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THE FREEDOM RIDE
By Jessica

Prologue

It was August 14, 1563 when the Europeans invaded the small African village of Triombi located in the small country of Gabon.

They lurked in the trees, waiting until every member of the tribe was asleep. When there was no more sound, they crawled up to the sides of each grass hut and lit it on fire, soon the whole village was up in flames.

The members that did not burn to death, ran outside of their homes, and were tortured to death by their attackers

The night was long and horrible, filled with burning, stabbing, and dying. The curse of death lurked over the burning village.

By morning, the huge fire had burned itself out, and once the Europeans were sure that the village was swept of its former dwellers, they retreated quickly.

Only four living tribe members escaped from the horror physically UN harmed – two children, and two horses.

The Story
“Were almost there, Milo,” Taina said wearily to her mount,” Only a little farther until we get to the river.”

Taina horse was slower in his usual springy step, for he was lacking food, rest, and water.

Taina and Joida’s horses – Milo and Peri, were very tired, because they had been ridden all day on the day before the European attack, and when they had lit the first huts on fire, the girls had tried alerting their families, due to the fact that they had been awake when the invasion began.

When their families did not listen to the girls’ desperate attempts to seem believable, the girls had crept silently outside, and tacked the horses up. Then they had rod for their lives. The Europeans had seen them and about five men had attempted to chase them down, but Milo and Peri were too swift for the stocky, strong European horses, and Taina and Joida had escaped unharmed.

Now they walked through the long grasses of Africa, looking for a Savior. They went for another half an hour or so before they reached the watering hole.

The horses drank for a long time, and afterwards the girls let them graze through the grass while they rested.

After a while, the girls continued westward into the horizon. It was beginning to get very hot, and they were beginning to feel the hunger creep over them. It burned like fire in their stomachs, and they felt it double in volume with each step that the horses took.

“We are going to have to find some food,” Joida said quietly to Taina, ”I don’t know about you, but I am beginning to feel very hungry.”

“Me too,” Taina replied ,”maybe we can find some mangos or something.”

As luck would have it, the pair soon reached a jumble of trees with delicious-looking fruit hanging from the branches.

The girls ate their fill and now that their hunger was gone and they were rested, they felt pretty good.
Just as they were about to get on the road again, they spotted it. A huge, gray, wrinkled rhinoceros with a horn the size of a horse’s head. It had not spotted them yet, but if it did, the girls would be in deep trouble.

They crept as slowly as they could on to Milo and Peri, and were just about to escape when Peri snorted. That was all that it took to gain the rhinoceros’ attention, and it eyed them for a long time.

“Don’t move,” Taina whispered as slowly as she could. She heard thundering hooves and when she looked over her shoulder; Joida and Peri were gone, leaving a trail of dust behind them.

“Oh, Joida!” Taina exclaimed, frustrated as she sharply kicked Milo in the stomach to move him forward. He backed up.

“I can’t fight with you now, Milo!” she said worriedly.

The rhino was practically on top of them by now.
Finally, just as the rhino was about to charge into them, Milo flew forward.

“Let’s go!” She screamed when she bolted past Joida and Peri.

The horses ran as fast as they could, zigzag right and left, looking for and escape route. Just as the girls were beginning to think that there was no hope, they saw it. Two trees, so close together that a rhino could

Not fit through it, yet wide enough apart that a horse and rider could. Both girls seemed to get the plan into their heads. Taina dropped behind, and in a flash, both horses and riders were through, and a two-ton rhino was stuck in between two trees.

The girls slowed the horses to a mild, three beat canter, and eventually slowed them down to a walk.

“Wow,” a new voice startled them. Taina and Joida turned to see a five-foot tall, approximately fifty year old African woman riding a mule in the direction that the girls were riding. “That is quite impressive. I have never seen such quick thinking by two young girls like you before. Where are you from?”

“We are from Triombi. Europeans set our village on fire. Everyone was killed except for us and maybe a few others. Our homes were destroyed and our families were killed. The last thing that we need is to have our bones broken by a rhinoceros,” she finished abruptly, and regretted saying it so rudely.

“I’m sorry. Was just having a hard time.”

“I understand. My parents were taken into slavery when I was about your age,” she paused,” Why don’t you come to my village? They are very kind and we are always happy to help someone in need . . . we have plenty.”

“We’d love that. Thank you.” Joida said for both of them.

“Follow me.” The lady said calmly.

They followed her onto a hidden, but well-worn path that the girls would not have noticed if they had not been shown it.

The trio walked for about half an hour before they saw the small village on the horizon. They walked and saw that there were about twenty clay huts with thatched roofs. Children played around a clearing in the grass, while women cooked meat over an open fire.

