Spies are Scared of Turtles: The Circuit Winter 2017 Issue

Welcome to 826michigan’s e-journal, The Circuit. Each workshop season, we publish outstanding pieces of student writing through this electronic quarterly. For this issue of The Circuit, "Spies are Scared of Turtles," we feature work from our Drop-in Writing for weE-bots on Liberty Street in Ann Arbor.

New to 826michigan programs? Check out our schedule of free creative writing workshops for students ages 6-18 here on our website. All workshops are free and open to the public, although some require pre-registration. Our website offers more information about all of our programs for young people in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Detroit—we look forward to seeing you at a workshop soon. In the meantime, let the current of this issue of The Circuit bring warmth back to your toes, fingers, and hearts.

This issue, we'd like to give special thanks to Cydni Seifert, workshops intern; Claire Stano, weE-bots leader, and her dedicated army of helpers: Mickayla Staten, Joshua Wrigau, Gowri Chandrashekar, Sara Hoffman, Sarah Topping, Stephanie Wesson, Grace Cook, Emma Rodseth, Allana Geoggrion, Kathleen Chen, Courtney Coleman, Nancy Graham, and Luke Jackson; and Katie Pak, editorial intern.

Tirook

Daniel Han, 9
Logan Elementary

Once there was a poor old grandpa named Tirook, and he only had a little bag that can only hold three dollars. But the grandpa really, really liked toys, and he used his money for buying a three-dollar toy even though his house, rice, and stove were sold for one dollar.


The house was one dollar, the stove was one dollar, the rice was one dollar. But that weird grandpa spent all his money on buying some babyish toys so he became even more poor. He was thinking for a moment and thought why he used his money all on toys. And one night he was sleeping in an old haunted house. And one day the old scary haunted house turned into a brand new castle and the kitchen appeared and 98,756 soldiers were protecting the castle. And the old grandpa who was ninety-nine years old became young. He was twenty-four years old. And he always went to the toy shop in the morning and bought like twenty toys and it cost nine hundred dollars. But he thought that wasn’t much for a twenty-four year old guy. Because he had ninety-six million dollars. Until he became sixty-six years old. He bought 98,765 toys. But he was never poor again.

Spies are Scared of Turtles

Julia Cross, 9
Honey Creek Elementary

I am a turtle. My name is Sheldon Shelly the eighteenth, and you know what cracks me up? Turtles make spies go hysterical. In other words, spies are scared of turtles, and it so happens my neighbor is a spy. So I get my skateboard and zoom to his house, thankfully he never closes the windows. Kaplop!

Oh my gosh! I haven’t been here in sooo long—I forgot there was a counter. Anyway, I made a path through a series of magnifying glasses and boy, did Sherlock get a scare. But he faced his fears and tried to catch me. Luckily, I escaped through the fairy door. I never knew why Sherlock Holmes was scared of such a silly tortoise, but maybe it was because I dressed up as a ghost. But now that I look in the mirror I am kind of creep—I AM SO SCARED.

The Dog Who Wanted to Fly

Heidi Harrell, 7
Burns Park Elementary

Once upon a time there was a dog. His name was Brownie. One day he was chasing a butterfly and got lost. He thought about how to get home. One day he took a walk in the park and saw a bird. When Brownie got close, he flew away. That got Brownie an idea . . . he could fly! So he went to bed and dreamed about his idea. When he woke up . . . he grew wings! So he went to the top of a mountain and flew home.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Sam Harrell, 11
Tappan Middle School

It was a normal day. I was eating cereal. I was eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch. It was so good. It was a Saturday. I fell asleep like normal. When I awoke, I was in a bowl of milk. I was so confused. I looked around, up, and down. I looked beige with no clothes. Was I Cinnamon Toast Crunch? Can’t be. I jumped out. I saw a very large bag of cereal. I jumped into it. I popped out as a bird. I was now even more confused. I was so hungry, I tried to eat like a bird. I went to dive into the water. I turned into a light bulb. Life is crazy, I thought. I was soooo tired I just stayed a light bulb till morning. When I awoke I was a human. I was so happy. I am never eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch again.

Snowflake

Bob Wu, 9
Bach Elementary

Snowflakes are white
They melt when I write
So I write and write,
So it melts and melts
At last no snow is left

Life

Luella Jackson, 6
Wines Elementary

Life can go on forever.

