Wonderflight Part VIII by Emmelina Caswell

PROLOGUE 8: Finchwing

“Niko!”

Baybell burst into camp. Niko hurried out of his den. “Feathersong almost fell into the ravine!” He pants. “She’s not hurt, or so she says, but she might need help with muscle pain or…”

“Got it.” Niko nods. He disappeared into his den for a few seconds, then came out with a bundle of herbs. “Lead the way, Baybell.” Baybell raced out of camp, and I followed suit.

Halfway there, there was a sickening screech. “FEATHERSONG!” I shouted. Baybell raced through the bush, stopping short. Niko crashed into him, and I just barely avoided it.

The cliff edge had fallen away, and there was froth in the river below.

“Feathersong and Leafblade.” I inhaled sharply. “We need to trace the bank as soon as we can.” Without waiting for a reply, I followed the ravine’s edge until I got to the bank. “Feathersong! Leafblade!”

CHAPTER 36: Leafblade

The river was freezing. We plunged into the frothy water like stones. I paddled up, gasping for air. “Leafblade!” I heard Feathersong cry. I whipped my head around, searching desperately for her. 

Then I saw it: her struggling to keep her nose above the water. I battled the current, reaching her and grabbing her scruff. “I’ll get us out of this!” I yowled over the roar of the river. I searched desperately for the bank, and then I spotted it:

“Feathersong!” Finchwing was yowling. “Leafblade!” I swam against the current, paddling strongly with Feathersong’s scruff in my teeth. Finchwing spotted me. “Leafblade!” He yowled, and then Baybell and Niko raced into my view. 

My paws burned, but I fought harder until the bank was at my reach.

Then a wave swept me under.

CHAPTER 37: Feathersong

I felt Leafblade’s legs give out, then we were sent under. Then, on total instinct power, I grabbed a branch in my teeth, pulling us both onto the log it was attached to.

I opened my eyes and took a gasping breath as I hauled Leafblade onto the log. He spat up tons of water before blinking up at me.

“How are we gonna get to the bank?” He choked. I surveyed the situation, with Finchwing, Niko, and Baybell yelling our names. “I’ll figure something out.” I mewed to him. Finchwing, Baybell, and Niko seemed to have realized we were stuck, because they were arguing about how we were going to get back.

Then, Baybell yowled something at both of them and plunged into the river. Niko and Finchwing froze as Baybell swam against the current. He fought his way to the log we were on.

“How-?” I started, then shook my head as I pulled him onto the log. “Nevermind, that’s later.”

CHAPTER 38: Finchwing

I stared in awe as an apprentice swam against a current that no cat had even been able to fight. “How the StarClan did he just fight against that river??” Niko mewed in disbelief. I shook my shoulders out. 

“That doesn’t matter now.” I mewed. “He’s got an idea of how he’ll get them back. Niko, just please get ready to treat them.”

Niko blinked for a millisecond, then nodded, dropping his leaf-bundle and starting to sort through its contents. “BAYBELL!” I screamed over the river. “STAY THERE. KEEP THEM CALM.” Baybell looked back and nodded.

I scoured the trees until I found a large branch and dragged it back. When I was there, I dropped the stick and almost collapsed from exhaustion. I can’t do this. I realized with a horrible sinking feeling.

“Great StarClan!” A voice yowled, and I whipped my head to see a LotusClan patrol haring over to us. “Help!” I shouted.

CHAPTER 39: Leafblade

All I remember is Feathersong pulling me out of the water. Baybell swimming to us. A LotusClan patrol racing towards us. Then, I had lost a grip on the world.

I woke up in the BrightClan medicine den with Feathersong asleep by my side. “Feathersong?” My voice cracked, and she stirred. “Leafblade?” She asked, paws twitching for a second. “Where are we-?”

“Home.” I rasped. “BrightClan medicine den.” “I didn’t think you were alive.” She mewed. “You stopped breathing twice. LotusClan’s patrol saved us with a tree branch. Baybell swam over and helped.”

“Baybell.” My head shot up. “Where is he? And Finchwing and Niko?” “I’m here.” Niko came into view. “Baybell’s been pestering me about seeing you both. Finchwing’s discussing with the LotusClan patrol.” I smiled. “That’s Baybell.”

“DID I HEAR MY NAME FROM MY FAVORITE AND ALSO THE GREATEST MENTOR EVER?” Baybell swooped into the medicine den. Niko rolled his eyes, but under his breath he chuckled and said, “I can’t believe I was like that once.”

CHAPTER 40: Feathersong

I stood up against Niko’s wishes and staggered outside. Finchwing was, as presumed, talking with the LotusClan patrol. When he noticed I was there, he barreled into me like a kit. “Never ever let me think you’re gonna die in a river ever ever ever again!” He mewed.

I laughed softly. “Bro, I’m good. It’s nothing that won’t blow over.” I gestured to the LotusClan patrol. “Thank you.”

A dark gray cat dipped his head. He seemed 99% familiar, but I had just fought for my life, and I didn’t remember much. “It was no problem.” He mewed. “It’s the decency of being a warrior. Or, in my case, a leader.”

OH MY STARCLAN. I WAS FISHED OUT OF THE RIVER. BY CINDERSTAR.

I was nearly dying of embarrassment. “Cinderstar!” I mewed, dipping my head in respect. The tom twitched his whiskers in amusement. “Yes.” He meowed. “It is I.”

Leafblade came out after me, probably to lecture me about going inside and resting. He glanced at Cinderstar, then at me, then his eyes widened and he took a long look at Cinderstar.

“Cinderstar!”

Wonderflight - Part VII: Iron by Emmelina Caswell

“What in the name of the moon happened?”

Finchwing’s breathing became shallow. “Finchwing.” I shouldered him, gently helping him crouch. “Finchwing. Can you hear me?” 

“Where’s Nickel and Niko?” he asked suddenly. “Our group needs to have survived. Nickel is essential-When she remembers who she is-”

Finchwing’s sister overheard his plea to check on the others. 

“Niko, Nickel!” Feathersong mewed. “Feathersong!” Niko’s small voice was filled with panic. Finchwing leapt up, and red dripped from his wound. 

“Stop!” I hissed in his ear, but he didn’t listen. 

“Niko!” Feathersong stepped around a fallen log, then let out a sharp exhale.“Nickel and Blackout-?!” Leafblade followed her, horrified.

Feathersong’s voice cracked, and Finchwing leapt over the log, then almost collapsed. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest when he collapsed. 

“Finchwing!” I scrambled to his side, then froze at the sight. “No-” Niko rasped, washing Nickel’s red fur. “Is she-” Feathersong started. 

But I was direct. “Nickel is gone.” My legs were weak, and they began to buckle.

CHAPTER 31: Leafblade

“But-But-But-” Niko stammered. 

“Her prophecy.” I said, voice hollow. My wounds felt like nothing. We had failed StarClan’s wishes. “She-She was destined to lead. Niko- your sister had a great destiny.”

Niko’s eyes stayed on Nickel’s body, then he inhaled sharply. “LEAFBLADE! FINCHWING! IRON! FEATHERSONG! SHE’S NOT DEAD!” My head snapped towards the kitten, and I realized he was right.

Nickel’s chest rose, then fell, then she sucked in breath and stood up. “BrightClan!” Nickel yowled in a commanding voice. “I am Nickelstar!” “What the claws?!” Iron hissed, terrified. Vinestar leapt onto the log. “BrightClan lives.” He whispered. “Nickelstar-We finally meet.”

Nickelstar grinned at Vinestar. “StarClan gave me a destiny for a reason. I’m here to rebuild my Clan, to serve my Clanmates to the best of my ability, and to give my nine lives to StarClan.” With that, Nickelstar dipped her head to Iron. “Iron-You’ve had a rough life. Would you join BrightClan as my deputy?”

Finchwing stepped between the leaders and Iron. “Iron, if you agree, I’ll come with you.” He eyed Vinestar sideways. “This has made me think about how I don’t fit here.” Vinestar dipped his head in acceptance. “You have permission. You are your own free cat.”

“Then I agree.” Iron mewed. “From this moment on, I am Ironclaw.”

CHAPTER 32: Feathersong

“Vinestar-If my brother is joining BrightClan, I’d like to go with him. We will rebuild.”

I mewed the words aloud, and Vinestar nodded, seeing sense in the words. Leafblade shifted, and his tail brushed mine. “I’m coming with you.” He whispered in my ear. “Nickelstar, do you accept these cats-” Vinestar started.

“And me!” Niko chirped. “I’m joining! I can be a medicine cat! I know how to do herbs! And you cannot stop me or I will smush you into the mud like smushing leaves!” Vinestar snickered. “Nickelstar-You already have a Clan!”

Nickelstar dipped her head, eyes shining. “More like highly loyal cats.” She mewed. Then, there was a groan from somewhere in the bushes. I stepped lightly towards the sound, and I peered at a wounded gray-blue cat.

“Who are you?” I whispered. He struggled up, ears twitching, face searching for me. Then I realized that his face was slashed with an X-mark across his eyes. 

He’s been blinded!

CHAPTER 33: Finchwing

I followed Feathersong into the bush, and I gasped. There was a gray-blue cat lying on his side, face slashed in an X-mark across his eyes. His ears perked, and he lifted his head. “Who’s there?” He called. “I can still fight you. If you’re a rogue, I’ll stand by the Clan cats’ sides until my last breath! I’m never going back to Snakefoot!”

“Who are you?” Feathersong whispered. He froze, shakily standing up and placing a paw forward. “Keep talking.” He begged. “We’re here to help you.” Feathersong mewed. He pawed closer. When he touched his tail tip to my shoulder, I supported him on one side. Feathersong took his other side.

“I’m a runaway rogue from Snakefoot’s group.” He started. “I’m Baybell. But Snakefoot is a traitor and I am fighting on the Clan cats’ sides.” “We’re Clan cats.” I mewed in his ear. “I’m Finchwing, and the she-cat whose voice guided you is my sister, Feathersong. You’re safe now.”

“Thank StarClan! Clan cats!” Baybell mewed. “I was blinded by my Kinmates. That’s what we call our friends or family. But I sided with the Clans and they left me here and blinded me. I pretended to be dead, and I heard them leave, then I heard Snakefoot scream, then I-”

“Shh.” Feathersong mewed. “You’re coming with us to BrightClan. We can heal you there.”

CHAPTER 34: Leafblade

About six moons later…

After the battle with the rogues, I had gone to Cinderstar, telling him I had found my Clan. He had just dipped his head and wished me well. So now BrightClan was home in its original territory, with Nickelstar as the leader, Ironclaw as the deputy, and Niko as the medicine cat. Pebblepaw had also joined us, and I was his mentor. I had officially become mates with Feathersong, and now she was probably out hunting. 

“Baybell!” I mewed. My apprentice bounded over to me, not hesitant at all. “I’m proud of you. You’ve gotten around your blindness and become an amazing apprentice. So you’ll have your final assessment today.”

“YES!” Baybell leapt up. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!!” “Let’s go.” I urged. “We’re wasting daylight.” I started towards the entrance, but Baybell was faster, and he bolted past me. “COME ON!” He yelled back to me. I sighed, picking up my pace. I didn’t even know where he went until I heard a shrill squeak of prey being caught.

“Baybell!”

Feathersong went racing past me. “Wait!” She yelped. “Baybell!” I raced after them, then scrambled back. There was a ravine with a river at the end. Feathersong was over the side, clutching the edge. “Leafblade! Help!” She pleaded.

CHAPTER 35: Feathersong

I scrabbled at the edge, and Leafblade sprang into action. “Baybell!” He demanded. “Hold my tail.” Baybell grasped Leafblade’s tail and Leafblade grabbed my scruff, hauling me back to the ground. 

I collapsed, panting. “Leafblade.” I hissed. It was all I could manage. “Are you hurt?” He asked, eyes soft with concern. “I’m fine.” I mewed through gritted teeth. 

