The Deadly Picnic

Hey everyone. So this post is quite different from my other ones. This short story is actually one I did for my science class and I thought why not post it on here. My teacher gave us guidelines and we were to create a story out of it. It was supposed to be the follow-up activity for a detective/ observation project. My dad read it and claimed he got a "heart attack" from the whole "romance" theme going on. Personally, I thought it was a fun story to write and a lot different from others I have written. Let me know what you think :)

The Deadly Picnic

Friday night. October 11th. The day I lost my mind.

I was driving to Rita’s house in the morning in my beat-up old car. The paint was peeling and the glass was cracked. Next to me was my purse with all my necessities in it including my red lipstick, glasses, and money. On my way to Rita’s, I saw my boyfriend Gaven talking to another woman outside my favorite store which sold the best petite clothes in this town! I had gotten used to the fact that he associated with other woman, but this was different. Oh well, I’ll just ask him about it tonight on our dinner picnic date.

Ding. Rita opened up the door and welcomed me inside. The inside of her house always surprised me. All the shelves were filled with guns of all sorts of shapes and sizes. After all, her father owned a rifle range. Rita and I walked upstairs to her bedroom and talked about our jobs and gossiped about other people and employees. I was walking out of her bedroom to get a drink when a picture caught my eye. It was a photograph of Rita and Gaven kissing. I was so shocked that Rita ran into me and I didn’t even notice. She asked what was wrong, but I ignored her. My thoughts were too jumbled up to think. Maybe Rita is his ex-girlfriend? Or maybe they got carried away? or maybe... My thoughts were interrupted by Rita’s hand waving in my face and telling me to snap out of it. She asked me again if anything was wrong, but I said it was nothing. I also told her I had leave. On the way out of the door, I grabbed a small gun of one of her shelves. I thought to myself that she wouldn’t notice if one little gun disappeared. I stuffed it into my purse before she turned around. Bye, I waved and got into my rickety old car.

Gaven was going to pick me up at 7:00 p.m. for our date tonight. It was already 6:30. Why does time pass so quickly? I put on a small dress and a pair of my favorite five size heels. To top it off, I added my red lipstick I keep with me all the time. The doorbell rang and I knew it was Gaven. I grabbed my purse and opened the door and he hugged me. We walked out of my apartment I share with my BFF Peggy and we went inside his car. Unlike mine, Gaven’s car was a new, red, luxury car which was far better than my old, beat-up one. We drove a few miles out of Centerville and stopped at a daisy field. We got out of the car and he told me he brought some of my favorite foods, and a lot of chocolate cake. I wondered why. He hated chocolate cake, potato salad, fried chicken, and all the other delights that I loved. If I didn’t know any better, I would think he was trying to butter me up for something I didn’t like. I guess I didn’t know any better.

While I was stuffing myself with the creamy potato salad, Gaven told me there was something I should know. I just nodded, not paying much attention to him and taking a sip of wine. He said something really fast which sounded like- “IreaysrybuIacdelychtdonubtIddntmnita.” All I could say was “WHAT?!” He took a deep breath and started again and said “I am really sorry, but I accidentally cheated on you, but I really didn’t mean it, and please don’t be mad at me.” Then suddenly I felt a angry, hot feeling inside me. I dropped my wine and screamed “YOU CHEATED ON ME!!! How could you? And with who?” Gaven replied with a pathetic “somebody I met at a store...” Then it hit me. The woman I saw with Gaven while driving to Rita’s was the girl he cheated on me with. Then I asked him “And what about Rita? Are you cheating on me with her too?” Gaven just stared at me blankly. At that moment I was so mad that I felt around in my purse for something I could hit him with. I felt around, and took out the gun I had taken from Rita earlier.

I was so mad then, that I was thinking of even shooting him with it, not to kill him, but just so he would feel what it was like be hurt that badly by someone that you loved. He was looking at me like I was an alien from Mars and I vaguely remember him trying to calm me down, but I was worked up from all the anger I felt and I couldn’t think straight. I then tackled him from behind and shot him with the gun.

