Estella (Part I)

Okay. The first thing I have to say before you read this is that I didn't write it because I have a love for the novel Great Expectations. Far from it. Honestly, I found the book to be boring as crap; I just really loved Estella’s character. Then I had this project assigned to me in English class. We read The House On Mango Street, and we were talking about a protagonist’s journey to self-discovery, and we had to choose a protagonist from a novel we’d read earlier in the year and write a bunch of vignettes about them. So, I picked Estella. And I wrote these vignettes from her point of view, and I used literary devices and crap (using literary devices was part of the project) and I just really like them, okay?! So, if you’re like me and you were forced to read Great Expectations, I hope you read and enjoy the only Great Expectations fanfiction in existence. Oh, also: SPOILER ALERT. I follow Estella through the entire plot of the book, so if you don’t know how it ends and you don’t want to know, DON’T READ IT. Okay. Cool. Enjoy. This is part one...

Estella - Part I. Forgetting

Today, I planted a flower. I’m not sure what type of flower it is, and I won't know for sure until it’s fully grown. But I have high hopes for it.

I was sitting outside with it in the garden. I patted the crumpled furrows of dirt arranged around each of my fingers in the places where I rearranged the earth. Waiting underneath them is the seed that I placed, slowly absorbing trickles of water sent from above and ever aspiring to reach the world above.

Dirt formed gritty crescents under my nails, but I didn't care. My flower was more important. My hands, delicate and uncalloused and bare of the wrinkles that come with growing up were laced with mud, and flecked with tiny pebbles.

Then Mother saw me from her bedroom window. And she sent the servant to come and get me. And she made the housekeeper bring me a new dress and new shoes and new stockings, ones that weren't spoiled with soil. Those she told the laundress to wash clean. After that, I went upstairs to sit in Mother’s room, and I listened to her as she explained to me what it means to be a lady.

I must sit up straight, keep my hair tidy, cross my legs when I sit (at the ankles, never the knees). I must wear clothes appropriate to my station in life (which is better than those who were born common, those who have rough hands and thick-soled shoes and coarse shirts because they can’t afford anything better). I must train to be beautiful, wear the scents and paints and jewels that make me irresistible to boys. But I must resist the efforts of those boys to woo me, to distract me from the real goal of marriage; money. I must be the temptress, not the tempted. ‘Love is a lie,’ Mother says. ‘I know. I believed in love and it destroyed me; my daughter, you must do what I did not. You must escape my dreadful fate.’

‘How, Mother? How will I ever remember all of the things I must be?’

‘By forgetting, Estella dearest. By taking all you knew before and replacing it with proper and elegant and poise.’

I must pay close attention to Mother. She is already a lady and so she can be my teacher. My example. She is what I have to remember, and my flower is what I have already begun to forget.

- CinnamonGinger

Up.

Look Up. Tell me, what do you see?

The sky, you say.

Well, who decided that? Who decided that the Sky is Up? When God made the world, did He just say, Oh, i like the endless void over my head, so i will make it heaven and heaven will be good? Is that what happened?

Yes, you say. Or maybe you say No. No, it was not God who made the world and said the Sky will be Up. Maybe our whole existence is one big mystery. i mean, do you know why Sky is Up?

No. That’s what i want to know. Why is Sky Up?

That’s what i just asked you, you say. You are annoyed.

Well now we are just going in circles.

Yeah.

Maybe we should ask a different question.

Okay.

Why is the Ground beneath our feet? Why is heaven Up in the Sky and why is hell Below Us? The damned descending into the bowels of the earth and all that jazz.

Well i don’t know. Ask someone who does.

Okay.

I turn to Someone. Someone knows Everything and Nothing.
Someone says, i know one thing: i know nothing. That is what Socrates said, years and years before either of you had cause to wonder.

Someone, will you tell us why Up is so important?

Important? Really? How do you mean?

You have a lot of questions for Someone who knows Everything, you say.

Didn’t you hear Someone say she doesn’t know Anything? i say to you. To Someone, i say, People Rise in society and heaven is in the Sky and rankings are from Top to Bottom. And how could anyone have the right to say whether Up is better than Down?