“Baybell.” Leafblade mewed firmly but gently. “Get the medicine cat. Get Niko.” Baybell nodded, racing off towards camp. “I’m still getting the medicine cat anyway.” He meowed.

“Wait.” I said so flatly and suddenly that Leafblade snapped his head towards me. I heard a crack, and I shakily stood up. “Leafblade.” I hissed. “Move very, very, very slowly away from the cliff edge.”

Then, there was a deep crack and the cliff crumbled away. Without another thought, I plunged into the river.

Wonderflight - Part VI By Emmelina Caswell

PROLOGUE 6: Vinestar

“My cats!”

I sat straight up. I had been asleep when something woke me up. “My cats.”

I raced outside, relishing the cool night air. Checking the apprentices’ den, I breathed out a sigh. Then, the nursery. All the cats were there. The elders’ den? All my elders were there. I checked the warriors’ den, and my breath caught in my throat. 

“Where are Feathersong and Finchwing?” I yowled, and within seconds, cats sprung awake. “Where are my kits?” Their mother, Brightwing, yowled as she sprung from her nest. “Find my kits!”

“Why are we panicking?” An elder meowed. It stopped the Clan. “They could’ve gone off together. They’re kin.” 

“This is different, Crowbite.” I meowed, fear creeping into my voice.

 “I woke up from a dream. It was of a dark battle. And then, a cat appeared and whispered, ‘A hidden soul reveals when time can tell. And finally, the evils will be unleashed.’”

CHAPTER 26: Feathersong

They’re not supposed to know I sent Niko the dream!

I panicked at the kit’s words. “Feathersong?” Leafblade meowed, confused. “Is there something you’d like to say to us?” My brother, Finchwing, asked flatly. “Feathersong comes and mentors me!” Niko chirped. I slapped my tail over my mouth, but he chattered on. 

“She tells me about the warrior Clans, and their honor code. It’s an honor to meet actual Clan cats!” He dips his head to the tomcats. “Feathersong.” Finchwing repeats flatly. “Why does this cat know what a Clan is?” 

“Alright, this kitten isn’t speaking fuzz-mushmouth.” I admitted. “All he said is true.” Leafblade shakes his head in confusion. “But-why?” I set my jaw. “Can’t say.” I whispered. “Classified.” 

“Who, Feathersong?” Finchwing hisses roughly. 

I think of a tan cat, but at this point, I am not thinking or speaking, it’s something-or someone- else. “I said, I cannot say.” I hissed, but not really. I don’t know who this is. “What-” I manage to meow, then I say, “You might as well eat the poultice, kit.” 

Niko stared into my eyes, then gave a small gasp and scampered away.

The thing made me race after him.

CHAPTER 27: Finchwing

Something’s up.

Feathersong had just ordered a kit to eat something. Feathersong has never demanded that a cat, let alone a kit, do something.

I quickly grabbed her scruff. “Leafblade-help and don’t ask questions yet!” I hissed. Leafblade helped me pin her down, and I saw that Feathersong’s eyes weren’t green, they were red. “It’s not her.” Leafblade whispered. 

“Who are you and what have you done with Feathersong?!” I demanded in this cat’s ear. “Feathersong isn’t here.” They snarled. “Snakefoot is coming home.” 

Then, Feathersong’s eyes went back to green. “We need to get back to the Clans, and they all need to come with us.” Her eyes were wide. “They’re going to destroy us all then destroy StarClan.” Feathersong shook us off. “Get Iron, Niko, Blackout, and Nickel. We leave now.” 

Leafblade nodded, yowling their names, which left me and my sister alone. “Snakefoot-He’s threatening our mother. In my mind. And he won’t stop talking.” I laid my tail gently onto her shoulder. “We’re going home.”

CHAPTER 28: Leafblade

Our new band of cats were almost home. Iron, Blackout, Niko, Nickel, Feathersong, and Finchwing. 

But when we stepped a paw onto LeafClan territory, something was wrong. A cat burst out of the bushes, and I recognized a battered and clawed Rubblepaw. 

“Leafblade!” He rasped. “And Feathersong and Finchwing! You have to save the Clan! We’re under attack!” “Lead me.” I demanded, racing after the apprentice and into the camp. I scented clan cats and rouges, and then I saw the sight. 

“Attack!” I yowled, plunging into camp. “Rubblepaw got backup!” Some cat gasped. “Keep fighting!” Rubblepaw yowled as he launched himself at a tabby-she cat. I leapt at a massive orange and black tom. 

“Leave the Clan camps!” I screeched, clawing mercilessly. He yelped, swinging his claws wildly and catching me on my side. It was deep, and I staggered as he batted me on my shoulder before fleeing. 

Then, I heard, “Leafblade-Look out!”

I whipped around and a sandy tabby she-cat lunged. But Feathersong was quicker. She barreled into her side. 

“Get away from him!” Feathersong screamed, battering the she-cat. Feathersong’s paws soon turned red, and the she-rouge cowered. “We will be back.” She snarled. “No you won't, Snakefoot.” 

Blackout came up behind us. “You will die in shame that you have dared to return here. You dared to kill-”

Snakefoot lunged at Blackout.

CHAPTER 29: Feathersong

“No!”

I heard it from Iron and my own voice. But Snakefoot clamped his jaws around his neck. Blackout’s eyes went wide, then he staggered, then he collapsed. “NO!” Iron screeched, louder this time. “Round the rogues into this corner! All Clan cats! Rogues into this corner!”

The Clan cats started herding the rogues into the corner. “Tell them why you’ve come here. Why you’ve dared, from your exile, to come home. Or I will-”

“Revenge!” Snakefoot snarled. “I want my kits done! Every single one of them! I never-”

Iron stiffened. “What. Is. Going. Down?!” My mother’s voice (Cloverslash) cut through the air. 

“Snakefoot! I should’ve known.” “You were never supportive of me!” He snarled. “You were always in my way! I should’ve never taken a mate, let alone you!” Cloverslash hissed, frozen. 

Snakefoot turned on us. “Feathersong. Finchwing.” Snakefoot’s voice was ragged. “I never want to see you again in my life. That’s why I’m here. Revenge on my mate who turned me away from this Clan. Revenge on those who got in my way.” 

“And revenge on your oldest friend.” Vinestar snarled, coming up to him. “You disgust me.”

CHAPTER 30: Finchwing

We are Snakefoot’s kin?!

I staggered, and Iron shouldered me up. “We’ll figure this out.” She mewed softly.

“Promise your group of rogues will never come near us.” Vinestar continued. “And you all may live.” 

“No.” Snakefoot hissed, eyes cold. A small, black tabby came up to him. “Actually, Snakefoot.” He said, casually flashing his claws. “We will be leaving. We’re fighting your battles, and I think we’re all done.” 

“Shut up, Dark.” Snakefoot rounded on the small cat. 

Without a word, Dark blinked angrily at Snakefoot, then shredded his claws across Snakefoot’s back. “We tried to warn you.” Dark said softly. “But when you have a fool leading your group, then all must unite.” Dark drew up, and we all noticed how Dark was three times smaller than Vinestar. 

“Deep respects to the Clans.” Dark dipped his head. “We will never bother you again. For as long as I live, bound in my blood, we shall never have contact with you again.” Dark slit his pad with his claw. Red slid between the skin.

Vinestar dipped his head. “Farewell. We are counting on this promise.” 

Dark looked back. “My word is true.”

Then, the new (tiny) rogue leader led his group away from the Clan, and they were never seen or heard from again.

“Bordered On Dusk” - Part One: Before the Bordering By Jack Stewart

My name is Madeline Ira, and I have a story to tell. I thought that trip to the Himalayas would be the best trip of my life, and I must admit, it was memorable. People talk about the creature on that mountain, they’re always trying to pull out their “vintage” cameras, and look for the creature. I can bet you, however, that while everyone is trying to find the creature, nobody is thinking about what happens if the creature finds them. I was one of those people, and oh, how nice it was to be one of them. But while there may be bliss in ignorance, there is also danger, and no matter how much you learn, that danger never goes away.

It began in a cabin, cliche, I know, but it wasn’t dark. The day was light, it bordered on dusk, but never quite. It had taken us near nine hours to get there from Pennsylvania, but I knew, or rather I thought, that the wait would be worth it. 

“When are we there?” I said, boredom starting to take over.

“Soon Madeline. In fact, right about now.” 

In case you didn’t get the inference, that was my father, and as I was deep inside a book, I had forgotten to look up. Once I did, however, I was instantly in awe. I saw the mountains, and they were grand. Just a look at them, and you could tell they were the Himalayas, their presence ever looming, even if you closed your eyes. 

Between the looming mountains was the cabin, and it looked comfy, and quite fitting for a tundra like this, with its roof slanted down like an arch, a porch with a chair, and a wooden table, and everything built from pine. So, with a breath of anticipation, I stepped inside.

The place wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t small either. It was around the size of a typical log cabin, but it had that cozy feeling you get when walking in places, like your old preschool, or a campfire. As we went into the place, me and the other three children seemed to think the same thing. Find the layout of the building, so we can have fun. There was the main room, a table, some couches with a coffee table in front of them. Like the bookworm I am, I crashed on the couch, and settled in. 

I looked up and, typical of me, I had been reading for almost an hour. My family knew not to disturb me,  and while that was nice most of the time, it had some disadvantages. Around me, my cousins were running amok, and without hesitation, I went to join them. It was complete, and utter chaos, the good kind of course, until the adults hushed us down. Once they were bored, I went to the adults, where I joined them in a game of Casino.

“Ok, so if I stack a two on that ten, he’ll place a two, thinking that he can take it with the ace he’s been trying to get. Then I’ll add my ace, and win the game,” I thought. 

Surprisingly, the plan worked, and my dad fell hook, line, and sinker. The game continued, and with the aces in my hand, I took the other points.

“Alright, Maddie, you won. Now it’s getting late, so I say we head upstairs to sleep,” my dad said.

“Okay, see you in the morning,” I said, then began to walk the stairs.

“Wait! I have something to tell everyone!” My dad spoke, with a strange urgency in his voice.

He called everyone down, and began to speak. 

“As far as you all know, we went here to simply enjoy the sights, but we’ve been hiding something… The real reason we’ve gone here is that tomorrow, we’re going to hike the Himalayas!”

The room erupted in cheer, and the adults reveled in how well they’d kept the surprise. 

“Still, you all need to go to bed, so lights out, and we’ll see you in the morning.”

WIth a heavy sigh, I went to my room, I slept, and I dreamt.

It was so cold, and the air was freezing. If we hadn’t had our coats, we would have frozen hours ago. Me and the others were huddled together; we haven’t lost any, not yet, but I had a feeling it would get one of us. We heard things, things that pointed towards what we thought couldn’t be true. We didn’t believe it at first, but then we saw it, fur as white as snow, yet still stained with blood from its previous victims. It was huge, even from a distance. We were always wary, but we were too cold to keep moving. We saw a small hole in the cliffside, so we crawled in, and made a campfire with the matches we had. All was good, we had some food, and warmed up.

We heard a roar in the distance. It knew we were here.

With a bolt, I woke up. I was drenched in sweat, and my heart was pounding. The weird thing was, however, I didn’t remember what I was dreaming about. I was called for breakfast, and my senses returned to me. I was excited for the trip ahead, but for some reason, I was filled with dread of what was to come.

The Teensiest Chance By Adelyn Butler

Please read slowly.

Tonight, Manchester was both bitterly cold and scorching hot. Its sky no longer held stars, only the shattered orange glare over the Deansgate district, the ugly stench of smoke, and the distorted silhouettes of droning, iron vultures waiting for their tortured prey to die. Inside the brick Anderson shelter, beneath a long row of soot-stained terraces, the air was thick with dust, the pungent reek of burning wood, and the metallic tang of spent incendiaries. A high-pitched whistle shrieked through the air, followed by a heavy thump that shook plaster from the ceiling.

