Webchat

Your Campfire Host: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 7:18AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Welcome to Camp Internet's Halloween 2000 and Days of the Dead Storytelling Campfire ... gather 'round to see and share your tales of the supernatural and mysterious unknown............. Guidelines for this session, open Oct 31 - Nov 2, is that teachers MUST preview all stories before they are posted in the chat room. The author's name and their school name needs to go in the YOUR HANDLE box FIRST, then type or cut and paste in the story............. SUGGESTION - due to the chat room software, it is suggested that you enter the story as one entry, not as several posts, so it will be easier to follow your stories from start to finish. When you have a paragraph break in your story, type in at least 12 periods - like ............ - as the chat software will not recognize paragraph breaks. This will space out the sections of the story nicely ...... as you can see in the first story we will post.

Your Campfire Host: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 7:26AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Our first story today is a fond rememberance of a remarkable black cat from Mark Twain's early California Story .... The Miner's Cat ............ Not only is Halloween a spooky time ... it is also a time where we honor those who have lived before us and remember their special qualities .... like the cat with a supernatural ability to not be harmed even in a very dangerous mining accident talk about nine lives? ... this cat had nine or more of them !!!!!!!!!.............................................. The Miner's Cat by Mark Twain ...............................“ By and by, an old friend of mine, a miner, came down from one of the decayed mining camps of Tuolumne, California, and I went back with him. We lived in a small cabin on a verdant hillside, and there were not five other cabins in view over the wide expanse of hill and forest. Yet a flourishing city of two or three thousand population had occupied this grassy dead solitude during the flush times of twelve or fifteen years before, and where our cabin stood had once been the heart of the teeming hive, the centre of the city. When the mines gave out the town fell into decay, and in a few years wholly disappeared--streets, dwellings, shops, everything--and left no sign. The grassy slopes were as green and smooth and desolate of life as if they had never been disturbed. “ ...................................... ONE of my comrades there--another of those victims of eighteen years of unrequited toil and blighted hopes--was one of the gentlest spirits that ever bore its patient cross in a weary exile: grave and simple Dick Baker, pocket-miner of Dead-House Gulch.--He was forty-six, gray as a rat, earnest, thoughtful, slenderly educated, slouchily dressed and clay-soiled, but his heart was finer metal than any gold his shovel ever brought to light--than any, indeed, that ever was mined or minted. ............................... Whenever he was out of luck and a little down-hearted, he would fall to mourning over the loss of a wonderful cat he used to own (for where women and children are not, men of kindly impulses take up with pets, for they must love something). And he always spoke of the strange sagacity of that cat with the air of a man who believed in his secret heart that there was something human about it--may be even supernatural. .................................................... I heard him talking about this animal once. He said: ............................. "Gentlemen, I used to have a cat here, by the name of Tom Quartz, which you'd a took an interest in I reckon--most any body would. I had him here eight year--and he was the remarkablest cat ever see. He was a large gray one of the Tom specie, an' he had more hard, natchral sense than any man in this camp--'n' a power of dignity--he wouldn't let the Gov'ner of Californy be familiar with him. He never ketched a rat in his life--'peared to be above it. He never cared for nothing but mining. He knowed more about mining, that cat did, than any man ever, ever see. You couldn't tell him noth'n 'bout placer diggin's--'n' as for pocket mining, why he was just born for it. ................... He would dig out after me an' Jim when we went over the hills prospect'n', and he would trot along behind us for as much as five mile, if we went so fur. An' he had the best judgment about mining ground--why you never see anything like it. When we went to work, he'd scatter a glance around, 'n' if he didn't think much of the indications, he would give a look as much as to say, `Well, I'll have to get you to excuse me ,' 'n' without another word he'd hyste his nose into the air 'n' shove for home. But if the ground suited him, he would lay low 'n' keep dark till the first pan was washed, 'n' then he would sidle up 'n' take a look, an' if there was about six or seven grains of gold he was satisfied--he didn't want no better prospect 'n' that--'n' then he would lay down on our coats and snore like a steamboat till we'd struck the pocket, an' then get up 'n' superintend. He was nearly lightnin' on superintending. ......................................... "Well, bye an' bye, up comes this yer quartz excitement. Every body was into it--every body was pick'n' 'n' blast'n' instead of shovelin' dirt on the hill side--every body was put'n' down a shaft instead of scrapin' the surface. Noth'n' would do Jim, but we must tackle the ledges, too, 'n' so we did. We commenced put'n' down a shaft, 'n' Tom Quartz he begin to wonder what in the Dickens it was all about. He hadn't ever seen any mining like that before, 'n' he was all upset, as you may say--he couldn't come to a right understanding of it no way--it was too many for him . He was down on it, too, you bet you--he was down on it powerful--'n' always appeared to consider it the cussedest foolishness out. But that cat, you know, was always agin new fangled arrangements--somehow he never could abide'em. You know how it is with old habits.................................. But by an' by Tom Quartz begin to git sort of reconciled a little, though he never could altogether understand that eternal sinkin' of a shaft an' never pannin' out any thing. At last he got to comin' down in the shaft, hisself, to try to cipher it out. An' when he'd git the blues, 'n' feel kind o'scruffy, 'n' aggravated 'n' disgusted--knowin' as he did, that the bills was runnin' up all the time an' we warn't makin' a cent--he would curl up on a gunny sack in the corner an' go to sleep. Well, one day when the shaft was down about eight foot, the rock got so hard that we had to put in a blast--the first blast'n' we'd ever done since Tom Quartz was born. An' then we lit the fuse 'n' clumb out 'n' got off 'bout fifty yards--'n' forgot 'n' left Tom Quartz sound asleep on the gunny sack. ............................................. In 'bout a minute we seen a puff of smoke bust up out of the hole, 'n' then everything let go with an awful crash, 'n' about four million ton of rocks 'n' dirt 'n' smoke 'n; splinters shot up 'bout a mile an' a half into the air, an' by George, right in the dead centre of it was old Tom Quartz a goin' end over end, an' a snortin' an' a sneez'n', an' a clawin' an' a reachin' for things like all possessed. But it warn't no use, you know, it warn't no use. An' that was the last we see of him for about two minutes 'n' a half, an' then all of a sudden it begin to rain rocks and rubbage, an' directly he come down ker-whop about ten foot off f'm where we stood Well, I reckon he was p'raps the orneriest lookin' beast you ever see. One ear was sot back on his neck, 'n' his tail was stove up, 'n' his eye-winkers was swinged off, 'n' he was all blacked up with powder an' smoke, an' all sloppy with mud 'n' slush f'm one end to the other. ............................................. Well sir, it warn't no use to try to apologize--we couldn't say a word. He took a sort of a disgusted look at hisself, 'n' then he looked at us--an' it was just exactly the same as if he had said--`Gents, may be you think it's smart to take advantage of a cat that 'ain't had no experience of quartz minin', but think different '--an' then he turned on his heel 'n' marched off home without ever saying another word. ............................................ "That was jest his style. An' may be you won't believe it, but after that you never see a cat so prejudiced agin quartz mining as what he was. An' by an' bye when he did get to goin' down in the shaft agin, you'd 'a been astonished at his sagacity. The minute we'd tetch off a blast 'n' the fuse'd begin to sizzle, he'd give a look as much as to say: 'Well, I'll have to git you to excuse me ,' an' it was surpris'n' the way he'd shin out of that hole 'n' go f'r a tree. Sagacity? It ain't no name for it. 'Twas inspiration !" .......................................... I said, "Well, Mr. Baker, his prejudice against quartz-mining was remarkable, considering how he came by it. Couldn't you ever cure him of it?" ............................... Cure him ! No! When Tom Quartz was sot once, he was always sot--and you might a blowed him up as much as three million times 'n' you'd never a broken him of his cussed prejudice agin quartz mining." ................................... The affection and the pride that lit up Baker's face when he delivered this tribute to the firmness of his humble friend of other days, will always be a vivid memory with me. ............... From Roughing It by Mark Twain

