This picture was worth my life. It was merely a black and white picture captured in its utter simplicity. 601 N Golden Circle Dr. Just a series of industrial buildings placed next to each other with a sign out front reading “Red Cross Orange County Chapter.” There I stood, simply marveling at the amazing craft. Yet, I couldn\’t stop but feel a tear gracefully form, the deep corners of my bosom then filled with gratitude and an unconditional love my heart never felt before. It came alive and caressed down my cheek like a brook through the forest, the tear did. A picture is worth one thousand words, they say; this picture was worth my life. Why?

The night was screaming to stay alive as day grappled with it, the wind chill biting my face as I packed my duffel bag snugly into the back seat of the Camry that August morning. Fifteen minutes later and there I stood, on the hard, concrete floor of 601, teenagers and parents lining the buildings, just as dumbfounded as I. With my guitar in one hand, my duffel bag in the other and my head held high, I pushed forward into this unchartered territory. It was time for leadership camp.

The thunderous cacophony of screams attacked the bus from all sides, we camp-goers stuck in a sea of shock, fear, and adrenaline. I slowly peered out the window to a sight of 20 teenagers about my age, screaming “L-O-V-E, WE LOVE OUR RCC!” What enthusiasm! What ardor!

“David, prepare yourself for the craziest week of your life, guaranteed.” God help me, I was scared. Right there my heart jumped.

“I have to get to know all these eighty-something people in the span of five days? That\’s impossible.” Doubtful and apprehensive as only my social outcast label could paint on my shell, I looked around and could only see a few familiar faces out of a crowd. As stiff as a boulder I stood, my muscles completely tense in fear.

“Hi. I\’m Aryanna.” And out of thin air my fear melted. Fast forward to the end of the day and I had already met and befriended a third of the crowd. I felt accepted, felt the calm of knowing the people around me cared. The sounds of the birds chirping graced my eardrums; the smell of the pine trees wavered around the area carried by the light breeze that gently nudged my tender skin; I knew I was home.

Tuesday morning. Exhilaration. Anticipating the best that camp had to offer, I attacked the day with a gargantuan smile. Moments later, there I stood, maybe two stories off the ground, one cold and sweaty hand desperately holding on to a rope, the other reaching for a big cylindrical tube while both feet were planted on a tight rope no bigger than a centimeter. My heart was exploding out of my chest, my body staggering. Every time I looked down my heart sank a little bit lower.

“It\’s over. I can stop now; I\’m safe now that I\’m holding the tube.” False. My heart sank even further: I had to jump to reach the next rope. I stood there, body still trembling from every agonizing moment. Sense of hearing, gone. Vision? Blatantly impaired. Will to go on?

“Don\’t worry, David. Just go!” my friends screamed. Trepidation grasping the forefront of my being… and I went, just in that split second. The fibers graced my finger, already slipping, but I held on to that rope for dear life. Now it was over. “I feel like a champion.”

Wednesday morning.    My head was down between my knees, my arms wrapped right under them. The melancholy permeated the atmosphere, disrupting the enthusiastic ambience created the previous days. A talk on self image and everyone was crying. Yet sitting there, no shred of emotion crossed my being. Then she spoke. Out of thin air, a tear. Then another. No, I wasn\’t sobbing, but yes, tears. Her words saturated the air and flooded my heart with sorrow. Such a heartfelt confession; a liberating feeling in my bosom. I was crying again. She broke me.

“Eat your damn food and then take your damn meds. You guys are such a waste of time and don\’t even belong in our society. I hate you elderly!” Thursday morning. “Can you hear me? Are you too old to hear?!” Excruciating moments of hell clawing at my heart; the chair pined in retaliation as I continued to sit, ignoring the slander thrashing my ears. Vicious. Sadistic.  My necklace twitched as my fingers adorned my Cross; I was afraid again. A never ending abyss at the pit of my gut; there was food in front of me, but I couldn\’t eat. I could merely wait for it to end. Verbal abuse; I finally understood it.

“I\’m not here right now, no. No…GOD I AM SO AFRAID! PLEASE STOP!” And like that, the scariest moment of my life, over.

Thursday night. Night in the mountains. The stars\’ twinkles bejeweled the night sky in a symphony of heavenly lights, adorning the ambience of our closing circle. Arm in arm, some crying, some laughing, some reminiscing the past week we experienced together. Our first week together, our last week together. A flood of comfort and gratitude permeated my heart as we sang our song for the last time…

“It\’s a new world, it\’s a new start, it\’s alive with the beating of young hearts. It\’s a new day, it\’s a new plan, I\’ve been waiting for you…here I am.”

