Download - Andrew Carpenter Final Magazine
WE HEAR FROM YOU!Reader submitted stories
Where is YOUR happy place?
The Spot
Table of ContentsWhere is Your happy place................... 3
Interviews............................................ 12
Reader Submitted Content................... 19
Letter From the Editor
“The Spot” aims to provide an escape for the reader. The magazine allows you to be
able to get lost. Get away from it all by simply picking up the magazine and opening it. It
does this with its first impression, the cover. The cover’s simple design and beautiful land-
scape photograph aims to put the reader in awe. The magazine’s cool color scheme calms
the reader and puts him/her at ease. The magazines feature articles all have a central theme.
This theme is that they all revolve around a place. This place is generally one relaxing. One
that the writer enjoys dearly and this can be seen through their very descriptive writing.
Finally, in our last article features you the reader. We’ve opened up our office to submissions
from readers. We did this for many reasons. One of which is we like to her about you. When
we read your content it allows us to get to know you better. We can design the magazine spe-
cifically to what our readers want. Another reason for the reader submitted content is that
we value the reader. When we include reader submitted work so that the reader has a part in
the making of the magazine. The magazine becomes a collaborative effort.
The making of the magazine has been a difficult process, but one filled with reward.
From first drafting the articles and conducting the interviews to writing this letter I have
learned a lot about writing and myself as well. The magazine allows me to creatively piece
all my work from the summer together and present it in a unique and interesting way.
Andrew CarpenterEditor in chief
An escape. A getaway of a lifetime. It’s summertime which mean family vacations. Instead of breaking the bank on expensive trip to Maui, why not take the kids to grandma and grandpas. For many people family can be a time of fun and provide an escape without the stress on
your wallet. Our Andrew Carpenter tells us about how he gets away from the world.
A four bedroom, two-story house sitting on
thirteen acres of land in the Ohio River valley, sur-
rounding it is a small town one would only know if
they lived in it, or the close surrounding area. The
house sits at the end of a long gravel road. When
first entered one would find themselves in the kitch-
en, to the right a fire place room and to the left a
living room with a television. Upstairs are the main
bedroom, and two guest beds. Past the kitchen is a
dining room with big windowed doors leading to the
porch. From the sitting room window, you can see
riverboats guiding barges up and down the river. The
property contains a large back yard with a barn,
which was recently painted blue. Behind the main
property lies a wooded area that leads to the river on
the horizon. The main house is at least 80 years old
and has had many rooms added over the years. Be-
cause the house has been added onto over the years,
it is a combination of old style construction and
materials with new. It used to be a farm that was
divided up into smaller parcels that are now where
the neighbors live. There are cows in the pasture
next to the yard. Cousins collect wood for bonfires
on cold winter nights. Kids climb out the upstairs
window onto a gable and hang out on the roof.
There are dogs, cats & chickens. The chickens are a
new addition and are the first transition to making
the property into a proper farm, with talks of goats
next. Grandpa is turning the barn into a workshop
because the garage got too small for his projects. He
has been working on the house since its purchase,
and seems to always be doing something to it. There
is a quilting room with a large quilting machine used
by Grandma. She made each of her grandchildren
quilts years ago and has taken the hobby on head on
since.
*
When first entered one would find themselves in
the kitchen. During Christmas and Thanksgiving, it
seems as many people as
possible are crammed into
the kitchen, each family
cooking their respective
dishes with help from the
children. Many dishes
are made before the day
of, but without fail the
kitchen becomes a war-
zone. Pots bubble, potatoes
mashed, pies created, and
cookies baked. Because
of the crowding and pres-
sure to get things done
on time, tensions are sometimes
created among family members,
but it all settles down eventually.
Many different aromas arise, but
usually the smell of the holiday
bird dominates all. Just walk-
ing through one can almost taste
the feast being prepared. When
the time for football comes the
kitchen is cleared of most of the
men, but not before the refrigera-
tor is raided for beer. After the
meal, the plates are cleared from
the table into a mountain in the
sink. The days following are spent
noshing on the enormous amount
of left overs. Usually turned into
a sandwich with whatever side
dishes remain. Grocery shopping
usually isn’t needed for at least
five days after the holiday.
