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TVE Promotion & Graduation Ceremony 2024
Author: thelighthousetve
we so cool
Za’atar Bread – An award-winning short story
I miss peace. And I’ll never stop saying that, no matter what anyone says.
I miss laying in the sun on the weekends when we went to Beirut to cool off in the
Mediterranean sea. I miss eating chicken shawarma at the restaurant next to the beach, eating and laughing. I miss my old life. But I don’t think that it will ever be the same. Not in my lifetime.
Immi, my mother, comes in and sits on my bed. Ever since the war broke out in my small
village in Lubnan, or Lebanon, we’ve been scared to death. The fact that we’ve lost Bayi, my
father, and Basma, my older and only sister, doesn’t help. It’s been two years of pain and
hardship for me and Immi. We’ve suffered alone.
“Are you ok, Danya, habibti?” Immi asks, jerking me out of my thoughts. I nod slowly
and swallow the lump rising in my throat.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I say softly. It’s been just the two of us for so long; we’ve gotten to
know each other better than ever. My mother looks at me, unconvinced. I knew she would see
through the lie.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Immi shakes her head and kisses mine. I wrap my arms around her. We sit there for a
while, embracing, both of us wishing in our heads that we could live in a place where bombs
don’t fall. A place where no one ever fought. A place where we could be free. But we also don’t want to leave our home. If we die, we will be martyrs. Immi knows that. I know that. My father
and sister knew that. Lubnan is our country and no one can make us leave.
Immi sighs. “I was thinking that we could plant an olive tree to show that we are proud to
be the daughters of Lubnan. That we aren’t afraid.”
I shake my head. Immi knows that all we ever do is cower in fear and dread, although we
both try to contradict ourselves by saying that we’re not afraid. It never works. We always end
up even more scared when we hear another bomb falling on neighboring villages.
“Come on, let’s make something. Maybe it will help us feel better.”
I know Immi won’t give up on trying to help me, so I nod. We both get up and walk
across the hall to our kitchen. It’s a classic Lubnani style, with stone walls and wooden counters.
I see a container of za’atar spice on the counter, and I know what we should make.
“Can we make za’atar bread?”
“Sure,” Immi smiles. She grabs our saj, a dome-shaped pan used for pita and za’atar
bread, and places it dome-side-up on one of the stoves, turning the heat on as well as drizzling
olive oil across it so that the bread won’t stick. I grab flour, salt, sugar, yeast, corn oil and of
course, more olive oil for the dough. I place them all on the counter, then go grab the za’atar. I
also put a pot of water on the free stove and warm it.
Immi has started mixing all of the ingredients together in a big metal bowl, plus the warm
water I brought. She leaves the za’atar on the counter and doesn’t add it yet. She uses her hands
to knead and combine all of the ingredients in the classic Arab fashion. I add two cups of za’atar
into the dough.
“Can I try kneading?”
“Yes.”
Immi takes her sticky hands out of the bowl and goes to wash them. I put mine in and
squish the goop between my fingers. The soft dough makes me squirm for a second, but also
feels kind of nice on my hands. I incorporate the za’atar in, making sure it’s evenly combined.
Slowly, the dough becomes more and more tacky and I know it’s done.
“Immi! I’m finished!”
Immi comes back and I take a ball of dough in my hands. I roll the ball in between my
hands and throw it up in the air, just like I saw Immi and Basma do the million times they have
made za’atar bread. My throw is misplaced and I barely catch the dough before it falls on
the cold granite floor.
“Maybe I should throw it?”
“Good idea.”
Immi laughs and takes the dough out of my hands. She tosses and tosses it and tosses it
some more until it’s a big, flat circle. She drapes it onto the saj. A wonderful aroma fills the room
as Immi flips the bread. The sizzles coming from the saj make my mouth water.
Immi flips it again, this time onto a plate. I go to the fridge, realizing we still have extra
labneh, or yogurt, from last night. We always make anything that needs to be kept cold in small
batches since the power could go out at any time, spoiling the food in the fridge. I’m surprised
we have any labneh left, but we do. I grab the labneh and set it on the dining room table.
Immi has cut the za’atar into triangles and sets it on the table. We each take a piece,
scoop up some labneh with it, and take a bite.
The sour/savory bread instantly transports me to the time Basma and I were making it
together. Bayi and Immi were watching the news, back when we had a TV, and Basma wanted to
do something. I still remember laughing as she kneaded and fried the bread. I would run back and forth for ingredients. The bread was lumpy and ugly when we finished, but turned out to be
the best-tasting batch that we’ve ever made.
The memory makes me smile. I miss Basma and Bayi, but I’ve got to be strong. It turns
out that food can go a long way in helping you forget your worries. Back then, I had Basma to
make it with me most of the time. Now, Mama does. Back then, I had Bayi to plant with my
plants (I enjoy gardening just like he did). Now, I know that Mama and I will plant that olive
tree.
We will defy.
And it’s all because of the memory that came with the bread and the labneh. I smile at my
mom. I feel so much better now. Not completely, but close enough.
Who knew that za’atar could be so…healing?
