Student Stories

The Hidden Woods

By Jackie DeVito 

If I had one wish, it would be to get the hell out of this town. I had picked up the newspaper from Cabin Raven, which was my cabin. The frontline was, “Found but not the same.” For the past few weeks, there has been some strange happenings. Last week they found bones of a 30 year old woman, who was missing for two weeks, near her house by the river. And yesterday, according to todays newspapers, a boy the age of 10, was found near one of the entrances to the woods, in a cradle position, saying in a trance, “You’re next, you’re next...” shaking.

But of course, I can’t get the hell out of this town. I go to a camp here, for the whole summer. It was only the second week of July. Start of camp was two weeks ago. The camp says we will be fine, as long as we abide by the new rules.

But now it’s 8:00 in the morning, and I’m on my way to the first activity for me, archery. I got a chocolate milk from the cafeteria and  I make my way through the abyss of boys in girls in there, chatting like crows.

“HEY, KATE, WAIT UP!” Carry Winter, my best friend since I first came here, which was in 4th grade, came running toward me. Her chestnut hair flowing down her back, hazel nut eyes covered with eye shadow and glitter sparkled against the morning sun. She caught me at the door. “Thanks.”

“No prob’.”

We walked out into the hot July air. 

“Is that the newspaper? Can I see it?”

“Sure, but it’s another article on the strange happenings, or whatever you want to call them.” I handed her the newspaper, then drank the last bit of milk and threw it in the next recycling bin that came my way.

“Whoa. I wonder what’s going on, and why.”

“Me too, and this better end soon.” I said.

“Hey Kate, hey Carry!” John Adams and Jake Mathews, our other best friends, came running up to us. 

“Hey guys,” Carry and I both said simultaneously. 

“Here the news? Poor kid.” asked Jake.

“Yeah.” answered Carry. “Well see you Kate. See you John. Same spot for lunch?”

“Yeah. Bye guys!” I said, waving to Carry and Jake as they left for the nature walk. John and I better get to archery or we will be late. We jogged down the pathway to the s that led to the bull’s eyes.

“So, got any plans later on?” John spoke up.

“No. Why?”

“Just wondering. What I can’t wonder?!” we started laughing hysterically. 

“No you can’t.” I said, still joking around. 

We got there just as the teacher did. We sat in the circle made by students in the grass, while the teacher went over a new lesson for us.

 

It was finally time for lunch!  I met up with Carry outside by the Birch tree and sat down. John and Jake came later. 

“What has Oakville come to these days? Dead bodies, missing people, brainwashed people too. I never remember things like this all happening at once here, or that much to be matter-o-factually.” Jake said to us, taking out a pb and j sandwich. 

“Me neither,” confirmed Carry.

“Well, I guess let’s not worry about it. At least it’s not us. I mean, yes I feel bad and all, but let’s not talk about it anymore. We’ve said what has been said.” I told everyone, taking a sip out of my black cherry. We sat there, laughing, joking, playing around, just having a good time. 

The days past, and soon it went from Monday, right to Friday. It was 3:00 in the afternoon, and activities ended for the week. The weekend was when we could do whatever. Practice the skills we learned or just chill with friends. 

“Well, I’ll be back at our room around 5:00. Going out with some friends to hang with some friends by the woods.” said Carry as we left Canoeing class together. 

“Ok. See you at 5:00. Oh, and don’t forget, the guys are coming over at 6:00 for movie night.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t forget. What’s the movie this time?”

“I believe Jake said the staff picked Back to the Future.”

“OOOOO! I love that movie! Part one right?”

“Yeah.”

“Yes! Well see you, I got to get going.”

“Bye Carry,” and she ran off towards the group of people waving for her. 

6:00 came, and Carry was still not here. 

“Where’s Carry?” Asked Jake as we headed to the theater near the entrance to the camp. 

“She said she would be back by five.” I answered.

“Where did she say she would be?” Asked John.

“She said she was going by the woods with some friends to hang. You don’t think-”

“That she might have gone missing, yes!” Said Jake. 

“We’ll skip movie night. I mean it is optional to do. Right now, let’s just find Carry. I’ll go back to my room in case she comes back. You guys check with the people she was with, Claire, Maggie, and Julie, then check by the woods.” I answered.

“Ok,” and they left.

It was 10:30, and they still weren’t back, but I didn’t go looking because I was getting tired, and soon I fell asleep.

In the morning, at around 9:00, John and Jake came bursting into my room.

“Sorry we didn’t call, but we were told to go back to our cabins. The girls said they saw her leave at five. And we didn’t find her by the woods. What we did find was this.” Jake handed me a green scarf. Carry was wearing this green scarf yesterday.

“We have to go and find her. Now!” John said.