*
Cousins collect wood for
bonfires on cold winter nights.
Once every two or three days
an enormous pile of wood, tree
branches, cardboard, and any-
thing else flammable and non-
toxic is created. Grandpa usually
contributes most of these materi-
als because they are mostly scrap
from one of the numerous proj-
ects he is working on at the time.
The grandchildren, however, do
their fair share of contribution as
well. Clearing sticks and branches
from the yard or finding old
planks of wood in the barn, they
all throw them into this pile. The
stack of wood gets to be around
thirty feet in diameter and eigh-
teen feet high, although these
numbers can be much greater
depending on recent events such
as a windy night. At dusk the
wood is set ablaze, usually ten
minutes pass before the fire is
al full force but when it is it can
warm the coldest of bodies. This
is the time when people start to
bring chairs around, trying to
find the perfect distance from
the fire. On a night when some-
one had gone to the store earlier,
marshmallows are roasted. The
younger children scramble to find
long pointed sticks when they
hear of the marshmallows, while
the older kids usually steal their
chairs. This is where the family
eventually gathers during the
evenings when their daily tasks
are finished.
*
Behind the main property
lies a wooded area that leads to the
When the time for foot-ball comes the kitchen is cleared of most of the men, but not before the refrigera-tor is raided for beer.
river on the horizon. About a mile from the house
towards the river is a drainage tunnel that runs off
into the Ohio River. We first discovered the drainage
tunnel on a hike in search of nothing in particu-
lar but just for the sake of exploring. We climbed
through some barbed wire, because fun things are
always behind barbed wire, and started down a
steep grassy hill covered in light shrubbery towards
what looked to be a creek. Upon arrival at the bot-
tom of the hill we realized the creek was not a creek
but this long drainage tunnel. As curious as kittens
we wanted to know where this tunnel led to, but the
first of us to jump down quickly realized the tunnel
was home to snakes and our interests fled. After be-
coming a hang-out for a couple of days, the drainage
ditch was brilliantly named “the hobo hole” by one
of the younger cousins who was convinced a rugged
looking, bearded man lived there. For days groups of
cousins would go down to the hobo hole and explore,
talk, and imagine what went on when we were not
around.
*
There are cows in the pasture next to the yard.
One of the neighboring properties had a fenced in
pasture with cows. This fence was equipped with an
electrical component, a wire that ran parallel with
the barbed wire, all interlaying between the wooden
planks that supported the fence posts. One of the
cousins had the extremely intelligent idea of touch-
ing the electric fence but was too afraid to actually
do so. This quickly turned into a contest of who
would touch the fence and who would not, much
like the scene from A Christmas Story when the little
boy gets his tongue stuck to the flag pole. Being the
oldest and of course the bravest, I decided I would
go first. I crouched down and found which wire was
filled with currents of electricity. After a couple of
flinches my finger found its way on to the wire and I
felt a shock go throughout my entire body while my
leg involuntarily kicked backwards. It was a rush
like no other. Seeing as I was still alive and none of
my skin charred or hair on fire, the younger cousins
did as I.
*
On a warmer day the cows can be found sun-
ning themselves close to the fence that holds them
in. On this particular day there was a bull amongst
them, and my cousins and I were pretty interested.
My dad noticed us staring at the bull, and he walked
down from the deck to where we were standing
by the fence. After joking about it for a little, He
offered a 5 dollar reward to whoever could touch
the bull and come back. Instantly my mind flashed
to scenes of Johnny Knoxville and Steve-O being
nailed in the groin by bull horns, but this was five
dollars I was not about to let that pass up. Unfortu-
nately for my dad, neither my sister nor two slightly
younger cousins, Patrick and Bailey, wanted to pass
on this offer either. I went first, then the older of
the cousins, Patrick, then my sister and finally the
younger of the cousins, Bailey. Each of us hopped
the fence and took a deep breath
through our mouths as to calm our
nerves and avoid the awful smell
of the cows and their droppings.
I meandered a path and traveled
quietly, touched the bull and quickly
returned to receive my reward. This
was done by the next two people
to follow me as well. The last of us,
however, had a different experience.