Kids Against Hunger – Let’s eradicate childhood hunger
A non-profit humanitarian group called Kids Against Hunger works to feed underprivileged children and families locally and globally by providing them with wholesome meals. The group wants the meals to give recipient families a reliable nutritional foundation so they may transition from hunger or food insecurity to self-sufficiency.
The organization’s strategy for attaining its objective of ending world hunger entails having volunteers package highly nutrient-dense, vitamin-fortified meals at various locations in the United States and Canada. These meals are then distributed to starving children and their families in 70 countries by means of partnerships with international humanitarian organizations.
In order to fulfill the never-ending demand for food, Kids Against Hunger’s objective demands a large food packing capacity. This approach builds connections with organizations, schools, communities, and several faith-based groups of vast denominations while empowering individuals to understand they can contribute to the global effort to end famine. Additionally, by using this expansion model, the group is able to increase volunteerism and food packing capacity over time. Millions of meals have been given to children and their families in many, many countries since the founding of Kids Against Hunger. Hundreds and thousands of volunteers’ labor have been harnessed for good.
Recently, a group of TVE kids and families got the opportunity to go to the Pleasanton location and pack meals. It was a great learning experience for everybody. We started by sanitizing our hands and then entered the large warehouse where we got into groups of 10. We only worked for about an hour and a half and surprisingly packed 6,264 individual meals. It was so successful because of the organization accomplished by the assembly line. It was extremely impressive and motivating, we were all so very proud of the work we had done. This is a testament to the work of the foundation. Kids from five years old to grandparents can come together and work as a community to do something for the greater good, it felt so great to make a difference and share this experience with friends in our homeschool group. This could be you! At the bottom of the page there is more information on how you can set up an event for your own friend group or family.
According to predictions from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, in 2021, one in nine people on the planet—roughly 821 million people—would be hungry, and one in three will be suffering from malnutrition.
A child dies from starvation and associated causes every ten seconds, or around 16,000 each day.
In the US, 16.2 million children under the age of 18 reside in homes where they do not regularly have access to the sufficient amounts of nutrient-rich food needed for a healthy existence.
Richard Proudfit traveled to Honduras in 1974 as a volunteer after the nation was devastated by a hurricane. He was deeply impacted by the famine he witnessed among the children in that nation and consciously chose to dedicate his life and financial resources to addressing the massive issue of world hunger.
Making use of his experience in production and distribution, Mr. Proudfit asked his business partners for assistance. Leading food experts were consulted in order to create a very nutritious meal that is rich in protein and enhanced with vitamins and minerals. When this meal is cooked with water, it can adequately feed hungry children in need. His unceasing efforts to cultivate relationships have yielded a global network of organizations capable of effectively distributing food even under the most challenging circumstances.
With the Kids Against Hunger network, Richard Proudfit’s legacy of eradicating world hunger continues to this day.
The volunteers that package the food for a large number of children, in addition to the physical food packing process, makes them happy and deeply involved with a sense of pride and responsibility. This is a perfect group activity for schools or children’s groups of any kind, to teach the younger generation in the United States about the global food crisis is very important not only for the now, but for the future as well.
Because they are a volunteer-driven organization, there are many ways to help. One way is to simply make a monetary contribution, and the other is to volunteer your time or resources. Some of their needs are great, some are much smaller or easier to fulfill, but every single one of them is needed for them to continue their fight against world hunger.
To meet the demands of current conditions (1 billion in our world are severely malnourished) they are looking to build a team of committed volunteers who can go out and harness as many resources as possible. If you are interested in any one of these positions, would like to volunteer at an event, or would like to host an event, please contact the Event Manager, Sherri Leal of the local Pleasanton location at (925) 400-7201 or email her at sherri@KAHBayArea.org.
There are also many other locations, click here to enquire and find which best suits you!
It is up to us to end the crisis. What will you do for the future?
The Midgard Serpent – Percy Jackson Fanfiction ~ Ch. 6. & 7.
