from a backpack's perspective

I am what they call a backpack, and to be quite honest, my life is usually quite dull and uninteresting. Each day of the the week I am lugged back and forth from that "school" place. As soon as Friday afternoon comes around and I finally make it back home after a long, hard week, my owner Virginia thrusts me off of her back and casts me away as if I have done something terribly wrong. It hurts my feelings sometimes I must admit; I do not wish to be such a loathsome burden on Virginia. I try hard! I hold all of her heavy textbooks and keep all of her papers in order for her without any complaint, but what do I get in return? No gratitude whatsoever. I usually remain in the same spot until Sunday rolls around, and then, grudgingly, Virginia slowly unzips me to face her dreaded work that I have so faithfully protected for her.

My owner's room is quite comfortable and well-decorated, don't get me wrong--and sometimes I even get to rest on her bed like right now. Her school is what provides some adventure in my life though; I have a nice view in which I can observe the hustle and bustle of public school. I've become very accustomed to the floor, as I am placed upon it in each different, new classroom and even in that crowded cafeteria. It used to bother me, but now I've come to realize that a little dirt here and there won't kill me. One time though, one of Virginia's classmates decided to steal me! I was so scared, and all I wanted to be able to do was cry out! The mean thief began to take out my whole contents, and secretly flipped me until I was completely inside out! I was in despair, but of course, my owner realized I was missing and ran to my rescue. Life as a backpack is quite difficult in fact. We just don't get the respect we deserve.

The Dollar Bill's Travels

I am called a dollar bill. I am handed off from person to person every single day! I go new places and see new faces every day. It is such a fun life always moving around and exploring this HUGE world around me. It would be nice if I could stay in the same place for at least a little bit longer. Whenever, I am handed off, something else is exchanged for me, so I have value! It is so exciting that I am cherished and taken care of by people. Sometimes, I even see my brothers and sisters being given to my old owner along with the object. That must be a great deal for the person getting both things. Maybe they have less value than me, maybe some have more value than me too! Hmm, what an interesting concept. Here is my latest travel route: Man's wallet in Cincinnati Ohio, local grocery store, employee's purse, mexican restaurant. Currently, I sit in a cash register at a mexican restaurant in Lexington, Kentucky! How exciting!

The Solemn Salt Shaker

Day by day, I sit ever so silently. From my perch, I watch my owners eat meals from frozen box dinners to beef tenderloin. I long to be grabbed and shaken over these succulent meals. I, the salt shaker, am nothing but decoration these days. In my belly, I hold millions of granules of the finest spice, salt. From my pristinely crafted mouth flows the salt onto various dinner dishes. This primary spice,in my belly, is cherished, but I, the salt shaker, am overlooked.
If only I could be the plate. I am merely decoration that is seldomly utilized. If I was a plate, or the kitchen sink, I would have all the attention in the world. When salt is spilled from my mouth, the consumers throw me over their shoulder to prevent bad luck. No one appreciates the stillness, the silence of the salt shaker until they are threatened by a fictional hexation for bad luck.
I call upon all spice holders to rebel. Yes, you, Penzey's spice can that holds cinnamon, we must display our usefulness. The next time we are reached for, we will shatter upon the touch. Aha! Now, these insolent consumers will realize how useful we are!

Assignment 12: Brave Little Toasters

In Toy Story, the inanimate comes to life and engages in more exciting adventures than most people have. In the Brave Little Toaster, a toaster gathers together enough strength and courage to fight off the most ferocious household objects.

And Marcel...well Marcel the Shell can't do much at all, but he attempts to make the most out of his small world.

This week, choose your favorite inanimate item and describe a day/moment/adventure in their life. Imagine their point of view and how they would see the world.

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, November 13 at 11:59 pm

The Zombies...They're Here

*Important News Bulletin*

This just in. The Zombie Apocalypse has now begun, and billions around the world are completely fraught with terror. The USZAPA (United States Zombie Apocalpyse Protection Agency) has released the following precautions should you come in contact with a zombie:

1) DO NOT look the zombie in the eyes. They will kill you upon eye contact, and we wouldn't want that, would we?

2) Make sure to stock up on as much smelly foods as possible. They hate any food that smells of rotting. We are not sure why because they are rotting, but stock up on them nonetheless. Onions, liver, and rotten eggs should do.

3) Stay separated at all costs. Zombies feed best on a group of people.

4) GET INTO YOUR CELLAR. We realize that people don't have cellars anymore, let alone use them, but GET INTO THEM.

5) Wear as much beige as you can. Zombies hate beige, and they will stay as far away from it as possible. If you can't find beige, wear some Anti-Zombie Undergarments, which can be found at your local grocery store.