"It's getting louder, Beryl." Ivor sat huddled, wedged between sacks of sandbags, white-knuckled hands grasping an oversized gas mask. "Louder and louder and it's almost Christmas. It's never gonna stop, is it? It will just keep going and going and going forever, and the only way to stop it, the only way to stop it at all is to die."

The cold gnawed at Beryl's faded red cardigan like never before. "Don't think about - you're only five - you shouldn't have…" Ivor's face was streaked in dust, his eyes hollow and dark. "Y-you know, Ivor, I saw something this morning I forgot to tell you about." She hesitated. You aren't lying to him, Beryl. Just telling a story. You're fine. You're not as bad as - just a story. Trying to remove the exhausted tone of her voice, she continued. "I saw a line of squirrels, scampering over frozen mud. But they weren't bare-furred. Every one of them was wearing a tiny hand- well, paw-knitted scarf around their little neck."

Ivor's eyes drifted upwards. "Scarves?"

"And that wasn't the half of it. There was a cat, too, wearing a Christmas sweater. And even the pigeons had miniature velvet earmuffs on. They weren't even fighting over crumbs this morning. They were all just going to the same place."
"Where were they going?"

"A Christmas party. A big one." Her throat tightened, the lie coating her throat in ash.
"A party?"

"Yes, a party. And they won't go home till Christmas."

"What if it's not safe on Christmas?" Beryl gave a sharp intake of breath, and waited until she knew she could speak steadily before replying.

"It doesn't matter. They won't go home until it is." Ivor looked at her with a heartbreakingly hopeful face, his mind playing with the impossible idea of an end to the war, to the emptiness in their stomachs, to the terror that engulfed them day and night, to the high pitched whistles streaking down from above. For just a second, Beryl could have sworn the dust receded, tasting faintly of sugar and whimsical tales. Yet it returned as a sudden whump shook the ground, rattling the gas masks. A cloud of dust rained down from the ceiling. Ivor gave a feeble cough, and he huddled closer to the sandbags. How did I end up holding the world together constantly? She shuddered, realizing the answer to her own question. Because I'm the only one who can.

"The-" She coughed. "The animals won't be able to hear that when they're at the party"–Beryl leaned in close to Ivor–"They'll be busy eating all your favorite sweets: lemon sherbet, coconut ice…"

"Licorice wheels?" His eyes brightened slightly with imagined delight, yet there was an edge of suspicion to his gaze that hadn't been there before.
"Of course!" Her relaxed, hopeful expression became slightly more genuine, brightening at Ivor's. "And you want to know the best part?"

"What?"
"There's just the teensiest chance that all the animals will take us with them. Here, I just might have a ticket…" Beryl unraveled a small red thread from her cardigan. She hesitated for just a moment–her mother's jacket had just barely begun to fit her comfortably–then snapped it off, its sound muffled under the scream of the bombs. Won't need it anyways, all the good it does me. She cinched it tightly around Ivor's wrist, careful not to bruise his unnaturally pale skin.

"Just like the squirrel-scarf. You're invited too now." Ivor locked eyes with her, searching for any hint of dishonesty. Beryl smiled, and Ivor, satisfied, laid his head on a sandbag.

And just before Ivor closed his eyes, he stopped listening for the thud of the earth and began to listen for the muffled rhythm of a thousand paws moving towards a peace that he could, maybe, just maybe, join. His hand went slack in hers, his breathing lengthening into the deepest, happiest sleep he'd experienced in months. Just a story. Not a lie. Only the teensiest chance. No promises. 

"Don't hate me, Ivor." Her voice cracked. "I wasn't trying to—I just wish… Just don't get your hopes up. Don't break—don't break like I did." Without a story to guard anything anymore, the walls of the shelter seemed to press inwards, the air no longer tasting of lemon sherbet and licorice wheels, only dust, brick, and gritty plaster grinding at Beryl's tongue. Fumbling, she unraveled a string from her cardigan, unfallen tears blurring her eyes. She yanked it, breaking her dirty nails as she pulled more and more out of her jacket. When it gave way, much longer than Ivor's had, she tried to tie it around her wrist with her one dirt encrusted hand. Her fingers shook. The thread slipped through her rough fingers, falling limply on her lap. Beryl held the scream burning her throat, knowing it would wake Ivor from his sweet dreams. Yet she couldn't, couldn't wipe that peaceful look off his face, couldn't shatter his fragile hope, and couldn't pull him into the stark truth they had both been forced into as she imagined the fantasy he was galloping in.

Deep in the midst of reality, silent tears spilled. Picturing Ivor's pretty illusion, she snapped her red thread in two.

Wonderflight Part V by Emmelina Caswell

Wonderflight: Part 5

By Emmelina Caswell

PROLOGUE 5: Feathersong

I did not expect Leafblade to come rushing up to us with an apprentice yapping on and on about something. I certainly didn’t expect the apprentice to be a formal she-cat who was very polite. 

Leafblade nodded at the apprentice. “This is Pebblepaw. Not my apprentice, she just…” he shrugged, fumbling for the words. “Told you exactly what happened and what their plan is.” Pebblepaw filled in. “I vote he wants to come.” Pebblepaw jabbed a claw towards Leafblade. Nickel nodded, bounding over to Pebblepaw. “Hi! I believe you already know who I am. We’re like sisters.” Nickel put a weird emphasis on the word sisters, and Pebblepaw flinched. “Can they come, please?” Nickel begged me. I sighed, thinking. Finally, I gave in and said, “Fine. But they stay quiet to the other clans about this. Especially you.” I jabbed a claw at Leafblade, who blinked innocently. “YAY! Thank you Feathersong!” Nickel bounded up to Pebblepaw, and then we started off towards Twolegplace.

CHAPTER 21: Finchwing

“This is his housefolk den,” Nickel announced, pointing at a neat red and yellow den. Feathersong halted before saying, “I’ll be right back. I need to gather herbs.” 

“TAKEMEWITHYOUPLEASE!” Pebblepaw pleaded randomly. Feathersong blinked rapidly, but agreed and then they left. Nickel bounded inside, and that left Leafblade and I to talk.

“Why are you here?” I asked immediately. 

“Feath-Pebblepaw wanted to see outside of her territory, and then she told me about this, and then she dragged me along,” Leafblade answered immediately. “It was her idea.” I narrowed my eyes, about to say something when there was a low growl. I whipped my head around in sync with Leafblade, and I saw a pretty orange and black tabby she-cat. 

“Hello, gentlemen.” She hissed, revealing sparkling green eyes. “I see you are near my territory. Why is that? And if you choose to not leave, I will make you.”

CHAPTER 22: Leafblade

“We are visitors of Nickel’s brother.” I hissed. “If you think you can beat us both, then come at us. We’re Clan warriors, we can take a kittypet like you!”

“Then take me!” She screeched, leaping onto me. I grappled with her, but she was too strong. With surprising strength, she flipped me onto my stomach and pinned me. “What kind of Clan warrior are you?!” 

“The kind that knows how to fight!” Finchwing yowled, but was tackled to the ground by a black Bombay cat. “Puny clan warriors.” The kittypet hissed in my ear. Quickly racing through battle moves, I relaxed, flopping to the ground. She relaxed her grip, and I immediately leaped up, thrusting her into the black kittypet and throwing them both sideways. Racing to Finchwing, I hissed, “We’re visiting! We mean no harm to your territory!” The black tom reared up, but was stopped by the she-kitty screeching, “Stop, Blackout!” Blackout hesitated and in that moment, Finchwing leapt up, growling. “Stay away!” He hissed, but then sat down. I slid up, drawing to full height. “Why are you threatening us?!” I screeched. “Wait- Did you say you’re here…” The she-kittypet said slowly. “For… Niko?”

CHAPTER 23: Feathersong

“Pebblepaw!” I called the apprentice. “Get the catmint. I have the marigold.” Pebblepaw scrambled over to me, wads of catmint in her mouth. 

“If’s in the twolefh fharden.” She spat it out. “I found it in the Twoleg garden. There’s so much!” Pebblepaw may not be my clan’s apprentice, but she sure is admirable, I mused. “Let’s go.” I decided, picking up the marigold and trotting towards the Twoleg den where Nickel’s brother was. I heard screeching, and then was smashed into a tree, my marigold flying into the air. 

“Hold still.” An orange kitten hissed in my ear. I writhed, but the tiny cat had a firm grasp. Then, I heard a battle screech, and then Pebblepaw leapt at the kitten, pinning him, claws unsheathed. 

“Pebblepaw!” I gasped, hauling myself up. “Mercy!” Pebblepaw sheathed her claws, growling. “Who are you?” I hissed. The kitten coughed, and then his somewhat-familiar green eyes made me freeze. “Are you-?” I started, and the kitten cocked his head. 

“I am Niko.” He mewed, cautious. “Have you seen my sister?”

CHAPTER 24: Finchwing

“Yes!” I mewed. “Have you seen him?! We are here to HELP him, for StarClan’s sake.”

The female tabby approached me carefully. 

“Blackout, get Niko.” The female tabby hissed. The black tom obeyed, scampering into the bushes. “Sorry for that.” The she-cat mewed, all hostility gone from her green gaze. “We were told by Nickel not to let ANYONE near Niko while she was gone. She said she was going to get help from the Clan cats. And my na-Why on earth are you staring at me?” 

I realized I had been staring into her eyes. “Sorry . . . thinking.” I said, ducking my head. 

“What were you thinking?” she said, somewhat hostile again. 

“Well, um.” I started. “You’re just so fierce. You would fit into Clan life like, um, it was your original life. With housefolk.” 

“I am a loner.” She hissed. “I am Iron. I hate Twolegs, they took all my siblings except Blackout. I just barely escaped. Blackout followed me and we ran and now we are the rightful friends and protectors of Niko and Nickel.” Iron flicked her tail, and Blackout, Pebblepaw, Feathersong, and a familiar kitten appeared out of the bush. “This is Niko.” Iron mewed, flicking her tail at the kitten, who coughed. Just then, Nickel leapt into the Twoleg window. 

“I can’t find-” Nickel’s voice cut off when she saw Niko.

CHAPTER 25: Leafblade 

“Feathersong!” I yowled, racing over to her. At least five emotions flashed through her face as she saw me, covered in mud, cuts, and bites. 

“Are you okay?” Feathersong asked, frantically looking me over. 

“I’m fine.” I mewed, rubbing my cheek against hers. “What about you?” 

Feathersong nodded, and Nickel leapt down to Niko. “Blackout, Iron.” Nickel nodded, and they both bowed. “Nickel?” Niko asked warily. “Who-Who are these cats?” 

“Friends,” Nickel said gently. 

“Here.” Feathersong started towards him, and Niko leaned forward eagerly. “I know you!” He squeaked. “Dream kitty!” Feathersong paused from chewing the marigold/catmint poultice. 

“UHUM….” Feathersong spat the poultice out onto the ground. “Eat the poultice.” 

Niko eagerly swallowed, and then I spoke up. “Um, what do you mean, dream kitty?” 

“She told me you all were coming!” Niko squeaked. “I was stalking you! Great StarClan, it wasn’t that much of a problem. You sounded like a badger with ants in its nest.”

I gaped. “StarClan?” I whispered. “Niko, how do you know about StarClan?”

The Substitute by Jack Stewart

Substitutes, good, and bad, we’ve all had them. But have you ever wondered the strangeness of the matter, that we are trusted with random people for nearly an hour and a half? We’ve all had bad subs, this is true, but what happens when a week with a sub takes a turn for the worst?

It was a frosty Monday morning in Pennsylvania, as the month of December had just begun. Conner woke up, he checked the clock, 6:50 AM, just in time. He slowly crawled out of bed, got dressed, and all that stuff. He looked at himself in the mirror, and he looked decent, not good, but okay for a Monday. He made himself breakfast, and after five minutes of relaxing, he hustled out the door. It had been a while since his parents had seen him out the door, but they were sick with the flu, so it was better this way. 

He walked down to the stop, and the bus almost instantly pulled up. Thank god he had left when he did, else the bus would have passed him by! He walked in, and got into his seat, 15, got on his phone, and waited for the long ride to end.

