The Halloween Baby

I’ve been collecting dolls since before my birth. It’s been a passion passed down to me from my mom. Year after year I would get a new porcelain doll for my birthday and for Christmas. Usually my mom would never mess up on a doll but this year she did.
At first I thought it was just an old doll my mom had in her family for many generations. But then she told me she found it in a thrift store. I don’t know what the hell she was thinking. Just because I am a Halloween baby doesn’t mean I can handle a daily scare from its face. Or handle her stare. Everything was normal, a month had passed until this creepy Halloween birthday doll's stare got more intense,  more evil. I swear she was trying to curse me. I think she could read my mind. She knew I thought she was creepy. She plotted against me and was out to get me.
It followed me with its eyes throughout the day. At night I felt her over my shoulder, breathing down my neck. I could feel her grin becoming larger as my fears grew. She was still with me even when I left the house as she was inside my mind. Everywhere I looked I saw her. She went on and would not stop as she got more intense. I refused to let a thrift store doll take over me. 
I told my mother that this doll was haunting me day and night but of course she didn't believe me. One day when I walked into my room she was on my bed, just staring at me and waiting for me to come home. Fortunately I was ready for her. I threw her out of the window and bomb! A garbage truck ran her over. I tried to tell me mom that she fell out of my window and the wind took her but she didn't believe me. As usual. My mom was so angry, she made me go outside and pick up the pieces. 
As I was doing so the doll started to fix itself and it said "You'll never get rid of me. Even when you die, I'll be haunting you."

Tyehimba Jess Review

        Tyehimba Jess really got in to reading his poetry. He puts a lot of feeling, emotions and emphasizes certain words when he reads. I think this is great to be so in to reading. This shows that he really loves what he does and is passionate in his poetry. But on the other hand it was hard for me to concentrate on what he was saying because I was so distracted by how he read his poems. This would be a downfall for me. I tried to find his poems online to listen and read at the same time but I could not find them. Therefore it was hard to follow along with his readings and understand the poems fully. I watched numerous videos of Tyehimba Jess reading his poems on YouTube and at the end the crowd applauded for several seconds. I believe they were every pleased with his work and they were amazed how he constructed his poetry.
        The crowd was amazed when he pulled up how some poems were written, such as the Syncopated Sonnets. The crowd awed when Tyehimba Jess showed on the projector what the poems look like written. The poem about the McCoy sisters was very enlightening. Tyehimba Jess wrote the poem to have one side is one sister’s thoughts and the other side is the other sister’s thoughts. But in the middle is where they shared thoughts since the McCoy sisters are conjoined at the hip. You could just read one side or the other at a single time; it even makes sense if you read side to side as one huge poem. It all makes sense reading it numerous ways. Another enlightening thing about the poems of the McCoy twins, was that Tyehimba Jess wrote numerous poems. These poems are based on the events of their life, about love and what they experienced when they were “inspected”.  There are five poems total about the McCoy twins. All together the five poems can be placed to make an outline of the twins. There are two poems on top, two on the bottom and one poem is in the middle to represent where the twins are conjoined. Tyehimba Jess really sums up the McCoy twins’ lives in numerous ways, it was amazing to see and hear. I just wonder how Tyehimba Jess really knows so much about the twins and how he placed himself in their shoes to write such poems. This was my favorite poem series he created.

  

Thoughts about stories 21OCT

“Cooling the house” was extremely weird to me especially when the air conditioners were talking about the deceased mother. I was a little uncomfortable.  The air conditioners seemed miserable to cool the house and to even know that they helped for the day.  They didn’t seem excited to have the night off because the temperature outside was able to cool the house but maybe it’s just how the poem was read.

“The First Day” I enjoyed this story but thought it was very descriptive and deep in thought for a five year old. I don’t remember being able to comprehend situations and to think deeply like that when I was that young. It was easier to listen to the story then try to read it myself.

I ain't no squirrel

I was in my tree sleeping when I was woken up by these humans. I had no idea what they were doing but it looked odd. I could see everything clearly, it was mid-day. There was a man and a child. The child was making this noise from her mouth, at least it seemed like but either way it was too loud and annoying. That’s what woke me up. The man kept picking up the child and spinning her around, which increased that noise. Ugh, I wish that noise stopped.

I climbed down the tree to get a closer look because I still can’t understand that noise. Then she squealed, “Daddy look at the squirrel! I want him!!” “What?” I was thinking what is a daddy better yet why was she pointing at me and calling me a squirrel. I ain’t no squirrel. I am a cute fur ball who likes nuts and trees. Next thing I knew I was running for my life. She came after me. She wanted me. This annoying noise making child wouldn’t leave me alone. I ran into my hole but when I peeked out she was still there.

After days it seemed like, she was making that noise again. I peeked out and still didn’t understand that noise but even now what is she doing??? She was running around with a thing on a thing trying to make it go up into the sky. But wait, is that a nut I see? Is she trying to make a nut stay up into the sky? I had to get a closer look but how without her chasing me again. I don’t like her noise but I am so curious.

