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Item 3B - Infographic & Library Junior Magazinet�SOUTHLAKE PUBLIC LIBRARY 3'W1 (j) BY THE I ]so„t Library Visits From May 24 to June 19, the Library had an average of 579 visitors each day! 2,14 kids signed up 428 19429 277 Preschool Kids Teen if) 6 0 Hours Read 6..197 Prizes Grand Prizes Earned Awarded NUMBERS 12024 Unique 70 Programs Offered 7 , Attendees * 0 * * 9 * * s Weekly Challenges & Scavenger Hunts Participants * 0 * * * * ! # In the summer, the library offers additional family programs to help { create magical moments for our community 91 A $1 Family Members engaged in our Family Programs! t�SOUTHLAKE PUBLIC LIBRARY 3'W1 (J) BY THE NUMBERS 12024 76 Books Total Checkouts III Volunteers ' 1 / Worked,Wk\ r 1,7to Hours Volunteers support the library by shelving, working on special projects, and serving as Summer Reading ambassadors. Adults & Teens Participated In Book Bingo & Read Over 7% Media & Audio 17% eContent t 0 ad o t Visitors Completed Weekly Reader Challenges s 00 0 90 0 Did you know? . Kids had a chance to find Big Foot every �._�� ..# day in the library. 306 Books during the Summer Kids found Big Foot! Visitors Completed Weekly Reader Challenges s 00 0 90 0 Did you know? . Kids had a chance to find Big Foot every �._�� ..# day in the library. 306 Books during the Summer Kids found Big Foot! T G&AI*Ke G bruir4l yo up, Wfkvl C4 rnp m OF %ffs(.vm' F'W" collecli0h o f SSOUTHLAKE PUBLIC LIBRARY Short es Stori LIBRARY FOUNDATION OF SOUTHLAKE A Jewel of a Story Junior Literary Magazine, 2024 Southlake Public Library & the Library Foundation of Southlake Short stories of action, adventure and mystery that touch the heart, make you laugh, and share the creative imaginations of our young writers. This year's literary magazine shares the stories inspired by the single image - the necklace. The necklace was without a story, and these writers gave it not just one - but many tales of adventure to call its own. Contributors Annika Cody Amelia Myers Graham Cody Ayla Myers Soren Cody Elijah Myers Evelyn Doros Aisha Pabley Grant Falls Aditya Tanwar Hannah Henson Avika Tanwar Sana Hyder Aaliyah Tejada Aniket Krishnamurthy Connor Trahan Lisa Lombard Dhruv Tummalapalli Evan Ma Zara Vasan Wilson Ma Divya Veluri Anne Sophie Montemayor Joey Yao Cover art by Avika Tanmar; above art by Joey Yao Accused Written by Aaliyah Tej ada Chapter One Abby Abby Richardson rushed into the mall and took off for the stores. She quickly ran down the hall as she passed dozens of other stores, trying to draw her attention. But she wasn't focused on anything else. Instead, she stopped shortly in front of a cream -colored shop. She'd been waiting for this place to open ever since she read about it. Expensive clothes, cool fashion; this store had everything. She found the nearest aisle and got to work, finding the perfect fit. Being an older sister and raised in a rich American household had its benefits. As Abby headed for checkout, she spotted a girl around her age stashing a necklace and stuffing it into her pocket. It was beautiful, wih shining diamond circles around a pearl bead, and inside it, a lady was pictured. She looked like a coin, head sideways, with a silver finish. Abby knew she had to have that necklace. She approached the girl and asked,"Any more of those from where you found it?" She looked at Abby, rolled her eyes, and said, "No. Brats like you don't even deserve this necklace." The girl had an annoyed expression on her face. Abby stood there for a second. "I'm not that spoiled," she thought. She wanted to say something, but the girl had already walked away. Strange. Abby finally paid for her things and left. She started walking towards her car until someone bumped into her, knocking her and the unknown figure to the ground. "Hey! Watch where you're going!" She got up and looked to find the same girl from the store. "Ugh! Not her again!" Abby thought. She was about to tell this mean, sixteen year old teenager to stop stalking her when all of a sudden she was met with another voice, low and commanding. Abby stood up and exclaimed, "Police! You're finally here! This... girl has been stalking me. Please, take her away!" "No," the graveled voice replied. "We're taking both of you to the station." Abby stared at this man in disbelief. The police were supposed to be on her side, not this other girl's. The girl stood up and said, "I have to be stuck with this brat? Come on!" "Hey!" Abby said "I am not a brat." "Oh yeah? Then how come you think you can get whatever you want, and that you're the richest person just because of daddy's credit card. I'm right, aren't IT' Abby looked at this girl, astonished. She had just assumed everything about her. Even though it was true, it still wasn't very nice. "I..." Abby started to speak, but was cut off. "Save it. You and I are going to juvie because you just had to have that necklace, and you just had to take an eternity to get to your precious car." 2 "Wait... what do you mean by `I just had to have that necklace?"' "I mean —whatever, nevermind. Forget I said anything." Abby was about to reply, but the police officer took them away before she could get a word out. "Come on. You're coming with me," The man grumbled. "But I didn't do anything wrong. You have to believe me, officer!" Chapter Two Isabel The girl was around her age, with blonde hair that looked like it was worth a thousand dollars. She was a brat. She didn't know anything about the necklace, and that was a good thing. Isabel Bromley couldn't, no, she wouldn't, let this brat ruin her whole plan. For months she had been devising a plan to finally steal the necklace. She had just put it in her pocket and was about to leave when the brat showed up. She had seen her earlier, yelling at people for no reason. She was definitely a brat, no doubt. Isabel had told the brat to leave, and the moment she looked away, Isabel snuck out of her sight. Phew! That was a close one. She rushed out of the store and could see the police tailing her. "Shoot!" As she turned to look forward, she only caught a glimpse of a person before she ran into them. It was the brat. Again. It was too late to stand up and run as the other girl started yelling at the police. Isabel gave her a piece of her mind to shut her up, but she just kept asking more and more questions. Isabel decided to stop talking. She was going to lose her mind if this girl said another word. At the station, the officer took Isabel's bag and started searching for the necklace. He hadn't gone far when he reached the shiny diamond necklace. He pulled it out of the bag, staring at it carefully. He then put it in a locker and locked it. The key was at the officer's side. "What am I going to do now?" Isabel thought. This whole situation could have been prevented if that brat hadn't intervened. It's all her fault." She thought. The moment the store had opened, so many people hurried in, including her. Everybody had designer clothes, Gucci bags, everyone was rich. Isabel stood out like a horse in a field of unicorns. She couldn't afford anything at that store, especially that necklace. She only stole it because she knew it was worth a fortune, but it wasn't all about the money. Suddenly, an officer dropped to the ground. 3 AJV&of1vKt!.41'1 Do Not Wear Written by: Aditya Tanwar This necklace was purchased from a shady dealer by a girl named Maya. As Maya skipped along the sidewalk, her pocket suddenly began to glow bright yellow, resembling lightning. Maya swiftly started running down the sidewalk at her maximum speed. Gradually, she began to slow down. Maya said, "Perhaps I am hallucinating, I am thirsty." Once Maya arrived home, she put her necklace with her clothing. The following morning, Maya decided to wear her brand-new necklace to school. Everyone complimented her on its beauty, even the boys. Maya was taken aback because she had bought it for only $0.50. She found it peculiar, but who knows? Upon returning home, Maya changed her clothes, had dinner, and slept. However, she forgot to remove her necklace before falling asleep. When she woke up, she discovered that bumpy clouds surrounded her room! Maya exclaimed in shock. She began poking and pinching herself, attempting to wake up from what she believed to be a dream. However, she did not wake up. Readers, imagine if you were 11 years old and alone without your parents. How would you feel? After shedding many tears and experiencing a great deal of drama, Maya, with teary eyes, picked herself up. As she looked up, she noticed a cloud in motion. Maya jumped in surprise but then approached it cautiously while wiping away her tears. The cloud came closer and suddenly dashed away. A spark of adventure ignited in Maya's mind. Because of this, she chased after the cloud. Maya knew it was risky, but she couldn't turn back. She was determined to uncover the mystery behind the cloud. When Maya finally caught up to the moving cloud, she accidentally tripped over it and realized it had three legs, which confused her. Maya grabbed the cloud with both hands, turned it around, and noticed it had two black eyes and one hand. This surprise did not sit well with her. Maya threw her hands up in the air and began running around, screaming, "A walking and talking cloud, ahhh!" After completing three laps, Maya heard the cloud apologize, saying, "Sorry for scaring you." Maya stopped, and then shouted, "Who are you?" "Who are you?" asked the cloud. "I am Maya Parker," she replied. The cloud introduced itself as Cloudy. After a brief silence, Maya apologized for running when she saw Cloudy. "It's fine. Many people get scared of me," Cloudy reassured her. "Do you know where I am?" Maya inquired. "Well, you are in Cloud Town," Cloudy responded. Maya then asked if Cloudy knew how to get back, explaining that she was not from there. 4 Cloudy noticed Maya's cloud necklace and said," Wow! Your necklace is made of cloudmonds." Maya guessed that the necklace might have taken her there. Cloudy suggested using the necklace to travel to different worlds. Excitedly, Maya asked how to return. "We have to climb the shortest mountain in the area." "Where is that?" she asked eagerly. "To the north. Come on, let's go!" Cloudy exclaimed, leading the way to the mountain. As they were climbing, the cloud slipped and the story was left unfinished... To be continued..... 