our last day together

I love Chinese, Dr. pepper, and i also love storms. Tyler being in creative writing with you was full of laughter and fun, thank you for helping make the end of my senior year great:)

The color yellow hates you, i will remind you everyday for the rest of your life that you are very blunt, and if you want to marry sushi you really should. #equalrights

I love love love chinese food, i also hate onions and tomatoes more than anything on this earth, and i love dr pepper (maybe not as much as you but like almost:)


I also want many tattoos, i feel you when you say you improvised freshman and sophomore year (im still improvising haha), and i love love love swimming

I also love driving (i dont think i could live without it, its almost therapeutic haha), talking to your pets is amazing and i pretty much do the same thing, and ive also let loose at a couple rock/metal concerts

About a boy (writing)

"What is the point to your life"

Now that I am ending my senior year, I have to start putting my life together piece by piece and in these next couple months i will be making some of the biggest decisions that i have ever made. I have to admit that its scary, moving to a different state with my friends all on our own. There is so much that could go wrong, so many things that may be extremely stressful, and it may take a while for us to get our feet planted on the ground but isn't that what life is supposed to be. I think that you should take risks and do something that you know one day you'll thank yourself for doing. The point of life is to just enjoy it, if you don't like something work hard and change it. Things may be hard to get to that point but life is always hard no matter the route you choose, so i believe you should choose the one that will make you the happiest. I have no idea what career i will end up pursuing, I have no idea where i will end up in 20 years, I don't even know where i will be in 6 months. But thats the point, the point is to enjoy the thrill and not dwell on the things you don't know and cant control. I strive for happiness.