Around thirty minutes later, he arrived at his school. He checked his schedule, first math, then gym, Spanish, Tech.Ed, and to wrap things up, English. It would be a good day. He enjoyed most of these classes, save math, but that was normal for a middle schooler. Math passed, or more of drawled, by. He did some stuff like “solve the value of x,” and so on and so forth. Gym, like always, was chaotic, the volleyball tournament was intense, and after a near twenty minute match, they had beaten their opponent. Then… came Spanish.

Spanish was one of his favorite classes, the teacher there was especially nice, so every class with her was amazing. Unfortunately, today they had a sub, which seldom went well.

“Hello, everyone, my name is Mrs. Brownson, and I will be your teacher for the next week. Your teacher sadly broke her wrist, so I will be here while she recovers. As I do not know Spanish, and cannot teach it, the classes for this week will be study halls, so you may do as you wish.”

Conner was surprised, most subs dumped them busy work, had them read afterwards, and that was that. He wasn’t expecting a study hall for a week, and it would be quite helpful, not for homework, as like every other student, he needed free time. 

He got out a book, Hollow Wood he believed it was called, and began to read. He read of the peculiars from the book before, Enoch, Emma, Millard, Bronwyn, and the protagonist, Jacob, who could see the Hollowghast that hunted them.

Ten, or twenty minutes passed by, until the substitute left the room, came back, and said, “Ella Mamble, the office needs you for an early dismissal.” 

She walked her down the hall, and that was that.

The rest of the class passed, and after that, the day did as well. The final bell rang, and out the school door he went, and into the bus door he came. 

Once the ride back was over, he went into his house, sat on the couch, and relaxed. Sure, the school day wasn’t too bad, but he still needed some time to decompress after it all. Ten minutes or so later, he paused the T.V, and got up. He made some dinner, as his mother luckily taught him how to cook before she fell ill. Connor got the bread, the butter, turned on the stove, and after some time, made himself a basic grilled cheese.

He ate, it wasn’t amazing, but like his day, it was decent. He didn’t have much to do after this, so after twenty minutes more of reading, he went up to bed.

The alarm bell rang. He checked it, 6:50, yet again. Like the previous morning, he crawled out of bed, alas, mornings never really got easier. He got dressed, brushed teeth, so on and so forth. He did relax, and do other things, but they are things not worth telling. He turned on the T.V, and the news came on

“Breaking News: Ella Mamble, a student in the State College district, disappeared shortly after ______, further investigations are occuring.” After this, he got on the bus, and read to pass the time.

The bus stopped, and, yet again, he had Spanish, along with Social Studies, Ac. Lit, Health, and so forth. Social Studies was interesting, the debates were being shown, and he was watching a rather interesting one. Should taxpayers pay for college? Both sides fought hard, but in the end, the Con side was best, they had more research, so they’re argument had much more structure. Afterwards, he had the class he was looking forward to most, Spanish. 

The class was awesome. It was a bit harder to start reading with the gamers raging, but once he did, he was immersed. Ten minutes passed, and the substitute spoke again,
“Alex Manston, the office needs you for an early dismissal.”

Like the last time, she walked the student down to the office.

The classes passed, and the final bell rang, he went home, relaxed, and like last time, ate his food, and went to bed.

The next two days passed like a blur, another student missing, another class of reading, and others gaming, and another two nights of the same food, and going to bed. The process repeated, that is, until day five.

The schedule was the same as day one. The gym was intense, it was his team against another, this time, however, for the crown of victory. The game was intense, a full 30 minutes of virtual warfare, but after a key winning serve, Connor, and the rest of the team, won. Math was okay, he had a test, but he blew past it. He wasn’t sure if he was smart, or if the test was easy, but to him it didn’t matter. He was waiting for one class, the best one of them all, Spanish.

The class passed like usual, until a name was called. “Connor McBrian, the office needs you for an early dismissal.”

As he walked out the door, the past few days flashed before his eyes. The study halls, a distraction from the evils occurring, the dismissals, a way to get the child alone, and the disappearances, the result of it all. If what was happening was real, and not a coincidence, then he had to go. Now.

He played along, until he was outside the classroom. At this time, he sprinted with the speed from days of volleyball, and after trips to different bathrooms during many math classes, he had memorized the way of the building, the one thing that he had against her. He didn’t know the truth, for all he knew, he was a fool, an intelligent, yet reckless, fool. He took a loop, and went to the bathroom behind where she originally stood. He heard silence, then footsteps away. Suddenly, he felt a pang of guilt. This woman could have been trying to bring him to his parents, and he sprinted away.

The weekend passed in a blur, his parents got better, so he was finally able to do something fun. He went to the trampoline park. They seldom went, but his parents figured after the week on his own, he deserved something. There was another reason Conner was glad. With the coming of the new week, Mrs. Brownson would be gone, and everything would be normal again.

Monday came, and after some other classes, Spanish occurred. 

“Hi everyone,” the Spanish teacher, Ms. Clara said, “I’m sorry that I was gone last week, how was the substitute?”

“Great!” another student replied, “Mrs. Brownson was awesome!”

Ms. Clara’s face paled, and she quietly, yet fearfully muttered…

“That wasn’t your substitute.”

And so you have it, a sub that hunts in a crowd, a wolf in sheep's clothing if you will. You may have bad subs, but just remember one thing. At the end, Mrs. Brownson was never caught, her appearance never said, nor if Brownson was her true name. So next time you have a sub, just remember that somewhere out there, she waits, and she isn’t picky what school she goes to…

The Ten Best Books in the Library by Jack Stewart

The library, by this point, every single student has been there and seen the shelves of seemingly infinite books. Due to the vastness of the library, I think it’s safe to say that most people have struggled to find a good book (as an immense bookworm, I definitely have). So, because I need something else to write about, I am going to list the ten best books/authors in the library. These are in no particular order, as I can’t decide between them all.

1. The K.R. Alexander books

If you like supernatural books with a creepy feel, I would highly recommend this author. Most of his books are in the first person, are around one hundred pages long, and most of all, they are a very good read. Most of his books involve ghosts/spirits, though there are exceptions, such as ESCAPE, which is a sci-fi book. There are around eleven books, five or so within the “Scare Me” series; so if you want a challenge, try reading all of the eleven (I have done so, and I’ve personally enjoyed it.) These books, while all incredible, vary in levels of amazingness, all have one thing in common… You won’t be able to predict the ending. 

2. The Katherine Arden books

Katherine Arden, like K.R. Alexander, is one you will certainly find in the supernatural section. While it does involve ghosts, the main concept is so much more. This series is one of four, and each is incredible. The protagonists are all memorable, (especially Ollie, you’ll understand in the first book), the plot twists are amazing (the best one is in book three), and the villain is the opposite of cliche and also, dare I say, unforgettable. The villain, whose name itself I consider a spoiler, is honestly one my favorite antagonists in a while. The first book is Small Spaces, followed by Dead Voices, Dark Waters, and Empty Smiles respectively. Shout out to my friend Emily Gilbert for introducing this series to me, and feel free to read some of her articles. The one about dog body language is especially good.

3. The Hunger Games

Most of you already know about the Hunger Games, but I still have to put it on this list. I chose to read it for the Dystopia unit in English class, and instantly loved the book. The complications of the plot as Katniss has to survive make things very interesting, as well as the way that Suzzane Collins (the author) gave Katniss the skill to survive the games, and made her a non-traditional protagonist, something seldom seen, and when seen, rarely pulled off. I am currently reading Catching Fire, and I would encourage all grade levels to read the series.

4. Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculier Children

Mrs Peregrine’s is one of the most interesting fantasy books in the library, but surprisingly seems left forgotten. This book is around three hundred pages long, and has a ton of good plot development. I first discovered this book via the movie based off of it, and I’ll tell you something, don’t watch the movie, the book is much, much better. The book also has pictures of photos that are mentioned in the story, which enriches the story as it unfolds. Mrs. Peregrin’s is also fairly dark for a fantasy novel, but to be honest, that’s what makes it good. If you read the book, and enjoy it, I would highly recommend you to read the sequel, Hollow Wood. It’s not in the school library, but you could probably get it at SCHLOE.

5. Artemis Fowl

This is also a relatively popular series, but judging by what I’ve heard, it isn’t as popular as it was. This story is one of eight, Artemis Fowl, The Arctic Incident, The Trinity Code, The Opal Deception, The Lost Colony, The Time Paradox, The Atlantis Complex, and The Last Guardian respectively. While they do start to go downhill, they are all still amazing, especially the first. Artemis Fowl takes the idea of fairies, or more specifically, the Irish/Scottish fae, and blends it with sci- fi to make things very interesting. Plus the idea of the twelve year old genius as the main character, as well as him being… less than morally sound, really spices things up. You can find all of these books in the Sci-Fi section under Eon Colfer.

6. Impossible Creatures

Impossible Creatures, as most of you know, is a March Madness book, and as I love fantasy, I decided to try it. Impossible Creatures is an incredible book. It weaves the main character Christopher into the world of the book perfectly, and the prequels in the beginning of the book do a great job of having the reader get to know the characters, and get you excited for when they meet. My personal favourite part of this book is how they revolved a lot of the magic in the series around the creatures there. Rather than the adventure being people who can cast magical spells, it puts the glory upon creatures like sphinxes, dragons, manticores, which are presented startlingly accurately, and original creatures like the Al Jeranji. The copy currently in the library also has an extra story inside of it, and if you like the book, the sequel is The Poisoned King.

7. Lawn Weenies, Summer Weenies, Ninja Weenies etc.

This multi-book collection of short stories was probably my first introduction to the short story genre (with Goosebumps being my intro to horror, Don’t Go in the Basement was a classic). 

Every single one of the page long short stories are good, with each one of them having plot twists/good endings, a bit of spookyness, and always fun to read. Some, on the other hand, besides being spooky, can be bittersweet, funny, and at times quite tragic. There isn’t much I can say about this series overall, as the variety is immense, but one of the best things about the plot twists is that they are right in front of you the entire time, but presented in a way so you don’t see them until it’s too late. With each of the books having around thirty quick short stories, plus the inspiration behind each of them on the last few pages, I highly recommend you give this series a try

8. Harry Potter

Ok, while I know this article was supposed to be about niche books, I just had to put this in here.

Harry Potter is an incredible imagining of the idea of magic, with the simple idea, what if wizards were still alive, and still hiding? This idea birthed seven main books, along with a three book side series (Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them) and a play. My personal favorite aspects are Dementors, Dragons, the different wand cores (seriously, there are a lot, and they all say something about the user,) and Dobby, who everyone loves, cherishes. This is a brief excerpt, as this series is well known, but if you are a Harry Potter fan, then I tip my hat to you.

9. The Marvillers.

Yet again, another fantasy series. I first read this book during the 6th grade march madness, and I still find it amazing. The idea of each person having a unique ability, along with the abilities fitting into five different categories of magic, along with the main conflict, this series is truly a bomb. A little teaser, one of the mainly bought things in this universe are little snowglobe like things, which are little planets inside.

10. Magnus Chase

Like the previous one, I discovered this from the 6th grade March Madness, and finished the series this year. This book is one of three, The Sword of Summer, The Hammer of Thor, and The Ship of Nails respectively. Magnus Chase is part of the Percy Jackson universe, and focuses on Norse mythology. The book opens with Magnus Chase, whose mom died in a fire, homeless in the city of Boston. After some twists and turns, he ends up in Valhalla, where he discovers that he is a demigod. Unlike most fantasy books, spells are not used by the protagonist, but rather a side character. The books do a great job of encapsulating the world of Norse Mythology, and keeping things both entertaining, and accurate. If you enjoy mythology of any kind, then I suggest, after reading the first five Percy Jackson books, read this. If you enjoy it, also feel free to read the Heroes of Olympus, The Kane Chronicles, Trials of Apollo, and the newer Percy Jackson books coming out currently.

So yeah, those are, in my opinion, the ten best books in the library, so hopefully after reading this, you won’t be left without a book for a while.

