Mind 2 Paper

“It’s not our disabilities, it’s our abilities that count.”  -Chris Burke, Down syndrome advocate.    Last summer, on my trip to West Bengal, India, I volunteered at a school for differently-abled children. At first, all I wanted was proof of work that I would be able to submit here, at my school. But my experience there helped me more than those submitting the paperwork ever would. It gave me a new perspective on life itself, for which I am very grateful to the children there. It all started at my Middle School, where NJHS (The National Junior Honor Society) gave me the assignment for the volunteer hours to be completed over the summer. My grandparents found the Bidhan Chandra Pratibandhi Karmakendra, ABLING THE DISABLED, (named after Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, former Honorable Chief Minister of West Bengal and inaugurated by Mother Teresa), as a suitable special needs school for me to finish the assignment by working there. I, at the moment, was unaffected much by that dec...

Oh, what a beautiful night, I looked up at the sky with all my might. In the vast dark space, I saw were only stars, Suddenly, I saw a bright light gleaming far. Could it be? Yes, it was the moon, Hanging in the distance, floating like a balloon. All of the craters and silence, not a single sound, Only shimmering dust, not a single mound of rock or any cloud. Look! There are first men in a rocket, Focused, aiming for their target. One was touching down and was upon the moon, Making history that will speak volume. Stellar stars, making the night sky,  And constellations twinkle with delight.  The marvelous Milky Way, our home galaxy,  The planets, all making the Solar System our family. The stupendous shooting stars making our wishes come true, I love space because we are always learning things new. Oh, what a beautiful night, It makes me stay behind. I have always wished to go to the moon I wonder, I pray and I will soon. - The Sis

Epilogue July 16, 394 B.C. Somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea Destruction. Devastation. Annihilation. These were the only words Calum Reed could use to describe the scene unfolding around him. People screaming for their wives, their children, their prized possessions that some valued more than themselves. Calum could only watch as people were carried away by the enormous wave that had come to obliterate this once-majestic city. And run. Running was something Calum was good at. Where he was from, he had regular practice running from bullies and running to the mysteries that took his mind away from the pain. But then, that was all 2000 years in the future.  Chapter I Genesis Present Day 3:45 P.M. Oakland, California “We’re gonna get you, Reed!” Panting hard, Calum kept sprinting away from the bullies who made his life miserable. At last, he reached his house and locked the door behind him. Calum lived in a rough part of town known as the Everglades. Why? He didn’t know. Probably beca...

Like the North and South poles, without any similarities, opposites attract. This story is about a pair of twin sisters Celia and Milia. Though these girls had a lot in common, they had some differences, too. Celia was tall and serious and Milia was short and funny.  During their summer break, not knowing what to do to pass their time, they decided to go on an adventure, since they never had been on one. After packing their backpacks, they traveled to the countryside near their town.  The next morning, they ventured into a nearby forest. It was beautiful with a sparkling stream flowing by, butterflies fluttering around, flowers dancing in the wind, and tall redwood trees covering the entire hillside. Losing track of time and direction, they walked deep into the forest and got lost. Suddenly, they heard a “POOF!” behind them. They whirled around and saw a person who looked like a wizard. “Who are you?” they both said at the same time, startled.  “I am a wizard. My name is ...