Adopt, Don't Shop

As Arden walks inside the building, she hears the sounds of dogs barking and whining. The twenty-six-year-old is finally able to do something she has dreamed of since being a little girl. As she goes through the building doors, she notices a check in area where photos of different animals are taped onto the sides of the large counter.

“Hi,” Arden greets the person behind the counter as she walks up to it.

“Hello, I’m Vanessa. Is there anything specific you’re looking for today?” the employee asks and Arden nods.


“I was wondering if you could show me the dogs that have been here the longest. I’m looking to adopt some of them,” Arden says.


“Of course!” the girl in the gray uniform exclaims. “Follow me.”

As Vanessa begins to walk, Arden follows her. They pass by a room filled with cats of all types and sizes before finding themselves in a large room with dim lighting. While walking, Arden looks around with a small frown on her face as she sees the animals surrounding her stuck in small cages with barely any toys.

“This big guy is Cooper,” Vanessa tells Arden about a brown and white dog hiding in the back of his cage, and continues to give her more information. “Cooper has been here for three years. He’s deaf which has made many people choose not to adopt him as well as the fact that he is a bulldog and there seems to be some sort of vendetta against his breed.” The dog walks up to the front of his living area and whimpers at seeing Arden. Arden smiles and kneels down to be closer to him.


“Hi there, big guy. I know you can’t hear what I’m saying but wow, you are beautiful,” Arden finds herself speaking to the dog in front of her before standing back up to talk to the person helping her. “I would love to adopt Cooper, but, I wouldn’t mind looking at more of the dogs to possibly give him a friend.”


Arden and Vanessa start walking again while she gazes at the beautiful canines surrounding her. They pass a Beagle, Greyhound, and a Yorkshire terrier before stopping at a new cage. Arden looks inside and silently awes at the Rottweiler in front of her.


“This is Teddy,” Vanessa says. “He’s extremely lovable and always wants to be around someone, but people seem to be afraid of having him around children.”


“He’s adorable and I would love to include him in my family along with Cooper.” The young adult says and smiles. 


After choosing the two dogs that Arden wants to adopt, Vanessa takes her back up to the check in area. While Vanessa grabs the paperwork needing to be signed, Arden looks at the limited amount of leashes and dog clothes available to buy and picks up a blue leash as well as a red leash for her newly adopted dogs. When Vanessa comes back to the counter with the papers, Arden skims through the words before signing her name where it needs to be. 


Two different employees enter the room with Cooper and Teddy as Arden pays for the leashes and dogs. When she finishes paying, she thanks the workers and exits the animal shelter with her new friends.


“Welcome to the Barnes family, Teddy and Cooper,” Arden says to her dogs and smiles as she is happy with her choices.

Trovare

The waves were always calling out to Avalon. She dreamed of being in the sea forever and being able to swim with the fish, discovering parts of the ocean nobody has yet to find. She believed that she got her love from her parents.

Avalon’s parents left her at a young age. They were scientists who believed in the existence of mermaids. They had promised the girl that they would come back for her; they never did. Avalon believed they were somewhere in the ocean and she was determined to reunite with them. 

There was a basement in Avalon’s house but it was locked. She had a plan to skip school someday and search for the key while her guardian was at work. When Avalon’s aunt left for work the next day, she began to look around for the key. It was nowhere to be found in any of the kitchen drawers and it wasn’t in her aunt’s room. Avalon was about to give up when she thought of the mermaid painting her mother gave her. She ran to her room and ripped open the canvas; the key laid inside. 

“Oh my God,” Avalon said to herself aloud and smiled.

She ran to the basement and unlocked the door. Avalon walked down the stairs and gasped when she looked around her. All types of paper hung on the walls and two desks were filled with files. She sat down and got to work.

*   *   *   *  *

  It has been five months since Avalon got inside the basement. She has spent every day down there, only leaving when it was time for school, or when her aunt was home. Avalon believes she knows what happens to her parents after doing plenty of research and she is ready to do the same as her parents but she has to confess everything to her aunt first.

  “Aunt Catherine, can I talk to you for a second?” Avalon asks when her aunt gets home from work. 

“Of course, sweetie,” Avalon’s aunt responds to her.

“You might want to sit down for this,” Avalon begins and she and her aunt settle onto the couch. “A couple of months ago, I found the key to the basement and I’ve been sneaking down there every day. I’ve been looking into mom and dad’s research and I think I found out where they are. I want to go to them.”

“Oh, darling, Are you sure?” Aunt Catherine says.

“I’m positive, but there’s a slight problem. I think they’re in the ocean. I think they’re  mermaids,” Avalon says and Aunt Catherine gasps in disbelief. “Don’t get me wrong, I know I sound insane, but I’ve been doing so much research and I looked at mom’s diary and she wrote about a necklace she made for herself and dad. It was her last entry and I found an extra necklace down there. I think mom wanted me to find it.”

“Somehow, I believe you,” Aunt Catherine says and laughs at her words.

“I love you. Thank you for caring for me so long and believing in me,” Avalon says.

“I love you so much, dear. Be safe,” her aunt says and hugs Avalon.

The next day, Avalon waves goodbye to her aunt and walks to the beach. She puts on the piece of jewelry and takes a deep breath.