101 things about me

1. When i was little everyone thought i looked like Boo from Monsters Inc and when we went to the theatre to see the premier, i was stopped three times to take a picture because they thought i was supposed to be Boo
2. I am allergic to chocolate and beef
3. I tutor in the special ed classroom in the morning and its my favorite part of my day
4. My dad and his side of the family are from Brasil and they all speak fluent Portuguese
5. Ive gotten a concussion at a rock concert but we stayed at the concert for the rest of the time
6. I used to be obsessed with Whitney Houston and Fergie and i know pretty much every song of theirs by heart
7. I competitively swam for 11 years and quit my last year of high school
8. If i had to eat one type of food for the rest of my life it would be Chinese, hands down
9. I currently have 5 dreadlocks and I'm wanting to eventually do my whole head
10. My first and only surgery was when i was 5 and i got my tonsils out
11. The Goonies scared me as a kid and i haven't watched it since
12. When i like a song i will play it over and over for days and not get tired of it
13. I hate fishing
14. My blood type is A positive
15. I love thunder and lightning storms
16. Ive spent an entire Christmas break watching all of the Hannah Montana shows & movies
17. I am a Leo
18. I enjoy traveling alone in any type of transportation
19. Lavender incense is my favorite scent
20. I have brown eyes and i just recently accepted them
21. I have 7 piercings
22. I have a giant freckle on my nose that everyone used to make fun of
23. I wear an onyx necklace around my neck everyday
24. I lived in Colorado Springs for four years
25. I have a younger brother who will be starting high school next year and an older sister who is 11 years older than me and has a baby
26. I was almost named Makeesha
27. I was a counselor at Camp Barnabas for 2 years
28. I've wanted a septum piercing since my sophomore year and i plan on getting one when i turn 18 in July
29. I could wear flip flops any day of the year and be fine
30. I have dyed my hair purple and blue
31. I had braces for 4 years
32. The white monster drinks are my all time favorite beverage
33. Any time i type the word "favorite" i want to type "favourite"
34. Prom was the first and only high school dance that i've gone to
35. Whenever i was a permit driver, i was driving down the road and my dad told me to stop the car and instead of putting my foot on the brake i straight up put the car in park going 30 mph.
36. I have shaved off half of my eyebrow, not fun
37. I've seen every episode of full house, multiple times
38. If i end up wanting children, i want to adopt
39. I hate when there is pulp in orange juice
40. I don't like having my picture taken
41. I tend to repeat myself
42. My best friend is a  softball prodigy and she used to make me play catch with her, when i am completely nonathletic, she threw the ball and it rolled off my glove and hit me really hard square in the face
43. i hate reading but i could write for hours on end
44. I am certified in life guarding and CPR
45. I have a dog named Pepper who is partially blind so when he tries to run he rams right into anything in front of him
46. The thing that i appreciate most in nature are sunsets
47. I love when everything is neat and tidy but i hate cleaning
48. I prefer sweet tea over coffee
49. I am very good at entertaining myself
50. When i lived in Colorado I remember it would snow so much that we were able to make a tunnel and a fort that wrapped all around our house
51. I tried to learn how to ride a bike when i was 5 and the first time my dad let go i ran straight into a fence and i never got back on a bike til i was 11 or 12
52. I find it extremely difficult to speak my mind
53. I hate it when people text and they misspell words or they shorten the sentence
54. But i also hate grammar nazi's
55. I have a new found love for scary movies
56. I hate most condiments
57. When i lived in Colorado we had three miniature poodles and i would dress them up everyday in my build a bear clothes and i'm pretty sure they hated it
58. I am not a morning person, at all
59. The toe next to my big toe is a full centimeter longer than my big toe, my friend and i looked it up and its considered a toe disorder
60. It freaks me out to be late to any function but i am late to pretty much anywhere i go
61. I have gone to 8 different schools since i was 5
62. I love big cars like jeeps and hummers but as of right now i drive a slug bug
63. Singing is like therapy to me, but you will never hear me sing
64. When i was younger, my friend and i would collect the black beetles in my backyard and keep them as pets in a fish tank, yes, i would feed them fresh veggies
65. I'm super impatient
66. When i was born my parents nicknamed me thumper because my dad was in shock about how fast my heart beat was and he thought it sounded like when thumper thumped his foot on the ground
67. I have to sleep with my closet and bedroom door closed
68. I have watched the show One Tree Hill 4 times through, and there are 9 seasons
69. Im gay
70. I am probably the worst dancer that i know
71. I like target more than Walmart, but i always end up going to Walmart
72. My childhood best friend and i combined had over 200 webkinz
73. The personality trait that i am most attracted to is if you have the same sense of humor as me
74. I used to love rock music for the first 3 years of high school
75. I HATE DOLLS
76. I used to sing in the shower as loud as i could until my dad took a video outside the door and posted it on the internet
77. I love love love self expression, tattoos, piercings, hair dye, clothing, ect...
78. Im scared of big dogs because when i was 13 i was bit by a german Shepard on my right calf and it left 4 canine marks on my leg
79. No matter the temperature, i have to sleep with a blanket on
80. My favorite flowers are roses, basic i know
81. Lavender hot chocolate is the best drink in the world
82. I hate being told what to do
83. I was in orchestra

Childrens story draft

Tyreese, ever since he could remember, loved running

He loved the thrill of going as fast as he could

He would run and run til night came, and the next morning he would wake up and run again

One day he saw a flyer that said that there was going to be a track race in town this coming Saturday

 and the winner of the race will be introduced as the fastest runner in the city and will be eligible to compete nationally

Tyreese was filled with excitement and he ran home to tell his mom

Huffing and Puffing, he dashed through the kitchen and ran right into his mother

She asked "whats going on, sweetie?" and he told her about the flyer he found and told her that he wanted to sign up for the race

Of course she said he could because it was his passion and she knew he would work hard to reach his goal

That minute Tyreese ran outside and started training

He stopped by Lily's house, and then Chavon's house to tell them the news and asked if they'd help him train and start timing his runs

They started immediately, and they would time him and help motivate him every day until the race

It was now race day and Tyreese was terrified, he knew he put in the hard work and of course with his friends by his side he knew that he had a great chance at winning the race.

He waited and waited by the track until it was time to start the race

The announcer said "the race will begin in 5 minutes, runners start your way towards the track and get in position" 

Tyreese felt a storm of butterflies in his stomach and he froze

He didn't realize how many people were going to be watching

Lily, Chavon, and his mother came and gave him a giant group hug and told him to remember that he is the best he can be and thats all that matters, and that they all still love him

He rushed out to his spot on the track and got into starting position

"The race will begin in 30 Seconds"

He took a deep breath and remembered what his friends and mom told him

3...2...1..

