Honorable Mention:

Adam Bell Eli Coleman Amanda Fortuna Ramon Jones

Kathleen-May Llamas Jasmine Norris Cecilia Service Kasozi Wilson

First Place: Strange Noises by James Welch (Grade 12)

Suddenly I heard strange noises that seemed to come from my left. I pushed open the door and then I looked inside my closet. The closet that had once held all my clothing was now a nexus to another world. Swirling colors and dark shapes were everywhere. I couldn’t resist, I jumped in. There were psychedelic figures in every direction, a scream to my left, a cheer to my right, explosions below and above. I screamed louder than I had ever screamed before. A monster’s jaws lay before me. I closed my eyes, bracing for the inevitable, and then....

Nothingness. I opened my eyes. Suddenly I was on a beach at sunrise. At least, I thought it was a beach, at first. I turned around and realized that there was no one else there. Not a single sign of life.

How could it have come to this? Was this all the result of my curiosity? I began to cry. I was truly alone.

"Do you wish to return?" asked a female voice behind me. "This is the world you desired. A world of emptiness. You will no longer feel emotional pain. Never again will you be hurt by another. Even so, do you want to return?" she asked. I thought hard. Was this a world that I desired? Did I truly wish for no pain from others? I thought hard for days on that beach. Still the woman waited for my answer. Finally I made my choice. "Yes." I blacked out with that word.

I opened my eyes. My closet door was still open, but there was only my clothing inside. I looked at my clock—it was a minute before that I had opened that closet. I stared at the closet, seeing what could happen. Two minutes passed and nothing happened. I closed the door. It was time for dinner with my family anyway.

Suddenly I heard strange noises that seemed to come from my left. I pushed open the door and stared down a long, narrow hallway. There were no windows and the walls were bare and white. The hallway was dimly lit by a single candle at the opposite end. I then heard it again; it was a faint sound -- no, wait, there were two sounds. Voices! One sounded like a painful moaning, the other an innocent, child-like laughter.

I couldn't hear it very well, so I continued down the hallway, drawing closer to the flame.

My hand suddenly began to have a funny sensation, as if the veins around my finger bones were slithering like snakes. Then a strange force made my hand reach for the candle. My eyes were fixed on the candle, watching every drip of the wax as the flame deformed its cylinder shape. My ears were ringing, hearing the crying and laughter getting louder and louder, until I was about to touch the flame. Unexpectedly regaining control, I pulled my hand back. A scream from behind caused me to turn. The door, I whispered to myself, was gone, and the glow from the candle was extinguished. All I could feel was a cold draft. My eyes were instantly blinded by the darkness.

I quickly stretched out my hands to grab onto something and immediately grabbed hold of a doorknob. I turned it and pushed. I now realized where the draft was coming from. I stepped into the room and took a look around. It appeared to be a ballroom. The floor, and parts of the walls and ceiling, were made of a dark red and white marble. The rest of the walls were covered with mirrors. The door slammed behind me and disappeared into the wall. I proceeded to walk toward the center of the room, and stood beneath a large grand crystal chandelier.

It hung there desolately, because the sunless sky filled the room with a dull haze. I walked over to one of the two large windows that were partially hidden by large, heavy fringed curtains. I moved one aside and with my hand wiped away the dust from one of the panes. I looked out on to the street below. No one, not a single person. No cars or buses, no traffic lights or street signs. Where was I?

I turned and walked toward one of the candelabras in the corner and with my lighter lit a candle, then walked away with it. The room was very grey, due to the poor lighting, so it was difficult to see anything. Again I heard a little giggle come from my left. I jumped back in fright. Then I stood there embarrassed when I realized that I was only seeing my reflection. But I instantly composed myself because I noticed something else in the mirror. I walked closer to get a better look. It was hard to tell, but there were smudges or something. After I looked closer I saw objects. I held the candle higher and the objects reflected in the mirror started to look like people.

I whipped around as fast as I could to catch whoever it was playing this trick on me, but I was still alone in the room-- at least until I heard the giggling again, then the sound of a second set of voices hushing the first. I turned back to the mirror and saw the drapes closing and the light from the candle becoming brighter. Behind me stood a group of people with their arms reaching for me. As I turned to stop the specters, my candle blew out and darkness took over, and I closed my eyes and screamed.

I suddenly awoke to the sound of my alarm clock, and my mom calling up to me to make sure that I was getting dressed for school.