Just before he was going to touch
the bull Patrick and I looked at each
other and screamed Bailey’s name.
Naturally, this startled the bull ever
so slightly, but Bailey much more. Seeing the bull
move Bailey bust into a full on sprint headed right
for the fence. In one motion he grabbed the top
wooden plank and swiftly threw his legs and body
over.
*
Rebecca Carpenter (my grandmother): “The
town in which your grandpa and I grew up is named
Belpre; it is in southeastern Ohio. Geographically,
it is compact bounded by the Ohio River on the east
and by low hills formed from river erosion on the
west. Belpre was, and is, a typical small Midwestern
town. Your grandpa and I grew up uneventfully
nurtured by friends, family, and sameness.
*
Typically, almost all small-town houses had
yards and, in summer, gardens were a source of
pride. In summer we ate fresh veggies and in winter
we ate home canned produce. My
mom always went to my grandma’s
to can because her house was much
roomier. There existed then, and
still exists, what I call a “tomato
cult” in the Midwest. By March
people are starting tomato seeds
in Solo paper cups in window sills
and by Memorial Day are proudly
pointing to their eight to twelve
inch high green plants. From then
on it is a race to see who gets the
first tomato. Your Great Uncle
Greg beat me the last two years
and your Great Uncle Ray always loses, which Great
Aunt Susan laughs about. Details like we start with
plants from the nursery give us a great advantage.
Most houses in this area still have at least a row of
tomatoes and many still make salsa or can. Not
I. In doctors’ offices and in grocery aisles, I hear
people asking, not about relatives’ health or vaca-
tions, but ‘How are your tomatoes coming?’”
*
A four bedroom, two-story house sitting on thirteen
acres of land in the Ohio River valley, surrounding it is
a small town one would only know if they lived in it, or
the close surrounding area. This is my happy place.
“Instantly my mind flashed to scenes of Johnny Knox-ville and Steve-O being nailed in the groin by bull horns, but this was five dollars I was not about to let that pass up.”
Indigo Hansen is not like an ordinary girl,
or one that I’ve encountered before. She’s kind of
weird, but totally independent and operates by her
own means. She definitely isn’t the girl to follow
trends; she’s the girl to do what makes her happy.
She has a younger brother Oliver who she’s says can
be a lot to deal with, but I like the little guy. Her
mother Karen owns an interior design
company. This where I believe indigo
gets her independent attitude from.
A soon to be Nole, she will be start-
ing at Florida State University in
the fall.
One of my best friends
throughout high school, Indigo and
I have known each other for the
better part of four years. Many a
date has been spent by us cuddling
up in a dark theatre and watching
a movie. We are spending the sum-
mer apart because I’m in college
and she is back at home. Because
of this distance our correspondence
was over email. It was nice to get
in touch with her and I enjoyed the
interview despite the lack of human
interaction. When I first told her I
planned on interviewing her she was
more than willing and seemed a tad
excited.
How often do you go to the movies?
Typically two to three times per month, sometimes
more if there are movies I want to see or if it’s rainy
for a few weeks
What is your favorite genre of movie?
Either comedy or action, like stepbrothers, accepted,
fast and furious, etc.
Interviews
How do you decide what movies to see? And how
much of a role does advertising play in this?
It depends on the trailer, if it looks good I’ll definite-
ly try to see it, or if I’m in the mood to see a movie
ill check out what’s playing, look up the trailer, and
if it looks good then I’ll go see it. Sometimes it also
depends on who is starring in the movie. A good ac-
tor can sometimes make drab plotlines worth watch-
ing. Some actors also just capture my attention and
keep me engaged no matter the role.
What would your ideal movie experience contain?
It would include seeing a movie with good friends,
and a movie with a believable and creative plot line,
good acting/actors, and good special effects.
How important is the theater experience to you?
As long as the theater is clean and has stadium seat-
ing it’s not that big of a deal. But stadium seating is
a must
Whose opinion do you usually value the most when
deciding on what movie to watch?
Friends with similar interests and sense of humor, or
rotten tomatoes if no one I know has seen the movie.
