Blog #10 - Samuel New Title - Desolation

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Blog #10 The Grand Finale- Erica

“THE SOURCE”

BY: ERICA

Esther rocked back and forth in the hard wooden chair, her screams muffled by the silver tape stretched across her cracked and bloodied lips as she fought the rough rope with her wrists desperately trying to free herself while she watched the spectacle in front of her unfold. This was it, the final battle between good and evil, the reckoning between two brothers, perhaps even the death of her and the one she loved and she couldn’t do anything about it. Caleb stood tense in front of Levi fists balled watching the menacing grin of his brother span across his face at the sound of Esther’s muffled cries. He had to do something so he could get out of here with his son…so he could get out of here with Esther, he had to create a diversion. “You know Levi, I really thought this could work, that we could have the relationship that our parents took from us, heck we could have even ran this place together.” Levi chuckled as he looked at Caleb, he might have gotten the muscles but Levi got the smarts and could realize a diversion when he saw one. “Now Caleb, I think we both know that statement isn’t true, you’re here to kill me and i-“ his voice was cut off by the relentless screams of the stringy red faced girl in the chair now joined by the constant wail of the toddler in his crib. “Now Esther” he grinned “we all know that screaming isn’t going to get you out of that chair anytime soon so you might as well save your breath” he hissed as he trotted over to her running the back of his hand down her tear stained face right before the sound of the smack hit the air and the trace of his hand imprinted itself on Esther’s cheek. Caleb felt his blood run hot as he lurched forward at Levi only to be stopped by the cold barrel and click of Levi’s gun on his temple. “I suggest you cooperate unless you want to watch your little girlfriend and son die right now”. Caleb tensed his jaw and grit his teeth so hard it hurt, if he moved Levi would kill them both, that he knew for a fact. Esther’s breath caught in her throat and her eyes went wide, seeing the gun on Caleb’s temple made her fears worsen as she felt her heart race, the room was silent, even Kai seemed to be waiting for the final verdict. Caleb’s deep voice cut through the fog in Esther’s mind “I won’t let you kill them Levi, you won’t win I can promise you that”. He chuckled, “oh really now? Come to think of it I remember that little story I was going to tell Esther”, Levi looked at her, his dark eyes cutting straight through her like a knife through butter. She felt violated, like he could see through her soul, like he could see everything that mattered to her in the world and could just as easily snatch it from her. “Yes, hmm let’s see…what was his name? Joseph, yeah that was it. We found him Esther, and I found what I’ve been looking for all this time, you know red is really his color” Levi grinned, “cute cats too, I hope he enjoyed the show before we finished him off”. Esther’s heart sank to her feet and her blood ran hot, every hair stood on its end and with all she had she pulled against the rope and she felt it snap. She wriggled one hand free and ripped the tape off of her mouth ripping the flesh with it. Sucking in a deep breath the tears ran down her face and stung the angry flesh left on her lips. Levi killed Joseph, sweet, innocent Joseph and along with that made him watch as the cats were picked off one by one. Levi noticed she was free and pulled the gun on her, Caleb saw the chance and leapt on his back sending shots into the air as he wrapped his arm around the pale straw of Levi’s neck. The gun slid across the floor in front of the rickety crib as Kai began to wail again while the boys wrestled on the floor. Esther ran to the child and picked him up hearing Caleb’s fist hit its target with satisfying crack as blood spurted out of Levi’s nose, violent and bright against the porcelain skin. The fight had begun…but who would win it, Esther thought.