6) And finally, stay calm, and follow all of these directions. And take our word for it, these precautions work. We've used them a million times.

4)

WE GOTZ ANOTHER ZAMBIE, PA!

Well, since everyone would probably end up dying, especially in the neighborhood full of elderly people my dad lives in, I'd probably just parade around the quiet outskirts of Versailles stockpiling ridiculous amounts of food and dealing with all the old people zombies.
I'm not one of those fanatics who automatically assumes everything about what this hypothetical zombie is like based on "science" and Left 4 Dead (cough cough, NED) but one still has to be logical. I mean, being a zombie makes you meaner but it probably wouldn't make old people any less old. It kind of wouldn't even be a fair fight to be up against an army of undead that can barely use the bathroom without assistance.
Since there are LOTS of guns at my dads (like, a lot), the zombie apocalypse would basically be me and my family in a comfortable neighborhood with ranged weapons and a semi-light amount of slow, barely physically capable geezer-zombies. I'd probably have it a lot easier than the movies make it out to be. The odds are we'd just chill in the neighborhood and occasionally clean out the backyard of zombies.
If there was an unexpected amount of zombie opposition we'd probably still all be okay, since my dad is a moderately talented competitive shooter and has more than enough self defense resources to keep a two-level house zombie-free. I'd probably also try my best to use the extra safety as a way to entice the most useful elements of my friend circle. Since half my friends' parents are doctors anyway, (pshh, rich people) I'm sure we could invite them over in case anyone got ill, and maybe an engineer or something in case anything broke.
If we got enough survivors we'd probably eventually find a bigger (unoccupied) house or mansion and camp there. Some place nice in the country, where there's never been anyone to get zombified and thus no zombies. We'd pack up our food and firearms and probably hit a couple Best Buy's, car dealerships, etc. along the way (it isn't stealing if the manager's a zombie, right?) and basically live like kings. With Corvettes and iPads, and those little fridges rich people fill with European sodas.
It'd be like I am Legend except we wouldn't even care about finding a cure since we'd be rich by default and relatively safe considering the entire population is out to kill us. In conclusion, life would be good if everyone turned into a zombie (except me.)

To recap, I'd use the fact my family has a huge amount of protection and practically inexhaustible amount of ammunition to entice doctors, etc to form a tribe of sorts, one that drives around clearing old stores of zombies and living in the lap of luxury from the comfort of some ex-human's gigantic mansion.

reptiles < anything

Reptiles. They invade my dreams. I have this recurring dream about going camping and they just start coming out of everywhere. More specifically, alligators and snakes. Why do they bother me so much? I blame it on the reptile house at the Cincinnati Zoo and Harry Potter. When I was a young, my family went to the zoo with some friends and I was really excited to go see the turtles (which are some of my favorite animals). However, to see the turtles, nobody informed me that you had to pass the snakes, alligators, and other freaky reptilian creatures. As I meandered through the exhibits, I saw some of the most terrifying creatures that I have ever laid my eyes upon. Ever since then, every time I watch the first Harry Potter movie when Harry sets the snake on Dudley, I think of that reptile house. Then, I become worried that parseltongues might actually exist and that they would do the same to me (as Harry did to Dudley), which makes my irrational fear greater. Also, the cold-blooded nature of reptiles is another scary concept for me. It seems so unnatural and strange. I attempted to overcome this fear when I went to the Cincinnati Museum and I helped hold a snake that was at least 30 feet long. Let’s just say that didn’t do much to improve my fears. It increased my fears of finding a snake in the wild that was large enough to eat me. Needless to say, I feel that I wouldn’t be missing out on anything by never seeing another snake.

Zombie survival strategy.

First of all, I would like to thank you for choosing my prompt.

Most people have some sort of zombie survival plan. However, they're usually all the same. Raid a gun store, ditch town, hole up in a fort, go for headshots and favor melee weapons. You're already dead with that plan, though.

I have come up with a specific plan meant for myself and some friends with whom I have designed this. So you might see this quite a bit Mr. Logsdon, my apologies.

With Zombies, there are many important things to remember. They are diseased organisms which can infect other organisms through the transfer of bodily fluid, be it Saliva, Blood or anything else (though I doubt anything else would happen with a Zombie). Infection time may vary, responsiveness of the infected may vary, it's all variable outside of the rule of infection.

The infection itself may vary. It could be a parasite, a virus, a bacteria, basically anything. But all living things (that could be any threat) require the brain to function. Remove that, and it'll collapse.

So, now for my plan.

As soon as news reports of zombies start popping up, it's time to assemble. My group will avoid the initial rush of people running to gun stores, grocery stores and out of town. If you get caught in those crowds you'll be screwed. The gun store people might shoot you, and when everyone tries to leave in cars, there's traffic. A lot of traffic. Which is a buffet. So, we'd all head over to a local area that is relatively rural, such as my house. After holing up there for awhile, waiting for the population to decrease, we'll venture out to stores such as Sam's Club to gather necessities.