The gun shot and they were off

Tyreese ran as fast as his feet could take him

He crossed the finish line and ran right into the arms of his friends

They were screaming "YOU WON", "YOU WON"

Author Bio

Morgan McClure was born and raised in Springfield MO with her mom, dad, and brother. She was always a huge fan of children's books but never found the aspiration to write until the age of 17, who was encouraged by her friends and Creative writing teacher, Mrs. Fraser

Childhood questions

A day from my childhood that i will always remember is when i found out that i had an older sister. When i was in fifth grade, there was a day that my parents got a letter in the mail and they made a huge deal out of it but wouldn't tell my brother and i what it was about. We had plans to go to a friends house but my parents went into a different room to talk about it and read the letter while Grayson and i sat and talked ourselves in the living room waiting to go to Megan's. They soon came out and asked us if we wanted to hear a surprise now or go to our friend Megan's house for an hour. Of course we weren't that interested in the letter as we thought so we went to my friends house. When we got back an hour later, we all sat in the kitchen and my mom explained to us that we had an older sister named Rachel. My mom had her when she was in high school but didn't think that she could give her the best life that she deserved so after Rachel was born she put her up for adoption. Twenty three years later Rachel found my mom on a website for adopted kids to find their birth parents and she sent her a letter that said she wanted to meet her and talk about how her life has been and see how my moms life has played out. It was so crazy to me that i had a sister that i never knew and to this day i have a very good relationship with her.

There are a lot of cultural influences in my dads side of the family. My dad and his siblings were born in Brazil because my grandparents are missionaries there. My grandparents both originally lived in Crane Missouri and Arkansas but after they got married they moved to Brazil and started a family, and because they were both from the united states they wanted their kids to all speak both english and Portuguese. I know a lot about the culture in Brazil and I've always been around people who speak Portuguese but i never learned the language and i have visited there once.

When i lived in Colorado, my old best friend and i loved to play outside and pretend that we were going on adventures and playing with our imaginary friends. And so one day we were walking through this giant field in my backyard and saw tons and tons of these giant black beetles, of course we were fearless so we would pick them up and let them crawl all over us. We realized that its getting cold outside so we thought that we should collect as many of these black beetles as we can and put them in my empty fish tank so they "can stay warm in the winter". She would inspect them and tell which ones she thought were boys and which ones were girls and we would paint blue nail polish on the boys and pink on the girls. We made a mini world for them inside the fish tank and would only give them veggies to keep them healthy.

Gas- Inspired by hopper

It was a late night after a long day and i found myself behind the wheel on an open road. I never remembered starting the car or even putting on my seatbelt, but i would always end up at the same place. I would blast the same old songs that i had on my phone and roll the windows down to feel the wind blow through my hair. Sometimes i would take different routes just to mix it up so its not the same road, same stoplights, or same buildings every time. Taking those different routes would almost be terrifying but an adrenaline rush at the same time, you never knew where you would end up or if you would get lost. But even though its scary there is also a calming aspect to it, you were lost but you were lost on purpose, and i always found my way back home. When it was finally late enough and i realized that i used at least half a tank of gas that night i would drive to the only gas station that was open in my area, i would grab a cold peach tea and have the worker put the rest of the 20 dollar bill on pump 4. When i was here i would know that my night of driving was over and that i can go home and get some sleep. Cause tomorrows always a new day.

