Amber’s Alcove

Like stars in the sky, Rock Stars fly high!

When you look into Their Eyes
     there lays the Key
          to the Locket of True Love.

Written in 2005-2006, junior year of high school

Wizards are Magical.
Wizards cast Spells.
Some Wizards are good
some are bad.
Wizards and Witches have Magical Wands
to help cast their Spells.
Witches fly Brooms.
Wizards make Potions
and so do Witches.
Witches learn defensive Magic
against Dark Arts
and Crystal Gazing
and Astronomy
and also how to care for Magical Creatures.
They learn history of other Wizards
and Herbology.
They also learn how to
transform Animals
into Slippers and Goblets.

Written 2002-2003, 8th grade

Birds whistle a lot.

     They’re singing to their babies

          To chirp them to sleep.

A short story

One snowy day in December, Ashley and Amy the black labrador were sitting around a table and sipping hot chocolate from two mugs on the table. Ashley was sipping her hot chocolate, and amy was licking her mug with what was left of her hot chocolate when the front door of the office flew open with a loud bang!

The snow must have opened the door, thought Ashley. I’ll go shut it. But at that moment, the rescue radio went off.

“Attention! Attention! A person is buried in ten feet of snow. Any rescue worker with a dog that is not working, please report to the scene immediately!” said the main captain of the rescue crew. “Furthermore, anyone who finds the person buried in the snow wih their trained rescue dog will get a gold medal for finding the person buried in the snow. That is all. Thank you.”

“A rescue to find someone buried in ten feet of snow? That’s what we were trained for, right Amy?” “Woof!” barked Amy.

“Well, Amy, I’ll go get in my snow things, and I’ll also get your rescue jacket.” Moments later, Ashley had on her snow suit. “Well, let’s get on your rescue jacket, Amy,” she said. Ashley put Amy’s rescue jacket on her and straped the straps.”Well, Amy, let’s go,” she said.

Minutes later, they were out the door. “I can’t see a thing out here!” said Ashley. “Woof, woof, woof, woof!” Amy’s bark echoed around the courtyard.

Suddenly, Amy heard a cry forhelp!

Amy has better eyesight than I do, and better hearing, thought Ashley.

“Help! Help!”

It’s not in the courtyard. Definitely not. And how could I hear it from here? Wait a moment. It’s probably near one of the ski jumps on the hill, thought Ashley.

“Come on, Amy. Let’s go to that ski jump where the cry for help is coming from,” said Ashley.

Moments later, they were at the ski jump.

“Help! Help!”

The cry for help was muffled by the deep snow.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you out of there,” called Ashley. “Quick, Amy, start digging!” she commanded. “And Amy, keep digging until I say stop!” called Ashley.

Amy the labrador kept on digging until she had dug through two layers of snow.

“Stop!” Ahsley called. Amy stopped digging. Amy had exposed someone in a snow suit identical with her own.

“Dad, is that you? she cried.

“Ashley!” he said, “Is that you?”

“Yes, it’s your daughter Ashley”

“How long was I under the snow?” he said.

“Twenty-four hours, Dad,” she said.

“Was I?” he said.

“Yes, you were, Dad,” she said.

“Well then, I must be frozen stiff,” he said.

“Yeah, you must be,” she said.”Then let’s get back to the snow rescue cabin,” she said. When they got back to the snow rescue lodge, they found the captain and the other rescue members already there.

“Congratulations, Ashley! You and Amy get two gold medals for your bravery for rescuing your father. You will also receive special certificates for your rescue today.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Ashley.

“And because you’ve done such a good job with the dig finding your father, I think we should have a celebration party to celebrate your and Amy’s rescue of your father.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Ashley.

“Please call me Snow Rescue Captain Arthur.”

“Thank you, Captain Arthur.”

“You’re quite welcome,” he said.

“Now, how about that party for you and Amy,” he said. The rest of the team brought out boxes of party things.

“Dad, are you going to stay for Christmas?”

“No, I’m going home for Christmas.

Ring, ring. That was his travel phone.

“Hello? Oh, hello there, Stacy, how are you? Yeah, Ashley wants me to stay for Christmas with her. You think it’s a good idea for me to stay with Ashley during the Christmas holidays? All right, then. I will tell her. Have a Merry Christmas, Dear. Bye bye.” He put away the phone.

“Well, Ashley, I can stay for Christmas,” he said.

“That’s wonderful!” said Ashley.

“Party’s on!” called Captain Arthur.

“Come on, Dad, let’s go join the party.”

“I’ll be right there. I just have to call my boss,” he called. He dialed his work number.

“Hello, Mrs. Auston, I’m not going to be at work today. I’m spending Christmas with my daughter. What? Oh, yes, I see. Yes, I’ll be back at work on the twenty-sixth. All right, Mrs. Auston, have a good Christmas. All right. Bye.” He put up the phone.