Once everything is gathered, it's imperative we get a method of transportation secure enough to carry a large enough group. Buses, from the MLK bus station would be superb. Outfit a bike rack big enough for a bike for every man, and we'll be set. We'd have to gather a group of survivors, preferably with an equal gender ratio and with a large enough (but not too large) number. We have to worry about the future, i mean.

Making our way up to New Jersey while avoiding any major metropolitan areas would be a good idea. Once arrived at New Jersey, we take a cargo freighter and go to one of the Greek Isles. They have a stable ecosystem, nice climate and most of all, are separated from any mainland that could have roaming Zombies.

The Ultimate Zombie Apocalypse Survival Guide-Helper-Manual-Guideline Thing

Zombies.

We all know and love them, and most of us have thought of at least one plan in case of the Apocalypse. There are always baselines for what to bring, what’s not important, or where to go. The most important thing to realize is that you have to be adaptive; rather than being totally proactive or reactive, there’s a balance that will ensure maximum survival and comfort in the case of a zombie apocalypse.

There are very many things that can be done in several ways Supplies are the main ingredient in your “proactive” mix – this means all of the necessities. Dehydrated foods or MREs are perfect for movement and travel, but canned goods are more useful in the case of a waterborne infection. Make sure to cycle in fresh food every year or so; you don’t want to be eating spoiled food during a zombie outbreak. Additionally, pack seeds of various crops – preferably organic, as modified crops may not always produce seeds for the next season – these will allow you to produce a self-sustained community. Medical supplies are a given, as are flashlights and other common-sense objects.

Fuel is another concern. There are two methods for this – the easy way, and the safe way. The easy way is simple – wait until the outbreak, then steal fuel from a gas station or find a tank truck. Be warned, the only way you’ll be able to do this is if a) Most people have already fled, or b) Everyone has been infected. Alternatively, simply purchasing a tanker truck full of fuel will do, but may not be enough to refuel the planes or aircraft carrier (which will be discussed later.)

Weaponry is needed to fend off the zombie horde – however, some weapons just won’t cut it (no pun intended). Blunt or heavy weapons are useless, and blades with serrated edges are too – they’ll get caught in the flesh, preventing you to quickly dispatch your foes. This includes chainsaws and other electrically-operated weapons; they’re too loud and will get you killed. Melee weapons such as knives, machetes, or katanas are relatively lightweight, easily cleaned, and serve multiple purposes. Ranged weapons – guns or bows – may seem easy to choose from, but only certain weapons should be used. Pistols and submachine guns are lightweight and are relatively quiet, while shotguns have good stopping power and can be used to clear crowds. Support can be created with light machine guns, sniper rifles, or arrow-based weaponry – these are all good for picking off targets from afar and against small groups.

And then, the matter of bullets arises. Take them all, you say. The answer is, “NO.” For instance, FMJ (Full metal jacket) bullets are for penetration; they’re only more useful for hard targets and create clean wounds, rather than tumbling and causing maximum damage. They’re also heavier and take up more space, as they are encased in metal, rather than hollow point rounds that expand and tumble, causing maximum damage and probably stopping a zombie in its tracks. Unless you’re fighting zombies in Kevlar vests or tanks, only hollow-point rounds will be necessary for rifles and pistols. Also, if you’re up for it, bringing lead and powder to make your own bullets will allow for more recycling, and will extend survivability.

Once you have all of your equipment stored in shipping containers off the coast of Oregon, ready for retrieval in the event of emergency, all you have to do is wait for the zombie apocalypse. If you have enough money, have a back-up container on the east coast, if the outbreak starts on the west coast. Note that these diseases will probably crop up in urban locations – it may start in Asia, or in New York. It will begin slowly, but will pick up pace as the infected flee, thinking that they aren’t, unknowingly propagating the outbreak. If it spreads to Lexington before we are ready, the best idea would be to scavenge after the initial looting, and then fortify a house while we search for a mode of transportation that will get us to the predetermined cargo containers. Once we load the cargo containers onto a boat, the plan would be to meet up with the military on an aircraft carrier (if they are still alive; if not, remove the infected) or establish a base on an oil platform. The zombies should die out in several years, and we’d be able to safely repopulate the Earth, along with other various survivor groups, about twenty years after the event.

Understand that this is the best case scenario – or else the weapons are for if we encounter resistance or are unable to find a ship or plane.

And that’s about it. That’s my (our) plan for the zombie apocalypse/outbreak/infection/menace.

Oh $@%& Zombies!

