Open Your Eyes 

By Ashley Rude

I make dinner for my mom, seeming how I love to cook. One day I learned that my mom was sick, so I made dinner for her. Chicken noodle soup, water, and a piece of bread to go with her soup. I heard a knock at the door to find my boyfriend standing there with flowers. Logan.

   "What are you doing here? I thought you had an important meeting with your mom. Isn't that kind of important?" I ask and hug him, glad he's here.

   "I heard your mom was sick and you're alone tonight. It didn't seem right to me. How is she?" he asked. My mom didn't have long to go, the doctors caught it too late. Logan and his mom were kind of fighting and his mom wanted to talk to him. 

   "She's still alive. I just don't see how they didn't catch this. Wouldn't have something come up in her tests?" I ask and he hugs me tighter.

   "I know it's not fair. Besides, the doctors you're with don't really know when something is important until it's too late anyway."

   "Logan, they did what they could for me. I don't care if I have cancer, there is a cure for it. What my mom has is something completely different. There is no cure for her and she's dying. All I keep thinking is where is my dad?" I ask and he rests his head on mine.

   "I don't think you need to worry about him. He left you, Anna. He is rotten for doing it." he says and I breathe.

   "Do you want to see her? Is that why you're here?" I asked and he nods.

   "If that's okay," he says and I go to her room. My mom has brown hair and freckles along her cheeks.

   "Mom, Logan is here. He wants to say hi." I say and nothing happens. I go to her and shake her just a little bit. No response. I start to panic.

   "Mom!" I yell and I hear Logan's feet coming down the hall. Please open your eyes, mom. I need you to open your eyes. I need you, please! I think and nothing happens. My mom.

   "Anna, I need you to call 911. Do it now." Logan says and I do.

        The ambulance comes but they can't revive her. They say that she died in her sleep. She was fine when I gave her her dinner. Logan hasn't left my side yet and when those words come from the paramedic's mouth, I completely shut down. My mom was dead. I could not wrap my head around this. Who was going to go to my graduation ceremony now? Everyone I know is gone in another state and I don't want to leave. The only person I have left is Logan. If I had just sat with her as she ate, maybe, just maybe there could have been a chance for her. 

   "Anna, come with me. Please." Logan says as if he'd have to beg. I look at him and he's all blurred.

   "What happens now?" I ask and he shakes his head. 

   "Right now, I have to get you home. From there, we'll figure this out. I promise." he says with tears in his eyes. My mom died June 1, 2005. Logan hasn't left my side and he's always kept his promise. I am graduated and now a writer with two beautiful kids. One of them is seven and the other one is ten. Logan has been great to both me, the kids and the people I talk to. I have also beat my cancer, the chemotherapy knocked it out easily enough. The only pain I had left was the gap of absence. Sometimes it's hard and the grief wants to swallow me whole, but all I have to do is open my eyes and breathe.

Normal is Overrated

by A.L.R

 I was walking along an empty road not really paying attention to where I was going. I knew that if i didn't go home soon, I'd get into a lot of trouble. My life wasn't as great as my friends' lives. They had loving parents and loving partners. Me? I had my own two feet. Things happened to me that I believed to be my fault, but I couldn't keep doing this. I was angry at them... wasn't I? Or was I angry at myself for this? I mean I did run away, but what was the point? Was there any point in this anymore? The running, the hiding, the waiting until it's over? It was lame of me to do this, no one else deserved this. No one but me who is to blame.

   "I haven't seen you around here before." a voice says behind me. I turn and see blue eyes and brown hair. It wasn't the fact that I was a full city away from home, it's the fact no one knows I left. This guy made me uneasy. Six feet at most and a pompous pose that said 'I'm going to get you'. How was any of this okay?

   "I don't live around here."

   "Why are you here then?" he asked and I tried to think. Why was I here? What did I come here for? I needed to lie. Every part of my body wanted me to turn and run. If I didn't, I would regret it. Just lie, he can't know. He doesn't have to know anything.

   "I don't remember."

