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My Dream Log- Day 1

Part One

Last night I dreamt...

"You're late," the teacher informed me as I walked through the classroom door.

My eyes darted to Will, somehow already seated at his 7th year desk. I don't know how he got there so fast. He purposefully avoided my gaze, knowing full well it was his fault. Instead, he appeared totally fascinated by his whispered conversation with Lily.

He had stopped me about a block from class, calling my name to come over to his hastily constructed stand. A cardboard sign sat on top of it that said, "A kiss for two stones." I rolled my eyes. He was getting so desperate now that he wasn't even assigning any value to his kisses. The worst part was, I knew exactly who this had been set up for. Me, of course. Everyone knew that he had a huge crush on me. I couldn't return his feelings though. He was a jerk to everyone, including me.

With a sigh, I came up to his stand. I didn't want to encourage him, but he was calling my name. Ignoring him felt too rude, even toward him. "Hello, Will. What are you doing?"

Leaning back in his wooden chair, he looked up at me with an expression I assume was supposed to be attractive. "Just making it easy for you to kiss the love of your life," he said in silky tones.

"Thanks, but I'm really not interested," I told him, unimpressed.

For a moment he seemed disappointed. Only for a moment. "But you do admit I'm the love of your life!" he proclaimed with a triumphant laugh.

I held my hands up in mock surrender. "Yep, you caught me. I'm absolutely, madly in love with you. Now, will you please leave me alone?" Not waiting for an answer, I turned and began walking away.

I stopped and looked back as I heard a voice say, "Hey, Will!"

It was Lily, greeting him with her regular enthusiasm as she dropped an armful of rocks in front of him. I watched as she leaned in close and whispered loudly, "I hate you." Then she kissed him hard. They had an odd relationship, if you could call it that.

Clenching my fists, I turned away and kept walking toward class. I wasn't sure why I was jealous, or if that was even what I was feeling.

Part Two

After making the required apology to my teacher, I sat at the desk marked with a large 8. This was my eighth year attending the Institute of Open Minds. It took nine years to graduate from this school, but that didn't seem too long to me. I was the only eighth year in this class.

My desk was covered with these dumb plastic rings, each one proudly displaying the image of some cartoon character. I looked up to see if someone was pulling a prank on me, but every other desk was also filled with random things. Some were filled with clothing, others with portable games, others with jewelry. Mine was the dumbest by far though.

Apparently, since it was almost Christmas break, today we were supposed to have brought some of our unwanted items to trade with the class. I had forgotten, but it didn't matter. I wouldn't have been able to get anything anyway. Someone had to be at the desk at all times while others were wandering around to trade for things, and since I was the only one of my year, I had to stay where I was.

After all the trades were finished, I got up and went over to Sarah to see what she got. In front of her was a blue shirt, folded neatly. I grabbed for it.

"That's mine," she snapped.

I gave her a strange look. "I just want to see it."

"It's mine," she grumbled, but she let me take it.

I unfolded it and held it up. It was lovely, blue with little bits of gold and diamond attached to it in places. "It's very nice," I told her with a smile. She smiled shyly back before snatching it out of my hands.

Part Three

The desks were quickly swept out of the way and our chairs were gathered in a semi-circle facing our teacher. She smiled at us. "Okay, everyone. I want us to go around the circle and say what you're going to get at least one person for Christmas."

They were excited to obey. You could feel the anticipation for winter break building up inside each of them, ready to explode. Some spoke of gifts for their family, others said things they would buy for people in the class. One person said he would get the teacher a frog board, which made her smile.

Then it was Lily's turn. She gave me a big, bright smile. "I'm going to get Will a kiss from Arriah for Christmas!"

That made the whole class laugh as I stared at her. Once the laughter had died down, the next person said, "I'm going to get Will a kiss from Arriah too!"

This time, instead of laughter, everyone in the class began to say they were going to get Will the same. I looked around at everyone in shock, my eyes wide.

...And then I woke up.

Nightmares

Open your now tear-filled eyes, and look around you to see that there's nothing but shadows. Breathe a sigh of relief while trying to clear your mind of the terrifying images that were haunting you. There's no one around. Tell yourself that everything will be fine. Realize that only makes things worse, because things are not fine. If they were fine, your heart wouldn't be beating against your chest like a bird searching for an escape.

It's time to calm down. You won't accomplish anything if you can't get your terror under control. Force your mind to stop thinking about the things that could've happened and the things that might yet happen. Put a halt to the fears, the tears, the screaming, and the dreaming. It will all... be... fine...

Let yourself sink into peaceful darkness.

Mathahnus

Silver threads spun by spiders
With tears of morning on the precious lines,
Against the sun soon to set,
The steady flowing rivers clear her mind.

Ah, Mathahnus, you are ice.
Your words are the burn that pretends to be heat.
Though it feels like touching flames,
You see through the feeling and know the deceit.