by Emery Pugh
SPOILER ALERT: The following content may reveal parts of the plot of the Percy Jackson book series. There may also be spoilers about the Heroes of Olympus book series, which is a five-book sequel to the Percy Jackson series. The Trials of Apollo series, the sequel to Heroes of Olympus, will be mentioned. It is highly recommended that you read at least the Percy Jackson series AND the first book of the Heroes of Olympus series. If you don’t mind the spoilers, then read on. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Chapter 6 Godric I whistled to summon my teammates. I told them of my encounter with Clarisse, and we headed for Zeus’s fist to capture the Hecate cabin. On the way, we discovered the decoy party, led by Sanderson, all tied up as prisoners. After freeing them, I informed them of our plan. “Alright,” Sanderson said. “But I can’t come with you. Our flag is about to be captured.” As we neared the pile of rocks, I summoned several small lightning strikes and hit each guard with one. They fell to the ground, howling in pain and their clothes steaming. To my delight, Clarisse was one of the people I had struck with lightning. “Ow! Ow, ow, ow! Godric, I’ll get you back for this!” I pressed a small blue triangle in between the rocks, which is how you enter the Labyrinth. (WARNING: do not try this at home if you value your sanity. If you don’t value your sanity, still don’t try it.) The floor underneath us unexpectedly disappeared. If not for me using a gust of wind to slow our 30-foot fall, some of us probably would’ve broken a bone or two. The Hecate cabin was about half a dozen in number. They all looked pretty tired and drowsy, probably from having to keep the trap above in working order. They were chatting quietly around a small fire. A few moments after we landed, we had them surrounded with swords to their necks and their hands tied behind their backs. This capture the flag game has really gotten forceful and somewhat more violent than usual. “What do you want with us?” said a Hecate girl named Paris, meekly. “We haven’t been doing anything.” “You haven’t been doing anything,” I agreed. “Except one little thing. There’s this magic trap above.” “We don’t know anything about it,” Paris said. “We’re down here because it’s too hot on the surface. It’s nice and cool down here.” I snorted. “A bad excuse is worse than no excuse.” “We’re simply talking,” the girl said softly. “You’re completely mistaken if you think we are involved with the – what’s that?” She pointed behind me and took on an expression of horror. Unfortunately for her, I knew that trick. I didn’t even blink. I continued to stare at her as she sat frozen in place, looking behind me. After a few seconds, her expression was so comical, I couldn’t hold in a laugh. A titter went around, and even Paris had to smile. “Disable the trap,” I said sharply. “Now.” “But –” “No buts.” “But –” “No buts,” I repeated. She slumped her shoulders and reluctantly said, “Fine. But I can’t do it with my hands tied, and it takes all of us to disable it. But –” “No buts,” I said, struggling to maintain a straight face. “I’ll untie your hands, but no magic other than disabling the trap.” “You said no buts,” Paris said quietly. I stared at her blankly. “I did. What about it?” “You just used a but.” I ignored her comment. I gave the signal to untie the ropes. Once they were liberated from their bonds, they began to chant in ancient Greek. I could feel the aura of the trap above us fade. A few shards of metal that were upholstered by the magic trap clattered to the rocks. A snarl sounded right behind me. I wheeled around to meet a pair of glowing red eyes. The body of the creature was covered in fur, which was pitch black with streaks of silver, blending in perfectly with the darkness of the Labyrinth. AROOOO! The wolf lifted its head skyward and bayed loudly. From the depths of the tunnels, I heard several response calls. The rest of the pack was coming. Slight problem here: the way out of the Labyrinth, which is the opening above from where we dropped, was closed. I couldn’t summon a wind gust to fly us up there. And the wolf was blocking my way to a wall, which is where you’re supposed to find a glowing blue triangle to find a passageway out. By now, dozens of wolves had surrounded us. All of them looked at us with hungry eyes. With a howl, the entire pack charged. *********************************************************************************** I loved the fairness here. It was about 15 of us versus 50 of them. Three wolves pounced on me as I drew my sword. I gave the first one a slash he was not likely to forget. The second was sent to Tartarus. I pounded the hilt of my sword into the third wolf’s forehead, which made him go cross-eyed. A faint blue triangle – the Greek letter delta – glowed on the wall about fifteen feet away from me. I knew that was the way out of the Labyrinth. I hacked my way through a bunch of wolves and pressed the blue triangle. A humming sound filled the chamber and a staircase emerged. I stabbed another wolf in the gut and turned around to help the others. In the next instant, everything became absolutely silent. The wolves and campers froze in place. A powerful aura filled the Labyrinth. Come to me. Your precious little camp cannot keep you safe. It was the same mysterious whisper I had heard last night. Chapter 7 Hector I woke up almost as soon as I passed out. Garret was back to his old habits – chewing on things. He was gnawing on his shirt and slowly tearing the seat leather to shreds. All of a sudden, Coach Hedge pulled over. “Get out of the car! Now!” Satyrs clambered out of the trunk and jumped to the ground as fast as a half mountain-goat could, which was pretty fast – at least, faster than I could. Wondering what the sudden warning was about, I jumped out of the car and sneaked into the middle of the group of satyrs. Call me a coward, but to me, it’s a reasonable action based on what’s happened today. Coach Hedge led the way into a nearby grove of trees and stopped in front of a tumbled-down old hut. He beckoned to me and pointed to the door. I grabbed the handle and tried to open it, but it was bolted shut. It didn’t budge an inch. “Touch the blue triangle.” Hedge pointed to a glowing blue symbol in the shape of the Greek letter delta: Δ. I did so, and the door swung open. A steep staircase led into the