Window Poem

Road coming and going, yellow lines fly under me
trees become larger, while buildings fade
cars passing by on my left and the sky
sets on the right
I'm looking for answers and i need a place to think, I want to keep driving
sometimes there is a destination
most of the time there isn't
sun so bright i can barely see, music blaring, i continue to drive

6 word memoir

TRYING HARD TO BE THE SAME

Writers as readers

Whenever i read i like to be in a space by myself to where there are no distractions and so i play music as loud as i can. The genre of music doesn't really matter, its usually based off of what mood i'm in or what book i'm reading. I generally like mood lighting to help me focus a little better, like greens and blues and purples, not the harsh LED lights.
When i was born, a family friend who made children's books decided to make one about me. He used animated characters and my family and i were pandas. I remember being so intrigued by this book not only cause it was about me but the fact that it was made personally for me and there were no others like it. Whenever i started reading, i remember i always wanted to read this one and i memorized it word for word and i loved this book so much.
There's a book called All the Bright Places and as soon as i read the first page of the book i was hooked. I finished it in one day, which is unusual for me. I'm usually not into the "cheesy" romantic stereotypical books but this books have a lot of realistic relationship details to it and it has some quirky scenes in it. I was very interested cause this book doesn't sugar coat mental illness or tragedy and doesn't make it seem like love can conquer all. Its a very raw and very beautifully written book and it will always be one of my favorites.

Memorable Passage

“I think this is the ugliest place I’ve ever seen. Not just here. The whole state.” I hear my parents telling me not to be negative, which is funny because I’ve always been the happy one. It’s Eleanor who was moody. “I used to think that. But then I realized, believe it or not, it’s actually beautiful to some people. It must be, because enough people live here, and they can’t all think it’s ugly.” He smiles out at the ugly trees and the ugly farmland and the ugly kids as if he can see Oz. As if he can really, truly see the beauty that’s there. In that moment I wish I could see it through his eyes.”

 I like this passage because i understand what this character is trying to say. Once you've lived in a place for so long things start to become repetitive and boring. You start to see the people and see how shallow or how amazing people are and you can always spot the difference. Trees start to look basic and the flowers start to look unoriginal, everything has been seen and has been done. But even though you're used to it and you are bored of what you've seen not everyone is used to it. A lot of people look around and see things differently and see it as beautiful even if you don't. And sometimes i wish i could see the beauty of my hometown like other people do.

Movie quotes continued

Movie quotes

Color story

Today, i am feeling blue. My curtains are shut and the world has stopped moving. The sky no longer has color and the sun is hiding behind the thick storm clouds. I am laying in my bed staring at the galaxy painted on my ceiling, i wish i could be there right now. Floating amongst the sapphire stars and dancing around the planets. The air kicks on and i am hit with a icy cold breeze on my cheek and so i sink further and further under the sheets. Hours pass and i decide to crawl out of my cave and into my bathroom. I stare directly into my bottomless crystal eyes and i pull my hair into a bun on the top of my head. Now i can see my face, pale and freckly. I walk out of my bathroom into the kitchen, which is painted the color that the sky should be. I grab a box of blueberries and the almond milk out of the fridge to make a late breakfast to eat before i decide to join the real world. I eat slowly as i watch outside the clouds coming towards me at a fast pace, i can see the end of this storm and this is when i decide that today i am going to go out and get rid of this feeling.

The grass is finally green after a long winter, the flowers are finally blooming, and the trees are filling. I breathe in a deep breath of the fresh air and i feel the weight on my shoulders become a little lighter. I walk down the side walk looking at all of the clovers that scatter along the yards, it brings me back to the hours i would spend trying to find one with four leaves because i could use all the luck i could get. I finally make it to my spot, my safe space. A small mossy pond with a little dock that leads out to the middle. Its a couple blocks from my house and i'm not too sure how many people know about it but i think its beautiful. I sit cross legged in the middle of the dock on a rusty bench and i take in my surroundings.

I see the bright oranges in the sky which means the sun is starting to set. I didn't realize how long i had been here but i'm glad i did because i feel a lot brighter. I stand up and i wipe away the rust from my jeans and i walk back to my house. The golden sun was disappearing quicker and quicker. I made it home before the sun was completely non existent. The sunset became a burnt color and it was amazing. I go inside and i fix a quick sweet potato dinner before i leave to go to work. I put on my tangerine polo and i am out the door.

Bright city lights, purples and reds pass by as i drive down the main road. I love night life, its so much prettier than how it is in daylight.

This is...