Leaves of gold wave under brilliant skies,
Until the clouds gather in their hatred of life.
Then decay sets in to brown the edges,
And life is extinguished like a throat and a knife.

Ah, Mathahnus, you are night.
With all the heavens trying to destroy your shadows,
With all the stars to fill you,
For everyone to see, you're still left dark and hollow.

Will the sun, the light of hope, come again?
Sometimes for dark dwelling creatures it is hard to believe.
The black and despair are so consuming
That light seems to wither before its touch while all hope leaves.

Falling

I know that when the leaves fall

We will no longer stand tall,

For beneath the weight of their call

We are made to feel small.

We know when we have lost,

But do we know the cost?

Back and forth again we're tossed,

Our fate is cold as frost.

It's too late to fight.

We're given to night.

The bands are drawing tight

The strength of our plight.

We're in the flame

With none to blame.

The people grow lame.

Same is our aim.

No more rhyme.

Our minds fade.

Our wills are gone.

What is left?

We live?

Not here.

United death

Is all.

Soon

We

Will be

Gone.

Bye.

Confusing Stuff I Wrote In My Journal

Wisdom twists and turns around the bend of fate that we create. With our books, our songs, our speeches, the world we envision is made.

In every shadow rests a word. A word springing from danger, fear, superstition. Why do we fear the dark? Because our worst words wait there. Each one of us in powerless to stop them. They can only be erased by thousands of words from thousands of mouths.

Even then all may be lost. For they have been forgotten before only to creep back into the thoughts of a few and spread like a plague.

Often the light sharpens the shadows that they may pierce all the deeper. For it too is made from words. Often it is believed that the words come from the light. But if that were so, we would not have so many shadows. Unless all shadows and all lights were the same.

The World

The world.

It resides in winter. A winter of fire.

Hot and bright. Cold and dark. Everywhere and nowhere.

Silence prevails above the infinite noise. The terrible silence of apathy. It hides at the edges of speech. And behind the eyes.

Eyes and ears are closed.None will ever know and see but a few. The few cannot overcome except the world realizes. And the world is them. They are the world.

How to Write an Essay- Research

I've written some pretty good essays in my time as a student. As writing is my strong point and I take a lot of English classes as electives, I typically get good grades on them. I'm going to be posting a little guide on writing an essay, one piece at a time, whenever I get the time to write up a post. Here's the first one on research:

Research
For me, this has always been the hardest part of writing an academic essay. Not only do I have to find several sources on my topic, but they have to be what the teacher considers reliable as well. This typically means no Wikipedia, .gov/.org/.edu over .com, and fully citable. Often more than one type of source is required, such as book, Internet, and article. These are the things I keep in mind while looking for sources:

1. Finding Sources- When looking for sources, always consider the amount of time you have to work on the project. If you only have a week, a few articles will probably benefit you more than a dozen thick books. Obviously the first places to check for sources are Google (always make sure any Internet sites are reliable and citable; don't just assume that the first link on the list is the best!) and the library (honestly not every book is fully reliable either, but most teachers are far more willing to accept these without a second glance...). Other possible sources change with the topic, but some examples are newspaper articles, scholarly journals, and historical documents. If you find a source that doesn't have enough information or isn't citable, check to see if it has a bibliography that can provide you with more sources.
2. Creative Sources- It's probably a good idea to check with your teacher before you use these, but I don't think they should have a problem with it. These can be fun and add a bit of flare to both your essay and your bibliography. Some ideas are: museums, advertisements, old pictures (these can actually provide a lot of info. Just make sure they aren't fake), interviews, movies, zoos/aquariums, old letters or diary entries, and historical artifacts.
3. Citation- Every teacher will have different requirements on how much information is required to make a source citable. I've had some want only a title and author, while others want that plus publisher, date, location, associated organizations, and link (if available). The first kind is easy, but the latter set can be almost impossible to find on the Internet. Even most government websites, which many of my teachers have considered total wins for my bibliography, will not have that much information available. Books are generally the best option in this case as they provide all the copyright and publishing information. If you're not certain whether you have enough information for your source, either ask your teacher or (if you're turning in a rough draft) just go with it. The teacher will likely mark your lack of information so that you can fix it before you turn in a final copy. I know this sounds like the lazy way, but I generally feel uncomfortable talking to my teachers about such things unless they can be contacted through email, and it's always worked for me.

There are my ideas for finding and citing sources. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at propheciesofshadow@yahoo.com or post a comment on the Arriah Dreamscribe Facebook page. Next time I'll be posting about getting started on the paper. I hope this is helpful!

Pretty Cool

So there's this thing I saw this morning. There's apparently a way to be a great boyfriend/girlfriend that 224,910/240,124 people agree with! That's over 93%!