Life can go on forever.
Life goes around the
Earth. It loves spinning
with a hulahoop with
life around it. Earth
loves life and life
loves Earth.

Bungee Jumping!

Josiah Atkinson, 9
Bach Elementary School

One day Joe woke up on a Saturday. Suddenly, he was obsessed with bungee jumping.

“Bunnnggee juummmpinnngg!!!!!” he yelled as he jumped out of bed. “Mom! DO WE HAVE A BUNGEE CORD?!?!”

“No, we don’t,” Ms. Frankfur answered.

Then he went downstairs to eat. Bill, Joe’s baby brother, was crying and throwing food at Ms. Frankfur, and it got worse when Joe ran into the dining room yelling, “Bungee jumping!” That made the situation worse. It startled Ms. Frankfur into flinging baby food into Bill’s face, making him SCREAM and throw a fit.

“Oops,” Joe whispered. He grabbed his bacon and eggs. “I’m going upstairs.”

Then he ran upstairs, fearing the chaos behind him.

“Since when did you become OBSESSED with BUNGEE JUMPING?” Joe’s sister, Abby asked.

“I had a dream about how great bungee jumping is,” Joe stated. “I’m going to the store after breakfast.”

Then he was grounded for life, not being able to own a bungee cord. THAT made him return to normal.

Until the next day . . .

“GRAFFITI!”

Oh, and Joe never went to the store.

A Boy Named Cheeta

Daniel Han, 9
Logan Elementary School

In 1992, there was a boy named Cheeta. He farts when he plays football and that gives him more speed and energy. The normal professional football player’s running speed is 30 kph, but Cheeta’s running speed is 200 kph when he farts. And the fart sound is twenty times as loud as a foghorn from a ship. So Cheeta spends his running time in the air instead of running on the ground. That means he is almost flying. So when he flies with the ball, nobody can tackle him. But nobody knows that he is flying because it is only two inches off the ground. Cheeta’s team name was Superfart. And Cheeta’s team won ninety-six to zero. Cheeta’s teammate didn’t even have to throw or catch the ball because Cheeta didn’t pass. But it was still a very good game. Cheeta was on the news. Also, he beat the Guinness World Record. Also he started playing soccer and running marathons. All the games he played until he turned seventy-two. He won 988,617,651 medals. And he melted all the gold medals and sold them. And he became rich. And he also sold his aerodynamic mask.

A Stinky Clumsy Baby Football Cheetah Named Cheeto

Liliana Yamamoto, 7
Carpenter Elementary School

One day a one-year-old cheetah, Cheeto, signed up for football. So on the first day of training she was ready. But she wasn’t ready. She was always falling and farting A LOT! And all the other players on the other team fainted and Cheeto’s team won! Hooray for Cheeto.

Not a Normal Cheetah

Anna Harrell, 9
Burns Park Elementary

Hello, I am Cheeto. This is my diary. I am not a normal cheetah; I stink. I smell really bad because beans are my favorite food. It was just a normal day . . . when I got a text about a football opening for the Michigan Wolverines! I was soooooooooooo excited! Of course I said yes. The next day, I went to practice. I was different . . . I was the only cheetah. They were all wolverines. We started to practice. No one passed to me! We practiced a lot and the game arrived. We played Michigan State. All the players were tigers. I tooted . . . everyone ran away. They threw the ball to me and I got a touchdown! Our team won! The team cheered for me! I was soo happy! It was the best day ever!

The End!! :)

Playgrounds at Night: The Circuit Fall 2016 Issue

Welcome to 826michigan’s e-journal, The Circuit. Each workshop season, we publish outstanding pieces of student writing through this electronic quarterly. Remember fall of 2016? It seems like a different world. Join us as these delightful and moving pieces bring back the excitement and ingenuity of the wonderful students who visited us at our Saturday workshops and Drop-in Writing for weE-bots on Liberty Street in Ann Arbor and our Drop-in Writing for Wee-bots at the Detroit Public Library last fall.

New to 826michigan programs? Check out our schedule of free creative writing workshops for students ages 6-18 here on our website. All workshops are free and open to the public, although some require pre-registration. Our website offers more information about all of our programs for young people in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Detroit—we look forward to seeing you at a workshop soon. In the meantime, let the current of this issue of The Circuit—Playgrounds at Night—bring warmth back to your toes, fingers, and hearts.