5 Power of the Necklace Written by: Aisha Pabley Based on: Percy Jackson and the Olympians If you're a demigod and reading this, burn it now! If you're a regular mortal, I guess you can keep reading. I found out in a dream. (Yes, I know, but it's a demigod thing.) My soul link with Fern showed that he was in serious trouble. In the dream, he was in a very fancy room, not like rich fancy, but more like royal fancy. "Jack! Help, The Queen. Sh-sh-sh-she caught me!" The dream ended and I woke up. I didn't know who `The Queen' was. But I knew Anna could help, being the daughter of Athena. I went to her cabin and opened the door. She was on her bed, researching and listening to Taylor Swift. "Anna! Fern's in trouble!" "Good morning to you too. I know, I have a soul link too." "My bad. What'd you find out?" "He's in England," she answered. "How' d you figure that out?" "The British flag was behind him," she said casually. "Why is he in England?!" "You mean he didn't tell you?" "Tell me what?" I asked. "Tell you about the necklace." "I don't think so." I tried to think back, but I couldn't remember Fern ever coming to my house. "I guess he was in a rush," Anna concluded. "Whatever." "Anyway, a couple of days before you came, Fern told me that he had to go help his friends in Spain. They were in a drought and—" "He has friends in Spain?" I interrupted. "He's a satyr, they have friends wherever there's nature. Now if I could continue." "Sorry." "Where was I? Oh yeah. His friend in Spain was in a drought and they told him that there was a necklace and it belonged to the royal family." "What's so special about it?" I asked. "It has the power to heal nature."Anna said way too dramatically, "So, he's been going all over Europe trying to find it, and now he has!" 0 "What's it look like?" I asked. Anna pulled up a picture on her laptop. I was speechless. "Wow!" I said. The necklace was beautiful! It was black with a picture of a lady's head turned sideways. Diamonds lined the edge, it definitely seemed like it belonged to the royal family of England. "I just don't get it." Anna muttered. "Get what?" I asked. "Huh?" "What don't you get?" I repeated. "Oh. Well, I just don't know how I've never heard of this necklace." Anna had her own little moment of silence, then gasped. "It's Roman! ! !" she concluded. "Huh?" I asked. Since I was the son of Hades, I usually didn't follow along with these types of things. "Oh Greek gods, Jack! Fern is going after an ancient Roman artifact!" "So?" "Romans are very protective of their things! `The Queen' must be of Roman descent!" "Okay, so let's go help him!" I froze, then collapsed. It felt like I was bodysurfing on glass. Fern was hurt, I could feel it through my soul link. "Jack! What happ—" she couldn't finish. She collapsed too. We just lay there, on the cold, hard floor, breathing in all the dust that our lung capacity could hold. Finally, another camper from the Athena area walked into Anna's cabin and called a medic from the Apollo area. After a few hours we were on our feet again. Anna and I talked and decided to make a request for a mission. We walked to the center house and knocked. Larken greeted us at the door. "Jack, Anna! Come on in!" TO BE CONTINUED... 7 Trapped Written by: Aniket Krishnamurthy This necklace belongs to you. You bought it at a jewelry shop. You place it on your table and go to sleep, the necklace thinks otherwise. You wake up dazed. Your body feels light. There's light all around you and you can't feel anything. You look up and see a blue gem and it looks familiar. You realize it's the gem from your necklace. Are you inside the necklace? No it can't be. You're going crazy. Suddenly you see a blue light in the distance. As you walk toward the blue light you hear whispers. Suddenly you hit a wall but you can't see it. You feel everywhere for something because at this point you're desperate to get out. But as you lay down in sorrow the blue light comes toward you and it speaks. "Hello. My name is John. I got stuck in this necklace fifty years ago. How did you get in here?" You stutter and say, "I got stuck here after I went to bed. Is there a way out?" "If I knew, I wouldn't be here." "Maybe the gem, we can reach from the mountain?" "Leave without me. I'm too old and after you get out destroy the necklace." "But won't that kill you?" you say. "I can't climb the mountain in this state. It's for the better." "OK I will," you say. Your head is ringing from hitting the invisible walls over and over again. You doubt if you are ever going to get out of this prison of a maze. Let alone getting out of the necklace. You lay down and you give up. Then suddenly you see yellow lines. They look like they're following the walls. You realize no, you are not giving up. You finally get out of that terrible maze. Now on to step two. The Mountain. It's a long way to the mountain, let alone climbing it, but you know you can get out of here. You make it to the mountain but you feel shaking. But now it's stopped and you hear stomping. You look back and see a giant yellow warrior with a sword. The necklace must want you dead real bad. You keep running and climbing. You're almost there but the slice of that sword is right behind you. You see the top and jump to touch the gem right by the blade. "Ugh my head," you say. You see a light and you make it out. You did. You're in your house. The police are here. They put you in a chair. You remember the necklace. It's at your feet. You stomp on it with all your might. The gem splits. The chain unlinks. "It's over," you say. "Well not exactly." You look up. It's the person you bought the necklace from. "So after you disappeared the cops got curious because a lot of people disappeared and they all had one thing in common. They bought jewelry from us. I got curious too so at work I looked at files and found out that my company sprayed something on the jewelry to capture people for their own wicked things. So I reported and they got shut down and the cops made them take the people out." Finally it was all over. I could go back to my life as a jewelry collector. PJ The Heist Written by: Anne Sophie Montemayor Once upon a time there was a girl named Anna. She lost her mother when she was four years old. She couldn't spend much time with her father. She was very lonely. One year later her father showed Anna her new mom. She was very rude when her new mom walked in. There was a paper that said a bank heist tomorrow at 9 p.m. So now it is 9 p.m. She gets her camera and follows her new mom. She sends the video of her new mom. She had a secret necklace. When she was given a medal, she broke the necklace and her mom was out of the necklace. A Tale of Treasure Written by: Annika Cody In a little town there was a group of treasure hunters and another group that was called treasure protectors. The general got a letter to go to a cave. The group left the small town to explore the cave. The treasure hunters traveled for days and days. They had to set up camp a lot of times. They had to climb mountains and trudge through snow. It was almost like they lived there. They found a cave but not the right cave. The cave was dangerous and filled with white water. The water went up to the general's waist. It was like there was sand under their feet but it was solid rock. Men leapt out of the water but the general was dragged down. The men went on without him. One man said, "There's the treasure!" Other men, the protectors, called, "Hey, that's our necklace." The hunters escaped the cave with the protec- tors chasing them. "Get the necklace!" one man shouted. They were on horses and the horses stopped. There was a cliff. The other men were getting closer and closer. They finally got away. After a long day of traveling, they were going to set up camp at a very deserted place where no one had lived for a long time. Six men were traveling and their map blew away, so they didn't know how to get back home. They protectors found the hunters and wanted to take the necklace without them knowing. There were too many men to fight. They decided to give up and go back home. After a fun night at a campground, the two groups became friends and opened a museum. 10 F N WHO IS THE THIEF? Written by: Avika Tanwar The necklace was a dark boring piece of jewelry, but in his eyes it was priceless. It had a vague shape of a lady, surrounded with black and silver crystals that could only catch a thief's eye. It was locked away in a tight silver glass in the Smithsonian because it supposedly belonged to a magical fairy from centuries ago. As Daxon crept into the exhibit by the bright moonlight, he saw the beauty. He ran his fingers through the security lock pad, and gracefully unlocked the crystal clear covering. He was about to grab the necklace and have all of his wildest dreams come true, when he heard a thud. He turned to see if security had come to bust him, but the moonlight showed no sign of anyone else. He turned to bolt out with the magical necklace, when he came upon a shocking truth. The necklace was gone. Sweat started racing through Daxon's forehead and his head felt like a bowling ball. He had spent months carefully planning every detail of this heist, and when he was just about to complete his mission, the necklace just disappeared? This couldn't have been a coincidence. Someone else was here, playing the same game as Daxon. Daxon scanned the hall of the exhibit for any openings, and then it hit him. Daxon's eyes landed on a particular detail. Next to the entry of this ancient jewelry exhibit there was a glowing golden chain that surely wasn't there before.This was the same path that Daxon used to sneak inside the museum, and nobody but him knew about it. With this realization, he dashed outside and saw a vehicle pulling away. "Hey you! Stop! Stop right there!" Daxon yelled. But of course the car didn't stop. Instead it drove away as fast as it could. Left in heavy tears, Daxon noticed something. The car that drove away wasn't just any car, it was a car that belonged to the Fierce Five. After seeing the F5 bumper sticker, Daxon knew that mystery thief was one of the Fierce Five's thieves. Daxon rode on his motorcycle thinking, "Why would one of the Fierce Five steal the Napa necklace when they told me to steal it?" But it wasn't just the necklace that Daxon was worried about. He was scared that now he wouldn't be a part of the Fierce Five. Actually, Daxon had no interest in stealing anything, not even a lollipop from a candy store, but he did this grand heist so he could join the Fierce Five. Daxon wasn't very loaded with cash, and after knowing that there was a vacant spot on the Fierce Five, Daxon couldn't let this deal slip away. And so he ended up at the Smithsonian at the command of Badger, the head of the thief gang, to steal the Napa necklace. But someone from the Fierce Five had gotten to it before Daxon, and he was going to find out who. Daxon stopped his loud motorcycle with a loud screech. If Daxon wasn't surrounded by leafy green trees he surely would've been caught. He tapped the boulder in front of him in a musical rhythm and it slowly started to open. Daxon bolted inside the secret cave and didn't waste a second. He immediately screamed, "Which one of you stole the Napa necklace at the Smithsonian before I could?" "Whoa buddy! Let's chill out here. Why would we send you on this mission if we could've stolen this ourselves? We wanted to see if you had the guts to be called one of the Fierce Five, and frankly you have returned empty handed," replied Badger in a calm tone. 11 "Yeah. You probably didn't even steal it," said Dagger, another thief in the Fierce Five, while rolling his eyes. "Then show me your hands," Daxon said looking in each thief's eyes. "Uhhhh okay," replied four thieves. Badger, Dagger, Cobra and Tiger showed their hands. Daxon was looking for any dirt on their hands because the mystery thief would have gotten their hands dirty crawling through the underground passage. Unfortunately, there were no signs of dirt. "If you're done looking at our hands, I would like you to leave," Badger said, pointing to the entrance. But Daxon wasn't ready to give up. He noticed that Badger was in a hurry for Daxon to leave, which drew Daxon's suspicions to Badger. "Dagger, Cobra and Tiger, can I ask you something?" asked Daxon. "Sure, I guess," replied Cobra before anyone could say no. Daxon lowered his voice to a whisper and asked, "Do you know whose golden chain this is? I saw it dropped outside the cave when I was coming in." "Of course! It's Badger's