I don't want to give too much away before you see it, but I was listening to the leading expert on this method talk about it. Not only is it what everyone should do, it's what everyone wants. Truly, I think this has changed my dating life forever. And when I'm married, now I know how to be the greatest wife ever! :)

You should really check it out. Just click here.

Oven Flow Chart

For those people. You know who you are. :)

Breaking News!

It was reported recently that certain school districts will be implementing a new grading method in the upcoming years. The new system: everyone will get A's!

The person in charge of designing the system, Ed O. Hair, stated, "We know that this is an alarming change for some people. People worry about things like progress, like knowing how to improve. Students will get private evaluations from their instructors, ones that no one else is allowed to look at, so they know what they need to work on . . . Overall, we're confident that this will lead to improvement." He looks forward to seeing the changes this inspires, in students, parents, and teachers.

One such change they predict is improved relations between these three groups. Parents will no longer have to scold their children for failing classes, friends feel no more resentment for grade differences, and students will not have to deal with teachers failing them. The expected change in attitude and conduct is expected to be seen within three months after the new system is implemented. "My girl wasn't going to graduate," said Anna D. Woods, mother of sixteen year old Julia. "She just has a hard time with doing work, you know? But now she can get her diploma when she's eighteen! I'm just so grateful." Many students will be feeling the same gratitude come the fall of 2013, when this is going to be put into action.


Teachers are excited for the upcoming change as well. "I used to spend hours pouring over papers to find every little error," Wayne N. O. Moore recalled. "But now I won't have to. They'll all recieve A's, and that will be a big help come final week." Teachers will get to take less time for grading in exchange for more time helping their kids or doing things they actually want to do. Even the students will have many extra hours for social and personal activities.

"We just want everyone to feel like a winner. Everyone should be able to feel good about themselves and their academic life," Ed O. Hair explained.

An official list of the school districts planning to participate has yet to be released. If you are concerned or wish to know more, contact your local school board.

Written by reporter Edward Sillyhands.

Shadows (story)

Lahden offered his arm to Rynn and she took it, trying not to think about how contact with him made her skin tingle. He led her to a secluded corner backstage and checked to make certain that none of the other students had followed them. Rynn couldn't tell. The only light was that which leaked back from the stage, and she could barely see. Lahden didn't seem bothered by the darkness, but perhaps that was because his father belonged to the Arcane Order of Shadows. He was probably used to the dark.

(Read all previous parts of chapter two here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html)

Mrs. Bee (story)

The teacher nodded, obviously relieved that the matter would be dealt with. It was always stressful to know that one of her students was likely to mess up in front of a live audience. Not only did mistakes make her look bad, they were mortifying for the one who made them. She was close enough to her students that she didn't want to put them through that kind of humiliation.

(Read all previous parts of chapter two here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html)

Does He Know? (story)

Before she could find one, Lahden spoke. "I think I know what the problem is," he said politely. "Would it be alright if I speak to Rynn in private for a moment?"

(Read all previous parts of chapter two here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html)

Soon, my friends...

No big long post today. You see, I'm almost at a thousand views, and I'm working on something special for that. So stay tuned. :)

Ah, Love (story)

Rynn looked at the floor. She was only grateful that the extra color in her cheeks wasn't visible under the costume illusion she had wrapped around herself. There was no way she could speak the truth. She couldn't tell the whole class about her crush on Lahden. Her mind scrambled for an excuse.

(Read all previous parts of chapter two here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html)

Ideas, anyone?

So I've been thinking lately. I get about twenty views per day on my blog, give or take some depending on when I post and what I'm writing about. This is wonderful, and I'm very grateful to everyone who reads my blog, even my mom who probably makes up half my views. :) But there's one problem. Publishers are not going to be impressed with twenty potential readers.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not upset about it. I got over being worried about how many views I got after the first couple weeks. I decided that it's no fun to write a blog if I'm going to be stressing over how many people actually read it. But I would like to increase my audience. So, does anyone have any ideas on how to do it? The way I see it, there are three things that could make my audience less likely to grow.

The first are the things I write about. If I write about boring topics, even half the time, no one's going to be regularly checking my posts. So if everyone would be willing to share one or two topics you're interested in reading about, that would be very helpful.

Another thing that could potentially be bad is the length of my posts. No one wants to read a super long post every day, no matter how interesting it might be. Most people don't have time for that, and others simply don't have the attention span. But if it's too short, it will be hard to provide enough helpful or interesting information (depending on the topic). So what length of blog post do you think is perfect? How much can you read before you start to get bored? And how little leaves you unsatisfied or thinking I'm lazy?

And of course the final thing is publicity. If no one ever learns about my blog, no one will ever read it. I refuse to be the sort of person who goes around begging for people to read it, or like my Facebook page, or share it with their friends. I'm not going to do that. I find that behavior annoying and I refuse to take part in it, except perhaps in a joking manner from time to time. But maybe there are things I can do to my posts to make them more easily found in search engines and such? Or perhaps there are places where I can share a link to my blog for others to see? If any of you have any ideas, they'd be much appreciated.