Who do you usually go to the movies with?
Friends and sometimes family
What GREAT movies have you seen recently?
Fast and furious 6, Monsters University, brave heart,
goonies
What made them/it great?
The action packed scenes
and crazy cars, the sequel to
a movie I saw as a kid and
the idea of Scare Games,
realistic portrait of the Scot-
tish fight for independence
and excellent acting, one
of my favorite movies and
watching it with my family
How do you feel about 3D?
It bothers my eyes but the
effect is cool,
It’s usually overdone or
underdone. Like there either
isn’t enough of 3d effect or
it’s too much and bugs out
my eyes
What does it do for your
movie experience?
Makes it feel realistic or
makes me dizzy, depending
on the cinematography. But
I usually prefer a regular
movie over 3d
What are some of your all-
time favorite movies?
Accepted, dark knight, fast
and furious, dinner with
shmucks
Why?
Accepted and din-
ner with schmucks are too
of the funniest movies in
my opinion and I laugh out
loud every time I see both of
them. Fast and furious is my
fave action movie because
I’ve always loved it as a kid.
And the dark knight is the
perfect combo of action and
political drama and I love
the concept of good vs evil
and how it’s portrayed in the
film
Interview with Lori
Carpenter:
A place for my family
to go on the weekends often
includes the movies. Gener-
ally speaking when my mom
(Lori Carpenter) comes we
see what she wants to see,
sometimes it is what the
family wants to watch and
sometimes it isn’t. When it
isn’t I almost always think it
will be a dreadful experience,
but it is usually not. By the
end of the movie I am usu-
ally surprised at how much
I liked it. My mom always
wants to see a movie with some meaning behind it
which is a nice counter to the newest gory zombie
movie. An avid watcher of the Oscars, she always
wants to see the movies that are nominated for ‘Best
Film’ so around the time of year the Oscars are on
she makes it a point to go see these films sometime
two in one weekend. She is currently away on vaca-
tion with my family but still made time in an area
where Wi-Fi is scarce to participate in my interview.
How often do you go to the
movies?
I visit the movies about
once a month.
What is your favorite genre
of movie?
I enjoy a movie about hu-
man triumphs over adver-
sity.
How do you decide what
movies to see? And how much of a role does advertis-
ing play in this?
Decision is made based on plot, actors and other
people with whom I am going to the movie.
What would your ideal movie experience contain?
At a convenient time, reasonable price, comfortable
seats where I can see well and a plot that keeps my
attention.
How important is the theater experience to you?
The theatre experience is very important to me.
Whose opinion do you usually value the most when
deciding on what movie to watch?
I trust like-minded friends and people that know me
well.
Who do you usually go to the movies with?
I go to the movies with my husband and children.
What GREAT movies have you seen recently?
What made them/it great?
I saw Superman and
LOVED it. I have always been
a fan of Superman as he is
the quintessential hero and is
always victorious in the end.
I also enjoy the way we learn
about his roots and the early
story foreshadows the hero we
know and love today, much
like the movie Young Sherlock
Holmes in which we learned
the origin of his hat and his cigar. I find that kind
of explanation of what we know of current literary
characters to be quite clever. While being a hero, he
is not just flat and he too has to make difficult choic-
es in life, often having to choose whether to benefit
the few or the many.
We also saw the new Star Trek recently and
it, too, takes us back to the origins of characters we
have come to know and explain how they got where
they are today. It also shows human friendships to be
what they are, riddled with mixed emotions of love,
admiration, envy anger and commitment.
How do you feel about 3D? What does it do for your
movie experience?
The only kind of three D movie I like was
the kind in Disney where you feel like things are
coming at you. I do not like the current three D
movies as I do not like the glasses. They seem to
distract me and take away from the movie experi-
ence and I do not see the true enhancement, they
seem to distort the color and I am constantly play-
ing with the glasses, taking them on and off.
What are some of your all-time favorite movies?
Why?