Your Campfire Host: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 7:35AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Here is a Shasta Indian Ghost story ........................Land of the Ghost Dance ........................................ Eagle, the supreme spirit of all flying creatures, wanted to create people. So he sent two children to earth, a boy and a girl. They created more children, and in time there were many, many people everywhere on earth. It seems that no one ever died. More and more people were created, and soon the world was becoming much too crowded............................................... Everyone pondered the question of what could be done about the crowded conditions on earth? Then a boy died! His people were very sad to lose him, and friends gathered to comfort the family of the lost boy. They said to each other, "Let us not die, let us not die!" ................................... Buy Coyote replied, "People must die, people must die!" Soon thereafter the parents buried the little boy. But in their hearts, they were disturbed about what Coyote kept saying. Now they secretly wished that Coyote's child might die. Perhaps then he would understand somewhat of how they felt about losing their son. ....................................... A few moons passed, when Coyote's child became ill and he died. Coyote wanted so much to bring him back to life. He even followed his child's spirit to the land where the Ghosts danced about a fire. There he watched the spectacular cavortings of the Ghosts dancing continuously, enjoying their frolic.................................... Coyote built his own fire of wild parsnips to attract his child's ghost. When the Ghost clan smelled the burning parsnips, they could not stand the aroma and gave Coyote's child back to him. They returned happily to their homeland. On their way, Coyote was so very delighted to have his child with him. Coyote asked, "What wish would you like to have me grant you?" ...................................... "Father, for ten years you must never scold me," replied the child. ...................................... All was happiness for five years, no one scolded Coyote's child. Then someone forgot and scolded him, and he died a second time. Again Coyote went to the Land of the Ghost Dance. Again the Ghosts saw Coyote return and said, "Go back, go back to your home and return the day after tomorrow to see your child." ................................... Joyous at the future prospect of seeing his child again, Coyote practically danced all the way home. Because he was tired from the excitement of his journey, Coyote lay down to rest when he reached his home. The very next day, his friends found Coyote dead in his own bed. Coyote's spirit returned for the third time to the Land of the Ghost Dance, and for the third time was welcomed by his child and the other dancing Ghosts. ......................................... Shasta Indians used to say that no one should follow the dead to the Land of the Ghost Dance, or soon they, too, would become a new Ghost in the Land of the Ghost Dance!

Samer, Hector Tulsa : . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 8:00AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Island Terror by Samer and Hector It is a full moon and Hector and I are looking for artifacts from previous human life on this deserted island. All of a sudden, we see something shadowy glistening in the dark. We are surprised and decide to explore. As we approach, we make out the outline of a human figure, which seems to be beckoning to us. It is a woman with dark black hair and beautiful clothes. Could this be the Indian woman from San Nicholas? She is walking down the plateau and pointing her finger to the ocean as if she is warning us. We are looking at the ocean with curiosity, and then all of a sudden we see a paddle in the fog silhouetted against the water. It is a phantom ship coming right towards us. The color of the boat is red like bursting fire. The boat stops and a pack of wild dogs jumps out. There are people also; they appear to be the Aleuts. They have returned and the Indian woman is warning us. Sea Otters are barking and bellowing in terror as the Aleuts swing their clubs and long bloody knives. We huddle behind the rocks shivering in disbelief and terror. We close our eyes trying to shut out the horror. Suddenly there is only silence. We come out from behind our hiding place to see the waves gently washing up against a beautifully clean shoreline. We stare at each other shortly and then quickly pack up for a speedy return to the mainland.

Eri----Tulsa 5th grade: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 8:02AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Flashback on San Nicholas Island By Eri Y Suddenly as Marcy and I are approaching the island, we see a human figure in the mist. Marcy and I are here because we are amateur paleontologists. We are searching for Indian artifacts and woolly mammoth bones. As we get closer, the figure comes into focus. It is an Indian dressed like a chief. Many other Indians follow him. We know what is going to happen and we must warn them. We scream at them to stop and to go back. It looks like they do not hear us. We know what will happen to the otters and what will happen to them. In horror we reach out to touch them, to warn them, but we can’t they just keep walking and they disappear into the sea.

Marcy, Your Campfire Host: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 8:09AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Good Morning Tulsa - great work so far - keep posting !!

Courtney--Tulsa 5th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 8:21AM PST (-0800 GMT)
How Unusual By Courtney As Marcy and I are approaching the island, I make out a human figure in the mist. Marcy, the camp Internet supervisor is working with us on a Woolly mammoth project. As I tie the canoe to a tree, Marcy seems to be a bit uneasy. She decides to set up camp near the shore, which is unusual, as we had planned to hike further inland. After we set up the campsite, we decide to check out the island. After just a few minutes of hiking, we see bones protruding out of the side of a rocky ledge. Excitedly we begin to dig out the bones. After a few minutes, we realize that the sky is beginning to darken and the wind is beginning to blow. We almost have all of the bones out when we are interrupted by the sight of a vague vision. It appears to be an Indian, possibly a chief, and he seems to be followed by other Indians. I remember the story of the “Lone Woman of San Nicholas Island”. Could this be her people? Marcy and I look at each other in dread because we know what is about to happen. We must warn them. We must prevent this horrible massacre from happening. We have the power to change the history of the Chumash people. Silently Marcy and I run around and warn the people to go back to the safety of their homes. We see Captain Orlov take the gun out of his jacket. “Wake Up!” Wake Up! we hear. Was it all just a dream? How unusual!

Giovanny--Tulsa 5th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 8:24AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Fighting The Beast by Giovanny I awake with a jolt. I feel sweat on my forehead. I hear strange shouting and I hear an unusual bellowing sound. I cautiously look out of my tent and see human figures circling what appears to be a woolly mammoth. The huge creature is bellowing in terror. I scream and the human figures look right through me. A bolt of lightning flashes across the sky and in that moment I see the figures are carrying long poles with flint spearheads on the tips. They are lunging their spears into the body of the great beast. The animal crashes and falls to the earth. I feel myself struggling with a tremendous weight. Has the beast fallen on me? I scream, Help! Help!. I awaken and climb out from underneath my collapsed tent.

Jamie--Tulsa 5th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 8:32AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mysterious Figure by Jamie Suddenly I find myself walking along side of Marcy on San Nicholas Island. We are talking about how wooly mammoths are so interesting. Our conversation is interrupted by the sound of a baby crying. I run up to the top of a grassy hill and I see the vague outline of a baby. I yell at Marcy who struggles to the top of the hill just as the figure disappears. I describe what I saw to Marcy who explains to me that it is just our imagination. We return to camp and set our tents up far from the breaking waves. The sky is darkening rapidly and we realize that it will soon be night. We found eight woolly mammoth bones on this trip and many Indian artifacts from the people who once lived here. The ship will be returning early in the morning and we are excited about sharing our finds. We get into our tents and try to go to sleep in order to be ready to get up early when the ship arrives. The sound started out softly at first, it appeared to be the crying of an infant. I crawl out of my tent and feel immediately on to wet sand. I catch a glimpse of Marcy struggling in the wet sand to take down her tent. The sound is louder now, like the screaming of a baby. The outline of baby appears with its small arms reaching out to us. In the distance we see the outline of our ship. Marcy and I leave our tents floating in the water. We leave the woolly mammoth bones and the Indian artifacts and we start swimming toward our rescue ship.