Sarah staggered down the cold hallway coughing every other step, she dodged the guards at every corner being as silent as she could. Levi had Esther and he was going to pay for what he did to her one way or another. He crushed her heart into a million little pieces and expected her to put it back together with nothing but the lint in her pockets. Sarah was an empty shell now, the only thing she cared about was Esther and she was going to get her back while she had the time. The sickness had taken over her body for a few days now and she could tell she didn’t have much time left, the coughing, the lesions, the nosebleeds, soon she’d choke on her own blood and that would be it but she had to make things right first. She gripped the knife so hard her knuckles turned white standing outside the door, she could hear her sister yelling and she counted to three and burst in. Levi’s face was swollen and covered in blood as he pressed the gun into the back of Esther’s head, Caleb stood bruised and knuckles busted “make one more move and she’s dead! I mean it!” Levi shouted as Esther’s lip trembled and the tears ran down her face. Levi didn’t see Sarah sneak in, no one did except Caleb and the screaming toddler plopped in the floor, this was her chance and she was taking it. She sunk the blade into Levi’s back with a sickening slice and didn’t pull it out until she saw his soul leave his body. The cool metal left Esther’s head and she gasped as it fell to the floor along with the thud of Levi’s body. Caleb ran to Kai and scooped him up off the floor wiping the tears from his soft cheeks, he breathed in his scent and whispered “its ok, we’re safe daddy’s got you” as the child clung to his bloodied shirt. Esther whirled around to Sarah, the blood covered knife still in her hand and sobbed as she grabbed her in a hug. Sarah wiped the tears off Esther’s face and held it in her hands, “you’re so beautiful don’t you forget it Esther, I’m sorry for everything, I….I Lo-“, a sizzling swoosh rang through the air as the arrow found its target and came out right between her emerald green eyes, her face went still as her hands fell from Esther’s face and her frail body fell bouncing against the stone cold tile as a single line of blood trickled down the point of the arrow. Everything moved in slow motion for Esther as the breath stuck in her lungs, she picked up the gun on the floor and emptied the clip into the guard holding the crossbow in the doorway until the shots no longer rang out and the shells tinkled on the tile like a knife pecking on a glass before a big speech. She sunk to her knees and held Sarah’s head in her lap stroking the beautiful dark hair tears clouding her vision, she rocked back and forth half whispering half sobbing to the dead girl “I love you too, I love you too Sarah”. They stayed there for a while among the corpses until Caleb lifted Esther up into his strong arms and led her out of the room. The three walked down the long hall silent except for the click of their boots against the tile until they reached the exit, Caleb fashioned a sling out of an old sheet and tied the child to his back swinging the diaper bag he found over his shoulder. He saw a can of gas and shook the contents around the doorway leading a trail of amber liquid into the building and fumbled for the small box inside his shirt pocket removing a stick and handing it to Esther. With shaking hands she took it and struck it against the strip on the box igniting the tip into a blaze of blue that melted into orange and cast it into the puddle at her feet. The air swooshed as a trail of scarlet led into the source creating a fiery path that soon consumed the building like a gaping mouth. It was better this way Esther thought to herself as she took Caleb’s hand into hers and they walked away from the building that held so many horrors for them both, they had to get to Josephs, she had to know if Levi was telling the truth, and for once as much as she didn’t want it to be true she feared that this wasn’t a lie.