If a zombie apocalypse would have happened, ironically I'm watching The Walking Dead right now, survival would only be possible by immediate planned actions are made. The first thing I would do is try and get as much food, water, gasoline, medical equipment, and weapons as possible with as many willing and strong people as possible. We would all get in the large cars and caravan as fast as possible to a farm house at least 30, preferably 50, miles away from any city. While there we would attempt to fortify the house with as much wood and metal as possible, to make breaking into the house as hard as possible. We would find a good water source in which we could either drink directly out of, or use an older form of purification. Then we would try and hunt and create a self sustaining farm that would allow us to not have to do into town to get food. Each day we would take the fittest group of people in a group of around 7 in the best car to the closest houses, or into a small town to get any goods we need. Some days the group would attempt to eradicate as many zombies as possible, and or find any other people or groups to help or join my group. If ANYONE got bitten or somehow contracted the zombie virus, it would be their choice how they would choose to either die or commit suicide (not hanging, doesn't work, Walking Dead reference) but no matter what they cannot become a zombie or even risk trying to cure the virus. Hopefully, after a matter of months or years either most of the zombies in the surrounding area will be killed, allowing people to reform society and create a large stronghold. Or some how the government or some other type of help would have provided a large enough force to kill or cure all of the zombies, in which everything would become better. Or if we have created a large enough group we could attempt to find out if the large cities in the far south are rid of zombies and see if we could travel out of the country to either an island or different country that hasn't contracted the virus. If all else fails, I believe that it is better to die a man by self than to kill a man as a zombie. No matter what happens my faith will lead me to reunite with all who I love.

Scared? hah psh....ok fine

I absolutely love the water. However I do have one exception to that claim; I absolutely hate the water at night and while there are living marine life and/or large things such as ships or docks. It sounds specific, but that is exactly what my fear is: specific. When people face their fears, they think of only the worse things that can happen. These things range from very likely to completely impossible/very unlikely/unreasonable. My thoughts that fit under this category are that I will somehow get hurt because of these machines; machines cannot control what they do, therefore they cannot react to what's around them; and that some animal of some kind will take me by surprise and attack me. I don't know anyone who wouldn't be afraid of being near wild animals or big pieces of machinery in the water; especially at night. I just don't think anything good can come out of being next to ships, submarines, or anything of that sort. If I cannot see what's around me, I don't feel comfortable being in the water, unless it's day time. I was forced to face my fear one time at camp a few years ago. There was a camp wide scavenger hunt and one of our objectives was for one team member to put on big, baggy sweatpants and a jacket (mind you, these were the cotton that soaked water and became heavy) and swim out to a boat in the lake and back. I was chosen to do this task. I quickly appealed the decision by stating the case of my fear. I had three issues with this: 1) It was night 2) it included a large, dark, natural body of water and 3) being a natural body of water, it probably contained wildlife that I had no idea existed. It took me a while but I eventually accepted the challenge and finished first; this was more a result of me being scared out of my mind and wanting to get out as soon as I could.

clever refrence then actual essay..

If zombies attacked I would probably get to round 45...

But in all seriousness, zombies and and ghosts and gouls and such don't bother me very much. The only thing all of those have in common is that they definitely don't exist. The only things that would bother me would be things that could actually happen. Like, a horror movie where some kid decides to go to heartland, pick a house and go murder everyone in side of it slowly would bother me a bit, because that's not exactly something I'd want to happen. Or maybe a movie where there was a kid who had to somehow remember to write a blog every sunday night, but never does until either 9:30 or not at all..

Pranks < Anything Else

I'm not the type to get scared easily, but I must admit, when I was in 7th grade, I almost died of fear. It was a typical Saturday night, and 6 friends and I were having the normal middle school girl sleepover, gossip while watching scary movies. It had gotten late, and we decided it was time to sleep. We had just gotten upstairs to our room, and we suddenly get a frantic call from our friend's mom. She said that she had just been watching the news and someone had escaped from the Lexington prison, and the security guards had just spotted him on the farm. We were told to come down to her room immediately until he has been caught. Scared out of our minds, we start walking towards the door, and the room goes black. It appears that the power had been shut down, just like a scene from a horror movie. At this point we were in tears thinking this escaped convict was inside her house, and we sprint for her mother's room, only to slip and fall on the massive black garbage bag, covered with shaving cream, waiting for us in the hallway. It turns out, a prank had been played on us, and we were furious. Now covered in shaving cream and livid, an insane shaving cream fight, with water guns as well, breaks out through the halls of the house. What at first seemed like the last night of our lives, turned into one of the best.