Wonderflight Part IV by Emmelina Caswell

PROLOGUE 4: Featherpaw

About two moons later…

“I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code. Finchpaw, step forward. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, to defend your clanmates even at the cost of your life? Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. From now on, you will be known as Finchwing. Featherpaw, step forward. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code, to defend your clanmates, even at the cost of your life? Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Featherpaw, you will be known as Feathersong. May Starclan approve of my choice!”

“Feathersong! Finchwing! Feathersong! Finchwing!”

I closed my eyes as I listened to my clanmates cheer my name. Finally, a warrior! Then, Vinestar continued.

“As our custom, our newest warriors will guard the camp in a silent vigil tonight. May the luck of Starclan go with them.”

Little did I know we would need all the luck Finchwing and I could get.

CHAPTER 16:Finchwing

I twitched my ears. Our vigil was going great until I heard growling. “Feathersong?” I whispered to my sister, who was standing beside me, rigid. “Did you growl?” “No,” she hissed back. “Though you may want to unsheathe your claws because I think that’s a-”

Russet red fur flashed past me, and Feathersong leapt up and clawed its muzzle. “Warn the clan!” She hissed as she flashed by. I nodded, racing into camp and yelling, “Fox attack!” Instantly, Vinestar and the warriors raced towards the camp entrance. Then, there was a different voice in a different language. It sounded like, “Back away or get shredded.” Then, there was whimpering. I raced outside and saw a smaller, copper-colored cat hissing at the fox. It had a slashed muzzle, and was yelping and floundering away. I slipped towards the copper she-cat, who had no bites or scratches. Twisting to my sister, she ran her tail across Feathersong’s back. “You good?” Feathersong looked shaken, but she nodded before lifting her paw up and yelping, “Ow! I twisted my paw on a tree root!”

CHAPTER 17: Leafblade

That afternoon…

“Listen up!” I mewed. I had been put in charge of patching the dens before leafbare, when snow would leak into the dens. “Goldenpoppy, Freesong. You’re on moss collection. Songbird, Pebblepaw and I will be mud-collecting. We need to do this quickly and efficiently. Now go!” 

I was scraping up mud when Pebblepaw came up to me. “Something is wrong.” She said flatly. I blinked. “What do you mean by-” “It’s falling into place, but a cat was wounded.” She said, scraping at the mud. “A cat named Feathersong was saved from a fox by a fierce kittypet and-” I straightened. “You said Feathersong?” I asked. Pebblepaw nodded, and my mind reeled. “How-and why-do you know this?” “I can hear it.” Pebblepaw said, anxiously pacing. “The birds sing about the one bringing change and the leaves blow in odd ways. I can feel it.” I stumbled slightly, and slid sideways into the mud. “Pebblepaw, come with me.” I said, racing towards the camp exit. “It’s past time your mentor showed you Leafclan territory.”

CHAPTER 18: Feathersong

“How is your paw healing, Feathersong?” The medicine cat, Crowwing, asked me. “Just fine, thanks to…” I nodded at the kittypet who had beaten the fox single-handedly. “Nickle.” Nickel nodded at me. “It’s nice to meet you wildcats. I’ve admired your ways of life since the moment I was born, and I love the fact that I have gotten to meet so many Clan cats finally!” The copper cat leapt up and whisked to me. “Thank you for letting me stay.” She mewed, and I realized that this cat was barely ten moons. I had been defeated by a fox, and an apprentice, no, a kitty had beaten it. I admire skill and strength, but that was pure awesomeness. “Nickle,” I said slowly. “Who’s your family, and who are you descended from?” “Streetcats.” Nickel answered. “We hunted freely and then my mom took me and my brother to be a kittypet.” Nickel lowered her voice. “He’s sick, and I was wondering if any of you med cats could spare a day or…?” Crowwing said slowly, “How far away is it?” “Oh you’d take about an hour to get there.” Nickel estimated in kittypet language. “What’s an hour?” I asked. “It's from sunrise to just a bit before sunhigh.” Nickel estimated. “That’s… Quicker than I thought.” Crowwing commented earnestly. “Can you do it?” Nickel asked. Crowwing hesitated, and I said, “Give me the herbs. I’ll go.”

CHAPTER 19: Finchwing

“I’m coming too.” I thrust my head through the medicine den. “I heard it all. And Feathersong will need a warrior to protect her, since the fox fight.” Crowwing nodded. “First, let Vinestar know of your decision, Finchwing. Feathersong, come with me.” Crowwing brought Feathersong into the medicine den to get the herbs she would need, while I trotted to Vinestar’s den. I mewed to come in, but a raspy voice said, “Enter.” Curious, I stepped inside and immediately smelled sickness. “Vinestar?” I asked, concerned as I saw him laying sideways in his nest. “What’s up?” He rasped, dragging himself to me. “Feathersong and I are going with herbs to help Nickle’s sick brother. Nickel is the name of the kittypet who saved Feathersong from the fox. Remember?” When Vinestar closed his eyes, I frantically said, “Remember?!” Vinestar slowly opened his eyes, whispering, “Tell.. deputy… successor… has been replaced…” Crowwing raced in, and, hearing his last words, Crowwing cried, “What do you mean, Vinestar, what?!” “Redfeather will not be Redstar. Leader be Finchstar… Starclan will send omen at renaming of deputy, and all will fall in place for prophecy. I believe in you, Finchwing… I believe…” Then he closed his eyes.

CHAPTER 20: Leafblade

“Now we wait.” I said to Pebblepaw. “For what?” She asked. “A border patrol to pass.” I responded simply. Pebblepaw angled her ears to a bush. “There, Nickel the kittypet, Feathersong, and Finchwing are coming.” I tipped my head at Pebblepaw, concerned that something was wrong, but she stood up and greeted the cats as they went by. “Hello!” She mewed cheerily. “We would like to speak to Vinestar about…” Pebblepaw peered back at me. “I dunno, he dragged me over here.” Finchwing flinched, and Feathersong said softly, “Vinestar is in Starclan as of this morning.” Pebblepaw gasped softly, and came over to them. “I’m sorry for your loss.” Pebblepaw whispered. “Finchwing cannot come to your service right now.” an unfamiliar cat, probably Nickle, mewed gently. Pebblepaw gasped, but I needed to clarify. “Wait are you suggesting that-?” Finchpaw nodded solemnly. “I am Leafclan’s new leader. Leafblade, what do you need?”

Elements to a Fantasy World by Penelope Baxter

Atlantis, Hogwarts, Oz, Camelot, Wonderland. Magical, mythical, fantasy worlds. These worlds are the settings to some famous movies and books. But how can you make one of your own?

This is not how to write a book. This is how to create a world. It could be for D&D, a book, or something else. 

1. Magic (if you have it)

Not all fantasy worlds have magic. Zootopia, for example. A fantasy book is a fantasy book because it is not happening in our world. But there are plenty of fantasy worlds with magic, eg. Ooo, Droon, Narnia, etc. But if magic is in the world, the magic needs some system to follow. It could be not important at all like the power ups in Mario, or it could be a key pillar in the plot like the coven system from The Owl House. How it’s made and designed is up to the creator. 

2. Flora and Fauna

Fantasy worlds can have exotic and beautiful creatures, and then sometimes the animals could be weapons of mass destruction. Plants could be useful, or be living death traps. Once more, how you use them is up to you. But what they are comes in a wide variety. Fun color swaps, magic powers, living/conscious, anything can be added to make them your own.

3. Geography

The final large chunk of a world is geography. Mountains, deserts, wetlands, fields, etc. Are there any large, interesting landmarks? Is there some important lore to explain why some areas are like what they are? Is there any man-made geography? You could also make a map if you want!

That’s all for now, but there are many other important parts to a fantasy world. Economics, people, terrain, biology could be different too. More can be found through reading books, too. 

Wonderflight Part III by Emmelina Caswell

PART 3 PROLOGUE

“Faster. Duck and bite Finchpaw’s ear. Left, leap, and attack!”

Legendblade called out the battle moves to me as I darted around my littermate, Finchpaw. “C’mon, you slow badger!” I teased, my mind sharp. He tried to follow me but I kept racing faster and faster until I leapt from behind and easily pinned him. Finchpaw bunched his muscles and tried to arch his spine, but I quickly rolled out of the way. “If you’re going to make a comeback, actually make the comeback.” I commented. Finchpaw’s mentor, Thistletail, twitched her whiskers in amusement and said to Legendblade, “I see your apprentice has decided to become the mentor.” Legendblade nodded, and as I flashed past them, I saw no resemblance. There’s no way they’re siblings! I thought. They looked completely different, from the way they held their tails to the color of their pelt. Then, something snapped, and I shrieked, falling to the ground. My whole head hurt, and my paws blazed. My vision went fuzzy, but I saw Legendblade, Thistletail, and Finchpaw hovering over me. “Featherpaw!” Legendblade cried. I sat up numbly and then whispered so quietly that only Legendblade could hear. 

“A small kittypet sits in a small door.

She doesn’t know of her roots, 

Yet something snaps and the cats will gather to finally be a legend again.”

CHAPTER 11

“Featherpaw!” Legendblade cried, hovering over my sister (and her apprentice). I saw Featherpaw mutter something, but then Legendblade stood up. “Fetch Crowwing. The medicine cat.” She ordered me. I nodded then burst off, all weariness from training gone. I slid ungracefully through the entrance in the brambles and then smacked straight into Vinestar. “Crowwing!” I gasped, before I recognized who it was. “Vinestar, Featherpaw-”

“I’ll get Crowwing, you lead us.” He commanded. I nodded, shaking. In an instant, Ripplereed was there, and then I bolted back to the training hollow. I yowled out to my mentor, Thistletail, to let her know I was there. I skidded into the training hollow, and Ripplereed and Vinestar moved Legendblade and Thistletail away. “Take Finchpaw home.” Vinestar ordered firmly. “He’s seen enough already.” Thistletail nodded and all three of us padded back. “You deserve some fresh-kill.” Thistleclaw offered. “Go get some, and please make sure the elders are fed properly.” I searched the fresh-kill pile until I found a rabbit, and dragged it to the elder’s den. The she-cat Brightfang was asleep, while the tom, Ravensong, was peering at her and worrying all about her. “Thanks,” he said, not looking up from Brightfang as I dropped the rabbit. I nodded, then smelled something foul. Nudging Ravensong aside, I found a raven with maggots crawling all throughout.

CHAPTER 12

“Cinderstar!” I screeched, racing to my leader before he hit the ground, shouldering him up. “Cinderstar, what just happened?” I gently lay his body on the ground, alarmed, as the clan crowded around him. “Get Wonderflight… medicine den… I… fine…” Then, he lay limp, not breathing. “Was it his last-?” I asked Ripplereed, not daring to say what I actually meant. She glanced between Wonderflight and Cinderstar before saying, so quietly so only I could hear, “No, that was his eighth.” Then, I saw Cinderstar’s fur rise, slowly and gently, and then his flanks heaved. He sat up, gasping, and the clan scuttled away to go and do their duties. “Where is-” he rasped. “Where is-?”

“Where is who?” I asked, somewhat frantic. “C-C-Crystal…claw.” He whispered. “Where is…?” “Crystalclaw!” I yowled, and my mentor came rushing over. “Cinderstar wants to speak with you.” Crystalclaw nodded and helped bring Cinderstar to his den. “I will help him, you stay here.” I nodded back and slowly paced over to the apprentice’s den, flopping into my nest and sleeping.

I woke up to an unfamiliar summon. “Gather!” Crystalclaw’s mew sounded. As the clan gathered, he looked at me and said, “Cinderstar is resting now. But he asked me to perform a ceremony.” Eyes glinting, he said, “Leafpaw, step forward.”

CHAPTER 13

“Hey.”

I whipped my head around, staring at the bushes, searching for the hiss. I was on a border patrol, and then I found a shrew and started stalking. Eventually, everyone had gone home or hunted, and so I had just stayed out.