Jamie--Tulsa 5th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 8:41AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Suddenly I hear the sky rumbling and see light rip across the night sky. Dark black clouds appear blocking out the light of the moon. We finally reach the island of San Nicholas. After our camp is set up we start out on our first expedition. We are here to practice the skills we have learned as amateur paleontologists. Immediately we discover some unusual looking bones protruding from the side of a ledge. Others stay behind to excavate them as I proceed to the top of the plateau. Amazed, I discover the remains of a small firepot. I approach it with caution. Suddenly I see the outline of a human figure. I creep closer and make out the figure of a woman. She is standing in a low woven-brush enclosure. Full of curiosity and fright I approach until she notices me. She motions me toward her. She does not seem threatening but friendly. She is dressed in a robe of bird’s plumage made of small squares neatly matched and sewed together. I recognize her as the Indian girl that was left behind on San Nicolas Island. She smiles and gestures toward a small woven cradle that she rocks gently with her foot as she continues to weave long strands of grass into a basket. I am afraid but I must know what it is that she wishes me to see. I move forward and the sight of a squirming, grinning, baby makes me smile. I return to camp with a feeling of happiness. I feel very unusual, but I am proud that I decided to go on the expedition.

Natasha, Tulsa: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 8:41AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Suddenly I hear the sky rumbling and see light rip across the night sky. Dark black clouds appear blocking out the light of the moon. We finally reach the island of San Nicholas. After our camp is set up we start out on our first expedition. We are here to practice the skills we have learned as amateur paleontologists. Immediately we discover some unusual looking bones protruding from the side of a ledge. Others stay behind to excavate them as I proceed to the top of the plateau. Amazed, I discover the remains of a small firepot. I approach it with caution. Suddenly I see the outline of a human figure. I creep closer and make out the figure of a woman. She is standing in a low woven-brush enclosure. Full of curiosity and fright I approach until she notices me. She motions me toward her. She does not seem threatening but friendly. She is dressed in a robe of bird’s plumage made of small squares neatly matched and sewed together. I recognize her as the Indian girl that was left behind on San Nicolas Island. She smiles and gestures toward a small woven cradle that she rocks gently with her foot as she continues to weave long strands of grass into a basket. I am afraid but I must know what it is that she wishes me to see. I move forward and the sight of a squirming, grinning, baby makes me smile. I return to camp with a feeling of happiness. I feel very unusual, but I am proud that I decided to go on the expedition.

Jamie--Tulsa 5th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 8:42AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Suddenly I hear the sky rumbling and see light rip across the night sky. Dark black clouds appear blocking out the light of the moon. We finally reach the island of San Nicholas. After our camp is set up we start out on our first expedition. We are here to practice the skills we have learned as amateur paleontologists. Immediately we discover some unusual looking bones protruding from the side of a ledge. Others stay behind to excavate them as I proceed to the top of the plateau. Amazed, I discover the remains of a small firepot. I approach it with caution. Suddenly I see the outline of a human figure. I creep closer and make out the figure of a woman. She is standing in a low woven-brush enclosure. Full of curiosity and fright I approach until she notices me. She motions me toward her. She does not seem threatening but friendly. She is dressed in a robe of bird’s plumage made of small squares neatly matched and sewed together. I recognize her as the Indian girl that was left behind on San Nicolas Island. She smiles and gestures toward a small woven cradle that she rocks gently with her foot as she continues to weave long strands of grass into a basket. I am afraid but I must know what it is that she wishes me to see. I move forward and the sight of a squirming, grinning, baby makes me smile. I return to camp with a feeling of happiness. I feel very unusual, but I am proud that I decided to go on the expedition.

Natasha, Tulsa: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 8:43AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Suddenly I hear the sky rumbling and see light rip across the night sky. Dark black clouds appear blocking out the light of the moon. We finally reach the island of San Nicholas. After our camp is set up we start out on our first expedition. We are here to practice the skills we have learned as amateur paleontologists. Immediately we discover some unusual looking bones protruding from the side of a ledge. Others stay behind to excavate them as I proceed to the top of the plateau. Amazed, I discover the remains of a small firepot. I approach it with caution. Suddenly I see the outline of a human figure. I creep closer and make out the figure of a woman. She is standing in a low woven-brush enclosure. Full of curiosity and fright I approach until she notices me. She motions me toward her. She does not seem threatening but friendly. She is dressed in a robe of bird’s plumage made of small squares neatly matched and sewed together. I recognize her as the Indian girl that was left behind on San Nicolas Island. She smiles and gestures toward a small woven cradle that she rocks gently with her foot as she continues to weave long strands of grass into a basket. I am afraid but I must know what it is that she wishes me to see. I move forward and the sight of a squirming, grinning, baby makes me smile. I return to camp with a feeling of happiness. I feel very unusual, but I am proud that I decided to go on the expedition.

Natasha, Tulsa: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 8:44AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Suddenly I hear the sky rumbling and see light rip across the night sky. Dark black clouds appear blocking out the light of the moon. We finally reach the island of San Nicholas. After our camp is set up we start out on our first expedition. We are here to practice the skills we have learned as amateur paleontologists. Immediately we discover some unusual looking bones protruding from the side of a ledge. Others stay behind to excavate them as I proceed to the top of the plateau. Amazed, I discover the remains of a small firepot. I approach it with caution. Suddenly I see the outline of a human figure. I creep closer and make out the figure of a woman. She is standing in a low woven-brush enclosure. Full of curiosity and fright I approach until she notices me. She motions me toward her. She does not seem threatening but friendly. She is dressed in a robe of bird’s plumage made of small squares neatly matched and sewed together. I recognize her as the Indian girl that was left behind on San Nicolas Island. She smiles and gestures toward a small woven cradle that she rocks gently with her foot as she continues to weave long strands of grass into a basket. I am afraid but I must know what it is that she wishes me to see. I move forward and the sight of a squirming, grinning, baby makes me smile. I return to camp with a feeling of happiness. I feel very unusual, but I am proud that I decided to go on the expedition.

Marcy, Your Campfire Host: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 8:47AM PST (-0800 GMT)
HALLOWEEN COSTUMES ANYONE ? If any students are going our trick or treating in a Camp Internet - related history or science theme costume - send us a picture and we will enter you in a drawing for a prize ! Possible characters : Zorro, Pirates, Indians, Spanish Soldiers, Spanish Senorita, Mountain Man, Hiker, Sailor, Oak tree, deer, bear, Medicine Woman, Astronomer, dinosaur, John Muir, Mark Twain, vampire bat (they lived on the channel islands) , whale, seal, condor, eagle, coyote, fox, mouse, mammoth, Kokopelli, parrot, paleontologist, wacky scientist, computer nerd or ???

Marcy, Your Campfire Host: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 8:49AM PST (-0800 GMT)
CAREFUL - watch the CHAT button - everytime you click it, it posts the SAME message over and over again. CLICK ONCE, then wait, even if it seems to be taking awhile to send your message ........

Illiana, Vanalden 4th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 8:54AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Illiana, Vanalden 4th …. The Haunted Prison … One day Gina and Leetal wanted to go to a haunted prison. They were both nineteen years old. They went into the prison with a flashlight. They wanted to find out if spirits were there. First they went in the electrical room. They saw the electric chair. Gina dared Leetal to take the sheet off the chair. When she did, the chair started moving towards her. They got so scared. Leetal suddenly saw a figure. “It’s a spirit!” she said…………Gina and Leetal decided to go see the cells. They heard footsteps and voices. There was someone following them! They ran and ran. Suddenly, they were lost! After a few minutes, all the lights went out! Gina and Leetal heard a voice. They heard it again. It said “Get out!” They ran out of there as fast as they could. Gina realized she had dropped her necklace in the prison. She had to get it back. She went inside but couldn’t find it. After she came out, she tripped on a big rock that had pictures of ghosts on it. She ran back to Leetal. They decided to go to another part of the prison…………Gina said she was too scared so they went home. Gina found her necklace lying on the floor of her room. She knew she had had it around her neck. It was a mystery. Leetal and Gina decided not to tell anyone. Leetal and Gina weren’t going to go back to the prison ever!

