The splashes of the freezing spillway mixed with the cold wind coming off the water sent chills down my back. I yawned, the loud purr of the tugboat next to us made it impossible to hear my uncle ask if I was tired. We were passing the train of barges right after we left the launch and were headed into the woods. I have done all this before. It was all familiar to me. The only difference was that I had never been out here this early. The eerie white light of the moon was the only thing that let us see right now. Luckily for us the moon was huge and full tonight. It was about 4:30 in the morning and we were speeding into the swamps of the spillway. I looked at my uncle and I saw him standing up, driving the boat, with a smile on his face. This was his job and he loved it. When you love the wilderness, being out in the woods for eight hours a day was a treat. Especially when it ended with picking up a paycheck of about a thousand dollars at the end of each of those days.…
I lay in the midst of a shadowy field, filled with bugs that light and dance. I stare at the sky, a mirror, looking into the unknown. My heart feels the blues. Blues of a star-lit night sky. The blue shines above me, I'll count each star.…
Though I may have been trapped here for some time, I have managed to stay sane through drawings. I drew how I felt when I felt it. Now however, I am growing restless, and am tempted to peer into the outer world, even though I know it will bring dread and resentment upon my mind. Yet I still have a sliver of hope in my heart and so I decided to view- the mounted screen. I turned it on and waited for the bulbs to warm themselves. Finally an image began to fade into place. I was astonished at what I saw.…
We hit a clearing and drop, the world spinning around us, soft grass comforting our throbbing body, the smell. The smell, what is it? It’s new and fresh. We open our eyes and are stunned by the sight. The darkness drowns us, but it is softened by something beautiful overhead; stars, all of them, completely beautiful, each one on its own and every one together. Simply magnificent. We close our eyes and relax, as it seems for the first time in our life, we are completely at peace. Before we know it, its…
The journey was long to the planet of dark. Twenty-one and a half hours of space-line food and dread. I look back at the earth once more. I wish-…
CRUNCH! I heard outside my door and woke with a start. Something was pounding on my 3-inch thick metal door, making huge bulges and dents on it each time it hit it. I reached over for the auto scan, a red button that would scan the whole facility and see what or who was on It. As I slammed my fist onto the button, a few seconds later the sirens on the station blared to life ALERT ALERT! Unidentified life forms detected, in hallways 3-0-4-7 and 1, also detected in rooms 14-18-16-12-1-and 3. Suddenly the door rocketed off of its hinges and straight towards my window. I grabbed my metal bedpost and held on, wrapping my arms as tight as I could. Despite being 3 times reinforced glass my window shattered into a million pieces on impact, some of…
Apollo 11 is probably the most famous NASA mission in United States history. The mission that took man to the moon. The mission that made "...one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind" a recognizable phrase throughout every home in America. The mission that captivated not only the nation, but the world.…
Stars twinkle down between broken clouds, almost sickly smiling at me. I can see the stars again, I dreamily think, as my heavy eye start to count them. They disappear behind the clouds and it’s nothing but dark. Blinking repeatedly, I stir my head, my neck aching and my body sicker than before. My skin is hot and clammy, my head hurts and the numbing in my left arm is gone, instead, I feel nothing in that limb.…
The sun was an arctic blue overhead as I lay on what appeared to be a dull orange shrub. I closed my eyes for a moment, completely disoriented. Just a moment ago I was in a park, I remember a tugging sensation on myself, then a crushing feeling, before suddenly being thrust into the sky that I see now, completely alien from my world. Where am I?…
Each new day begins with a sunrise. It brings to earth a new light that has never been seen before. The new light starts small and gradually reaches its peak in the vast sky. It nourishes the land, provides warmth and comfort, and inspires epic tales. As the day ages the light slowly sinks behind the horizon leaving behind brilliant splashes of color as if to reflect upon its accomplishment, but the pallet of colors will quickly fade to black as the light leaves the sky to go to places unknown. Even though the day was bright and created wonder it must give way to the tranquil, mysterious, and cool night.…
What exactly was Apollo 11? Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that allowed the first men to land on the moon. The ship landed on the moon on June 20th, 1969, and is considered to be the greatest accomplishment in exploring history for mankind. The ship was launched in Florida on June 16th and was the third mission in NASA’s Apollo program. And by June 21st, Neil Armstrong and his crew were the first men in history to walk on the moon. The crew returned home with 47.5 pounds of lunar rocks for scientist here to study about the lunar surface.…
It is often in tenebrous night skies that we so lucidly glimpse the brightest stars. Having the opportunity to be a dazzling star in the pitch-black orphanage of SOS children’s village, was a modest, euphoric and memorable experience. For as a candle, I lose nothing by lighting other candles but only increase the light circles of hope. Raised up in an Indian household that values generosity to the underprivileged, I grew up with a burning desire to sympathize with others. At a young age, I would donate my old text books and clothes to the orphanage, but I wanted to contribute so much more. The children in the orphanage lived in overcrowded homes in groups of 7 or 8 with a caretakers. Being scholastically astute with maths and physics, I decided…
The sun was berating down hard on my scalp, I noticed it started to sweat as it trickled down my flushed skin and stung when it greeted my eyes. I was not the only one to feel the wrath of Earth's favorite star, because my dogs were also scouring the ground for a morsel of shade. The leaves appeared to be weeping and begging for night to creep in. I ended up sitting under an elder spruce that towered over the yard, and I could smell all the scents of spring. It appeared that summer was around the corner and was taking the world by surprise for there are pools of water where skiffs of snow stood proud this morning, but for me I just waddled back inside to take advantage of Mom's fresh…
The sun was berating down hard on my scalp, I noticed it started to sweat as it trickled down my flushed skin and stung when it greeted my eyes. I was not the only one to feel the wrath of Earth's favorite star, because my dogs were also scouring the ground for a morsel of shade. The leaves appeared to be weeping and begging for night to creep in. I ended up sitting under an elder spruce that towered over the yard, and I could smell all the scents of spring. It appeared that summer was around the corner and was taking the world by surprise for there are pools of water where skiffs of snow stood proud this morning, but for me I just waddled back inside to take advantage of Mom's fresh…
As I stepped outside my porch, like any other day, to attend my morning quite-time. This day wasn’t just like others. I was so peaceful and quite. I saw the sun’s rays in my eye, lighting my way step by step. It shined so bright, it burned my eye. I saw the beautiful green trees up across the sky, with birds flying over them and other just waiting to sing…