　Third Place: Strange Noises by John Figueroa (Grade 12)

Suddenly I heard strange noises that seemed to come from my left. I pushed open the door, and was hurled back by the surprise in my kitchen. Two hippos were sitting down drinking tea, one in a tie and top hat, and the other one in a yellow polka-dotted dress. Also, somehow, the walls were gone. I must have fallen into a new dimension.

The hippo in the tie stood up and said, "Who are you and how did you get into my house?" I saw a door behind him and dashed towards it. That was a bad decision. Now I was outside where the sky was gold and the grass was pink. Cheetahs walked on their hind legs and giraffes were practicing gymnastics. I noticed that my hand felt weird. I took a look and it wasn’t my hand—it was a hoof. I ran around looking for a mirror. I saw the water was purple, and the trees were glass. I positioned myself carefully, opened my eyes, gasped, and hit the ground.

Ten years later...

I’m stuck here. Everyone is so happy except me. I miss my family, my friends, and my girl friend.

I try to be happy, but I can’t. I should never have walked through that door. All the animals here associate only with their own kind. My associates run on rainbows and like to fix their manes. Why am I a unicorn?

So I bid you adieu, grab the rope, and leap.

Silence.

Writing of February: Juniors

First Place: Albert Lecini

Second Place: Nicholas Tedesco

Honorable Mention:

Eddie Brown Raymond Figueroa Jenile Parchment

Lauren Quinones Katie Roche

Throughout our lives there are certain events which cause us to grow. These events tend to be of significant importance to us because they trigger deep conscientious thought and affect our feelings dramatically. One such event that caused me to grow and have a better understanding of life took place last year.

A friend of mine and I were coming home after a long night with friends. While we were heading home, it began to drizzle and soon enough it began to thunder. While walking in the pouring rain, I noticed a Middle Eastern woman passing by with a stroller and her son beside her, a toddler. I paid no mind to them until I began to hear the honking of car horns.

To my dismay, the plastic covering over the stroller had been blown away. The young boy had gone into oncoming traffic to fetch the plastic covering against his mother’s will and was unable to retrieve it or to escape from the oncoming traffic. Once I saw this, I immediately rushed to his aid. I grabbed both the boy and the covering he was chasing, and headed back to the mother.

When I handed over the boy and the wet plastic covering, I heard six words which will forever affect the way I view life. Rather than thanking me, she simply said, "God gives you what you have."

At first I was confused, but after interpreting this, it made more sense to me. To me it meant that God gives you what you have and there is no need for thanks because in the end we will all get what we deserve. Those have become words that I abide by.

Although this was only one event in my life, it helped me to grow exponentially. Due to this, I now have a better understanding of life.

An experience that helped me grow up was when my grandfather was diagnosed with lymphoma. I didn't know back then that this was cancer and that there was no cure, but I do now.

My grandfather was very brave about it. He never seemed upset or depressed. On Sundays when we went over to his house for macaroni, he always seemed the same. He was always happy to see us and he always put his hand in his pocket and gave my brother and me $20.00. He said that we would remember him as the grandpa who always gave us $20.00. But he was only half right. I will also remember him as the grandpa who planted the vegetable garden every spring and who grew the best vegetables. His garden tomatoes were the best. He was also a great cook. Everything he made was delicious.

Then in the spring of 2003 the cancer was getting the best of him and he could no longer do very much. Every time we went over to his house he would just be lying on the couch. One day when we went there he told my father and me that he wanted us to plant his tomatoes. So my father and I did what he wanted. I felt so bad that he couldn't come outside and plant them with us.

Not long after that the doctor put him in Calvary Hospital. I didn't know then that it was a cancer hospital and people go there to die. I kept hoping that he would get better and come home. Unfortunately, a couple of days later, on August 18, 2003, he passed away. The part about this that helped me grow up was that I realized that sometimes we take people for granted because we think that they will be around forever, but that is just not so. I wish I knew this back then because I would have spent a lot more time with him when he was well.

Writing of February: Sophomores

First Place: Kenneth Parker

Second Place: James Gonidakis

Third Place: Bruce Dean

Honorable Mention: Blessing Eke Alyssa Owens Shanique Turner

First Place: Strange Noises by Kenneth Parker (Grade 10)

Suddenly I heard a noise that seemed to come from my left. I pushed open my bedroom door and everything in the room was destroyed, as if a tornado had come racing through my bedroom. My bed was turned upside down, the television set completely broken, and my clothes everywhere except in my drawers and closet. "What in God’s name happened here?" I whispered to myself. My parents were at work and my brothers still in school. So who could have done this? What was even stranger about this incident was how it could have been done in a matter of seconds, after the loud bang I heard earlier.

