Totem Head's Story Contest!

So I decided to enter a writing contest. Why? I have no idea. I guess I just felt like it. Anyway, I'm not expecting to even get a runner-up ribbon, let alone win, but I still want to do it. I figured out a deadline makes me want to finish my writings faster, which is good. So, yeah.

If anyone else wants to enter the contest as well, here is the link:

http://www.adventurewrite.com/kids/contest.html

Well, see 'ya later,

Anjali

The Leather Doll

Here's a writing contest entry thing-a-majig I did for a contest between me and a few friends...

Writing Exercise

Storms are knocking down your windows, and you decide this is the best time. Come up with a scary story that will be so terrifyingly horrifying, that it will be told around the campfire for many years to come.

The Leather Doll

By Anjali Kunapaneni

There once was an old woman living in a rickety old house with a thatched roof that kept having the need to be repaired. The woman, with her fluffy white hair and many creases among her somewhat pale face, had a granddaughter. This granddaughter would be celebrating her birthday soon, and, though poor, the old woman set her mind to buying her granddaughter a birthday present.

So, the old woman set off one day to the marketplace, looking for the perfect gift. As she strolled past the crowded and expensive shops, she came upon a rundown little shack barely noticeable to the eye of a passerby. Sitting, or rather, sleeping behind the scraped up wooden counter, was a middle aged woman with her gray hair tied up, revealing the many beads and tribal necklaces strewn around her thick neck.

She had dark circles around her eyes, and her hands were wrinkled and dirty. Her hair was caked with mud. As the grandmother reluctantly grew closer to the shop, the woman woke up, and quickly wrapped her hair back in a lavender bandana, pulling the strands of charcoal hair back, making the many lines folded into her otherwise soft face less crude.

The grandmother walked up to the counter, and the woman frantically brushed through her hair with her fingers, trying to get the dirt out. “What is it you want?” the old shopkeeper asked impatiently. Troubled by the shopkeeper’s attitude, the grandmother explained that she was on a search for a nice gift for her granddaughter’s birthday.

The shopkeeper’s eyes widened as if she had been struck with a wonderful idea. “I know just what you need!” She exclaimed. The shopkeeper turned and rummaged through the mess, while a doubtful look remained on the grandmother’s face. It seemed the shopkeeper got excited very easily.

After searching through piles of mismatched items, the shopkeepers finally came up with a small, leather doll. At first, the grandmother wasn’t sure, but then, something seemed to lure her closer to the doll, a magnifying force.

Without realizing it, the grandmother had bought the doll, and the next day transferred it from her own wrinkled hands to her granddaughter’s.

The granddaughter’s name was Lucy. Lucy was a polite, kind girl, with curls of raven black and eyes of the purest blue. She had rosy cheeks, and always had a wide smile on her face. Her bubbly laughter was contagious, and she was well loved, by both family and friends.

It was her ninth birthday, and she was beaming with pride. Lucy was showered presents, and she hadn’t felt more important than she had that night. Just before the birthday party, her small grandmother stumbled in the door, shivering from having only on a thin shawl, while it thundered outside.

“I brought you a gift.” The fragile woman smiled. “Oh, Grandmother,” Lucy cried. “You shouldn’t have!” The grandmother’s smile widened. “But I did.”

The grandmother took out a small box from behind her back, and presented it to Lucy. Lucy thanked her, and eagerly opened up the box. Inside she found a leather doll.

She wished it weren’t true, but truthfully, Lucy felt disappointed. Compared to all the other fashionable dolls with their many outfits and poses, this plain leather doll seemed practically invisible.

Yet the doll turned out to be Lucy’s favorite. With it’s brown, ragged dress and button eyes, most would find the doll somewhat unlucky. But Lucy found it fascinating. The doll was made from the softest of leather, softer than a cotton ball, softer then the fur of a kitten. And Lucy found that when she pressed against it right arm, it would say phrases, such as, “I love you, Mommy,” or “Take care of me, Mommy,”, even though Lucy could’ve sworn she had squeezed that arm before and had no such result.

The leather doll soon became Lucy’s most trusted companion. During the cold winter nights, the doll made Lucy feel warm and safe, and was taken everywhere with Lucy. But strangely, ever since the doll was delivered to Lucy, she had been having the same nightmare over and over again.

