The Escape

“What happened?”  Wondered the husky, muscular man as he sat up on a slab of cold, hard steel that was passed off as a bed and stared into the dimly lit room into a lifeless gray stonewall.

“I don’t know what happened to you or what you did to get put in Alcatraz,” said a voice from the other side of the room.

“Who are you and what is your name?!”  Said the man who just sat up.

“My name is Redneck.  Now tell me what yours is,” said the man on the other side of the room.

“My name is Reed,” said the man who had sat up.

“Hey you two stop talking,” said the guard as he was passing by the cell door.

After the guard walked away and was out of earshot Reed asked Redneck, what he had done to be put into Alcatraz.  Redneck replied by saying, “I was put in here for creating a time travel device.  Then I went back in time and altered it so that I was in power.”

“Do you know a way out of here?”  Reed asks Redneck.

“As a matter of fact I do,” said Redneck.

“How would we get out then?”  Said Reed.

“We grab a guard as he walks by and we slam his head into the cell bars then we take his keys, his taser, and his baton.  Then we unlock our cell and all the other cells too, so that they can escape and cause a riot while we sneak out.  Then we have to hot-wire one of the boats and get off this island,” said Redneck.

It’s midnight and everything is dark in Alcatraz.  When all of the sudden there is a bang and the guard, who was just walking by, is heaped up in a pool of blood from a cylindrical indent, in his forehead, from the jail cell bars.  The guard has been stripped of his weapons and keys.  The cell door in front of him was wide open with the prisoners gone.

“Hurry,” whispers Reed.

“I’m trying,” hissed Redneck

The other prisoners start to stir when the key makes a loud cur chunk when it unlocks the cell door.  At the next cell, Redneck started getting into a rhythm and the process of unlocking the doors started to get faster.  When all the cells on their cells floor were unlocked, they started to wake the ones who weren’t already out of their cells and told them that they can escape.

“Now the fun begins,” said Redneck as more guards started to pour in because they hadn’t heard from the guard patrolling the area for a couple of hours.

“Yes, yes it does,” replies Reed.

 When the guards tried to seize one of the recently freed prisoners and there was a massive outbreak as a riot had just begun.  “Now is the time to get out of here,” said Reed as he was fighting his way to the exit

“I know that’s what I’ve been trying to do,” said Redneck when he met up with Reed near the exit.

“Okay let’s get a move on then,” said Reed.

As they were both sneaking out the door to outside all hell broke loose as the sirens started screeching, searchlights started moving, and dogs started barking. At that moment, they looked at each other and they both knew what they had to do.  They started sprinting for the nearest boat and when they got there, Redneck asked Reed if he had hot-wired anything before.  Reed having not done anything illegal before in his life, but when you worked as a boat mechanic you pick up a thing or two.  Just as Reed got the boat running, the search team had found them but it was too late.  Redneck was already jamming the throttle into full speed s the boat shot away from the dock and were lost from sight before the search team could even get in the other boat to chase after them.

A few years later

“Redneck, want to do another Alcatraz break in?”  Said Reed.

“Come on man this is our Third one this week,” said Redneck.

“I know but don’t you remember the first time we met we were two completely broke strangers now look at us were in designer suits and we each got our own mansion,” Said Reed.

“Yeah I guess we could find someone who will pay us a lot of money to break someone out,” said Redneck.

“We don’t need to find one I already got us one,” said Reed.

“Well I guess we better get moving then,” said Redneck and as they walk in the door to Alcatraz as Reed says, “Now the fun begins.”

Hemingway- symbolism

In Hemingway’s writing, he uses a very deep and twisted form of symbolism like "against the wall" and "in the shadows."  It’s twisted because of the fact that it has to deal with death in one way or another.

When you see the words "against the wall: in Hemingway’s writing it means that they are going to commit suicide or they are going to be killed.  For example in his story “Indian Camp” when the husband of the woman who is giving birth and the doctor says the woman doesn’t matter only the baby does.  It made the husband turn to face toward the wall and killed himself by slitting his own throat with a razor blade.

