Dear Diary. SAVE ME!

Dear Diary,

Let me depict what life is right now:

We embarked upon the boat about three hours ago, and now we are sailing into the sun set. A reddish, pinkish, yellowish haze has fixed itself in front of us, and the giant fire ball is dipping into the sea, painting the dark blue, almost black water, a faint pinkish red. It might seem like a serene scene to you, but every time I think about what we are doing tomorrow, I begin to shiver, and my palms grow sweaty. Sometimes I even think about talking my mates into mutiny, so we can just turn home. But then again. I need the money. Isabella needs the money, and our little baby Maria needs the money to.  

I have an inkling, that the other pirates are lackadaisical, and won’t help me when the big moment comes. I feel like I am the only one thats actually audacious here on this boat. The others need the money too, so I don’t get why they would leave this to me.

If we are on track, we should find cruise ship tomorrow morning at about 3:00 p.m. tomorrow. It should have a profusion of jewelry, money, jewels. We are not planning to pilfer. We are planning on taking confiscate every single dime on that boat! We must make a conscientious and prudent plan for this though.

What we are planning on right now is that we will steer our boat so we will be heading right for the boat. We will keep heading for it, even if they try to turn away. This will rankle them, and they will start yelling over their professional and expensive loudspeakers that we should turn away. Thats the time that we will steer into the wind, and we will all jump of the bow, so that it looks like we are falling off. We will scream for help, and the curies ship will hopefully let a rope down or something so we can survive. Thats when we will strike. 

God. Just thinking about it scares me. I have to go to bed. I’m scared dear diary. The slovenly bed looks inviting, even with the sheets have torn. I must go to bed. Please look out for my dear Isabella and my baby Maria. I miss them so much. Let me find peace, until I will do tis horrible sin. Dear god. please don’t rebuke me for this. I need the money. I don’t know what else to do. I have tried to bring money home but I can’t. I tried my best. 

I will lull myself to sleep, as we head into the now pitch black sky, and then into the brightness again as the fireball will begin to rise out of the ocean again, until we will reach the luxury that will look before us. 

Good night dear diary,

Eduardo

Writers Police

Sometimes writing is personal. No? Like you want to keep something to yourself. Isn’t that why you you write personal diary entries? What ever. I don’t really know about this stuff. I’m not the type of girl that likes to write that kind of stuff. I prefer writing novels. But I know a bunch of girls that write into a journal or a diary every day. Take Maha for an example. She writes in a diary, and then takes it to school, so that her mom and dad and whoever else lives in her house wont read it. Then she walks around school with her journal in hand. Sometimes I wonder if she is trying to get people to see it, so they will want to read it, and then she will be able to say: ¨No. It’s personal. I talk about my crush and this and that in it, and I dont want you to know about it¨. The girls here would just be like: ¨Oh my god! Let me read it!¨ And then she would be the center of attention for a day or so until she shows them the journal. No one ever asks though, and then again. We are talking about Maha here.

Anyways. So Mrs. Meadows, our English teacher, makes us write a lot. I like writing and all, but she goes around picking up journals and making up stories. She picks up a random book, and reads: I love bla bla bla. She or he is amazing and every time she looks at me, I blush. bla bla bla. She reads, and the ¨writer¨ turns red, and looks away. 

Luckily it has never happened to me. I try to work quickly and quietly, so she wont choose mine. (She usually picks the people that don’t work as fast as others). I try to always be ahead of the game, and have at least a paragraph more than the class. But it’s hard. I must confess.  She patrols the class, looking for people with not much work done. She walks around the class, a smile on her face, waiting for the next victim to pass by. 

 

People always think something's all true. (J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 2)

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger was originally banned due to it’s bad language, mocking of religion, sexuality, and because it wasn't "appropriate" for youth. (Chasan,1). But after having read this book I must disagree. Many books, have way worse language. More sexuality, and there are definitely books, that are less appropriate. 

Now I must say though, it does have quite a bit of ¨inappropriate¨ parts in it, that might shake some people up. So I don’t think you should read it to a young child. But if you are in Middle School, it should be no problem. You can’t hide the big and bad world from kids like the main character Holden always tries to do. The novel prepares you for life, and shows you that not everything is fair, and that life is hard, and that one day you will grow out of your innocence. Holden deals with coming of age issues just like every other teenager. This is a reason I think The catcher in the Rye should taught in schools. Even now in 2011, we go threw the same issues that Holden went threw.

According to the article ¨Why J.D Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye still provokes book bans¨ this book was banned for three main reasons. Mocking of Religion, sexuality and the use of profanity. The book in general teaches teenagers that they're not the first adolescent in history to experience angst. 

Bad language: Goddam, phony, hell, son of a bitch, snob and ass. Yes, they are bad words. But many books have worse words. And I mean give me a break. Every school has people that cuss, and you probably hear about ten bad words a day. At least. So I don’t see how it would make a difference in the book, and that this would cause a book ban.

Sexuality: Sexuality is a big part in the world right now. I mean you can’t go anywhere without seeing some kind of sexuality. (people kissing in the street, people hugging...etc.). I know it’ a little more intense, and a little more graphic in The Catcher in the Rye, but come on! We are growing up, and like I said. You can’t stay innocent for ever. So I don’t see how this would be a problem either. Many books have more sexuality in them. If you have read Please don’t be true by Phyllis Reynolds you know what I’m talking about.