darkness. It didn’t look like much of a friendly place, but Coach Hedge marched straight down anyway. We emerged into a dim corridor. Hedge muttered something about “killing” and “whacking people on the head” as he lit a match. For the next ten minutes, all I did was follow the crowd of satyrs. Suddenly, a satyr put up his hand. “Don’t make a noise!” A slight breeze washed over us from behind. As quickly as it came, it disappeared. I didn’t take that as a good sign. “AHHHH!” A high-pitched scream echoed through the tunnels behind us. I was liking this place less and less. “We need to move fast.” Garret jogged down the corridor, the opposite direction from the scream. A most reasonable choice of direction. As soon as he said that, roots sprouted from the ground and wrapped around my legs. My entire body was quickly bound by roots. I opened my mouth to call out, but a handful of berries were shoved into my mouth. All that came out was, “Mmmph! Mmmph!” I was glad I could make any noise at all, because Garret turned around as I started to sink into the earth. Without a word, he quickly whipped out his knife and cut the roots. I pulled myself out, gasping. “Coach!” Garret called quietly. “Watch out for traps!” Coach Hedge wheeled around. “Is there anyone to kill?” “Um… maybe?” Garret replied uncertainly. “Then don’t waste time,” Hedge snapped. “If there’s nobody to kill, or if it’s not related to Chuck Norris, then it’s probably not worth your attention.” This guy… I mean satyr… was getting weirder and weirder the more I knew him. Covered in muck, I continued to follow them through the twisting corridors. The satyrs were getting more jittery with each step. Grrrr, a guttural noise echoed behind me. I whirled around, but nobody was there. The satyrs didn’t seem to notice the sound. Another breeze washed over us. A wolf’s howl echoed through the corridors, and the next thing I knew, a creature was upon me. The satyrs were in total disarray. Garret played on his reed pipes, but a wolf knocked him down. Another satyr was kicked in the stomach and bowled over in pain. Several others were fighting a losing battle against a few wolves. I didn’t see much else, as I had my own case to attend to. The wolf hovering over me opened his jaws wide. Unfortunately for him, he never got to get a taste of me. “DIE!” Coach Hedge raised his baseball bat (the first one broke – where does he get so many?) and slammed it on the wolf’s head. The wolf moaned and fell to the floor. “Um… thanks,” I said. Coach Hedge didn’t hear me. He had already ran off. Suddenly, I remembered the bronze knife Garret gave to me when we were fighting Kane, the monster-bully. I pulled it out and stared at my reflection for a moment. The reflection began to swirl. Replaced by my reflection was a beach with a tropical forest on one side and a vast ocean on the other. From the waters, a massive serpent arose. Looking around, I realized that everyone had frozen. There were no clashes of weapons. The satyrs were frozen in place, their lips to their reed pipes and wooden clubs in hand. Some of the wolves were suspended in mid-air. I looked back at the reflection in the knife. The serpent whispered, Come to me. Your precious little camp cannot keep you safe. The serpent grew larger, and the tip of a tooth poked out of the bronze knife. In desperation, I threw the knife onto the floor, and it shattered like glass. The serpent’s presence dissipated, and an angry roar echoed around the chamber.
A Night at The San Ramon Symphonic Band
by Meru S.
The evening was cold and windy—so unusual for a late Californian May—as we drove to the Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center. A blanket of gray clouds obscured the sky. For just a few moments, a barely visible drizzle sprinkled our car’s windshield. When we pulled into the Dougherty Valley High School parking lot, I could see a trickle of audience members about to enter the theater
In the foyer, an usher offered us a program for the night’s concert. On the first page, printed in an elaborate design, was the title- San Ramon Symphonic Band Presents A Night at the Cinema. Below the title was an illustration of some popcorn, a drink, tickets, and other movie-themed objects surrounded by musical notations. Inside were the names of the Band members and a list of the music that was to be performed. Reading through them, I recognized many, including excerpts from the soundtracks of Marvel and Pixar films. On the back was a bio of the symphony’s conductor, Mr. Larry B. Colón, who has been their director for over ten years.
Once we had found ourselves seats in the center of the moderately crowded auditorium, we only had to wait for the show to begin. The sound of the instrumentalists warming up resonated throughout the hall. In about ten minutes, the lights dimmed, and the Master of Ceremonies (also a brass player for the band) stepped forward to welcome Mr. Colón onto the stage. After doing so, he proceeded to introduce their opening song- an epic and wild fanfare from the film Silverado.
For their next piece, the band launched into a joyful and familiar selection of themes and songs from Pixar movies- Ratatouille, The Incredibles, Cars, and Toy Story. Following a cheerful and lighthearted finish to the collection, they went on to narrate the tale of The Lion King through the highlights of the cherished movie’s soundtrack.
The band began the medley with the jocund music of The Circle of Life, celebrating the marvels and beauty of nature. They expressed Simba’s excitement and anticipation at realizing his destiny as king in I Just Can’t Wait to be King, and navigated the malicious twists and turns of Be Prepared. Following Scar’s and the hyenas’ vengeful refrains, came the blithe and jazzy tunes of Hakuna Matata, which merged gracefully into the flowing, romantic melody of Can You Feel the Love Tonight. They concluded the first half of their concert with the triumphant King of Pride Rock.
After a short intermission, the band transported us and our fellow audience to the interstellar travels of Peter Quill, Rocket Racoon, Gamora, Groot, Drax, and Mantis with the lively 80’s style music of The Guardians of the Galaxy. To continue the space travel theme were selections from Apollo 13.
Next up were the melodious Celtic tunes from How to Train Your Dragon, and to bring to an end the concert, the band performed a march from “1941”.