“We can’t just go and find her. We should tell one of the staff members.” I said.

“Kate’s right, we can’t just wonder off into the woods, we might get lost ourselves, no matter f we know the woods and the trails. Our minds might trick us in sudden desperation.” Agreed Jake.

“Who should we tell?” Asked John. 

“I know.” They both looked at me and they soon figured out who I was talking about.

*********

“So, will you help us?” I asked. 

“There’s a missing camper, do you expect me to say no?” He said half sarcastically. 

“True. But you will let us search right? You know what it means to us.” I said.

“Fine, but if you guy’s don’t get back at exactly 10:00, me and the other counselors are coming in after you, and you better hope that then, we don’t find you.”

“YOUR A LIFE SAVER OWEN!” Jake screamed.

“I know. Anyway, you leave at lunch time. Bring backpacks with flashlights and snacks, you don’t know how long you’ll be out there. 

*******

At lunch time, we got backpacks together with flashlights and snacks, and we embarked into the woods, determined to find our friend.

“Do you think we’ll find her?” I asked.

“Yes. If we don’t we’ll notify the police, but right now, this is our mission. Our adventure.” said John. 

“Let’s keep moving.” said Jake.

The sun started to set, and I was getting worried. “Guy’s it’s getting late, shouldn’t we head back now?”

“No, let’s keep moving. We have the weekend until we have to go back to school. We’ll be good.” said John. 

“Ok.”

Deep in the woods we went. The un-earth like shadows of the tree’s casted on our faces, which were filled with fear. 

“Carry! Carry!” I screamed into the empty woods. 

Jake stopped in front of me, John too, holding up a hand for silence. There was a noise, like the crack of a whip. A bullet pierced the tree next to my head. Another one came. Then the sound of John’s voice, “Kate look out!” John tackled me to the ground. A bullet bounced off the tree behind my head. 

I was panting really hard now. “Thanks, but we got to leave, and now!”

“Yes! Jake let’s go!” We ran, but were stopped. “AAAAAAAHHHH! SOMETHING’S GOT MY LEG! HELP!” John fell to the ground as a shadowy hand pulled John by his feet. He was clawing at the dirt, making marks in it. “HELP! KATE! JAKE! HELP!  AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!” And he was gone. 

“JOHN!” I started running after the shadowy hand that pulled John deeper into the forest, but Jake caught my arm and pulled me back.

“NO! It’s too dangerous. If we follow, whatever has got him, will shoot him for sure.”

I stood there, looking deep into his eyes, tears streaming down my face. Memories of Carry and John flooded into my head. An owl gave a hoot, and brought me back to reality. “Ok.”

Jake took my hand and led me back through the woods, in silence , except for my sniffling, and some crows and owls.

“It’s going to be alright. 

“I hope so.”

“Come on, let’s get back before the the staff get’s worried.” 

*****

We made it back, just before 10. Three staff members, Owen being one of them, greeted us at Jakes cabin Wolf. We told them the tale of darkness. Their faces grave . . . 

The Magic Carousel Horse

Chapter 1

“Mommy, Daddy can we go on the carousel horse!” that was the sound of 10 year old Sydney Sheren.  

“Yeah, Yeah!” said her twin brother Adam.  

“Sure of course you can.” replied their parents simultaneously.

Sydney and Adam sprinted towards the carousel, they gave the man money and hopped on. The carousel worker had a big smile across his face. He looked like someones grandpa.

Sydney was sitting on a beautiful horse.  It was a gorgeous pearl white horse with a gray mane and red saddle with what was red roses on the side.  It had red ruby like gems and blue gems too, with licorice black hooves and yellow reins. There were more intricate designs and the pole was a bright beautiful yellow that swirled down and made her wish she could.  The hardest part to notice, but she noticed it, was the pinkish colored ears that she thought were amazing.

When she first sat down on the horse her body felt like something magical was happening and it was.

 

Chapter 2

  She looked around and saw that she wasn’t at the carousel.  There were clouds.  Am I in the sky? she thought.  As Sydney was getting closer she saw a man, he looked familiar, he was familiar!!!  He was Sydney’s grandpa!!!

How could it be, he’s not alive, it’s not possible?  She saw his smiling face as she reached the cloud, there were more people there too, and they looked like people she had seen in old family pictures.  When she reached the clouds she got off the horse.  Sydney asked him “Is this a dream, is it real, where am I, how is this possible?”

“I can tell you this, you’re in a world where you can see relatives that have passed away and the only way to get here is to go on the carousel horse that you are on.  Yes, this is real.” replied Sydney’s grandpa.

Sydney stood there looking at her grandpa in shock.  She could remember the day her grandpa died, she could remember the funeral, all of her memories started coming back.  