The lady motioned to some men to take the horses and she took the girls inside of the largest hut.
In the hut, there was a man sitting on a huge chair. Something about him told the girls that he was the leader of the tribe.

The lady bowed and introduced the girls.

“Jambo,” he said in Swahili,” welcome to Gangji.”

“Thank you,” the girls said in unison, ”for taking us in on such short notice.”

“It is our pleasure,” he said back.

As they slept in the warm hut, Taina whispered to Joida. “This looks like a great place to start a new life.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Joida replied as I drifted off to sleep.

A PIRATES LIFE FOR ME
A Journeying Story
By Joanne

“Get her!” yelled the ugly gorilla man to his fellow thugs. “She heard the plan and you heard the boss so hurry up!”

I dodged around the corner but I couldn’t shake these guys. They were getting closer; the cobblestone road shook harder and harder. In a last desperate attempt to escape I climbed on top of some crates and started scaling the fence. Suddenly a huge hand gripped my shoulder, pulling me to the ground with a thud.

“I got her Yo,” called the man.

“Drug her and we’ll take her back to the Captain,” replied a surly voice.

“You got it Yo,” said the big man. Immediately a sweet smell filtered through my nose and I blacked out.
* * * * *

Before I go any further with the story I ought to tell you how I got into this mess in the first place.
First of all my name is Annie Logdsen and I am thirteen years old. I lived with my stepparents in Boston at their tavern The Indian until I was thirteen. I slept in a small attic and waited on people all day long. This particular afternoon two strangely dressed men came in and called for two pints of ice cream. After serving them I crawled under the neighboring table. I was extremely curious, after all not many men order two pints of ice cream at a tavern. This was their conversation:

‘The map was found,” whispered the man with the scarred nose. “If you can pay enough you’ll get the map; but if not I can easily find another buyer.”

“How much?” asked the other man.

“Sixty gold doubloons,” replied the scarred man.

“Thief! That’s a scam if I ever saw one. Thirty doubloons,” cried the other man whom I noticed had a peg leg.

“Forty.”

“Thirty.”

“Thirty-five,” offered the scarred man.

“Deal,” replied the peg-legged man. “So long as anyone who knows about the map is, well, taken care of.”

“That won’t be a problem,” said the scarred man carelessly. “Now hand over the gold.”

“You put down the map and I’ll put down my gold. When I’m sure you have the map we’ll trade. No tricks either you cheating scum or I’ll slit your throat!” growled the peg leg.

My nose was starting to tickle as the men completed their transaction. If I sneezed I knew they’d find me but I just couldn’t help it. “ACHOOOO!” I sneezed. The two men whipped around, their eyes settling on me as I crawled out from under the table.

“Get her!” cried the peg legged man. “She heard the plan.” Immediately four huge shadows appeared from all sides. I ran out the door and into the street. The shadows followed, no longer shadows but great big dumb looking men. I remember my capture, being drugged and then I woke up in this really dark place.

The area I was in was rocking back and forth. I hadn’t felt a motion like that since I went on the ferry last summer. Suddenly it all clicked in my mind, I felt pretty dumb not to have seen it before. That man with the peg leg was a pirate captain, the map was a treasure map and I was in a pirate ship’s hold! All of a sudden a bright shaft of light filled the hold.

“Hey girl, you awake?” called the surly voice.

“Of course I’m awake or I wouldn’t be answering,” I replied.

“Well get up, the cabin boy didn’t show so you’ll have to do till our next voyage,” the person explained.

The ship was really grossly disgusting. The boards were rotting and the figurehead was practically falling off, you couldn’t even tell what it was supposed to be. The paint was peeling and the rigging was ripped and torn in a million places. I can’t say my first day on the job was a breeze. I had to scrub the deck, cook the meals, wait on the captain and repair the rigging. I also learned a lot of things about the crew and captain some of which I didn’t like.

First there’s Captain Kidd. He’s the peg leg from the tavern. He has a huge black moustache, a long beard and hair, and a lovely hat with the Jolly Roger on the front. He has a nasty temper and killed off his last crew in a rage because his dinner was a little cold. The Captain claims that this map is his best find yet and that it leads to the treasure of Long Jon Silver.

Then there’s the crew which consists of Yo, Joe, Bottle, and Pop. They all dress exactly the same and look almost identical. The only way you can tell them apart is by the differnt colored patches on their bandannas. Between them I figure they have a brain the size of a walnut. What they lack in intelligence though they definitely make up for in size and strength. All of them are disgusting, bad mannered, lazy brutes.