Friday morning. It\’s time to say our final goodbyes. A crescendo of chatter broke the silence in the room. Tears. Now was the right time to let them all out, but I couldn\’t. Everyone else was crying, yet why couldn\’t I? Then she came, Amanda Hsu, the most tender and loving person a boy could ever know. A discord fell upon me; something was wrong, but I couldn\’t comprehend it. A tingle on my face… like a dam breaking, the tears I had held in for ten years flowed, all out in one instant. Our heads touched, our arms wrapped around each other. There we stood, crying, her tears caressing my shoulder as mine did hers. Heaven.

601 N Golden Circle Dr. It\’s just buildings put together with a sign out front. Nothing more, nothing less. Yet here I am right now, still marveling at this picture. I still feel him, caressing down my cheek in the most delicate manner. He plants himself on my lap, a tear. A picture is worth a thousands words; this one is worth my life.

(A short story by Annette Latora)

“You call that music?” Carlitos wailed as he threw his Ipod across the room. Never before had he been so frustrated with one of his ideas. “Calm down, Carlitos!” begged Percy, his assistant. “Come on, let\’s take a walk to clear your mind.” Reluctantly, Carlitos followed Percy up the stairs, and out the door into the dark oblivion known to most as the real world.

“You know Carlitos, you are the worst-tempered Unicorn-of-the-Dirt I\’ve ever met!” exclaimed Percy. “I mean just look at you. You\’re a mess! You\’ve been trying for months and months to create this magical potion of yours that will somehow get you to The Clouds, yet have only been met with shortcomings. Why don‘t you just give up?”  Carlitos began to feel warm, and could feel his temperature rising. “Ah, ah, ah, old chap!” blurted Percy, “I know that you are very aware that when we unicorns become too warm, we burst into flames! Rainbow flames! I wouldn\’t want you being sent back to the Medical Ward due to spontaneous combustion. That would be no fun at all! Who would I have to talk to? Who would I hang out with on weekends? Who will I watch “Family Matters” re-runs with?”

“Shhh! Be quiet, Percy!” shouted Carlitos. “No one is supposed to know about that last one! Maybe you\’re right. Maybe I should give up. Okay, I promise that after this week I will be done trying to make the potion. I will accept that my fantasy of becoming a Sky-Unicorn is an impossible dream.” The dynamic duo trotted on the cobblestone walkways sprinkled throughout their town until they were brought back to Carlitos\’s workshop.

“It\’s getting mighty late.” yawned Percy. “I think it\’s time I headed home. Peace out, C-Pony; Don\’t do anything stupid. Until tomorrow, my partner in crime.” The two did their secret hoof-shake and parted ways.

Carlitos waited until Percy was out of sight, and then began maniacally laughing under the starlit night sky. If he was going to become a Sky-Unicorn in less than  week, he was going to have to get started with mixing his potions. Carlitos punched in the code to unlock his workshop doors, strolled inside, and marched down the staircase leading to his dungeon-like workstation. Potions of all sorts were arranged on shelves by order of importance. Life and Death Potions were on the far right hand side, and Love Potions were placed on the far left. Unicorns had no need for Love Potions; they just naturally loved everybody and everything. Amongst the potions were piles and piles of research papers, books, pens, plastic cups, and the “Undo” button. That “Undo” button had saved countless lives. It always remained in Carlitos\’s reach just in case he drank a potion that would cause him more harm than good.

Red potions were mixed with blue ones, green fizzy potions found themselves swished around in beakers with brown sparkly ones, and pink ones were mixed with just about every single potion on the shelves. Sadly, Carlitos was yet to have any luck. He tried mixing herbs with concoctions, and even chanting riddles and rhymes while combining potions. He had no luck with finding the winning recipe.

Carlitos looked around his workshop in disgust, and decided to call it a night. He placed the potions back on the shelves, washed out the countless beakers he had used for mixing, placed his broken Ipod in the “hazardous waste” bin and climbed up the stairs. He flipped the light switch to the “off” position, took one last glance at his workstation and saw something that blew his mind.