gold chain. I stole it for him from Smith's Jewelers," proudly replied Tiger. Daxon smiled but then jumped into a frown. All he wanted was to finally be part of a group and earn money so he could sleep indoors and eat food that was too fancy to pronounce. But these thieves tricked him into stealing this gem, when he could've gone to jail, just for fun? Daxon wasn't going to let them get away with this. He showed Badger the chain and said, "I know you're the mystery thief. Your chain was dropped at the entry of the exhibit." "Hey! You lied to us!" exclaimed Dagger, Cobra and Tiger. "Well, well, well, I guess you passed," Badger said with a small grin. "Passed?!?" Daxon said, very confused. "Like I said before, it takes guts to be in the Fierce Five, but also smarts. You've shown to have both. You carefully planned the heist, but you also paid attention to the details and found the culprit. Welcome to the Fierce Five Daxon!" Badger said, handing Daxon the Napa necklace. Daxon looked at the Napa necklace and smiled. This is exactly what he wanted, to be part of the Fierce Five, but why wasn't he happy? Then it hit him. Even though he planned to steal the necklace, it made knots in his stomach. He would have to steal so much more, and Daxon wasn't sure he was ready to take such a big risk. He looked at the necklace's warm silver glow. He closed his eyes and decided to test if the necklace was actually magical. He whispered the words, "I wish I am wealthy enough that I don't need to steal again." The necklace sparkled and Daxon never saw the Fierce Five again. Years went on and Daxon lived a great and honest life. He never stole again and was a very rich, successful businessman. Oh, and the Napa necklace stayed safe with Daxon in his locked cabinet. Turns out Daxon's life got better with just a little magic! 12 Target Thief Written by: Ayla Myers Chapter 1 - The Necklace This necklace belongs to me. My mother gave it to me when I was two. I love my parents very, very much. They will never let anyone take advantage of me. "Oh, hi! Sorry, that's rude. My name is Ayla. What is yours?" Chapter 2 -Target "Let's buy everything," I said. We got some stuff and went to go pay. Suddenly, I said, "Someone stole my necklace!" I looked back and I saw a man. He got into his car. We decided to follow him and hypnotize him to get the necklace back. We got the necklace back and un-hypnotized him. We called the police, and they arrested him for 500,000 years and we lived happily ever after. 13 Blackout Diamond Written by: Connor Trahan PROLOGUE Everyone knows about the hope diamond, but there was another, the blackout diamond. It could use the sun's power to create large energy blasts. It was found by the agency and Bob must stop them. The agency boss was thinking in his chair when he heard a knock at the door. "Come in," he said. A man in a coat walks in and says, "I found him." "Who," said the boss. "Bob, your son." The man walks out of the room leaving the boss worried. MEANWHILE "Dang it!" said Bob. "I can't find this stupid base." Bob had been searching for months and was about to give up but he realized the map was backwards, so he restarted his journey. After three more weeks of searching he found it, the agency bunker, so he put his hand on the scanner. It said DNA RECOGNIZED and it opened. When he got to his father's office, the door was already open and he went in. He was before his father. "Where is it?" said Bob. "I'll never tell you," said his dad. Just then Bob noticed a glass case with the diamond in it. He dashed at it and broke the case and grabbed the diamond and ran out closing the bunker behind him and locking it. You see, spies put sleeping gas machines in it and Bob pressed the button and ran home. He got home safe and put the diamond in a secret spot. With having stopped the agency, Bob knew he had saved the world. 14 A Dangerous Business Written by: Dhruv Trummalapalli Chapter 1 I walked into the building to check the place out. As I walked, I wrote down how many cameras and guards there were, and how the security was designed. I continued my stroll throughout the building, and then I saw it behind the seven inch bullet proof heat sensoring glass. I wondered how I was going to do it. After I was done with my walk, I headed home to my worthy mansion filled with priceless artifacts that, let's just agree to say, I rightfully acquired. Later in the night, I walked down the road to the building with my gadgets and gizmos. I would say I borrowed them from the government but of course they would say differently. I picked the lock with my handy dandy knife and went in to see where my precious was but it was GONE!!!! Chapter 2 Where had it gone? I started to panic. Just to be sure, I started walking downstairs to see if it was relocated for cleaning. I burned the doors down with my high powered flame thrower. I was relived to see it there, but right then and there I caught someone else in the act. He was quick, as soon as he came, he left. I began to chase him, he got in his Ferrari and sped away. I knew it had to be a team, not just one person, seeing that he got into the passengers seat and that another person was talking to him through a laptop who wasn't the getaway driver. Later in the morning I had reached out to my sources to find out who the other robbers were. I could not figure out anything about them. Chapter 3 I went on my daily routine to get some coffee, then I saw him. I recognized the watch he was wearing from last night's robbery. I slowly followed behind him to see where he might be living. I used my skillful tactics so I wouldn't be noticed. We finally came up upon an apartment/condo in New York City. I wondered why such skilled robbers would live in the open. I had my chance, so I sneaked in right there and then. All three of them attacked me. I later awoke, having been unconscious from a blow. I was tied up to a seat. 15 Chapter 4 Their gang leader had popped up behind them to question me about my break in. They recognized me from the other night of the robbery. They asked me what my name was and I said "James." I then fell unconscious and woke awoke again in an underground layer. They told me their names and asked me one question. They said simply, "Do you want to work with us or die?" Chapter 5 I didn't know what to say. I was astonished by their question. I knew that they killed people because that night they had stabbed a night guard and he almost died. I didn't want to be with them but I didn't think I had a choice, so I said yes. As soon as the next day, we got assigned to an everyday bank robbery. They killed 2 people. I wanted to run away, I didn't want to be in a group where they killed people. I had made a decision, I was going to run away. Get off the grid. Chapter 6 I was on the lam, away from them. I had no choice but to contact my pilot because they had too many people, too many sources. I had made a quick trip to my mansion to gather some essentials before leaving. I got into my shiny blue Bugatti and sped off. I arrived on the tarmac, and loaded my car into my plane. I had already made arrangements for a house and other essentials. We had to take a stop because we needed to get gas. Then we left again. Chapter 7 Once we landed in an island in Japan, I got in my Bugatti with my butler to go to my new house. Me and my butler had started unpacking our things. He went upstairs and I went down. He was constantly talking to me. Then, all of a sudden it got quiet. I yelled for him, but he didn't respond. I went upstairs and the sight made my heart sink. He was dead. He was my best friend from a young age and once he told me he didn't have a job I hired him. I saw him on the ground shot, blood pouring out of him. I checked for his pulse but it wasn't there. I checked if he was breathing he was not. I started to cry. I knew this was the work of one of the gang members. I was enraged. I was going to kill them, even if I had to do it with my bare hands. TO BE CONTINUED... jV tv 16 f.. 400sr. NF y i Princess of France Written by: Divya Veluri ,'tom 4 It was a cold, snowy day. I was on my way to Paris High School when I saw my friend Sofia coming my way. She looked as if she had cried. She had red puffy eyes and a runny nose. I thought something must have happened at home. But I was wrong, "Isabella, Adam broke up with me, I cried all night, but now I am finally over him." Inside, I was secretly happy they broke up because Adam is the biggest jerk at our school. I gave her a hug and we both walked to school. Sofia and I were talking about who gets the solo for our ballet class, when I saw something shiny out of the corner of my eye. I was curious about what it was, so I walked over and saw that it was a necklace. I couldn't see it properly, so I wiped some snow off. It wasn't like any other necklaces I have ever seen. It was absolutely gorgeous! There was a big red ruby with a picture of a woman on it as well colorful jewels around it. It looked like it was worth millions of dollars. It was so stunning and beautiful. Absolutely mesmerizing. I was so captivated by its beauty, it almost felt enchanted or magical. When I picked it up, a magical surge went through me. I didn't hear Sofia yelling my name. "Isabella, Isabella, we're going to be late for class, come on." I shoved the necklace in my bag very gently, and speed -walked to class. We were getting our test results back and I got a 100%, as always. I wasn't even that excited because I was thinking about the necklace. I felt like I had seen the necklace before. It was kinda familiar. I was curious why the necklace felt so magical, and why I got a surge when I touched it. It felt amazing, It felt as if the necklace and I were connected. Then all of a sudden, the necklace started to glow. It was a faint glow, yet it was so brilliant. I quickly asked the teacher if I could go to the bathroom and I brought the necklace along. I rushed to the bathroom and locked the door. I looked at the necklace. It was still glowing but the glow was getting brighter by the second. Then suddenly the necklace stopped glowing and a flash happened. The room went black. But the only light I could see was from the necklace. I realized that I was rising above the ground, I was floating. The lady on the necklace was moving and she looked at me and said, 17 "Isabella, my name is Claire Sinclair. I have been waiting for the moment when you see this, you were only a baby. We don't have much time, but listen to this very closely and don't trust Madam ...." Then the picture stopped moving and I was on the floor again. I had so many questions I thought I was going crazy. How was I floating? Who was that lady? How does she know my name? Was I dreaming? The most important question was, who did this necklace belong to? School ended and I was walking home thinking about what happened in the bathroom. It was like I was daydreaming. I didn't realize that I was crossing the street when cars were coming. I was frozen, my body was numb, I didn't move and I don't know why. Luckily, someone pulled me out of the way. It was Sofia, I hugged her. "Sofia you saved my life, you are the best, best friend ever." "I know, but Izzy what just happened, you almost got hit by a car." "I don't know what happened, I was so lost in thought that I didn't realize I was crossing the road." "What were you thinking about?" I didn't know how to tell Sofia about what happened at school in the bathroom. So, I decided to lie and think about how to tell her later. "I was thinking about the score that I got on the test, by the way what did you get on the test" "98, you?" 66100.91 `100." I thought that was a terrible lie, but I had to say something, how could I explain to my best friend that the necklace talked to me. I could tell that she could see through my lie, but had decided not to push it. I said thank you again, we hugged each other, then we went down the street and into our own houses. When I got home I immediately finished my homework so I could research the necklace. When I finished, I ran to my computer and searched everything I could find about the necklace. After a couple of hours, I found one answer that made sense. This necklace belonged to Queen Claire, also known as the Queen of France. My jaw dropped. When I saw the picture they looked the exact same. Apparently, the necklace was for baby princess Isabella's 1 st birthday, but was stolen a day before her birthday. It was rumored that it was an enchanted necklace. I was so shocked about what I learned. I have a Queen Claire's necklace. I had to make sure that it wasn't a fake so I went to a jeweler to see if it was fake or not. He said it was 100% real stones, and gems. I went home scared and nauseous. I had to tell someone about this but who? When I was getting ready for school the next day, I decided to tell Sofia since she is my closest friend. I wore my uniform and looked my best. I wanted to look confident when I told Sofia. I caught up with her on the way to school. 