Why don’t you ask Anyone? says Someone.

Okay.

Anyone walks in and he says, i am the people. Do you hear? i am not Someone, i am not No one, i am the people. The people are why we are here. All of Us. And you are the People too.

So i am the one who decided that Up is heaven and heaven is good?

No. Of course not. But you choose to believe it.

~juniper

Nerd Dictionary

Ok, this is for everybody who is unfamiliar with nerd terminology. Or for you people who are very familiar with nerd terminology and just appreciate the awesomeness of the fact the we went and made this into a dictionary. Enjoy!

Nerd Dictionary

Canon: (adj.) a ship or event that actually happened in a book/movie/tv show etc, not one that the fandom just created by themselves. Ex: ‘I’m so glad that Sterek isn’t canon.’ See headcanon.   

Caps Abuse: (v.) WHEN SOMEONE CONSTANTLY TYPES IN CAPITAL LETTERS BECAUSE THEY CANNOT EXPRESS HOW ANGRY OR EXCITED THEY ARE. SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST FORGET THAT CAPS LOCK IS ON. Ex: 'That definition is a perfect example of caps abuse.' See rant.

Crack OTP: (n.) an OTP that will never happen and is extremely ridiculous and outrageous. Ex: 'Drapple (Draco and an apple) is my crack OTP.' See OTP.

Fanboy: 1. (n.) a male member of a fandom. Ex: 'He turned into an enormous fanboy whenever Star Trek was mentioned.' 2. (v.) see fangirl; 'fanboying'. Ex: 'He and his friends began fanboying over the announcement.'

Fandom: (n.) a dedicated fan base for a book, movie, t.v. show, etc. Ex: 'I love the Harry Potter series; I so belong to that fandom!'

Fanfic: an abbreviation for 'fanfiction'. Sometimes just 'fic'. A story written by a member of a fandom using the characters from that fandom. Fanfiction can be AU ('Alternate Universe', where the characters are put into a different setting than the one they are usually in) and/or crossover (involving multiple fandoms). Ex: 'I just read the best Supernatural fanfic ever!'

Fangirl: 1. (n.) a female member of a fandom. 'You are such a Percy Jackson fangirl!' 2. (v.) to express one’s obsession or excitement regarding a fandom, often triggered by feels; symptoms include squeeing, jumping up and down, and flapping one’s hands; 'fangirling'. Ex: 'She is such a fangirl.' 'I couldn't stop fangirling over The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug.' See phrases commonly used by fangirls.

Fanman: 1. (n.) a manly fanboy, or a fanboy who claims to be manly. see fanboy. 2. (v.) see fanboy.

Feels: (n.) excess emotions, usually triggered by something that happens within a fandom. A person afflicted with feels often expresses his or her emotions by hand flapping, squeeing, screams, sobs, and abusing the caps lock button on a keyboard. abbreviated version of 'feelings'. Ex: 'MY FAVORITE CHARACTER DIED OH THE FEELS!'

FTW: (n.) abbreviation for 'for the win'. Often used when a fan ships two characters, or has just joined a new fandom and wants to express their adoration. Ex: 'Kristanna ftw! Hanna will never happen!'

GIF: (n.) an animated picture usually used by fangirls/fanboys to express emotions or prove points. GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format and GIFs compress image files. Usually, GIFs are clips from TV shows or movies. Ex: 
                                 


Haters: (n.) people who dedicate their lives (or at least parts of their lives) to dumping on other peoples' fandoms and/or ships. Often, they do this through running or commenting on online pages (such as an instagram, blogger, or Facebook). They habitually back up their hating with 'facts' about things that didn’t really happen, would never happen, or aren't true. Ex: 'Don't let the haters get you down; Doctor Who is the best show ever!'

Headcanon: (n.) an event that is not canon, but that the fandom either really really wishes would happen or generally accepts as a whole. Ex: 'Oh my god, Jack Frost and Elsa would be so perfect for each other! Jelsa headcanon accepted!' See canon.