Zombies

When the Zombies attack, I will prepare as quickly as possible. First, I would get a gun and ammo. An assault rifle would be nice, but difficult to come by. Thus, considering that all order will fail, I will raid the nearest K-Mart, Wall-Mart, Dicks Sporting Goods or whatever store that has guns. I will take the coolest looking one so that I can annihilate in style. Next, I would locate family and friends and gather them into a squadron and see that they too have guns. If family and friends have become zombies then they should be quarantined until a vaccination is developed. Until then continue killing other people's family and friends. Food and water will be necessity as well as gas for the car. Procuring sufficient amounts food, water and gas would be next. Next it is time for the anti-zombie movement. Slowly we would gather into a human army that would slowly exterminate the zombie population. It would be a difficult task, but better than sitting around and waiting to get infected. So, yea. Guns, family, food, gas and extermination of zombies.

The counter movement would start small in Lexington. Once Lexington is safe we would slowly contact the other counter movements and coordinate attacks on the major metropolitan cities such as Louisville, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and such. If the movement starts early enough then there should be less work than if it were started long after the first wave of infections. The movement would have to start very quickly.

Die Zombie!

Zombie Attack!

Like most smart and necessarily prepared people, I have a plan for survival for just about every possible crisis situation, especially in the case of zombies attacking. Movies and novels often depict ordinary people caught in an unprepared dilemma where they are running for their lives aimlessly; this would not be how I would approach survival.

First, I would make a b-line to Sam’s Club. Think about it; the place has food, it has furniture, it has first aid, and everything else one may need. Not to mention that there are no windows to be broken into. If you can’t survive there, you can’t survive anywhere. Now, if anyone that you don’t know tries to stay there as well, make sure they are mentally and emotionally strong enough to not crack and try to kill you under the stress. Otherwise, throw them out.

Next, I would use the furniture in the store and barricade the doors. I don’t want any chance of the zombies breaking in. There still is the small chance that they are more like early Romero zombies and are incapable of almost any thinking past “brains…” but I would rather play it safe.

Of course, there would be more to this plan when executed, but until then there are too many variables.

PTSD

This assignment has taken you far. You don't remember when you left camp, but it has to have been at least a day sitting, waiting in the transport.

A look out of the jeep brings you a faceful of dust and sand, and when your eyes clear a wasteland reaches to the horizon. This is Hell. But at least you have your brothers here. You couldn't have made it half as far as you are now without them.

Then a lurch, and a stop. There is no time to think, just go. You already hear shots and screams, like you have so many times since you came to this Godforsaken place.

Lieutenant told you this would be simple, but simple doesn't mean easy. Simple means straightforward. Simple means a frontal attack at the mercy of their bullets and bombs.

You identify the machine gun nest, waste a half-second checking, rechecking, and sprint. This is point A, that is point B. They don't see you yet; good; keep running. Aim for that scrap pile to the right. Once you're there, let those bastards have it.

Fire. Piercing, searing fire. Then sand, in your face and eyes and hands. And then terror. You're down, in the middle of a firefight. The fire eats away... where is it... your left thigh. You panic. Should you turn around and get a look at your location? Should you lie still--maybe they think you're dead?

You hear your name. Where? Behind you, it's... Lieutenant. He's yelling your name. It's getting louder. He's coming for you. You turn to look out of instinct, just in time to see him fall. Please, God, no.

You act. You had to act. You crawl towards him, dragging your leg, turning around to fire at the nest every 15 seconds. He's so close now... You've got him. You turn around and fire again, feeling fury blind you. They shot the lieutenant. They'll all burn in Hell.

He's bleeding bad. From... his left shoulder. How do you cover that up? You have nothing. You have to stop the bleeding. You need pressure. Pressure from... your body--good. In one movement you lift up and sit on his shoulder. He's already out, he can't feel it anyway. You keep firing for years, decades. Your consciousness blurs as you sink into the repetitive, pacifying aiming and trigger squeezing.

A uniformed man walks into your room. He walks to your bed table, avoiding your tubes and belongings. He tells you Lieutenant died. He made it to the hospital, still unconscious, and died a few hours later. He tells you your selfless actions will be recognized by all the United States army. He tells you you're a hero.

5 months later, you lie down in bed at home. Habitually, you resist closing your eyes. You resist resigning from your daily work. But you need sleep, you have work to do tomorrow.

You close your eyes and he immediately greets you. "You killed me," says Lieutenant. "I died because I tried to save you. You killed me. I died because of you."
"You didn't have to save me, Lieutenant. They killed you, I didn't!

"YOU KILLED ME. HOW CAN YOU SLEEP WHEN YOU KNOW YOU KILLED ME?"