This issue, we'd like to give special thanks to Cydni Seifort, workshops intern; Claire Stano, weE-bots leader, and her dedicated army of helpers: Carman Judd, Sara Hoffman, Josh Wirgau, Tim Monger, Erica Decker, and Luke Jackson; Emily Thomson, DPL Redford Branch librarian; and Katie Pak, editorial intern. Without their care, attention to detail, humor, and dedication, we’d be lost in the perils of this wintery mix. Thank you so very much for keeping the engine running full blast all semester long!

Sitting Criss-Cross-Applesauce

Heidi Harrell, 7
Burns Park Elementary

Once upon a time there was a bear named Grizzalena. She was not sitting criss-cross-applesauce. Someone walked by and tripped over her legs. The end.

Lesson: Sit criss-cross-applesauce.

Don’t Lie

Liliana Yamamoto, 7
Carpenter Elementary

Don't lie, because you could get caught and get in big trouble and that wouldn't be good, so never lie in your life or you will be very bad. And never ever touch a wild polar bear, not even a wild brown bear—those can go super savage, so be aware of bears. And rocking chairs can be a real hoot. They can fall over very easily, so when you sit on the chair be very cautious about the falling thing and don't make it fall on your toes.

An Ambush of Tigers

Annabelle Yan, 6
Lawton Elementary

An ambush of tigers is a group of tigers that work together. A party of blue jays is a group of birds that fly together. A leap of leopards are leopards that stay together. A rumba of snakes are two rattlesnakes that dance together.

The Great Food Getaway

David Wall, 11
Fortis Academy

I saw a pack of wolves chasing a mischief of rats! The rats stole the wolves' food! Then, out of nowhere, a walk of snails started walking right where the sewers are (the rats’ goal was to put the food in there), and although the rats are mischievous, they let the snails go ahead, and the rats and wolves stopped moving. Then, finally, the snails left, buttt . . . a business of flies came. The rats stopped, but the wolves kept going and got their food back!

Random Rhyming Poem

Josiah Atkinson, 9
Bach Elementary

Things with wings fly around and lie on the ground. Dogs play with logs while snakes bake a cake, making a drake and eating a chicken in the kitchen. A cat wears a hat, standing on a mat, tackling a bat. A fellow asks a fellow, “Where is my mellow?”

“Please don’t ask me that again or I’ll bellow,” he answered. Then Fellow 1 turned into a punter and punted him on the spot and tied the pants into a knot.

When they saw the snake baking a cake, making a drake and eating chicken in the kitchen, they fled and ran. Now I can stop rhyming.

Most Terrible Things

Ewan Lemens, 10
Eberwhite Elementary

I looked out of the window, as sad as can be,
As the most terrible things were happening to me.
My dog had just died,
My friend had lied.
I fell out a window,
I broke my Nintendo.
I crashed my new car into a bar,
I threw my best ball way too far.
My house caught on fire,
I punctured my tire.
I knocked over my favorite vase,
Bees stung me a bunch in the face.
A bookshelf fell on me,
I lost my ability to see.
My favorite book fell into water,
But I did get to see a baby otter.
As you can see,
I’m as sad as can be.

Wiggle and Jiggle

Avery McEwen, 10
Eberwhite Elementary

I stared at my wall with nothing to do. I looked down and saw my shoe. It started to wiggle and jiggle. I ran to my door and scraped my toe on the floor. I fell down the stairs like I was falling down Kilimanjaro. My mom was examining farro. My dad was slouching on the couching. I remembered about my shoe jiggling and wiggling. Oooh! One thing you will agree in a shoe jiggling and wiggling, it is not WEEEE!

Things That Slightly Alter Reality

Reese Westerdale, 12
Slauson Middle

Playgrounds at night
Churches in Texas
The wistfulness of entering a used book store
Empty museums
Empty parking lots in the night
An empty area where many people usually are
Previous schools in the summer
The farthest bathroom stall during a concert
A child, much well-set in youth, who is extremely talented at music
Abandoned stages and sets
The subtle but persistent feeling that you are out of place
The time of day where the sky still reflects the night,
and you are awake but everyone else is asleep

Why Does the Racoon Eat Garbage?

Carter Hawkins, 7
University Prep Academy Mark Murray Elementary

One day, Racoon told Owl he wished he had all the king’s gold. Then Owl told Tiger, who said that was worst idea ever. Then Tiger said to Crow that Racoon said he wanted to have all the king’s gold. Then it spread fast and got to the king. The king said to Racoon, “Yes, but only look at the gold.” That made Racoon scratch the gold, so the king said, “You now have to eat trash!!!”