Well that's it for today. I just wanted to bring this matter to everyone's attention and see if I can get some help. Thank you all for being so great. :)

Control (story)

Mrs. Bee took a deep breath, visibly gaining control of herself. "Rynn, you're one of the best actresses here. You've done wonderfully on every line but this one. What's wrong?"

(Read all previous parts of chapter two here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html)

Very Important

Blablabla. Bla blabla blabla blablablabla blablabla, blabla blablablabla bla blabla blabla bla blablabla bla bla blablablabla bla blabla. Blabla blabla, bla blabla blabla bla blabla, bla bla blablabla bla bla bla blabla bla blabla, blablabla. Blablabla, blabla blablabla blablablabla bla bla blabla blablabla blabla blablabla, bla bla blabla bla blablabla blabla blabla bla blablabla blabla, blablablabla blabla bla blablabla bla blablabla blablabla bla blablabla blablablabla bla blablabla. Bla blabla blablabla bla blablabla; bla blablabla, blabla bla bla blabla bla bla blabla, bla bla blabla bla blablabla bla blabla blabla bla bla blablabla bla blablabla bla bla blablabla.

Blabla blabla blablablabla bla blablabla blabla blabla blablabla, bla bla bla blabla bla blabla bla bla bla blabla blabla blabla bla blabla bla blabla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla.

And there is the most important lesson you will ever be taught. You're welcome.

Scolding (story)

The drama instructor strode onto the stage, obviously displeased. "Again, Rynn?" Mrs. Bee snapped. "The show goes up in a week! I've been lenient so far because you told me you would get it, but this is ridiculous. The line is easy. 'Yes, Sahv, I do.' That's all you have to say!"

(Read all previous parts of chapter two here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html)

Middle Earth University

My college classes just got out for the quarter. Spring Break! Yay! As I was thinking about school this morning, an interesting thought came to me. What if there was a Middle Earth University. My mom and I started brainstorming classes that would be offered, so I decided to make a list of instructors and what they would teach. Each one gets three different classes. Keep in mind this is based mostly off the movies. I can't really remember the books, though I plan to reread them soon.

·         Aragorn-

1.       How to Get Women

2.       Herb lore

3.       Being Extraordinarily Gorgeous

·         Arwen-

1.       How to Get Men

2.       Speaking Elven

3.       First Aid (specializing in stab wounds)

·         Bilbo-

1.       Cartography

2.       Smoke Rings 101

3.       Story-telling

·         Boromir-

1.       Scaring Hobbits (It’s fun!)

2.       Resisting Pain (specializing in multiple arrow wounds)

3.       Nationalism

·         Eowyn-

1.       Female Rights

2.       Horseback Riding

3.       Cooking

·         Frodo-

1.       Grooming (specializing in foot hair)

2.       Anger Management

3.       Object Disposal (specializing in rings)

·         Galadriel-

1.       Mind Reading and Other Tricks

2.       Beauty & Fashion

3.       How to Sound Wise

·         Gandalf-

1.       Self-defense (specializing against Balrogs)

2.       Fireworks

3.       Smoke Rings 102

·         Gimli-

1.       Smithing

2.       Elves Are Your Friends! (Why Not to be Racist)

3.       Bragging

·         Gollum-

1.       Riddles

2.       Psychology (specializing in Dissociative Identity Disorder)

3.       Real Estate (specializing in caves)

·         King of the Dead(classes for the recently deceased)-

1.       Intimidating Mortals 101

2.       Intimidating Mortals 102

3.       Oaths and Curses

·         Legolas-

1.       Outdoing Your Friends

2.       Extreme Sports (specializing in stair surfing and elephant jumping)

3.       Martial Arts

·         Merry & Pippin-

1.       Pilfering From Sam’s Garden

2.       Pilfering Gandalf’s Fireworks

3.       Talking to Trees

·         Sam-

1.       Gardening

2.       Ethics- Loyalty (Honor Course)

3.       Gollum Name Calling

·         Saruman-

1.       Army Management

2.       Speech

3.       Trapping People and Keeping Them Trapped (specializing in killing giant eagles)

·         Sauron-

1.       Jewelry Making (specializing in rings)

2.       You Are Special (Regaining Self Confidence After a Massive Defeat)

3.       Working in Extreme Conditions (specializing in volcanoes)

·         Theoden-

1.       Dealing With Grief

2.       Regaining Youth

3.       Seeing Through Deceit

·         Wormtongue-

1.       How to Not Get Women

2.       Being a Creep

3.       Backstabbing

Reality (story)

Then a voice pierced the quiet. "Cut!" it said loudly.