A strange man with a terrible scar running down his face was after her, and by each night, by each dream, he was getting closer.

One night Lucy dreamed that night that the scarred man was bounding down her street, looking for her. She woke up in a cold sweat and quickly ran up to her window to make sure he wasn’t there. Lucy sighed with relief to see there was no one out there.

The leather doll suddenly squealed, “Help me, Mommy!” without Lucy even squeezing her arm. Lucy was bewildered, and something drew her to look out the window once more. She did, and she screamed.

Bounding down the cracked pavement was the scarred man, with his ragged suit and long, ragged black hair. He had a wild look in his eyes, and he looked absolutely savage. “Take care of me, Mommy! Save me, Mommy!” the doll cried.

Lucy heard the front door open, and then slowly close. Footsteps. They grew closer and closer. The stairs creaked, and the footsteps were now stomping down the hall.

Lucy backed up against the wall, clutching the doll. She squeezed her eyes shut, and the man entered the room.

He was even more savage looking up close, and he the aroma of death and decay around him, and Lucy was paralyzed. She knew she should’ve ran, or have called 911, but she couldn’t. She was struck with fear.

The man held out his hand, and it came closer. And closer. Until finally it snatched the leather doll out of Lucy hands. Electrifying shock went through Lucy’s body as she realized that was what the man was after the entire time.

The man held the doll, and looked at it for a moment with pure hate. Then he ripped the doll apart, just as it cried, “Help me, Mommy! Save me….” The sounds of the seams ripping apart were like nails on chalkboard, and, taking the two pieces of leather, the man placed them on his chest and on his back, where they fit perfectly on large scabs.

The man then walked away, away from the house, away from the street, away from the city, away from the country, away from the world. He had crossed to the other side.

For, in truth, the crazy old shopkeeper had murdered her husband and, using the remains of his skin, made the leather doll.

Literary Magazine...

So here is a sort of stupid short story I wrote for my Language Arts class's Literary Magazine. I was supposed to write a story with a moral, but I found that out after I'd already written it, so I twisted it up a little to fit the needs, but the moral doesn't make that much sense. Well, here it is:

Painting an Adventure

By Anjali Kunapaneni

Holding the long, thin brush steadily, I swiped it across the canvas, revealing stunning rays of crimson and scarlet as I painted a waterside sunset. I painted daring indigo, imagining a calm sea after a violent storm. In my imagination, anything could happen. Why? Because, all of a sudden, I was there.

I stood on a white a sailboat, small compared to the vast ocean surrounding me. I put my hand to my forehead, wiping away beads of sweat quickly rolling down it as the summer heat seemed to catch up to me. I grinned, enjoying the heat compared to the cruel, harsh winter cold back home.

I looked up and saw the magnificent sunset from my painting, and smiled at it’s beauty. I turned and saw a large rock, with a tall, blonde woman in a billowing white dress. Her long, tangled hair of gold blew in the strong wind left from the storm. Her dress was in rags, her eyes filled with fear.

Voiceless, she looked pleadingly at me, and I wondered how I could possibly help her. She glanced behind her and looked at me with terror. She seemed to be screaming, but I couldn’t understand what was so horrifying that it would cause her to act like this. She began to sob uncontrollably.

I watched until I couldn’t stand seeing her in despair and pure agony, and I turned around. Curiosity overtook me, and I looked back to see that the woman was gone, rock and all. I was horrified, wondering what evil had taken her, but I was also a bit relieved to see that I was not depended on by her to save her. I wasn’t ready for something like that to happen – for someone to trust me to do something so important.

I realized that was the whole point, and that was what I was supposed to have understood. I leaned against the sailboat’s thick mast, but to my surprise I stumbled over, falling on my bottom, scraping my palms against the hard, familiar wood of my drawing room floor. I was back.

I frowned, and decided not to end my little adventure. I got up and steadied myself, then replaced the canvas of many blue waters with new one. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and painted. I painted and painted. I painted until I could no more, and then stared at the painting. Then I was there.

Long vines of myrtle green wrapped and hung from the thick branches of wide, humungous trees. Bright flowers dotted the forest path, and dark birds chirped as they flew above my head. Bushes of fresh, green leaves covered the ground, still moist from the morning dew. I smiled, taking everything in at once. I was in a jungle of exotic plants and animals and beautiful scenery.