“Dad, aren’t you coming to the party?” called Ashley.

“Yes, I’m coming,” he said. And he hurried to join
his daughter.

“I would like to propose a toast,” said Captain Arthur to Ashley and her dog Amy, “for their rescue of her father.”

“To Ashley and her dog Amy!” they chanted, clinking their glasses together.

The weeks later, it was Christmas Eve. Ashley and Amy were asleep in one bed, and her father was asleep in another. Soon it was Christmas Day. Ashley and Amy woke up early, but her father was still asleep.

I’d better not wake him yet, she thought.

Suddenly she spotted a bundle of presents at the foot of her bed.

“Wow! Look at these!” she whispered to herself. “These are neat packages,” she said quietly. “But I’d better wait for Dad to wake up,” she said as quietly as she could. “Maybe I could just look at the cards until he wakes up,” she said.

She picked up one and read in a soft voice, “To Ashley, with love from Aunt Nancie and Uncle Peter.” Well, I think that was very nice of my aunt and uncle, thought Ashley.

An hour later, her father woke up.

“Good morning, Ashley,” he yawned.

“Good morning, Dad,” said Ashley.

“I see you’ve got a package from your aunt and uncle,” said her father.

“Yes, I did,” said Ashley.

“Well, open it then!” said her father. Ashley opened it.

“Oh, my goodness!” said Ashley, aghast. In the box was a hand-knitted sweater from Aunt Nancie. “It’s beautiful!” said Ashley.

“Go ahead. Put it on,” said her father.

Ashley put on the sweater. On the front of the sweater was her name in gold thread: ASHLEY. The color of the sweater was red and gold, just like her name.

“Well, that’s special,” said her father. “The sweater matches your name on the front. Oh, Ashley, I’ve got something for you!” said her father.

“What is it?” asked Ashley.

“It’s a letter from your mother,” he said. “Open it.”

She opened it and it read:

Dear Ashley, Merry Christmas. Your father told me you saved his life from an avalanch in the snow a while back. He also told me you and one of the rescue dogs got gold medals and certificates. That’s my girl! See you next spring. Love, Mom.

“Well, that was nice of your mother, wasn’t it, Ashley?” said her father. “Come into the main room now, Ashley; we’re having a Christmas party.”

“Oh, good! I love Christmas parties! Remember when we had one before I joined the Snow Rescue Team, Dad?”

“Yes, I remember,” said her father. “Well, I guess this one will be very different from the one I remember,” he said.

“I know, Dad. It will be.”

“Welcome to the Snow Rescue Team Christmas party!” said Captain Arthur.

“Thank you,” said Ashley kindly.

“You’re welcome, Ashley,” said Captain Arthur. “We put on this Christmas party because you did a great job with handling that rescue weeks ago,” he said.

“Thank you, Captain Arthur,” said Ashley.

“You’re welcome,” he said. “Now let’s get going on the party!” said Captain Arthur.

“Ashley, I would like to introduce you to someone,” said Captain Arthur. “Ashley, this is my son Henry. Henry, this is Ashley; she’s part of our Snow Rescue Team. She just made a brave rescue to someone stuck in ten feet of snow,” he said.

“Did she now?” said Captain Arthur’s son Henry. “Would you like to dance with me?” he said.

“I would love to,” said Ashley.

They danced until it was time for party games.

“Party game time!” called Captain Arthur.

“Coming,” said Ashley.

They went into the next room where the games were. They played every single party game until it was dinner time. Then, while they were having dinner, Ashley noticed one more present under the tree.

“Hey, what’s that?” said Ashley.

“What’s what?” everybody shouted.

“That!” said Ashley.

“Well, well,” said her father. “It’s another present for you, Ashley. Go ahead, open it.”

Ashley opened it.

“Wow! It’s a new wristwatch,” said Ashley.

“Yes, it is,” said her father.

Ashley strapped on the watch. “Neat, it fits!” she said.

“Good,” said her father.

“It’s time for one more party game,” said Captian Arthur. “Then a mug of hot chocolate, one more dance, then bed.”

They did one last party game, had one last mug of hot chocolate, and one more dance, then went to bed.

When spring came, it was time for the journey home on the Snow Rescue Team bus. Her mother was waiting for her on the bus platform. “So, how was Snow Rescue Team camp?” she asked.

“Fun!” said Ashley.

I’ve heard you rescued your father when he got trapped in ten feet of snow left by an avalanch,” said her mother.

“Yeah, I did. When I got the call on the camp rescue radio from the captain of the camp.”

“Well, your father will have to tell me the rest of it when we get home.”

“Okay, Mom,” said Ashley.

And together they walked out of the bus station to their car.

THE END