“Featherpaw,” it hissed softly. “Featherpaw, it’s me-Leafblade!”

“Who????” I asked, completely confused. Then, Leafpaw stepped out of the bush. “Wait, you got your warrior name!” He nodded. “I wanted to say-”

Something must’ve snapped in my brain, because just then I hissed, “Leafblade, you can’t visit me!” He was bewildered. “Featherpaw, what do you mean?” He mewed, lifting a sandy-colored paw. “You have overstayed your welcome,” I hissed. “It was fine when you were the hostage, but now you need to leave. I need to focus on my training and you need to focus on Lotusclan. Scram, or I’ll call my clanmates. Now,” I bared my teeth, but I didn’t mean to. Something’s controlling me! Leafblade dipped his head, hiding his hurt expression. “Of course.” He said stiffly. “I am sorry, I will go.” As he turned away, I gained control of my mouth again and yelped, “Wait!”

But he was already gone.

CHAPTER 14

“Where’s Featherpaw?” Legendblade mewed at me. “I have no idea,” I said honestly. “She’s pretty scatterbrained right now, because of her faint and the prophecy. Maybe she went for a walk.” Then, Featherpaw came into the camp, carrying two squirrels and a raven. “I’ve been hunting!” Her voice and eyes were cheerful, and she looked… well, more alive than I had seen her in days. “You seem excited,” Legendblade commented as Featherpaw placed her catch in the fresh-kill pile. “Well, today’s your warrior assessment!"

Featherpaw, Legendblade, Thistletail and I headed to a random spot in the forest, and then Legendblade and Thistletail sat us down. “Catch as much prey as possible.” Legendblade ordered. “Step lightly, be cautious.” Thistletail drilled. “Featherpaw, you hunt by the stream.” Legendblade mewed as Featherpaw scampered off. “Finchpaw, you in the Star Oak Grounds.” Thistletail hissed in my ear.

“I will be watching. Go.”

I leapt into the bushes, running straight into a squirrel. I quickly bit it and then covered it with dirt. Racing away, I headed for the Star Oak Grounds.

CHAPTER 15

So abrupt, so rude!

I trudged back to camp with a rabbit clasped firmly in my jaws. I came into camp, dropping the rabbit into the fresh-kill pile and dragged my paws to my den.

A parade of kits came in a while later (AKA Pebblekit, Sneezekit, and Bristlekit). “Ooo, crow food,” Pebblekit hissed playfully at me. “No…” I murmured, flicking my tail at her. “Come on, play with us!” Sneezekit mewed, flicking his tail. “Come on!” Bristlekit echoed, her tiny claws digging into my back. “Or I’ll tell Wonderflight!”

“Wonderflight is resting.” I murmured, half asleep. “She said we could bother you!” Pebblekit mewed playfully. “Yes she did!” Bristlekit chirped. “Come on! Come on!”

I sighed, admitting defeat to the kits and standing up. “How about a game of mossball?” I suggested. The kits squealed, racing outside to find moss for the mossball. I have time to visit Wonderflight. I thought, heading for the medicine den. She’ll know what to do.

Wonderflight Part II by Emmelina Caswell

Part II Prologue

“Let all Clan cats gather beneath the rock!”

The leader of Loutsclan, Cinderstar, yowled the summon from a branch on the High Tree. I glanced at the Lotusclan apprentice, Leafpaw, and his mentor, Wonderflight. They shifted uneasily, glancing around. I caught Leafpaw’s eye, and he dipped his head. I had met him yesterday, and yet somehow, I felt there was something more than what met the eye. He whispered something in my ear, then padded over to me and Finchpaw. “Finchpaw.” He greeted, his icy blue gaze falling on me. “And Featherpaw.” He sat between Finchpaw and I, purring. “Today,” Cinderstar mewed. “We have a returning Clan! Let all welcome Leafclan!” Yowls of delight welcomed us as my Clan was named. Our leader, Vinestar, yowled to silence the crowd. “I am Vinestar!” He growled. “Thank you for the warm welcome. For many moons, we have lived as refugees in different camps. More than Starclan intended. And now we return to our rightful place among the clans.” He dipped his head and yowled to all the clans. “But, we come with a price, and that price is territory. And also,” he said to the uneasy murmurs. “This may shock you, but Leafclan demands that Brightclan must return!” 

CHAPTER 6

Vinestar must be crazy.

“Featherpaw, what?” I asked, leaning to my littermate. “I don’t- I have no idea.” She sat there, listening as Vinestar continued. 

“As long as we are being welcomed back, Brightclan must return. Or Vineclan will drive each and every clan out and bring Brightclan back ourselves. Do I make myself clear?”

Cinderstar sat, dumbfounded. “What?!” But Diamondclan’s leader, Whistlestar, sat in silence, nodding. “Finally,” he murmured. “Some cat isn’t a fool, and respects Brightclan as I do.”

“How many seasons do we have?” Vinestar yowled. “Four. How many great branches on the Great Tree? Four. How many clans??? FOUR. Brightclan must return, so we may be four once more! And, once again, if you choose to go against us, we will drive all of you out.” Vinestar whipped his broad head around. “If no other leader has anything else to say, then the Gathering is dismissed!” Vinestar leapt off the rock, and Vineclan started grouping near him. “Finchpaw,” Featherpaw asked me. “Brightclan-they only exist in nursery tales, right?” 

CHAPTER 7

“Is your leader okay?” I asked Featherpaw, who was sitting next to me, open mouthed. “I dunno!” She burst out, glancing at where her clan was gathering. “I gotta go,” she murmured, giving me a swift nod and racing to catch up with her clan. As she left, I felt a small tugging in my chest, but I ignored it. “Leafpaw!” Wonderflight mewed, swiping her tail along my spine. 

“We have to-”

Silence. I looked up at my mentor, who was standing still. “Wonderflight?” I asked, waving my tail in her face. “Are you-”

Wonderflight slowly turned her head and slowly said, “Nicklestar.” Then, she screeched loud enough for every cat to hear:

“A small kittypet sits in a small door.

She doesn’t know of her roots, 

Yet something snaps and the cats will gather to finally be a legend again.”

Then Wonderflight collapsed on me, and I held her up with my shoulder. Our medicine cat, Ripplereed, raced over to Wonderflight. “What happened?” She demanded, checking her all over. “I don’t know!” I burst out. “She just said some random words and then-”

“Those weren’t random words,” Ripplereed said, her eyes darkening. “That was a prophecy.” 

CHAPTER 8

All I could think about on the trek back was Leafpaw.

Why had he sought us out? We had just given him a place to shelter, and we were just being kind to him while he was there. Yet something inside me had pulled a heartstring, and I almost felt… something… while he padded away to his mentor. “Aren’t you excited?” My brother asked, skipping around me. “We’re going to live with the clans! We’ll be a real one! We could live by the warrior code, and we could be a part of our ancestors again. Featherpaw, we’re gonna bring back Brightclan!” “Yeah,” I muttered, still thinking about Leafpaw. “We’ll be heroes.” “That’s what I’m saying!” He mewed, then stopped bouncing circles around me. “What’s up?” “Nothing,” I mumbled. “Just concerned about Brightclan.”

“There must be something else!”

“No, nothing.”

“Okay.”

“What’s with the questions??”

My brother flicked his amber eyes around innocently. “Nothing. I just-”

“Sorry, I gotta go,” I muttered, racing away before he could continue. “My mentor’s calling me.” Lies, lies, lies, I thought as I raced up the slope and away from my clanmates. I was going to the kit who I knew best for advice. Surely Emeraldkit would know what to do. 

CHAPTER 9

I can’t believe my littermate is falling for that Lotusclan cat.

A. Lotusclan. Cat.

Why??

I trotted over to her, keeping up. We were trekking back to our makeshift camp, and we were moving back to the clans in three sunrises. “What’s up?” I asked. “Nothing,” she said, distracted. The clan was weary but determined. “Just concerned about Brightclan.” “There must be something else.” I pressed. 

“No, nothing.”

I sighed. Just tell me, we’re littermates! “Okay.” “What’s with the questions?” Featherpaw asked me. I glanced around innocently. “Nothing, just wanted to know if you’re doing okay. I miss Leafpaw, though. He was a great friend.” “What?” Featherpaw blinked. “S-sorry, I gotta go. My mentor’s calling me.” She scampered off, but I knew she was lying. Her mentor, Legendblade, had definitely not said a word, and was definitely not calling her. Something’s on her mind. And it’s Leafpaw. 

CHAPTER 10

“Lotusclan gather, a meeting about the Gathering.”

Cinderstar’s mew was laced with confusion and concern. “The Gathering was interesting today. Vineclan has returned, but they had one demand before they returned. They said- they said that Brightclan must return. They made a threat to-to drive us out of our territory if we didn’t help them return.”

“We’re not scared of them, are we?” The deputy (And my mentor), Crystalclaw yowled. “We are not.” Cinderstar confirmed. “But a clan that has been in exile for long enough is bound to bend the warrior code. And we don’t know what kind of skills they have developed in their exile. So we must be wary.” Cinderstar raised his head. “Clan dis-”

Just then, Ripplereed came into camp, as I knew she would, with Wonderflight. “She-” Ripplereed started, but Wonderflight raspily cut her off. 

“A small kittypet sits in a small door.

She doesn’t know of her roots, 

Yet something snaps and the cats will gather to finally be a legend again.”

Cinderstar stiffened. “No,” he whispered. “Not the prophecy. It’s too soon.” Then, he fainted and fell off the rock.

Fantasy Fiction Book Suggestions by Abby Cao

1. The Cruel Prince

2.  The Shadows Between Us

3. Six of Crows

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Ten years ago, after her parents’ murder, Jude Duarte and her sisters were whisked away into the treacherous world of Faerie, where they were raised by the bloodthirsty murderer of their parents. After ten long years, Jude has survived and is used to the tricks of the human-hating Fae: glamouring mortals into seeing rotten leaves as delicacies, casting geas that grant power but come with unknown consequences, and compelling humans to do anything they order. 

But Jude is desperate to belong in this world that has become her own: she hopes that her skill with a blade will make her a knight, which will protect her and her twin sister from the cruel prince Cardan, their tormentor. 

To gain power and status, Jude becomes entangled in court politics, becoming a spy for the crown prince. As blood is spilled and civil war looms on the horizon, Jude must use her human weaknesses and the deception she learned from the Fae to her full advantage in order to save her family and kingdom.

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Alessandra Stathos is tired of being overlooked–as a girl, and the second daughter of an earl, she has never been in the spotlight. But Alessandra is cunning and ambitious and has her sights set on the powerful and mysterious Shadow King. Her plan is to seduce the Shadow King and marry him. But after Alessandra is declared queen? She’ll kill him and take his vast kingdom. 

Alessandra travels to court and sets her plan into action, but soon she realizes that she has developed feelings for the king. As she tries to win his affection, she clashes with the king’s suspicious council, a past lover, and assassination attempts, and she discovers that the secrets and plots at court go deeper than she thought. 

In this book that challenges the traditional morals of the protagonist, Alessandra must navigate the politics of court, and ultimately decide if the king matters more to her than her ruthless quest for power.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Kaz Brekker is the leader of the Crow Club, a gambling den that reigns over the slums of Ketterdam. It’s the center of his criminal empire, and Kaz has worked up a reputation of being a cunning and cruel criminal mastermind. After being recruited by a merchant in the city and offered an amount he cannot refuse, Kaz assembles a team of six people to break into the impenetrable Ice Court in Fjerda: Inej, his spy; Jesper, his sharpshooter; Nina, a Grisha Heartrender; Mattias, a soldier; and Wylan, a bomb expert. Together, they must find a way to kidnap the scientist who developed the powerful and dangerous drug jurda parem from the Ice Court and prevent the knowledge from falling into the wrong hands. 

As the team embark on this high-stakes mission, they face danger from rival crime gangs, the Ice Court, and even from their own teammates. Make no mistake, this team is not a group of friends–their relationships are complex, their backstories grim, and their motives hidden.