“What d-do you do h-here?” she asked while stuttering “Everything!  Anything, see the clouds, they’re cotton candy!”  “Papa Perry are you sure this is real?  It seems like a dream and who are those people?  Are they other relatives that died?”

“Yes, they are, do you want to meet them?”  he asked.

Sydney nodded yes and they were off.  First she met her Great Grandpa Rueben and her Great Grandma Rachel, these were her grandpa’s parents.  They were so excited to meet her.  They told her stories about when her papa was a child and when they were children.  One of the stories was about how Great Grandma Rachel had a pan custom made to fit in her oven so she could make a giant apple cake.  After having fun with them they saw her grandma’s parents, Great Grandpa Sidney and Great Grandma Eva. Great Grandpa Sidney loved Sydney.  He thought it was so funny and sweet that Sydney was named after him.  Great Grandma Eva painted a portrait of Sydney and hung it up in her house.  They met Sydney’s Uncle Sidney who died during World War II and she thought was named Timmy.  She met Uncle Esse who Sydney had met when she was little, and she met Aunt Adel, who was her papa’s only sister.

After meeting everyone Sydney and Papa Perry went to eat.  They went to a casual restaurant. Sydney got wings and Papa Perry got a burger.  They went to see a baseball game with former Mets players vs. former Yankee players.  They had a ton of fun together.  All of a sudden while they were sitting down watching TV everything started to fade away and people were starting to yell at Sydney to get off the carousel.  It felt like Sydney was with her papa for hours.  She started to wonder if the carousel horse was really magic.  She got off and asked if she could go on again, but she couldn’t.  The place was closing for the day.

Chapter 3

The next day all she could think about was if the carousel horse was magic.  She had to go back and get on the same horse, but she had no money.  Sydney knew that she would have to do chores, it would be the only way she could make money.  For the next two weeks Sydney did chores around her house and made enough money to ride the carousel 20 times.  She continued doing chores everyday though.  After school Sydney went to the carousel.  She got on the same horse each time and every time her and Papa Perry picked up from where they left off the day before.  After 3 weeks of going to the carousel Sydney saw a sign on the window at the carousel horse building.  The sign said:

Building For Sale

Carousel Horses Are Being Sold At Auction On 22 Cheryl Avenue Sunday May 22, 2011

12:00 - 1:00

Sydney was devastated.  She had to think of a plan and quick, she had only a week.  For the next two days she continued her work and thought of a plan.  Sydney was going to the auction Sunday, but first she needed money.

Chapter 4

Sydney counted her money $250, she needed more.  Sydney had figured that if she was going to buy the horse at the auction then she would need at least $1,000.  She got a job at her parents office and was being paid $10 an hour,  for six days, 14 hours a day.  At the end of the week Sydney had $1,090.  Now she was off to the auction.  Sydney’s dad was driving her.  When they got to the auction, Sydney’s dad realized that the house that the auction was at was his old house.  The auction started with the other horses.  After two hours of waiting the magic carousel horse had it’s turn.

“I’ll start the bidding at $50,” said the auctioneer.

Sydney raised her paddle.

“How about $75?” said the bid caller again

An old man raised his paddle.

“Do I have $100?”

Sydney raised her paddle.

“$125 do I have $125,” he chanted.

The old man raised his paddle.  Sydney knew she was in a bidding war.  The same thing happened until they reached $1,050.  Sydney knew this was her last chance to win the auction.  She raised her paddle.

“Do I have $1,200,” the bid caller said, he repeated himself “Going once, going twice, sold!!!”

The bid caller brought the carousel horse to Sydney and her dad, then he started the next item.  When they got home Sydney took the carousel horse to her room and got on.  The horse wasn’t working!  Did the magic go away?  Then Sydney realized that if she wanted to go to the magical place and see her grandpa that the horse had to be moving on a carousel.  Sydney cried and cried until the doorbell rang.  She opened the door.  It was a package, for her. Sydney opened the package and found a beautiful stained glass carousel horse, it looked exactly like the magic carousel horse.  Sydney looked closely into the box, she found a note.   It said:

To Sydney With Love,

Papa Perry

Chapter 5

Seventeen years later Sydney was famous, she was a movie director and author.  She made enough money that her carousel horse could be put on a carousel just for her and her family.  She rode this horse for the first time in years.  Sydney saw her grandpa again and spent time with him everyday.  Eventually Sydney wrote a book about her tale and called it The Magic Carousel Horse.

by Gabrielle Topping

It had just began to snow, all the kids in Abby’s third grade class ran to the window to watch the snow fall. Everyone was so excited that it was snowing and couldn't wait for school to be over so they could go play in the snow. There was only a few more minutes until school was over. Abby’s teacher, Mrs. Martin said “Copy down your homework, I have written it down on the board.” The board read “Write down five things you want for Christmas and have fun playing in the snow!” Mrs. Martin then dismissed them and everyone went on their way to the buses. Abby and her best friend Sarah were so excited that it snowed! They were even happier that they had really easy homework, part of their homework was having fun! 