Religion: Now I see how this could hurt someone if you were really religious. The book does kind of mock religion a little. Like for example when Ossenburger is giving the speech, and he says that he talks to jesus all the time, even in his car, and Holden says: ¨That killed me. I can just see that big phony bastard shifting into his first gear, and askingJesus to send him few more shifts¨ (page 23) or when he is talking to the nuns with the ¨cheap¨ suitcases. This can be dealt with to though. If you c^know that you are really religious, then don’t read the book. This should still not cause a book ban. 

But this is really not the reason I think the book should be unbanned. The main reason I think it should be available for everyone to read, is because the writing is just amazing! The whole book is about finding the deeper meaning of everything Holden Caufield says. So I have no idea why people would try to ban the book.

Holden was a very annoying character, and the story line sometimes might have been a little boring, but I think it was one of the best books I have read. So much deep meaning. So much description, and so real. Banning a book so real, and with such great writing is just wrong, and I could not imagine being J.D Salinger. Working so hard for the final product, and then having it banned. 

Since there are three reasons the book should be banned, I have for why it should not be banned.

One: its a relatable story students can relate too 

Two: it shows how not to live

          

Three: No book should be banned because book banning is the refuge of those who are fearful of ideas and opinions different than their own.

I don’t care what others say, but I will recommend this book to many other people.

Being held by a dead person

Piled upon the dew covered grass the crusty brown leaves whirled around in a circle like a small tornado sweeping the beautiful park. The mystifying colors of the sun shone onto the pile glistening brightly as the smell of the ocean breeze bitterly blew over my shoulders and neck, which gave me that tingling sensation everyone gets at the beginning of autumn. She walked in front of him, her steps heavy but shaky. 

¨Grandma?¨ I asked.

¨Yes,¨ she asked, not slowing down.

¨Grandpa is really sick. Right? He wont survive this. Right?¨

¨Sarah. Don’t talk such nonsense,¨ she hurried down the road even faster, wrapping coat around herself tighter.

¨But I already lost one grandparent. I don’t want to loose another other one.¨ I said, as I quickened my steps to catch up with her again. I was half running, half walking when she answered again.

¨He is in our prayers Sarah. He is in many peoples prayers.¨

¨What do you mean?¨ I asked.

Silence. The cold air bit at my cheeks, and I pulled my hat farther over my ears. 

¨Just stop talking, and hurry along.¨

I grabbed her big and boney hand, and she grabbed my little tinny one. We walked in silence for a few blocks, the wind blew against us, whispering in low murmurs.

¨Grandma?¨ I asked again as soon as we round the corner.

¨Yes?¨ she asked quietly, her voice shaking faintly, and I could see that tears had begun to well in her eyes.

¨Are you crying?¨ I asked shocked.

¨Nein, Nein,¨ she sayed ¨uber das redemer jetzt äppa nimma.¨

Yeah, yeah. What ever. The famous: No,no, we are not going to talk about that anymore.

¨Grandma?¨

¨What?¨ she was getting annoyed. I could tell.

¨Why do you always say that. my teacher says it’s good to talk about your problems. It helps you....¨

¨Sarah,¨

¨Yes Grandma?¨

¨Stop talking.¨

We walked in silence again. It began to rain just before we reached the hospital, and grandma opened her umbrella. She pulled me underneath, and we kept walking, the wind bowing around our faces. 

Entering the hospital in silence, I pulled my coat off, and grandma knelt on the floor and tied it around my waist. The smell of tobacco, and her old lady perfume circles around me, made me dizzy, and I griped for her shoulders.

¨Now remember Sarah,¨ she says. ¨be as quiet as possible.¨

The corridor smelled of cleaning products, and it was a bit on the chilly side, as hospitals are cooled down to about -1000˚. People wouldn't make eye contact with you, so I felt very alone -- even if someone tried to smile, it was weak and fake. The hallways had people coming and going; doctors and nurses and surgeons rushing around, and people pushing everything from food carts to machinery everywhere.

We walked down the corridor to the last room on the left. 216 the room number said. Grandma took a deep breath, and gripped for the door knob and pushed it open. 

¨Grandpa?¨ I asked as soon as we walked inside.

¨Hubert?¨ Grandma said.

His blue eyes that had been piercing now stared listlessly, dull and lifeless. His skin was pale, and he looked like just a husk of his former being. Like any normal five year old I broke down crying.

¨Grandpa!¨ I cried! ¨Grandpa! Grandpa!¨

¨Sarah,¨ he answered, his voice pained but full of love. ¨Thank you so much for coming.¨ 

Grandma picked me up, and cradled me in her arms, but grandpa stretched his arms out, and I was handed to him.

¨It’s ok Sarah,¨ he whisper. ¨It’s ok.¨

My tears had dried up, as I sat there in grandpas bed. Robert sat next to me in the bed, as Mami, Papi, Lea and my cousins sat around us. Grandpa looked around, and looked into everyones eyes. The grown ups obviously knew what was coming, and all of them gathered around us, giving grandpa one last hug. 