Carlitos froze in pure and utter shock. Could it be? Had he really done it? Was he hallucinating? He ran back down the stairs to his workstation and gazed at the beautiful figure in disbelief. Carlitos had only read about this in his textbooks; no one in his network of acquaintances had ever been able to successfully craft a potion of this fashion. Reds, oranges, yellows, greens, purples and violets danced around inside of the sink. This rainbow was exactly what was needed to get him where he needed to go. Only one other being had ever made the “Potion to Go” and the rainbow-mess in the sink matched the description perfectly. Carlitos read the description of the potion aloud, “It would consist of all colors; Like with oil and water, the colors would never mix. The elixir will smell of sweet rose water and frosted vanilla cupcakes.” Even from across the room he could smell the mixture\’s sweetness. This was the potion that would help him get everything he wanted.

With the Undo Button in one hoof, Carlitos grabbed the elixir with his other hoof and drank the entire thing. He braced himself for what was suppose to happen, but after five minutes, he did not receive results.

“Why isn\’t this working?!” Carlitos screamed. “I am supposed to grow wings and be able to go to The Clouds where all of the privileged unicorns go. I want to be one of them. I wish that I weren\’t a Unicorn-of-the-Dirt; life would be so much easier. I would have wings, everyone would be my friend and…”

Suddenly Carlitos let out an ear-splitting screech. Out of his back grew a set of luscious and large feathered unicorn wings. His eyes became a deep magenta color, and his teeth became silver like newly minted dimes. His awkward voice became that of a confident being, and his mane became long with rainbow highlights that shone in the moonlight. He stood strong on all fours and knew that it was his time to experience life in The Clouds. He looked, sounded and felt like a sky unicorn.

With a nimble leap, he burst through the roof of his workshop and shot up into the air. The cold night air pierced through his skin, and left him feeling refreshed and energized. Carlitos flapped his monstrous wings with all his might, and braced himself for the impact of the cloud-cover that lied above. He closed his eyes, broke through the cloud barrier and found himself perched atop a puffy cloud. The Clouds were kept illuminated by a soft amber light known as the “rays“. Everything looked so whimsical and happy. Swirls of pastels made soft patterns and designs in the fluff of the clouds of the land. Happy Sky-Unicorns could be seen for miles. All of them were taking part in activities such as racing, painting, dancing, singing, mingling and enjoying the good life. As Carlitos shook off the excess cloud fluff that clung to his skin, the sound of trumpets filled the sweet air of the surrounding area.

“The Queen has come!” announced the loudspeakers strategically placed in the realm of The Clouds. “Please migrate to the southwest corner of the land in order to receive further instructions.” Carlitos began to move to where the Sky-Unicorns had congregated and listened intently to what The Queen had to say.

“My dear Sky-Unicorns. Listen to my words: a Unicorn of the Dirt is amongst us all.” A hush fell over the crowd. Carlitos looked around with wide eyes not knowing if he should run, or keep his charade going. “If you have any information regarding this inferior being trespassing in our territory, you are to inform the authorities immediately. Failure to do so will result in multiple floggings in addition to removal of cake privileges for two months.”

“She definitely means business this time.” said a familiar voice. Carlitos turned around, and saw Percy smiling at him blinking his eyes innocently.

“What are you doing here?” exclaimed Carlitos.

“Well, I saw that giant gaping hole in your roof, saw that rainbow drink in your sink, took a sip and presto! Here I am!” remarked Percy.

“Does anyone else know about it, Percy? Did anyone see you?” Carlitos frantically asked.

“No! Of course not! You don\’t trust me, do you? You think I\’m just a big mouth-”

Just then the clouds beneath the Sky-Unicorns began to rumble. One by one Unicorns-of-the-Dirt emerged from the cotton-like clouds like colorful maggots.

The Queen let out a yell, and was escorted back into her palace by her royal guards. “Code Brown” was screamed over the intercom, and the Sky-Unicorns worked themselves up into a crazed frenzy.

“We won\’t bite you!” exclaimed one Unicorn-of-the-Dirt to a Sky-Unicorn. The Sky-Unicorn whinnied and proceeded to cry in a corner.

Messes as large-scale as this could only be fixed by their creator. As much as he longed to be a Sky-Unicorn, Carlitos knew that everything should be the way they are for a reason. He knew that there was a reason why there were Sky-Unicorns and Unicorns-of-the-Dirt. Carlitos took one last look at what could have been, and ended the crazy hysteria of the Sky-Unicorns with a push of the Undo Button.