Following multiple rounds of applause and the return of the theater lights, we gathered our belongings and exited the theater. Once we were in the brightly lit lobby, we thanked the usher and stepped out into the biting air, the night’s music resounding in my mind.
Formed over thirty years ago, the San Ramon Symphonic Band is open to musicians ages fifteen and over. Past performances have been-
Song and Dance (March 2023)
Musical Playground (May 2023)
The Music of Star Wars (November 2023)
The Spirit of Mexico (March 2024)
For more information on the San Ramon Symphonic Band and upcoming fall performances, please visit-
Escape: An Interactive Short Story
by Layal Hilal
Before you read the story, READ THIS. This story is not just a story, it’s an interactive story, so you have to write too! That means you have to fill in the rest of the story yourself. I promise, it’ll be fun! But if you want a story with a satisfying ending, this isn’t for you. Unless you’re okay with writing that ending! If you really don’t want to write, I’ll post part 2 next year. Either way, start reading in
3…2…1!
Maria I’m not going to say life sucks. I still have my friends, even if they’re dead. I still have my family, even if I haven’t seen them in three months. I still have my health, even though it’s rapidly declining. I still have–you know what? I’m just going to cut myself off right there, because it’s pretty obvious, even to my oblivious self, that life sucks. “Hey, what’s up?! I’m so tired! They practically fed me slops today! I’m not a pig or something! On the other hand, it tasted delicious, so maybe they were treating me like the royalty I am…What did you get for breakfast today? I hope it was something good, like pancakes! I miss pancakes–and waffles! Especially when you eat them with maple syrup and butter, or extra maple syrup! And…” Great. Sally’s awake. Okay, so earlier, I actually made a mistake. I said all my friends are dead. That is not true. One of my friends is still with me, alive. She’s also a prisoner, but we’re in the same cell and she’s honestly… kind of annoying. Sally made herself my friend when we met somewhere in history on a crazy adventure to save the world. Again. (I think it was in China? Maybe when the Great Wall was being built or something…) I never really wanted to be friends. Sally was just supposed to help on our quest, but after we saved the world, she kind of just started tagging along with us, and eventually, she made us her “best friends for ever and ever!”. And hey, I’m not complaining. I’m just…okay, maybe I’m complaining. “Sally,” I start, cutting her rant about breakfast foods off mid sentence. “I have a really long day ahead of me right now. Can you please leave me alone?” “…Eggs aren’t really my favorite food and sometimes when my mom used to make them I would throw them away! Can you imagine?! I can’t even begin to make myself think about throwing stuff away now! But if it was eggs, maybe I would–oh, did you say something, Maria?” “Forget it.” It’s clear that no amount of talking–or screaming–can ever make Sally hear me. Suddenly, a loud knock rings through the room, jerking Sally and I to our senses. A sharp, commanding voice follows right after, a voice I can’t escape even in my dreams. “Get up! The arena’s calling.” Michael It sounds louder this time. It’s always loud, I guess, but this time, instead of cheers and boos from a couple hundred people, it sounds like the rage of the world crushing my soul into a million flecks of dust. I wonder who I’m going to have to fight this time. Usually, Sarah and I are partnering against a monster, which is overall annoying and painful. But lately, we’ve been getting sent into the ring alone, which is not only harder, but we’ve also been forced to fight stronger monsters. (Well, what would you call giant beasts 25 feet tall, and at least 3000 years old and who fight with the strength of the entire earth and only want to kill you and can use magic and can speak to you and are weird mutation things that look like they came out of Goosebumps?) “Ready?” Sarah asks nervously. Her long black hair falls in a waterfall down her back, at least until she ties it up in a ponytail and pulls on her warrior boots. I nod, not trusting my voice. Maria always says–said–that I’m too proud for my own good. She’s probably right. Sarah rolls her eyes. “You’re terrified, aren’t you.” It’s not a question. An annoying voice that I should be used to echoes around the dimly lit cell Sarah and I share. “Arena time,” it calls impatiently. I sigh, already exhausted, and grab Sarah’s hand. No matter what, I’ve learned I’ll always have to fight in the arena. She gives me a tight smile and leads me out of the cell, into the blinding light of the sun and the arena full of mini-sandstorms. I walk precisely eleven and a half steps forward, and then I stop and close my eyes, just like always. Our opponent always gets the head start, and we’re left stumbling behind. But we’ve still won every fight for twelve weeks. Something tells me it’ll be different this time. I keep my eyes firmly shut, even as the echoing screams of the crowd bang around my head. Even as the announcer declares, “Who’s ready for The. Arena. Fight?!” Even as the double doors swing open on the other side and someone steps out. Even when I hear a gasp, instead of a blood-curdling war cry, like I expected. I open my eyes however, when my opponent says, “What?” I recognize that voice. Sarah I’ve officially lost my grip on reality. That’s how I’m going to sum up what is happening right now. Because