The words "in the shadows" mean that they are going to do something very bad soon or have done something bad.  For example in his story “A Clean Well Lighted Place”, the shadows have a huge role in the story’s meaning.  When the younger waiter was sitting in the chair he was sitting in the shadows while the older waiter sat in the chair that was well lighted.  In addition, when the old blind man was walking home he was walking into the shadows, which represents that he is very unhappy in this case.

 Hemingway’s writing has a very deep and intense form of symbolism that you can’t find in anyone else’s writing.  You also can’t find his “Subject-verb-direct object” sentence structure that has as much depth in the story than in anyone else’s writing.

The Fall

I've had many disappointing things happen to me during this gymnastics seasons so far; for example I hit my head on the vault table when I was doing a tsuck, when I didn't make It to nationals, and when I had a mental block and got afraid to do my double back tuck off the high-bar.  Though none of them compared to the time when I crashed and burned on my rings dismount before I was even able to compete to get a score.

I was at the 2013 Midwest twisters Harley invitational it was the second meet of the season and I wasn't able to focus very well (It was obvious that I was bouncing off the walls).  The first event that I went to was Still Rings, which is usually one of my stronger events.  On my first warm- up turn,  everything was fine up until my dismount, which was two back flips(It felt like I was a bird gliding through the air), I landed on my feet but, I had over rotated and rolled back.  The second turn that I took for warm-ups my coach wanted me just to do the double back again when I let go (It didn't feel or seem to be right and I was lost in the air I just didn't know which way was up or down).  I compensated for over rotating by opening up earlier but I guess that my early was way too early because when I opened up I landed on my head hard.  I would have been seriously injured if my coach hadn't helped me by giving me a boost so I didn't land on the top of my head.  One of the other competitor’s dads who was a doctor and a friend of my dad’s didn't know if I was going to get back up because he thought that I had broken my neck.

When I got back up, my coach asked me if I was okay.  I said that I was but he still had me go to the physical trainer that was on site.  They hadn't seen me fall but they saw how I had landed.  Because of the way that I landed they had to test me for a concussion I didn't have one but because I had hit my head really hard I still couldn't compete and had to be cleared by my doctor before I could do anything in the gym other than stretching and some of strength.

This was the most disappointing thing that has happened to me this season because I was not able to compete when I was excited to and it was only my second meet of the season.  Being excited is one thing but being overly excited to the point that I could possibly hurt myself is something that I want to avoid for the rest of the years that I do gymnastics.

Serpent World and Enderverse

          There are a few similarities between the Enderverse series and the Serpent World series that Orson Scott Card writes. They take place in a future where we inhabit more than one planet where aliens inhabit one of the worlds too.

          The main similarity is that they both take place in the far away future where space travel is done at the near speed of light.  Due to this one can live over 4,000 years if they travel from planet to planet spending only a month or 2 on each one in enderverse which has 100 different planets but in the serpent world series it would take 50 light years to get from Garden (which is the only other habitable planet) to Earth.

          One of the other similarities are that we inhabit more than 1 planet due to the earth’s rapidly growing population to the point that earth doesn't have any more room to be populated.  Then in Enderverse when the people on the new planet were settled it gave them a longer range of planets to branch out on and capture for mankind.  On Garden though the people were not allowed to make advanced weaponry because the main people of earth didn't want the same mistakes they made to happen there with wars.

          A further similarity in Enderverse, there are two alien species called buggers and the other one are called “Piggies” or Pequenos and one half alive alien species called descolada which is a semi- intelligent species.  In the Serpent World series there are two one of them being mice with human brains compacted into a small head.  The other one being face masks which attach themselves to the face of their host if the host isn't strong enough willed will take control over the host but if the host’s will is strong enough then the face mask is controlled by you and heightens your sense of sight, hearing, and smell.