I then realized. that. I. just. killed. my. boyfriend. I was a school teacher. Not a killer! I then broke down, and started crying. What should I do? I also then realized I could go to jail for this. I slowly got up, took one last look at the now dead Gaven, and ran to his car. I got inside and drove to an abandoned parking lot near my apartment. I ditched Gaven’s car and unlocked the door to my safe abode. I crashed onto my bed and hoped that it was only a dream and that I would wake up tomorrow to my cellphone ringing for a call from Gaven.

No. Such. Luck.

Comment and tell me what you think!

One Down. Six to Go.

      I recently visited a Wonder of the World to end the year of 2012. In India, we toured the city of Agra and visited the Taj Mahal. We drove to this city that has attracted many tourists from all over the world including my family and I. Our first stop was exploring the tomb of King Akbar. The entrance was a large gate with Arabic writing carved in it because he was Muslim. The main tomb was also an enormous and grand structure with complex designs and arches. Once we stepped inside, I was amazed by the stunning artwork and paintings on the walls. The burial chamber with Akbar's tomb was white with four windows. Light came through these windows and lit up the entire room and provided ventilation. The tomb glowed and I was filled with wonder. I then realized how people feel when visiting ancient Egyptian pyramids. The feeling of the presence of someone of great importance was intriguing.
   
       We shortly arrived at a 5-star hotel. The place was beautiful and exquisite and we dropped of our bags at the hotel room. The rooms were big, the bed was huge, and the t.v. was in English! What more could you ask for? Oh, I forgot, they also had American plugs so I could finally charge my iPod! :) And the breakfast, the next morning was even better than Hawaii's! It had foods of much variety and it was delicious!  My parents also wanted me to see the luxurious part of India and I was enjoying it very much! Our next stop was finally the incredible Taj Mahal. We arrived with a tour guide, and already outside the gate, there was a humongous line just to pass security. And the pushy ladies behind us were not helping the mood at all. To make things even worse, the ladies line took forever while the mens' went by as quickly as a classroom getting emptied when school ends. This was due to the purses and bags the women carried with them.  Once our group was rejoined, I was awed by the... gate in front of me. Even the gate was impressive. It had 22 small domes all lined up on the top symbolizing the years it took to build it. The building was decorated in stones and Arabic. We finally got our first glimpse of the magnificent burial site for Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The fascinating site was made of marble and had semi-precious stones inlaid inside of it in the design of flowers. Also, the words of the Qur'an were written in stone on the outside of the entrance in a rectangle. The fountain of clear blue water shot up continuously to add to the wondrous scene. What also stunned me was the amount of people and their ethnic differences. There were people from all over the world and different languages could be heard everywhere. People were taking pictures in all sorts of positions, but the most common was where they would appear to be picking up the Taj Mahal from the tip. Even I did it. :) The line to enter this monument was enormous but it was worth the wait. The line wrapped around the building twice! Waiting in line gave me the chance to take photos and take in the scene around me. After much pushing and anxious wait, our turn arrived to step inside the resting ground of Mumtaz Mahal and then later Shah Jahan. Unfortunately, due to security, much of the section was closed. And no photography was allowed, but people like disobeying rules, so you can predict what happened. :P Our tour guide showed us something interesting between all the crowded jostling. When a light was fixed on a particular reddish-orange stone, it would glow like fire. Also past the partitions, we could see the tomb of Shah Jahan and his wife.  It was truly one of the best experiences I had during my trip in India.
   