Lahden looked away from her, and she snapped out of her trance, coming abruptly back to reality. The scene she had set in her mind vanished, leaving behind only the flickering illusion conjured by amateurs as a background to the stage. From the shadows behind the drawn back curtains, the faces of her fellow actors peered out, all eyes on her. Some were laughing or giving her sympathetic looks, but the majority seemed as frustrated as Lahden.

(Read all previous parts of chapter two here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html)

New Break the Code Game

Yay! Here's a new break the code game! This one is fairly simplistic I think. It shouldn't present too much of a challenge. Which means that following these instructions should be that much easier: you're free to do this just for fun, but if you'd like to help me with gathering my own data, then I have some instructions for you. Time how long it takes you to crack the code and email that time along with the hidden message to me at propheciesofshadow@yahoo.com along with any thoughts you had while trying to do it. Thank you.

The one hint is on the hint page here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/hints.html. I don't think this code will need more than one hint, if any. Of course, I could be underestimating it. Maybe the colors just make it seem more simple to me than it is. :)




Hypnotized by a Look (story)

Rynn felt his gaze pulling at her and unwillingly looked up into his midnight blue eyes. Immediately she was drawn in and captured by their intensity. The answer to his question vanished from her mind, swept away like a toy boat in a storm. A wave of desire washed over her, and it was all she could do to stay motionless. The silence lengthened as she stood there, and she knew somewhere at the edge of her mind that there was something she was supposed to say. Irritated, she pushed the thought away, wanting only to stay immersed in the chaotic joy of his full attention and his stunning gaze.

(Read all previous parts of chapter two here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html)

Chemistry and Immaturity

Okay, so I already posted about this briefly in my status on my private Facebook page, so most of you have probably already seen it. But since it's kind of a funny event, I thought I'd explain it in more detail for those of you who aren't taking Chemistry and have no idea what I'm talking about, or for anyone who didn't see my status.

Finals are this week, and in Chemistry today we were reviewing for our test. One person asked my teacher to go over shells and subshells. Here's a brief bit of Chemistry stuff for anyone who has no idea what I'm talking about. If you know or don't care, skip this paragraph. An atom is made up of three basic parts. Protons and neutrons, which are found in the center (nucleus) of the atom, and electrons which just kind of revolve around the nucleus. Any atom of any element has a certain number of orbitals, which can hold two electrons each. The periodic table is divided into sections by which you can tell how many orbitals an element has. These sections are called subshells. Subshell S has 1 orbital, subshell P has 3 orbitals, subshell D has 5 orbitals, and subshell F has 7. These are then organized into rows on the periodic table, numbered 1-7, that are called shells and tell how close to the nucleus the electrons are.

Anyway, my teacher was going over the names of the shells and subshells. The first shell only has one subshell in it, which is S. The second shell has two shells, both S and P. But every time she came to 2P and asked the class what that section was called, someone would yell out 1P. Eventually my teacher was like, "No 1P's!"

No one pees? Get it. And, like a true idiot, I got it the moment she said it. I burst out laughing hysterically while the whole class was dead silent. I am, apparently, really immature. But I'm a teenager amidst adults! What can I say?

Wow, What a Jerk... (story)

The man, Lahden, smiled slightly as he looked her over, his expression untouched by her suffering. "You know very well why. You have played your part in this, and I am finished with you." He stepped closer to her and she turned away to hide her tears. Anger rippled through him at this, and he roughly pulled her back around to face him. "I am too close to my goal to abandon my plans for anyone, even you! Do you understand?"

(Read all previous parts of chapter two here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html)

My Mom

I love my mom. I know that this isn't really typical of teenagers, but my mom isn't really the typical mom. She does a lot for me, and doesn't ask for anything in return.

Her whole life seems to revolve around her children. She gives most of her time to us, sacrificing it over things she could do for herself. She gets up at 5am with me every weekday morning so that she can drive me to Seminary, then either drives me to Everett or goes home to get my siblings ready for school, depending on what day it is in the carpool schedule. Then she comes a few hours later to pick me up. When my siblings and I are all home, she endures our whining. Together with my dad, she makes dinner for us, cleans up our messes, and gets us all into bed despite all the fighting and complaining. And that's just a normal day.

Truly mothers are amazing.

The Room (story)

A window on the same wall as the fireplace looked out on a dark, sleeping city street. The closed door on another wall stubbornly kept the cold night air outside, allowing the flames to fill the room with a cozy warmth. Rich paintings adorned the walls, an old-fashioned carpet lay in the middle of the room, and an ancient cushioned chair faced the fireplace, giving the place a classic charm. The room was usually comfortable and cheery, but the events of the moment drove all happiness away.

(Read all previous parts of chapter two here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html)

Why? (story)

Chapter Two

 

"Why?" Rynn asked, her hazel-green eyes wide with pain and heartbreak.

 

Her gaze was focused on a pale, dark-haired man. He stood close to her, but displayed such an icy attitude that he seemed far away. He loomed over her, and the crackling fire to his left cast a long shadow over the stone wall to his right.