Prince of Tides, because it boldly shows
humans who are vulnerable and imperfect. Humans
have to make hard choices as they go through life
and sometimes the consequences aren’t always neat
and tidy. In real life things get messy and we have to
be ready to learn how to clean up. And as a thera-
pist, I was in awe of the character played by Barbra
Streisand who was able to unlock the demons in the
character played by Nick Nolte. I was moved by both
Nick Nolte’s character who was able to reveal his
past and get closure and be free as well as the talent
of the therapist who knew just how to open him up.
I was deeply saddened by the ending in which after
falling in love, Nick Nolte must leave and return to
his family, which while the right choice, seemed to
cause much pain and loss.
Other movie greats: the original Arthur, with
Dudley Moore. First of all, some of the best dialogue
and humor of all time with well written scripts,
well delivered dialogue and again the struggle we as
humans face with choices in life. The ability of the
spoiled little rich kid to grow up and become respon-
sible and his ability to grieve after Hobson his “but-
ler” died. The role of Hobson as the butler who was
also his role model, teacher and nearly a father to
him was also fascinating. So often in movies, we see
the characters complex roles which mirror so well the
complex roles we acquire in real life.
Inter viwe with Brian Carpenter:
My dad (Brian Carpenter) and I are similar in
many ways. We have very similar looks and are often
mistaken for brothers rather than son and father,
but more similar than our looks are our interests.
From television shows to new technology my dad has
always been someone who I could talk with, about
the newest “thing” I had found about. We share with
each other often, whether it is recommending articles
to read or video games to play.
One of these common interests is our taste
in movies. Visited frequently by the both of us, the
“I saw Super-man and LOVED it. I have always been a fan of Su-perman as he is the quintessential hero and is always victorious in the end.”
movies serve of a place of bonding for me and my
father. We both enjoy many of the same flicks and
have a similar expectation in a movie. Much of what
I like now is shaped by his recommendations of mov-
ies from his past, and now I can share those experi-
ences with him. Countless times I’ve skipped out
on visiting the movies with my friends, upon a new
release, to share the experience with my dad. These
experiences can only be told from my eyes though.
Emailing him I was curious what he had to say on
the matter.
How often do you go to the movies?
I usually only go to the movies when there is a specific
movie out that I would like to see. I probably average
one movie per month in the theater.
What is your favorite genre of movie?
Action adventure, I also like a good horror movie.
How do you decide what movies to see? And how
much of a role does advertising play in this?
Advertising plays a large role in what movie I see.
The story line portrayed. In the ad or trailer is the most
important influence in my decision next to recommen-
dation from family & friends.
What would your ideal movie experience contain?
Comfortable seat with a good view of the screen, fresh
popcorn & a movie that I enjoy.
How important is the theater experience to you?
My first choice of theater is based on convince, then
theater experience.
Whose opinion do you usually value the most when
deciding on what movie to watch?
My son. We like many of the same movies.
Who do you usually go to the movies with?
It was my son. Since he’s away at school, now my
wife and daughter
What GREAT movies have you seen recently?
Lincoln & 42
What made them/it great?
Lincoln was a great movie because it was a
great movie going experience. Not only did the actors,
directors and scenery make me believe that I was actu-
ally watching history, but I left the theater with many
lessons from this movie. One lesson was that there
was only one point in history that our nation was truly
divided and President Lincoln was the pivotal charac-
ter in bringing our country together. The other lesson
driven home by the movie is that no matter how differ-
ent society was in the time of Lincoln, the politics of
the time are very similar to politics today.
I feel that 42 is a great movie because it not
only focused on the character and circumstance of the
iconic Jackie Robinson, but the movie focused on how
the game of baseball changed our culture. Not only did
“Me, Myself & I”A raeder submitted story
At The Spot we enjoy reader submitted content. We want to know what you have to say, and share it with other readers. This particular piece came across our desk and we knew that it needed a feature in this month’s issue. This socking fictional tale is truly one for the ages.
The hallway was emptied of its usual boat
load of people except for me and this man I had
never seen before. He asked me where I was headed.