I was last, and I was wrapped into a bear hug. 

¨I’m going to miss you Sarah,¨ he said his voice soothing and calm.

I hugged him back, and leaned my head against his chest. Then he closed his eyes, and never opened them again. 

I was lifted out of grandpas arms weeping, just as the machine grandpa was hooked up to stopped beeping. Grandma cradled me in her arms, as a hoard of doctors was rushed into the room. 

I’m going to miss you Sarah bounces around in my head. I’m gonna miss you too grandpa. 

     Grandma holds me tight, and we walk out the big red building, that now represented death to me.

When I was Puerto Rican Book review (Sorry I can't italicize it :D)

When I Was Puerto Rican 

       When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago is definitely one of my most favorite memoirs. The story is about the young girl Esmeralda or Negi growing up in Mancùn; Puerto Rico with both her Parents. Threw out the story, she tells us how she lived in a small tin house in Mancùn, how her parents argue, but end up always being happy again and having more and more kids. She tells us how the mother put her in charge, and told her that she is ¨casì señorita¨ and that she has to cook, clean, and watch out for the kids. She shows us how her Papi works from Dusk to Dawn trying to get money home to feed the kids. She tells us how her Mami get’s worried when Papi does not come home from school because she is afraid he is sleeping with other women. She tells us how she starts school in Macùn, but has to switch schools all the time because Mami keeps moving to get away from Papi. She tells us how her mother goes to New York to get her brother Reymond’s foot fixed, and how the Mami ends up leaving Papi, and taking the seven kids to New York with her, to start a new Life with Negi’s grandma Tata. 

     The book starts out, when Negi and her two sisters Delsa and Norma and her father and her mother move to the tin house in Macùn, where Negi immediately burns her finger on the sunny side of the tin house. ¨That’ll teach you,¨ her mom tells her. ¨Never touch a wall on the sunny side.¨ (page 7). She goes on to tell us how her mother is scared of scorpions and snakes, but the father is ripping up floor boards, and slithery snake trails become visible underneath the wood. She tells us how her mother wants her to become old quick, and become a señorita, but how she herself want’s to stay young, and keep on running around outside in the oregano bushes and the Mango tree. Negi was taught the basic rules of conduct outside the home early on in her childhood. These are called "Dignidad" or manners, "Buenos Modales". Negi and her sisters try their best to live her life by these rules, and they do a pretty good job. It is Negi’s responsibility to look after her two sisters, while her father works and her mother does the house work. 

     Arroz con Pollo y frijoles is a typical dish served in the Satiagos house. But so is pig feet and Chicken broth. Mami spends all her time making this kid of food or cleaning the house or washing the clothes while Papi goes out to work in the city. Negi and her sisters usually play around the house together. When they come home hungry, there is usually not that much to eat. Starving is not the word Negi uses to describe it though. She says that they were always well fed. 

    At night, Negi and her to sisters sleep in hammocks, that are separated from the parents bed with a curtain. The sound of tree frogs chirping outside, the wind in the trees, the low voices and murmurs in the room next door, and the even squeaks of the parents bed (which Negi later finds out is her parents making love to each other) lulls her and her sister to sleep.

    When Negi’s baby brother Hector ¨comes to take her lap¨, Mami and Papi begin to argue more frequently, because Mami thinks that her dear beloved Pablo is seeing other women behind her back when he does not come home from work. Negi also finds out, that she has an older sister from her fathers side. She is not allowed to talk about her or even mention her name thought, because Mami hates Margie’s mother.

    Negi tells us how she starts school in the middle of hurricane season and how she walks the seemingly endless trek to the small building. But soon after Mami decides to move them all to the publico. She goes back to school there, but she does not like it, because everyone calls her a Jibara. Even though Negi had wanted to be a Jibera all her Life, it bothers her here, cause the kids use it as a insult. 

     When Christmas neared, Negi walks to school, listening to the music playing on the streets. Even though Papi does not live with them, he comes over and puts colorful lights up while Mami spends days in the kitchen. 

     Still in the city, Mami has another Baby named Alicia. After she was born, Papi came around more often, to play with the kids, and to read the comic out loud. 

     Soon Negi and her family moved back to Macùn. This way Negi get’s to spend more time with her best friend Juanita that lives a little farther up the hill. With her, they listen to Juanita’s grandfather tell stories and legends about the area, while cleaning his machete. The girls loved those days that they would sit out on the stairs, listening to the tales the old man had to tell. But when Juanita’s grandpa dies, something changes inside Negi. Negi realizes that she has never lost someone she loved. She gets really interested in what happens to the soul, and what happens after you die. Then she has a big talk with her dad about death, and how they are not really religious. 

     Edna is born shortly after Juanita’s Grandpa dies, and the first May rain falls. All the kids including Edna are sent out underneath the rain, so it can give them luck.

     The americans coming to Macùn was always a threat to the Santiago family. Because as soon as they would, a hotel would be build in Macùn and they would be forced to live somewhere else. But still, the gringos are a big help. The gringos come, and give the mothers a talk about how to feed their kids, and how to treat them right, and from now on, the school that Negi goes to, will serve breakfast to all the kids. Also, the kids start to become vaccinated against polio by the new school nurse that the gringos sent.