Meme: (n.) an image with a caption used much like a GIF to express an emotion or prove a point. There are many famous memes that can be used in similar situations, as long as the caption is edited for relevancy. 
Ex:

Nerd: (n.) a person who likes stuff and isn’t ashamed to admit it. A nerd can be smart, but they aren't always that way.  They basically just like books, TV shows, movies, video games, etc. Nerds are the coolest people on earth. Nerds are not weird, and they can enjoy life in reality and in fantasy. Nerds do not always wear geeky glasses (the hipsters have stolen them and made them cool. ugh.) or suspenders (again, stolen by hipsters.) and we ARE NOT ALL NAMED EITHER EUGENE OR BETTY. HONESTLY, PEOPLE. GET IT TOGETHER. Ex: 'We're all nerds here, and that's why we're having more fun than you. As John Green once said, 'nerd life is just so much better than regular life'. Also, there's a candy named after us.'

OTP: (n.) Abbreviation for 'one true pairing.' Basically, it's the thing you ship the most. Ex: 'Johnlock must happen; it is my OTP!' see crack OTP, OTP scenarios.

OTP Scenarios: (n.) there's one for every situation, courtesy of inkwriter and CinnamonGinger (two of our lovely blog admins). we invented these; thought we'd share :)

• 'Battleship': when your OTP is having an argument.
• 'Rowboat': when your OTP is taking forever to get together and the tension is killing you like WILL THEY JUST KISS ALREADY?!
• 'Titanic': when the OTP you though was unsinkable breaks up (or is broken apart) in a tragic, unexpected, and dramatic fashion.
• 'Abandon Ship!': when you stop considering your OTP as your OTP because they just don't work anymore.
• 'Pirate Ship': when somebody illegally copies or steals your OTP. It was yours. And they stole it. Ugh!

Phrases Commonly Used By Fangirls: (n.) just thought we'd put these in here so you can differentiate between extreme fangirling and epileptic seizures. 

• 'I can't even'/'I am unable to even'/'I have lost the ability to even.'
• 'Wat.'/'What.'
• 'MIND. BLOWN.'
• 'OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'
• '[insert ship name here] FTW!!'
• 'Right in the feels!'
• 'asdfghjkl'

Rant: (n.) a spontaneous combustion of the mind resulting in endless dialogue (word vomit). Often, rants involve serious caps abuse and incomplete sentences; 'ranted'; 'ranting'. Ex: 'I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT ISAAC DID THAT OMG WHAT HAPPENED HOW WHY I WISH IT NEVER HAPPENED WHY DID IT HAVE TO HAPPEN WHY HOW JUST NO WHAT.'

Squee: 1. (n.) a squeal; a prolonged shriek triggered by a fandom-related incident. 2. (v.) to squee. 'squeeing'; 'squeed'. Ex: 'After Piper watched Teen Wolf, she squeed uncontrollably.' See fangirl.

Ship: 1. (n.) an abbreviation for 'relationship'. Ships are combinations of two characters or two real people paired together by their friends or by members of a fandom. When two people are shipped, their names are combined into one 'ship name'. Ex: 'Stiles and Lydia is my favorite ship. Stydia for the win!' 2. (v) the action of shipping; 'shipping'; 'shipped'. Ex: 'I ship Romione so much!' See shippers, ship name.

Shipper: (v.) a person who supports a pairing of two people or characters. Ex: 'I am a proud Cecilos shipper!' See ship.

Ship Name: (n.) a name for a ship, usually created by combining the names of the two members of the ship. Ex: 'I think Percabeth is a better ship name than Anercy.' Occasionally, two things that define the characters' personalities are combined  to make the name. Ex: 'Petition to rename Percabeth 'Smartwater'!'

Troll: 1. (n.) an author/writer/director who tortures his or her fandom by creating terrible cliffhangers, killing characters, or creating relationships that no one supports. A troll is someone who antagonizes fangirls for fun. Ex: 'Rick Riordan is such a troll; he killed my favorite character! And he ended the series with a cliffhanger!' 2. (v.) to troll; 'trolling'. Ex: 'Jeff Davis is trolling in this new season!'