          Most books by the same author generally tend to have the same genre but to me in the end it all comes down to what the author is best at writing and for Orson Scott Card that just happens to be futuristic, sci-fi, and action.

Life Flash

The phone was ringing so I picked it up and it was my friend and he had called to see if I wanted to come over and I said yes not knowing that as soon as I stepped through the door my life as I knew it would never be the same. “I’ll be back I’m going over to a friend’s house” I yelled to my mom. “Okay be back before 9:00” she yelled back. I’m 16 and this is the day that will change my life forever. As I open the door and start to walk towards my friend’s house I am suddenly on the ground with my life flashing before my eyes and this, this is what it looks like.

I’m 5 years old only 3.5 feet tall and at my birthday party I had all my friends invited and we are having a fun time eating cake and just pigging out on the couch playing the new video-game one of them got me. After the party with my older brother holding my hat too high for me to reach me jumping to grab it both of us are smiling and laughing.

At eight I was extremely smart for my age, out-smarting everyone I knew (even the teachers some of the time).  I was also extremely athletic out-running, out-lifting and out-smarting every kid I knew.  I was the king.  There was not anyone who could take me down until one day I got too cocky, too fancy, and too hotheaded and was dethroned by a peasant who in the end became my friend.

At 12 I was a co-king along with my friend who dethroned me when I was 8 we were unstoppable and inseparable until I was betrayed :I had a girlfriend who I liked and she liked me back but I guess I wasn't the only one that she liked. I found out when I walked around the corner into a deserted hallway when I felt betrayed by both of them.

On my 16^th birthday, I wake up to my eyes being covered by a blindfold and my parents saying get out of bed, go downstairs and then go outside.  When I got out side, they took off the blind fold and the first thing I saw was the car of my dreams.

After my life flash, I was in a pool of blood when my heart stops beating my life cut short by the  stray bullet of a drive by shooting.

Word choice and context

Prologue

The rays of light shone down on a chiseled man in his thirties the man sighed and said “These rays of light warm my body, my soul, my very being and fiber.”

When he finished speaking he heard footsteps behind him and someone said “Who are you and what are you doing here in this land shrouded in mystery and secrets?” The man replied by saying “I do not know who I am, where I come from, or how I got here.” Then the man quickly added “And who would you be?” The man behind said “I am Frost, chieftain of the Winter Tribe.” Frost being noble and wise gave this nameless man an opportunity to live in his tribe knowing that he would make a strong and smart warrior and possible chieftain.

The nameless man thought about the opportunity and saw that there were more pros than there were cons so the man gladly accepted. Then he told the chieftain that he would stay until he found out what his name was where he was from and which direction that was. The chieftain agreed and led the man to the tribe’s camp. Where the people of the tribe started to whisper about him and how strange he looked to them in his modern clothes instead of the primitive ones that the tribe wore.

In the chief’s home he is allowed to sleep on the floor where in the morning he thanks Chief Frost and sets out on his Quest for Answers.

Chapter 1

The Maze

After the nameless man woke up he prepared for his journey .The nameless man was heading out all alone so 5 of the tribes warriors decided that they would help this man with his quest. When they left they brought supplies with them. Deciding to travel toward the Wise One who was rumored to know everything,  but first they must pass 2 challenges as a group.

Their first challenge was to navigate a extremely confusing and treacherous maze that no one had completed or made it back alive from. Going in it was blacker than a starless sky but they had come prepared with a torch, a pencil, and paper to remember which way they had come from as well as a million miles of twine.

At first the pathway kept going straight then it forked left right and straight they decided that they would keep going straight. Just as they passed through the walkway the entrance to the tunnel was sealed by a slab of rock when they all stepped on a pressure plate rigged to drop when weight was put on it. Panicking they started to beat on the slab that stopped their return.