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

“You know Carlitos, you are the worst-tempered Unicorn-of-the-Dirt I\’ve ever met!” exclaimed Percy. “I mean just look at you. You\’re a mess! You\’ve been trying for months and months to create this magical potion of yours that will somehow get you to The Clouds, yet have only been met with shortcomings. Why don‘t you just give up?“

“Okay.” exclaimed Carlitos.

“Wait. I\’m confused. I thought you were going to fight me on this, like with every other time we have discussed this matter. Are you feeling okay? You\’re not overheating, are you?” replied Percy.

“I\’m not overheating, Percy.” disclosed Carlitos. “I\’m fine. I just think I should start living in reality from now on.”

With that, the two looked at each other, laughed and watched “Family Matters” on Percy\’s 65” flat screen television.

Goats

by Danny Fann

I see goats over there,
Wait a second, those aren’t goats
GAH, MY EYES FELL OFF.

Recognition
by Misael Galdamez

The book of faces
draws my mind away;
erases my time

Lunch Pass
by Misael Galdamez

Out to Lunch we go
Ameci\’s or Mickey D\’s?
Care not, we are men

Sunlight
By Jeff Nguyen

Shades of the morning
complicate our hearts and soul
there’s no clear path home

Unaccompanied,
We lay in isolation
Bound only by our minds

In the sun we sit,
A pair of mismatched people
Grinning like the stars

Water. The sound of covalently bonded hydrogen and oxygen molecules was the first noise that reverberated in my eardrums as my eyes flickered awake. I took a well-practiced gaze outside the car window. Clear almond shaped water droplets glissaded down the now glacially attuned window of my car like gigantic suspended amoebas. The nebulous sky was strewn over with the gloom of billowing clouds. My instinctual timing could not have been better today. I reached for the door handle with a stint of anticipation. Its sleek and vitreous feel ran a strange, yet wondrous sensation through my fingertips. In one quick motion, I swung the door out from its formerly closed position.

The sound of a cascading waterfall diffused into a splatter of water molecules grew much more voluminously as I stepped out onto the slippery pavement. The expansive view from here was no less relentless than from inside the car. The torrent of stormy precipitation was like the drenching tears of angels overhead. Fog invariably lingered in every angle imaginable, like an oversized lentic spider web that clung to anything it could possibly attach to. The indubitably arctic temperatures made my movements akin to running barefoot on an ice skating rink; there was literally no traction on the permafrost asphalt. The faint, nearly imperceptible odor of sanguineous liquid evaporated as I gained distance from the vehicle, its lonely metal door lay ajar, just as I left it. The man in the trunk would not be needing it anymore.

My leather boots splashed a nominal amount of aquatic substance as I strode towards the secluded, nearly invisible cottage, my movements carefully calculated. Any human being in the vicinity would be completely oblivious of my presence. The inclement temperatures were of no concern of mine; I made my way unhindered by the fierce inundation and brutal tempest.

I approached the cottage with much haste, knowing there was no time to dawdle. It was squarely in front of me now, and I could absorb every detail of it. The dilapidated red oak lumber appeared very rickety from the malevolent monsoon assault. The roof shingles were being held together by who knows what. The windows were shattered from what seemed to be countless years of abuse, the panes bent out of shape from a disturbing show of force. The front door was hanging by a thread, giving the appearance of a lopsided domino. From the outside, no one would have guessed that this lodging was inhabited by any sort of entity that didn\’t walk on four legs. All the better for me.

I shifted the doorknob clockwise with extremely meticulous care – if I applied any more force the whole ingress would have crumpled like flimsy paper. My glorious entrance was greeted by an expansive darkness. I crept in and shut the door soundlessly. My augmented eyes quickly adjusted to the pitch black caliginosity. However, my ears were to first the spot what I came to this god-forsaken shack for.

The creaking stairs wailed sonorously as she made her way down. An unmistakable smile was immediately surgically imprinted upon my visage. As my eyes made their hurried way towards her, I could feel my torpid heartbeat revive, utterly rekindle itself at the mere thought of her. My eyes met with hers and then knew I was no longer swimming aimlessly in the darkness.

I feel at the presence of a powerful yet quiescent goddess embodied and epitomized in the one I gaze at before me. Her hair falls down as majestic as a hidden waterfall, flowing so consistently, so freely. Her almond shaped eyes carry in itself both the spirit of love as well as keenness and acumen that no other woman could even come close to having. Her resplendent physique radiates with an endless vigor and demands utmost respect. Like a woman stepping out a dream in paradise, I can hardly believe that this is truly happening.