This is my little sister
the youngest of the three of us
the only one with short brown curly locks
eyes, dark brown as can be
but her eyes are so bright and full of laughter
she could get a laugh out of anyone

This is my oldest sister
she often wears hats like mama
she is protective and knows how to make care of us
tall and linky, she is the tallest in her class
she can be stern but she has a heart of gold

This is me
tight golden locks and bangs
even with such light hair, i am the black sheep
i like to run barefoot and throw my paint at canvas'
i like to be different

but together we are the best of friends

Reel life

My favorite movie has always been "My Girl", I've loved this movie since i was a little girl and i would watch it with my dad. I don't watch it very often but when i do it always brings me back to the nights that i would watch it over and over and over again.  I love this movie because I always have the same emotions every time i see it even though i know what is going to happen, it's definitely a tear jerker but a feel good movie as well.
I am not a big fan of feel good movies, they are just extremely boring to me because i love being so into a movie that i get an adrenaline rush but with these types of movies, i don't get that feeling. Which this is strange cause my favorite movie is a feel good movie. I also don't like old western shows and movies because when i was younger my grandpa made me sit and watch old western movies for hours and hours. So now i refuse to watch any show or movie that is considered an old western movie.
I don't watch movies very often because i have a very short attention span and i get bored very quickly and i usually don't finish the movie. The only time that i do sit and finish movies are if there is an amazing plot and i'm very into whatever is going on. When i watch movies its usually in my own house, i'm not a big fan of movie theatres' because of how restless i get or i fall asleep cause of how dark it is in there.
The environment that i'm usually in when i watch movies is when i am eating a meal and i am with other people around me, whether that is my friends or family. I usually watch movies when i'm eating a meal because it gives me a reason to sit down for a longer period of time with the other people around me.
This survey said pretty much everything i expected it to, it said that i love horror and action movies because i love the adrenaline rush that comes along with those types of movies. It also said that i sometimes enjoy sad or movies that make you feel, which is sometimes true but i only watch these types of movies maybe once a year and i can only watch those types of movies alone or i don't get as engaged into the movie.
If there was a movie that was made about me i would want Jennifer Lawrence to play me because of her raw humor that she uses in all of her roles. Yes, she is a lot older than i am but i don't mind. A main plot that i might have is just my overall high school expirience, i've had some crazy things happen to me, good and bad, and i feel like if i were to pick a period in my life to make into a movie that would be it.

Flea Market Photos

This picture was taken of Jack and Emma Ellsworth in 1930, this is the year that marks their 50th anniversary. The first time they met was in a restaurant, Emma was a waitress and Jack was a usual at this particular restaurant and he was very interested in Miss Emma. So every Tuesday night he would come in and sit at his usual spot in the back corner and request Emma as his waitress. He ordered the same dish and told her the same jokes every time. She would laugh, even if it wasn't funny and she would stay close to talk to him. One night, 51 years before this picture was taken, he had finally built enough courage to ask her on a date. Of course she said yes and that day marks the first day of the rest of their lives together. They got married exactly a year later, down to the day. Their wedding was outdoors and it was such a beautiful warm spring day, all the flowers had bloomed and there were lilies and daisies everywhere.

Color Collage Poem

When i was a young girl i would run around the back yard filled with bright colored dandelions
I would run with my eyes closed and the hot sun shining on my freckled face
The glares that shine on the outside of my mustard colored circle sunglasses
would blind me when i would look down at the ground to make sure i didn't trip on my shoelaces
Later on that day after i took my bath, i would sit in my duckling towel
waiting for my pajamas to run through the dryer so they'd be nice and warm during the cold nights
And once i would put on my pajamas and drank my glass of warm apple cider
I would sit around the warm yellow-orange fire with my dog Rascal and i would remember how bright that day was.

