and chatter by this point.  Some of the best stories revolved around my 4 year old brother because he never knew how to shut up.  His laugh was infectious though.  When it was finally my time to make what felt like the longest hike back to the cabin and go to bed, my face would hurt from smiling so hard and I would always smell like smoke.  But at the time it never bothered me from just hopping right into my designated bed for the trip and falling straight asleep.  That bed felt like the most comfortable thing in the world by that point in my day.  It had never bothered me that no adults were in the house with me either, my older brother was there who is six years older than me.  In my mind he would always protect me.  The sound of the water would put me to sleep faster than anything else in this world without a worry in my mind. 

“Come on Chloe we’re going to be late for you doctors appointment” says Chloe’s mother

“I’m coming mom I swear, I just need to finish my breakfast” I say 

As i slowly unclip my feeding tube from my stomach I get up and clean all of my equipment up and as i’m getting my shoes on my mom starts screaming at me again. I tell her im coming and I soon get in the car with her giving me the most sour face ever, just because i’m a few minutes behind. We race down to the hospital, me checking my blood pressure and blood sugar as we drive. As we are getting there thats when the feeling sets in. Im going to find out if i’m gonna die or if i’m going to thrive in the life that I have left. We are getting in there and soon my heart starts to beat face hearing the beeping of the monitors and seeing doctors run around frantically.

“Good Morning Mrs.Smith, your daughter Chloe is here for some testing right?” Said the doctor

“Oh yes, we are trying to see if she is cancer free today. How exciting” My mom says

The doctor leads us to a bigger room with a hospital bed and some other machines, as I sat down he started to hook me up. Giving my mom papers to sign and things to look at while he was getting everything set up. Putting that clamp on my finger and the wrap around my arm to measure my blood pressure. It’s crazy to think this will be the last time i’m here, weather that be me loosing my life or gaining more years to live. The doctor lays me back on the bed and puts my arm on the arm rest, he puts the rubber band around my arm. I close my eyes at the thought that this will be the last time a needle is inserted in my arm, I wince at the slight pinch. Before I knew it the tests were over and all we had to do was wait about 12 hours for my results. 

It’s about 9 hours later and I had eaten my dinner and cleaned the tube in which my food is inserted in my stomach. Then I just laid back in the hospital bed waiting, waiting for my life or death situation. Mom is sleeping in the chair beside me she deserves it, she has done so much for me today. It’s hitting hour 13, one hour over what they promised for my results. My mom was up and she was getting impatient until a sliding door noise caught my attention, then my curtain was ripped open. 

“Hello Ms and Mrs’s.Smith we have gotten your results and I have to say they are not looking good” says the new doctor walking in.

“What are talking about sir?” says my mom in pure confusion

“I’m sorry Ms.Smith but you don’t have to long left on the earth with us, a minimum of 2 months, again I am sorry.”

I couldn’t cry, I couldn’t scream. I just laid there thinking to myself “Why me?”, I then slowly looked at my mom as tears start to roll down her face.

“I don't want to die mom” I say to my mom with tears starting to form in my eyes

All my mom could do was hug me shaking her head no as she looked as if she was in disbelief.

He took steps forward across the rugged bridge, clearly on its last legs. If he had weighed or carried a tiny bit more, he might have cracked the once mighty bridge and careened down the deep crevice in the earth. Luckily, that never happened. Once across, he looked at his map, specifically at a large red circle surrounding  some large structure. He sighed, and looked up, expecting to find whatever he was seeking. Instead, he found overgrown ruins, the cobblestone walls crumbing with just his footsteps beside it. 

He is seeking a mythical potion, one that will heal any ailment, illness, and physical problem. His wife had fallen ill, and even though he visited doctors, none could figure out her ailment. He got a tip from someone who stated that this place could give him what he needed. Now, he could hardly believe that. 

This place had once been great, sure, but now? Its a pile of rocks and bricks, with nothing of value. Or so he thought. Then, he saw the small man approaching him. He had grey hair, and a large beard, which came down to his feet, obscuring the rest of his body, and making him seem like just a walking beard. He was short, VERY short, and he was holding a walking stick to keep him standing. Then, the man stopped stopped walking and paused in front of him. 

“I know what you seek, young man. But I fear my answer as to where it is will upset you.” Thoughts race through his brain as he wonders how this man knows his quest, but he didn’t feel it necessary to ask. “Please, I need to know.” The man turns around, and points towards a large cave next to the ruins, piercing through the sunny day around them with its jagged stalagmites. “Its in there, but I must warn you, there lives a creature inside with immense power. You may want to reconsider.” The man motions towards the bridge, signaling him to leave. He stays his ground, however. “It doesn’t matter, I need that potion.” The man sighs. “Very well. You will need this, then.” 

He then suddenly reaches into his beard, pulling out a large sword which glistened in the sunny day, reflecting the sunlight into his eyes. The small man then held it out in his hands, for him to take. He holds the sword in his right hand, feeling the weight of the smelted iron. The old man turns around suddenly, and disappears before he can properly thank him.  

The man takes this as his queue, and takes a step inside the dank, reverbirating cavern. It dark, too dark to see anything within, but after a few minutes of walking, his eyes adjust. Suddenly, he sees a creature in the distance. It is a skeletal being, with a golden crown on his head, and he is working on something at a table. The man takes a step into the laboratory, when suddenly it turns around. Its white eyes pierce into the heroes soul, and it raises a large two-handed claymore in defense. The hero dashes towards the monster, slashing at the monster, but to no avail. Steel hits steel, and he cannot get a hit on the creature. Suddenly, he notices the dust on the ground. He kicks it up into the air and into the monsters eyes, and the monster steps back, rubbing its eyes. The man then takes the opportunity to swing. The sword slashes though the skeletons neckbone with a crack, and the skeletons head falls off its shoulders, the eyes turning to a pitch black color, signalling death.