“Chantelle,” I began to say, my voice soft and reposing, eloquently disguising my titillation. “4 years. 4 long years without you. But you, you are here, now. The pain was more than worth it.” I rushed to embrace here, no longer able to conceal the overwhelming sentiment of excitement no being of mine should even have. Euphoric emotions rushed through every centimeter of my body. It was as if I had reached the pinnacle of life\’s meaning. It seemed as if nothing could even besmirch the idyllic orchestra that was here before me. We were found in each other\’s arms, intertwined for what felt like an eternity.

I began to speak again, but Chantelle swiftly placed her finger over my mouth, silencing me instantaneously. She shushed me in such a soft tone that I could not help but feel at complete ease. Her eyes and her body language all suggested the same thing. I was not one to lose the initiative, yet in Chantelle\’s company I could not help but feel entirely and utterly vulnerable…

A extraneous noise shook us out of our amatory stupor. The door had been jarred open abruptly. Though it came as to no surprise due to its pitiful state, I sensed it was something more than just excessive deluge and battering zephyr.

A man\’s overbearing shadow made its appearance at the doorstep. His immediate presence instigated my downright loathing. One gander caught what seemed to be a disfigured chunk of plastic attached on his head. Covering his eyes seemed to be abominably placed miniature window shades. His clothes hung on him awkwardly, the colors clashing with enough atrocity to render one\’s eyes ridiculously over stimulated. He began to slither his way towards us, mic in hand, with a strut so pompous that grand standing braggadocio was a horrible understatement. However, none of this would even match up to the words that left his mouth.

“Yo Danny,” the damned brute shouted into his mic, “I\’m really happy for you, Imma let you finish, but Spiderman had one of the best kissing scenes of all time!”

This man has to die.

I bore my teeth, my canine fangs disproportionate from the rest of the set. Pure venom raced through my veins, my entire body trembling from explosive outrage. My bout of fluttering love for Chantelle had ceased to be at the forefront of my mind. All that was left was that the blood of this monster be removed from him by force.

In a flurry I pounced at the man at terrifying speeds. His eyes, as I could see even through his poorly constructed face aperture, grew to twice its normal size. I landed on the wood flooring, sending fissures down every direction. I looked upwards with searing vengeance strewn across my face. The maggot had dodged at last second, but at the expense of his equilibrium. He lay with his posterior squarely on the landing. Knowing that his existence in the world of the living was fleeting, he removed a small handgun from the seat of his pants, quickly cocking it as if it posed a threat to me. Little did he know that I ate bullets for breakfast. 

Two shots, two bursts of gunpowder, two bullets sent propelling through the air. At supersonic speed I maneuvered out of the bullets trajectory, dodging them with inhuman ease. I could hear the bullets taking their stay inside the back wall of the cottage, one through a framed portrait and another through an empty cabinet. Unable to believe his eyes, the doomed varmint begged and sobbed for forgiveness. Unfortunately for him, forgiveness was not in my vocabulary.

With alacrity at a blistering fast pace I sank my front teeth into his jugular vein. Fresh blood, rich with the taste of retribution filled the hollow suction tubes of my canine teeth. He let out a piercing scream and attempted to struggle his way out of my jaw\’s viselike grip. Such a move only expedited his forthcoming death. His neck was separated into two, letting forth a gush of red liquid to spill itself all over the floor. Half of the now deceased man\’s cervix lay in my mouth. I spat it out by reflex; the taste of torn muscle and destroyed skin did not appeal to me.

I turned back to Chantelle, who seemed rather unperturbed about the whole ordeal. I wiped the cretin\’s blood off my lips and advanced towards her again, trying to recapture what had been on my mind before. The very sight of her made this an effortless task.

“Now, where were we?”

by Caitlyn Ducat, Guest Writer

I’m Jeff Nguyen, a senior, and I just joined Baron Banner this year. I’m currently heading up the art section of Baron Banner Online, and this should be a new and fun way to get everyone who enjoys art, whether its drawing or writing, involved with each other. Essentially, it will be a showcase for everyone. Hopefully, this will be an active section, and a good way for people to meet new people, and share and express their artistic talents!

As of now, if anyone wishes to be featured or wishes to  show their work on this site, please e-mail me at jeffliWin@gmail.com

I look forward to seeing everyone’s works!