Later they continued on. After the panic subsided they ran into yet another trap; this one was concealed by a layer of sand which they stopped on and fell down a slide that was moist and couldn't be climbed back up.

When the nameless man saw that everyone was there he said “From now on we should be more careful where we step and we must be more cautious about everything we do.”

After talking one of the men saw a shaft of light beaming down onto a marble column. When they went to find a possible route out of this trap they noticed that there was writing on the column where the light was shining on it  said "There is no way to get through the maze none of the paths go to the end they all end up here." Seeing this the group starts to wail a moaning sorrow filled sound that reminded the nameless man of a dying animal.

When the group was no longer in despair the next thing to do was take the writing into consideration when one of the warriors said “I got it.” One of the others then said “Got what.” The warrior that burst out said “Maybe this is the end of the maze.” With that they started walking  when they came across a door with writing on it which said "Good job this was just a warm-up the real challenge begins once you step through this door."

Chapter 2

The Climb

When they stepped outside, they were greeted with the sky glistening with stars and once their eyes adjusted they saw the challenge that the writing spoke of: it was a giant-like mountain that rose up seeming to touch the very stars themselves, and on further investigation it seemed to surround the exit. There was only one way to get past: to climb the tremendous mountain.

“It seems that there is no easy way out of this one.” said one of the warriors.

“You got that right.” said another.

“When do any of you want to start the climb?” said the nameless man.

“In the morning.” the warriors said in unison.

After a good night’s rest they headed toward the mountain so they could start the long and treacherous climb up the steep mountain-side .

“We have been climbing for hours and we haven’t found a single spot to camp. I’m starting to wonder if there is even a spot to camp.” said one of the warriors as it was starting to become a dark and stormy night.

“We will stop when we find one but until then we press on.” said the nameless man who was obviously becoming the leader of the group. Just as the sun was sinking they found a spot to camp for the night. In the morning they started to climb again. Just as it was high noon they reached the summit of the mountain where they found a bag full of keys that they took in case they were needed later.

The descent was a nice shallow decline that they just started to run down when the nameless man suddenly sank. Struggling to get back to firm ground he only sunk deeper. Calling for help the rest of the group catches up and hauls him out of the ground. Now they cautiously placed their feet down before they put their full body weight on it.

Safely at the bottom it was starting to get dark when they saw  the house of the Wise One. They had used almost all of their energy sprinting there. But when they knocked nobody answered so they started trying the keys that they found on top of the mountain. None of the keys so far worked and there was only one key left. All the nameless man’s future rode on this one key opening the door. When they tried the last key there was a loud cur chunk and the door opened to find that the Wise One was there the whole time watching the door. As the travelers walked in the Wise One said “What took you so long?”

Once they had sat down the Wise One started to talk while the nameless man was taking in who he was. He found out his name was Dios (pronounced DE-Os). As Dios listened he found out that he came from Mars, and that the strange place he was found on is called Earth; that he had a family and a good job. At the end the Wise One asks Dios if he wants to stay on Earth or go to his family on Mars. Dios is having a war full of turmoil start inside his brain with one side being stay on Earth, and the other side being go to Mars. Finally one side triumphs and Dios decides to stay on Earth.

Epilogue

After returning to the tribe Dios and the warriors had been gone for 2 years. And when they returned Dios told Frost that he would be staying with the tribe for many, many, many years to come. With that Frost smiled and said “Dios I knew you would stay.”

Five years later Dios is the Winter Chief.

Bram's dissaperence

        “I must leave my students to fight Astaroth” said Elias Bram to himself “I must fulfill my destined prophecy by killing Astaroth”.  

Two days later he is at the doors of Astaroth’s castle and is about to attack when he feels a pain in his back then the cold steel of a blade. He falls backward and catches a glimpse of Astaroth with a bloody knife in his hand. Then blackness and nothingness consume him.

       When he aroused he found himself chained to the wall with 5 inch thick steel chains that were bolted to a steel plate.