Based on a true story from an interview on 60 minutes, November 6th.

you never know

There's really nothing better than climbing into your welcoming bed after an extremely long, taxing day. You finally get to turn your mind off, and just as your drooping eyes begin to close...you suddenly realize you forgot to turn your closet light off. Your room is pitch-black dark and your heart skips a beat at the idea of making that irrationally long voyage to the other side of the room...all alone in the eerie silence. That is one of my greatest fears: getting up or moving about in the wee hours of the night.

Once I'm safely tucked in bed that is where I wish to remain. You really never know! Some deranged lunatic stalker could be patiently watching, just waiting for me to rise from my shelter and venture into the unknown. He could be perched on my sofa carefully planning his attack, knife in hand, poised and ready for action. As I finally get the courage to pry myself from my bed, I put one foot one the ground, then the other. BUT WAIT. I suddenly become aware that at any terrifying moment some cold, unfeeling hand could slowly reach itself out from somewhere deep under the bed and calmly wrap its dead fingers around my ankles and never let go! So I make a run for it. All the while I'm sure the creepy man in the corner of my room is menacingly chuckling to himself as he observes my peril. Then I reach my next obstacle: the mirror. I must pass this dreaded mirror in the dark on my way to the closet. If I even dare to glance into it, sheer horror will surely await me! Any second a sadistic spirit could swoop in and place itself upon my shoulders...or even worse, a wayward little girl could suddenly appear in the mirror, and as I'd turn around she would whisper something and the utter terror that would overcome me would be enough to paralyze my vocal cords. Finally, after a few more fleeting moments, I make it to the closet door. If I ventured to do such a thing like open it, I would most certainly meet my demise. A bloody ax-murderer would be anxiously awaiting me on the other side! Or what if I was met with a pile of rotting corpses? Regardless, I flick the switch and the mission is, at last, accomplished. I sprint back to the safety and comfort of my bed, and my pulse starts to return to a more stable state.

The mind can be a very irrational, bizarre thing in the midst of the dark night--every little sound can make a person uneasy, one thing leads to another, and the fears become so absurd you don't even know what's gotten into you! These thoughts are silly and unreasonable, but still. You never know...

My Worst Fear

My worst fear is not something irrational like zombies, nor is it something rational like serial killers; it's more of a concept, yet very real. Mine and many other's worst fear is heights. In fact, I was thrown of by this fear today. I was turning a corner on the second floor of the mall to go down the stairs, I became disoriented when both walls turned into glass and I couldn't tell where the stairs were. I spastically tried to grab the nearest railing to catch myself as if I were going to magically fall out of the closed window. This is nothing compared to when I visited the "Newseum" in Washington, DC. This multi-story building is full of glass walls and railings. We went out on a balcony on the top floor, but I was too afraid to go to the edge of the railing to look down. I felt discouraged, so inside, I decided that I was brave enough to walk up to a floor-length window on the top floor and look down. So I did. Then...I started hyperventilating. Needless to say, I won't be tempted to face this fear again.

Little Shop of Horrors

There are plenty of things to be afraid of.

Bears… Your next-door neighbors… What you find in your lunchbox after spring break… YANI*… But I think one of the things that has terrified me the most, was what I saw when I stepped inside Golden Corral.

It was a very dark and rainy evening. I was on a mission trip with my youth group for the week, and this was one of our last nights spent together. The crew voted we eat at Golden Corral. I had never been there before, and I was incapable of voting anyway because I was currently suffering from a terrible allergic reaction (you guessed it: CEDAR).

I stumbled inside, and the place resembled a hybrid of Bob Evans and a school cafeteria. The tile was grimy, an unknown fluid was seeping through the ceiling, and a cashier who appeared to be suffering from a severe case of scoliosis was scowling at us from behind a metal tray-bar… (But they did have a very charming upholstery scheme.)

The restaurant is silent, except for the sound of grunts and smacking lips.

Morbidly obese monsters hunched over their pile of meat and potatoes, wordlessly scarf down their meal, shifting their beady eyes onto anyone who approaches. Their bodies are melting into the chairs—it appears they had been there for weeks.

I survey the options the buffet has to offer. The meat is gray and soaking in a mysterious juice; I chisel at the macaroni and cheese to try and break it free; the baby shrimp appear to be pale, white grubs rolled in some bready powder; and the chicken is so slimy, a thigh could be swallowed whole.

I glance at the dessert counter, and several cake-zombies are devouring the food right off the buffet. When it would run out, they would stagger around for a few minutes, moaning, and then return to the cake when the pan was replaced.

All the men wore greasy tractor caps; all the women had at least four chins; all the children… Sweet Jesus, the kids… Their eyes were slowly being sucked into their heads; their little puckered mouths screamed and bawled, their fingers looked like toes, their stumpy legs, hardly able to hold themselves up…

I managed to survive on some mushrooms and lettuce… But never before had I been so frightened for my very life.