All of a sudden I heard a fierce growl come from behind me. I slowly and hesitantly turned, and saw a shadow from within the many shades of green, clashing together to form a perfect scene. The moment was ruined by another growl, and this time I saw the eyes. They were beady eyes, small but piercing. All my senses told me run away as quickly as possible, but I was scared stiff and I could barely breathe. The creature slowly crept out of the darkness, revealing it’s golden fur and many black spots. A jaguar.

I closed my eyes and counted to three. Then I opened them and whispered, “Nice kitty. I’ll be going now.” I was about to back away, when I heard a rustle of leaves behind me. My luck just couldn’t get any worse. Sure enough, I heard a growl and the sound of twigs breaking. I was cornered.

I turned sideways so I could see both big cats, and I backed up to a cypress tree behind me. One of the jaguars bared it’s large, pointy, white teeth, making me sink lower to the ground. I trembled with fear, and looked up, hoping the painting would take me back already.

I shut my eyes tight as I heard the growling coming closer until it turned into a soft purring. I opened one eye and saw that I was back, and my cat, Snow White, was sitting on my desk covered with sketches and designs.

I ran to the table and shooed her off, because I hadn’t realized what had happened yet. That’s when I figured it out. I was saved. But why? I sat down for a moment and thought, wondering about what had just happened. Then I got it.

When I had been taken to the sunset on the oceanfront, it was a lesson to show me that I wasn’t ready yet to take on big challenges, but when I tried to force my way into an adventure on the second try, I had been put in a terrible situation as a punishment.

As I thought of all that, I came to another realization. Maybe everything was just a lesson. Maybe having me sent to the jungle was a lesson, in way, by teaching me not to be afraid. But if that was true, I failed miserably. But, at least I understood. I understood I shouldn’t be scared of anything, from killer jaguars to an unforgiving choice deciding one’s fate to life in general.

I realized what had lead me to this realization was painting. Painting. And that was when it hit me. Painting. That decision lead me to the being the person I am today. Now I am a painter and illustrator, and I also work as a restorer from time to time. It isn’t perfect, but I am happy. All thanks to a little adventure I call painting.

Hoped you liked it. Comment!

Anjali

The Looking Glass

So I started six more books. I feel sick(Not because of the books). I hate allergies, because I can't focus on anything. So anyway, here's an excerpt from one of the books started:

The Looking Glass

By Anjali Kunapaneni

Summary:

Alice was just a normal girl. At least, she was until she looked through the looking glass. She never knew that from a simple glance, her life would be thrown into adventure, excitement, and friendship. So maybe the looking glass actually helped. From a shy, quiet, and lonely girl, she became the person the world depended on. The one whose final decision would decide everything.

Prologue

Alice ran as fast as she could, hot tears trickling down her cheeks. Her cheek burned with pain, red from the impalement of a palm. She ran through the woods, the trees around her seemingly mocking her with cruel laughter.

She bit her lip without realizing it, until she felt the distinct flavor blood in her mouth, startling her. Alice quickly bit her lip again, just to make it numb, so she wouldn’t have to deal with more pain adding on to both her current physical and emotional pain.

She ran further, until finally the nauseas feeling was swept away and chill went down her spine with the dropping temperature. She stopped and fell on her knees, palms flat on the dark soil beneath her. Alice panted, wiping sweat away from her forehead with the back of her hand.

She looked around and saw she had stumbled into a small cave, constructed by large, slanted boulders leaning into each other, creating just enough shelter for a young girl for the night. Alice sat, her arms tightly encircled around her knees.

Her wild, fiery red hair was caked with mud, her face dirty and her blue eyes looking glassy. Painful memories filled her, and she wished she wouldn’t have to go there again. But they always found her. Somehow, they would. But this time was different. Alice had a plan.

She decided to wait for morning, and have a rest before starting her journey. Alice’s thoughts wandered, and she slowly fell into a deep, dark slumber. Her eyes closed peacefully, and she smiled as though she was having a nice dream. Alice only smiled in dreams.

Alice had a dream. No, not that kind of, dream, but a dream of what she truly wanted to take place in the future. Alice wished for her life to be out of the ordinary. Well, a good out of the ordinary, unlike the bad kind she was currently living.