    Once in a while, Negis grandma Tata sends cloths and cards to the family. Negi usually answers, by writing her something, or drawing her something, or sending a school composition and a tank you note back. But when Negi makes a mistake by not writing a introduction to her letter, and her mom slaps and hits her, she doesn't want to continue. And all that does, is get another slap from her Mami.

    During the novel, Negi goes to visit her abuela once. Mami get’s her ready and tells her that she will be going to abuela’s with her Papi. But when they get there, Negi becomes really sad, because her dad leaves, and Negi and her abuela both know, that he is leaving to see another woman. Once when she feels like crying because of her dad, but does not dare to tell abuela why, she slams her hand in-between the door, so she will at least have a reason to cry. But her stay with her abuela is not all that bad. She learns how embroider, and she makes a handkerchief for her Mami. Abuala also wants Negi to go to church, and Negi has to go, and sit there in quietly. 

    Abuelo was a quiet man, that sold oranges for 50¢. He is a very quiet man, and barley talks. After work, he comes home with his shopping cart, and peels an orange for Negi, and then goes back to his own separate room for the rest of the night.

    The day that Papi is supposed to come pick Negi up, he does not come, and Negi becomes sad. ABout a week later, Mami finally comes to get her, telling them the great news: Electricity has come to Moncùn, and she has gotten a new baby named Raymond. and she has a long talk with Abuela while Negi is showering, and Mami tells Abuela how unhappy she is.

    Soon after Negi returned, a hurricane is scheduled to hit Moncùn, and they all hid away in the only brick hose in the little slum. While they were hiding away, the mothers cooked,  tended the Babies, and Mami told about the new job she got in the factory. The men played cards, and talk between one another. 

     After the hurricane is over, a new kitchen and outhouse must be build.

     Doña Lola watches the kids, while Mami is gone, but even when Mami is there, she hangs around the house a lot. Her son that is one year older then Negi, plays outside with her outside allot. So when he comes over to get some food, and then runs outside with Negi, her mother doesn't think that anything is abnormal. Tato and Negi run behind the oregano bushes, and they agree that Tato ¨goes first¨ so the boy pulls down his pants, and they begin ¨showing their private parts to each other¨

     Something that really bothers Negi threw-out the book is her older cousin Jenny. Jenny’s family in richer than Negi’s family. Jenny gets a bike during the story, and offers a ride to every kid in the slum. When Reymond got on though, Negi got mad, because she was jealous of Jenny and Reymond, so she walked away. But when Reymond screamed Negi returned to the bike, to find her brother with his foot twisted and all bloody. This causes Mami to have to quit her job to tend Reymond, which brings less money into the house.

     Soon later, the family moves to the city again, where baby sister Alicia is born. They move to a place called El Mangle. Negi hates it. She says that the sewage river that flows by, gives her the creeps, and that Doña Andrea gives her the creeps just as much as the sewer. 

     One of my favorite parts of the book plays in El Mangel. It is a real part. It is a small part of her Life, but important to her. It’s the time where she has to use the bathroom, but the hole she is supposed to pee in is to big, and the wind coming from the bottom scares her. When her mother and Doña Andrea laugh at her, she becomes mad, and rebells against her mother by punching her in the stomach. When Mami get’s mad though, and tells her to use the bathroom, she refuses too, and pees onto the floor. I liked this part, because it was real, and it was true.

     The school she goes to in El Mangle is really nice, but Negi hates the teacher, and the teacher hates her.

     Also while living in El Mangle, Negi has to close a dead baby’s eyes. This scares her, and even after having closed the eyes, she feels like death has touched her.

     When Papi finally finds the family living like that, he moved them into another house. The new house is located above a bar. The noise from the bar downstairs drifts up, giving the Santiago family a hard time to sleep. The apartment is crowded with two adults and seven kids, but they manage.

    When her mother goes to New York for the firs time because of Reymond’s foot, Negi lives with her two cousins Gladys and Angelina. She has to get up early every morning to help peel potatoes for her uncle with Gladys while Angie sleeps in, which she thinks is unfair. 

    When Mami comes back, Negi get’s a hug, a handbag from new York and the news that they have moved from her mother.

    Negi starts piano lessons with her school principal, who she says was being inappropriate by looking at her breasts, and touching her when she was not supposed to, so Negi’s mom puts an end to all of that.

    Soon later, Mami leaves for New York again with Reymond, and Negi goes to stay with her cousins again. When Mami comes back, she is all made up, and wears fancy clothes, and the guys whistle after her, which Negi does not like at all. Negi also finds out that Papi has moved, so they go home to live on a pretty little finca where Negi gets her own room.

Negi falls in love for the first time while living on that finca when a boy named Johannes Vélez notices her, but she always gets nervous around him, and ends up falling in a river when he comes over. That puts an end to their relationship.

     A week before her thirteenth birthday, she has a talk with her father about becoming a tenrnayer. During this talk, Negi finds out that she is being ¨forced¨ to move to New York but without her father, and that only Mami, Delsa, Reymond and her would be going , and that the other kids would be sent later as soon as enough money was at hand.