I was in for a surprising sequence.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" I slowly tiptoed into the messy room, expecting to see someone jump out from behind the door or my closet. It felt as if my heart was going to rip out of my chest because of how fast it was beating. My conscience told me to run downstairs and call the police; however, my curious side just had to explore the event for itself. Looking behind the door and under the bed, I saw absolutely no clue of anyone being in there. But I still continued to look. It was as if someone was watching me. "Don’t be afraid," whispered a strong deep voice from directly above me. The hairs on the back of my neck jumped up and the blood in my veins stood still. I was paralyzed! As much as I tried to, I could not move.

With help from every inch of muscle in my body, I managed to turn my head upward. I couldn’t believe my eyes! Stuck onto my ceiling next to my fan lay a man dressed in a silver space suit that looked as if it was made out of foil. Boom! He jumped down from the ceiling and stood eye to eye, face to face with me, although he was about four inches taller than me. I couldn’t say a single word.

He did most of the talking anyway. "Greetings, Kenneth Aaron Parker. I am the future of you, coming from the year 2032." A million thoughts raced through my mind at the time. Come to think of it, he kind of did look like me.

"So let me guess...umm...you’re thirty years old, correct?" I asked.

"Yes! You’re right!" he responded.

"And you’re in my room because...?" I questioned.

He explained how I invented a transport machine after I graduated from Princeton, and how it impacted the world. However, a group of British scientists found the blueprint of the original design and improved on it. They were able to turn it into a time machine by adding on the feature of a specific time period to teleport to. These scientists were able to go back into time during the American Revolution, and kill George Washington. Then Britain was considered Great Britain and the ruler of the world. "I have to do something later on when I get older," I immediately reacted to the news.

"All you have to do is destroy the original design," said the future me. And the rest is history.

Suddenly I heard strange noises that seemed to come from my left. I pushed open the rusty door and gazed upon a long dark corridor. I took a step forward, with my friend Carl behind me.

"Are you sure about this? After all, it’s only a bet."

"Well, I have $100 on this bet," I assured him.

We continued down the hall toward the noise behind the door at the other end. All the pictures in the hall were dusty and chipped.

"So how long has this house supposedly been haunted?" I could hear Carl’s voice quaver with every word.

"Two years," I responded.

The noise had gone from a solid thumping to harsh banging. "Let’s leave," Carl begged.

"Not yet. I want to get a picture so I can win the bet."

At that moment the banging stopped. Carl and I were about half way to the other end of the corridor. The door slowly creaked open and a figure emerged. It looked to be a man about six feet in height. His hair was very thin and he was partially hunched over.

"Hi. My name is Jimmy. Sorry about entering without permission. May I take your picture?"

My voice was calm, but inside I was excited that I could win the bet. The man slowly lifted his head. Carl and I shuddered at the sight. He had no teeth. His lips were dry and bloody. His eyes were white and yellow and his skin was a light gray. Carl and I stood frozen in place.

"I only need one picture." My hands shook as I lifted the camera. As the bright flash went off, the man grunted and charged at us.

"Run!" Carl and I raced for the door from which we came. "I think he’s camera shy," Carl said. We reached the door and sprinted out of the house. Once we reached town, I took a look at the picture. The photo showed only a black wall.

"Now that’s creepy," said Carl.

"Yeah. I’m never betting on anything like that again."

It looked like a good thing, but wait till I tell you. The boil on my face was huge! At first I thought it was a simple pimple but then it started growing. As it grew, it got redder and started to grow limbs. I tried to get someone to take me to the doctor, but that wasn’t happening. When I asked my mother, she passed out as soon as she saw the boil. When I asked my older brother, he ran like a chicken. What was I to do? I tried popping it but that didn’t work.

It got to the point where the boil was fighting back. I started brainstorming for more ideas, but before I knew it, the boil generated eyes and a mouth. I could not believe this was happening. My boil had come to life! I quickly ran to the kitchen to get a knife but the boil found a bigger knife. I got a pistol and the boil somehow found a shotgun. I just couldn’t beat this thing. By 11:34 p.m. the boil had gone to sleep. I thought to myself, "If I can reach my gun while it is still sleeping, I can shoot it."