   "Got lost, did you?" he asked, and he looked me over, like a wolf would over it's prey. I was too slow to run but I was going to try my absolute hardest.

   "No, I'm not lost. I am looking for something. Why are you asking me so many questions?" I asked and the guy looked at me. I didn't like the way he was looking at me. It was a dangerous kind of look.

   "Just close your eyes and it will be over soon." he says and strikes at my head. I duck and turn, ready for a fight.

   "Don't come closer."I threaten and he laughs.

   "Like you could outfight me or run away. Stupid girl, don't you know that you're doomed?"

   "What are you talking about?" I asked and he laughed. His blue eyes, weren't so blue anymore. They were a dark black and that is when I ran for an escape route. Granted, if my mom wasn't so drunk and my dad was an actual dad and stopped treating me like a punching bag, I doubt I would be in this mess. I hated my life then, but I needed to be alive now. People are counting on me. My way was blocked by the menacing stranger and my life flowed into his mouth. I tried to fight, but both the loss of blood and exhaustion took me over and I closed my eyes. I tried to punch him, but my hands were immobilized and I was weak. It got to the point where I just closed my eyes and let myself go, like I should've done before.

      I woke the next day, not understanding my new found senses. Heightened sense of smell, hearing, and reflexes, this was something I only read about. The only difference is, they didn't accept it. I was going to freak out about it, but not now. Right now, I needed to escape this alleyway. I might have accepted this but hey, normal is overrated. Isn't it? I didn't know the answer but all that I knew is that something wasn't right. I was going to find out what.

I Stand for You

by A.L.R

I stand not for the strong, 

but for the weak

I stand not for the doubtful 

but for the hopeful.

I stand not for the compassionless,

but for the compassion lacking 

I stand not for just one,

but for everyone left behind 

I stand not for them

but for you as well.

I stand for the world that was,

not for the world now

I stand for them memories missing,

not the vague sense of it

I stand not for the wrongdoings of the world,

but for the hope that one day we'll return

I stand for the innocents,

not the guilty

I stand for the voiceless

not those who have no problem making noise

The world needs a helping hand, 

I will be the helping hand.

 I stand for the morally right in the world,

I will not see it knocked down

I stand for the world.

                                            Movie Day Friday

Every Friday for the rest of summer vacation Mulberry Public library will show a movie every Friday at 1:00 pm. 

This Friday Mulberry Library will be showing  The Incredibles

           Come on out, watch a movie and eat some popcorn

                       

Teen/Tween Color Wars!!!

Ready to go to (Color) War?

          

     This Wednesday, be prepared to attack! Tweens and Teens get ready to be colorful...or not! The person who is the least colorful WINS!! (Bragging rights of course). 

     Here is the only requirement! Bring a white shirt to put over your darker shirt so we can figure out who the WINNER is! And make sure you have a darker shirt underneath for modesty.

          

     Also to not, for girls (mostly), pin your hair back or put it up if you don't want to take the risk. Don't wear your most expensive shoes just in case, or your favorite pants. This is not a fashion show people this is WAR! 

     Bring your friends to battle it out and hope to see you there!

Make Patriotic Wreathes For Our Local Veterans!

All Tweens and Teens (those who are going into Middle school or High school)!

We invite you to give back to our local heroes, our Veterans and active military! We are going to be making Patriotic Wreaths pictured below to give to our local Veterans to honor their sacrifice. 

The only requirement is to please call and let us know if you are coming, so we can have enough materials! 

Our phone number is 863-425-3246, ask to speak to or leave a message for Sofia Simpson, the Assistant Director.

Lazer Madness!

LAZER MADNESS!

This Wednesday, June 24th.

In action packed spy and superheros movies, there has been at least one scene where our heroes is separated from their objective by complicated and dangerous laser field. Honestly, who hasn't wanted to try it out for themselves? This upcoming Wednesday at two o'clock, teens and tweens are invited to experience the adrenaline of trying to maneuver ones way though such a treacherous field while competing against other teens to see who is the Top Hero! Do you have what it takes to get through unscathed? Come and prove to us you do!