I told him the cafeteria, even though I was really
going to skip out on my afternoon classes and get
out a little early. He was a fit looking guy, clean cut,
with very professional looking attire. He had a deep
voice that one had to hear when he spoke, with this
profound voice, he told me he was a new guidance
counselor at the school and he had just started that
Monday. He wanted to get to know me and said to
stop by his office, the next day when I had some free
time. I figured what the hell I don’t like being here
in the first place and maybe I can miss some class
if I hang out in his office for a while. I could tell
he had invited me because it seemed I didn’t have
many friends at the school. And he probably figured
I would be a good first student for him to get ac-
quainted with. At the end of our talk, the next day
he said he’d really like to see me more often. So we
worked it out so I would see him seven more times.
I really didn’t care either way he seemed like a cool
guy and sometimes I got too miss half of my math
class whenever we had our appointments.
It had been two weeks since, and today was
not a day I wanted to be stuck in his office. I looked
up at the clock, almost four. I can’t wait to get out
of here; in fact, I don’t know why I agreed to come
to this office in the first place. I didn’t know this
guy, so what if he’s new at school. I cared at first,
but I regret extending my kindness to him. We don’t
even get anything done he just tries to get me to talk
about myself. Talk about things I don’t want to talk
about, that I don’t care about; things no one has
ever cared about before. Why talk about them now,
and with a strange guy who I only met a few weeks
ago. Finally, the previously muted sounds become
audible
“So what is your family life like you hadn’t
mentioned your parents the last time we talked”.
“Look Mr. C”, I said, “I have to meet my
friends in like a half hour, do you mind if we cut it
short?”
“No, just don’t forget about our time for
Thursday.”
“2:45, right?” I replied as I was walking out
the door.
“Yes” I heard as the door shut behind me
and the little bell hanging above it rang
I left to meet my friends Tommy and David.
We had our hang out spot by a lake. No one is ever
there except for us. It is an escape for me, a quiet
place where I can clear my mind. The true beauty
of the place is that nothing has to go on there; it is
a place as clear as I make it. I discovered it as a kid.
I had run away when I was little, when things at
home got hectic to say the least. There was always
something going on at home when my mom was
around, crazy they called her, always the crazy lady.
Society labeled her as someone to avoid, someone
who was a terror. She had schizophrenia, which
people did not understand. They just judged, they
didn’t care they thought they knew her. I do not
remember what sparked all of the chaos that day;
it happened like a slow motion explosion though.
Screams filled the house, and I can still see flashes of
a lamp being hurled clear across the room. It hit the
wall and shattered, popped almost like a glass bal-
loon. All I could hear was noise, noting distinct, but
like crowded city street combined with a war zone.
I felt trapped; I felt there was no escape, so I ran,
just ran. I ran to escape the sounds that drowned
my brain, the problems I did not want to deal with
anymore, to get away. I followed my feet for fifteen
minutes. Wind pounding on my face. My heart
pumped blood to the beat of a death metal song.
Until, I found myself at the lake which was filled
with bliss, I sat and tried to forget about everything,
to clean the very complex cloud from my head.
A few hours after my dad came to find me
there. He looked distraught, confused and bewil-
dered. He couldn’t seem to gather his thoughts. Mo-
ments of silence passed as he stared blankly at my face.
Finally, he uttered the only words he could manage,
“Let’s go.”
On the walk home he told me that my mom
would not be around anymore. He said she went away
to go get better because she was sick. She may have
been gone physically, but she never really left me. I
frequently saw her in my dreams. She would visit me
most nights and she always seemed happy, unlike at
home where she struggled with her illness. Years later
my dad would tell me that she died that die. Appar-
ently, in the fury of that day a knife was flung from the
kitchen where my mom was and landed inside her back
severing her spinal cord. Somehow I always knew. He
was never the same after, and you could feel in his eyes
a sense of emptiness. He always seemed to be looking
for something that he would never find.
Not too long after that day I met David and
Tommy. They were at the lake. The only other two
people I had seen there. They were a big help in help-
ing get through my mom’s death. They were really the
only ones there for me, when I needed someone most.