this cannot be real. This girl cannot be standing in front of me. She’s dead. (Okay, she’s obviously not dead, but what am I supposed to think?!) I haven’t seen her for three months, ever since she was taken hostage and was then killed. And now…I have to fight her. Why do I have to fight her?! Alenios is crazy. Michael is too scared to ever say his name, but a name is just a name. It won’t do any harm and…Why am I thinking about this? I should be focusing on the freaking girl standing right there, acting like nothing is happening. Well, her mouth is open like the world has fallen apart, like how mine probably is. But, wait, doesn’t she know Michael and I have been here all along? On second thought, we didn’t know she was here. Maybe she was fed the same lies we were? I open my mouth to say something, anything, but all that comes out is a squeak. I can’t help it. This is scarier than any demon/monster I’ve fought so far. Suddenly, I notice that the girl is…glaring at me and Michael’s hands. I pull away quickly. Once again, I try to speak, but the same annoying squeak comes out instead. I kind of want to cover my face in my hands and run away. The girl (I don’t want to use her name. Don’t ask why.) keeps staring at me and Michael. She doesn’t say anything, just stares at us like she wants to drink in every detail. Honestly, that’s exactly what I’m doing. It doesn’t make sense, this person being right here. It just…doesn’t. How is it supposed to be? Maria What. In. The. World. My friends are standing in front of me, their hands trembling and their mouths open. Michael and Sarah are supposed to be dead. Obviously, they’re not, which means I was lied to. Judging by how surprised they look to see me, they were lied to as well. But at least they had each other. I only had Sally. “Okay…um, give us one moment, ladies and gentlemen,” Alinos, the very hated “boss”, says through the microphone clipped to his shirt. He marches down the steps and stops at my side. “Well?! What are you waiting for?! Fight!” I stare at him. “What do you mean?” I ask. Alinos rolls his eyes. “F-I-G-H-T. Do I have to spell it out for you?” He growls under his breath. I look at Michael and Sarah, and then back at Alinos. “Wha…” I don’t understand…But then I see my friends’ faces and realization dawns on me. “No. No no no no no no. No!” Fight my friends? How am I supposed to do that? My bottom lip trembles and I stumble over my feet as I step back, horrified. I’ve fought demons, dragons, even brainwashed cyborg tigers (which was terrifying), but this is a completely new level of horror. “Maria, listen to me,” a quiet voice says. I look up from my torn brown shoes. Michael takes a tentative step towards me, followed by Sarah. “We don’t have to fight,” he whispers. “We can turn against everything and beat the system.” I shake my head. “It’s…it’s not that easy, Michael,” I respond. “Why not?” Sarah cuts in. “Why can’t we just leave? This is our chance!” I shake my head harder. “No, no, I can’t,” I say again, almost crying. “It won’t work!” Michael steps closer. “Just forget about it—whatever it is—and come with us. It’s not going to be as bad as you’re thinking,” Michael is doing everything he can to convince me to go, but I can’t. “Fine,” I say, knowing there’s only one thing that can convince my friends to stop. “Fine, let’s go.” “Really?” Sarah asks. “You’ll come?” I nod. “But first, look at this.” I hold out my arm and shake it so the bangle falls to my wrist. Michael and Sarah gasp and take a step back. The large silver handcuff-looking thing clunks loudly as I thrust my hand closer to my friends. They stumble over their feet in shock. “Do you see now? Do you see why I can’t go? Because he’ll track me, and then you’ll all get caught with me–again.” The tracker beeps loudly and turns neon green, proving my point. Michael lifts his eyes away from the tracker and looks at me. “When did you get that?” He asks me. I hesitate, and he asks me again, more firmly. “When did you get that?” I look up at Michael’s face, filled with confusion and trepidation, and I answer with one word: “Today.” Sally I’m so confused. First, Alinos literally snatched Maria out of our cell and didn’t even let her get ready! Second, for the first time in as long as I can remember, the arena was silent. Come to think of it, it’s still silent. And strangest of all, ever since last night, my hands have been shooting streams of light. Lightning. Sparkles. Energy. Something glowy-y. I don’t know! All I know is that every time I’ve been getting frustrated (or every time I wake up from a nightmare), a bright, jagged river of…brightness kind of shoots out from my wrists (ugh, that sounds like Spider-Man or something) and then it paralyzes me for at least an hour. I’ve been talking nonstop to Maria in the hopes that she won’t notice my…powers. I can tell it’s been annoying her, but I don’t have any choice. I lie back down and the hard slab of rock that serves as a bed and close my eyes. “Sally! Hey! You…worm…thing. Get up. They need you in the arena.” I jerk up and stare at the cell…keeper. “Why?” I ask. “Don’t know.” Alex—he’s the cell keeper—shrugs. “But get up, and hurry.” I pull on a quick fighting tunic and shoes, and I grab a dagger (no one knows we have it) from my bag. I allow Alex to blindfold me and I stumble after him. When he rips off the blindfold, he shoves me into the ring and for a second, the sun blinds me. When the dust clears, I gasp and trip over my feet. What?! Sarah Sally’s here. She just came outside. I wonder why they need her. Suddenly, I remember