Dream marks on my pillow

Lying awake at 2:00 AM, staring at the ceiling thinking endlessly about anything and everything. So deep in thought, all i see are the images flashing across my vision of all the memories and thoughts and future planning. Colors dance back and forth and my breathing slows because i am at peace. I feel as if i have the whole world figured out and that life just needs to be lived to its fullest. Pins and needles run through my body because i have not even thought about changing positions. And soon enough I have fallen into a deep sleep. I dream the most beautifully chaotic dreams of climbing the tallest mountain and once i'm at the top i fall miles and miles into a foggy wonderland. I dream of traveling the seas and I am standing on the front of the ship with the mist blowing into my face and I sail straight down into the deepest ocean. The farther and farther down i go, the deeper i fall into sleep. Its all so real to me in the moment and i take it all in. and i am alone. But i am peacefully alone at 2:07 AM.

Caged Bird- inspired piece

Flying away from the place I call home
Working hard through the winds and the storms
To eventually find paradise
A place where you can fly free
A place of beauty, peace, and opportunities
Sure, I will be away from a place I know
A place of security and normalcy
But everyday I question "do i want normal or routine?"
Or do i want experience
A new place to spread my wings and reinvent myself
To go through new hardships and bumps in the way
In order to become who i am supposed to be
I have made my decision
and i soon will be
Flying away from the place i call home.

Swim Team (photos of the millenium)

As i was growing up I tried many, many different sports including; Volleyball, soccer, basketball, gymnastics, cheer and so on. Eventually i learned that i'm not very athletic and i suck at most sports that require good hand eye coordination, running, and decent balance. So pretty much all sports. But i really wanted to do some type of sport no matter what it was and be apart of a team. One day in 1st grade a girl that i sat by was talking about her swim meet that she had that previous Saturday and instantly i was interested. I asked her what seemed to be billions of questions about competitions and where she practiced and what its like to be on the swim team. That moment i knew i was going to join the swim team. I started swim a week later but i had to do classes before i could join the team. I worked so hard in each class so that i could keep moving up and finally a month later i was on the team. I felt so free and calm when i swam, i ever wanted to leave and believe it or not i was pretty good at it. Going into the locker rooms there were pictures of swimmers and motivational quotes below them and i just remember that i was so inspired by Michael Phelps and how many medals he has won in the Olympics and his insane motivation was inspiring to me. I will always remember the quote underneath his picture; "You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get." I continued swim for the next 11 years, there were bittersweet memories from swim, a love-hate relationship but i always dreamt of being the best i can be.

If i were in charge of the world...

If i were in charge of the world
I'd cancel unnecessary sequels,
waiting in airports,
the feeling of being unbearably full, and also
being cold

If i were in charge of the world
there'd be Sunday morning cartoon marathons everyday,
bigger smiles, and
and unlimited Chinese food.

If i were in charge of the world
you wouldn't have road rage.
you wouldn't have liars.
you wouldn't have crocs.
or over produced modern pop music.

If i were in charge of the world
sour patch watermelons mixed with the sour patch mixed berry
would be a vegetable.
Naps would be longer.
And a person who constantly fidgets and jiggles their knee
would still be allowed to be
in charge of the world.

Favorite sound (Dream thread)

We talk restlessly until the sun rises over the trees. It was just me and my grandmother sitting on the front porch at her house in Brasil. You could hear the humming of the bugs that would fly past your ear and the chirping crickets in the distance. The warm mugs of hot cocoa were keeping my hands toasty and the knitted blanket over my shoulders was keeping out the slight breeze that was in the air. She has the best laugh and it was contagious, anyone in the same room as her would always join along in laughter and that is my favorite thing about her. No matter how i feel in the moment, she can always put a smile on my face. We had been up the whole night and she told me stories of her childhood growing up in Crane, Missouri and her high school experiences. They were all so interesting and way different from mine. Its hard to relate to her experiences but i still love listening. We continued giggling and sharing until we finally saw the dark blues of the sky fading into a beautiful vibrant orange, and i have never seen a sunset so amazing. I embraced the moment and took a deep breath, so did my grandma. We looked at each other and instantly started laughing again and that's when i realized its my favorite sound in the world.

