Story: The Annual Maze

MIDNIGHT

All of the towns people are finally getting to rest. They all enjoyed, as much as they could, what could possibly be their last meal together. Mothers and Fathers tucked their little ones into bed and stayed up all night holding each other, crying, praying that their names weren't  called tomorrow. It was finally time for the Annual Maze that the town puts on, sounds kind of fun, right? Except that this is the most devastating day of the year, that is until your name isn't called. Then, you could celebrated.

The Annual Maze is simple. Every household in town is put into a giant bowl. It doesn't matter if you're the richest people or the poorest. The people in charge don't care if you could buy the whole town, or state for that matter, or if you are barely putting three meals on the table per day. Equality, am I right? The only people that can get out of the bowl is if the woman of the house is more than 7 months pregnant, or if you have a child under the age of 1 year old. If your household is pulled out, you enter the maze. If your household isn't pulled out, you're in the clear for another year. Although the maze sounds like something you would love to do with your family to any other town, here, the maze is an actual death trap. Like, no one has ever made it out alive. They always televise the event, but usually no one watches it. These are people from the community, children as young as 2, people who have their whole lives ahead of them. Normally the others don't like watching their gruesome end.

In school you always learn about the history of the Maze and all the good that comes out of it. It's all B.S. It started back years and years ago, because they needed to bring in jobs. So people came and built the Maze and it helped the town economically. They were going to use the Maze for actual fun like at a fair or Fall Festival, but instead some sick, twisted, weirdo thought it'd be put to better use if they send innocent people in to fend for their lives. That is the only reason why it started in the first place and the only reason it keeps happening is because everyone is too afraid to say anything because they think the system will be rigged and their families name will be called. No reason for it to start in the beginning and no reason it should be occurring in this day.

8 A.M.

At this time, all the families are lining up in the town square. This is usually where so many great and wonderful things happen in the town...concerts, graduations, proposals. Then there's this messed up thing. It's so weird because we know that tomorrow, everything will be back to normal, as long as your name isn't called in the next few minutes. And so the ceremony begins. The normal things are read, we sing a little, we hope this will bring brighter futures to us all, and then the name is pulled out. This year, it's the King family (remember how I said it doesn't matter if you're rich or dirt poor? Yeah well the Kings are easily the most wealthy family in the whole town). People looked around shocked. Obviously they were thrilled they didn't hear their name, but they couldn't show it. The Kings had five children, all boys. By the end of the night, we will be down seven people in our town.

Here is the best part about this whole event. After a families name is called and everyones fear and relief is set in, the whole town prays over the family who is about to lose their life. They act as if there is nothing they can do about the fact that people are intentionally dying.

10 P.M. 

The family usually enters the Maze around 1 p.m. and the whole thing is usually over by about 3 p.m. This year was different however. The Kings weren't giving up. They were fighting. When the whole town heard they weren't finished by 4 p.m., we all got to a T.V. as fast as we could and intensely watched what was happening. There were all sorts of things coming after them, but somehow they were managing to stay alive. They've been in there for 9 hours, running and hiding and fighting and clinging onto life and what awaits them if they come out alive.

Somehow, they were able to do it. At about 11:30 p.m., they ran through the finish line, all seven of them. They are the first ones to ever complete the Maze, and hopefully they will be the last to ever have to go through such a tragic and life-changing thing. This is fuel that the town needs to get rid of this thing. The Kings are the ones that the whole town has been waiting on.

Author's Note:

For this retelling, I decided to use the story of Kunti and her five sons who had to escape from the burning house. In the original story, they were intentionally targeted and when they escaped no one knew that they were still alive. In this retelling, I decided to make the house a giant death trap maze and for the choosing of them to be completely random. I gave this story a Hunger Games/The Lottery feel to it to portray the cruelty of Prince Duryodhana.

Bibliography
Public Domain Mahabharata, Online Source 
Photo of a Corn Maze, Web Source 

Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Part B

As we get deeper and deeper into the Mahabharata, the stories are getting more and more extravagant and complex. It is hard to keep up with everyone, but I am enjoying reading this great Indian epic.

In the first story for this weeks reading, we read about the house fire and that was an incredible story. There was so much detail that went into the story about how the house was set up for failure through flames from the very beginning. It is so sad to think that someone hated someone so much that not only are they willing to kill them, but their innocent family as well. I love that they were able to escape from the flames though all thanks to a secret tunnel. I am very excited to see how this gets resolved since everyone thinks that they are dead.

I also really liked that this story included a Swayamwara just like the Ramayana had. It makes it very clear that this is how women's husbands were chosen back in these ancient times in India, and around the world. It was very fascinating how no one expected anything from the Pandavas brothers since they were disguised as Brahmins, but they eventually proved them all wrong.