The three of us quickly became good friends and have
stayed that way since. Tommy was a jittery kid, al-
ways excited and fidgety. Sometimes he came off as a
coked up energizer bunny. This caused him to stumble
on his words which he did often. But he knew he did
and poked fun at himself for it. He was a thrill seeker
and an adrenaline junkie, always looking to push the
envelope even if it meant getting into trouble. Tommy
was currently suspended from school for his shenani-
gans. On Monday he decided in his fifth hour class he
was going to pretend to be a stunt man, and proceeded
to launch himself out the second story window into
a bush after singing “I believe I can fly.” David on
the other hand was quite the opposite, but that made
sense because they were rather extremes of one an-
other. David was a much quieter kid; he usually kept to
himself and never spoke much. He always seemed like
he was thinking, like he had secrets to hide. He was the
kid who most people did not ever notice, kind of like a
shadow.
“Hey guys, what’s up?” I asked.
“Where have you been it has been like a half
hour since you said you would be here?”
“Whoa there Tommy relax, I was talking to Mr.
C.” I replied.
“Mr. C? I’ve never heard of him.”
“Yeah neither have I.” David said quietly.
“He is a new guidance counselor I’ve been
talking to for the past few weeks. We have 4 more
sessions left.” I explained to them. We
hung out at the lake for just under an hour before I
had to get home.
“Hey my dad is going to be pissed if I’m late
again.” I said to them.
“Alright man we will catch you later.” Tom-
my said.
“Yeah man, have a good one.” David said as
he waved bye.
It was two days before my last session with
Mr. C. We had become a lot
closer over the sessions. He and
I talked about
my mom, and he
helped me out
through a low period when I really
missed her. I had a dream about
that day. Except in the dream I
felt what my mom was going through, I was her in
this dream. I woke up drenched in sweat and there
were no blankets or pillows left on my bed. That
night I couldn’t fall back asleep my mind was a race
of thoughts. He told me that flashbacks like that
were pretty common. He gave me some exercises
to help me stop them and he had me make a jour-
nal where I could write when I was feeling down. I
was glad we had those sessions and I was going to
ask him if we could set up a few more, just until
the school year was over. My dad and I were eating
breakfast that morning. We rarely saw each other in
the mornings, but today he didn’t have to be at work
until nine.
“Hey you haven’t been around lately” He
said, as he poured a glass of juice.
“Yeah, Tommy, David, and started to build
a rope swing for the summer over by the lake. We
found a thick branch that hangs just over the bank.”
I told him.
It wasn’t true, in fact, Tommy and I have
had some tension recently. See he didn’t like me go-
ing to see Mr. C, and David didn’t like it when we
fought. So hadn’t been at the lake all week.
“Who?” He asked, now walking into the
other room.
This didn’t really surprise
me he did not know my much
about my social life. In fact, he
didn’t know
much about any
aspect of my life.
He became really distant after my
mom passed.
“You know my friends Tommy and David.”
“Oh yeah.” He said clearly he had forgotten
what we were talking about. “Have a good day.” He
said as he closed the door.
Later that afternoon, the last bell of the day
rang, and to avoid the usual rush, I hung back. It
gave me some time to think which I always enjoyed.
I headed to the lake to meet David and Tommy,
we hadn’t been on the best terms
lately, but I didn’t think it was
anything serious. Oh, how I was
wrong. On the path through the
trees I could hear yells, and I
became worried. My heart started
to beat faster and my walk turned
into a light jog. I emerged through
the trees to see Tommy throwing
an absolute fit. He darted his eyes
towards my direction. I saw David
sitting down in a cowering position.
“He snapped.” He mut-
tered. “He just snapped.” Tommy
still hadn’t said anything he was
staring at me. Finally, words came
out of his mouth.
“Why haven’t you been
here!? Why are you always with
‘Mr. C’? You think you can just
leave us. We are your only friends.
We are the only ones that care for
you. The only ones that ever gave
a shit and you just throw us to the
side like a toy you don’t play with
anymore.”
“Whoa there, I had no
idea.”
“Don’t give me that shit
you’re avoiding us. You think your
better than us don’t you. You’re
awesome now because you stopped
hanging out with those losers,
that’s what you’re thinking isn’t
it.”
“You don’t understand it
not like that at all.”
