When life shoves you to the ground,

tell it to shut up and stand up.

Or...

It's so hard, when people knock you down

And tell you that you're never gonna get a shot at glory

But that's when you rise to the challenge

'Cause it's your time, your moment

And nothing can stop us now. -Can't Hold Us PTX

I'm thankful for the setting and rising of the orange orange sky lifting me up as the day starts and comes to an end.

I'm thankful for a basketball, bouncing, calming, and entertaining me through rough times.

I'm thankful for fall, the beautiful leaves changing from green to magnificent oranges, reds, and pinks, and then end their life with a prodigious dance to the ground.

I'm thankful for fire, as it dances across the wood enlightening all of its surroundings, and shining its orange, red, yellow, and blue flames for all to enjoy.

I'm thankful for National Parks, such as Arches and the Grand Canyon showing their bright oranges for all to enjoy and smile about :)

I'm thankful for Halloween, bringing joy and smiles to little children all across the world, and providing fun for all!

I'm thankful for Jack- O-Lanterns, for smiling, frowning, yelling, puking, and transforming into other characters or shapes, while also shining orange inside and out.

I'm thankful for Monarch Butterfly's, for representing strength, perseverance, individualism, elegance, beauty, grace, and change, while shining their wondrous orange.

I'm thankful for lightning, dancing, singing, and shining orange, blue, white, yellow, and purple when the sky's are grey and crowding all around us. 

I'm thankful for sand, being their to meet the oceans edge, providing orange castles for people to build, and allowing us to lay and bask in the sun.

I pull out a piece of paper and pen. Dear Mom, I didn’t want this to happen, I turned myself into a rock, I killed Grandma, Grandpa, all because of a snake, a snake from Hell. Here’s how it happened.

“Bye Chelsie,” I said waving to my friend as Molly and I walked away.

“See ya tomorrow!” she replied, “Don’t forget your jersey, again!”

We both laughed, “I won’t, I’m pumped for this tournament,” I said as I walked away, tomorrow was our cheerleading tournament, and we were going to win. Molly and I walked down the road to our house, and went in our shortcut through a field like always. We walked and talked about cheerleading, boys, and clothes until we got to the end. That’s when we saw it, a black snake with green spots, and it was big, too big. Molly screamed and ran the other way.

Me on the other hand loved snakes, they were real cool animals. I watched it, from a distance, to be safe. That’s when it speedily slithered straight for me and bit me. It didn’t hurt for some odd reason, so I kicked it off me, ran home, and didn’t tell my Grandparents, who were watching me while my parent’s were in Utah. I was feeling tired when I went home and yelled to my Grandma.

“Grammy, I’m tired and am going to bed, I’m gonna eat dinner now and head on up.”

“Okay Nina,” she replied, I hurried and grabbed a bowl of cereal. While I was eating my head felt like a bomb about to explode. I gobbled up the rest of my food and ran to my room. My head started hurting even more, I layed down and passed out. I awoke to my alarm at 5:30, I was too tired to get up and turned it off and went back to sleep. Then I awoke to Grammy walking into my room.

“Nina darling, you must have really been tired, here's some brea.. AAAHHHHHH” she screamed, I jumped out of bed, and looked at my grandma, that’s when it happened, she turned into solid rock, fell over, and shattered. This time I was the one screaming and crying, I fell to my knees, all at the same time. I was so confused, what had happened?

“Grandpa!!! Heeelllppp” I heard footsteps running up the stairs as I screamed. Grandpa ran into my room and this time he screamed, it was a big screaming party. I looked up with tears and my eyes, I saw him turn to solid rock, fall over, and shatter. I cried, I don’t think I’ve cried so hard. I was sitting down, crying then I heard a faint hisssss… and saw a snake fly in front of my face I screamed, yet again.

Then I saw another one, and another, and another. I felt my hair, my face must have turned pale white, I only felt snakes, I tried pulling them off my head, but they wouldn’t come. I sat down and cried, what was happening? Then I remembered yesterday and the snake bite… Maybe? No, it couldn’t be, could it? In school we were learning about greek mythology, and I remember the tale of medusa.

The more I thought of it the more likely it seemed to me, a snake bit me, I grew snakes out of my hair, and I turn people to stone. I was Medusa, a clever sneaky beast. I ran out of the house, I couldn’t stand seeing my grandparents broken and on the floor, I ran out of the house, no turning back now. I walk down the street and hear children screaming, I look over, and they freeze and fall. I cry, but continue to run. People freezing all around me, I run crying, five minutes later I hear police sirens.

“Freeze beast!” I hear the sirens wail. I turn around and the driver froze, I didn’t mean to but I did. I was close to the forest, I could hear screams, crashes, and sirens, I ran as fast as I could, I didn’t want to hurt anyone. 200 more feet till safety, from me. I ran into the forest hiding, crying, and thinking about what to do. If I ever came out of the forest I would be shot and killed, and if I stayed here I would starve and die. Then I thought of this plan, the only other way out, kill myself.

If I did that it would be less painful. It was the most logical answer, but first I had to write a letter, this letter. All I need to do now is pull out my mirror. Goodbye Mom.

I pull out my hand mirror, look at myself, freeze, fall, shatter. Goodbye beast.