that Alinos is still next to us, listening to every word we’ve spoken so far. As if he can read my mind, Alinos leans towards us mischievously. “That’s right,” he says, reminding me of Maria’s bracelet tracker. “She can’t escape. And neither can you. Now, for the last time, F-I-G-H-T!” Alinos storms off and hikes back up to his seat in the stands. He glares at me and turns on his microphone. “They will fight. Now.” Crack! Here is what I retain from this moment: A bright light. Sally. An extremely loud scream. And then the world miles below me, fading away. And then someone screams like a broken tea kettle. It takes me several long, drawn-out seconds to realize that’s me. “Calm… Down… Not… That… High…” I look to my side to see Sally propelling us—Maria, Michael, and I—higher into the air, yellow light sparking from her fingertips. I scream again. And again. Michael Something is wrong with the world. Very wrong. Sally can fly, I’m not in the arena, we’re hundreds of feet above the ground, Alinos is dead, and Maria isn’t dead. … Just… What? Thank god I’m not scared of heights, like Sarah obviously is, or I would be screeching right now. The arena literally looks like an ant, and considering how big it is in person, I’m going to assume we’re very, very high. Suddenly, Sally dips down. “Must… Rest…” Sally pants as she drags us along. My eyes scan the horizon for any patch of land, and I find a tiny island. That’s when I realize we’re flying over an ocean. “AHHHHHHH!” I might not be scared of heights, but I’m terrified of water. I writhe in terror, dragging Sally and my friends towards the island. “AHHHHHHH!” I continue screaming until my butt hits hard, hard, hard, hard, hard sand. I twist around in the sand and hug it, practically sobbing from fear. “Okay, we’ll need to do something about that,” a voice—Maria’s voice—says. I look up and see Maria, Sarah, and Sally all looking at me. I take in the sight of Sally and Maria, my best friends I haven’t seen in months, and I stop sobbing. “Seriously, Michael, I think you have a mental issue,” Maria says teasingly. I sniffle and say, “Says the girl who cried for hours after a bee landed on you.” It happened when she was six. Yeah, we’ve known each other that long. Maria smiles and pulls me into a hug. I hug her back, for the first time in twelve weeks. When Sally and Sarah join, we all stay like that for a long time. One week later Maria So what happens next? I don’t know. All I know right now is that we have to get rid of Michael’s—fear isn’t a strong enough word—something of water. So far, everything we’ve tried has failed miserably. Even splashing Michael lightly with water makes him screech so loudly every single bird flies away. I look around the beach, with two miserable attempts at ‘teepees’, a fire pit, coconut and date trees, which have provided food, and my friends, who are trying to force Michael into the water. I laugh and walk across the beach to them. “No!! Mommy, save me! Stop, please!” Michael is screaming. “This may be against my better judgment, but I feel bad for Michael,” I say. “Let’s leave the swimming ‘lessons’ for later, ‘Kay?” Sarah and Sally roll their eyes. “Whyyyyy? It’s fun!” They say simultaneously. I shake my head. “Sure, but not for Michael. Especially not when you guys have been doing this for the past five hours,” I say firmly. (Deep down, I’m laughing my head off.) “Fine,” Sarah says grumpily. She lets go of Michael’s arm and he practically runs back to the beach, screaming in what’s probably terror. Sarah stares at Michael for a minute and then looks at me. I try to keep a straight face, but it’s impossible. Together, we collapse into laughter. Sally joins us a moment later, and soon tears are streaming down our cheeks as we clutch each other in fits of giggles. Once we recover, we walk back to the fire pit and teepees, and ‘help’ Michael down the coconut tree he somehow climbed up. He follows us back to the campsite we created, trembling. I smile as I let my friends walk ahead of me, laughing, talking, and cracking jokes at Michael’s poor, poor expense. I know we can’t stay here forever, someday we’ll leave. But for now, we’ll stay. I’ll stay. And I’ll figure out what to do later. Alinos I will have my revenge. Someday. Just wait. So what happens next? It’s up to you! Will Alinos kill Maria and her friends? Or maybe Sarah and Sally will drown Michael—accidentally. Better yet, will the group of friends ever find their families? Will they even leave the island? How is Alinos still alive? How did Maria and her friends get captured in the first place? Why is Michael scared of water? How did Sally help Maria, Michael, and Sarah in China? Why didn’t Sarah want to use Maria’s real name at first? Who is Alinos, a demon, or what? There was a part when I said Maria, Sarah, and Michael time traveled. How? Also, is Maria still wearing the tracker? If not, how did she remove it? How did Sarah, Maria, and Michael meet in the first place? Why did Alinos put the tracker on Maria the day she was going to fight her friends? Did he know something? Where did Sally’s powers come from?! I left it—all of it—up to you! And there’s still more questions you can answer! So what are you waiting for?! You have all summer to continue this story, and without the Lighthouse, it’s time to write on your own! Get started in 3…2…1! Go! (Oh, and if you aren’t a writer but still want to know what happens next, don’t worry! I’ll be working on part 2 this summer and will post it ASAP!)
The Wonders of Nature – A Collection of Haiku for Spring
by Meru S.