I tried to tell him, but he
wasn’t listening to what I had to
say, he had already made up his
mind. He was rushing towards me
now I tried to take a step back in
order to stand my ground, but it
wasn’t any use. He shoved me back
and I came back with a fist. I con-
nected right in to his jaw. A shot
of pain went through my wrist and
I shook it out. He stumbled back.
The punch did not hurt him as he
was more woken up by it. He came
back at me with one of his own,
but I took it in stride. He hit me
square in the nose but my adrena-
line masked the pain. I swung with
all I had and hit him with another
punch to the ribs. He was angered
even more. He proceeded to charge
at me like a rhinoceros picked me
up and slammed me onto the dirt.
I threw up my guard and rolled
him over. Now in a mount I let him
have it. Anger consuming every
ounce of energy I had. Left, right,
left, right, left, right, I didn’t stop
until I looked up to see David terri-
fied. His eyes reflected the true face
In fact, he didn’t know much about any aspect of my life.
Thanks to…
National Geographic is a photography and nature magazine. The cover is simple with the main focus being on the image. I used a similar style picture.
The ESPN magazine talks about various topics going on in sports. The overall magazine is very well designed. The lettering of ESPN is very creative. I aimed for have a very captivat-ing title.
Maxim magazine is a men’s interest magazine. They use two columns for most of their fea-ture articles. I used two columns as well because it has nice symmetry.
Time magazine is a current news magazine. It usually features on a few blurbs on the cover. I included this as well because doesn’t crowd the image.
Tar magazine is an art and design magazine. Their title is place top left. I used this charac-teristic because it’s the first thing the reader sees.
WWE magazine covers the latest news on professional wrestling. Their feature article intro is a two page spread. I used this because it allows for a big introduction to my feature ar-ticles.
National Geographic is a photography and nature magazine. Its feature article introduction includes a large picture. I used this because it is pleasing to the reader and sets up the article well.
XXL magazine is a hip-hop magazine. Their pull quotes have large quotation marks. I used this characteristic in my magazine because it is out of the ordinary and captures attention to the quote.
People magazine reports on current trends and celebrities. Their pull quotes use text larger than that of the article. I also used this in order to bring attention to my quotes.
Time magazine is a current news magazine. Its letter from the editor uses an image of the editor. I did this so people know who I am.
XXL magazine is a hip-hop magazine. Its table of contents isn’t cluttered. I used almost no clutter and made it very simple.
National Geographic is a photography and nature magazine. Their articles are accompanied by landscape pictures. I used this characteristic to provide visual aid to the accompanying text.
of terror, and it was me. I looked down at Tommy;
his face looked mangled and badly beaten. So much
so you would have thought we went ten rounds. Da-
vid rushed to call an ambulance, but I left before it
arrived. A new beast had arisen in me. I was angry
and heartless.
This anger carried over into my last
session with Mr. C the next day. “What is wrong?”
he asked.
“You’ve barley said anything this whole
time.”
“Nothing” I blurted.
“It’s me, it’s Mr. C, you can tell me any-
thing.” I let it all fly. Words flew for at least fifteen
minutes straight I talked about how I was left when
my mom died. I told him my dad didn’t love me
anymore. I told him about all the depression I had
recently and lastly, after finally catching my breath
I said:
“And I drove my friends away; I beat one to
a pulp, the only people that ever cared about me. I
have nobody. Nobody cares about me. Nobody gives
a shit.”
“Someone gave a shit, and that was me. See,
you’re not going crazy. It’s me; I’m your best friend.
I know everything about you. You’ve been helping
yourself this whole time. Your friends, they’re just
figments of your imagination. Mr. C, see I’m your
conscience. I’m Tommy, I’m David, I’m the spot by
the lake, I’m…” “Me.”
It had been seven years since my discovery
of my mental illness. I still visit the doctors regu-
larly for treatment, but try to live a “normal” life.
What I have cannot be diagnosed, and the doctors
say it’s a case like they have never seen before. Be-
ing aware of my illness makes me think a lot more
than I used too, deeper thinking, that often makes
my head hurt. Differentiating between reality and
imagination has become a daily task. I often ques-
tion whether any of this world is real. Who has been
placed on this earth by my brain and who has not?
What places are real or just made up in my head? Who
are my real friends and who are just personas of me?