A Slytherin's Story by Emily Gilbert and Jack Stewart

THEO UMBRIS

It had been just one day since Theo had been sent his letter. He had expected that the procedure would take longer, but he didn't mind. He was practically giddy with excitement once discovering the magical world, and considering him, that was saying something. He had seen things before this, moving pictures in newspapers, people running into train station walls, the wall between nine and ten if he was correct. He simply assumed he was imagining things, but he now had a reason, like he had always wanted.

He liked the man who brought him here. What was his name? Dumbledore, yes, that was it. He had explained to him how to get to Diagon Alley, and gave him the list of what he needed to get. He got a broom, a rather good one, though he couldn’t remember the name. He also got an owl, a great horned one. He had seen them before, and instantly knew that that was his all-time favorite bird. All that was left was a wand, he looked at the store in front of him, Ollivanders.

Well, he thought, this should be fun.

As he stepped into the place, he was, yet again, in awe. Hundreds and hundreds of wands lined the walls. 

“Hello there!” the old man at the counter said, “I suppose you are here for a wand.” 

Quickly, Theo replied “Why else would I come here!” he said with a friendly tone, “My name is Theo Umbris, and you, I presume, are Mr. Olivander.” 

“Who else would I be! Now, I’ve seen enough of you first years to recognize one of you when I see one, so let me explain how things work around here.”

“Intriuging,” Theo thought.

“Each wand is composed of four general components, the length, flexibility, the wood, and most importantly, the core. While there are many cores around the world, I decided a few years ago to use only those that are the most powerful, Dragon heartstring, Unicorn hair, and Phoenix feather.”

“Well,” Theo said, “Let’s get on with it.” 

The process began. First, Theo was given a holly wand with a dragon heartstring core. The wand felt fair in his hand, but when he tried to use Lumos, a simple illumination time, a burst of flames shot from the wand, incinerating some of the papers nearby.]

“Oh… oh dear. That didn’t go well. Well, onto the next one!”

He was next given a pine wand with a Unicorn hair core. It worked well, but didn’t feel right.

“You don’t like that wand do you?”

“No, not really,” Theo replied.

“Well that can’t be the right one for you then, I don’t have any Phoenix feathers at the moment, but there just may be something…”

He then brought out a wand. This wand truly seemed, as he said, something. It was long with winding engravings like vines stretching along the bottom of the hilt to the very tip of the wand. 

“This one was made before the change in core, but it just may work,” he said unsurely, then took a deep breath, as if preparing for another failure, “Alder wood, nine inches, springy…” He then paused, as if unable to believe what he was about to say, “Basilisk horn core. Begin.”

Theo flicked his wand upward, and repeated the incantation.

“Lumos.”

Light glimmered from the tip of his new wand

“Well,” Mr. Olivander said, happier than ever before, “I believe we found your wand.”

Mr. Olivander wrote a receipt, and handed it to Theo.

“Be sure to take that on the way out, and be careful. That wand was very hard to come by.”

Theo walked out of Olivanders, wondering just what he would do with the key to magic itself. Every child had dreamed of being a wizard, and now he was living that dream. 

He began to walk along the ways of Diagon Alley, looking for more incredible things to buy with his starting Galleons. He knew he couldn’t buy another pet, nor was he allowed to. Not that he cared of course, a Horned Owl would be good enough, especially a trained one like this! As he was walking he saw many stores, Madam Rosemerta’s Robes, Igor’s Conjerations, but there was one in particular that caught his eye, Flourish and Blotts. Judging from what he saw inside the window, it seemed to be a bookstore, and as an avid book reader, he simply had to go inside.

Inside the bookstore, there seemed to be hundreds of books, but he knew that he could only choose a couple. He looked around, and saw many good books, but like before, there was one in particular that caught his eye. Animagi, the Study of Them, and How to Become One. He seldom saw a book with that long of a title, but he always knew that when even a title had to be long, the book would always be good, except that one about dirt he found, that one was horrible. 

He then took some standard books, Hexes and Jinxes to Prank your Friends, and Curse your enemies, and Charms and Spells for the average wizard. He assumed that any other book he needed would be at the castle, but it was always good to be prepared, especially with those hexes, he was practically itching to use them on the first jerk he came along. He walked out of the store, and after some wandering, finally found Dumbledore.

“Ah, Theo! There you are! I was wondering when you would finally show up!”

“I was thinking the same about you Mr. Dumbledore. So, do you know where the station is?”

“Why I’ve been doing this for years, of course I do,” said Dumbledore humorously, “The entrance is right this way, follow me.”

Eagerly, Theo followed, they went back the way they came, and to the London train station.

“Just walk through the wall between nine and ten, best to do a bit of a run if you’re nervous.”

Theo then walked to where Dumbledore had told him to, and stood. I wonder what Hogwarts will be like, he then thought, well, enough thinking, let’s just find out already. With a dash, he ran through the wall, and for a brief moment, all faded to black.

____________________________________________________________________________

ELIZABETH RAY

Elizabeth Ray was a little bit less surprised than she should have been when she received her letter. She had heard all about Hogwarts from her mother who was a witch. She had heard about the castle, the teachers, and Diagon Alley. She and her mother decided that they would leave the next day. Liz had a hard time sleeping as she was overwhelmed with questions, 

“What would Diagon Alley be like? What house will I be in? What if I don’t find my wand? I wonder if I will get a pet while I'm there? Her mind was still swimming with questions as she drifted to sleep.

The next morning Liz and her Mom arrived at Diagon Alley”

 “Mom, there is nothing here but a brick wall.” Elizabeth said, still half asleep. 

“I know, Elizabeth, just watch me,” her mom replied calmly. 

 “Mom! I told you to call me Liz! You know that I don’t like my name!” Liz shouted, slightly offended.

Her Mom took out her wand and delicately moved it across the brick wall. She watched as the bricks moved away and created a space that they could walk through into the alley. Liz’s Mom was reading off the items that she would need for Hogwarts, but Liz paid no attention to her. She was preoccupied with all of the amazing buildings that surrounded her. 

“Here Liz, Take these galleons and use them to buy yourself a wand. The wand shop is just over there.” 

Her mom pointed to a shop with a sign reading Olivanders, in rusted gold letters. 

Liz pushed through the bustling crowd and entered the wand shop.

“ Hello there young girl, I assume you are here for your first wand?” said an old man that Liz assumed was Mr. Olivander.

“ Uh yeah, I don’t know why else I would be here.” Liz muttered

“ I think I know the perfect wand for you, black walnut wood, unicorn hair core, 11 ½ inches, slightly springy.” 

Liz gave the wand a quick wave. A stack of papers on Ollivander's desk flew around the room, covering everything in sight

“ Oh my,” Olivander said, “I don’t think this is the right wand for you.”

“ Try this one,”  Olivander said, pulling out a box from one of the many shelves, “laurel wood, dragon heart string core, 10 inches, nice and supple.”

Liz pointed the wand up towards the ceiling, one of the lights above her broke and she yelped as tiny glass shards rained down on her.

“No, that is not the wand for you.” Olivander said as he waved his own wand over the glass shards and they disappeared.

“Here, this one I think will work,” He handed Liz a jet black wand, “ebony wood with a dragon heartstring core, 10 ¾ inches, rigid.” 

There was a brief pause. 

“Well, go on, give it a wave.”

Liz looked at the wand skeptically. She waved the wand around and to her surprise, a glowing trail of sparkles followed.

“Oh splendid! I think you found your wand.” Olivander said.

Liz paid for her wand and walked out of the store only to find her mother waiting for her.

“ I got all of your stuff!” She said holding up bags of stuff. “I think we should start heading to the train station now.”

“Sounds great, Mom.” Liz said, still looking at all of the buildings that she hadn't studied yet, curious on how old all of them are. After a bit of walking and stumbling through the crowd of people Liz's Mom spotted Dumbledore.

“Look Liz! It’s Dumbledore!  He sent you your Hogwarts acceptance letter!”

“That’s great and all, Mom, but don't we have somewhere to be?” Liz said, now reading a book that she grabbed from her mother’s bags.

“Yes, we do, but wouldn't it be good to talk to Dumbledore? You are going to spend the next few years with him.”

“Mom, I don’t want to talk to people any more than I have to. Let’s just get going.”

“That’s fine Liz, we can go to the station. I just thought it would be nice to talk to him.” 

Liz ignored her mother and was already walking towards the exit, ready to start her journey at Hogwarts. She saw the wall she was supposed to run through, she dashed through the wall, and for a brief moment, all faded to black.

Authors’ Note.

This story is a collaboration between me (Jack Stewart) and my friend, Emily Gilbert. We began talking in gym class, and knew that we had to write a horror story together. The plan was to write a quick short story taking place in the universe of Harry Potter, as the absolute nerds we are, but very quickly, we realized the story was worth far more than a few pages. With Jack Stewart writing the parts of Theo Umbris, and Emily Gilbert writing the parts of Elizibeth Ray, we present to you, the first chapter of… A Slytherin's Story

The Wolf In the Wood by Jack Stewart

As we all know, it is October, and all of us are now in the middle of the yearly Halloween craze. To obey this tradition, I have decided to publish an old story I wrote in 6th grade. When I decided to look at the story again, the concept was good, but I could notice many flaws in the writing. It took me a good amount of time, but this two year old story has finally been brought to its true glory. I present to you all, The Wolf in the Wood.

There once were five high schoolers camping in the woods. They were gathering around a campfire, telling spooky stories until nightfall. They were having fun, until the final camper came to tell the story. He was shorter than the others, pale, and with soft brown hair. Nobody truly liked him, as he was always the cowardly one of the bunch. He had never told a truly scary story before, but by the time it was his turn to speak, the sky was pitch black, making the mood eerier than any story could make it. He told a story of a werewolf that tracks you within the night you learn about it. It wasn’t a truly terrifying story, but it was better than the other stories he had told. Then, later that night, a piercing howl echoed from the woods. One comes to check it out. They waited, hoping he would come back, but as minutes passed, they knew he wouldn't return

“It's okay,” said Abel, the jock of the group, “He probably just chickened out.”

Later that night, all of the others were awakened by a beckoning howl. Everything is fine, yet… There are scratch marks around the camp. All of them went to the campfire, desperate to figure out what happened. All of them, that is, except one. Mary was gone. They looked into his tent, and to their horror, they found scratch marks, more than they had ever seen from a typical bear raid, but as they looked, they saw something even stranger. Rather than footprints, they saw finger prints dragging across the ground. It looked like she was being dragged away from the camp into the forest, clawing at the ground desperate to survive. 

After this, the final three knew that something was amiss, so they urgently went into the woods, and split up to cover more ground. The girl was walking through the woods with a flashlight when she heard a howl, a howl so close it pierced through the woods. When she got to the source of the howl, Abel had disappeared. She was terrified, the wolf had attacked, and she was alone in its domain. Much to her relief, the story teller heard the howl, and came towards her, running from the bushes. The story teller was just as terrified as she was, so they both decided to stick together.

“Clearly, something is after us,” said the child who told the story. We should get back to the cabin, else whatever is trying to catch us will succeed.” These lucky few walked through the forest to the cabin, well, as the girl thinks, but she slowly realizes they aren’t going to the cabin, but an isolated spot in the woods. 

“Well,” the story teller said, shaking with every word, “I think it’s safe to say that we’re lost. The good news is that I think there’s a cave nearby. If we’re smart, we could go there to get away from the wolf.”

She followed him to the cave, if there was any chance to get away from that creature in the woods, she would take it. But as she walked through the labyrinthine cave, she saw something that made her stop in her tracks. There were three corpses against the wall, limbs and torsos practically bitten to shreds. She turns to run away, knowing that they must have walked into the wolves domain, but the storyteller is there, slowly walking towards her as if he had done this before, and he knew he could take his time…

“So, you probably know the truth by now,” he mused as if all of this was just another rehearsal of a grand yet sick play.

