Short Story/Chapter

Bigger Things Out There

           The stars shined bright against the sky’s dark canvas.  It was clear, and undoubtedly beautiful.

            “It’s insane, right?”

            I gave Tavish a look. “Maybe not the word I would use to describe it, but yes.”

            Tavish chuckled.  “Then, how would you describe it?”

            I gave him a shy, uneven smile. “Honestly, I don’t know. There is something about the sky and the stars that make me hold my breath. When I think about the universe and the cosmos, it just makes me realize how small we are on the scale of things. There are bigger things out there, and we haven’t discovered most of them.”

            Tavish’s eyes became cloudy. “You think there are bigger things out there?”

            “Of course,” I instantly replied. I pushed my glasses up against my nose. “It’s been scientifically proven that there are other planets. And, it would be weird not to think there are other things as well.”

            “Be specific. What things?” Tavish pushed.

            “I don’t know why my beliefs matter to you.” I stated.

            Tavish shrugged. “I’m only curious.” Though, the clouds in his eyes hadn’t moved.

            The grass we were sitting on began to itch my legs. It was not a good idea to wear shorts. “Yes, I think that there are other life forms that exist away from the Milky Way Galaxy.”

            Tavish nodded. “Is that why you are so bent on proving it to everyone?”

            I wanted to run away from the question so, I dodged it.  “What?”

            Tavish smirked. “Why do you want to prove that other life forms exist?”

            I couldn’t tell him about what I saw. He would think I’m crazy, just like everybody else. “It is just something that interests me.”

            “It interests you so much that you don’t leave the observatory because of it?” Tavish asked.

            The question struck a nerve. “I don’t want to talk about it. Can we talk about something else?”

            Tavish let out a quiet sigh. “What do you want to talk about?”

            “You.”

            “Me?”

            “Yes, I don’t know anything about you. And, I want to ask you something?” I mumbled.

            Tavish raised a perfect eyebrow. “What?”

            I gave him a shy look and pushed my glasses further up my nose. “Why me?”

            “What do you mean?” Tavish asked surprised at my question.

            “Why do you want to be my friend? Everyone makes fun of me all the time and no one likes me. Don’t you want to be with the cool people or something like that?

            Tavish grinned and almost laughed. “I like you. And, I think that you aren’t given the credit you are worth.”

            I blushed. “Really?”

            “Yes.”

            I took a moment to calm down, though my racing heart was making that difficult.  “I don’t think anyone will ever give me credit, but it’s nice to know that you think I deserve it.”

            Tavish shook his head. “Hey, look, I will help you prove it. I believe you.”

            “You will?” I asked, not really trusting Tavish’s judgment.

            Tavish nodded then stood up from the grass. However, his face was masked of emotion. “We should probably head back to camp.”

            “Probably,” I agreed. I stood up alongside Tavish then began to walk back to the campsite. I noticed that Tavish lingered behind. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

            As if knowing my secret question he said, “You go without me. I will catch up with you later. There is something I have to do first.”

            I shrugged then turned around to continue in the direction of the rest of the students. When I looked back to see what Tavish was doing, he was gone.

            And I was lost.

           

           

           

List Poem

Korea

By Melissa Jacobsen

A long, narrow pathway, fill

with cars that honk and scream.

With tall buildings, people, and heat that

creates steam.  Shops that collect

Won, houses who eat rice for dinner,

people who watch K-Drama instead of

American shows like “Saints and Sinners.”

The popular male actors and singers who shape

Pop-culture for most of Asia.

(Famous actors including 이민호 and 김현중!)

An ocean that gives summer romance and a bright,

hopeful day.

The modern language that stems from ancient history

Filled with bloody battles and high kings,

Evil senators,

many things.

Black hair, white skin.

Women and Men.

Sons and Daughters.

One Nation: White, Red, Black, and Blue

One Place,

Korea.

The Intern (Flash Fiction #2)

“He’s going into v-fib!” Some one yells close by.

“Get up you fools!” I hear the chief of the E.R. yell. “We need all the interns we can get!”

I shoved the rest of my sand-which in my mouth, annoyed. I was finally on break!

“Jessica! Are you coming?” Another intern asks already running to the code blue room.

I groan inwardly and race to the patient who was fighting for his life. Upon arrival, I was greeted by a cold stare from the chief.  “Jessica, begin CPR.”

I gulp. “Me?”

“Yes, you! Hurry up you idiot! Your patient is dying!”

I scampered towards the patient and placed my hands upon his chest. I pushed hard and began CPR.  Sweat dribbled down my face. I began to tire quickly. I looked at the cardiac monitor and stopped CPR long enough to check if there was any progress. There was a flat line.

“Grab the defibrillator!” The chief bellows in panic.

The defibrillator is passed to me and I place the paddles on the man’s chest.

“Charge to 200!” I yell. “Clear!” I shout at the staff in order to warn them of the incoming shock.

“Charge to 300!” The patient’s body convulsed. “Clear!” I continued to do this for quite a while. 

            Soon, the chief told everyone but me to step back. How am I supposed to do this by myself?!? I began to panic. My eyes search for the chief. “Chief! Help me!”

            “You will do this alone.”

             I kept trying to save the man but despite how hard I tried, he ended up losing his life.

            “Call it.”

            “Time of death 8:31 p.m.” I said quietly.