     They move to New York, where Negi meets her Tata for the first time. They settle in a ¨fancy¨ apartment. But not for long. As soon as the siblings arrive, they move to a big apartment with Tata. 

     Negi started school. To her surprise though, she was put in the class for retarded people though, because she does not speak english well enough.

    While living in Brooklyn, Negi sees snow for the first time. Mami falls in love with next door neighbor Francisco, who she ends up moving in with. (Yes. Negi moves again.). And after finding out that Francisco was diagnosed with cancer, the Santiago family moves again to go live with Tata again. Francisco was in and out of the hospital, and somewhere in between, he managed to get Mami pregnant again, and she gave birth to her eight child Franky. Soon after he was born though, Francisco died, and Mami went into a year long depression.

     Negi tries to keep up with school as good possible, and bring home good grades. When her principal asks her in Junior Hight what she would like to be, she does not know though. So she gets called back a few days later, and she answers that she would like to be an actress after having seen a fashion show. The principal thinks she’s joking at first, but then gets her an audition at Preforming arts. She goes to the audition, and feels like she failed, but threw the epilogue, we find out that she made it to the school, and after graduating there made it to Harvard. We also find out, that she had 11 siblings in the end of the story.

     On page 261, the principal says: ¨it’s not lady like.¨ This is what I think is what Esmeralda learned during her time growing up. If you grow up in a slum, running around barefoot, and getting dirty, you still will have to grow up one day, and become a señorita.

     I think Santiago has deeper meaning to a bunch of her things in her book. For example:

     Women:

     Woman in Puerto Rican seem to be here for children, marriage (which Mami never got) and setting food on the table. i think that the woman in Negi’s life represent the opposite of what she wants to be.

     Sexuality (Coming of Age):

     Negi realizes how powerful her body can be, when she can turn the truck driver on, or when she goes behind the oregano bushes with Tato, or when her grandmas brother harasses her. To her it proves, that she can be someone. This was showed when the driver looked up and smiled at her.

     Education (Coming of Age):

     Negi works up to become who she is in the end of the book. She tries to get her and her family out of the life they used to live. She tries to work on her grades to save the family. (This is the part that really reminded me of the book Girl in Translation. Both books are about girls coming from poor backgrounds, trying to change their family situations.) Negi did not care what other people said about her in school. All she cared about was to do the right thing, and to save herself, and to be ¨different¨ from the people that remained in Mancùn. To Negi Education is like a life saver.

     United States:

     The United States is Esmeralda way out, and her ¨bright future¨. It is where her life will become better, and more grand. And for Mami, the united states is where she can run away from Papi.

     Parents Relationship: 

     Her parents relationship, represents how you try ti fix other peoples problems, but you will have to find out sooner or later, that it’s impossible, and that you can only fix your own problems.

     Economical Status:

      Negi’s social status, is the barrier, blocking her from becoming the Harvard graduate earlier. Her social status was like a barrier to her, before she realized that she could think beyond it, and become someone even when you are poor.

     This leads to my next topic…What did Esmeralda Santiago want to teach the reader in her memoir. Well mainly, I think that she is trying to show how Life can be hard when your poor, but that you have to think beyond your towns barriers. You have to set your goals high, and you can become someone. It does not matter how poor you are, or how hard your Life must be. You must try to focus on the moments that define your life.

    I also think that she was trying to teach us, that not everything in Life works out, but that we must try to forget those things, and move on.

      Like I already said, my favorite part was where she uses the bathroom in El Mangle. But there are many good quotes and lines in the book. Some of my favorite are. “For me, the person I was becoming when we left was erased, and another one was created.” and “What doesn't kill you, makes you fat.” and “Tell me who you walk with, and I'll tell you who you are.”  I really like these lines, because they represent Negi and her family. 

     The title of the book suggests that the author no longer considered herself Puerto Rican and had severed her ties with a place she would once call home. 

     I think what the Author learned while writing this memoir, is that you have to try to support your family as well as possible, just like her Mami did in the end. She probably realized that having a big family is not always easy, and the bigger your family becomes, the harder it get’s to care for it, and the oldest one must also care for the family, which in this case was Negi. Esmeralda realized, that being the oldest, and having responsibility, can also be good. You can take the responsibility or leave it. But if you take it, it makes you a better person, and prepares you for life.

     This was one of the best books I have ever read. It is such a heartwarming story, that I will remember forever, and I look forward to reading more of her books.

   

Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Just the Facts:

The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow is a short story by Washington Irving. It is among the earliest examples of American fiction still read today. 

      The late-afternoon sun began to set along the horizon, as a black haze began to fix itself behind the hills. Heavy steps echoed along the boulders, and the hillside of the Valley. Wood peckers peck at the trees, but other-wise, the valley is quiet, and only the sound of the wind rustling in the trees fills the valley with sound. It looked pretty deserted that late October afternoon, and you probably wouldn't see much except for a few boulders, a long path, offering a hard and exhausting trek up to the peaks of the hills, some animals, and one person, in a hooded cloak riding a horse. A lean, sage, lanky, irascible and extremely ignorant school master from Connecticut, making his way to the Van Tassel’s home. 

       A fog layer began to reach the edge of the forest, covering everything in sight. Creatures seemed to be dancing underneath the layer, filling the evening with eerie shadows, and low murmurs. 