I slowly walked down my tree and ran a little then froze then ran and froze and ran and froze. I was so good, she didn’t see me. That noise was going to make my ears bleed it was so loud. I was close enough and risked my life for nothing. It wasn’t even a nut it was just a brown blob. I will never understand humans and that noise making they do.

The Careless Driver

I was just cruising down interstate 95, trying to get home. I was weaving in and out along with the rest of traffic. Everyone goes way over the speed limit, so you don’t get stuck behind someone driving sooo slow. I was just going in and out minding my own business but I was still using my blinkers. At least I was that considerate.

Like I said I was just cruising down until this huge 18 passenger came down to the interstate. He merged without a blinker and super slow which is my biggest pet peeve ever!! You don’t merge on to a speedy interstate going 30 miles per hour and then take 5 minutes to reach the actual speed. You just don’t. That’s how accidents happen, and I thought I hope I just didn’t jinx myself.

Anyways, this passenger van comes on and cuts me off at 30 miles per hour. I tried to honk my horn to warn him but my horn was dead. My horn didn’t work because I use it like ten times a day. SO I was saying, I swerved over so he didn’t hit but another car was in my blind spot. Then I had to swerve back over. Next thing I knew I was spinning in circles. I was so dizzy I couldn’t tell what was happening. I was spinning and spinning and then it just stopped.

I saw black, I lost time. I woke to a firefighter calling out for me and trying to wake me up. Everything was a blur, I could only hear him, “Ma’am, are you okay? Can you breathe? You’ve been in an accident and we have to extricate you out. Ma’am?” Then it was quiet and dark again.

Next thing I knew was waking up to the extrication machine, pulling my SUV apart. I blacked out again. I woke up in the hospital. I was getting checked for everything and anything but I was still stuck on what happened and how it happened. I was never in an accident before.

A police officer came in my room and said “Ma’am you are lucky to be alive and that no one else in the accident was hurt, physically. You could be charged with reckless driving. Would you like to put a statement in?” I just stared at him and he was impatient with me. “Ma’am,” he said. Thank god the nurse came in and told him to leave because I was not mentally or emotionally stable yet. I was going to get charged with something else besides reckless driving, if that police man stayed.  

Did Character Sketches Aid?

The sketches aided me only because I had written out what each character liked and didn’t like. I was able to stick to my characters but I think I made Zoe’s personality bitchy during the conversation. I did not put in Zoe’s sketch that she was bitchy but maybe she becomes that way when she drinks. I didn’t want to change my characters. I stuck to them very well. Violet coming back from protesting, Zoe is tipsy after work then needing to get ready to go out and Violet wasn’t being social in the elevator and said no to Zoe when she offered to go out with her and friends. I liked writing in play format, it was easier. You can make it descriptive through the words of conversation over a paragraph to explain a setting.

Zoe Character

Zoe

What do they look like? Zoe has long and wavy red hair but she always keeps in a side braid. She has bright green eyes with freckles below them and fire red luscious lips. Zoe is a pale girl.She is tall, skinny yet extremely curvy. She is 25 years old.

What do they wear? Zoe dressed very professionally but sexy. She loves to wear dresses and tall heels but she loves suit more. Her favorite accessory is earrings and puts makeup every day. 

What do they like? / How do they spend their time? Zoe works as a professional organizer. She sources out to huge NYC companies to organize their office and she also organizes models’ closets. She has a job every day and has advertisements all over the city. She is well known. Zoe loves to go out and always be surrounded by the people and lights. She doesn’t have any spare time but if she does she shops. Zoe’s days consists of Pilates, then work and after work its social mingling time.

Who is in their family? Zoe’s family passed away when she was five in a car accident. She was put into foster care and was in and out of foster homes until she was sixteen. At sixteen she was adopted by a lost aunt and then lived with her until high school graduation.

What is the most tragic event in their life so far? The most tragic event was the car accident. Zoe doesn’t remember everything but she has posttraumatic symptoms such as flashbacks and she refuses to drive.

What is the happiest event in their life? The happiest event was being adopted by her aunt and graduating because she didn’t think she could make it.

Has anything interesting happened to them that might affect who they are?

What do they like to eat? Zoe loves meat, any kind it does not matter.

How much money do they have? Zoe grew up in poor foster homes but now she works a lot to have her own money. She is wealthy for a twenty-five year old. She started to work as soon as she could and sometimes had two jobs. She saved every penny.

What music do they listen to? Zoe loves dubstep and trap music but her favorite band is Five Finger Death Punch. She goes to raves every weekend.

What are their hobbies? Zoe’s biggest hobby is going to raves, drinking and smoking. In addition, she loves to organize. She does Pilates every day during the week for her me time because every night she goes out with her many friends.   

Who are their friends? Zoe was extremely popular in high school so she has numerous friends who follow her. She was the popular queen. Her friends are of all kinds but they have one thing in common,wanting to be like Zoe.