I found the pistol, and BOOM! Down goes the boil. No one could imagine how safe and happy I felt. After I killed the boil, I dug a hole in the backyard and buried it. I went to bed with a feeling of joy. I woke up to my alarm at 8:30 a.m. I looked in the mirror and I looked at my face and the boil that was there before had nothing on this one, and my nightmare had come back to haunt me

Writing of February: Freshmen

First Place: Shamika Cooper

Second Place: Jazmin Sanchez

Third Place: Nicole Cavalluzzi

Honorable Mention: Cristina Beniquez Nicholas Graefe Vincent Lucas

Philip Martinez Christopher Russo Jeremy Santana Erica Tejada

First Place: A Prom Date by Shamika Cooper (Grade 9)

One time early in the summer, there was a girl named Charlotte. She had long red hair, blue eyes, and freckles. She was very timid and shy. She had never been on a date in her entire life and the worst part was that the prom was coming up in a few days. One clear night, Charlotte was walking by the cemetery because it was the only way to get home. "If only I had someone to walk with me— I really hate coming by the cemetery at night." Just then she came across a boy with pale skin dressed all in black. "I know we may not know each other, but may I walk you home?" said the boy. "Girls your age shouldn’t be walking home all by themselves." Charlotte accepted his offer.

They conversed until they reached Charlotte’s house and Charlotte worked up the guts to ask him for his name and number. "My name is Brad. But are you sure you want my number?" "Sure, you seem cool," Charlotte said. Brad looked up at the moon, paused for a while, and finally took out a crooked, creepy looking black pen and wrote down his number. They were friends and that made Charlotte happy.

The next day, Charlotte called Brad’s number. A lady picked up and said, "Hello?" "Hello, may I speak to Brad?" said Charlotte. The woman began to cry. Then she took a deep breath and said, "That’s impossible. My son Brad died ten years ago on this very day."

When I was in the seventh grade, I was the type of girl who wanted to do whatever she wanted.

I never wanted to be with my parents. I wanted everything I liked. If I didn’t get it, I would tell my parents something I didn’t really mean. Sometimes it would work, and sometimes it wouldn’t.

My aunts and uncles would tell me to stop whining so much and start behaving better. I would laugh and walk away. At school, many people thought I was mean but I wouldn’t care-- I only cared about myself. My parents would say "Jazmin, stop acting like this. Don’t you care how people think of you?" I would roll my eyes and say "No."

A couple of weeks later, I received my report card. My grades were good, but the comments teachers wrote weren’t. My parents were not happy. The same day my dad received a phone call from a teacher saying that I was too rude and disrespectful. My parents were lecturing me and yelling at me. I ran crying to my room. Then I realized that this was the first time I had cried in years.

I started asking myself why I was acting like that. Was it for attention or just to get my parents mad? Maybe it was time for a change. I called my best friend and told her what had happened. I asked her if she thought I was acting differently and she said yes. I asked her if she could help me change and she said, "Of course."

The next day at school, I tried to be nicer and less loud. I tried my best but it was hard. Many weeks later, I was improving my grades and I was much nicer. I was still a little rude, but people understood. My parents were much happier with my new attitude. I was proud of myself and so were my friends and family.

I learned there are many ways to get attention. This really helped me grow up. I have more friends and they trust me better. I hope I never have to go through this phase again.

Third Place: A Silver Satellite by Nicole Cavalluzzi (Grade 9)

Two minutes after the silver object that looked like a spy satellite landed on Blessed Sacrament’s back field, the door opened slowly... and nothing came out, so the uproar that was ready to commence was extinguished by the fact that a satellite had crashed right near us! I mean, where’s the excitement?

Well, everyone else retreated back inside, for the bell dismissed us from this sight, calling us back to class. I was still curious about it, so I went inside the thing. It was way bigger than the school, for sure, so I walked a lot. Aimlessly wandering, I had no clue where I was going. When I was walking, I realized that school was still going on, and I thought that they must be worried that I was missing. Then again, it was me, and I barely come to school so I don’t think I really matter, but I’m sorry that my immune system is so dysfunctional and I get really sick. Well, I still needed to catch up on my work, so I decided to turn back. I then discovered that I was completely lost. I started to walk around until I found my way out.

The halls of the satellite were like a labyrinth, and I was walking around in circles. I got hungry at one point, but that was taken care of when I found candy in my pocket. I was thinking I couldn’t be the only one there. I turned a corner and found one big eye staring at me. It was an alien. "Hello, Mr. Alien." It continued its stare. "Can you help me go home?" The alien still wasn’t talking. "Want candy?" Ah! Why isn’t he talking? "Okay, nice talking to you," I said, but I wasn’t giving up yet. "I WANNA GO HOME!" "Stop whining, little human girl!" he yelled. (Little?) "Then take me back!" I yelled back. He tackled the wall, creating a huge hole, and pointed outside. "Now get out!"

"Thank you!"