Don't Say Anything

Don't Say Anything

by Lady Rants-a-Lot

Prologue: Sirena

He may cry for mercy 
The cries of lost children. The shouts of their parents. The screams of the pursued. The moans of the hopeless.



And speak of things unknown 
Unfamiliar landmarks, foreign roads, the dim sky brightening with bursts of red, brown, and black. I don't recognize any of them. Where are the trees, with their curving, elegant branches and soft bark, carved with delicate patterns? Where is the sea, with its foaming, churning water and attention-seeking waves? Where is my family? I want them back, and with each step I take as I run, I wish for them more and more.



His wants are nothing to me 
The landscape changes, and I am in the city. The buildings are encompassed in greedy flames, twisting and wrapping around the structures, eating them alive. The deafening thunder arrives again; more screams. Why am I here? I want to go back to the unfamiliar, where I was more protected, covered, hidden. But I can't.



He knows I'm not alone
 I run down the streets, too afraid to look back. A firework of red and white light sparks on my left, and I dive into an alleyway. I keep running, and the alley opens up onto another street, but this one leads onto another highway. The open road, untouched for now, calls me from my shocked state. This won't last long like this, it is only a matter of minutes before this highway is in ruins too.



His ship crashes on an island 
Open road. Freshly paved road, untouched by the present. Trapped in the past. At least for now. The echo of my shoes on the pavement fill my ears; the sound of freedom. Faster, faster. My lungs burn. Faster. I hear the roar of the enemy. Faster! An opening in the road rails, leading into the forest. My feet do all the thinking, pulling me under the shelter of the trees, as the road I had just traveled on collapses and dissolves into nothing.


He sinks into the churning sea
 I stagger a few more steps forward, and collapse onto the forest floor.

Lying on the bottom sand
 I stare up at the tree tops. Is this the end?

Our voices are the key.


****************************************************************************************************

We never saw it coming. Well, at least most of us didn't. I knew. I tried to warn them, I tried to tell them that our enemies would be after us. They didn't listen to me, dismissed it as "a childish joke". They sure must be laughing now.

Sixty years ago, the government sent the rover - what was the name again? Curiosity? - to Mars. Twenty years ago, the first humans moved onto the no longer foreign planet. Ten years ago, after almost a third of the world's population was living on Mars, the war began. The human inhabitants of Mars had started to turn rogue, and developed.... alien-like characteristics. Their eyes turned gold, and their skin turned red. No one thought it would happen. They didn't know how, or why. Everyone assumed it was their body's advanced way of adapting to the new planet. All everyone knew was that they were different. They were nicknamed "Ignis", because their appearance made them look like they were made of flames. Eventually, the government sent a few astronauts to the planet, to dig a bit deeper into the mystery. The people of Mars felt intimidated, wanting the astronauts to leave their planet. More scientists came, and captured several of the Ignis, and tested them. They were caged, needles and medicines and chemicals pushed and flushed into their systems. The Ignis had had enough. They turned hostile, and vowed to never let another of their kind be captured again. The last Ingi to be hunted killed one of the scientists, out of self defense. The government immediately sent an army to the planet, killing almost every Ignis left and destroying their homes. Nine years later, the Ignis finished recovering and building a new home and population. Now they have attacked, here to get revenge. I only know this, because of I heard my father discussing it with some of the men that he works with. The story that the government has told the world is a lie. To the rest of the world, the government sent troops to help the Ignis, but the Ignis declined, and killed half of the troop, so the government had "no choice but to attack". That is complete BS. The government is blinded by hate. Unfortunately for me, I am stuck on the wrong end of the war. I am tied to the government's side, because the leader, is my father.