       When Astaroth arrived he had a wicked grin on his face and said to Bram               “Look what the cat dragged in.”

“Shut up you filthy little weasel.”

Ough Astaroth slugged Bram hard in the gut. Crack Bram kneed Astaroth in the chin. Shing Astaroth pulls out a knife. Cling Astaroth’s knife misses Bram but not his chain. Thump, thump, thump, thump Bram is connecting blows repeatedly to Astaroth’s temple. Weeeeooooeeeooo goes the sirens as the alarm is sounded.

Running through the corridors with a mallet, he found in the armory, Bram is smashing in the skulls of everyone he meets in a desperate attempt to escape recapture and to get back to the school he founded and safety.

On his way back he encountered one of Astaroth’s many battalions on its way home from a war that was won. Diving for cover he finds it in the form of a fat and thick bush. Once the battalion passes by he is on the move again toward safety and home.  Once safe, he is able to get himself back into his room and is able to heal himself to make it look like nothing happened.

Later that day he is thinking to himself that I know they think me leaving for weeks at a time doesn’t help them but without them knowing it after all it is only to keep them alive longer.

Later when his grandson comes in and asks him where he has been going lately and Bram says I have been running errands.

Two days later Bram is holding a bow with an arrow notched and drawn pointed at Astaroth from point blank range when he releases the arrow which sails straight through Astaroth’s skull splattering his brains on the wall behind him.

Quest for Answers

Prologue

The rays of light shone down on a chiseled man in his thirties the man sighed and said “These rays of light warm my body, my soul, my very being and fiber.”

When he finished speaking he heard footsteps behind him and someone said “Who are you and what are you doing here in this land shrouded in mystery and secrets?” The man replied by saying “I do not know who I am, where I come from, or how I got here.” Then the man quickly added “And who would you be?” The man behind said “I am Frost chieftain of the Winter Tribe.” Frost being noble and wise gave this nameless man an opportunity to live in his tribe knowing that he would make a strong and smart warrior and possible chieftain.

The nameless man thought about the opportunity and saw that there were more pros than there were cons so the man gladly accepted and told the chieftain that he would stay until he found out what his name was where he was from and which direction that was. The chieftain agreed and led the man to the tribe’s camp. Where the people of the tribe started to whisper about him and how strange he looked to them in his modern clothes instead of the primitive ones that the tribe wore.

In the chief’s home he is allowed to sleep on the floor where in the morning he thanks Chief Frost and sets out on his Quest for Answers.

Chapter 1

The Maze

After the nameless man woke up he prepared for his journey .The nameless man was heading out all alone so 5 of the tribes warriors decided that they would help this man with his quest. When they left they brought supplies with them. Deciding to travel toward the Wise One who was rumored to know everything,  but first they must pass 2 challenges as a group.

Their first challenge was to navigate a extremely confusing and treacherous maze that no one had completed or made it back alive from. Going in it was blacker than a starless sky but they had come prepared with a torch, a pencil, and paper to remember which way they had come from as well as a million miles of twine.

At first the pathway kept going straight then it forked left right and straight they decided that they would keep going straight. Just as they passed through the walkway the entrance to the tunnel was sealed by a slab of rock when they all stepped on a pressure plate rigged to drop when weight was put on it. Panicking they started to beat on the slab that stopped their return.

Later they continued on. After the panic subsided they ran into yet another trap; this one was concealed by a layer of sand which they stopped on and fell down a slide that was moist and couldn't be climbed back up.

When the nameless man saw that everyone was there he said “From now on we should be more careful where we step and we must be more cautious about everything we do.”

After talking one of the men saw a shaft of light beaming down onto a marble column. When they went to find a possible route out of this trap they noticed that there was writing on the column where the light was shining on it  said There is no way to get through the maze none of the paths go to the end they all end up here. Seeing this the group starts to wail a moaning sorrow filled sound that reminded the nameless man of a dying animal.