Green grass-covered hills,
Trees decorated with buds,
Gently welcome Spring
A light splattering
Of drops against the window
Are left unnoticed
Gliding flawlessly
Over valley and mountain,
The sound of soft wings
Joyfully sprouting,
Unaware of April’s blues
Rejoice in Spring’s tears
Tortured by the wind
Lost amongst the high branches
Hangs a tattered kite
A gust of warm air
This morning floats serenely
Through colors of May
Sapphire skies; blossoms-
Crimson, golden, emerald-
Swaying in the breeze
Enchanted Forest – 2024 Teen Formal!
by Olive Pea
This year’s TVE Teen Formal took place in Rancho, San Ramon on a sunny Saturday. It started at 7:00, right at that time when sun began to set. The gentle sunlight filtered through the glass windows and onto the navy blue backdrop covered in a twinkling layer of lights that mimicked the night sky.
This year’s theme for the Teen Formal was “Enchanted Forest”. Guests were checked in at the registration table, and as soon as they walked through the entry, framed by balloons, they were instantly transported into an enchanted realm full of wonder and magic. From the ceiling hung strings of purple, green, gold, and black balloons. Dark blue curtains and strands of lights and ivy trailed down the walls. Woodland creatures, mushrooms, and butterflies could be found if you looked closely at the tables and walls. Lights danced all over the walls and ceiling as music played from the DJ booth. People had their pictures taken at the Photo Booth with a backdrop depicting a whimsical wisteria arch with hanging lanterns that faded into the distance. A wisteria tree stood in a pot next to it to add some dimensionality to the photos.
The snack tables were filled with trays stacked with cookies, chips, popcorn, crackers, salami, cheese, vibrant fruit punch and lemonade in glass dispensers. Sprinkled between the snacks were various woodland creatures, flower and plant cuttings, candelabras, and small trees with glowing flowers. Behind the snack tables rose a brown, silky backdrop with vines and dried purple flowers suspended across its length. Green up-lights added an atmospheric green glow.
The DJ booth was located at the back corner of the banquet room, off to the side of the dance floor. Over the black tablecloth on the booth there hung a curtain of white wisteria. In the center of the room, three large, round tables were surrounded by numerous chairs. Each table centerpiece gleamed with the light of the glowing water lilies which floated in a pool of water surrounded by mushroom-strewn moss.
On one side of the room, a table was situated with a variety of games such as Jenga, checkers, chess, Uno, and other card games. Serving as a backdrop for the table, there was a navy blue curtain with ivy weeping down in wavy strands. On the long wall backing the dance floor, a dramatic, deep blue curtain covered the entirety of the wall from floor to ceiling. Twinkling lights, bundles of flowers, and ivy trailed all the way down the curtains, adding a touch of magic to the dance floor. Disco lights cast streams of dancing color all over the walls and ceiling, and one could hear snippets of conversation and laughter over the music as you walked through the crowds of dancing people.
The whole night was filled with enchantment and dancing, music and magic. Sadly, as is the case with all parties, the night came to an end. Before the guests departed, a group photo was taken.
This event will forever remain a treasured memory to us all, and this event would not have been possible without the efforts of the hard-working TVE leaders, as well as the many honorable volunteers. We are so grateful that you put in the time and effort to make this event come to life!
“Disposables On Religion” – A New Comic
by Lucas David
Strange – A Ghost Story – part 2
How the…?
Amara stared disbelievingly as Maria moved towards her.
“Mari?”
Maria smiled again. Her entire body glowed with an otherworldly light. Amara shivered.
“Long time no see, Amara,” Maria whispered, the words reverberating around the room eerily. She took a step towards Amara, who backed away. “Yet I can’t say I missed you.”
Amara nodded. She understood: she had killed Maria. Even though she swore it was an accident.
“I’m sorry, Mari.”
“Death isn’t something to be forgiven.”
Suddenly, a cracking sound and a flash of light hit Amara squarely in the chest. She stumbled back. A gust of wind knocked her to the ground, and she was left looking up at Maria’s smiling face, sadistic with revenge.
“What happened to you?!” Amara screamed as the feeling of stabbing knives dragged up her arm.
“I’ve realized my full potential. I should be thanking you, really. Without you, I wouldn’t have become this powerful spirit.”
“But everyone will die.”
“Yes, but we are only created by our living souls being murdered.”
Amara gasped as at least twenty more spirits came up from behind Maria. “Don’t do this, Mari!” she screamed as they started advancing.
“Do you know what you took from me?! From my parents?! I don’t care if it was an accident! I don’t care if you didn’t mean it! I would rather be alive!” Maria screamed insanely. Amara had gotten up to her feet, just to be knocked down again by a burning pain in her chest. She looked down, only to see a ring of white-hot fire carving a hole into her flesh.
Her piercing screams filled the room as the fire dug farther into her body. It burned through fat and sinew and spread inside of her.
Please, God, let me die.
“Oh, you’ll die. Don’t worry,” Maria laughed maniacally. She reached her hand out to Amara and placed it on the burning area, making the flame grow bigger and hotter.
Amara knew that she was going to die. She looked up one last time at her former friend, and her body was engulfed by the flames.
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Maria stared at the charred body of the girl who had killed her. And walked away.
The Lighthouse 