“I’ve always enjoyed telling the story, planting the idea in their minds, then seeing throughout the night how their logic of an attack breaks, as the terrifying truth becomes more and more obvious. But none of them, and I mean none of them, have ever been able to realize that the monster might be with them every step of the way.”

Slowly but surely, he starts to become a wolf. She had heard of werewolves before, but the transformation was more disgusting than she could ever have imagined, hair becoming fur, teeth becoming sharper and sharper. But the worst part was the bones, they bent and grew in ways they never should have. Before she could even process what was happening, the wolf lunged, but unlike every other time before, there was no scream of agony, just another howl piercing the darkness.

It is still unconfirmed what happened to her to this very day. But a few days later, a rather curious thing happened. A group of six came, and yet again, were picked off one by one. There was one difference though, this time, there wasn't a howl. There were two…

If you’ve made it to the end of this, I would like to thank you. This story has always been one of my personal favorites, and it’s nice that it will finally reach the light of day. So, let this be the lesson of the story. If you and your friends are at a campfire telling stories, and one tells the story of the wolf, there is only one thing you can do. Pray you make it out alive.

What To Write When You Don't Know What To Write by Emily Gilbert

Most people have experienced writer's block when they write stories. For those of you who don’t know what writer’s block is, here is a quick definition of what it is. Writer’s block is when you are unable to come up with ideas to continue writing a story. With that out of the way, here are some ways to help yourself get out of writer’s block.

Take A Break

Sometimes you get overwhelmed with the amount of stuff going on in your story. Taking a break can help you get back on track and even create some new ideas for more stories! Taking breaks can help you feel less overwhelmed and helps when you have writer’s block.

Use Google

Googling ideas is a good way to get out of writer’s block. Say I’m writing a story about book recommendations and I get writer’s block. I can type in my idea into google and it will probably find a solution that works for me. You can use the ideas that you get off of google, but don’t copy and paste them. This is called plagiarism.

Ask A Friend

Friends can help you create ideas for your story. All you have to do is tell them your idea that you have so far and they can give you suggestions. If they can’t give you any suggestions or ideas, you can ask family members, teachers, you can ask anybody. Somebody should have some ideas that can help you.

Start Over

Sometimes you can get bored of writing your story which can lead to you getting writer’s block. If this happens, I recommend starting over, starting over can lead to new ideas and can help you get out of writer’s block. Sometimes starting over can lead to new stories that may interest you more than the previous story.

I hope these strategies will help you get out of writer’s block and maybe help you on other assignments, stories, articles, and other things.

COCONUT-INDUCED AMNESIA THE TERROR DESCENDING UPON PARK FOREST MIDDLE SCHOOL By Adelyn Butler

COCONUT-INDUCED AMNESIA

THE TERROR DESCENDING UPON PARK FOREST MIDDLE SCHOOL

By Adelyn Butler

According to Park Forest Middle's unofficial coconut expert, Ola Al Lawati, amnesia (or memory loss) caused by coconuts has increased by 412% among all who attend PFMS (about 35 cases reported each month). This epidemic must be stopped. But before we dive into why this overtaking disease has begun, let's explore the science behind coconut-induced amnesia through a complex series of steps:

1. You get hit by a coconut.

2. You get amnesia, also known as memory loss.

There are two main types of coconut-induced amnesia. The first is complete memory loss. This can lead to a decrease of attention in class, a common sign of coconut-induced amnesia that teacher Liza Sinsley has seen often throughout the school. The second type is memory loss of all memories, which may cause apprehension about the cause of coconuts or support other causes. This kind of results in near complete memory loss.

So, how do we revolt against this atrocious pandemic? The first precaution that can be taken is supporting the cause of coconuts as often as possible. The more memories you have of coconut support, the less likely you are to experience near-complete memory loss. Another thing you can do is wear a bike helmet to school, though in some cases, this makes it more likely for you to be hit by a coconut.

Now, you may be wondering how exactly someone can be hit by a coconut at school? To this, I can give only one answer - they always find a way.

Theories on why these dangerous fruits have attacked our school vary. Some suggest the involvement of the fictional Kakamora, the evil coconuts in Moana. Others shun the idea, saying that fiction is fiction, and instead propose that certain students have angered the coconut spirits, causing them to attack this school. Suspects include Shealee Harkey, Campbell Jones, and even Reid Perles-LeClear. On the other hand, the most scientific theory speculates that the increase in coconut injuries is due to an increase in falling coconuts. But then why has that increased? School science teacher Mr. Toney suspects the involvement of global warming: "As the climate changes, conditions can be more favorable for coconut trees, causing them to drop their coconuts at variable times."

Whatever the cause of this dangerous epidemic of amnesia, we must revolt. You must decide between three approaches: ignore the coconuts, satisfy the coconuts, or defeat the coconuts. Attempting to ignore the coconuts may result in them keeping calm around you, but, on the other hand, it might anger them and cause them to go full force against you. Satisfying the coconuts may cause them to move on to other victims, but it also might cause them to stay longer, for more support. Even if they do stay longer, if you support the coconut cause, there is a much lower chance of complete coconut-induced memory loss. On the other hand, if you choose to attempt defeat against the coconuts, the coconuts may eventually become enraged and leave. However, a coconut uprising is likely to occur prior to this, resulting in an approximate 60% increase in coconut-induced amnesia.

Whether you choose to ignore this pandemic, support the coconut cause, or attempt rebellion, this problem must be a priority, even if in a small corner of your mind. I would advise you to take precautions against these menacing fruits and to share the urgency of this desperate battle to friends and even teachers. For further questions and advice, speak to Adelyn Butler.

Wonderflight by Emmelina Caswell

Image Source: Warriors Wiki Fandom

PROLOGUE

The ice stabbed into my fur. “Duck!” My mentor, Wonderflight hissed in my ear. I did so, and something went whizzing past my head and thumped into the snow. “Good,” Wonderflight mewed, shaking the snow out of her fur and drawing a paw over her ear. “RRAHHH!” I lunged at Wonderflight, throwing her into the bushes. “Leafpawwwww…” Wonderflight’s voice got smaller and smaller. Uh oh! I froze. I tackled her down the hill! 

“Wonderflight I’m coming!” I called, plunging into the bushes.

Something flew through the air. “What?” I whipped my head around and I saw a dark shadow come over me. 

I didn’t even have time to yell before it swallowed me up.

CHAPTER 1

“WOW! A Lotusclan cat! That’s so crazy!”

A second voice said, “Why can’t we go on special missions to spy on Lotusclan?”

A third voice yelled, “Because both of you are still apprentices. Go clean out the elder’s den, or hunt, or something.”

“I think he’s waking up!” The first voice mewed.

I blinked and sat up. “Where am I and why am I here?” I asked. “No wait, who are you?”

I was looking at a huge black tabby, the third voice. I saw a she-apprentice cat who was gray and ginger, plus a tom-apprentice who was white and ginger. “HI!” The she-apprentice mewed. “I’m Featherpaw,” She pointed at the tom-apprentice, then at the black tabby tom. “That’s Finchpaw, and that’s Razorwing.” She bounded up to me. “Welcome to Leafclan!”

CHAPTER 2

“Um,” I said uncertainly. “Can I just go home?” Finchpaw and Featherpaw exchanged a glance. “No,” Razorwing rumbled. “You will be vital to our… tests.” “Can we at least show him around?” Featherpaw pleaded, and Finchpaw joined in with, “Yeah, if he can’t return, he can’t share secrets.” “And I thought you were loyal,” Razorwing snorted. “Fine, but be back by Silverpelt, when the moon is at-” Finchpaw and Featherpaw dragged me out before he could finish. “This is the leader’s den!” Featherpaw bounced over to a hole in the wall underneath their Tallstone, the place where the leader announced things to the Clan. Featherpaw bounded to a bramble bush. “This is the nursery,” She mewed, then hurried to a heather bush. “Apprentice’s den,” She pointed to an identical bush. “Warrior’s den.” Then she pointed at a dead tree. “Elder’s den.” Featherpaw shook herself. “Let’s go do something fun.”

CHAPTER 3

“Okay, whoever climbs the Star-Oak fastest gets to have the pick of our prey pile we made.”

Featherpaw was explaining the rules of the challenge while gesturing to the prey pile. “Second fastest has to catch another three decent pieces of prey for Brightfang and Ravensong, our elders.” Her eyes glinted. “Third fastest is disqualified and brings the second fastest’s prey to the elders, then cleans their bedding.” I kneaded the ground, excited. “Go!” I tore towards the tree, jumping and latching on with my forepaws. I knew I had the advantage because Lotusclan was good at climbing trees. I climbed until I was at the top, where I waited as Featherpaw climbed in pursuit of second place. “Darn,” Finchpaw said as he clambered to the top. “Disqualified, and you gotta go do the elder’s moss.” Featherpaw declared. “I’ll go catch the prey for the elders, and Leafpaw, you get the pick of the fresh-kill pile.”

CHAPTER 4

“Okay, you have until dusk to catch prey. Whoever catches more wins, and the loser has to do one job of the winner’s choice.” Featherpaw mewed the rules. “Ready? Go!” Featherpaw shot off, and I opened my jaws to scent the air. I smell dinner! I rounded the hazel bush and snuck up on a rabbit, pouncing and swiping cleanly to the back of its neck. I quickly thanked Starclan for my prey, buried it, and prowled on. Tasting the air again, I scented a mouse, squirrel, blackbird and… I frowned, tasting again. The scent was unfamiliar, like rocks on sand near a river. Confused, I circled around, and then froze, hearing a hissing sound. Could it be…?

A black and white body slammed into me. Yowling, I slashed at the invisible enemy. “Get out of Lotusclan territory!” It hissed, breaking away from me. “You’re-oh!” My shoulder was stinging, but I immediately recognized my mentor. “Wonderflight?” I asked, and at the same time she said disbelievingly, “Leafpaw?!” Then, she shook her head. “Come home! We’ve been worried sick! There are so many patrols out looking for you.” “I… I can’t.” I confessed. “Leafclan will be mad.” “Leafclan?” Wonderflight mewed, looking surprised. “You found them?” “What do you mean, I found them?” I asked. “Sit down,” Wonderflight ordered. “There’s a story I must tell…”

CHAPTER 5

“Many moons ago,” Wonderflight began. “Darkness set the clans at war. The surviving clans: Diamondclan, Leafclan, Lotusclan, and Brightclan. Brightclan scattered after many cats were harmed, and most became kittypets, loners, rogues, or slid into a different clan, like my half-brother Willowfang. None remember their ancestors now, for there are only three clans now. Or, on the day of the war, they went and joined our ancestors in Starclan. A moon before you were born, Leafclan disappeared, never coming to Gatherings or anything, and none had been seen for seasons. Finally, Berrystar, the Diamondclan leader declared that there were only two clans left in the forest because Leafclan had disappeared. Many search patrols uncovered nothing, no prey, nor scent, nor evidence that any cats had once lived in their old hollow.” She gazed at me. “Contact Leafclan tonight, saying that they can return to the forest, and they may share their old territory and the strip of ours by the lake.” “But that’s Cinderstar‘s job to determine what territory we give!” I protested. “Our leader has been wanting to give that territory to Leafclan since before they even left,” Wonderflight mewed. “Tell them to show up at the Gathering tonight. They will be welcomed back by Starclan themselves.” She nuzzled me. “Go now, and walk swiftly, young warrior.” Then she disappeared into the bushes.

A Review of Everything is Tuberculosis by Penelope Baxter

I have been a fan of John Green since I started listening to him and his brother’s podcast, Dear Hank and John. Recently, I got to experience the release of his new book, Everything is Tuberculosis. Everything is Tuberculosis is the tragic tale of human history’s most deadly infection. 

It doesn’t just tell the history, it tells the tales of people around the world. The stories of TB survivors are shared, and let known. The whole thing circles the story of Henry Reider. A 17 year old boy from Siearra Leone. 

The story is sad, and unfortunately true. It explains the hurtful truth of TB, that the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. We have the cure, but we don’t supply it to those who need it.