 He takes a step forward, and sees the object he seeks: The Healing Potion. It is sat on a pedistal, with a golden pillow under it. He stags the potion, puts it in his bag, and runs out of the cave, back to his cabin in the woods. He bashes the door in, quickly runs over to his sickly wife, and slowly feeds her the potion. It takes a few moments, but it takes immediate effect. The man drops the sword, and they embrace

We climbed the spiral stairs to the very top, but before we got there, we were stopped on the stairs by this box shape. We investigated it more to find that it was a chest, filled with old maps and a compass. The maps were from England, and most of them were covered in dust. We didn’t want to rip them. So we carefully folded them back up. When we made it to the very top we could see for miles. I thought to myself “I could spend all day up here.” It put into perspective how small we really are, and I was able to realize how this beautiful island is left untouched for decades.

-taylor

The young wolves, eagerly learning from the parents, mirror the dynamics of children growing in a family, taking in skills, wisdom, and values passed through generations. As wolves hunt together, relying on communication and cooperation, families navigate challenges by supporting one another.

In addition, in both wolf packs and families, there’s a sense of belonging and reliance on each other for survival and emotional support. Wolves and families both share joys, successes, and failures, making them bond even closer. 

And like the howls that echo through the night, the bonds within a family echo with love, communication, and a commitment to stand together through tough times.

It was 11:35 A.M, the day had just begun. I had been trapped in a meeting about this intern's horrendous new marketing idea when I got a text. Buzz, buzz. I whipped out my phone and hid it under the table. Luckily I was at the back of the room so no one paid me any mind. Paul texted me: “John’s in were all set.” The plan was that John, who had been taking care of a security members house for the last few days, would dress up in his uniform and enter the building as a guard. The secretary of the building had a massive crush on Paul so as John would enter Paul would distract the secretary enough so she wouldn’t pay John any mind.

“Wake up!” I opened my eyes to see that I was in a car that wasn’t my own. “What the…?” I looked next to me. There was a random man. I immediately thought that I was getting kidnapped. “What-” “No time to explain! I guess I can really quickly, actually! I just kidnapped you, because I thought it would be fun! I’m crazy or something! I don’t know! I just know that we’re getting chased by a million cows!” I looked out the window. There were a bunch of cows running down the road behind us. “Who are you? Why did you kidnap me? Why are we getting chased by cows? This is absurd!” The man shook his head. “I don’t know why I kidnapped you or where the cows came from, but there’s a bunch of ducks in the road! Get out of the way!” I closed my eyes as the car went off of the road to avoid a big group of ducks. “What is happening? Am I dreaming?” “Nope!” I looked out the window. There was a bird flying alongside the car. Then a person on an elephant rode out of the forest. “Stop!” he screamed, putting his hands up. The man who was driving just pressed on the gas. I closed my eyes and told myself that I was dreaming. There was no way any of this nonsense was happening. I was still home in bed and it was just a nightmare. “Look! There’s an upside down building!” I looked out the window. A regular house was upside down. Through the window, I could see a family walking around upside down. I wondered what I had done the night before and if I was hallucinating. Suddenly, a voice came from behind me. “You boys are losing your minds.” I looked in the backseat to see my grandmother glaring at me. “Um… What are you doing in my dream?” “It’s not a dream! You’re really about to go into madness!” I shook my head. “But-” My grandmother interrupted me. “Look!” she shrieked. “I made cookies!” She handed me a plate of chocolate chip cookies. The dough was all different colors. “Why are they rainbow?” I asked, even though I should have known her response would be as crazy as everything else that was happening. “Because I put them in the bath!” I handed her the plate of cookies and tried to stop the man from driving us off a cliff. “WEEE!” my grandmother screamed as the car went into the air. I closed my eyes and held onto the sides of my seat. The man started speaking in a language I had never heard of. Then the car landed on a cloud. “What the-” “No swearing! Eat your cookies!” I looked at the plate of cookies I was still holding. “No, thanks.” My grandmother’s voice sounded demonic as she roared, “EAT THE COOKIES NOW!” That’s when the sun blew up. Somehow I knew that the aliens that had been watching everything decided they would never mess with us, the crazy people on Earth, again.

“Order, order! Come forth everybody!” The tall man exclaimed. Order, order!” 

The room fell into a pause, one such as a symphony going quiet before the final conclusion. 

“Today we have been gathered.” The man pulled a cigar out of his pocket and began to light it. “For a cause so justly deep and sincere. For today will be the greatest day history has ever known. Today's nation of technocratic leadership has come to an end. Its struggles and fear it has demised on our people throughout history will come to an end. Our pointless lives, yet not so pointless, have been guided by fate towards today's battle.” He took a deep inhale out of the smoke respirating Cuban cigar. “As a party of freedom and freewill we must fight for our faiths and rights of the people. Now gentlemen, arise, prepare yourselves for today’s fight. Libertas!” 

“Libertas!” The men broke into a loud bracket of chatter and yelling.

“Attention, attention!” A scraggy fellow arose to the podium among a crowd of young people. “Today we have been gathered…”