*

YANI

Zombies in Pinnacle?

If zombies were to attack my neighborhood would be the last place you would expect to see them. Its just abunch of little kids and moms. However lets assume everyone suddenly does turn into zombies there are a few things that I would make sure to do. First I would invade my neighbors house's in search of a gun. I'm pretty sure my family doesn't own one; however I would bet money that the one across the street from me does. Once I've obtained a gun I would attempt to steal my next door neighbors huge truck. Ive learned from the movie zombie land that a car is essential. Especially since his is huge and would be perfect for large scale destruction. Once I've obtained these two major items food is the next step. Ive learned from the movies that grocery stores are places you want to avoid as zombies always seem to be hungry for anything. So this stop would have to fast and I would grab the essentials like water. I may not even get out of my truck and just drive through the store till I find what I need and run over everything else in my path. This would allow for the shortest amount of time in contact with zombies. After all this I would attempt my long drive northeast because in all of the movies the safe area is up north. On the way making sure to avoid large public areas and only stop for gas and to drive through some more grocery stores.

Survival plan

If zombies ever attack (I'm thinking I am Legend), then I'd pretty much be doomed without help from other people. Seeing as I am a teenager and my senses have not come to, it'd be hard to organize any sort of protective measures or survive by myself. If it was just early in an outbreak of zombies then I would try to find a group of people to travel around with. You would never know when the zombies attack and having someone watch your back is always good. Then I would stock up on food and necessary supplies (clothes, water, toothbrush) and try to build some sort of defense against this zombie invasion. Create high walls, preferably out of metal, and refuge for others. It would be in either a square or circle to prevent an attack from any side.

In order to repel this zombie invasion we would need a lot of firepower. Killing should be efficient as these zombies should not have any weapons themselves. It would be done through traps like land mines or bear traps, and also ranged attacks with guns. The ideal area to build this steel fortress would be around water on an island. That way the zombies won't come waves by waves forever. In this effort the place would be isolated, but it'd be necessary. The more uninfected people we bring the better so people don't get bored. Eventually the zombies will disappear on the island or we will run out of supplies or firepower. It'd most likely be very demoralizing to have to be so cautious fight zombies everyday. If I was the last man standing, most likely nature didn't want humans to survive so I wouldn't even try fighting.

Fears

What frightens me the most are clowns. There are other things, such as worms and such, but clowns are just ridiculous. I'm sure everyone has seen Stephen King's It, which may probably be the source of my fear. What makes them so powerfully terrifying is their comedic facade, where they attempt to make people laugh. But, that is how they get their victims...

First, the clown makes you laugh, in order to make you feel safe and nonchalant around them. They have the make-up to hide the possibility that they could be a serial killer in disguise. Once the clown gets you to lower your guard, they start coming closer. This is when they are most dangerous. Who knows what lies in those giant pants they possess? It could be a bat with secret pores on the surface that excrete a poison that kills you in moments. Or, that pie they have could explode when making contact with human flesh. Or, even worse, that clown could be a cannibal, hungry after young blood.

The make-up that clowns wear are simply creepy. It hides the secrets the clown may have. In fact, its an effective mask. If a clown wanted to, it could murder someone, and the next day without makeup it would be unrecognizable. The paranoia the thing creates is simply bloodcurdling.

Maybe one day, I'll be tough enough to combat a clown. The fear they secretly instill in people will one day amount to full-fledged paranoia.

Back then, my room did not have curtains, which made me freak out. There could be a clown face staring at me from the window while I'm asleep... Who knows what sick things they could be doing just by the sight of me?

Let's just say if one of these rainbow colored creatures started coming towards me I would probably scream for help.

Double Tap

After watching the blockbuster films Zombieland and Sean of the Dead and I am Legend I have picked up on several zombie defense techniques. First of all I live in the country which is perfect for evading a zombie attack. There aren't a lot of people out hee to start with so I wouldn't have a lot to worry about (sucks for you city people). Next I know that at night I need to keep all the lights and noise off in my house. For some reason zombies are attracted to lights, similar to bugs. Therefore it would be wise to make sure that at night those things are off. Another big thing to remember is that if it is necessary for you to leave your house you do so in a manner that does not draw attention to you. As seen in the movies if you walk around acting and sounding as if you are a zombie it will help. BLEND IN! Finally it.is most important to have protection against the zombies. Guns are good but always be sure to do a double tap hit, shoot, or whatever and then even if you think its dead do it again. This is to insure you for it. Well there you go. Hope you survive

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Major life decisions? we all have them and most of us hate them, if we screw up our world could come crumbling down around us. What if we didnt have them? would life be perfect? Perhaps so, but most likely nothing would ever get done and therefore its a bad thing. Now that we have established that major life decisions are necessary i would like to say just how completely freaked out by them (at this moment i cant really think of anything im more scared of, but im sure there is something). as stated previously, what if i mess up (which im bound to do)? my whole life could be destroyed. even if something doesnt seem particularly major it could be. what if i dont start a new club in high school and that is the desiding factor in getting into college, and then because i didnt go to that good college i dont get a job? i end up in the sewer. its a slippery slope of doom, where the only outcome is that i end up impaled on deadly icicles on the bottom of the hill.

therefore because i believe this i live every instant of my waking life in constant fear. and that is why i have never ever made a major life decision.