18 "Sofia I have something very important to tell you so you can't freak out, okay?" "Okaay. What is it?" "You know what Princess Isabella's necklace is, right?" "Ya why?" "I have it, more like I found it in front of the school." There was a moment of silence, her eyes were wide and her mouth was getting wider. "You have Princess Isabella's missing necklace." I nodded. "What are you going to do with it?" "I don't know that is why I told you, you are the only person I trust with this piece of information." She could tell that I was very scared about it. So she hugged me and comforted me. I was so glad to have an amazing best friend. After school we decided to make a plan on what to do with the necklace. Give it back to the queen herself or give it to the police. We were walking through the streets of Paris and saw a poster. It was a poster for a duo ballet competition at the royal palace! We thought this was the perfect opportunity for us to give back the necklace. We were very confident that we could win the competition, because me and Sofia have been doing ballet since we were 3 years old. The prize was a dinner with Queen Claire. I was stressed about the competition, so I practiced all week and was ready for the competition. The necklace didn't glow like it did before but every time I touched I could feel a magical tingle. I had many questions. Who would steal this necklace? Why was it on the street? When I was going to sleep, I saw a brilliant glow, it was the necklace. Suddenly the room changed. I was in a garden with someone watching me. To be continued... Art by Joey Yao 19 The Face in the Necklace Written by: Joey Yao The rusted bell in front of the antique store chimed. Old cobwebs dangled from cabinets and the floorboard creaked with every step. Aaliyah, a 12-year-old girl, stepped in. She was curious and loved collecting old artifacts. She walked around the room until she saw a small wooden door. She peeked inside and gasped. There was a big glass box and inside there was a necklace. But this was no ordinary necklace. It was old and had a face of an old lady from the 1870's. It shimmered in the bit of light that snuck into the room. Aaliyah knew this was it. But when she went to the counter, the old man stopped her cold. "That necklace!" he croaked. "It's one of a kind, you can't just get that anywhere." Aaliyah smiled. If it was one of a kind, she needed it. That night, sleeping felt impossible. Something kept her from dozing off into dreamland. "Maybe I'm just too excited to wear the necklace tomorrow," she thought. She took a deep breath. "Just relax," she thought. Aaliyah fell asleep around two in the morning and woke up at noon. "That's odd," she said out loud. "I had an alarm set to 7." When she checked the alarm clock, she was shocked to find the bell and insides gone. She rubbed her forehead and sighed heavily. After she ate her morning pancakes, she went out to walk the dog. Suddenly out of nowhere, the dog started to go crazy and was barking loudly. "What is it?" Aaliyah said. "What's the problem now?" When she moved out of the way she found out that the dog was barking at her! She showed her dog her necklace and her dog went wild and tried to chomp it. "Silly dog," Aaliyah said. "This necklace is just old. There's nothing unusual about it." She brought her dog back home and went to the smoothie cabana. She ordered her usual, a banana smoothie. Everyone in the shop knew this, but when she got her order it was a blueberry smoothie! When she finally got her correct order, she walked outside and tripped on her shoelaces. Aaliyah checked herself for injuries but nothing was hurt. The worst part was that her smoothie had gotten all over her. "This must just be a bad day," she mumbled to herself. Aaliyah sloshed back home to take a shower and changed into a new shirt. Then she dropped by Abigail's house and told her about the horrible things she went through. "That doesn't sound like an accident," Abigail exclaimed. "Maybe the necklace is cursed!" Aaliyah shook her head, but the thought haunted her. Art by Joey Yao 20 Written by: Evelyn Doros Prologue Two weeks earlier. August 5, 2024, 10:16 PM. "Hey, Mom! Look what I found!" I exclaimed as I stood up on the sidewalk outside our apartment. "Anna! It's so pretty!" "I know, Mom. It's the most beautiful necklace I've ever seen!" I gushed. "Can I please keep it?" "Well, it's late at night and no one seems to be looking for it. So I guess why not?" my mom shrugged. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best mom in the whole wide world!" Chapter 1 The Knock I woke up in the morning to a hard knock at my bedroom door. I opened the door to see my mom standing there with a frantic look on her face. She whispered something into my ear that almost made me faint. "Anna, stay calm," my mom then said. But I couldn't stay calm. I knew that he would be here any minute. So I quickly closed the door as my heart was pounding. I quickly took off the necklace. Then we heard the knock... 21 Chapter 2 The Detective My mom and I opened the apartment door and saw a man in a plaid jacket with a tiny notebook in his hand. "Hello, my name is Detective Steven Woods," he said with a British accent. "May I come in?" Before we could answer, he walked right through our door. In an annoyed voice, my mom said, "Make yourself at home." "So, um, what brings you here?" I asked in a shaky voice. "Two weeks ago two items were stolen from the Louvre. One was a necklace of three gold triangles with a large diamond in the center of the middle triangle on a gold chain. The other was a gold crown with rare pearls," Detective Woods began. "When we checked the security video footage, we saw that you were at the museum at the time of the theft. Do you remember seeing anything?" "No, nothing at all," my mom and I said simultaneously. "Remember, ladies, this is a very valuable necklace we're talking about." As he said that, I got a greedy gleam in my eye. Then an alert popped up on his phone. "Yes! It's my lunch break," Detective Woods announced in a sing-songy voice as he skipped out the apartment door. I turned to face my mom. "So... we can make a lot of money off that necklace," I said. "No, no, no! We are taking the necklace back to the museum," my mom insisted. "Come on, Anna. It will be a fun adventure." "But the money could pay off dad's accident." "I know, Anna, but we have to do the right thing." "Ok. But hey, Mom. Look out the window. There are guards up and down the streets." "Well, they're just gonna have to meet mama bear," my mom joked. "Whatever. Let's just get going." Chapter 3 The Streets "Man, there are a lot of guards," my mom worried. "I told you. Ok, how long is this walk?" "About twenty minutes," my mom replied. "Twenty minutes?! That's so long!" I whined. "Trust me. It will be good for you." "Fine!" I said impatiently. "Oh no! Is it just me who sees that huge army of guards ahead of us?" my mom asked nervously. "Not just you. Definitely not just you," I replied. Pia "Ok, Anna. Where did you put the necklace?" "Around my neck. Duh." "That's the most obvious place," my mom argued. "Fine, you take it," I said, handing the necklace to my mom. Just then one of the guards ordered, "Open your pockets!" That is no way to talk to a lady," my mom replied in a sharp tone. "Whatever," the guard shrugged. "Hold on. Max, get over here," he called to another guard. "It looks like she's got something." Chapter 4 The Candy Bar "It's a candy bar," I explained. "I'll take that," said Max, as he snatched the candy bar out of my pocket. My mom had a disgusted look on her face, and so did I. "Now move along ladies," the first guard commanded. "Ok, now it's go time," I said to my mom, with a back-up candy bar in my hand. "Do you always carry an extra candy bar around?" my mom asked. "What kind of person would I be if I didn't?" I replied. Chapter 5 The Big Slip "Hey, Mom. Where did you put the necklace?" I asked. "It's better if you don't know," my mom answered. All of a sudden, the necklace appeared in my mom's hands, and she handed it to me. But then it slipped out of my hand and hit the ground hard. All of the guards turned around, and I froze. Then the guard who had taken my candy bar shouted, with chocolate -covered teeth, "She has the necklace! Get her!" All the guards charged at me, and I ran as quickly as I could. Then, in my mind, I froze, and I had a flashback. I remembered getting the call that Dad got into a car crash and was severely hurt. I hadn't seen him in two weeks. But then, suddenly, I shot back into reality. I was running really fast, then I looked back for a split second... and I tripped and fell. I opened my hand and saw the necklace. It was covered in blood, and then everything turned black. 23 Chapter 6 Anna, You Ready? My eyes fluttered open. Instead of being in an emergency room, I was on the ground behind a few trucks belonging to the guards. "Mom! Mom!" I called. "Yes, Anna. Are you ok?" "Sort of. But where are we?" I asked. "Right outside the museum." "Argh! Why can't we just quit now?!" "You know what Dad says: `Never stop `til you get the job done."' A sad tear dripped down my cheek. "So Anna. Are you ready?" my mom asked. I gave her a small nod. Chapter 7 One with the Guards "Ok, Anna. The guards are surrounding the museum, so we're gonna have to be guards," my mom said confidenently. "I don't get what you mean," I said. "I mean we'll sneak into the guards' trucks, take a couple extra uniforms, put them on, and walk right in." "Wouldn't they recognize our faces? I mean" "Trust me, Anna," my mom interrupted. "Now let's go. The only way we're gonna make it is if we stay low." "Ok, fine," I agreed. 10 minutes later "Mom, I'm covered in dirt from head to toe!!!" I exclaimed. "It's ok. We're" "No, no, no! It's not ok!" I cried, as muddy tears ran down my cheeks. "Annabelle Bean Williams, be quiet or we're gonna get caught!" "Whatever, Mom. We're here," I whispered sadly. "Let's go put on the uniforms," my mom said. 1. The uniforms stink. 