   The man trots on. The horse trots, until it brakes into a gallop. The travelers bundle bounces along his back, and his walking stick flys from his right hand. He doesn’t turn back to go get it. Instead he gallops off even faster. The fog is coming closer, and the shadows become more bizarre. He gallops and gallops. The land scape begins to change. The hills seem to straighten out to become more flat. The pine trees seem to shrink and turn into bushes and shrubs. Farm land stretches to the left and to the right as far as you can see, and in the middle stands a large family home. 

      The man gets off the horse, and ties the it to a pole, and walks to the door

     Desperately he knocks on the door, bawling his hands into fists, and knockes harder. 

     ¨Mr. Van Tassel!¨ he squeals desperately. ¨Open up!¨

     Minutes pass. No answer. The man slumps down against the wall, and pulls his cloak up to his chin.

     The door squeaks, and a old man steps out. A half burnt candle in his hand, flickers and aluminates his face with ghostly shadows. His old, frightening eyes watch the man get up slowly. He leads the other man inside. His face has been hidden almost entirely by his glasses, but the visitor can almost feel his cold breath as he steps closer to the man. Slowly, he follows the man inside. When his leader glances back, the visitor smiles politely, lowering his hood, revealing dark brown hair, neatly combed, but wet from the fog and sweat. The old man smiles back. His smile reeks of wickedness, and something inside  tells the visitor he held many secrets behind this house. His cold, almost grey eyes, keep watching him, as he pats his hair down neatly again. Then he heads farther into the hallway.

      Voices echo out of the big salon in the front of the gangway, and music drifts towards the two men, filling the corridor with warmth and happiness. The visitor takes off his cloak, and hands it to the old man. He straightens the tuxedo he is wearing underneath it one last time, smooths his hair, and then makes his grand entrance.

    A cigarette burns in the ash tray next to the door, leaving the air thick and full of smoke. Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and only child of Baltus Van Tassel, (the host of the party), is dancing swiftly along the side of the room, her arms around her partner, her eyes lost in his. 

      The visitors fists clench as he sees them together. She doesn't notice the man in the doorway, and dances on. 

   She is a very affable young lady.  She's has long, straight blond hair that she usually wears pulled back, but now it hangs loosely around her face, swaying with the music. Her warm brown skin has a thin layer of  makeup on, and her eyes glisten in the hazy room. Her body is not skinny and not heavy; it's especially not rounded or especially not muscular. I guess petite is the best word. But the best part is her face. She has this elegant, strong bone structure; you could slice bread on her cheekbones. Her face has this sharp, alert look, like a hunter, and her nose is large and just a little crooked - the small flaw that makes it perfect, makes her look like a real person that you could talk to and know and love, rather than an airbrushed model. Her skin is smooth, but you can see where she's going to have laugh lines when she's older, and even when she's still and concentrating on something there's always the ghost of a smile on her lips. 

     Cakes, Pastries and other sweets, line the right wall, and men in black and white outfits stand around them, offering them to people passing by. The man stumbles to the tables, and gracefully picks up a slice of cake and a glass of champagne that one of the men offers him. 

     He takes in his surrounding. Female Farmers and male farmers dance around him arm in arm, and the band is playing a slow waltz. Katrina and Brom are in the back of the room, dancing so swiftly, they look like they are not even touching the ground. What a princess, the visitor thinks as he takes another long drag at the cigarette he had just rolled. It seems like Katrina and the guy had been dancing interminably to the visitor.

  
     In the back of the room lies the music stand. It reminds the man of the many hours he had spent teaching Katrina, his 18-year-old student, how to sing clear tunes of psalmody. How many hours he had spent thinking about how beautiful she was. How many hours he had longed to be with her. 

     ¨Ichabod¨ Brom pulls the man away from his thoughts. ¨I have been waiting for you.¨

     Brom is a big tall man, with short curly hair. His shoulders are big and wide, and it seems like his muscles might just pop out from underneath his shirt. He is really the opposite of Ichabod. Ichabod used to be a real recluse. In the past few years, he has matured a little, and now he really gets around with women quite well. 

     ¨Brom¨ Ichabod responds. His face pale and angry. ¨So have I.¨

      Brom studies him with a blank expression, his arm around Katrina.

     ¨You have to give me one more chance!¨ the man entreats, his eyes sad and hopeless.

     Brom shrugs, and turns his away. Ichabod’s eyes are fixed on Katrina.

     Her eyes are chocolate brown with tones of amber in them that seem to dance in the candle-light. At sunset, they'd have golden flecks in them that would fade as night settled in. Long, brown eyelashes frame her eyes and give them the perfect shape. They have a certain tinge of sadness in them that is apparent when she looks away, but they are beautiful nevertheless. These eyes are lovely and strong, the kind of eyes you'd see in an angel. They have the power to captivate with attention, and he always found himself gazing at them for longer than he probably should have. They hold warmth and knowledge in them, but secrets as well. They spark a curiosity in Ichabod to get to know her more. To unlock the secrets and take away the sadness from those stunningly mesmerizing eyes. 