Paint chip poems

An English county
Lively but grey as can be
She stood staring far

A windstorm is coming
Whistles and swirls pass by her
She continues to stare

Everyone runs past
And as the wind grows stronger
Motionless she stares








S- itting on a bed of grass
O- n a warm summer
F- riday
T- elling a story to
M- y friend
E- dward
A- bout how beautiful the world around them was
D- elighted he smiled and laughed and
O- n this warm summer day
W- e smiled and laughed lying in the soft meadow

Glass Lighter (970 words)

She walked down Thomas Street, right down the middle because no one ever drove in town, there was no reason to. She had her platform sneakers on and made sure each step was heard. Her big, dark brown eyes stared forward, focused. She had five dollars in one hand and her glass lighter in the other. She walked this path every morning, always determined, always had five dollars in one hand and her lighter in the other. The people in her town never knew where she was going. They would just wave and stare as she stomped, of course they were curious about her whereabouts but they let the determined young girl pass. It was nearly 30 degrees on a Sunday morning, so today the café was closed because the owners were all at church, so she stopped by the nearest local market to get generic coffee grinds and sugar. She waited at the register while a man limped towards her. His eyes looked worn and his hands were trembling but his smile was very pleasant. He rang up the total to $4.46 and she reached over the tall counter to give him the five dollars she had in her hand. The man tipped his hat down and smiled as she grabbed the paper bag and walked out. She continued down Thomas Street until there were no longer buildings on the sides and there were rows and rows of trees, she continued down Thomas Street until there were no longer rows and rows of trees and there were open fields filled with golden sunflowers that were much taller than she was. After about an hour and a half of walking she made it to a fairly large victorian style house. The lawn had been freshly mowed, the hedges trimmed in a rectangle shape, and the house was a bright white. She walked down the cracked sidewalk up to the red wine colored front door. The front door was already partially open because a visitor was expected at this time in the morning. She stepped through the door, hung her coat, and put her platforms on the mat. The house was full of beautiful artwork and sculptures, english ivy and peace lilies everywhere, and delicate high end furniture, but the house just felt so empty to her. She went into the kitchen to put the water on the stove. She poured herself a glass of orange juice and sat on the counter until the kettle started screaming, so she then finished making the cup of coffee. She grabbed the warm red mug and her glass of orange juice and headed down the long dark hallway to the end to where a large mahogany door was cracked. She knocked four times and walked in. In the room was a man lying on a california king size bed, rolled on his side while listening to piano recordings on a cassette player. She walked over to the side he was facing and she tapped on his shoulder so he knew to sit up, once he did she handed him the coffee and made sure it was in his grip. She went and sat in the rocking chair across the room and watched as he sipped the coffee. He looked a lot like the man at the local market; time worn, he looked weak but he had a friendly smile that appeared after each sip he took. He finished the cup of coffee and set it on the glass table next to his bed. They both sat in silence, she continued to stare. After a while she started looking around the room and turned around to look at the pictures above her head. The top picture was of three men in standing in front of a nice restaurant all smiling. The one in the middle was her father, and when this picture was taken her father had his sight. The next one was of her mother, her hair wild and curly, smiling bigger than anybody else could, her eyes bright and full of life. This picture was taken when her mother was still alive. And the final photo was of her, her father and her mother all together for the last time before her mother passed. All she had left was her father, sitting in front of her on his california king size bed, blind. He patted the other side of the bed motioning for her to come sit. She shut the curtains that were beside her and she went to sit. She reached in her pocket and took out the glass lighter and lit it in front of his face. He sat for a moment, took a big breath and smiled. Years ago it was just her, her mother, and her father and they lived in this house like any other family would. They were happy. One night, two years ago they were headed back from town in their cadillac, top down, blasting music and loving life. They were about 80 feet away from the front of their house and they saw lights coming right at them. They were hit head on by a intoxicated driver. Her mother was killed instantly and her father had many injuries including losing his sight and some minor brain injuries. She lost her mother that night and even though her father is still living, she lost him that night as well. He hasn't spoken, or moved, or really done anything since the accident. Because of the loss of his wife he has no will to live, he refused to take care of his daughter. She currently lives with her grandmother in town but she comes up to visit her father every single day. And every day she brings coffee up to his room and her glass lighter.