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html)

Some SAT Tips

I thought I would do a follow up post for my desperate SAT one on Friday. I took the test. An email I got said that I won't get to see my grades until the end of March, but that's not as bad as it was for the PSAT. I'm not too worried about it now. It was tough, and I'm sure I got a lot wrong on the Math portion, but overall I think I did okay.

One thing that I'm very grateful for is that they allow you to bring a snack, and give you several breaks to eat or go to the bathroom or just stretch your legs. I know that when I haven't done any of those things in a long time, my mind tends to shut down. I'm fairly certain that it's the same for most people. I have also heard that drinking plenty of water is important when you're taking a test because it hydrates your brain or something like that.

There was one thing that I did which I think was a fairly good idea and might help anyone else going to take a timed test. On one of the math sections, when the man announced that there were only five minutes left for that section, I could clearly see that I wasn't going to be able to finish all the problems. So, I very quickly filled in C for all the answers on the ones that were left, then went back and worked out every problem that I could in the time that remained. I finished all but two, and I still have a chance of getting those two right.

Something I would suggest for anyone preparing to take the SAT is to really study vocabulary. In the reading and writing portions there were a lot of words I had never seen before. Since I'm fairly good at that sort of thing I was able to use the process of elimination or the context to figure most of them out, but I know that a lot of people don't have the same skill set. So if English stuff is at all difficult for you, definitely look into that. If you go to dictionary.com there are some word games and activities that I think would be helpful.

Khan Academy can be a useful tool when studying for the math portions, or really for any math thing. I know that they also have other subjects, but I haven't explored anything but math on their site. But the math part alone is incredible. It's been my greatest resource in figuring out how to do different kinds of problems. He adds videos regularly, and already has a very wide range of topics.

Anyway, that's all I have to say for now. I hope that was helpful for anyone who needs it. And thank you to everyone who gave me advice when I needed it!

The End. Of Chapter One. (story)

Sparks of red light danced around the hand on Daevyn's head. Xeldan and Aerana stared at Elysse, shocked that the woman would use their child to gain immortality. A long silence stretched out until at last, a look of pure innocence on his face, the Immortal giggled.

(Read ALL OF CHAPTER ONE here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

The Math Portion of the SAT...

So, I'm taking the SAT tomorrow... I've been doing some practice problems and realized that I have no idea what I'm doing. It's not like I'm a stupid person. I've never gotten anything lower than a B as my final grade, even in my math classes. I can figure the problems out if I know the process. But I just can't seem to retain the information of how to do every problem I've ever been taught. The formulas and little tricks and things just seem to disappear right out of my head the moment I stop needing it. Oh sure, I remember lots of things, like dividing polynomials, how to solve a quadratic function, and rise over run for the slope of a line. But I guess there are things I've forgotten too.

Take, for instance, one of the practice problems I was trying to do just a few minutes ago. "A 3 by 4 rectangle is inscribed in circle. What is the circumference of the circle?" I stared at it for a few moments, then exclaimed, "What does that even mean?!" I could understand the individual pieces of it, but when I tried to put it all together or make a formula out of it, I was completely lost.

Does this mean I'm really stupid? Do I lack skills that everyone else has? This is very scary for me. If I don't do well on this SAT, sure I can take it again, but I feel like there's not much I'm going to be able to do about this issue. I just don't have the capability to retain all that knowledge. And if I can never get a good score... Does that mean I won't be able to go to college? Will I not be able to get a good job or support my family?

I don't even want to work with math equations like these. The two career options I'm considering right now are creative writing and psychology. Math is not my strong point, and I don't want a future based around my weakness. But, with the SAT, is my future already based around my weakness?..

If any of you have any suggestion of ways I can fix this, please let me know. I'm going to go through the Khan Academy website for now and try to cram in anything that might be useful.

Elysse's Idea (story)

Her eyes shone with an idea. She placed one hand on the baby's head and spoke loudly. "With the power of the Hyspire I bind myself and the great Power's followers to the child Immortal to share in his lengthened life until the end of his days."

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

Yay Fantasy

Could our world use some more magic?

I just finished reading Don Quixote by Cervantes, and it brought up this question for me. In case you haven't heard of it, the book is about a man in medieval Spain who goes mad and runs around pretending to be a knight. Truthfully, there is much more to it than that, but I don't want to give it away for anyone. Anyway, the main character Don Quixote always blames anything he can't explain on enchanters.

It's been making me think about how plain our world is. Why can't we all just be crazy? Everyone needs an adventure every now and then. Let's all band together and be awesome heroes that do amazing things.

The Key (story)

"What indeed..." Elysse murmurred. Her golden eyes fixed on Daevyn's peaceful face. She continued speaking thoughtfully, as if to herself. "This boy is the key to both great power and a delicate balance. My order has searched for him for many years. And now I am the one to find him. Wyerma would say that the whole world must be told of the Immortal's birth, but that would cause unnecessary panic among the people. It might even waste what could be a marvelous opportunity..."