    She looked at Ichabod with those exact eyes, as she twirls from Brom’s arms into his. Ichabod held her tightly, and dreamed of staying with her forever. They danced across the floor, Ichabod, totally letting his mind drift away. With Katrina in his arms, he danced, grinding his hips against hers, holding her tightly with both hands, and nuzzling her hair. They waltz down the dance floor from one end to another, and suddenly all eyes turn on them. Katrina plants a kiss onto Ichabod’s cheek just as the music ends, and then she drifts away again into the crowd of people.

     Ichabod feeling warm inside, walks back to where some of the older men are smoking, and telling war stories. Brom’s jealousy, must have been really hard to hide, because he looked at Ichabod with that hateful smile, only a jealous person can give.

     Ichabod flunks down onto one of the chair, stories about war- all of which are far enough in the past to be safely exaggerated- fill the room, as Karina continues to dance with Brom again. They move to ghost stories, covering many of the local legends and then they return to the most famous, and favorite of all: the tales of the Headless Horseman. Brom Bones comes back from the dance floor, and  tells a story of the time he encountered the Headless Horseman and offered to race him for a bowl of punch. Ichabod listens closely to all the stories and adds a few of his own. The conversation drifts long into the night.  Brom and Ichabod keep giving each other hateful looks Both thinking how much they abhor the other..

      ¨The Headless Horseman haunts  every real man¨Brom states.

      Ichabod tries to think of a profound answer, but he ends up with just ¨ye...yea...yeah well¨

      Laughter reverberates around the room, echoing off the walls. Nervous giggles and whispers bounce around the room filling everybody with unease. 

     The revel began to break up, and farmers started to gather with their families, they get into their horse drawn carriages, and bolted off, rattling over the hills, and back to their farms, or who knows where.

      Ichabod lingers behind, wanting to spend some more time with his girlfriend. He was not officially convinced that she loved him back. He was convinced they could spend the rest of their life's together on the farm. To live the life of luxury, to give up the school, and to kick Brom Bones out of his life.

     Ichabod took another drag on his cigarette, breathing the smoke in threw his lungs, and letting it out threw his nose.

     Suddenly Katrina, standing in the middle of the crowd of people still remaining speaks up: ¨Ichabod!¨ she says smoothing her hair, and straightening her dress ¨Ichabod stole forth with the air of one who had been sacking a henroost, rather than a fair lady's heart. (The legend of sleepy hollow Chapter 10) 

     Ichabod’s face turns pale, his hands clench into fists, his jaw tightens, and his heart shatters to a million little pieces all at the same. He gazes at Katrina one more time. Her amber eyes look sad, and mysterious, her cheeks are flushed with red, and her blond hair falls over her, covering her left eye. 

     Brom next to her has a arm around her, and his eyes are full of pride and pleasure. 

    ¨You impelled me to do this,¨ he sighs, plastering a real hurtful and sad expression onto his face.

     Ichabod takes a shaky breath, and strides across the floor back to the door, out past the old man with his wicked smile still pasted to his face. He passes the tall elm tree, that covers almost the whole house with its long strong branches. He walks to the barn, his long arms dangling by his side, his feet heavy and dirty from the mud that the pigs were playing with to his right. Luckily he had not forgotten to take his coat from the rack before leaving. He raps it around himself, and pulls the hood over his head again, with a sigh. Hot tears had begun to trickle down his face, combining with the mud on his shoes, causing the mud turn into brown muck, and then to flow off his shoes, and back into the dirt. 

      In the distance, the water of a small brook passing by, crash onto stones, with little splashes, filling the night with the sound of rushing water. The man buries his head in the horses fur. The horse had lost one of his pupils during a fight with one of the town rowdies. His mane was burnt from fires they had escaped together. It’s body was thin, and the it had lost weight in the past few days.

     The heartbroken man stroked the horse softly, and it whimpered into the darkness. A dog began to bark from the other side of the creek, filling the darkness with its shrill bark. 

     The night seemed to become darker and darker, the stars sinking into the blackness of the sky, and the clouds seemed to take over the world with their gray evilness. 

     He speaks quietly into the horses ear: ¨He’s so unfair.¨ he sobs ¨she was going to be mine. I was going to marry her. Now she’s his.¨ he cries. ¨Don’t take me amiss though.¨ he says to the horse. ¨I want her to be happy, and if it means her marrying that bastard, I want that.¨ the despondent man sighs. 

     He gets up onto the horse, holds his head high, grabs his whip with his right hand, slaps the it on the side once, and then gallops off into the night.

     More fog had begins to cover the area, swallowing trees, bushes, and houses as Ichabod rides on threw the darkness. The horse begins to breath heavily, as it gallops on. Crickets chirp, filling the night full with their song. Once in a while a woodpecker would knock against the trees but otherwise the night seems dormant. 

      Soon he would reach the area where most of all the ghost stories took place. Images swirled around him, blurring his memory.