Alyssa, Vanalden 4th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 9:19AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Alyssa, Vanalden 4th “Missy” One day in December, I was hurrying home to beat the storm that was coming on. It was already 3:28 and I was supposed to be home at 3:30. With this storm coming on, I am bound to get home at 4:30. “Oh, Man!” I said aloud. “It’s already starting to rain!”…………Oh, sorry! My name is Sarah and I am 17 years old. I live on a ranch with many wonderful animals. Since there are so many, I love animals! I have long flowing gold hair, light skin, and pretty hazel green eyes. I go to McGonagall High in Florida. I am in 10th grade, and the only 10th grader without a domesticated cat! I do have a very beautiful wolf, though. We live near the forest, so when I found him hurt and abandoned, I took him home. We named him White Fang. He has a mate. She is a German Shepherd-Dalmatian mix. She is named Kiche. Kiche is going to have puppies. I am very excited!…………Anyway, as I was rushing home, I heard a noise. An eerie, creepy noise. I looked around to see what it was. The noise stopped as I drew nearer to the street. When I walked back to my house, the noise started again, even louder! But this time, it seemed to be saying something, something like this: “Help me! Take me home and love me! Help me…please!” I stopped dead in my tracks. I walked over to where the noise was coming from. Just as I walked over to a black heap over by the horse pasture, the eerie noises continued again. I looked around and stood over the black bundle. Only as I was staring at the black heap did I notice the big greenish yellow eyes, meeting mine. I screamed in complete terror………….Once the noises started again, the eyes disappeared and I screamed again. I decided to pay closer attention to the noises this time, so I realized it sounded more like the cries of a hurt kitten, rather than cries for help…………Cautiously and slowly, I moved toward the black lump. It opened its eyes and tried to get up. But it couldn’t. it was hurt, I could tell. It looked harmless, so I picked it up and carried it home. Then I realized what the black heap was. It was a kitten!…………The next thing I knew, I was begging my parents to let me keep her. Daddy said, “Only if you keep her away from ALL the other animals on the farm.” “Oh, I will! I promise!” I yelled. “Oops, sorry for yelling in the house again.” “It’s okay, I know you’re excited,” said Mommy. “Thank you so much! I love you!”…………I rushed up to my room with the little lump sitting in my arms. “What should I name you?! I asked the little bundle. She meowed in such a lady-like fashion that I said, “How about Missy?” She meowed happily and loudly, as if saying “Somehow I knew you would name me that.”…………The next day I brought Missy to school for show and tell. At break time, I let Missy out to stretch her legs. “Stay,” I told her. She sat down and waited, or so I thought. I then went over to eat my snack and talk with a group of friends. Little did I know, Missy had disappeared…………Suddenly, I realized she WAS missing. I went searching and looking and calling out her name. I was looking all over until I heard an ear-piercing scream. I went over to where the scream came from. But when I found where the scream had come from, I stared open-mouthed at Jeanette…………”Oh, my! What happened?” asked James hurrying over. James is Jeanette’s brother. I didn’t know what that big lump sitting on Jeanette was until it started licking her face. “Missy? Oh, there you are! Where have you been?” But she only smiled back. But why did her smile look so much like Jeanette’s?…………James and I took Jeanette to Mrs. Pomfrey’s Nurse Office. “What happened here?” she asked. We told her the whole story, even about Missy’s creepy smile…………The next day, Jenny screamed and then was found with Missy licking her face. Then came Kya’s turn. Then Rachel was being “kissed” by Missy, too…………Now four of my friends were in the Nurse’s Office. Jessie, Cassidy and I were the only ones left out of the group of friends. “What do you think is going on?” Jessie asked me. “I don’t know. Maybe some sort of flu?”…………The next morning, I awoke to find Missy gone. I started to cry. “where’s my baby?” I wailed. “I don’t know, sweetie. I’ll keep an eye out for her, though.” Said my daddy. “Yes, so will I,” said my mommy. “Well, Jessie and Cassidy are here. Time to go,” said my mom. “bye Mom, bye, Dad! I love you two so much! See you after school!” I said………..”Come on. Rachel, Kya, and Jenny are probably waiting for us, so let’s get a move on.” “Good idea!” I agreed…………But when we got to the corner we usually met our friends at, no one was there. Only three black kittens. “Hey, there is a kitten for all of us! Shouted Cassidy excitedly………….We picked up our kittens and went to school. When we entered the classroom, there was a new girl sitting at the desk across from me…………”Class,” said Mrs. Fidgit, our homeroom teacher,” we have a new student with us. Please come up, Dear, and introduce yourself,” she said. “Well, my name is Melissa, but I would prefer to be called Missy.” I gaped at her. She had beautiful, long shiny black hair that was in a braid. “Carry on,” said Mrs. Fidget, “tell us something interesting about yourself.” “Missy” said, “I love cats. Cats are my favorite animal. Especially black cats!”

Marcy, Your Campfire Host: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 9:26AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Good Morning Vanalden ... we look forwards to reading your stories .......

Marcy, Your Campfire Host: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 9:27AM PST (-0800 GMT)
HALLOWEEN COSTUMES ANYONE ? If any students are going our trick or treating in a Camp Internet - related history or science theme costume - send us a picture and we will enter you in a drawing for a prize ! Possible characters : Zorro, Pirates, Indians, Spanish Soldiers, Spanish Senorita, Mountain Man, Hiker, Sailor, Oak tree, deer, bear, Medicine Woman, Astronomer, dinosaur, John Muir, Mark Twain, vampire bat (they lived on the channel islands) , whale, seal, condor, eagle, coyote, fox, mouse, mammoth, Kokopelli, parrot, paleontologist, wacky scientist, computer nerd or ???

Vallery, Vanalden 4th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 9:36AM PST (-0800 GMT)
“A Trip to Wicked Wetland” Once there was three kids named Vallery, Kim, and Cara. They were doing a project on an evil spirit that haunted people. They went to a place called Wicked Wetland where the spirit hid. They found footprints and they followed the footprints and it led them to a dark cemetery. There were kids coming of their coffins. They looked very scary. “Follow me,” said a little girl. So they followed her. She led them to a house to stay the night. That night, all the lights went off and the batteries to the flashlights died…………Suddenly they heard footsteps. Then they heard screaming. “Who is it?” said Cara. Bang! Bang! The door began to shake. The sound got louder and louder. Kim went downstairs with Cara and Vallery. “Should we open the door?” Kin asked. “No!” said Cara and Vallery at the same time. The noise stopped and something slid from under the door. “What is it?” “It’s the evil spirit!” shouted Vallery. What happened next?…………”Oh, no, it’s true!” shouted Kim. We ran upstairs and locked the door. “What should we do?” asked Cara. The evil spirit could slide through doors and can be very, very tricky to see. He is fast as a bull. He is trickier than a witch. He has been hunting people for 39 years. He died because he had a mean spirit. A man who saw the evil spirit hunted him most of the time but the spirit scared him to death. So now he hunts people that he meets. People thought he didn’t exist, but now we know that he does exist. Our project is to see if he really did exist………….Suddenly, he slid through the door and scratched the three girls with his long nails. The bed began to shake. There was stuff flying around everywhere…………The girls heard knocking at the door and noises coming from downstairs. They ran downstairs. They opened the door and it was Jamie. “Hello, Jamie,” said Cara, Kim, and Vallery…………”Don’t go upstairs, okay?” said Kim. “Why?” “There is an evil spirit.” “Oh, cool.” Jamie ran upstairs. We heard screaming. We ran upstairs, too. Oh, no, where is Jamie? The evil spirit got her. We looked everywhere………….We found her in the closet trapped in a huge coffin. The door swung shut. The evil spirit disappeared for a moment. Suddenly, he reappeared. This time we ran out the door and all the way home. We told everyone that the evil spirit was real. No one ever went back to Wicked Wetland again…………Oh, about Jamie, she was locked up in a huge coffin for four whole days. She ended up in the hospital. She learned her lesson by going upstairs when she was told not to…………. Our adventure paid off in school. We got top grades in science and discovery. The End

