Introduction
“Sally, Ryan, Harold, James, Peter,
Matthew & Vanessa,” growled a tall, menacing appearing man decked in a
neat, pristine, white polo shirt with a black and gray polka-dotted tie draping
from his neck.
“Here!” answered the six students who were called for attendance in unison apart from Peter Johnson. The additional 15 students who were already called sat silently awaiting for instructions.
“Here!” answered the six students who were called for attendance in unison apart from Peter Johnson. The additional 15 students who were already called sat silently awaiting for instructions.
“Who is missing?” shouted the teacher with an irritated edge to
his voice. As the towering man stomped crossways across the white & boring
room deprived of colorful posters, funny jokes, or joyful & smiling students to
the white board in the front of the class, a panic stricken 13 year old
cautiously nudges the door on the right of the classroom slightly and peeks in
through the small gap between the door and wall.
“Mr. Anderson,” quietly notifies Harold, “Peter is here, he's outside the door.” Surprised, Mr. Anderson swings his frown from his stack of printer paper and white cup of red pens which sit in the immediate center of his cold, metal desk to the gap in the door, shining a warm light into the bland, monochromatic classroom.
“Mr. Anderson,” quietly notifies Harold, “Peter is here, he's outside the door.” Surprised, Mr. Anderson swings his frown from his stack of printer paper and white cup of red pens which sit in the immediate center of his cold, metal desk to the gap in the door, shining a warm light into the bland, monochromatic classroom.
Only one period left in school until Summer Break, only one period left, thought Peter hopefully.
“I am aware that today is the last day of school until Summer
Break. However, that doesn’t matter!” screeched Mr. Anderson wickedly with a
sneer of amusement, “Today we will review everything we have learned this
year.” Mr. Anderson babbled on about all of the History lessons that his classes
have taken this year, “American Revolution, Louisiana Purchase, and War of
1812.” The rest became a blurry mess of words for Peter as he dosed off into a
nap.
While Peter slumbered, he caught a few shadowy words as he napped
on his desk, “Explorers, Conquerors, and Texas Revolution.” A loud noise
intruded into Peter’s sleep obstructively and he instinctively ascended his head
slowly. Opening one eye, Peter noticed that everyone was filing into the halls
and leaving.
That noise must have been the final
bell of the day! Finally, Summer Break! Reflected Peter to himself. Panning the entire classroom, Peter
notices that Mr. Anderson has disappeared; however, Matthew, Peter’s best
friend, is still placing his pencil bag back into his binder, & was smiling
genuinely. “Where did Mr. Anderson go?” asked Peter, since Mr. Anderson regularly
stays late for unknown reasons.
“He said that he had to leave earlier than usual about ten minutes ago and simply left, following that, my ears felt cleared of his lethal, venomous voice,” responded Matthew tranquilly. “Let’s go now, we don’t want to miss the bus!” reminded Matthew benevolently. Sprinting towards the door at the end of tan and well lit hall that leads to the school buses, Peter catches a rapid glimpse of a large adult with a light colored polo shirt. Most likely Mr. Anderson, concluded Peter.
“He said that he had to leave earlier than usual about ten minutes ago and simply left, following that, my ears felt cleared of his lethal, venomous voice,” responded Matthew tranquilly. “Let’s go now, we don’t want to miss the bus!” reminded Matthew benevolently. Sprinting towards the door at the end of tan and well lit hall that leads to the school buses, Peter catches a rapid glimpse of a large adult with a light colored polo shirt. Most likely Mr. Anderson, concluded Peter.
“Whoa, the other students are more chaotic than usual today,”
observed Matthew. “I guess so,” replied Peter as he realized the sudden
increase in sounds as they hiked on the humid bus. “Walking to the bus, in the
hallway, did you see what Mr. Anderson was doing?” questioned Matthew.
“Not very clearly, but he was standing besides the right wall of the hall. I believe he was on the phone, but he was covering his mouth as if to hide his words,” Peter replied. Shocked about his unexpected outburst of detail, he smiled a chuckle of impress. As the bus rumbled along the road, rocking and bouncing slightly, Matthew & Peter discussed about what they would do during Summer Break. “I have nothing interesting planned!” whined Peter with disappointment, “This is going to be a horrific summer.”
“Don’t worry,” Matthew reassured, “We’re going to figure something out in time.”
“Not very clearly, but he was standing besides the right wall of the hall. I believe he was on the phone, but he was covering his mouth as if to hide his words,” Peter replied. Shocked about his unexpected outburst of detail, he smiled a chuckle of impress. As the bus rumbled along the road, rocking and bouncing slightly, Matthew & Peter discussed about what they would do during Summer Break. “I have nothing interesting planned!” whined Peter with disappointment, “This is going to be a horrific summer.”
“Don’t worry,” Matthew reassured, “We’re going to figure something out in time.”
Whew! Peter thought to himself, finally home! Continuing through the
wooden front door of his tan suburban home, he thought about Matthew’s plans
for the summer as his pondering was interrupted by a female voice calling
cheerfully around the corner of the light peach walls.
“How was today?” asked the women joyfully.
“Boring as usual,” answered Peter, “Anyways, Mom, I will be in the backyard.”
Peter’s Mom responded, still buoyant, “Sure, just be careful.”