      Eventually, the next day, I saw the Agra Fort which was also impressive. Pretty nice place to be put  on house arrest like Shah Jahan was. By his own son. They must have had a great father - son relationship. From some of the rooms, we could see the Taj Mahal in the distance. Or so we were told. It was a foggy day and we couldn't see more than half a mile in front of us. The fort was surrounded by two pits that were once filled. One was a moat with alligators and the other used to have wild animals like tigers in them. Unfortunately, more than half of the fort was closed for visitors, because it is being used by the army. The fort was very well maintained, but still looked old. Overall, Agra was one of my favorite parts of the entire trip. I really hope I can go back there again sometime soon and you all should definitely visit it. Just don't stop in Jatipura on your way there. It will not give you good memories.

Just 6 more Wonders of the World to go visit. :)
     
 

Where Is My Gift, Santa???

            Hey everyone! Guess what time of the year it is? Gift time! Just kidding :). But, it is the time to come closer with your family and enjoy each others company. After a busy, hard-worked year, now is the time for your well deserved break from all chaos around you. It is also the moment to step away and reflect on the past year. Just step outside to feel the merry spirit around you. The sweet fragrance of baked treats, sounds of tinkling bells, and the lights and decorative embellishments are sure to put you in a festive mood. Also, three major holidays take place during this time of the year: Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Three religions celebrate their importance and come together as one. Then there is New Years' Eve. A time to make new promises, habits, and goals. This year I am going to India to visit my family and visit my other home. What are you going to do during the holidays? From baking cookies to traveling, let me know what you plan on doing. I'll be waiting on the other side of the globe for my gift, Santa! *cough* Mom. :)

Boring to Exciting Books

              You are in a classroom and the teacher is assigning books to read as a class. Your classmates and you want interesting and exciting books to read which you will look forward to reading every day. Instead, your teacher hands you a book that you have never seen before and even the cover doesn't look inviting to read. That is how it usually is multiple times a year. Students like me have to read a boring novel with little excitement and then answer numerous questions and write an RTL. Why can't we read an entertaining, appealing book?

               At school in our language arts classes, we read novels in class to discuss and write about. In my opinion, most of the books we read are somewhat uninteresting and I usually don't want to know what happens to the characters because I didn't enjoy it. The plot also doesn't have any action and the characters go through dull events. Some of the books, like the one I read in fourth grade, was really sad and then in the end, the character died of leukemia. It upset many people so why did we have to read it?   Or the book we read as a class where a girl gets stuck all alone on an island when her tribe leaves her behind. This book had many events, but most of them didn't have much action. The teachers even have to read the same book over and over each year in every class. Wouldn't it be more exciting for even the teachers to read a new book each year instead of the same old one?

               I think as a class, more students would pay more attention and be encouraged to try harder on the questions and essays for the book if teachers chose an exciting novel the majority of the class wanted to read. The teachers could still choose a few new, fun books that the class could vote for and then the most wanted book could be the one to read as a class. And for the issue of buying a new set of books every year for a class, everyone could buy their own copy. In my opinion that would solve the issue of students sleeping in class and being discouraged to read books because of the novels we read as a class.

New Books!

            Hey guess what everyone! The third book of the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan has come out! :) I can't wait to read The Mark of Athena. Also, recently I read a new book called A Map of the Known World and it was a really great book! The novel was a little sad,  but had a great plot and the character had a range of emotions since she was going through rough times. I think you all should read it!

Presidential Election 2012

           
           The Presidential Election is coming up soon and Americans are getting ready to vote. The two candidates running for president are Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney. President Barack Obama is running for a second term with vice president Joe Biden. Mitt Romney has chosen Paul Ryan as his vice president. The two parties are challenging each other to produce the best ideas for our future.

             

            The Democrats and Barack Obama are trying their hardest to overcome the challenges in the United States. Their party is represented by the donkey and the color blue. The Democratic convention just passed a few days ago and they talked about the future of our country and why President barack Obama should be re-elected. A few speakers who spoke at the convention are former president Bill Clinton, First Lady Michelle Obama, and President Barack Obama. Michelle Obama spoke about how your values are important and that they guide you through tough decisions and also President Obama should serve a second term and is a better president because he understands common people. President Obama said, "Yes, our road is longer -- but we travel it together. We don't turn back. We leave no one behind. We pull each other up." Also, if Obama were to return to office, he would create more jobs, advance our education system and make college more affordable, keep health care, develop clean energy, strengthen the middle class, and create the lasting economy we need. He also wants to increase tax for the rich (if you earn more than 250,000).