Maggie, Vanalden 4th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 9:45AM PST (-0800 GMT)
“Still Wondering” It was a dark, long afternoon when Lissete and her little brother James were waiting for their parents to come home from work. Lissete’s mother told them that she was coming home at 3:30, but it was already 4:35 and she wasn’t home yet. Their dad usually came home at 5:30 but he wasn’t home yet, either. Lissete and James were by themselves. A big storm was about to hit with hail, lightning, thunder, and heavy rain…………Suddenly, a big BOOM! Came out of no where and James got scared and started to cry. ………..Shortly, the mailman gave Lissete the mail and left, but there was something strange about him. He was walking really weird like he was limping. She realized that almost everyone was limping, even her brother James…………”It was like everyone just died,” she thought to herself. Their bodies and faces were turning pale. Lissete thought to herself, “Maybe my brother is just playing a trick on me. Maybe new people moved in. Maybe it’s a new mailman.” But she knew he looked the same.”It was a like a dream,” she thought to herself. “What’s going on?! she yelled…………Lisette went to bed, and soon her mother woke her up. It was all over and time for her to go to school.

gftyssty: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 10:06AM PST (-0800 GMT)
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Barbara, Vanalden 4th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 10:07AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Never Seen Again” It was Tuesday, October 31. “Mom, can I go pick some flowers for Tatiana’s birthday?” asked Tracy……..”Sure, but don’t go in the woods. Who knows what’s in the woods,” Mom said…………”Mom,” said Tracy, “can you tell a story about the woods?” “Sure, okay.”…………”One day a little girl about your age went to pick some berries. She was so curious. Her name was Katherine. Her mother said do not wander into the woods. But Katherine was so hard headed she wandered in and no one, but no one ever saw her again.” “Well, that’s the story, Tracy.”……….”What an interesting story, “ said Tracy. “Okay, I’ll go pick some flowers. “Bye, see you later.”…………Tracy, who loved flowers, picked three of each flower in the flower garden, but then she wanted more and more. So she said to herself, “I will just take a peek inside the woods.”………….Then she saw beautiful flowers farther into the woods. She wanted to pick them so badly. She walked right to the flowers. Right before she picked one flower, she heard footsteps. Tracy heard a voice saying, “Get out before he comes! Get out!” She ignored the voice because she thought it must be the wind…………After she picked three of each beautiful flower, she walked toward the exit from the woods. She felt someone tapping on her shoulder. She turned around but no one was there. Then she heard someone whispering in her ear, “Get out while you can!” Tracy screamed, “I want my Mommy! Who’s there?” …………She ran out of the woods while she could but she could not find her mother. She looked in the living room, the bedrooms, and even outside, but her mother was nowhere to be seen!…………At first she felt like crying, but she was trying to hold back her tears. So she told herself not to give up and go back to the woods. Bravely, she returned to the woods. The woods got darker and scarier by the minute. Her heart was beating fast. She stayed perfectly still because she wanted to hear the foot steps of the ghost once more. She stayed perfectly still for a while. Then Tracy heard something whisper in her ear, “Get out!”………… She answered, “Where is my mother?!” The ghost did not answer…………Tracy did not realize that her mother and Tatiana had gone to the store to buy a present for Tatiana’s birthday. She now remembered where her mother and Tatiana had gone. She knew she was in deep trouble. She tried running out of the woods. Suddenly, she was surrounded by ghosts…………Tracy was screaming, “Help!”…………She didn’t know what to do…………..When her mom got back from the toy store, she was surprised that she didn’t see Tracy. She looked everywhere but couldn’t find Tracy…………Finally, she went outside. She became suspicious when she looked at the woods. She felt Tracy would probably leave the woods by nighttime or at least the next day…………..Meanwhile, Tracy was frightened. She screamed so loud her mother could hear her and woke up. “It was the wind,” she thought, not realizing that it was her daughter’s cry for help…………..No one has ever seen Tracy again. However, when people look at the woods, they sometimes think they see the ghost of Tracy

Jason, Vanalden 4th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 11:02AM PST (-0800 GMT)
The Diablo Two years ago in Mexico, my friends and I were playing soccer. At 8 p.m. my friend said “I’m going home because this weather is terrible.” At noon my brother and I were still playing soccer……….. My grandma opened the door and said “Medade!” “El Diablo va viena!” My brother and I just didn’t listen to her………… We played for another hour when my brother said “I hear something funny. What is that noise?”………… It sounds like an owl flying next to us. My brother said “I see a shadow on the floor like Pegasus.” Jason wondered why birds everywhere were looking at us………… My brother asked me, “Why are the birds…..? What were the birds…do…ing?” My brother ran home and started crying………… Jason stayed still and freaked out. He ran as fast as he could to his house and felt his heart beating. He saw the Diablo. The Diablo looked like a person with wings. His face looked like an owl. His eyes were five inches big and wide. His eyes were red bright………… Jason and his brother ,named David, told their grandma. They told them how he looked and what happened. Grandma said, “Le Dije.”………… Two weeks passed. At 11 p.m. everyone went to sleep………. Then the Diablo came. Birds were everywhere. The birds spread their wings and made soft noises. The Diablo came and said, “Felipa, where are Jason and David?” Felipa heard nothing because she slept. The Diablo flew away. We never saw it again………… My brother and I told everyone. We even told people that we didn’t know. That is what happened in Mexico. The End

Jason, Vanalden 4th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 11:32AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Being Alone in a haunted house One day Sam and his friend went into a haunted house. Sam didn’t want to go in it………… “BOO!”………… His friend scared him. He said, “Today is Halloween!” Then Sam said, “Today is Halloween?” “Yes!” said his friend. “Cool.” said Sam. Then Sam said, “Want to go in this haunted house?” “YES!” said his friend loudly………… Then it was night. We met in the front of the haunted house. This haunted house was called “The Devil’s House”………… “Let’s go inside, Sam said. They went inside the Devil’s house………… Inside, they saw devils everywhere. They went upstairs. It looked like a cemetery up there! It was so dark you couldn’t see anything. I touched something. It felt like sharp teeth. It lay in a coffin. It was a Vampire!!………… We started to run into a closet. I opened a secret door. There was a mummy! He followed me into the bedroom. I hid under a bed. There was a dead mummy and he was coming, so I couldn’t scream. If I screamed he couldn’t catch me. The vampire was there too………… Then, there was sunlight. “I thought sunlight killed vampires.”………… We ran past the mummy and the vampire. We went downstairs, opened the door and flew out………… The vampire died (I hope) and the mummy (I think)died………… “I’m never going back in the haunted house again!” they both said………… “I’ll be back,” they thought.

Chris P, Vanalden 4th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 12:18AM PST (-0800 GMT)
The Dark Forest Once there lived a family in an old cabin. The family members were Jimmy, Molly, Little Jim, and Little Molly…………One night on a rainy day, the family heard strange sounds. Jimmy and Little Jim decided to check it out…………Jimmy and Jim went deep into the forest until the strange sound stopped…………Inside the forest, they could hear and feel something come past them………… A few minutes later, Jim screamed, “Help, Help, Help!” Little Molly opened the door, asking where Jimmy was and why he was screaming…………Little Jim told his mother that a ghost made Jimmy have a heart attack by sneaking up behind him saying, “BOO!!!”…………A week later, that family disappeared and was never seen again!

Robert and Aaron from North Verdemont: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 2:18PM PST (-0800 GMT)
THE LEGEND OF THE ANCIENT DRAGON By ROBERT and Aaron Once every 500 years, the headless fire breathing dragon destroys a part of the world of his choice. Draco [ the dragon ] will look for his head afterwards. This happens on HALLOWEEN. On 1500 [the year] he will find it whatever happens, but the headless horseman took his head and used it for his own. Tonight, at 9:02 p.m, he will rise above the undead and command them to help find the dragon’s head. The headless horseman will try to find him and throw a lot of heads at him. In the end he gets his own head back, but he is covered with the heads that the headless horseman threw at him.

Mrs. Dennington from North Verdemont: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 2:23PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Hi Everyone, We are really enjoying the stories and will post a few of ours to share. Have a Happy Halloween!