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

Bad News and Good News...

So, I'm going to start off with some sad news today, because I kind of feel like not making it top priority would be disrespectful... Duckling, one of the orange kittens in the litter, died Saturday evening... I wasn't there when it happened, but apparently there was an accident while some members of my family were trying to move a couch, and he was crush beneath it. My parents raced him to the vet, but they weren't able to save him. We all miss him.

Some of you may say that it's stupid to get so upset over a dead animal, but our kittens kind of become like family to us for the time they're here. We play with them every day and enjoy watching their personalities develop. And yes, kittens do have personalities. So it's sad when one of their lives is cut short before its time...

Anyway, I don't really want to talk about that too much. I've just barely gotten over it and would rather not open the wound again. I don't need tears right now...

So in other news, I posted my first video on this blog's Youtube channel! What? You didn't know this blog had a Youtube channel? Well, that's okay. I didn't really announce it before. Yes, there is a Youtube channel where videos relating to this blog will be posted for your entertainment! I probably won't post very regularly, as many of the videos will depend on certain posts I publish in the future. However, I will be adding things when I'm able, so either subscribe or keep an eye out for new videos!

The one I posted today is of Dante being a pest. But a cute one! I mostly made it in order to test out some things about Youtube and certain aspects of movie making, but it's still pretty cute. I'll also be posting it on my Facebook page (here: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Arriah-Dreamscribe/146768685480583) for anyone who doesn't actually read my blog regularly.

What? (story)

"My husband meant no disrespect," Aerana said hurriedly. "His mind is simpy focused on the same question mine is. What should we do about this?"

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

Calendar

Okay, so I was bored one day in class and I designed a basic calendar system for Uhdrea. I thought that there should be eight months per year, with eight months within the year. There would be six weeks in each month and eight days in each week. The days would be the same length as our own, but separated into eight "hours". The numbers eight and six are signficant in Uhdrea. That's why I picked them. What do you think?

Gotta Wonder What She's Really Thinking... (story)

Elysse regarded him coolly. She had been speaking in the tones of a teacher giving a lecture on a subject of personal interest, but now her voice and adittude returned to the cold, imperious manner she had displayed when she had first arrived. "I had assumed you would want to know, being the parents of the one spoken of in the prophecy."

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

The Eight Elements

Hey everyone. I drew up a picture to show the eight elements and their symbols. Remember the number eight, and see where else it appears in my world... I'm not an artist, so I know it's not very good, but I hope it helps you visualize things that will appear later in the story. Also, the colors have meanings which I won't get into right now, so it's not like I made them all wierdly colored just for fun.

In case you can't tell, the symbol of death is a skull, life is a tree, light is a sun, earth is a group of mountains, air is three squiggly lines with one loop in each, fire is a ball of flame, darkness is a crescent moon, and water is a river going into a lake.

Protective Daddy (story)

"Why are you telling us this?" Xeldan demanded impatiently. If there were a problem with his son, he wanted to fix it and be done with this whole thing. He would not let the stories of some dead seer get in the way of protecting his family.

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

Sunlight

Umm... Decided to just do a random little romance story bit. Totally random. And pointless. It's not part of the story I'm writing on my blog.

He pulled me into a hug. The sleeves of his sweatshirt were soft and warm as they held me close to his chest. I felt safe with this person I loved so much. When I looked up, there was a gleam in his eyes and I just knew what was going to happen next. He leaned in. I closed my eyes as our lips touched and sparks ignited my skin. Our first kiss.

Then it was gone. He was gone. Looking around for him in panic, I saw him standing at the window across the room, looking sadly out across the sea. The golden light that filtered in from the setting sun illuminated the equally golden waves of his hair, and though his back was to me I could imagine the way it set off his beautiful blue eyes.

"I'll be gone tomorrow," he whispered, the sound barely carrying to my ears. "But I'll be back, and a part of me will stay with you. You will be safe. I will protect you. And in time, I will be back for you."

"I'll wait for you," I responded. I paused as he the sunlight suddenly brightened where he stood and he disappeared. I felt his hand on my shoulder. "But you should stay the night. You know you need the sun to travel."

His soft smile pressed against my hair, his words stirring the strands. "The moon will be full. That will be enough. I've gathered strength long enough. Goodbye."

And then he was gone. And I haven't seen him since.

Introducing the Kittens

Hello. First of all, I'd like to apologize for not posting yesterday. I was in the middle of cropping pictures when my dad needed his computer back, and then I got distracted by my mom's birthday celebration stuff, so I kind of forgot to finish until it was too late. So I guess I'll do yesterday's post today.

