What's in store?

Authors Note: This is a retelling of the book series Maximum Ride written by James Patterson. I wrote this to demonstrate my understanding of the reading skill “retelling”.

6 kids are volunteered by their parents at a young age to be used for a secret government experiment. Once realizing this, they think they know what’s best for them, but they have no idea what’s in store. Once things get too crazy they go into hiding, every week somewhere different. But when the government catches up with them they have no choice but to protect themselves. They will do anything to stay together, but some of it might demand more than they expected.

Him (Practice Introduction)

Authors Note: This is a practice introduction to show descriptive detail. I also tried to use personification, and I tried to be really descriptive and show emotion in the piece.

The lightning cackles above me. The drops of rain run off the  leaves and splat in the mud. It’s so loud I don’t know if I hear him or not. “CRACK” the branches scream at me. I hear a scream and snap my neck around. There, through the trees I can see his silhouette. His gaze burns my pupils. He falls to his knees and starts to twitch. I frown as my feet start taking steps. I look down my feet are just walking, I turn and grab a nearby tree. My fingers one by one peel off the dripping branches. I have lost control of my body. I fight my body but I know  it's useless. Now only feet from him he stands slowly and looks me straight in the eye. He doesn't have to say anything I know what’s in store for me.

What I Think a Lemur Would Be Like

Authors Note: This is a point of view piece from the perspective of a lemur in a zoo. Reader’s should look for the funny descriptions of objects, but from what I think a lemur would think/ talk like, and the respectable word choice for a lemur! It also has some feeling that I think a lemur would have towards people.

 I  sit in the corner, wondering what life is like out of this metal box thing. I don’t know why but every day I am stuck in here and every single person that walks by here just watches me and smiles; sometimes they even have these horrible squares that makes a ridiculously bright flash that hurts my head. And one time one of the little people started to throw these tiny, oddly shaped balls at me; They taste salty and have a weird, thick liquid on them. They started to throw them at me and one hit me right between my eyes. It hurt, but the worst part was after he hit me he started to laugh and then he ran away!

I think the worst part about being in this box all day is those people with the brown shorts and hats, I like to call them “The Zoo Keepers”, because that’s what the little people call them when they come in my box. Whenever “Zoo Keepers” come in I run to the back of my box and try to not let their evil claws grab me. I desperately try to jump from branch to branch, and run between the slow one’s legs. But eventually they get frustrated and call for more of them, then they back me against a wall.

Whenever I get hungry “The Zoo Keepers” showed me how to hit this red part of the wall and then food comes out, I’m not sure how it works, but it gets them excited and then I get a orange slice! And when it’s really hot “Mary” the only good zoo keeper, brings out this amazing stringy thing that flings water at me, it really cools me down! When it’s really cold outside she brings in a warm, squishy square that I can sleep on. Sometimes when there isn’t a lot of people Mary brings me a toy that will keep me busy. Like one time she gave me a bouncy ball with holes in it and inside was apple and orange slices; It was so fun, but then she took it back before I could get all of them out!        

But the only thing that tops all of that is when at night Mary lets me hold her finger and walk around the zoo after the zoo is closed, but before I go to bed, of course. Then when we get to this big, gray building she picks me up and puts this shiny thing into a little box, then Mary pulls it down and out of a hole and opens the door. Inside we walk for a little bit and then she makes me go in this room with hay in it and a big round black thing with a blanket inside; That means it’s time for me to go to sleep. “Uh-Oh Mary’s calling me, so Goodnight”.

        

What could have happened

 Authors Note: This is a predicting piece. It is a short prediction of the ending of the story that we read in the reading lab. Readers should look for the descriptive detail and the dynamic word choice.

Cody went back to the house, clutching the hook so tightly his knuckles started to turn white. He burst through the door and ran to the kitchen, set the hook on the counter and crouched down on the ground over come with emotions. Cody stood up slowly and paced back in forth glaring at the worn gold hook that lay on the counter. Every time he paced he would get closer and closer to the hook as if it was slowly pulling him in. But when he got closer he became more determined and confident.

Once he finally got close enough he snatched the hook, stared at it with a look of fear. He was overcome with denial; he flung open the cupboard and grabbed a pot, he set it down next to some old newspapers. Quickly, but accurately he turned the stove on. Nothing happened at first; he tried, but nothing. So he walked to the shed where some extra oil was kept; on the way catching a glance of his mother in the living room. Cody got to the shed and grabbed the old can, and hurried out. When he started back towards the house, he saw something odd; there was smoke coming from the kitchen. He dropped the oil and sprinted in the house. He ran into the kitchen to find that the hook was missing and the newspapers were on fire.

He grabbed their dog’s water bowl and flung it towards the blaring fire. It didn’t do much; Cody looked around with a panic as the fire grew and raged around him. He bolted towards the door, grasped the handle and yanked as hard as he could but it didn’t move. He pulled harder and harder but nothing budged. He started to panic and his hand slipped off the handle and an overwhelming pain cut through his forearm. It was now to smoky too see anything but, he felt around the keyhole to feel that the key had been bent after it was locked so no one could leave. This was on purpose. He started for the window, when huge flame flew out of the floor and struck him in the face. He fell to the ground wailing. Suddenly a thought occurred to him; Why weren’t his parents here, he got up slowly and painfully. He stumbled into the living room, there was no head poking up from the back of the couch, he jogged as fast as his legs would carry him over to the couch, but there was nobody there.

With no other options he ran upstairs to all of the rooms and yanked on the windows but none of them would budge. He went as fast as he could back down stairs; then a thought occurred to him; what’s the point of rushing if I can’t get out? He walked slowly into the living room he sat on the couch and let god decide his fate. He sat there coughing and gasping as the air escaped from hos lungs. He lay down and quietly and calmly closed his eyes for the last time. That was the end of Cody. Nobody really understood what had happened to that family, but no one cared enough to investigate, yet there wasn’t anything to investigate. Everything had been burned to the ground. Slowly the story of the boy who wronged and then later paid the price grew old. And just like that the story of the mysterious family that still remains a mystery had been forgotten.