“How was today?” asked the women joyfully.
“Boring as usual,” answered Peter, “Anyways, Mom, I will be in the backyard.”
Peter’s Mom responded, still buoyant, “Sure, just be careful.”
Walking around in the backyard out of boredom, Peter spots a
strange object sticking halfway into the arid dirt on the right edge of the
yard near the fence. Approaching closer, he saw a tattered, maroon, leather
rectangle submerged partially in the earth.
Grasping strongly around an edge, Peter tugs suspiciously on the
quadrilateral, tugging it slightly upwards. A word emerges into view as Peter
pulls the object out slowly. Journal, reads
Peter to himself, what, journal?
“Ouch!” exclaims Peter as he cascades backwards onto a patch of grass due to
him dislodging the journal out of the soil. Looking at the newly found book,
Peter reads aloud from the cover,
“Journal, by Mr. Marcus Sebastian.”
“Journal, by Mr. Marcus Sebastian.”
Huh? Peter continues to reading the
caption printed in bright yellow below the title, “A Resident of Montgomery,
Texas, United States.” This looks unique!
Reflected Peter, I must tell Matthew
about this, but first, I need to tell Mom. Swiping the hardback book off of
the lawn and bolting to the backdoor, Peter experiences an abrupt surge of
relief & anticipation mingled with bliss as now, his summer will
unquestionably be exhilarating.
Looking around the house for his mother but failing to locate her
by means of sight, Peter cries out, “Mom, are you in the house?” no reply.
Instead Peter hears unexpected response.
“Quit screeching!” griped a young female voice, “I’m trying to get some sleep here!” Stumbling up the staircase beside the backdoor, looking anxious & nervous, Peter hears an earsplitting thunder of noise resonating from 16 year old Peyton, Peter’s older sister’s room. Immediately running to Peyton’s room & screeching to a craggy stop & turning his head, Peter sees his mother holding a gray object in his sister’s room. “What’s that?” Peter questioned, referring to the gray and slender object in his mom’s hands by pointing with his index finger.
“Quit screeching!” griped a young female voice, “I’m trying to get some sleep here!” Stumbling up the staircase beside the backdoor, looking anxious & nervous, Peter hears an earsplitting thunder of noise resonating from 16 year old Peyton, Peter’s older sister’s room. Immediately running to Peyton’s room & screeching to a craggy stop & turning his head, Peter sees his mother holding a gray object in his sister’s room. “What’s that?” Peter questioned, referring to the gray and slender object in his mom’s hands by pointing with his index finger.
“Nothing, nothing!” retorted Mrs. Johnson, Peter’s mom. Secretly,
she slipped the silver object into her denim pocket in the rear of her jeans
hastily. Perplexed, Peter heads down the stairs to further study the maroon
document currently clamped firmly in his hands.
Completely forgetting about notifying his mom upon the matter of
the book, Peter proceeds to call Matthew. He finds the home phone on a
couch-side table carved of murky, polished wood.
“Hello, I would like to contact Matthew Clark,” requested Peter apprehensively through the phone, “Is he available currently?”
The speaker hands the telephone at the Clark residence to Matthew. “What’s the matter? You sound nervous!” concerned Matthew over the phone.
“Hello, I would like to contact Matthew Clark,” requested Peter apprehensively through the phone, “Is he available currently?”
The speaker hands the telephone at the Clark residence to Matthew. “What’s the matter? You sound nervous!” concerned Matthew over the phone.
“You won't believe what I've found! It was a book in the ground; appears to be old. I can
come over to your house if you’d like to see it.”
“I’d love to see it!” answered Matthew excitedly. Hanging up the
phone disorderly & bursting through the front door, Peter runs two houses
down the street and skids to a halt in front of a house roughly identical to
his own.
Meeting Matthew on the front step & planting himself on the
worn wooden steps of Matthew’s house, Peter waves a quick greeting with his
hands. “This is it,” presents Peter to Matthew enthusiastically.
\“Amazing!” exclaims Matthew, “Have you read it?”
Oops, thought Peter, embarrassed. “No, I haven’t. However, we can read it now!” suggested Peter, who is barely sitting on the steps out of anticipation. Maybe this summer isn’t going to be so bad after all! Peter thought enthusiastically. Flipping open the thick journal to the first page, Matthew reads aloud,
“This book is a document of my life. Some entries even include hand drawn depictions.” Wow, no wonder it’s so thick! Reflected Peter in his mind. Matthew’s voice intrudes into Peter’s thoughts as he carries on reading from the ancient, leather journal, “From here on is the tale of my life, and the lives of many others.” - Marcus Sebastian
\“Amazing!” exclaims Matthew, “Have you read it?”
Oops, thought Peter, embarrassed. “No, I haven’t. However, we can read it now!” suggested Peter, who is barely sitting on the steps out of anticipation. Maybe this summer isn’t going to be so bad after all! Peter thought enthusiastically. Flipping open the thick journal to the first page, Matthew reads aloud,
“This book is a document of my life. Some entries even include hand drawn depictions.” Wow, no wonder it’s so thick! Reflected Peter in his mind. Matthew’s voice intrudes into Peter’s thoughts as he carries on reading from the ancient, leather journal, “From here on is the tale of my life, and the lives of many others.” - Marcus Sebastian
pg.1