I race through the forest, my mind full of fear. If I had been half a second slower, I could've been blown to bits. What if they target the forest now? I need to get to my family. I need to find somewhere safe. My lungs and throat feel like I just swallowed a dozen of jalapenos whole. My eyes sting from all the smoke, dust and ash floating in the air. My legs ache from running for miles, and my heart hurts with the pain of being lost. I want my house, my family, my music, my books, and the beautiful blue ocean. The heartache seizes my chest, wrapping it in its cold, roping arms, and I stop running, collapsing on the forest floor. I feel so hopeless, and useless. Useless! I hate feeling useless. I stand up, and start walking. I have no idea where I am going, but trying to get somewhere is better than doing nothing. I walk for an hour before I reach a small stream. Water. I decide to follow it, hoping it will at least lead me to the ocean. My parents will look for me there.

I can't bare the thought of never having the cool waves tickle my feet again, and the soft sand brush against my arms and legs once more. I walk faster, following the stream. The trees start to thin, and the stream soon leads to a wide river. I walk along the river bank, watching the trees thin out even more. Blue sky greets me as I start to run. The cool fall breeze brushes against my skin, and the smell of dead leaves and salt fills the air. I run faster, sprinting along the river's edge. The wind blows in my face, and I laugh, enjoying the freedom and fresh air. No ash, no smoke. The Ignis haven't noticed this part of the state yet. Before I know it, the beautiful ocean is sprawled before me, covering the rest of the world in a silky blue blanket. The water is serene, and gentle waves crash against the shore. I smile, pulling off my burnt shoes, and walking in the soft white sand. The water brushes my ankles as I walk along the shore, perfectly happy where I am. I don't need anybody to find me, I could just live here myself forever, with the ocean as my neighbor. My long, curly chocolate brown hair tangles on my face, swaying in the breeze. I inhale the salty ocean air, and listen to the sound of the dune grass dancing in the wind. I close my eyes, and sit down in the sand, and let the world fade out leaving me with nothing but the sound of waves. They start to get louder, and louder, until I realize I am not hearing the waves anymore. The steady hum of a hovercraft interrupts the glorious sounds of nature. Thanks a lot advanced science and technology. I slowly and reluctantly open my eyes, and watch as the craft flies closer to the beach. Soon it is about a hundred yards to my right, and a ladder is lowered to the ground. I watch my father climb down, and he sprints across the beach to me. I sigh, and consider getting up and running away from him, into the ocean, where he wouldn't be able to catch me. But the logical side of me tells me to go with him. I was just missing my home and family anyways. I stand up, and let my father embrace me once I reach him. I hug him back, feeling the want for my family back again.

"We were afraid we'd lost you Sirena!" My father exclaims, pulling back and holding me at arms length. "We looked everywhere; the city, the school, the woods. We didn't expect you to travel this far! Are you ok?" I look my father directly in his piercing blue eyes.



"Yeah, I'm fine- wait what?" I ask, alarmed. How far did I run? Where am I anyway? Is the war still going on?



"Sirena, you're in Rosagrum. That's five territories over from Terraesole." My eyes widen in shock, realizing how far from my territory I had traveled, and my father laughs. "I guess you're more athletic than you think. C'mon, let's go home."

"Is the war over?"

"What?"

"Is the war over?"

"What war? What are you talking about?" My father asks, in question. My heart leaps into my throat.

"There was a war.... Against the Ignis. They bombed the city, and the highways... You were there. Remember?" My father's face turns worried.

"Sirena, are you sure you're fine?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" I feel so confused. How does my father not remember? The city was demolished!


"Because the city is still standing. You left last night while we were asleep, and we had no idea where you went. There was no war."

Shaun’s Travels: The Three Pigs

There was a little boy, sitting by himself on the side of a hill on a beautiful autumn day. His name was Shaun, and he had an obsession with the word Midday. He was a bright, nice, and curious boy. He had sea-green eyes, a deep and thoughtful expression, and a pair of glasses. He liked fantasy and humor books. A strange little boy was this Shaun.

He thought of how the flight attendant said ‘Get on the plane’, and how that would not be agreeable. The wind would most likely push you off. “You should probably get inside of the plane, and not on it” the little boy mused. He began to think of the fact that he was only a little boy, and he didn’t appear to have a home or a family. Shaun decided that he must get some of these things, because other people said that a family and a home are good things to have.