 

Yay! Those are the kittens! They all have names that we'll use for them until they go to their new homes and are renamed. The one on the upper left corner of the picture is Cotton. I named him because he's really soft and white. The one in the upper middle is Duckling. My sister Shaya named that one because he's (I think he's male? I don't remember for sure) the smallest one and he's orange. On the upper right is Gato. My brother Braelen named her the Spanish word for cat, because that's just one of those things he would do. In the center of the picture is Thunder, named by Shaya because she's dark gray. Even though thunder doesn't have a color since it's a sound... But still, I guess that's the color of the clouds during a thunderstorm. The kitten in the lower left corner is Teddybear. He was named by my other sister Khasia because he's an adorable ball of fluff and needed a suitably adorable name. In the lower middle is Garfield. He was named by my mom Tamara for reasons that should be fairly obvious by his appearance. But no, he's never had lasagne. The final kitten in the lower right corner is Dante. He was named by my dad Robert. Ever read the Inferno by Dante? Dante uses himself as his main character. The kitten Dante is very explorative and mischievous.

 

There has been a lot of arguing over names, so don't be surprised if you hear one of us calling one of the kittens by a different name. For example, Khasia refuses to call Gato anything but Angel. I'm not sure why. Maybe she thinks it's a stupid name, or maybe it's just a pride thing. I try my best to call them all by what they were named as. My main problem is getting Gato and Teddy mixed up, and mixing up Duckling and Garfield. 

More Talk (story)

"Another reason for the prophecy's popularity is that it was given by Faldren Allspeaker, the founder of the Council of Prophets himself. In the sixth year after the War of Sword and Spell, he had a vision of another war yet to come. That night he spake many prophecies but only one of them was written down, and thus the Prophecy of the Immortal is the only one we still have. Since then, every time there has been any rumor of a war between the nations, supporters of the prophecy have banded together to make certain that no one has forgotten."

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

Break the Code Game

Hey everyone! Guess what! I've created a code for you. If you like breaking codes, I hope you'll find this entertaining. In truth, I have no idea how hard it might be, so don't feel bad if you can't figure it out and please forgive me if it's too easy. Hints can be found here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/hints.html

And...

IMPORTANT!!!

 

Did the pretty, clashing colors get your attention? Good. :) Anyway, I just wanted to say that while you're free to do this just for fun, if you'd like to help me with gathering my own data, then I have some instructions for you. Time how long it takes you to crack the code and email that time along with the hidden message to me at propheciesofshadow@yahoo.com along with any thoughts you had while trying to do it. Thank you.

 



The Nature of Prophecies (story)

She paused to let the words sink in. After a moment, she continued speaking. "One of the things that made this prophecy so well known is how clear it is. Most prophecies are vague and their meaning can change with different interpretations. In fact, there are some minor prophecies that are believed by some to be separate additions to the Prophecy of the Immortal, but are put aside because of their lack of clarity.

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

My Brother's Hawkwood

This is a picture my brother, Braelen, drew of Hawkwood. Yes, he gave me permission to post it. Isn't he an artist? He's able to draw straight out of his imagination too. I know that when I draw, I always need a model. And I can't get anything near this. Good job, brother. :)

Prophecy of the Immortal (story)

Elysse smiled slightly, though her eyes remained cold. "Yes. This is all true. But your knowledge is still incomplete. Allow me to recite to you the entire prophecy, translated from the old tongue to our own:

A blood red moon rises

and brings war in its

wake from all parts

of the world Uhdrea.

 

With the Immortal lies

the world's fate. With

his strength, his mind, and

his faith will he triumph.

 

His choice alone

will mark the way. No

other will force

his hand beyond his will.

 

Marks he does bear

to make certain his identity:

eyes of the green sea, a

bloody sword, a scaled chest.

 

He will need a band

of brave companions,

a path to walk,

and an ending to life.

 

For he brings with him

secrets and terror,

life and destruction,

an end to the war.

 

(Read all previous parts of the story here: http://propheciesofshadow.blogspot.com/p/chapter-one.html)

Insanity

You know, sometimes I forget how insane I really am. It's not a dangerous insanity. If anything, it's a useful one. Like how I treat my characters as real people. I'll find myself having conversations with them while I'm thinking about what to write, and when I do write it often feels like they're taking control. Or how I'm often seized by a burning need to write dark, emotion filled things, usually poetry.

But if I didn't have that insanity, my writing wouldn't be the same. In fact, I wouldn't have any inspiration at all. Most of my writing is a direct result of insanity. Many plot twists come from my conversations with my characters, and the emotional scenes wouldn't be possible if I weren't in the grips of madness.

I'm able to control it most of the time, so maybe it isn't really insanity. I just bring it up when I have something I need to write, or when I'm bored and need entertainment. But there are sometimes in the darkest hours of the night when the shadows seem to come alive without any conscious effort on my part. So am I mad?

And if I am, is madness all that bad?