She wished for things she knew would never come true, but she kept on dreaming. Alice remembered when she would sit on the porch with a tall glass of cool lemonade, daydreaming what her life would be like if everything had turned out differently. If that wretched day hadn’t taken place…

No, Alice knew that it was fate, and she couldn’t possibly change it, so she shouldn’t live in the past and sulk. Alice was always optimistic, curious, and brave, yet her shyness won, giving everyone the illusion that she was a quiet girl.

But they were so wrong.

The next morning, as Alice woke up with a loud yawn and a stretch, she quickly remembered her plan. She had planned to be coming to this cave soon, but fate brought her there earlier, so she should just make the best of it.

Alice stood and started moving the boulders and rocks, pebbles and stones. Finally, covered in a very thin layer of dust, was a small, blue backpack, sitting in the corner. Alice had been planning her escape for months, and had placed the bag there earlier in case she needed supplies.

She double checked to make sure everything was there before zipping the bag up and glancing out the cave entrance, making sure no one saw her. Alice had to leave before they noticed she was gone and went searching for her.

Alice covered any evidence pointing to her presence there with pebbles and stones. She slung the backpack over her shoulder and looked out the cave entrance. For moment she felt doubt, as if her plan wouldn’t work. But Alice knew she had to do it.

It was now or never.

Write, Write, Write

So last week we had an author visit our school. The author was Wendy Wan Long Shang, who wrote the book "The Great Wall Of Lucy Wu". She told us about writing, and her her basic techniques about writing. Though it was all sort of a review for me, I was excited to hear what an author thought about writing in general. Plus, this was the first time I met someone who had been published in real life. So it was really exciting. There was one thing she told us that really got to me: Writ, Write, Write. I feel kind of guilty because I don't spend as much time as I should on my writing, and I get bored by the idea a little too quickly.

I've decided to get more focused on writing, and I just hope I'll be able to stick to this mid-year resolution and not give up on it. Well, I should stop blogging and start writing if I want to live up to my promise.

Gotta go,

Anjali

Spring Break!

So it's spring break and I've decided to get a bit focused on my writing, which I should be doing now instead of writing (Or typing..) this post, but I'll get back to that. Anyway, so the school year is almost over and I'm really happy because:

1. We're buying new house, which means I won't have to share a room with my sister anymore!

2. I found out I'm actually good at soccer! So I'm going to try out for a team this summer.

3. We aren't going to my country for the summer which means I can do whatever I want!

4. I can write more as an option of "Whatever I want" ^.

5. I won't have to go to school for a whole two and a half months!!!

Things that are making me sad:

1. If we move I'll have to start at a new school in fall where I won't know anyone.

2. I might not get on the soccer team.

3. I won't be able to see my relatives if we don't go to my country and it'll break their hearts.

4. I might get Writer's Block (Or what I think is Writer's Block since it doesn't exist.).

5. I will only be able to see my friends who live in my neighborhood but not my other friends.. so sad :(

So yeah. Well, I hope you have a great Spring break you guys! Oh, and I hope you don't mind me blabbering about Summer vaca too early.

Anyway, bye!

Anjali

Phew, it's been that long already?

I cannot, cannot, CANNOT believe that I've been so lazy and haven't posted in sooo long. Okay, so I'll post an excerpt of something I'm working on. It's the Mermaid Legend, Ch. 2:

The Mermaid Legend

Chapter 2

She hid behind some anemone. She looked both ways to make sure that no one saw her. She swam quickly to the large underwater cave. She held her breath out of anxiety until she was able to make it to the cave. She had a secret. A dark secret.

She swam deep into the dark and endless labyrinth of tunnels, passages, and choices, until she saw light. A tunnel lead to a beach of golden sand and tall palm trees. The luminescent blue moon hung in the dark, glimmering sky. Millions of glittering golden stars shone, nestled in the galaxy of hopeful darkness. She, alone, sat on the beach of shimmering beauty that she was forbidden from, yet forced to go to.

She knew everyone was forbidden from being there, of course, but “everyone” wasn't going through what she was going through. At night, all the maidens and warriors of the waters of Poseidon were forbidden from the shores of the connecting world of dreams, hope, and mutual beauty as the undersea paradise of the merfolk. But she was excused. She knew that, because the great Poseidon didn't drown her, as he could've. She knew he was watching.