Jo Yo Bottle Pop

The days dragged on and became weeks and life became very repetitive. I got up and cooked breakfast for everyone, scrubbed, repaired, cleaned and then cooked supper. Finally at the end of the day I would fall onto my cot exhausted and drift into sleep almost immediately. Worst of all I couldn’t seem to stop my homesickness. I missed my family and friends and I would often cry myself to sleep.
After about three weeks aboard the ship I was awakened one night to angry shouts. The door to the kitchen where I slept was flung open. “Get up girl the Spanish Armada’s after us!” screamed Pop.
“Coming,” I muttered slightly perturbed. I mean, I slave all day and then they wake me up at like three in the morning and scream at me? There’s thanks for you.

When I got on deck I realized that our peril was very real. First of all a huge storm was brewing, actually it had already started. The other ship’s flag was barely visible through the early morning gale but even I could tell it was Spanish. The commander probably wouldn’t stop to verify if I was forced on this ship or part of the crew before locking me in irons like the rest of them.

“Man the cannons!” yelled the Captain. “Sink their bloody ship before we’re boarded.”

We sent a volley of shots their way but none seemed to find their targets. Suddenly the wind picked up and we sped away. Laughing and cheering we congratulated ourselves on our brilliant escape.
CRUNCH!!!!

Our happiness turned to fear as we realized we had struck a reef.

“Every man for himself!” declared Bottle as he came up out of the hold. “She’s filling fast!”

The Captain and crew immediately jumped into the rowboat and lowered it down, without me!
“We forgot the girl Captain,” said Joe.
“So?” replied the captain smoothly. “What’s your point?”
Suddenly a huge wave capsized their rowboat. After floundering around on the surface for a second or two they disappeared under the surface and I never saw them again.
Before the ship went under totally I managed to get the treasure map and a large piece of plywood. Then, clinging tightly to both, I plunged into the icy water.
After what seemed to be hours and hours of floating I finally sighted land. Paddling frantically I reached the sandy bank and immediately collapsed exhausted. My mega-sleeping marathon had begun.

* * * * * *

“Seneorita, are you alright?”

Waking with a start I rolled over and brushed the sand from my face; trying to see the speaker. He was a tall man and appeared to be Spanish. He was a very distinguished personage and seemed to be of high rank.

“I am Fernando Vespasian Zorro the third, Commander of the Carrillo, fastest ship in the Spanish Armada,” said the Spaniard. “We were chasing some pirates and saw that their ship had wrecked on a reef. Have you seen any of the scurvy dogs on this island Seneorita?”

“I was kidnapped by them at the seaport in Boston around May,” I replied. “Since they didn’t have a cabin boy I took his place. When the ship was sinking they all jumped in the rowboat and left me standing on the doomed ship. After they got a few leagues away though they capsized and I believe they all drowned.”

“Gracias Seneorita,” said the Spaniard. “If you wish we will take you as far as the port in Liverpool.”

“I would appreciate that,” I smiled.

My trip with the Spaniards was very enjoyable and relaxing. When we docked in Liverpool I thanked them said my good-byes and got a job at the Tea Shop. As soon as I had enough money I hired a ship and some honest fishermen. Using the map I salvaged from the pirate ship we sailed to the site of Long-Jon-Silver’s treasure. After cramming as much treasure to last us for about twenty years into the boat we headed back to England and lived a life of luxury.

I soon got tired of that however and decided to try pirating. With the same honest fishermen, (who obviously weren’t so honest if they were going to be pirates) I traveled the high seas stocking up my own treasure. When I look back on my time spent with the pirates I realize that I am definitely better off now than I would have been had I not been kidnapped. I probably would have stayed in the same town for the rest of my life and never done anything exciting. I never would have found my love of pirating either, even though the first time I didn’t enjoy it much I firmly believe that my little adventure happened for a good reason.

After all, how many people can say that pirates kidnapped them, later become a pirate and live to tell the tale?

 

TRAPPED
By
Jessica Sevick

Chapter One

“Boy! Age seventeen! Broken arm, and concussion! Not BREATHING!” were the comments made over the radio to the San Francisco General hospital.

“Open Emergency gate, and assemble a respiratory crew to get the guy breathing!’ EMS official Dr. Kate MacDonald commanded over the radio, as the ambulance rolled through the hospital gate. Shortly thereafter, the emergency crew burst through the hospital doors to unload the patient.

“What happened?” asked a nurse as she, and other members of the crew prepared to intubate the teenager.

“We got a call from a cell phone. This boy, Lex Parker was supposedly seen tying weights on to his feet, and jumppng off a bridge. We think he was committing suicide.” At this everyone went silent, and rushed him into the Emergency ward, where they found Lex’s mom.

“Is he okay? OH MY GOSH! He’s unconscious, and what’s that thing in his mouth?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!!!” she raved. At this point, Lex began to regain consciousness.