Nicolette from North Verdemont: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 2:23PM PST (-0800 GMT)
The Haunted House By:Nicolette One dark day we heard a scream coming from a jail that was ancient. Nobody was ever there. There was a story that the place was haunted. I didn’t believe the story at all. Then we heard doors slamming, and we heard screams. I was in my Barney pajamas when I went to the jail to check it out. I was with my best friend Mel. Not for long though, when I walked to the door it opened. We went in and we went through a passage. When I went in I turned around and Mel was groaning. Then I heard her say, “No, no, please, no!” I was so scared! Then I heard someone say, “Get out!” I said, “no.” Then I got pushed out of the jail. The bad thing is I never had a best friend again and every house I went to it was haunted.

Kenney from North Verdemont: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 3:25PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Kenney: THE HALLOWEEN DEMON Once arose from the darkness of the forest. The demon attacked a town of the east when Ashitaka, a brave warrior, came to save the town. He was cursed with a demon mark. He left to the west to retrieve an antidote. The virus spread rapidly. When Ashitaka arrived his body was covered by the mark. He ran as fast as he could to get the antidote. By the time he got to the town in the west, he was being eaten alive by the virus. He was saved just in time by a man who was also once cursed by the demon, so the man gave Ashitaka the antidote. Ashitaka went back to the east to return to his town. He was hoping he would never face the demon again, and lived on happily.

Justin-Tulsa 5th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 4:06PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Halloween Story By Justin I step into the house and realize it’s filled with cats, black cats. They stare at me with their bright green eyes. One cat steps forward and jumps on my face. I hear a meow and realize that it is my cat. I have been dreaming. It is Halloween and I go out ‘trick or treating.’ When I am looking for candy, I come upon a house, a big house, as big as a mansion. I see gravestones in the front yard. I can barely see through the mist. I creep up the dusty stairs leading to the front door. Filled with curiosity, I gently knock on the door. I am surprised to see the door open by itself. I step inside and realize that it is filled with cats, black cats. They stare at me with their bright eyes. One cat steps forward, he looks at me with his green eyes. I glance away from the cat for a minute and look up the staircase that is long and winding. I decide to go up the stairs, and all of a sudden, I hear a loud bang. My heart starts pounding. I turn around and the door shuts behind me. I turn to look at the cats again, but they have vanished. I start slowly up the stairs; each step I feel more and more frightened. My heart pounds louder and louder. Half way up the stairs, I hear a door creak, I look up and the large black cat is standing there staring at me once again. It begins to speak in a low, raspy voice. "Get Out! Get Out!" I turn and face a long hallway that seems endless. I must make my way through the hallway. The lights flicker, I use my flashlight and I am horrified to see that the walls are crawling with Black Widow Spiders. I begin to run and suddenly I feel myself falling. I am surrounded again by cats, The leader cat steps forward again. He jumps on a high shelf and his eyes turn from green to fiery red embers. He leaps toward me his paws outstretched. I fall to the floor as I feel his sharp fangs pierce my neck. I push him away and run up the stairs, back through the hallway, and out of the front door. I reach my home with sweat dripping from my forehead. I reach my hand up to wipe the moisture from my face, but it feels strange. Then I look at my hand, but it is not a hand, but a paw. I catch a glimpse of my image in the front door window and I finally realize that I am a Cat!

Elizabeth, Vanalden 9, 4th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 4:53PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Haunted House Once there was a haunted house on a hill. Every Halloween all the kids in the neighborhood went there. Everyone said that it was the scariest place in the neighborhood………….One Halloween night, all the kids went to the haunted house as we did every year. It cost 50 cents to get in. After everyone paid, we all went in the haunted house. We heard noises and saw things popping out of the wall and floor. There was a person dressed up like a really scary monster. It looked so real to me. As we continued farther into the haunted house, we saw more scary and gross things………….There was a door that looked like part of the haunted house, so we opened the door. I went inside the dark and scary place. I heard strange noises. It scared me so much that I wanted to go out. Once inside, the door slammed right behind me and I jumped. I tried to get out, but the door was locked. I was stuck in the dark place for two days!…………Finally someone came. I saw the shadow of someone. The person said,”Come here.” I was too scared to answer back. I tried to say at least something, but it was too hard. Finally I said something, “Who are you?” The person turned out to be a ghost. He said, “I am a ghost. I fell down the sewer and suffered.” Then he said, “don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.”…………I said, “Would you come with me upstairs? Nobody knows what happened to me. I promise I won’t let anybody see you.”…………”I probably can’t go with you upstairs. I’m too scared. What if someone sees me when they are taking out their trash or something? I would go with you if I were alive. I know, I will come with you if you cover me with something.”…………I said, “Okay. You stay here while I go and get a towel from my apartment. Don’t move from where you are, and if someone comes in here, hide fast.”…………Later when I came back, I couldn’t find the ghost. I kept calling and calling, but nobody answered. After calling for an hour, I stopped because my throat was hurting. I went to my apartment building. I started hearing noises inside the building. I got so scared, I was screaming myself! Then I heard a noise like “BOO!” and “I am going to get you?”…………I went straight to my apartment and I slammed the door hard and locked it. After locking the door, I put all my furniture I could move against the door. Then I started to hear noises from inside my apartment. It was too scary. I decided to phone the police. I ran to the room where I keep the phone. I phoned the police, and after 10 minutees or so, the police came. The policeman said, “What is wrong?”…………”I keep hearing strange noises, “ I said to the policeman………….”Where are these strange noises coming from,” asked the policeman………….“In my house and all over the whole building.”………..The policeman said, “We are going to take you someplace safe you can stay at while your house is being investigated.”…………”Okay,” I said. But now I was worried the policeman would find the ghost. I told the ghost I would not let anyone see him, only me. Luckily, the policeman didn’t find my friend the ghost when he did his investigation…………The ghost and I are still friends………….I never did find out where the strange noises came from.

Najia, Vanalden 9, 4th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 5:11PM PST (-0800 GMT)
The Witch’s Curse……One night, nine-year-old Marie and her mom were walking down a street. “I think we should go home,” said Marie…………Mom said,” Why?” Marie answered, “I’m scared.” “Why are you scared?” asked Mom. Suddenly, the lights turned off. A few minutes later, the lights turned on again……….. A man named Lion appeared. “Hey, do you know anybody named John?” asked Lion. “Yes,” said Mom. “That’s my dad’s name,” said Marie. “Well, he fell off a roof,” said Lion…………Marie and her mom went back home. But when they got there, someone was inside the house!! Mom asked Marie, “Did you forget to turn off your lights?” “No,” said Marie. “Someone must be inside the house!” said Mom…………Marie and her mom went upstairs. There was nobody there. They went downstairs. There was nobody there, either…………The window was open. They looked out the window and thought they saw Dad! “It looks like Dad, “ said Marie…………They followed the person they saw out the window. As they got closer, Marie said, “I don’t think that’s Dad. I think it’s a witch.” “I think you’re right,” said Mom. …………A witch was putting a curse on her dad. “Dad!” yelled Marie. “Don’t listen to her!” “Uh-oh. We’re in deep trouble now,” said Mom as the witch turned to face them………….Trying to run away, Marie and her mom tripped over the witch. The curse was broken!!………….Dad, Mom, and Marie all returned home safely. “But there’s still a little devil in the house,” said Marie.