 The walk to Joseph’s hotel was long and painful, by the time they got there the sun was setting into a horizon of blended colors. Their feet were covered in blisters and their lips were dry from thirst, Kai had finally fallen asleep after an hour of wailing that started when they realized they had used their last diaper. Esther stumbled through the dilapidated entrance of the hotel tired almost to the point of crawling, she called over and over for Joseph with no answer when she noticed the trail of water on the grey stone. She looked to Caleb, “let’s follow it, he may be in the basement” he nodded and they began the trek down the stairs when they heard the trickling get louder and louder with each step. The stairs began to get wet and slippery signaling that water was close and when Esther saw it she stopped dead in her tracks. In Joseph’s basement lied a natural spring full of clean fresh water, this explained it all, why he was always carrying his bucket and drinking the water even though she said it wasn’t safe, if only she had listened when he tried to tell her before. They ran to the water and drank until their stomach couldn’t hold anymore and filled up plastic bottles and Kai’s sippy cups to the brim. It was almost dark when they looked back up, it was then that Esther noticed the bright red bucket lying a few feet away from the spring. It was obvious that Joseph had been here and heard something, dropped the bucket and ran to whatever it was, she had a sickening feeling that the something was Levi. Caleb led the way through the dark hall when they saw them, Esther covered her mouth at the sight, and only a sick mind like Levi could have done this. One by one the path of cats got longer, Malawi, Benjamin, Tiffany, Samsung, Mr. Roberts, Seven, Ginger, Claude, even Tiger Boy all laying in pools of their blood, throats slit. Esther couldn’t even imagine the pain Joseph must have felt, she had to find him even if it was too late. She led Caleb up the crumbling steps to Joseph’s room noticing splatters of blood every few steps and with each drop her heart broke piece by piece. Joseph’s room was dimly lit by candles and in the soft flicker of the shadows on the wall she could see Joseph curled up on his cot. She ran to him only to discover her worst fear was true, he was dead and had been for a while judging by the frosty feel of his fingertips. If the blood hadn’t spread to the blanket he would have looked as if he was in a peaceful sleep, Esther sat on the cot and held his hand for a while as silent tears streamed down her face, maybe he was in a better place she thought to herself, and managed to smile at the thought of him in some faraway place with all of his cats and unlimited food and water. Caleb wrapped his arms around her from behind and said softly “I didn’t know your friend here but I’m sure he was a great person, we don’t have to leave you know, we can stay here there’s water and we can find food”. Esther silently nodded and leaned her head into his chest “Caleb I lost two people I loved today and I don’t even know what to do with myself now” she said shaking her head. Caleb scanned the room and noticed calendars filled an entire wall, “Esther look, he marked the days, look how long these date back to”. She ran her finger along the blocks and landed on the circled square, “Today was his birthday Caleb, how….wait a minute” she pondered the thought in her head and did the math, “Caleb!” she exclaimed, “Joseph was 26 years old”. He looked dumbfounded as he realized it made sense, Joseph could have lived way past 26 because of the water…Joseph had been the real source all along and no one had cared to notice. “Esther it’s the water, its clean that’s why he’s so old it’s a-“ his sentence was cut off when they both noticed the glowing eyes underneath the desk and a faint meow as Stubbs came out and wrapped herself around Esther’s feet hopping up onto the cot and settling over where Joseph’s heart used to beat. “Stubbs was always his favorite, she must have escaped Levi somehow” Esther said looking to Caleb as she stood up and kissed him. They were interrupted by the sound of Kai waking up and then the loud whoops and hollers followed by the sound of rusty wheels and chains beating on the gravel road. Esther took Caleb’s hand and covered Joseph with a blanket before they headed down the stairs to the entrance of the Gideon Putnam hotel, with Stubbs close behind. When they stepped out into the night what they saw surprised them, at least 40 Variants perched on stolen bikes wielding slingshots, the leader stepped forward and locked eyes with the couple while the cat hid behind them tail up and fur bristled. “We know you found water” the leader said, a large yellow grin spreading on the tattooed and scarred face. Esther squeezed Caleb’s hand harder as her nerves arose, “Now the question is…who’s gonna get it?”

Wasteland Rap Link

http://s-sf.smule.co/x6/autorap_ios/performance/rendered/46/68/d514ebad-5b6f-44d1-98ef-25ac8429ccc1.m4a

Blog #9- Yey or Nay? Sam, Erica, Carlynn, Haleigh, Janajhia

After reading the book "Wasteland" by Susan Kim, our group came up with the pros and cons of the novel in a whole. Things we liked and enjoyed about the novel were, her descriptive wording about the setting and characters along with their thoughts. We also liked how she described conflicts and action parts in the novel re-sparking our interest after a dryer part of the book. Things we disliked were how some things were confusing and the exact facial features of the characters weren't described enough so you could never really picture them in your head. There was also no backstory to the novel at all except for Levi and Caleb's past. Referring to 
the ending of the novel we found it to be somewhat disappointing, as the novel was a little too predictable. Sometimes happy endings in books aren't that interesting and that was so in this book. As a group we recommend it depending on what sort of reader you are. If you like action filled books which aren't predictable and have a surprising climax then this book probably isn't for you. However if you like an easy read with minor action and humor with a minimal plot then you may want to read this book. We based our decision on the fact that the novel wasn't really interesting and it was a little too predictable for our reading level. It isn't a bad book for a beginning author but it isn't in any way as good as some other young adult dystopian novels out there. 

Individual-Skar Carlynn

Blog Post # 7 - Sam

4) My art relates to the Source and to Levi's greed. Levi was a very smart person. He controlled all of the water, food, and supplies in the town of Prin. It gave him complete power over the people. It was a genius plan, that pretty much could get him anything he wanted. Levi had a plan from day one when he set out to capture the Source and stuck to it everyday. I believe I can think ahead and plan for things just like him. He is very smart and never leaves any room for error... Except himself. Although Levi had everything he needed to survive and prosper planned out he let his greed overcome him. When the source wasn't enough he went after more. Looking for things that he knew nothing about and trying to take something that can't be taken.