Shi Shi

Anna Harrell, 9
Burns Park Elementary

I am Shi Shi. I am a beautiful princess. I live in a town called Fluff Town. Fluff Town is really, really tiny. I don't like being a princess. At night I sneak out of my castle and go to Cloud Land with my two friends, Mi Mi and Fi Fi. We always play hide and seek.

My favorite food is jellybeans. We always get one jellybean a day. We choose when we want to eat it. I know you are probably thinking our life is perfect, but it's not. People are littering and the trash is falling on their town. Also, people are stepping on homes and grocery stores. We need to help!

The Flipping Competition

Bryce Danzy, 9
Homeschool

TJ was swimming in the garbage can and found a vegan cake. He got invited to his friend’s house, and he said, “I am going to throw a slumber party.”

TJ said, “Who can flip better than me?”

Then Julien said, “We have a special guest coming up on the stage, so Bryce can get that music in!” Bryce and TJ had a flipping competition and it went on for three hours. Bryce won the competition.

How I Found a Diamond

Mara Janke, 7
Homeschool

One lonely day I found a diamond. I found the diamond in my front yard. The diamond was blue. The diamond was as big as anybody’s hand. When I found the diamond I was relieved because the diamond could have magic. I was going to keep the diamond forever. I ran to my room. My room was on the second floor. I ran slowly past my mom. I was lucky that my mom didn’t notice. I ran to the second floor and hid the diamond under my bed. I also discovered that the diamond was magic. How I found out it was magic was by looking through a telescope.

The next morning a pirate sailed to our house on a pirate ship. And while I was sleeping he crept into my house, woke me up, and pointed a sword at me. But it was not an ordinary sword. It was sharp, pointy, and long. He said, “Give me the diamond!” I was scared. I did not speak for a long time. Then I finally gave him a very pretty package with a sandwich in it. After the pirate took the sandwich and left, I started to laugh at the pirate and I lived happily ever after. The end.

Why Don’t Tigers Like Lions

Nevaeh Tomala, 11
Crescent Academy

Once there was a lion and a tiger that both wanted to be king. The animals voted. All the animals voted for the lion. The tiger was very, very, very angry about why he didn’t become a king and other animals didn’t vote for him.

So one day, the tiger made a plan about fighting the lion, but the tiger said, “The girl lions are very dangerous.” The lions had a bird that could see danger everywhere, and the bird saw danger and told the king, so he got more lions into their pride.

So they made their plans about the fight. The king thought that the tigers were going to win but they didn’t. The lion won! The lion punished the tigers. The punishment was that they were not allowed back into the jungle.

Some Say that She is a Ghost

Selene Freudenberg, 10
Bach Elementary

Some say that she is a ghost. Some say that she is a demon. Some say that she is an evil spirit. Some say she is immortal, but she died. But everyone knows one thing: if she is sensed, someone will vanish. Sometimes, she comes to you in your dreams. Sometimes, you just feel her icy grip on you. She is a nightmare. She is horror. She is terrible. She is around you. She is watching you at this very moment, and maybe, you might be the next one. No one knows what she does to her victims, but they never, ever return.

He was alone, He didn’t know how or why, but he was completely alone. It was all white; he couldn’t see. But he could smell. It was the smell of fear. He could hear. It was the sound of fear. He could feel. He felt fear. It was swallowing him up. It was seeping into his body. It was getting in his soul, and it was slowly feeding on him, until his soul was gone, his spirit was gone. He was nothing but a hollow body. He had been conquered by fear. Now, he was an It. It could no longer follow its own bidding. Its only goal now was to spread more fear, and to follow its master’s bidding. Its master is becoming more powerful and is growing an army. Gaining more recruits. Its master is rising. One day, she may come for you. Because she is watching you, and waiting for the right moment to strike. Her name is FEAR.

Thieves

Dawsen Mercer, 12
Tappan Middle

Thieves
walking through the dusty shelves,
which pages will I delve?
Musty pages
bindings of silk
were these pages once as white as milk?
Seem as old as earth,
could that truly have been their birth?
Have thieves broken in?
Knowledge is gold,
after all.

The Blue Sweater

Gabriel Etheridge, 6
Edison Elementary

One day, a lion was shopping at the mall and saw a blue sweater. Lion said, “I want that blue sweater.”

