What a Dream!

At 2 am, I lay wake wondering about the dream I just had. The dream started off with thirst. As I tiptoed down the stiars, hearing sirens not far away. Through the closed drapes, I see the distinct light of a flashlight. I open the screened door and see him. He was trying to break into our shed, dressed in black. I slam the door closed and run upstair to alert my parents. My brother grabs his shotgun, and heads downstairs. Then I woke up.

Salem Escape

The light in the farmhouse was dim. Milana Cooper could not read her journal. She reached under the sink cabinet for her oil lamp. With a brighter light, she dipped her pen into the ink. Then with no hesitation, she began her adventure.

"Life in Salem couldn't be worse. My friend Sarah's trial starts tomorrow. They are going to hang her or burn her, for sure. She's innocent. I'm going to use my powers to help her. There's a sudden knock at the door and it's the townspeople. They want me to confess. Then I wake grasping for breath. I am so frightened I begin to think of ways to escape. I put on my dark cloath and left, traveling to New York. I am staying here."

Junior Year Begins

I am now a Junior in High School. I am still working at Lagoon on the weekends, while I am in school.

Sinking Ship

The water raises up toward me like my lungs inhaling air. I tremble from head to foot. I slowly close my eyes and lay my head against the soft velvety pillow case and cover myself with a large blue afghan. I lay on my side facing north. The light of the oil lamp flickers off. I feel my bed slide into the west wall. I look over at my dresser, floating upside down. The water is twice as high now. My childhood replays in my head, growing up in Liverpool. I wish I would have been able to reach New York and become an actress. Now I am dying, there is no hope for me.

California

On June 26th, we picked up Dad from the airport in SLC and drove to Mesquite. On June 27th, we stopped in Las Vegas and ate the Breakfast buffet at Circus Circus. Then we drove to Anaheim, California. We went to KFC, a T-Shirt outlet, and Triangle Center. On June 28th, we went to Newport beach and collected sea shells. We went to Fashion Island and ate lunch at the Crab Cooker. On June 29th, we went to Knott's Berry Farm. We ate fried chicken and funnel cakes. We ate at the Old Spaghetti Factory at Newport Beach for dinner. On June 30th, we went to Newport Beach. We left for Las Vegas. We went to the forum shops at Caesar's Palace, saw the Treasure Island pirate show, and the Mirage Volcano show. On July 1st, we came home from Vegas.

A Powerful Message

I was given a copy of this prayer at school and it had a profound effect on me:

A Prayer of Responsibility for Children



by Ina J. Hughes



We pray for children who put chocolate fingers everywhere, who like to be tickled, who stomp in puddles, who sneak popsicles before supper, who erase holes in math books, who can never find their shoes . . .



And we pray for those who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire, who can’t bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers, who are born in places we would never be caught dead, who never go to the circus, who live in an x-rated world.



We pray for children who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions, who sleep with the dog and bury goldfish, who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money, who cover themselves with band-aids and sing off key, who squeeze toothpaste all over the sink, who slurp their soup.



And we pray for those who never get dessert, who have no safe blanket to drag behind them, who watch their parents watch them die, who can’t find any bread to steal, who don’t have any rooms to clean up, whose pictures aren’t on anybody’s dresser, whose monsters are real . . .



We pray for children who spend their allowance before Tuesday, who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick their food, who shove dirty clothes under the bed and never rinse out the tub, who love visits from the tooth fairy, who don’t like to be kissed in front of the school bus.



And we pray for those whose nightmares come in the daytime, who will eat anything, who have never seen a dentist, who aren’t spoiled by anybody, who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep.



We pray for children who want to be carried, and for those who must, for those who we never give up on and for those who grab the hand of anyone kind enough to offer it. On this Children’s Sabbath Weekend, hear our cries, Adonai, and listen to our prayers.



Amen