Every night of the full moon she was forced to go to the shores of the world above. On blue moons, the Sacred Jewel of the Seven Seas was released to cover the full moon, casting it as a blue shadow of lunar likeness. Then, it was up to her. Just as the job her mother, her grandmother, her great-grandmother, her great-great-grandmother, and so forth of the generations were forced to do until death. Her secret was what was going to end her life.

Tears ran down her cheeks as she let beautifully sweet melodies flow out of her open mouth, feeding the Jewel great power. She could almost hear the great Poseidon laughing at her despair. She knew there was no point in crying, but she couldn't help it. Why her? Why her?

Of all the fish in the sea, why did it have to be her? She didn’t do anything wrong, right? So why her? Her thoughts blurred together into impossible questions as she continued to sing. Why?

Her singing grew stronger and the moon turned a violent shade of cobalt. The light blue colors trickled through the night sky, forming a staircase. A woman in a billowing blue dress stepped on the surf, walking on water towards the girl. Her long, black hair blew in the wind, her shimmering blue eyes powerful, yet gentle, like the ocean. “I am Amphitrite, Goddess of the Sea.” The goddess smiled.

The girl gasped. Suddenly her long, shimmering yet elegant tail disappeared in a shower of golden light and were replaced by human legs. She now wore a gleaming dress of pure gold. “Your highness,” She stuttered. “How?”

Amphitrite smiled, and waved her hand over the sea. A golden dust came from her long, nimble fingertips and fluttered onto the dark waves, transforming them into golden splashes of liquid. “Magic..” By now the girl’s hand was covering her mouth as if she was having a heart attack. “Wow...”

She tried standing up. She staggered backwards, her new found legs trying to balance. She finally got a hang on it, like she always did. Every blue moon, strangely, it was always the same.

“We will have to make this particular meeting quick, for I have a certain, um, what do you call it? Proposition? Yes, I have a proposition for Boreas, the North Wind. Alas, he won't be happy doing something for the sake of a mortal.” The queen sighed, but went back to her smiling self in seconds.

For a moment, the girl was confused. What did the queen mean? She decided it was none of her business. If the goddess really wanted to tell her, she would. So, no complaining.

The queen was acting strange that night, as if something important was about to happen any second. The girl sighed, annoyed by the fact that she was always restricted to know about important. Why mention it around her anyway? It was just something to make her more annoyed.

Her mind went back to the reason the she was even there. She would always be surprised to have the great Poseidon's queen and the ancient sea goddess come to turn her into a... a... she squeezed her eyes shut and opened them to see if it would make a difference. Nope. She would always have to have this happen to her, just because of her ancestor’s mistake. The great mistake...

At least, that was what her mother had called it when she had to explain about the curse. Stupid curse. If it weren’t for the curse she wouldn’t be what she was. All of a sudden dark clouds filled the sky and it started to thunder. “Is Zeus angry with Poseidon?” The girl questioned Amphitrite.

Amphitrite smile disappeared. “Yes. Actually, it is about you. Apparently Poseidon is deciding on whether or not he will give you a chance to vanquish the source of this curse.” The goddess smiled mysteriously.

She felt flood of relief flush through her. Then something hit her. “Wait, what's the source?” She asked desperately. Amphitrite smiled, waved her hand, and disappeared in a shower of crystal blue water. “Goddesses..” The girl muttered.

She tried to become a mermaid again, but she knew she couldn't. What was the point? She couldn't change back 'till morning, because then a magical ray of light would transform her back. Yay! She got to be a.. a.. a monster for a night. Great, right? Wrong.

She unwillingly started singing again. Well, at least there was a possible way to change herself back. She sang her heart out, and the dark blue moon seemingly laughing at her. She knew it wasn't Artemis's fault, but she was very angry at her for not taking control of her moon. Stupid old blue moon.

She couldn't take it anymore. As she sang, she burst out in tears. Suddenly she was hit with a strange sensation, as if she was being watched. She shook the feeling away. It was just another thing to point out how different she was.

Why couldn't she just be a normal girl?! Why?! Because she was Leira, the Guardian of The Sacred Jewel. That's why.

So how is it? Not bad I guess. COMMENT!