As I was reading through this part of the Mahabharata, I was using this reading to get some ideas for my retelling for this week. Here are a few of the things I came up with:

21. House of Fire

• I could rewrite the story to where Kunti and her sons did not escape and survive the fire
• I could write where instead of being trapped inside a burning house, they were trapped inside of a maze

25. Birth of Draupadi

• I could write about Kunti and her family's journey from one of her son's perspective, but I could make this boy a young boy around the age of 6 or 7

28. Wife of the Five Pandavas

• I could write how instead of sharing a wife, the brothers share a car

31. Arjuna and the Apsaras

• I could write how the water nymphs were trying to get a married man while her was at the club for his friends Bachelor party

32. Arjuana and Chitra

• I like how this story was told strictly with dialogue and this is something I could implement into my writings

38. Draupadi Lost

• I like how this story was written in rhyme and this is something I could possibly use in the future

Bibliography

Public Domain Mahabharata, link to Reading Guide B

Picture of a Burning House, Web Source

Week 5 Review: Cat and a Comma

While going through this weeks announcements, I found the following picture that I think is super cute and funny. I love how it involves and cat and the cat just doesn't look amused at all!

(Cat and a Comma;

Thursday's announcements)

Story: Only One Time

After school, I decided to stop by the store and get a test. I knew what the answer was going to be. It had to be a negative. After all, it was just one time. We were at party, both drunk. It was a mistake, but nothing permanent would come out of it...it was just one time. We're only juniors in high school, sixteen-years old. We just got our licenses. There's no way. I haven't even taken my SAT test yet. I still have a year and a half left in high school, then my undergrad, then med school. There's no way. I just have to know for sure..but there's no way, it was just one time.

As I walk into the store, I can see it on everyone's faces. They know what I'm doing here, they know what I'm about to buy. I hope they all know the answer that I so clearly know. They can't be thinking any other way. I decided to go two towns over, just so I knew I wouldn't run into anyone I know here, pretty good thinking on my part if I do say so myself. I finally find the aisle and there are so many to choose from. Which do I choose? How many should I buy? Are the more expensive ones better and more accurate? Why am I here? I shouldn't be here, I'm only sixteen.

I decide to buy two different brands, just in case. People are watching. Maybe they think it's just for a friend, or even my mom. That's probably what they are thinking. They're thinking, "This girl is only sixteen. She has her whole life ahead of her. She will finish high school, go to college, and be successful in whatever field of study she chooses." Thank goodness I have cash on me because I don't know how I would explain a $20 shopping spree at the local grocery store two towns over to my parents. Should I take the test here? Do I go home? If I go home my mom will see it. But if I stay here, then people may see my tears. I shouldn't even have tears though because I'm only sixteen and it was only one time, so I ultimately decided to just take the test here.

I decided to take two tests, both different brands, just in case. It felt like I waited for ever and ever in that bathroom. Finally I looked down and the result was becoming clear. It was a negative, I knew it! I looked at myself in the mirror and just laughed, how could I ever think anything other wise. I'm just sixteen! I looked down at the tests, just to get one final look before I left and went home to my normal life. In that instant everything changed. The test was finished developing. The vertical line appeared. It was just one time. I am only sixteen. I am a mother.

Do I tell anyone? Do I wait? Do I get it "taken care of"? Do I keep it? Do I give it up? How will people look at me? How will my parents look at me? Should I tell him and see what he thinks? I am the only one who can come up with the answers to all of these questions. 

I throw the tests away and drive home. My mom greets me as she always does, she smiles, offers me food, asks how my day was. I lie obviously. I tell her I'm not feeling well and I head up to my room to rest a while. 

A week passes and I've barley eaten anything. I can't hold this secret in and hold down food. I finally decide to tell my mom. We both cried. She asked me why I would let something like this happen. She told me that I knew it only took one time. Then, she asked me what I wanted to do. I knew getting it "taken care of" wasn't an option. There was only keeping it or giving it up. I had nine months to decide, but I felt like once the decision was made there was no turning back.

Eventually people at school figured out. People starred. They stayed away as if it were contagious. Months passed and I hadn't made my decision. I thought every night, would I be able to take care of a child? Could I do go to school then come home and take care of another life? Could I even afford daycare? How could I, a child myself, raise a child of my own? I already love this child and I haven't even met it yet. I know that I could provide all the love the child would ever need in it's who life, but what about everything else? In that moment I knew what I had to do. I went downstairs to my mother with tears in my eyes telling her how much I loved this precious life inside of me. I told her how because I love this child, the best thing would be to put the child up for adoption. She held me as I wept into her arms.