“Mom what are you doing here? What am I doing here?” Lex wondered. Lex’s mom then began to burst into tears.

“He didn’t do it! I know he didn’t do it!” she screamed as she was ushered out of the ward.

Chapter Two

“I don’t understand Lex, why did you do it? You’re the most popular guy in school, every girl dreams of dating you, you’re the school jock, and you have the highest average on the honor roll. Why?” asked Chrissie, Lex’s supposed girl friend. Lex wasn’t sure if he should tell Chrissie what really happened, because he was afraid of what she and everyone else would think.

Lex regressed and remembered walking home from Chrissie’s house when an old man confronted him.

“I have been waiting for you Lex,” he paused, and then smiled at the look on Lex’s face, “You are my present.”“Who-are-yo-you?” Lex asked, backing away. The old man laughed.

“Ooo, Lexie’s going tell his mommy, HA! You can run Lex, but you’re the only one that can see me. Give you any clues? You’re schizophren…” the old man was cut off by Lex.

“NO! You’re Lying!!!” he screamed as he ran as fast as he could away from the man. When Lex thought he had out ran him he felt ropes being wrapped around his legs. As he looked down he saw

the old man, now tying weights on to the ropes.
“What are you doing!?” Lex yelled.

“You mean what are you doing?” the man answered.

“Whaaaaatttt” was the last thing Lex was able to say before he plunged off the bridge.
One thing that he didn’t know was that he had done it to himself.

Chapter Three

“Hello, Lex are you okay, HELLO!” Chrissie yelled at Lex. “Why did you do it?”

“I don’t know! Will you stop badgering me about it! It’s hard enough with my mother! Just leave me alone!” Lex yelled back. Chrissie stormed off, yelling “If you need me, I’ll be at Jason’s,” and with that she slammed the door. Lex paced around for the next few hours until he heard something.

“Get it Lex, see how you’re so involved?” said a voice from a distance. Lex froze.

“Who are you, and what do you want?” Lex asked, as he looked for the voice.

“I am Mr. Ester Zimmerman, and you, Lex, know what I want…you.” The supposed voice of Ester Zimmerman answered.

“What, What do I have that you want?” Lex asked still looking for the man.
“Well put it this way Lex, I would have told you before, and I tried, but you wouldn’t listen, Lex you’re schizophrenic. You’re the only one that can see me, odd hey? I’m not really here!”

“When have you tried to tell me?!” Lex yelled at the man, now becoming annoyed.

“Don’t you remember Lex, when you were a kid? I sent that unicorn, to lure you into my grasp, and I came darn close too! If you hadn’t brought that friend of yours and left, I would have succeeded!” the man replied.

“You’re a creep, whoever you are, stay away from me!” Lex ran out the door and down the street.

“Lex you can’t hide!!!!” Ester called after him. Lex ran to Jason’s house very quickly, as he saw the man walking away in the other direction.<Chapter Four>

“Chrissie? Jason? Open up! I need to talk to you! Oh come on Chrissie!” Lex yelled as he knocked on the door. When he was about to leave Chrissie opened the door.

“Lex? What are you doing here? You said you didn’t want to talk.” Chrissie asked.

“Look Chrissie, I know I said that, but I need to talk.” Lex protested. At this point, Jason came in beside Chrissie.
“What’s this, Superman needs to talk?” Jason asked, smirking at Lex. Chrissie and Jason began to leave.

“Well are you coming?” Chrissie asked looking back at Lex. Lex followed them into Jason’s house and told them the story.

“Lex do you think I’m an idiot? I don’t believe it! I’m going home!” Chrissie yelled as she stormed out of the house. Jason stood there alone, staring at Lex.

“Lex there’s something you don’t know, that man, he was, he was,” Jason said, looking down.

“What Jason?” Lex asked.

“That man, he was after me too.” Jason said bluntly. “I got help for it, they gave me pills. We could go together.” recommended Jason. Lex just stood there staring at Jason.

“All right,” he paused, “Let’s do it!” And they ran out the door.<Chapter Five>

“Is that him Jason” Lex asked.

“Yeah, that’s him alright” Jason replied. All of the sudden they felt someone tap them on the shoulder.

“Looking for someone boys?” they heard a voice say. Both of them flipped around to come face to face with Mr. Ester Zimmerman.

“Quick! Grab the pills!” Jason yelled. They grabbed the bottle and opened the lid, grabbed the pills, and swallowed them.

“What are those!?” Ester Yelled. “Now boys, I am sure we can work something out, I mean, NOOOOOOO!!!” Ester suddenly started to fade away.

“NOOOOO!!! You two will pay for this!”
And those were the last words Ester Zimmerman ever said to Jason Holder and Lex Parker.