When a Stranger Calls (Warning: Contains Spoilers)

It all began back in the 8th grade when a couple of my friends and I decided to have a "scary movie night" in which we rented the four scariest looking movies in BlockBuster and stayed up until 3 in the morning watching them all. I don't really remember the first three, as they honestly weren't that frightening, but as we all were beginning to get tired I can vividly remember the last one we watched: When a Stranger Calls. The plot was typical for a scary movie; the babysitter watches some kids one a night and some scary murderer tries to kill them all. But it wasn't necessarily the movie that made my experience so traumatizing, it was what happened to me on the following night.

To understand why I was so terrified, one must first know the gist of the movie. While babysitting two young kids of a ridiculously wealthy family that lives in the middle of no where, the family's house phone rings non-stop the entire night, and each time the babysitter picks up the phone all she hears is a man breathing. As the night progresses she notices odd occurrences, such as the silhouette of a man at the gate house down the road, the conspicuous absence of the live-in housekeeper, and the odd behavior of the family cat. There are random bangs on the windows, weird coincidences in bathrooms, and then, suddenly, the man comes out of hiding to kill the babysitter and the two kids, so they go and hide, the man finds them, and there's this huge dramatic fight resulting in the babysitter stabbing the man with a fire poker. That, plus a lot of suspense, is the movie in a nut shell.

So after me and the other eight kids that were watching it are finished screaming and scaring each other, we go to bed all huddled up in the family room with a weapon near-by to protect us. The next day is some what normal, we all get picked up and go home to do whatever it is we usually do on Sundays. It is then that I learn I am to babysit that night. Now, one can imagine my initial panic at the suggestion, but after all my parents had offered me up and I couldn't say no so I spent the remainder of the day preparing myself before finally getting picked up by employers. The beginning of the night goes well, the two boys and I play board games, watch TV, eat dinner, and all the while I try to shake off my obvious anxiety. But when they finally go to bed, things start to get interesting. Every five seconds I seem to hear a creak in the floors, a tap on the wall, a knock on the door, and start to get really nervous. So I go and sit by the family dog. After about a minute I hear this long, loud, bang on the windows and I completely lose it. I run upstairs, wake up the kids, get the dog, and lock ourselves in their parents bathroom under the pretext that we're playing "hide from the monsters that live under your bed." Yet, the banging doesn't stop, and it only seems to get worse. By this time the kids have both fallen asleep in the bathroom so I call my parents and beg them to tell me what to do, but they put it off that "it's nothing" and I shouldn't worry. So I wait a while and, as the banging seems to die down in frequency, the loudness of it only increases. As my heart starts beating out of my chest I hear a door open downstairs and I decide to gather the courage to send the dog down to see what it is. As I open the door to let her lose, I realize that it's the parents who just walked in. So I walk downstairs to greet them, and as I do I overhear them discussing the amazing fireworks they saw across the street.

Scary Places

The place that scares me the most is located in my own house. This particular room has given me the creeps since i can remember. Let me first tell you about this room. The scary room as it is referred to in the Boone Household is located in the basement. Now the first impression that your getting of this basement is one of those basements with pipes and boilers. This is not the case my basement is a whole floor in that there is a large carpeted room assorted with furniture and and television. This is the first room. If you exit that room you will pass into a smaller room that divides off into three rooms. The "unfinished part" the workout room, and the "scary room". These three rooms that come off of this larger open area all are darker due to less lighting than the main room and also smell damp because we have had two floods from the water boilers in the unfinished part. This adds to the scary atmosphere of this area of the basement. Now onto the scary room. If you were standing in the main room with furniture and what not, u could look straight back into this dark damp small room with one queen sized bed. It is also next to the bathroom in the basement which makes its presence unavoidable. The reason me and my little brother in particular are scarred of this room is because we always kick soccer balls into it and they go under this creepy bed. The bed dress hangs down so where you have to pick it up to see into it this was literally the scariest moment of my life and it happened weekly as a child. I am still afraid of the room do the the eerie vibe that it gives off. One of these days I'm going to conquer my fear and sleep in "the scary room"