“Please work,” the girl mutters to herself and jumps into the ocean. White waves creep up to Avalon and surround her. When Avalon looks down into the water, she gasps at the sight. Her legs are gone but in their place is a tail. She is a mermaid; the necklace works, meaning her parent’s theory is correct and they must be alive somewhere. Avalon remembers seeing a map in the basement with a location circled in the middle of the ocean somewhere. Her parents must be there waiting for her.

Avalon dives under the water and silently giggles at the feeling of swimming with a tail. Swimming is faster as a mermaid, which she discovers when she lays her arms out in front of her as her tail allows her to move more quickly. When Avalon arrives at where she believes her parents are, she puts her head above the water and notices it’s a cove. She goes back underwater and swims in between rocks before finding herself inside the cove. Avalon floats back up and gasps when she sees two familiar people with tails already inside.

“Mom, Dad?” Avalon speaks out and her parents turn around to face her.

“Oh my God, you found us! I knew you would,” her mother says and the two girls begin to cry happy tears.

“I can’t believe I found you guys. Wow,” she says as she looks around. “Is this where you’ve been the whole time?”

“Yes, we had to stay here so you could find us. We woke up every morning hoping you’d come. I’m so sorry we had to leave you, darling. It was an experiment our bosses forced us to do and they said we couldn’t bring you. We tried to leave you as many clues as possible for you to find us someday,” Avalon’s dad says and hugs his daughter.

Avalon is reunited with her family at last. She is able to feel whole for the first time since her parents left her.

White Lie

White lies are all I hear within the friends surrounding me.

They say the truth will set you free,

Yet all I hear are lies.

You try to satisfy,

Trying to act all carefree.

There is no jumping with glee.

You must understand why I disagree

As you are not being wise.

White lies are all I hear.

This is not my cup of tea 

As you act like you are three.

How can people idolize

When you can't apologize

For acting like a queen bee.

White lies are all I hear.

-K.B.

How To Be Positive

I don't know about you guys but I have always had a hard time staying positive with everything that has and will happen in my life. I try my hardest to be happy with the life that I live and know that I can do anything through Christ who gives me strength but that doesn't mean that it isn't tough. 

I believe that positivity is the key to the world.  I think that if everyone were to be a little more positive, Earth could be a better place. Like I said before, I know that it is hard to be positive which is why I have some tips that may be able to help keep smiles upon faces with no tears being shown.

WAYS TO BE POSITIVE

• Find happy things during a negative situation.

• Positive thoughts lead to positive actions.

• Live in the moment.

• Love yourself.

• Love others.

• Focus on what you want.

• Believe in yourself.

• Smile.

• Don't let the little things get to you.

• Don't confuse quitting with letting go.

• If you aren't having a good day, make a good day.

• Remember that you are in the present and not in the past or future.

• Face yours fears.

• Share yours feelings. Don't bottle them up.

• Write down positive things.

• Listen to upbeat, happy music.

• Do things you love not things you hate.

• Let go of grudges.

• Dream big.

• Don't compare yourself to others.

• Accept what you can't change.

• Be realistic as you won't become down in the dumps if something doesn't happen.

• Have positive people around you not negative people.

I hope this list of ways to be positive helps give you a new mindset. I am still learning all of these ways and it is definitely hard to always be positive but be as positive as you can each day. Remember that when things get tough, you have people around that love and care for you.

Sad Song

Trying to stay strong,

Yet the sky is so unclear,

It's like a sad song.

Holding on for so long,

Maybe I am insincere

Trying to stay strong.

I try not to be wrong.

With so much fear,

It's like a sad song.

Unsure if I belong,

It's been a long year

Trying to stay strong.

Not wanting this to be lifelong,

Needing the hurt to disappear,

It's like a sad song.

Feeling like a string along,

Not enjoying this atmosphere,

Trying to stay strong,

It's like a sad song.

-K.B.

Hello Spring

As we begin to welcome the beauty that is Spring, my lovely friend and I decided to go out and take some photos before her trip to New York. These are just a few shots that I managed to capture on camera.

Hospital Days

About mid-afternoon yesterday, I was in the ER due to my mom not feeling well and I found myself making this poem. Thankfully, after being in the hospital for 7 hours, we discovered that all is okay and there shouldn't be anything to worry about. This poem I present to you is titled "Hospital Days."

- -

Hospital Days

Hear the sound of machines

People in seats crying everywhere

Scared something is going wrong

Nurses and doctors running around

No idea if it'll be okay

Give me some kind of hope

Another day has gone by

And we're still inside the white walls

Trying to be strong for the people in the room

Announcements calling out code blues

Emotions flying around

Someone tell me everything is alright

Balloons begin to fill the room

Get well cards being sent

But no one knows what to say

Or how to help

They ask how you're doing

Rate your pain on a scale from zero to ten

Trying out different medications

And no privacy is being given

This is for my younger brother

The one who has seizures

When he can't remember what happened

And he's crying out in pain wanting to leave

This is for my neighbor

The one who was in a car crash

And had to be taken out with the jaws of life

Leaving scars mentally and physically

This is for my grandpa

The one with a wonderful yet bad heart

So many procedures been done

And maybe more to come

This is for my mom

The one who is at the hospital at this very moment

With no clue what's wrong

Praying for the best outcome

This is for the people everywhere

The ones afraid for their lives

Stuck in a small room

Hoping it isn't their last day.

-K.B.