2. They are way oversized. (And not in a cute way.) 3. The color looks horrible on me. 24 Chapter 8 Of Course, I'm a Guard "Ok, this is really simple. You just have to walk in like you own the place," my mom instructed. "But, Mom, there are rows and rows of guards." I stood there and watched my mom walk straight through the group of guards. When my turn came, one guard asked me, "Are you a guard?" I answered, "Oh, of course I'm a guard," in a very shaky voice. "You're very short to be a guard," he replied. Then I did something that I've only seen in the movies and thought I would never do... but desperate times call for desperate measures. I said to the guard, "That's because I'm partners with him," as I pointed to some random tall dude. The guard turned around to look, and then I ran into the museum. Chapter 9 The Case "Anna, get over here," my mom whispered. "What's wrong?" I asked. "I need you to drop the necklace into the case." "But I can't," I argued. "Yes, you can, Anna. I believe in you." My mom carefully slipped the necklace into my hand, and I stood up. Then I tiptoed carefully over to the display case. As I looked over the top of the case, I saw a bright light shining at my face that made the sweat drip down my forehead. I lowered my hand down to the case, and let the necklace go. Chapter 10 Mission Complete "Mission complete," I said to myself. It felt like a thousand pounds had been lifted off my shoulders as my mom and I walked out the back door of the museum. 25 Chapter 11 The Wave "Good job, Anna," my mom said as we took off the uniforms and walked along the sidewalk. "I couldn't have done it without you." "Hey Mom. When's Dad gonna... get out of... the hospital?" I asked her. "Whenever he's ready, Anna." As I looked across the street, I saw the hospital where my dad was staying. It was almost like I could see him waving to me from one of the windows, and I waved back. Yuspe hV C A Very Dark Night Written by Soren Cody On a very dark night near midnight a master jewel thief sets foot in a jewely store to steal the highly guarded necklace. He carefully grabs the necklace from the glass case. The alarm goes off after that so he goes to shut it off. Quickly after that he escapes the store. Once he escapes, the jewel thief makes a run for it! Eventually around 3:25a.m., he trips and lets go of the necklace and then falls into a sinkhole. The necklace has been left behind on the street for anyone to grab. After that I, Soren, went down in the sinkhole to grab the necklace. I didn't know what to do with it at first. But I realized it was stolen from the jewely store, so I went down there and sure enough it was stolen. I went back and brought the necklace to the store to return it but someone barged in and demanded the necklace from right when I put it back. He grabbed it out of the case and left. It flew away really fast. I had to catch up soon or it would be too late. I ran over to where the helicopter stopped to retrieve the necklace, but the thief put it in the vault before I could get it. Eventually, I waited and tried to open the vault. Nothing happened a few days later after I left. The guy opened the vault. I later came down there and he said, "You can have the necklace. I'm done stealing stuff. I want to be good now. "You can't just turn good," I said. He was caught later on and told not to take that necklace again. While the new thief was caught I came back. I grabbed the necklace and took it away. 26 w 17 by Grant Falls __ Odyssey of the Necklace Written by: Grant Falls Light. Dark. Love. Hate. Bravery. Fear. This is what makes life. And once there was a great collision in the life of two and this is the story of it. Chapter 1 Glem, Commander in the Light Army had a nightmare. "It's only a dream," he thought. "Or was it?" "Was it a vision?" "Okay, he said, "It was just a dream." But the next day, his dream started to come true. In the morning at breakfast, Glem was with the admiral making battle plans when a guard from one of the north watch towers ran up to them. He was clearly very tired and hot. "What is it?" asked the admiral. "Dark... soldier. They've... brought the fourth in command... we need... troops..." said the guard and then he fainted from exhaustion. "Ready your shields!" yelled the admiral. "Fourth in command," he muttered. "Thought they would be stupid to send the fourth in command after what we did to the fifth in command," murmured the admiral. He shook his head. "No, we're the stupid ones, not to think of a powerful attack like this." "Time to attack!" yelled Glem. They charged the oncoming army. Meanwhile, Darknon, admiral in the Dark Army, was still in the Dark Base. "This is the perfect attack plan," said Darknon. "While the Light people are busy fighting, we can sneak into the Light Base and do a sneak attack. "Let's go kill some light," said the commander. 27 The Necklace Thief Written by: Graham Cody Prologue The door was ajar. The master jewel thief, Mike, had broken into the Smithsonian Museum, trying to steal the priceless Necklace of Wonders. The Necklace of Wonders was made hundreds of years ago in a forgotten kingdom. Mike saw a flashlight shine inches from him. He pulled out a grappling hook and fired it at the ceiling. Now, he was so high up, he could see the Necklace of Wonders at the center of the museum. He swiftly jumped down. He was almost there. Until a flashlight shined in his face. "Halt!" yelled the security guard. What are you doing sneaking inside of the museum?" "Ummm..." stammered Mike struggling for words. "I umm... thought the museum was still open". Laughing, the security guard pulled a machine gun from behind his back and pointed it at Mike. Just in time, Mike pulled out a tranquilizer gun and tranquilized the guard. Then, he stole the necklace. He pulled out his grappling hook and broke a hole in the skylight. Then, he escaped. Chapter 1 The Mansion Mike relaxed in his luxury mansion while in a hot tub sipping lemonade. He had the necklace and traded it for $200,000,000,000. So, now he had a luxury mansion on a mountain with a built-in waterfall. He hid it from the police so they couldn't put him in jail. "Aaaahhhh... ," said Mike, relaxing in his hot tub. He was glad that he had enough money that he could have a feast every night. He had also hired bodyguards and paid them $10,000 a week. Life was good. Chapter 2 The Curse Many cops gathered at the Smithsonian Museum. They were questioning the guard who had been tranquilized. A hooded figure slinked out of the shadows. The figure was named Crazy Steve. He carried a machine gun, an axe, and a chainsaw. "So," said Crazy Steve. "We've got ourselves a jewel thief'. "Yes, we do," said the police chief. He stared at the Minecraft Steve Mask on the guy's head. "What are you doing?' asked the police chief. "I'm Crazy Steve the bounty hunter," said Crazy Steve. "And you're in luck because that necklace is cursed!" "Anyway, tootles!" called Crazy Steve. 28 Chapter 3 Allies and Enemies Mike was caught at his mansion. Several police officers holding guns leapt into his bedroom. Luckily, he had a secret elevator that led to a room with a private jet. Crazy Steve was waiting for Mike in the jet. Hmmm... thought Mike. I think I'll take the jet ski instead. He hopped on the jet ski and drove out of the built-in waterfall. As Mike escaped through the river, he knew he would be lost for days. Chapter 4 Escape Mike rushed through the river, certain he was lost until a voice called out. "Mike! Mike!" Mike felt his heart beating and slowly turned around only to see his mom, dad, and brother. He was home. (Mike returned all the gems also.) 29 il The Necklace of England lfil Written by: Hannah Henson Chapter 1 - A Regular (not so regular) Day Once, there was a girl named Camilla. She was brave like her mother, who was once young and spectacular, but the problem was that Camilla's mother was dead. She passed away from cancer. One Tuesday morning, Camilla woke up and got ready for school. As she headed out, Camilla noticed a man sitting on a bench watching her every move. Camilla kept walking her way to school and ignored the shady man. After school, Camilla headed home to see her father and her dog. Camilla walked in and her father was still working. "Hey buddy!" Camilla said to her dog, Ruffles. Camilla waited patiently for her father to finish work, and when he finally did, she paced over to him to give him a hug. "Hey, Sweety. How was school?" he asked. "It was great," she said. After their conversation, Camilla headed to the kitchen to get dinner started. When Camilla had finished cooking, she and her dad ate in silence. After dinner, Camilla headed to her room and got ready for bed. "Swoosh! "AAAAAAAH! Help! Help!" Chapter 2 - Oh No! The kidnapper grabbed Camilla and put her in a giant bag. Camilla woke up the next day and had no idea where she was. "Hello? Hello?" she called. But no one answered. Hours passed and still no one came. Finally, to Camilla's surprise, the door swung open. She felt her heart sway as she pictured that she would be set free. The man walked in the dark and dusty room, but Camilla couldn't see his face from the angle of the shadow. "Hello?" she called. "Hello, Camilla," he replied. "How do you know my name?" she asked in confusion. "I am a professional stalker," he replied. Camilla's heartbeat froze for a slim second. "What? Why?" she asked. "I need you for an important mission," he told her. "But I will miss school," she protested. ' "That doesn't matter. We need you to find what is missing." "Well, why did you choose me?" she asked. 30 "Your mother, Diana Robinson, was once part of the organization and she was well trained, so we thought you would be as good as her." "Well, you don't know," she said. "No, but we can find out," he responded. C'Ugh!„ Camilla was frustrated and she didn't know what to do. But then the man appeared in a sliver of light coming from the dim window. Camilla realized it was the same man who was watching her walk to school. Who is he? Chapter 3 - Who is he? "Oh, my goodness! It's you!" Camilla shouted. "Oh well, you solved our mystery," he said sarcastically. "Please let me go! I have nothing to do with this and my father doesn't know where I am." "Speaking of your father," he said. "He does know where you are." "How?" "We spoke with him, and he was okay with this mission as long as you are safe with me." "Well, that doesn't mean I'm okay with it. I'm not even sure my mom worked here. She said she was a doctor," argued Camilla. "That was her cover. Here is her badge and profile and that is everything you need to know about her and what she did in this job." Chapter 4 - What's Happening? "Okay, so here is what we are doing in the mission: We are searching for the lost Necklace of England. It has been missing for over 100 years. It has much value. We need to find it," the man explained. "So, what you are telling me is that we are going to England?" she asked. "No, the necklace was made in England, but it has been tracked to be in Cancun, Mexico." "Wow!" Camilla was so excited to get to go to Cancun. Chapter 5 - Cancun Camilla and the man set off for Cancun to find the Necklace of England. As they got on the plane, Camilla noticed they were heading for first class. "Oh yeah!" "Sssshhhh... we don't want to blow our cover!" The man whispered. "Sorry." she whispered back. When Camilla and the man arrived in Cancun, Camilla ran out of the plane with the man jogging behind her. "OMG! We're here!" Camilla exclaimed. 