Dominique, Vanalden 9, 4th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 6:06PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Three Brave Boys……Once there were three boys named Dominique, David, and Damien. They always were heard saying, “We’re not scared of anything!” They all lived in Maryland. One day the three of them went to the forest. A witch was said to appear in the forest once every 50 years. Well, 50 years had passed since a witch was seen in these woods. The boys were so brave they stayed in the forest until nighttime. Suddenly, the witch appeared! Every place the boys went, the witch followed them. The three boys set up a tent and left the light on while they slept. The witch found their tent and she was trying to get in the tent. The kids ran out! The witch followed! The kids were very scared. David tripped over some rocks and cut his knee. David yelled, “Help!” His friends ran to him and the witch disappeared……………..The very brave boys decided they needed more excitement and so they visited a spooky house the following night. Inside there were very spooky pictures on the wall. The picture's eyes were moving back and forth. There was a zombie following the boys but they did not know it. The zombie crept up on the three boys. The zombie said, “Boo!”…………The kids ran down to the basement. When they got to the basement, the door shut behind them. They ran to open the door but couldn’t. They were stuck in the basement…………Another monster was in the basement! The boys got a chair and threw it at the window and it broke. Now the only thing they had to do is jump out the window. After they jumped out the window, 20 more zombies were chasing them. The three boys tripped over some cut logs. David broke his leg. He couldn’t move. Monsters surrounded them in a circle. They had no where to go…………The witch came and said, “I got you now!” The witch came closer. She took them to an old dungeon. It was dark and creepy. The witch locked them up…………Dominique found a paperclip in his pocket and managed to unlock the bars. They planned their escape but realized they needed to get past the guards. The boys had to think fast. Damien said, “I got it! We can crawl under their legs and run for it!” The boys ran as fast as they could, while trying to carry David. They made it to their car and sped out of the woods. After taking David to the hospital, they all went home and signed David’s cast. They were relieved thinking their nightmare was over. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. That night and for many others to follow, the boys had nightmares while asleep in their beds.

Jason C, Vanalden 9, 4th: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 8:54PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Being Alone in a Haunted House……..It was night. We met in the front of the haunted house. This haunted house was called “The Devil’s House.”…………”Let’s go inside,” Sam said………….They went inside the Devil’s House. Inside, they saw devils everywhere. They went upstairs. It looked like a cemetery up there. It was so dark, you couldn’t see anything. I touched something. It felt like sharp teeth! It lay in a coffin. It was a vampire!!…………We tried to run into a closet. I opened a secret door. There was a mummy! He followed me as I ran into a bedroom. There was a dead mummy and he was coming. I wanted to scream. The vampire was there, too!………….All of a sudden, there was sunlight streaming into the room. I thought, “Sunlight kills vampires!”…………We ran past the mummy and the vampire. We went downstairs, opened the door, and flew out………….The vampire died (I hope) and the mummy died (I think and hope)!…………”I’m never, ever going back in the haunted house!” they both said………….”I’ll be back,” they both thought.

Count Virtula, a Camp Internet Outpost Leader in Transnetvania: . . . . Tue, Oct 31, 9:04PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Goot Evening Campers ... I hope you are having an excellent All Hallow's Eve .. in the British Isles they also celebrate this time of year as Samhain - a harvest festival - and it marks their Celtic New Year .... and in Mexico, Nov 1 and 2 are All Saints Day and Days of the Dead, important holidays (holy days) where those who have lived before are honored and fed to thank them for their protection from the tribulations we face in this life .......... Cemetaries are filled with hundreds of glowing candles and thousands of marigold flowers ... tasty pastries, candies, breads and other foods are prepared to share with the spirits ....... all to keep the ancestors company.

Patric C, Vanalden 9, 4th: . . . . Wed, Nov 1, 9:24AM PST (-0800 GMT)
A Dark Portal……..It was a nice summer day. There were six friends playing three-on-three soccer. Their names were Tie, Davis, T.K., Matt, Codie, and Izzy. They were playing at a park next to a forest. Tie and Davis kicked the ball at the same time. It made it go straight into the forest…………Since Tie and Davis kicked the ball into the forest, they had to go retrieve it. They didn’t want to go get it because they heard legends that people went in the forest and never came back. Matt and T.K. didn’t know about the legends…………Tie and Davis looked for the ball. Meanwhile, the others told Matt and T.K. the legend about the forest. Tie and Davis kept looking but it was so dark, they couldn’t see where they were going………….The others told Matt and T.K. to go into the forest to get the two boys. So they went to get Tie and Davis. Meanwhile, Tie and Davis were walking and a dark and a dark blue light flashed in front of their eyes. Tie was brave and touched it. “Ahhhhhhhh!” said Tie and Davis…………When they opened their eyes, there was a foggy blue portal where the light had been. They didn’t go in the portal, but out of no where two dark black and gray hands grabbed them. It squeezed them so hard they couldn’t move. But Matt and T.K. grabbed them and ran straight out of the forest. When they came out, they heard a loud bang…………They all looked up and froze with fear. It looked like a huge black devil. They had to think of a plan fast. Tie thought of a plan. “What is it?” said the others. “Runnnnnnnnn!!!!” said Tie, scared………..They started running, but Codie wasn’t looking and crashed into a tree. Surprisingly, the monster wasn’t chasing them…………….When Codie opened his eyes, he found a projector in his lap. He realized that the monster wasn’t real at all!…………Codie told them that it was all fake, but they wondered who left the bruises on their arms….

Carol M, Vanalden 9, 4th: . . . . Wed, Nov 1, 9:51AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Marcy’s Life is Scary……….Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Marcy………….marcy was walking on the sidewalk. There were no cars or people outside…………Marcy looked up and saw birds on the telephone wire. But they were all staring at Marcy. Marcy got so scared that she started running, but she didn’t know where she was going…………suddenly, someone was calling, “Marcy,” in a soft voice…………Marcy ran home because she got scared. Marcy stopped in front of her house because she found the door open. She walked in and there was nothing in her house. Marcy looked for her mother. She found her mother on the bedroom floor. Marcy touched her mother’s heart. It was still beating…………Then Marcy realized her mother had fainted…………Suddenly, her mother woke up. But then she fainted again…………At the same time, there was a big storm with thunder and lightning. Marcy got so scared that she started crying and ran to her next door neighbor…………In front of the door there was a big ugly man who was surrounded by ghosts. Even his head seemed filled with monsters. It seemed there was a coffin in front of him…………So Marcy said, “Is this me or is this real?”…………But a man came out of the coffin and said, “Hello.” The man looked just like Marcy’s father that used to live with them………….Marcy ran to her father’s arms. But the man screamed, “Get off me!”…………Marcy froze. She couldn’t move. From then on, Marcy never smiled again.

Ed: . . . . Wed, Nov 1, 10:10AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Ed like's pokemon.

Ed: . . . . Wed, Nov 1, 10:11AM PST (-0800 GMT)
Ed like's pokemon.

Daniel, Vanalden 9, 4th : . . . . Wed, Nov 1, 11:09AM PST (-0800 GMT)
The Dark Spirit……….It was a nice day. The five friends, Tai, Matt, Kari, T.K., Izzy and T.K.’s pet money, Jojo, were playing outside. Tai said he had to go home and the others went to Kari’s house. As Tai was walking home, he saw a black thing go into the storm drain. He looked into the storm drain and a black thing came out and jumped on his face. Tai got a stick and walked with the black thing on his face to Kari’s house……….Now it was dark and Izzy, T.K., Matt, and Jojo were at Kari’s house sleeping. Jojo heard a noise. He walked to the bathroom. That was where the noise was coming from………..Jojo saw Tai with the black thing on his face. Suddenly, another black thing jumped onto Jojo’s face. Then Jojo got a stick……….”Help! A monkey with a stick is chasing me!” said Matt…………Then when Jojo was about to hit Matt with the stick, T.K. saw Tai with the black thing on his face. T.K. knew that the black thing was bad. Just then Tai started to talk. He said, “The black thing is making me do this!”…………Jojo was just about to hit Matt with the stick but then Jojo disappeared…………Izzy searched the Internet hoping to find out about the black things. “When the black thing gets someone, they disappear. But the first thing it gets does not disappear,” said Izzy…………The black thing jumped on Matt and he disappeared………….The friends decided to go to the police. Izzy had to use the bathroom before they left, but the friends left before he came out. The friends went to the police station. The friends wondered where Izzy was. The phone at the police station rang and a voice said, “You all are going to come to my world! The black thing will get you and I will get your friend, Izzy! Ha-Ha!”………..The boys realized that Izzy must still be at the house and so they called him on the phone. They told him about the call from Tai. They said, “Izzy, we traced the call. It’s coming from the house that you are in right now!”………… But it was too late! T.K. and Kari ran to Kari’s house. They opened the door and they were gone! The black thing got them, too….