The cat said, “The sweater is $8.55.” The lion cried. He was sad. He only had $5.25, and it was $8.55. He sadly walked home.

Dear Salli

Julieta Turon, 9
Honey Creek Community School

1/30/16

Dear Salli,

I’ve enjoyed these years with you, and I’ve learned a lot. My favorite project of the year was the book report, and I really think you should do it again. I’m really thankful that you dedicated a year for me and everybody else, because that means that you were willing to do it. Two years, for me, isn’t much time with you, so I’m really missing you and I hope I can see you again.

Your Student,
Julieta

A Demon Creeping

Ewan Lemens, 10
Eberwhite Elementary

It was a dark and stormy night at the Detroit Institute of Art. There was a demon creeping around. A guard was watching over the prints and drawings section when he started to hear noises in the food court, so he decided to check it out. When he got there, he saw nothing so he started to head out. When he heard his stomach grumble, so he got a snack. When he got back to the section, he noticed a painting was different. He saw a shadowy-like creature. Then, in the next few seconds, it was gone.

At the American art section, a guard was noticing strange sounds in the great hall so she went to check it out. She noticed nothing, so she went back to the American art section, where she felt a cold hand on her ankle—and she was tripped. When she stood back up, she saw a shadowy creature jump  into a painting and disappear. She walked over to a painting and noticed three shadowy creatures sitting on people in white dresses. Meanwhile, in the heavily guarded European sections, guards and curators were noticing strange things in the paintings. One saw a golden stone-like creature hiding in the shadows of one painting. Another said he saw a shadowy creature with red eyes hiding in the bushes. So they all met in the main circulation area to discuss the differences in the paintings. When they walked back into the section they noticed all the paintings with the creatures had disappeared.

On the third floor in the British section, one guard looked up at The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli and noticed that what people had been seeing (the shadowy creatures) were originally from that picture. So he stared at it for a while, when he felt a swish of wind behind him. He looked back and saw nothing, so he turned back and looked and the painting and noticed the demon creature wasn’t there.

A Tough Wolf with No Name: The Circuit Winter 2016 Issue

Welcome to 826michigan’s newest publication, The Circuit. Each workshop season, we publish outstanding pieces of student writing through this electronic quarterly. It’s hard to remember how icy things were just a couple of months (weeks, even!) ago, but inside our writing lab, ideas and imaginations were a combustion engine of bright heat all winter long. We generated great writing about important memories (moments that changed what we thought we knew!); about new robotic characters duos that we created on paper (and on dominos!); and about new myths that we built—just like a cozy fireplace fire—using the pieces of the hero’s journey for fuel. Join us, dear reader, for the best reminder of winter, a collection of writing to conquer the cold, a hero’s journey into spring.


New to 826michigan programs? Check out our schedule of free creative writing workshops for students ages 6–18 here on our website. All workshops are free and open to the public, although some require pre-registration. Our website offers more information about all of our programs for young people in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Detroit—we look forward to seeing you at workshop soon. In the meantime, let the current of this issue of The Circuit bring warmth back to your toes, fingers, and hearts.


This issue, we'd like to give special thanks to our Winter 2016 Workshops Intern Team, Hannah and Jacki, two of the original bot buddies. Without their care, attention to detail, humor, and dedication, we’d be lost in the perils of the wintery mix. Thank you so very much for keeping the engine running full blast all semester long!

Breaking and Entering

Henry Ortiz, age 11 
Maltby Intermediate

“Hey Mom, can I go up to Cullen’s house?”

“Sure,” said Mom. 

“Thanks, Mom!” I dashed out of the house quick as lightening and ran up the hill as fast as a bullet. I felt like I was in a race. 

When I got to Cullen’s house, I immediately rang the doorbell. I couldn’t wait to see Cullen’s smiling face. Then when nobody answered I rang the doorbell again. I finally got something, except it wasn’t Cullen, it was a barking Molly. That’s when I realized Cullen and his family weren’t there. So, I walked around the house and I went in through the side door. I was going through the garage and went to the door and pushed with all my might. I grunted and Molly trotted up to me. I could smell Molly’s toxic breath and I went past her.

 I looked around and then I had an idea. I went to the den to get a piece of paper with Molly following. I wrote:  

“Dear Cullen, hi. How are you? Where are you? Maybe you can stop by my house later. From, Henry.”