            The chief motioned me close. “You just killed your first patient,” he murmured to me. Then he walked out of the room.

Remembering to Count (Flash Fiction #1)

Smoke burned my eyes as I ran for shelter. Another bomb was about to drop from the plane and I did not want to be anywhere near the explosion.  I dove under a crumpled home and curled into a ball hoping that I would be safe one more day. 

I shut my eyes tightly envisioning the life I had before the war. It was painful, but in life threatening moments, it would be more painful to not remember anything. It seems all I do now is remember.

The ground trembled beneath my figure. The bomb must have finally hit the ground. I wonder how many friends I lost this time –I don’t want to think about it!-? I’ve lost so many that I couldn’t even begin to count them all.  Counting. It’s something I do now.  Days, deaths, bombs, bodies. I even count the appendages left on my body because too often, I see people with their arms or legs gone.

Lord,I Become Your Man

felt a clench of fear in his stomach. “You’re a raving lunatic,” he said through his teeth. “Get out of my way.” The ground beneath Chauncey tilted. Bursts of gold and red popped behind his eyes. Hunched with his fingernails grinding into his thighs, he looked up at the boy, blinking and gasping, trying to make sense of what was happening. His mind reeled like it was no longer his to command. The boy crouched to level their eyes. “Listen carefully. I need something from you. I won’t leave until I have it. Do you understand?” Gritting his teeth, Chauncey shook his head to express his disbelief—his defiance. He tried to spit at the boy, but it trickled down his chin, his tongue refusing to obey him. The boy clasped his hands around Chauncey’s; their heat scorched him and he cried out. “I need your oath of fealty,” the boy said. “Bend on one knee and swear it.” Chauncey commanded his throat to laugh harshly, but his throat constricted and he choked on the sound. His right knee buckled as if kicked from behind, though no one was there, and he stumbled forward into the mud. He bent sideways and retched. “Swear it,” the boy repeated. Heat flushed Chauncey’s neck; it took all his energy to curl his hands into two weak fists. He laughed at himself, but there was no humor. He had no idea how, but the boy was inflicting the nausea and weakness inside him. It would not lift until he took the oath. He would say what he had to, but he swore in his heart he would destroy the boy for this humiliation. “Lord, I become your man,” Chauncey said venomously.

See more at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Hush-Hush/Becca-Fitzpatrick/The-Hush-Hush-Saga/9781416989424/excerpt#sthash.yHxjnhoA.dpuf

A Change

Bright light stops sounding
like lace
and death rioting hands push
strange heavy starts to
a darkened place that dry
mouths into a simple resonant.

-Misa

Inside Elsa

I wrote a poem about  Disney character, Elsa, basically taking over my body. I am going to post my rough draft and all of my revisions up until the final draft. I thought the progression from the beginning would be cool to see! :)

FINAL DRAFT
My mind shivers with awakening
As elsa erupts from the caves of my mind
And she takes control over my essence.
She now takes claim of the fols and shadows
That used to be my own
Which sutures the confusion
That arose when Elsa overtook me.

It's easier now that Elsa is here.
I have comfort, energy, grace, stillness.
I can now quietly linger while Elsa rises.
Giving permission to let the tension between us disintegrate
Into a bridge of one mind
But two thoughts.
One being.
It's easy to let Elsa control.

3rd REVISION
As I lay on the cold pavement
My mind shivers with awakening.
Elsa erupts from the caves of my mind
And she takes control over my essence.
I now take claim of the folds and shadow of Elsa's darkest secrets,
Which sutures the confusion that used to be my own.

It's easier now that Elsa is here.
Comfort, energy, grace, stilness.
I linger. Elsa rises.
And the tension between us disintegrates into a bridge of one mind
But two thoughts.
One being.

It's easy to let Elsa control.

2nd REVISION
On the cold pavement,
My mind shivers with awakening.
Elsa erupts from the caves of my mind and she takes contol
Over my essence.
I take claim of the folds and shadows of Elsa's darkest secrets,
Suturing the confusion that used to be my own.

It's eaiser now that Elsa is here.
Comfort,energy, grace, stilness.
I linger, Elsa rises.
Tension between us disintegrates into a bridge of one mind
But two thoughts.
One being.
It's easy to let Elsa control.

1st REVISION
-I don't know how to tell them that she is gone.
-Stepping on the cold pavement in Arendelle is not something that I have done in a while. I remember the damp cobblestones lining their way towards the castle. This familiarity causes Elsa to stir inside me.
-I came to tell them she was gone and how it was an exact replica of the day she left.

ROUGH DRAFT
Right now I am Elsa. Her power resonates through me and I can feel the surge of energy that she gives me. I feel stronger, braver, and in conrtol even thoguh I have someone else inside of me. Elsa isn't as burdensome as one might think. She provides a comfort that I didn't have before. I raise my hand to feel something in front of me, a lone tree, and dust my fingertips across the branches. A tingle erupts down my arm and through my fingertips and a blaze of white and shimmery forst nips at the tree until it is completely covered in white ice. I am amazed at this ability. Elsa's voice is hovering int he back of my mind. The pleaser of letting go satisfies her. After all, she hasn't been able to use her power for a long time. I look around to see who is watching, Elsa doesn't want anyone to see. And now, neither do I.



Thanks for reading! Have an awesome day!
-Misa