So he ventured out into the big wide world to see if he could find any of these things. He first happened upon a lonely straw house, sitting all by itself. He decided that this might be a nice home to live in. So he very gently, gently rapped on the chamber door.

Immediately a disgusting, fat, short pig in a bath-robe responded to the door, murmuring something about his lost lemon store or something. The pig looked at Shaun and grunted in a piggish way “Yeah, what do you want? You interrupted my pondering.”

Shaun said “Sir, I was just looking for a family or a home, do you happen to have either of these?”

The pig responded “No, you miserable little orphan, now go away so I can resume my wondering, or blundering, or whatever I was doing before you interrupted me!”

So Shaun began to cry about his mistreatment at the hands of the mean pig, when a big nice wolf came across Shaun. The wolf asked Shaun why he was crying “Why are you crying, little boy?” and the little boy responded “Why, Mister Wolf, the short, mean pig that lives in the straw house over yonder made me cry because he slammed the door on my face.”

Mister Wolf was enraged by the piggish behavior of the pig in a straw house. So he said to Shaun, “You wait here and I’ll, I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow that pig’s house down for what he did.” And true to his word, Mister Wolf did.

So Shaun began his search anew, with a bright and happy outlook to the future. Maybe more people would be like Mister Wolf, he thought, and might be able to give him a family and a home. He set out towards the west. Soon he came to a small town, with a nice inviting wooden house, and he thought he’d try his luck again. So this time he firmly tapped upon the front door.

Again, Shaun was greeted by a pig, but this one seemed more respectable than the first. He was wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and a pigskin jacket. He asked “Yes, little boy, what do you want?”

And Shaun replied “Hello Mister Pig, I was wondering if you had a family or a home that I could have?”

Mister Pig responded “Yes, I gave one of those to King Nestor, but it seems that he has forgotten where he placed them.”

“Yes, but do you have a family or a house for me?”

“No, I don’t, and it’s rude to beg. You can go play with Irus, you miserable beggar.” And Mister Pig slammed the door on Shaun.

Repeating the process, Shaun sat down and cried, Mister Wolf came and asked what’s wrong, Shaun related everything to him, Mister Wolf got mad. Then Mister Wolf goes and blows the house down.

So Shaun resumed his journey to find a place where he belonged, and the people he belonged with. Suddenly he came onto a large city, with a particularly large mansion. The Mansion happened to be made of brick. Shaun was more curious than hopeful when he used the knocker on the door, which had a face on it. He saw a boy doing the twist off in an alley way.

The door opened and Sir Pigenezer Scrooge answered it “Yes, what is it you want you beggar boy? if it’s money, you won’t get any out of me.”

“No, I was just wondering if you had a home or a family to spare.”

Sir replied, “What, are there no prisons? and the union workhouses, are they still operational? You will find plenty of miserable wretches like you in the establishments I have named, and there is plenty enough home there for you.”

So Shaun began to wail louder than he had before, and Mister Wolf came running to the rescue “What happened this time, little boy? Haven’t you found a home yet?” Shaun wailed “Oh, Mister Wolf, the pig in the brick mansion is the worst yet! He’s a regular old Scrooge of a man. Would you please be kind enough to blow the house down for me?”

Mister Wolf replied “Well, you’ve made me blow down two houses so far, and I’m almost tempted to leave you here crying, but I won’t. I’ll blow this one down, and that’s it for today.”

Then Mister Wolf walked up to the house, and he began to huff, and puff, and blow, but the mansion wouldn’t fall down. Then, in his exasperation on his second try, he forgot to puff, and the third he forgot to huff, and on the fourth he forgot to blow, and he gave up.

He went back, and found Shaun still crying. He said “Okay, you, I’ll take you back to my house for a while. That can be your home for the length of approximately three months, and I’ll be your family. How does that sound to you?” And Shaun’s face began to dry and light up like a lightbulb. “Thank you Mister Wolf, oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you! This will be such fun, Mister Wolf!”

So Mister Wolf and Shaun went off into the horizon, following a yellow brick road.

The End.

By T.H. Wam!