When the group was no longer in despair was to take the writing into consideration when one of the warriors said “I got it.” One of the others then said “Got what.” The warrior that burst out said “Maybe this is the end of the maze.” With that they started walking  when they came across a door with writing on it which said Good job this was just a warm-up the real challenge begins once you step through this door.

Chapter 2

The Climb

When they stepped outside, they were greeted with the sky glistening with stars and once their eyes adjusted they saw the challenge that the writing spoke of: it was a giant-like mountain that rose up seeming to touch the very stars themselves, and on further investigation it seemed to surround the exit. There was only one way to get past: to climb the tremendous mountain.

“It seems that there is no easy way out of this one.” said one of the warriors.

“You got that right.” said another.

“When do any of you want to start the climb?” said the nameless man.

“In the morning.” the warriors said in unison.

After a good night’s rest they headed toward the mountain so they could start the long and treacherous climb up the steep mountain-side .

“We have been climbing for hours and we haven’t found a single spot to camp. I’m starting to wonder if there is even a spot to camp.” said one of the warriors as it was starting to become a dark  and stormy night.

“We will stop when we find one but until then we press on.” said the nameless man who was obviously becoming the leader of the group. Just as the sun was sinking they found a spot to camp for the night. In the morning they started to climb again. Just as it was high noon they reached the summit of the mountain where they found a bag full of keys that they took in case they were needed later.

The descent was a nice shallow decline that they just started to run down when the nameless man suddenly sank. Struggling to get back to firm ground he only sunk deeper. Calling for help the rest of the group catches up and hauls him out of the ground. Now they cautiously placed their feet down before they put their full body weight on it.

Safely at the bottom it was starting to get dark when they saw  the house of The Wise they used almost all of their energy sprinting there. But when they knocked nobody answered so they started trying the keys that they found on top of the mountain. None of the keys so far worked and there was only one key left. All the nameless man’s future rode on this one key opening the door. When they tried the last key there was a loud cur chunk and the door opened to find that the Wise One was there the whole time watching the door. As the travelers walked in the Wise One said “What took you so long?”

Taking in who he is the once nameless person’s name was really Dios (pronounced DE-Os). As Dios listened he found out that he came from Mars, and that the strange place he was found in is named Earth. That he had a family and a good job. At the end the Wise One asks Dios if he wants to stay on Earth or go to his family on Mars. Dios is just had a war full of turmoil start inside his brain with one side being stay on Earth, and the other side being go to Mars. Finally one side triumphs and Dios decides to stay on Earth.

Epilogue

After returning to the tribe Dios and the warriors had been gone for 2 years. And when they returned Dios told Frost that he would be staying with the tribe for many, many, many years to come. With that Frost smiled and said “Dios I knew you would stay.”

Five years later Dios is the Frost Chief.

Self Sacrifice- Theme Analyses

            When a war begins and a fight for survival ensues, many turn tail and run but there are those few with courage and bravery that will stand their ground and are willing to make any sacrifice.  Many of the sacrifices made were with their own life but for the ones who survived the war the sacrifices of the deceased were not in vain. The theme in the Maelstrom is self sacrifice.

Max a hero who is part of an elite fighting group/hit squad has lost many of his friends because of their sacrifices. For example one of his favorite teachers, Mrs. Kraken, committed suicide to keep the enemy at bay for a longer period of time and Nolan, one of his friends, and the sanctuary keeper/animal protector died saving the animals that were helpless or injured.

The place where the most self sacrifices are made are on the battlefield where the wounded protect the strong to fight another day. War, war is a very deadly and its sacrifices are always made in blood of one or another. Why? Why are there so many sacrifices associated with war all of them being in blood? To make a self sacrifice takes courage and bravery especially one that costs you your life. There may be a time when you just quit but you must always remember and recognize the ones who didn’t quit, and stayed to complete the task at hand.

Percy vs. Max