31 "Yes, basically a free vacation," the man said. Camilla and the man got settled into their rooms and stayed silent for a while. "Okay, let's go shopping!" He announced, coming into her room. "For what?" Camilla asked. "Everything! You brought nothing in your suitcase," he reminded her. "Oh yeah! Let's go." Camilla and the man went shopping and bought some awesome stuff. While they were shopping, Camilla had some questions. "I have some questions for you," she said to the man. "Ask away," he replied. "Okay, first — what is your name?" she asked. "Chris. Chris Centon." "Okay. How old are you?" 6641.91 "One more. Are you pretending to be my dad?" "No, your uncle." "Perfect, thanks." After Chris and Camilla went shopping, they went back to their rooms and Camilla unpacked everything. "Camilla?" "Yes, Chris?" "I got a text from "the boss" that we need to head to that big building". "Why?" she asked. "For our first quest," he responded. Camilla felt like her feet were being swept off the ground and she could fly because she was so excited. She wanted to find the necklace! Chapter 6 - Hunting the Thief Camilla and Chris headed to the mysterious building to find the thief. When they arrived at the building, Camilla's heart pounded with horror. Would she make it out alive? "Okay, let's split up," Chris whispered. Camilla headed to the left and Chris took the right. As Camilla crept down the dark and dusty hallway, she noticed a shadow that stood high with a gleam. "Hello?" Camilla called. Screeech! Camilla's heart skipped a beat. She heard the same sound over and over again. But then, out of nowhere a man jumped out. "Chris!" she called. "I found the mmhhm." "Be quiet! If you don't stop, I'll pull the trigger!" Camilla saw a gun pointed at the side of her head. She didn't know what to do. 32 Chapter 7 - Desperate "Shhhhh. Stay quiet!" The man made sure Camilla stayed quiet. "Hello?" Camilla could hear Chris in the distance, and she wanted to scream for help. Then Chris found the room she was in and knocked the man out. "You grab his arms. I'll grab his legs" Chris said. They carried him to their van. Then, they went back inside to look for the necklace. Camilla found a room with a big box that had to have something in it. Camilla had the urge to open the box, but Chris told her not to open anything without him. "Chris! Chris!" she called. "Yes?" "I think I found the necklace in this box." "Let me see." said Chris. Chris opened the box to find nothing inside. "What?!" Camilla exclaimed, confused. Why was there nothing in the box? "Let's keep searching," insisted Chris. Camilla knew something was in that room, so she kept searching. Fortunately, Camilla found a second box behind the bigger box. The second box was smaller and partially hidden. "Chris! I found another box behind the big box!" She called to him. "Okay, coming!" he replied. Camilla and Chris opened the second box to find there was nothing inside but a scrap of paper with scribbly letters and draggy words. This is what was written on it. If you,re searching for the r,ec(clace of Erglartl, go to room 53 artf I will Wr Romar Chapter 8 — Trapped Camilla and Chris went to room 53 and found another box with other note inside. Now go to room 132 art yotk will f irq what �0 k reed. Roman They headed over to room 132 to find the necklace. When they entered the room, Camilla ran to the box and shoved off the lid. `Look!" The necklace was surely there. The necklace was beautiful. It was emerald green with silver gems. The necklace had a beautiful shine when it was in the sunlight. But Camilla felt it was just too easy to pull a necklace out of a box without a challenge. Camilla was right! The door slammed shut and locked. They tried everything to get out, but they had no luck. There was only one thing left to do and it was to jump out of the window to get outside. The van was parked just below, so Chris tried to push open the window and slam into it. After trying several times, Chris was only able to crack 33 a few areas. Chris's back started to hurt, and he couldn't stay standing for more than a solid five minutes. Camilla had to step in so they could make it out alive. Camilla picked up the box that had the necklace in it and threw it at the window. Sure enough, the window busted open without a fight. "Yeah!" Chris excitedly yelled. Camilla smiled. "Let's get out of here!" Camilla and Chris hopped into the van and started driving back to the hotel. Camilla reached into her pocket where she placed the necklace, but it wasn't there. Camilla panicked and she searched the car from top to bottom. Then, Camilla reached her hand into her other pocket and the necklace was in it! She was so relieved. Chapter 9 - It's Over Camilla and Chris woke up the next morning and started getting ready and packing. Camilla was bummed that her mission was over, but she was happy to have found the necklace and completed the mission. "Do you have everything packed up?" Chris asked. "Yes." "Perfect!" Camilla and Chris got on the plane and headed to the airport 15-minutes away from Camilla's house. After landing, they got a taxi and headed there. Camilla couldn't wait to see her dad and her dog. When Camilla finally arrived at her house, she sprinted over to her dad who was waiting on the front porch. "Oh honey! I missed you! I was scared to death that you would die!" her dad said. "Dad!" "Sorry," he said. Camilla and her dad bonded like they hadn't seen one another for years. Then Camilla's dog came running out of the house and jumped up on her as if it was trying to give her a hug. Camilla enjoyed seeing her family after some time. "Well, partner. I'll see you around," Chris said. Camilla pulled out the necklace and placed it in Chris's left palm. "Thanks!" said Chris. "Without you, I wouldn't have ever gotten a glimpse of the necklace". "Sure, but I really had no choice," she reminded him. They laughed. Camilla would miss Chris and Chris would be alone. "Well, I guess this is goodbye," Chris said. "Yeah, bye." Camilla ran and hugged Chris. "Goodbye, pal," he said. Then Chris drove away and disappeared into the road. Camilla stood there like she was waiting for someone or something. Then, her dad got a call. "Yes, hello?" she heard him say. "Oh, yes." Camilla wondered what was happening and listened closely. "Okay, yeah. Bye," her dad said. He hung up. "What was that?" she asked. "It was Chris's boss. They have a new mission for you!" 34 ckI4 Art by Lisa Lombard 35 The Necklace and Glorith Written by: Lisa Lombard Chapter 1 — Glorith's Beginning Once upon a time, there was this girl named Glorith, and she was just about to put on her pajamas, so she went to the closet and found her mother's necklace, the one she gave to Glorith. The necklace reminded her of when her mom passed away. Suddenly, the necklace started talking. It said, "There is only one way to bring your mother back." Then she found a map on her bed. Oh No! It led to the heart of Dead Man 's Forest! ! ! She didn't want to, but she knew she had to go. She started the hike. Chapter 2 — The Hike Glorith kept walking and walking until she decided she needed a lunch break. So, she picked a tree, sat down and decided to eat. Then, something popped out of the tree. She dropped her lunch and said, "Who's there?" A robot popped out of the tree and landed right in front of her. The robot said, "Hi." Glorith screamed. Suddenly, the necklace started talking again. "Warning. A group of bear dragons will arrive." She started running as fast as she could. After a few hours of running, the bear dragons arrived. Chapter 3 — Make a Run for It She quickly picked the most stinky tree she could find, sat down and held her breath. Glorith did this because bears have a very good sense of smell and they do not like stinky smells. So, they finally went back and she was on her way again. The robot appeared directly in front of her again, but this time instead of saying hello, he shook Glorith's hand. "Can I help?" it asked. "I know where you are going and I know all the problems around here, that's why I'm still alive." Glorith walked around the robot. "Fine. But you need to stay out of my way." 36 Chapter 4 — The Berry They set off. They walked and walked and walked until Glorith saw the juiciest berry ever on a tree. She climbed the tree and ate it. After a few minutes, she felt like she was going to vomit and immediately fell to the ground. "Get up," the robot said. "If we stop now, we will die. The bear dragons are not far behind!" Chapter 5 — Breakfast The robot looked at her and knew there was only one thing he could do. Drag her. After two hours, she woke, but this time the robot was gone. "Ugh," she groaned. "I knew there was something weird about that robot". After a few minutes, she saw the robot carrying food. "Mind my words," she thought. "It was just getting breakfast for me." She ate and they were off. Chapter 6 — What Happened Glorith asked, "What happened to me?" "You ate a poisoned berry," the robot replied. "But don't worry, the effects only last two hours." "I thought you knew all the problems around here?" Glorith questioned. "No one knew about those. They looked like normal berries." They saw a tree and a piece of bark. On the bark were baby chicks. What Glorith and the robot didn't know was why the chicks had dragon wings. Chapter 7 — Big They took the baby chicks to a pond. As they set off, they saw something in front of them which was bigger than you can imagine. Chapter 8 -Goose Dragon It was a Goose Dragon! The Goose Dragon immediately ate them. Chapter 9 — Tickling and Screaming They were slowly being digested. Glorith had an idea. Tickle the Goose Dragon from the inside. They began tickling and the Goose Dragon spat them out. They ran as fast as they could, finding Glorith's mom in a slimy bone cage. Right above her was a Lava Dragon. Glorith held out her necklace and screamed, "Go back to where you once were!" The Lava Dragon went into the necklace, and Glorith then saw a key. She unlocked the door to the bone cage and they all went back home. 37 The Queen's Necklace F , ,- Written by: Sana Hyder R Chapter 1 There was a necklace. Black diamonds surrounded the center, a shimmering blood red ruby. The gems were held by a shining golden chain. If you opened the necklace you would see a mirror. Like any other necklace, it was around someone's neck. A sleeping someone, in fact. This sleeping someone was in a castle, in her rightful place in the Queen's bedroom. Beside her, peeking through the window next to the Queen's bed, was me. I, in fact, was not in my rightful place. My rightful place was in my small bed, next to my baby sister's cradle. Yet I was here, silently climbing through my spot in the snow -encrusted window. I crept in the darkness, tip -toeing towards the Queen's soft, lush bed in her large, large room. My gloved hand reached towards the Queen's lovely petite neck and slipped the necklace off. "My job is done," I thought. I pulled my dagger out of my black winter coat and pried the necklace open, where inside I saw a mirror. I gave a wicked smile and stared at the ruby with greedy eyes. You see, this necklace was not like any other. It was a magic necklace. Well, apparently, the Queen was a very light sleeper, and I found this out the hard way. When I tried to close it shut silently, it only complained and