I put the note on the kitchen counter and ran back down the hill to my house. I opened the door and Mom said, “Oh, hi Henry. Where were you? I thought you and Cullen were playing.”

“Uh . . . ” I stammered. “They weren’t home.”

“So what were you doing this whole time?” my Mom asked.

“Uh . . . I went in their house.”

“YOU WHAT!?!?!?!?!?” Mom yelled.

“I went into their house and left a note for Cullen.”

Mom sighed and started to explain why I shouldn’t enter people’s houses when they’re not home. Mom went to get her phone to apologize. Cullen’s family found my note when they got home and they all thought it was funny. My note now hangs up on their fridge.

Now I know not to break into people’s houses. I won’t be breaking and entering into anyone’s house again.

The Saga Continues

Calvin Sears, age 14

Washtenaw International High School

Okay, so I like this girl. Her name is [redacted]. So I’m all like, “Dang [redacted] so fine, but she probably won’t notice me” every day of my life, just being an awkward pimply teenager as usual. I swear, if I wasn’t thinking about [redacted] twenty-four seven, I was probably thinking about food, but still.

So anyway, I’m at this hair salon, which is called *Censored* Cuts. So, I’m at *Censored* Cuts texting my good pally <<404>> about [redacted] situation, and who “ships” us or whatever. I’m sitting in a leather chair gushing sweat like Niagra Falls, heart beating so fast it might get a speeding ticket and a $500 fine, and I’m just debating with myself about whether or not I should confess my feels to [redacted]. Luckily <<404>> and [redacted] were at school still with a few of my other friends, so it wouldn’t be so awkward. Probably. I was clammier than a seafood place, white-knuckles clenching my phone and finally pouring my feelings out at my keyboard like a glass of water hoping the texting [redacted] would make me feel better.

BOY WAS I WRONG! Not like I got rejected or anything, more like everybody, myself included was flipping OUT. Suddenly, I was being swamped with texts and calls from <<404>> and his brother—error—even WHILE I WAS ON THE TOILET. So, I’m sitting on the toilet and <<404>> is all like being mysterious and not responding and every now and then she’ll be all “her phone died broseph” or send a word of encouragement while—error—is just textin’ and callin’ like crazy about everything and WOW OH MY GOD WAS I TERRIFIED. And when I did finally get an answer back from [redacted], she was just as awkward as me, all vague and all. But, finally I did run into her and her two friends jumped on me like guard dogs and scoped me out like a freakin’ telescope fan club. It was terrifying to be sure. Anyway, I’m out of time but this was all about a week ago so THE SAGA CONTINUES.

The Sweet Smell of Slushies

Livia Johnson, age 11

Slauson Middle School

“Oh my gosh,” I said out loud. I was standing in front of the biggest roller coaster I had ever seen. It was a huge rickety wooden roller coaster, not like the baby ones I had been on before . . . because, well I’m a scaredy cat.

As we are walking through the line, all I could hear was the fear in my uncle’s voice saying, “Do we have to go?” to my mom as she was standing there jumping up and down with excitement. And my grandpa . . . well he’s a tough guy, but when it comes to roller coasters he will not do it!

In my mouth I could taste the sour feeling you get when there isn’t enough sugar in lemonade and you really want to just spit it out, but you can’t because you have to be polite about it and just drink it.

I could smell the repulsive sweaty people around me and had to cover my nose with my hand because it was that gross. But on the bright side, I could smell the sweet smell of slushies.

A Bigger Word for Nervous That I Didn’t Even Know

Winnie Jalet, age 11

Tappan Middle School

I was nervous as I got up to the block. Thoughts raced through my head like tiny race cars on a track called “my brain.”

I was at the pool in Carmel, Indianapolis. This pool was special. It was the pool where they held olympic trials. I had almost a year to practice for this meet and a week’s worth of tapering. I had worked for this. I had earned this.

I stepped up to the block, my body shaking like a massage chair that you see at the mall. I was nervous, wait, more than nervous. A bigger word for nervous that I didn’t even know.

I reassured myself, it was only a fifty breaststroke. “I’ve swam a million of these,” I said to myself. 

The pool was where I worked my magic. I was a magician in a knee skin. “Take your marks,” said the meet official.

I stood on the block as still as a tree branch. I positioned myself on the block “GO!” I launched myself off the block and was ready for whatever would come.