Author's Note:

I decided to use the story of Kunti and her child for this week's storytelling. Kunti decided to give her child up and she floats him down the river and he lives a very good life with his new mother. I decided to modernize this story using the "16 and Pregnant" approach. She continues saying "it only happened one time" and " I'm only sixteen" to convey just how young she is and the invincibility principle many young people feel.

Bibliography

Public Domain Mahabhrata, Online source

Photo of a babies hand, Web Source

Reading Notes: Mahabharata, Part A

As we start reading the Mahabharata, I've decided to read the online PDE version of the Mahabharata. One reason I did this was that when we read the Ramayana, I chose to read Narayan's version. I really enjoyed this version, however I wanted to give the PDE version a chance to see different writing techniques then Narayan used. I also chose this version because it was free, this way I didn't have to go buy the book from either the bookstore, Barnes&Noble, Kindle, rent it from the library, etc. So for I've found that the Mahabharata is more difficult to read for me than the Ramayana was. The reason behind this is because there are so many characters in the Mahabharata, all with very similar names so it's hard to keep track of who is who.

While reading, I really enjoyed that the author decided to go into more detail about when Pandu accidentally killed the Brahmin and his wife. It made it very easy to understand what was happening and who died, unlike some of the other stories in this version of the Mahabharata. I also really like the way that the story of Amba was written. You could feel the pain that she felt when she was betrayed by her husband to be, the King of Shalwas. Another part of the story where I could feel the pain the character felt was in Drona's story when he was told that he wasn't actually friends with Drupada due to their financial standing. This was very sad and when the author said "Then abruptly he turned away, nor spake he in reply. His heart burned with indignation as he hastened out of the city." you can tell that he will make sure Drupada feels the way he made him feel.

As I was reading through part A, I came up with a few ideas I can use for my re-telling this week. They are as follows:

2. King Shantung and Ganga

• Could write where Ganga gave birth and kept the babies
• Could write where Ganga gave birth to stillborns

5. Bhishma at the Swayamwara

• I could write the battle in a modern way, perhaps using a video game rather than actual battle

6. Amba 

• I could write where Amba actually wanted to marry Vichitracirya rather than the King of Shalwas whom she had already promised herself to

8. Kunti and her Son

• I could write from Kunti's point-of-view of what it was like for her to give her child up for adoption

10. Son of Pandu

• I could write hoe Pandu dies in a freak accident rather than dying because he was cursed

13. Bhima and Nagas

• I could write how Duryoshana accidentally ate the poison that he meant to give to Bhima

14. Drona, Son of Bharadwaha

• I could write how the two friends started off hating each other but when the rich one became poor they became friends
• I could set it back to the Great Depression when everyone was struggling

16. Ekalavya

• I could write how he was already deformed and didn't need to cut off his thumb

17. The Contest

• I like how this part was written in rhyme, and I could integrate that into my story

Bibliography

Public Domain Mahabharata, link to Reading Guide A

Painting of Ekalavya cutting off his thumb, web source

Week 4 Review: Laser Pointer

While reviewing over this weeks announcements, I came across the following gif in Thursday's announcements and I thought it was hilarious! At my house we love playing with the laser pointer with our dog and cats, so I think that this is the cutest thing ever!

Feedback Focus

The three strategies suggested to us are all very helpful in focusing in on what you are reading. If I were to rank the strategies, it would be:

1. Setting a Timer

2. Reading Aloud

3. Copy & Delete

Using these three strategies, I could tell that it had a positive affect on my reading. I was able to understand what the author was trying to convey in each of these things. For each of these strategies, there were advantages and disadvantages. An advantage of setting a timer was that I was able to focus just on the story for 10 minutes without having any other distractions. I was able to read through the story multiple times and catch things I hadn't previously caught the first time. For this strategy, I wouldn't really say there were any disadvantages to it. An advantage of reading aloud was this it made it very easy to tell if you missed anything, which helped make sure you were understanding what the author is trying to convey. A disadvantage would be that you have to read it out loud which isn't always the most feasible thing to do depending on your location. An advantage to the copy and delete strategy is that you focused on the paragraphs rather than the story as a whole. The only disadvantage to this is that sometimes it's nice to be able to go back and quickly re-read something and this is somewhat difficult with this strategy. 

I will definitely be using these strategies in the future because I think that they really helped me focus on what the story is about and helped me get good notes on these stories. I've never used these strategies before so I'm very excited to see how much better of a reader/feedbacker I become with these strategies. I really enjoyed reading "Midterm Madness" because I thought it was very clever how the author was able to integrate the Ramayana into something so relatable for every student with using midterms as the theme.

(Photo of a person studying,

Web Source)