When Abby and Sarah’s bus arrived they climbed its steps  and made their way to the open seats in the back. Sarah asked “So, what are you going to put on your Christmas Wish List?” Abby responded excitedly  “A puppy!” Sarah said “If your lucky, your parents might get you a puppy for Christmas.” Abby replied, “Yeah, I hope, here’s my stop, see you tomorrow.” 

Abby walked to the front of the bus and climbed down the steps. As Abby ran to her front door, Sarah waved good bye from inside the bus, and Abby waved back. Abby opened the door to her house, her parents Mr. and Mrs. Thompson greeted her at the door. “Abby, how was school?” Mr. Thompson asked his daughter. Abby replied “Great, I can’t wait to play outside in the snow! “You can go outside and play in the snow, but first do your homework.” Mrs. Thompson told Abby. Abby brought her books to the kitchen table and got out a piece of loose leaf. On the top of her paper, in her best handwriting Abby printed “Abby’s Christmas Wish List” Then she listen five things she wanted for christmas. At the top of the list read “Puppy.” The one thing Abby wanted more than anything in the world was a puppy. Abby loved her grandparents’ dog so much that she wanted one of her own. Abby really wanted a puppy for Christmas. Abby asked her parents “Mom, Dad, can I have a puppy for Christmas?” Abby’s parents replied “Maybe, but you have to show you’re responsible. If you prove to us that you can be responsible, we will be happy to get you a puppy.” Abby then quickly wrote down four other things she wanted for christmas on her paper. When she was done with her homework, Abby neatly put her homework back in her folder and put her folder in her backpack ready for school tomorrow. Abby finally could go outside and play in the snow. Abby made a snowman and snow angles for a while until her parents called her in. “Abby, it’s time to come inside.” Abby came in quickly, took her snow boots off and went to set the table for dinner without being told. 

When Mrs. and Mr. Thompson saw that Abby had set the table without being told they were very proud. Abby was very determined to show her parents that she could be responsible. Everyday Abby found ways to prove she was responsible and would be a responsible pet owner. The Next morning at school, Mrs. Martin was asking her class about their homework and what they wanted. Abby told her teacher “Mrs. Martin, for Christmas I want a puppy!” Mrs. Martin replied “That seems like a great Christmas present, Abby.” Then everyone else shared what they wanted for Christmas. When school was over, Abby saw that her parents had came to pick her up. Her parents took Abby to see her grandparents’ dog Sammy. Sammy is a Labrador Retriever, one of the top five dogs breeds in the US. The other top dog breeds are Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Beagle, and Dachshund. When Abby saw Sammy, her grandparents said she was pregnant and had had puppies. They said that Sammy had carrier her young for about nine weeks and that Sammy could of had four to eight puppies, but she only had six.   In one more week the puppies will be ready to be apart from Sammy.” Grandma told Abby. Mrs. Thompson said “When her puppies are ready to leave Sammy, you can pick the puppy you want!” Abby excitedly said “In one more week is Christmas!” Abby jumped up and down in excitement, “Thank you Mom, thank you Dad, thank you Grandma, thank you Grandpa, and thank you Sammy!” Abby was so excited, she was going to have her own puppy, Abby then hugged everyone, even Sammy, thanking them. When Abby got home from her grandparents’ house she couldn’t stop smiling. Abby called Sarah on the phone and told her the great news! “Hi Sarah, it’s me, Abby, guess what, I’m getting a puppy for Christmas!” Sarah replied excitedly for her friend “That’s great, I can’t wait to meet him/her!” Abby was so happy about the great news that she could barely go to sleep. When one week was finally over and it was time for Abby to pick out her puppy. She couldn’t wait to get to her grandparents’ house to see Sammy and her puppies. Abby couldn't wait to see them again. Abby walked into the room where Sammy and her puppies were. They were all laying around Sammy. Abby asked “Are Sammy’s puppies boys or girls?” Grandma responded “Three are boys and three are girls.” Abby walked over to them and one came to her, she picked him up and was petting him. The little puppy was a cream color. Abby liked him from the start and so did the puppy adore her. Abby said to her parents and grandparents that she liked him the most. Abby named her Christmas Puppy Lucky because she was so lucky that she had her very own puppy! Abby was so happy! She said “This is the best Christmas Present Ever, he's my Christmas Puppy!”