snapped shut. This is when I woke the Queen. She jumped to a sitting position and stared at me with expressions of awe and disbelief. I stared back in horror. She opened her mouth to call in the guards, but before she could get one sound in, I said, "Uh... gotta go!" and I leapt out the window into the snowy midnight sky. Chapter 2 This wasn't my first time jumping a wall. My first time was when I was nine years old. I wanted to prove to a noble's son, one of my friends, that I could. It wasn't a good idea. He sprained his ankle trying to save me, though I landed safely in a tree. It was odd that he got hurt, judging that I was the one that jumped off the second floor of his home. The second time I jumped off something and survived was just plain luck. I had been climbing a tree trying to get the reddest, juiciest apple on the tree. Turns out, that tree was unstable (not that much of a surprise, it was on the side of a cliff) and a branch that I was climbing had broken off, and I slid down the waterfall that was flowing off the cliff, and landed in a berry bush, where I was found by mother, happily eating berries. This time, however, was different. I was jumping from the third story of a castle wall. Well that was a mistake. I should have looked down before I jumped because there was nothing to grab hold on, except a rosebush and a flagpole. Honestly, I think it was better to aim for the ladder. As I was falling I grabbed at empty air trying to find something to hold my weight. While I was aimlessly reaching for air, something else ended up in my hands. My country Izawall's flag. Hanging from Izawall's green and black flag, I thought I was safe. I was wrong. Soon enough, I heard a ripping sound. The flag was ripping. 38 Chapter 3 Let's just say that fall didn't end well. I tried my best to swing on the flag to reach the pole, but it was no use. The fabric was still ripping. Still, I didn't give up. I swung back and forth, trying to get a grip on the flagpole. And, I did, but not in the way you think. I looked down to see if anyone had followed me, and sure enough, there were guards down there yelling at me that there would be consequences if I didn't come down this instant. I just rolled my eyes. Yes, I did intend to come down, just not to them. Then suddenly, as if I had teleported so close to the pole, my eyes widened in fear to what was about to happen. How did I get so close to the pole in such a short time? I was just about to answer my own question with the awful truth, though I didn't have much time to do that, because my skull slammed against the metal with a horrible CRACK. And that's when everything went black. 39 The Cursed Necklace Written by: Evan Ma Prologue This necklace was cursed by a dark wizard. Anyone who put it on would find themselves about to be killed by a giant dog. Even if they did kill the dog, it would spawn another dog inside the necklace. It was passed down through generations to this day.... rn Chapter 1 The Necklace One day your taxi runs out of gas and you get out. You meet a kid who tells you about the cursed necklace. He warns you to not wear it because the giant dog killed his Mom. You say "I feel so sorry for you. Where is your Dad?" The kid doesn't respond. He wants to give it to you, but he warns you to not put it on because the giant dog would probably kill you. You kindly accept the necklace, but, a month later you forget what the kid said and put the necklace on. The giant dog spawns and you grab a knife and fight the dog. Chapter 2 - The Fight You attack the dog and it bites the knife, and you get hurt. As soon as the dog opens its mouth, you throw the knife down the dog's throat. You become the first person to ever kill the giant dog and you are very famous. You try to destroy the necklace, but unfortunately it is indestructible. So you lock it in a chest. It says in the chest for three years, and during the three years, you marry and have kids. One of those kids accidently opens the chest, and gets the necklace... But luckily you managed to get your kid before he puts the necklace on and the dog kills him. Now you don't know what to do with the necklace, and your wife suggests you throw it at the bottom of the ocean. But you are in Dallas and the nearest ocean is 5-hours away. So you put it back in the chest and lock the chest. Chapter 3 - Twelve Years Later Some 12 years later, your oldest kid tries to open the chest containing the necklace and he successfully opens the chest, puts in on, and spawns the giant dog. The giant dog bites off his head and kills him. You hear the noise and come to see what happened and find the giant dog and your son's headless body. Once again, you fight the dog like how you fought the dog 15 years ago. You stab the eyes and blind it. You shoot its nose and its smell is bad. But it can still smell you. As soon as it opens its mouth, you throw the knife down the dog's throat and it vaporizes. You call your wife and 40 you and your wife bury your son in front of your house. That day at dinner, nobody talks. You and your wife and two kids just eat their food and go to sleep. The next day, your wife suggests you chuck it at the bottom of the ocean. You are in Los Angeles and the ocean is half an hour away. You drive to the Pacific Ocean and throw it as hard as you can... Chapter 4 -The Ocean The necklace is sinking deeper and deeper until...... a dolphin swims through the necklace and spawns the giant dog. It is so big, its head is above the water. It runs around chasing the dolphin but the dolphin is fast and out swims the dog. It finds a sea anemone and head -butts it down the dog's throat. After that, the dolphin shakes off the necklace. Ten years later, deep sea divers find the necklace and one of them puts it on. The giant dog spawns and a boat comes along and rams the dog killing it. The divers come up and swim to their boat and show the captain the necklace. The captain says they should send it to the museum. The divers say yes. So they go to the museum and tell the owner about the necklace. The owner asks how to guard the necklace, because it is worth a lot. The captain says, "How about we put in a metal case made of steel?" The owner says yes. So the plan is on. The captain, the divers, and the owner all go to the back of the museum to find a steel case. They find one and put the necklace inside the case. The divers tell the owner that the necklace is cursed and they saw a dolphin fight it. The owner says to put a label reading: CAUTION! CURSED! HAS KILLED MANY. Chapter 5 - The Steal One very stormy night, a burglar broke into the museum and opened the steel case, and triggered the alarm. The guards ran over but the burglar was gone. The burglar puts on the necklace and the giant dog bites his head off. Then...... A bolt of lightning struck and killed the dog. The necklace was just lying on the sidewalk. When a person passes by (that person is...... YOU!). You notice a headless body and a lot of blood. You also notice a lot of smoke. You realize that a lightning bolt killed the dog. You keep the necklace for a long time, 25 years to be exact. Epilogue You notice it says: Andy the wizard is an immortal wizard, lives in South America. So you go to Andy and find him and tell him to reverse the curse. He does just that. 41 A High Priority Rescue Written by: Wilson Ma Chapter 1 They were coming Coming fast... Then BANG, and he dropped down. Dead. I was attempting to start our boat and head off for Sweden. I was carrying three soldiers who had been dropped in just days previous. They had completed their mission and had fled to the meeting point on the coast. There, I was waiting. I was a special agent waiting. Waiting to bring them to safety. Waiting, to bring them home. I scanned the shore. Then, I spotted them. My hopes went up but came back down almost immediately after I saw a German tank and ten soldiers chasing after them. After they reached the boat, the squad leader, Jack, turned around and began to open fire. This gave me the extra time I needed to start the boat. Then, our squad leader, our only hope, fell down. Dead, but not before taking four Germans with him. Now, the Germans were advancing. The remaining soldiers began to panic at the sight of their dead leader and the Germans running down the beach. I managed to start our boat and we sped away from the shore, with the tank still firing at us. Then the tank fired. BANG. And my boat, carrying the soldiers, exploded into flames. Flames... Death... Destruction... Chapter 2 o �P V_ t That was what I saw all around me. I attempted to remove myself from the wreckage that was once my boat. I had gotten all but one of my limbs out. I felt a tugging as I attempted to get the last limb out, and I saw a chain keeping my arm attached to the railing. Upon closer inspection, I recognized it as the necklace my mother had given me just days before she was shipped off to a German prison. That necklace was all that I had left from her. 5W I managed to undo the chain and grab the necklace. I swam away from the shore, seeing as the Germans were still shouting and shooting at me and my wrecked boat. As I swam farther and farther away from the shore, I looked around and a sense of dread settled inside me. I realized that I was all alone. Alone with nobody to help. Alone, in a neverending sea of nothingness. I heaved my sack from my shoulders and pulled out my emergency beacon, just to find it destroyed. Now, as I floated on the surface of the ocean, I began to lose all hope. But then, I spotted a faint light. Ever so distant, but it was a light. I began to scream and shout, but my attempts were in vain, as the boat made no sign of having seen nor heard me. In a last resort attempt, made out of desperation; I mustered all my strength and began to swim towards the boat. Chapter 3 I felt the last of my strength leave me as I finally reached the boat. It was a fisherman's boat, but there were no fishermen inside. Instead, there were two people, both with guns, listening to a radio. I hit the side of the boat once and rolled over from exhaustion. Chapter 4 I woke up and didn't recognize where I was right away. My vision was blurred and my body was sore all over. There were many people, some with guns, standing over me. They were speaking a foreign language that I didn't know. They didn't seem to have realized that I was awake. I spotted a yellow cross on a blue background. The national flag of Sweden. "Thank God," I thought, and I refainted. I awoke, this time on an airplane, with a roundel of red, white, and blue. The symbol of the RAF. "Who are you, and where am I going? I asked the pilot. "Wing Commander L. F. Green" he replied. "Where am I going?" I asked again. "To the PM" he replied "You'd better get some rest," he added, and I fell asleep. Rest Rest BANG! Chapter 5 I woke with a start and immediately shot up as a bang reverberated throughout the plane. I looked out the window and saw that we had landed. But we had not landed on a concrete runway. From what I could see, there was no concrete runway at all. The only objects that were inside besides the trees and the grassy fields were a 43 small hanger and several aircraft. Now, I found myself riding in a car in downtown London. We stopped at Ten Downing Street and got out. I was accompanied by three men, one of whom I recognized as the pilot who had flown me in. As we entered, we were greeted by the Prime Minister and several high-ranking military officers. I