     Tears stream down the riders cheeks, staining his only tuxedo with wet stains. Suddenly a cold wind begins to blow from underneath the fog blanket, seeming to grab the rider with it’s bare hands, and squeezing him to death. Ichabod’s heart begins to pound, and he wraps his coat around him more, but it seems like the wind is already underneath his coat, squeezing, and staring at him. Yells and murmurs suddenly begin to fill the night as he gallops on faster and faster. The horse’s tremulous legs carry the rider on, until it almost collapses. Large shadows dance along the pine trees. The rocks seem to get up, and come charging at the man, in slow but steady movements. The water from the creek the flew beside them, began to erupt, splashing the freezing water onto the rider. Pine needles, seem to fly at the rider, causing the horse to loose track of where they are going, it runs in circles, almost throwing Ichabod off. He had reached reached the bridge where all the ghost stories took place. Two logs lay across the river bank, serving as bridge. 

      Ichabod slaps his horse Gunpowder with his whips three times quickly, and then tells him to dash off. But instead of heading for the bridge, the horse runs, and topples over into the bushes on the side of the road. They finally made it to the bridge, unharmed except for a few scratches. The cold air had become worse, squeezing the teachers heart, and curling icy fingers around his sole. 

     His eyes examined the bridge carefully, under the moon light. Most of the moon had been swallowed by the fog too, but enough light remained to see the bridge. The forest seems to have closed in behind him, as he scans the trees one by one. Fireflies fly around the branches quietly, casting shadows on the floor with their fain lights. The crickets seem to be talking to Ichabod in slow murmurs as he looks around him some more. He remembers Brom’s words more clear than anything: ¨as soon as you pass the bridge you are safe. The powers of the headless horseman will die, and you will be safe.¨ he had said. 

     Owls hoot from the trees, and frogs croak from the pond. Ichabod jumps at every sound, remembering all the tales he herd that night.

      Suddenly in the shadows of the trees, a figure begins to scurry. Just a dear, just a dear Ichabod begins to sooth himself.

     ¨Who’s there!¨ he yells after twigs begin to snap, and coughs echo out of the forest.

    No answer.

    Ichabod felt the ice fingers curl around his sole harder, causing his heart to ache, and his lungs to shrink. 

    Owls hoot, crickets chirp, the trees and bushes hum in harmony, turning the forest alive. Then he jumped. Out of the trees, and after the man.  His cape flying behind him, a dust cloud forming underneath him. Ichabod’s jaw drops as he stares in awe at the...thing... standing in front of  him.

     ¨Headless horseman¨ he manages to gargle, tremulously

     He kicks Gunpowder in the ribs, and the horse takes off into the fog layer. His eyes are fixed on the tall tower in front of him. The church, the church he thinks franticly. 

    The horseman rides close after him. His black cape waves behind as he rides on full speed. His red plaid shirt, has a few blood stains and is a little crumpled, but other wise it looks new. His legs are stuck in tight black pants and high boots. His right hand holds the horses main tightly, in his right hand, he holds a pumpkin with an evil smile that seems to be alive carved into it. 

     The night seems to have dropped about 50 degrees as the black strongly build horse with the red glowing eyes runs after the small, weak Gunpowder. Gunpowder's knees seem to buckle as he races for the church. 

     Ichabod feels his heart burn, his soul freeze, and his heart being squeezed by the ice fingers. His hair blows to every side as Gunpowder gives his everything to carry his master to safety. As soon as you pass the bridge you are safe. The powers of the headless horseman will dye, and you will be safe. The words bounce his head. Tears running down his face mix with the sweat trickling from his forehead. Ichabod leans forward. grabbing Gunpowder around the neck. 

     ¨I love you Gunpowder¨ he whispers ¨Thank you for everything.¨

     The second riders horse picks up speed, and a larger dust cloud begins to for behind him.

     ¨Stop!¨the rider bellows. His voice was deep and high pitched, and it seemed to be comingfrom the pumpkin. 

     Ichabod didn't stop. He didn’t even turn around. He kept his eyes fixed on the tower reaching out of the fog. as soon as you pass the bridge you are safe. The powers of the headless horseman will dye, and you will be safe. He kicks Gunpowder in the side again, and the horse takes another sprint.

    ¨Stop!¨ the voice bellows again.

     Ichabod hugs his horse tighter, and wraps his fingers into his mane. He lets his tears flow into the horses back.

      The Headless horseman, begins to slice his sword threw the air, running after Ichabod. The air around him is warm, and full of dust.

     Ichabod reaches the bridge right in front of the church, and the ice fingers begin to loosen their grip around his sole. Twenty more steps, nineteen, eighteen. His hands grip for Gunpowders main, as he gets closer and closer to the bridge. 

     The Headless horseman rides quick, and realizes that his powers are dying out. He grabs the Pumpkin with both hands, a light flickers inside of it once, twice and three times. The pumpkin set on fire, and the rider took aim and threw it straight ahead.

     See this is where I come in. I make the ice fingers that Ichabod had been feeling stronger. Then I remove the soul gently, and place my hand over it. Shimmering dust evaporates, and a new star appears. Sometimes I leave the body, and sometimes I take it. This time I took it. I took them both. The horse and the man. They will be with me. Don’t worry. In this case, I leave the squashed pumpkin, the riders hat, and a few hoof imprints in the dirt for the mortals to see when they awaken tomorrow

     Two new stars shine in the sky tonight, and they will appear every halloween night, to remind the world of the Headless Horse man. 

   

       Remember how I said that every death has a color in the book thief? Well these were definitely black and orange.