Melisa N, Vanalden 9, 4th: . . . . Wed, Nov 1, 12:40AM PST (-0800 GMT)
The Haunted Castle…………Once there was an old, scary haunted house that stood on a tall mountain. People moved in but they had no clue it was haunted. There was a little girl that was five years old. Her name was Katie. Her sister, Monica, was 15 years old. The mom’s name was Shery…………They all arrived at the house that looked like a castle. They brought all of their luggage into the castle. They looked at all the furniture. It was a huge castle. Monica almost fainted when she entered her room. It was beautiful............ It was getting dark after Mom cooked dinner. They were all getting ready for bed. Monica fell asleep in her room. Katie was getting in her bed. Mom was checking on the girls and then she went to bed………… Suddenly, Monica started to hear knocking on her door. Then there was something crawling under the bed! Monica screamed, “Mom!” Her mom ran into the room………… “What, honey, what is it?” said Mom…………”I keep hearing knocking on my door. And I saw something crawl under my bed, too. I’m scared, Mom,” said Monica…………”Don’t worry. I’ve got a flashlight and I’ll look under your bed.” After Mom looked under the bed, she said, “There’s nothing under your bed, so go back to sleep.”………….The next morning, Mom and Monica were at the breakfast table. “Where’s Katie?!” asked Mom…………..”I don’t know,” said Monica. “I didn’t hear her say a word last night.”…………”I’ll see if she’s upstairs,” said Mom. Mom looked upstairs. When she came back down, Mom said, “She’s not there. Where could she be, then?”………….But Katie was never found….

Melissa A, Vanalden 9, 4th: . . . . Wed, Nov 1, 1:02PM PST (-0800 GMT)
Mystery House……….It was a rainy winter day. The evening sky was getting dark. There was a house that was very mysterious, but no one could quite explain what was so strange. News of the mystery house traveled through the school. Only one person didn’t hear the news of the mystery house. Her name was Mrs. Peterson. She was the nicest teacher a student could ever have. Unfortunately, there was a man who lived in the neighborhood who was a whole different story. He littered, graffitied, wore baggy clothes, and stole money.………Mrs. Peterson knew of him but did not know where he lived.…………One day, Mrs. Peterson came upon the mystery house. It looked strange to her. She said, “This is a strange looking house.” She saw the door was open a crack. She looked inside and then went inside. She left the door open, but once she stepped in, the door slammed shut! The walls started to close in with nails sticking out of them. Mrs. Peterson ran into a room with a sword on the wall. She touched the sword and the walls stopped closing in……………The walls had closed in quite a bit, but she had enough space to walk. She was trying to find her way out when the lights went out. As she was walking toward the front door, she heard someone enter the house. To her surprise, it was the bad man! When he entered the house, the lights went out. The man had candles in the house and he lit them. Soon after he lit the candles, they blew out, too! He reached into his jacket pocket and took out a lighter to relight the candles. Mrs. Peterson was very frightened this man would find her in his house and be very angry……………She tried to turn and run but ran into a wall. She realized that the wall was made of rubber. The man said, “That’s right. I tricked you. It’s all fake. I have a hidden camera and saw you come in. I pushed the button so the walls would close in. I thought you would be tricked!”…………Mrs. Peterson ran out the front door. A storm was coming on so she hurried home and found that there was a noise coming from inside the house. She tried to unlock the door but found it was already unlocked. She came in but nobody was there. Then she felt someone or something was watching her. She heard the strange noise again. This time the refrigerator door opened and the sound grew louder. The refrigerator door closed and the milk was on the table. The milk slowly began to disappear. Mrs. Peterson called 911 but nobody answered. She looked outside and saw fog. Then the fog disappeared and came back. The cars suddenly turned to liquid. The houses just suddenly disappeared, too,. Animals froze and the spirit surrounded Mrs. Peterson. Finally, Mrs. Peterson fell asleep to the sounds of the storm outside……….The next morning, she woke up and her house was back to normal. She had fallen asleep the night before on the couch, but now she was in her bed and Mr. Peterson was beside her. When she woke up, she said, “Did you take me to bed? I fell asleep on the couch last night.” “No,” said Mr. Peterson. Mrs. Peterson thought to herself that maybe the spirit did it…………..Mrs. Peterson told Mr. Peterson of the spirit and the mystery house. She was so scared she wanted to move. She and Mr. Peterson moved to Hawaii where they could have peace.

mayra : . . . . Thu, Nov 2, 10:14AM PST (-0800 GMT)
9.They found corn and chilis and other things. For meet they hunted for bufalos and other anamals.

Robert: . . . . Thu, Nov 2, 10:14AM PST (-0800 GMT)
what typ of foodcould the native people find

CARA , VANALDEN 4TH: . . . . Thu, Nov 2, 3:34PM PST (-0800 GMT)
THE HAUNTED CLASSROOM THERE ONCE WERE THREE GIRLS NAMED AYANA,MALLORY, AND KATHY.THEY WEREN’T AFRAID OF ANYTHING,OR SO THEY THOUGHT…..ANYWAYS,THEY GO TO A BORDING SCHOOL.THEY WERE WALKING AROUND THE SCHOOL WHEN AYANA SAW SOMETHING,OR SOMEONECOMING OUT OF THEIR CLASSROOM! IT WAS WEARING A LONG,WHITE,SILKY ROBE AND HAD A LONG, WHITE FACE.IT LOOKED LIKED A GHOST!! SHE SHUDDERED AT THE THOUGHT OF IT…………. THE NEXT DAY,AYANA TOLD KATHY AND KATHY TOLD MALLORY.MALLORY SAID SHE WASN’T AFRAID OF ANYTHING,BUT THEY. KNEW SHE WAS.”MALLORY IS ALWAYS SHOWING OFF”SAID KATHY…………. “YEAH,”SAID AYANA”IF SHE SAID SHE IS NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING, THEN LET’S SEE EXACTLY HOW BRAVE SHE IS.”…………. AYANA AND KATHY WALKED UP TO MALLORY THE NEXT DAY.AYANA SAID “YOU THINK YOU’RE ALL THAT,HUH?,WELL, LET,S SEE YOU FIND OUT WHAT THAT…UM…WELL…THING IS IN OUR CLASSROOM!”…………. RELIEVED AT WHAT SHE JUST SAID,SHE WAITED FOR AN ANSWER…………. IN A FEW MINTUES,MALLORY SAID “FINE,I’LL GO.”………… “FINE, KATHY AND I WILL WATCH YOU.”………… “Y-YOU MEAN R-RIGHT NOW?”MALLORY SAID IN SUCH A SOFT VOICE YOU COULD HARDLY HEAR HER. …………. “YEAH,UNLESS YOU,RE CHICKEN!” ………… “BE QUIET,I’M NOT! I’M NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING!” …………. “SURE YOU AREN’T,”AYANA SAID UNDER HER BREATH………….. MALLORY WENT INTO THE CLASSROOM AND KATHY AND AYANA WAITED FOR HER. AN HOUR WENT BY. THEY GOT SCARED AND RAN AWAY. THEY WENT TO TELL THE PRINCIPAL………… THE PRINCIPAL WAS ANGRY THAT HER STUDENTS WERE FOOLING AROUND. SHE WENT INTO THE CLASSROOM AND DIDN’T COME OUT…………. WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM IS STILL A MYSTERY…………. NOBODY HAS EVER USED THAT CLASSROOM AGAIN……….. UNLESS YOU, YES YOU, WANT TO TRY???????????????????????? THE END, MAYBE.

Kathy McKay, Mesa Verde National Park: . . . . Wed, Nov 8, 7:45AM PST (-0800 GMT)
I will be online tomorrow.

marcy: . . . . Wed, Nov 8, 7:45AM PST (-0800 GMT)
test