              The Republicans and Mitt Romney show a different approach to help the economy. This party is represented by the color red and the elephant. They aim to expand education, discontinue Obama health care, stop illegal immigration, and try getting the economy back on track. He will also reduce tax for small businesses and the rich, because he believes that it will give them more money to generate jobs which will then help the economy.

            I believe that Barack Obama should be re-elected as president and serve his second term. He has good ideas to help out our suffering economy and has already been experiencing it for his first four years in office. Also, Romney and the rest of the Republican party are more focused on making Obama look bad then telling voters what they will do to make the economy better. I have seen this in all of their websites. The biggest headline would be "Obama's Failure" or "How Obama Failed to Make this Happen." I think instead of insulting the President, they should give their ways to do it better than he did. Also, Obama has better interests in our education and developing cleaner energy for our future and for reducing Global Warming. Overall, I think if you should vote for the Democrat ticket (If you can :D). And, I am also looking forward to learning more from their debates in October.

~Rajee

Rajee's Reading Corner

        Hey everyone. Summer is on the verge of ending and I was thinking of all the good books I have read in the past year. I tried all sorts of genres and levels of difficulty. Here are some of my favorites:

The Wednesday Wars: by Gary D Schmidt               
             This book is a historical fiction book based in the year 1967 during the Vietnam War. It's a story about how the main character Holling Hoodhood survives through 7th grade. He learns the values of Shakespeare during his Wednesday alone time with his teacher while his classmates are at church. I really liked this book and thought it had a good story line. Even the authors message was valid and was strongly used throughout the story.

Dark Life: by Kat Falls              
            The book Dark Life tells a story about how humans came to live underwater instead of the crowded surface and how it affected their community. Ty, the main character in these series (the second book is Rip Tide, but I don't find that book as good) lives with his family underwater, but problems arise and it's up to him and his new friend Gemma to figure them out. This book has a good sense of adventure with a little bit of mystery. I really liked how the author had the setting in a unique place, underwater.

11 Birthdays: by Wendy Mass               
            11 Birthdays tell a story of Amanda and Leo. Ever since they were born, they have celebrated their birthday together until their 10th. During their birthday that year, Leo said some mean things to Amanda and ever since they haven't spoken to each other. Then, on their 11th birthday, things started to become weird and their birthdays seemed to repeat over and over again. And, Leo and Amanda were the only ones who noticed. This book had many cliffhangers and I couldn't stop reading it. Also, if you liked this book, the "sequel" to this is the book Finally and then 13 Gifts. Those two books are also really great and will add new characters throughout the stories

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life: by Wendy Mass
           
           This book has many great lessons like to never give up and to be motivated. When Jeremy's 13 birthday comes around the corner, a package comes to him, but without the keys it cannot be opened. Jeremy and his best friend Lizzy try to figure out how to get those keys back. The box seems to lead the two of them to a huge adventure. And, the box is a gift from his dead father to open on his 13th birthday. This book is full of adventure and still moving and you will from not want to stop reading. Another book just like this one is called Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur.

As Small As an Elephant: by Jennifer Richard Jacobson             
           This book is about a kid named Jack who loves elephants. He has an unpredictable mom who leaves him at a camping trip they went on. Jack is alone in a different state and has nowhere to go to. He then decides to go find his mom and is helped by some people he comes across. Jack then realises he can’t find his mother and changes his mission to go find an elephant named Lydia. This story expresses the idea of determination and love. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Some other good reads:

Getting Air by Dan Gutman
Pendragon by D. J. Machale
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan

There are also many other good books, but unfortunatley I forgot most of them...
Have a great time reading!

-Rajee