To me, friendship is polite smiles and obligatory chuckles, it's a small wave as you cross paths in the hallway. Friendship brightens my day. It can help me forget the sting of a wrong answer or the anger of a morning bicker.

On the other hand, best friendship is tears waiting to happen. It's letting someone get close enough that they can hurt you, for real. Best friendship is a weight on your shoulders, a constant presence.

If all best friendship does is bring pain, why bother? Why let people get that close ever again?

Because just friendship is no use when you can't forget.

When you have been ripped in two and no matter how hard you try you just can't forget, only the people who are close enough to hurt you for real can hold you tight enough for it to matter.

Yes you have schoolwork and sports practice, but your brother is so tired from school, you have to do the laundry and dishes and walk the dog on your own. But there's no time-. And make sure to play a game with him later, he misses you. You’re always off doing something, you never have time for him anymore. Hey, where’s the happy girl I know? When Henry tickles you make him stop, but never raise your voice to your father. You love him, and he'll think otherwise if make make him stop. It's not your place. You have to show Henry that you're healing. That you're happy.

It was ok that I was missing my best friend's birthday. Really, I promise it’s fine. She promised it was fine. I still felt guilty, even though it wasn’t my fault. Wasn’t my fault that when I was only 4 my parents split and now live 4 hours from each other. That because I don’t see my Dad much during the school year, the summer is for him. Not for mom, not for me. But it’s not like I hate him. He has a wonderful wife named Allison, and they have two dogs. Everyone gets along well, we are finally healing. I don’t resent them, it’s better that they’re happier. And I’m happier, right? I mean, without the divorve I would have never moved to Vermont, never met my best friends. Today I’m with him, even though it’s May. My lacrosse team just finished competing in a jamboree. We won 2 of our 3 games, a pretty good record. He’s coming up for a special visit, I’ve been looking forward to it forever. I tell my teammate this, ‘Today is such a good day!!’.

Did you look at me and see sloping hills dotted with gentle flowers?

No, I am the palace of marble that lies within.

With looming spires and a polished crystals

Yet never frightening, never cold.

While I have not shady trees or soft grass that tickles your toes,

You will find my endless halls gleaming in effervescent light to be plenty comforting.

I am not a place to stop and wonder, then tear down with your metal monsters.

I am strong and eternal, my own beauty in a serene grace

While you may not claim me as yours, for I am too complex for that,

I am a haven, and with me may you find peace.
 

On the day the tower fell, I was about to enter the subway tunnels to head home, to my apartment in the heart of Chicago. When I heard a bone-chilling scream. It was filled with anguish and despair. That scream pierced my heart, forever changing me. It died away, and a stiff silence fell over the street. A choked gasp escaped me, as I whirled around and saw this woman kneeling in the street, begging for God to take her instead. She collapsed on the ground, heaving sobs shaking her body. An announcement came over the loudspeakers at the nearby mall, alerting the passerbyers that over 2,000 civilians had been murdered in a series of plane crashes. It began to rattle off names of the fallen. Another voice, this one of a man, let out a gutteral roar, as he smashed a window in his fury. Tears were streaming down his face. One by one, people sank to the ground, utterely defeated. A young man, probably just out of college, was next to me.

The unforgiving wind batted against the roof, and waves washed into the small wooden hut. The last piece of wood that held the house onto the ground came free, sending it into the storm. Thunder claps engulfed the home, sending furniture flying into the air.
Sapley hung tightly onto a table, fearing for her life. Storms like this came by often and normally all the animals in the were underground by the time it hit. But the loving mouse had stayed because on that fateful night the signs of a storm hadn’t been noticed by her. She had her paw’s full with two little bundles of joy that never slept. A brick could have hit her and she wouldn’t have been aware. How dearly she regretted it.
The strongest gust yet swept through the home, sending Sapley flying through the air. She floundered as waves roared over head, each one threatening to send her to the bottom forever. But she was determined, because she never broke her promises. Especially the wish of her dearest sister.

The early-winter’s biting cold strikes me like a hammer. I shiver in the depths of our nest, poked and scratched by razor-sharp nettles. My thoughts drift to last night, as Casia and the kids had settled down for bed. Sasha had told us that a winter storm was coming. I told her don’t be foolish. Alan asked to sleep with me for warmth. I said don’t be weak. I sent them back to bed. I was hungry and wanted to get away from them, so I went to our food store, deep in the tree. Tired from the day's work, I had floated off into an uneasy sleep. Now I stare at my family, frozen where they slept. I only made it because of my greed and selfishness. My last words to them were ones of anger. My guilt claws at my insides. I make the leap. *Thud*
 

    Jonas awoke from a restless sleep, filled with nightmares of faceless people attacking him and ripping Gabe from his arms. His clothes were stained with tears, but Gabe was still wrapped tight in his arms, shivering. The rain hadn’t stopped, but they had managed to find a tree with long arms stretching around them to keep them drier. Damp and shivering, Jonas attempted to stand but fell to his knees from exhaustion. Gabe whimpered, reaching weakly for an unseen figure. Jonas picked him up again, startled at how cold he had grown. Jonas tucked Gabe into his shirt as he had seen his father do so many times before.

The green grass was peeking it's head above the snow. Bird song gently woke the animals in the hollow from a peaceful slumber. The sun was waking too, stretching it's red, orange, yellow, and purple arms across the sky. From a fallen log some ants crawled to meet the dawn. The short whiskered nose of a bobcat poked out of a cave, and if you squinted your eyes you could make out the shadows of it's cubs. The antelope stood tall, silhoutted against the sun. Her baby stumbled into her legs, then got his bearings and stood proud beside her mother. Warm light now bathed the hollow, flooding it with a beautiful glow.