could only recall small bits and pieces of our meeting. I remember that the Prime Minister had welcomed me back, and had given me a new mission. Rescue several high -priority assets from German captivity. At the top of the list with the words "TOP PRIORITY" was her name. It was my mother. Heart racing Racing Racing. Chapter 6 My heart pounded as I reread the list. On it were five different top -priority assets that had been captured and imprisoned. All of them had top-secret information regarding agent names, movements, plants, and much more. My job was to get them out and bring them back to Britain alive. The most important part was them being alive. All my years of training, hard work, and determination had led to this, as I was rowed across the English Channel towards German-occupied France. From here I would have to work my way to Germany, find and release the agents, and bring them home. All I had to help me was a compass, a small radio, a week's worth of food, water, a tent, and a gun. Run, Hide... Chapter 7 Run, Hide... Run, Hide. That is how the next week of my life lasted. I was constantly on the move. At the beginning of Day 6, after a treacherous hike through a forest, I arrived at the prison. I set up my camp a bit inside the forest and began to observe the prison. After observing the guard movements, rotations, and the times at which prisoners would go in and out of the building, I made my move just as the guards were looking away. I snuck into the prison, now contemplating how to get them out. 44 I looked down at my watch, horror seeping into my body, as I realized that I had just over 3 minutes before rotation. I looked around, my heart pounding. Then, my heart lept after I saw my mother, extremely thin and wearing ragged clothes. She also bore signs of being tortured, but she was alive. I walked over to her and began to speak very fast. I said that I was trying to rescue her and her friends and bring them home. Then the guards spotted me. I grabbed my mom as the guards began to shoot. I grabbed a pack of TNT, blew up the fence, and fled into the woods. BANG BANG BANG! Chapter 8 Paid cnuys;�J�� Gunshots ranged out after us as we fled into the woods. I want to reach my camp. I yelled for them to run. Then I grabbed my gun and began to shoot. As I shot at the Germans and began to back up to where the others were, I grabbed the pack of food, water, and the radio. Along with the others, we fled deeper into the woods. We trekked deeper and deeper into the woods until the voices of the Germans faded into the wind. We sat down under a particularly large and old tree, and I gave everyone some food. After resting for about 2 hours, we got back up and began to walk again in search of an open field. After a one -hour hike through the forest, we finally came upon an open field. I set up my emergency beacon to get a plane to take us home. After setting up the beacon, we all sat down under a tree and waited. Waiting Chapter 9 Waiting Waiting. That's what we did for the best part of four hours. We had gathered around a large tree standing at the edge of the forest we had come out just minutes previous. We placed our things beside the tree and sat down on the ground under the tree. I let the others rest while I stood guard, holding my gun. Then as the third hour was fading into the fourth a faint sound could be heard inside the woods. Voices, footsteps. My heart began to race as I quickly tapped the rest of the group awake. I whispered for them to hide. My heart is still pounding. I turned around. My knuckles were white, my hands were sweaty. 45 The voices got closer, closer, closer. I heard someone say something in German. I signaled to the group that if they were Germans, within 10 seconds they would find us. Then a roar came from the sky. I looked up, startled. A cargo plane burst from the sky. I looked back down just in time to see the Germans burst out of the woods. I opened fire, mowing them down until one remained. I tried to shoot him but I was out of bullets. He shot me twice in the chest, before dropping down. I stayed awake just long enough to hear my mother scream. Then, I blacked out. Epilogue I was nearly dying as I was transported into England via plane. As I was rushed to a London hospital, I overheard one of the doctors saying that my injuries were terrible. I would be out cold for about a week, not knowing whether I was alive or dead, or the state in which my mother and her comrades were in either. The doctors told me that I would be fine, but I would be missing one of my lungs because it was damaged beyond repair. After I was discharged from the hospital, I received a letter from Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. He had invited me to dinner later that day and asked me to an awards ceremony the next day. On the next day, I would receive the Victoria Cross for my heroic actions. After the awarding of the medal, he stated, "Well done, Alexander John Lewis." 46 Winter Break Adventure Written by: Zara Vasan It was winter and Sophie was walking from school. She had just started winter break and she was really excited. As she walked down the street her foot snagged something. She looked down to see what it was and around her ankle was a necklace. She carefully pulled it off her ankle and studied it. It had a silver chain that shimmered. The part that hung from it was oval shaped and had a picture of a lady on it. Around the oval were small circular black diamonds. Sophie put the necklace in her pocket and walked to her house. When she got there she opened the door and set her backpack down. After she went to her room and was looking at the necklace again. Then her little sister Amy burst into the room "What are you looking at?" asked Amy. "A necklace. I think it's a locket, but I don't know how to open it," said Sophie. "Let me try," said Amy and she snatched the necklace out of Sophie's hands. "Stop," cried Sophie, "you're going to break it." "But I'm opening it," said Amy. That was true, Amy was slowly opening the necklace. := "Look," said Amy. The necklace was fully open and the middle of the wall behind Sophie was swirling. Before Sophie could do anything, a portal on the wall sucked Amy and her in. When both of them were fully inside the portal, Sophie saw ten other portals swirling blue. Sophie tried to head z; back but the portals were all around her. Then she saw Amy heading towards one. Sophie just followed 1 her. When Sophie was on the other side of the portal, she was in a different world. j/i► f; "What did you do?" Sophie asked.. " I have no idea," said Amy. "We need to go home," said Sophie. Suddenly a paper appeared in Sophie's hand. "This paper says we have to find a ruby at the top of a mountain," said Sophie. "We should explore before that," said Amy. " r= "No," said Sophie. "We don't have time. We have to get home." While Sophie was saying this, she was looking around her. It was beautiful. Flowers were blooming and Sophie saw a tulip that sprouted little wings and was flying. "Maybe there is something that will show us a path to the ruby," said Amy. "Yeah," said Sophie. "Like that." She pointed to a little flying cloud that was sprinkling glitter. "Let's follow it," said Amy. They both ran after the cloud and soon it led them into a dark forest. "I can't see anything," said Sophie. "I wish there was some light." "I have a box of matches in my pocket," said Amy. "Why do you have stuff in your pockets?" asked Sophie. "Why do you not?" replied Amy. 47 "Because I empty my pockets," said Sophie. "Oh," said Amy. "Whatever just give me the box," said Sophie. Amy handed her the match box. Sophie took a match out and struck it on the box. Then she held the match stick in the air so she and Amy could see. They kept following the trail of glitter until they were out of the forest. Sophie blew on the matchstick and the flame went out. After a few more minutes of walking they saw a huge mountain. The cloud sprinkling glitter easily went up, leaving them behind. "We have to walk up that mountain," said Amy. "It's really steep." "Then we should get started," said Sophie, and they both slowly went up the mountain. When they reached the top, the ruby was in a clear box. Amy reached for it but a blast of water hit her in the face. "Of course it's booby trapped," she said. "Since I'm already wet, I might as well just get it." She reached out for it again and grabbed it, ignoring the blast of water. "Now what?" asked Amy. "Let's both touch the gem and make a wish to go home," said Sophie. They did that and in the blink of an eye they were both back in Sophie's room. To be continued... M Andrew's Mission Written by: Elijah Myers Prologue Jiu jitsu, Krav Maga, Taekwondo, and karate: these things Andrew had learned. Andrew trained hard through the night. Wanna know why? It's because he lost his parents a few months ago and no one knows what happened! He's only 17! When he's training, he's always ranked #1. Chief was watching him when Andrew didn't know. Chapter 1 Necklace The next day, Chief said to Andrew, "Meet me in the secret lair at 10:00 p.m. sharp." "What in the world is he going to do to me," thought Andrew. Andrew knew Chief was planning something dangerous. Once it was 9:54 p.m., Andrew made his way to the secret lair, but waited until 10:00 p.m. sharp to make a dramatic entrance. Chief was there. "Andrew, I've called you here because I need you to get an enchanted necklace that will give you unlimited POWER". "What if I don't?" asked Andrew. "I'll play Taylor Swift music for as long as you live," said Chief. "N0000000! ! ! ! I'll do it!" "Oh, by the way," said Chief. "it's in Death Valley, California." Chapter 2 Mission Andrew arrived in Death Valley, California. He made sure he brought a lot of water. Luckily Chief had given him a map, so he knew where he was going. He finally found a little place in the middle of nowhere that sold jewelry. "That's sus," thought Andrew. To be continued... The Magical Necklace Written by: Amelia Myers Y Y A girl named Tulip had a really expensive necklace. So, she did some research at night. Soon, she saw a glow coming from the necklace. Later, she heard a knock on her bedroom door. It was her neighbor, a witch. "Why are you here?" asked Tulip. The witch replied, "I saw the glow. Can I take this home please? I will take care of it and give it back to you the day after tomorrow at noon." Tulip agreed. "Yes, it's a deal." Then, the witch left. The next morning, Tulip kept asking herself why she let the witch have the necklace. She was a witch! Tulip decided she would sneak into her neighbor's house to see what was going on with the necklace. She went to the witch's house at night. When she opened the door, she saw the witch. "Can I have my necklace back?" she asked. "You never asked if it had power," replied the witch. "What power does it have?" The witch laughed. "It hypnotizes little girls like you! Ha!" Tulip's mom did not know where Tulip was. She tried calling her, but Tulip did not answer. Tulip's mom called 911. A policeman said, "I hear screaming." They went to the witch's house and inside, down to the basement. They saw Tulip and the witch. The witch unhypnotized Tulip. Tulip's mom said," Come on, Tulip." Tulip said, "I want my necklace back." So, Tulip's mom punched the witch in the face. Then the police took the witch to jail forever and ever. The policeman who had heard Tulip scream got married to her mom and they lived happily ever after. 50