Answered Prayers

“I’m sorry we got the tests back, Ava has been diagnosed with..”

*Two months before*

“Ava get your softball things we’re heading out!” yelled my mom.

“I’ll be down there in a minute mom!” I replied.

            I grabbed my bag and hurried down the stairs. I had a game today and, we are facing our neighboring town rivals the Knights. When I get to the fields, I went straight to the dugout to talk to my friends.

It was a nice and sunny day and a perfect day for a softball game. We warm up for a bit, and I felt really tired and exhausted, but I thought I just needed some Gatorade.  The game starts; we are away so we bat first. I go up to home plate, and I hit the ball into center field I start running the bases as fast as I can.

I collapse while running around second base; I could hardly breathe. Usually since I’m in good shape, I could destroy running around these bases. I looked down at my body to see some blood on my elbow, but that’s about it. I instantly think something might be up. I still get up and walk to the dugout. I didn’t play for the rest of the game.

Over the next two week or so, I started to sweat and wake up with a high temperature in the mornings. Also my elbow wasn’t healing. I had this for awhile maybe a month or so before I finally decided to talk to my dad and mom about it. My mom set up an appointment for me.

After school, we usually have softball practice. I was tired throughout the school day, but thought I should go anyway. When practice started I felt fine, but as practiced went on I became more and more exhausted. I just blamed this on the heat. It was my turn to bat, and I walked up to home plate.

I hit the ball to third, and took off towards first. My first base coach told me to steal the next pitch. I took off leaving first base in the dust, and turning second after the girl missed the catch. I hit the corner of third because of being so tired and exhausted I couldn’t catch myself. I did a somersault straight into a pole that held up our metal dug outs. My coach instantly called my parents after she saw the blood pouring from the left side of my head.

When my parents showed up I was knocked out cold from hitting the pole. They rushed me to Children’s Hospital’s Emergency Room. They looked at me and said I would need stitches and then a little break from softball. They asked me what happened and why I fell. I told them about what happened earlier that day, and also talked about how I have been exhausted for a while now. They said I just probably needed more sleep and then I would be fine.

The next week nothing changed and my mom took me to the doctors for an appointment. The doctor started with the normal tests: checking ears and nose, reflexes, and other basic stuff. The doctor was going to take one last test which was blood. “We rarely test this, but something may have been going on in Ava’s blood stream,” the doctor delivered to my mom, Abigail.  The doctors drew my blood and took it to their fancy machines. They came back and told us they may have some bad news. They said I might be really sick, but they are not sure yet. They told me to come in a week again to test.

My whole family came in the next week to support me. This involved my family: my dad, Craig, my mom, Abigail, and my sister, Crystal. The doctors did the same things as last time. This time more doctors came into the room. Doctor Jacobson told my family and I, “I’m sorry we got the tests back, Ava had been diagnosed with leukaemia. We’re guessing that it’s acute versus chronic because the cancer has been growing so fast.  

My parents started to cry, and I started to bawl. My parents asked what I can and can’t do to stop the speed of the cancer. The doctors said there’s really nothing that you can do to slow it, but to go through chemo and other recovery tests. I had to go to school still for awhile my friends helped me through school. I got a lot of questions I just didn’t know how to answer. This made me very scared. I didn’t know if I could do the things I used to love to do. “You can’t play softball, run, play soccer, and other physical activities for a while”, the doctors ordered.

I fell into a depression right away. My family became more worried and started to not go out with friends more often. I started to feel like it was my fault so I tried to start being happy. After awhile I had to go in and get my hair shaved off. I started to gain more friends that started to help me. I started to get happy again our family started to go back to normal we went out more, talked more, and I also even went back to school. I still went to softball  practices and tried to do as much as I can, which wasn’t much. I had another doctor’s appointment, when I showed up we talked and did the normal things.

The doctors came back in with the results they said,”The results of the test came back for Ava, it’s getting worse.”

“Ava has about two months to live”, replied the doctor in a tone that almost broke me.

Seth's Random Poems

Gayvn Hiem

Greatness.

Awesome at everything.

Young blood.

Very swaggy.

Never gives up.

Hard working.

Is also a baller.

Excellent at getting girls.

Man eater at wrestling.

Steph Curry

Splash the three.

Thirty points a game.

Excellent shots.

Pull up and shoot.

Half quart shots before half.

Crossovers.

Under pressure.

Right layup.

Round ball in his hands.

Young and great.

Life is like a Wrestling Match

Life is like a wrestling match.

It may take you down.

But you will have to work your way up.

You have many choices in life just like.

You have the choices of moves in a match.

There are points in your life too.

Points where you are down.

But you can counteract that by coming back with completing a goal.

In the end you have the choice .

Winning your match or losing your match.

John Cena

Just like his shows, he shines bright.

Open cuts from his last fight.

Heavy weight championship is his goal.

Never losses to anyone.

Can anybody see him? That is a no.

Everyone sees him on instagram.

Not everyone cares about his meme.

After all he is John Cena.

I dislike you.

Roses are red.

Violets are blue.

I don’t like you.

You smell like poo.

And you act like you’re two.

Things I hate(Part One)

Roses are red.

Apples are too.

I hate poems.

Apples too.

Things I hate(Part Two)

I hate many things .

Many of those things .

Are about you.

By the way you walk to the way you do you.

That’s why I hate you.

You’re just a fool.

The Savage

What am I like?

You are A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K!

What does that mean?

Adorable, beautiful, curious, delightful, everything I need, funny, gorgeous, happy, intelligent!

What about J and K?

Oh yeah I forgot those just kidding.

Netflix

Roses are red.

Violets are blue.

I like netflix.

And so do you.

We should hang out.

Maybe after school.

I have this show.

I would like to sit down and watch it with you.

If you like a show.

Maybe we can watch that too.

My Grades

This

Poem

Is

Like

My

Grades,

Going

Down.

State Wrestling

Today was the day of districts. I have wrestled my entire life pretty much. I started in kindergarden and never stopped. I did pretty good through my early years of wrestling other then after every match I lost I cried. I started even meeting friends through wrestling which one of them are my best friend, Joel Sampson. I met Joel in fourth grade at a meet in Walnut. I beat him and made him cry, but like I said we’re friends now so it’s all good.

Joel and I started to grow closer to each other and noticed we loved wrestling. I wrestled him from time to time, but I finally got fatter and I grew out of his weight class. Joel made it to state in fifth grade and didn’t end up placing, but he still made it to state which was awesome.

My first districts I had a nineteen man bracket. I didn’t end up placing in the top four. Infact I’m pretty sure I placed eleventh. My next year I decided I wasn’t ready for districts again, so I didn’t end up going.

The next year my Junior. High career started, I did pretty well and decided to go ahead and try to make it to state. I needed to lose four pounds though. I lost the four pounds through puking and not feeling too well. I made the weight class though. I faced my first kid, I ended up beating him which put me in a good place. I went out and beat my next kid again, putting me even in a better situation. The next match came up and I got beat pretty bad. This dropped me down to the loser bracket. I was in a very bad situation. I ended up losing to my next guy and didn’t make it to state. I did pretty good in Jounior High though. My record wasn’t bad, and I got better then the year before.

Next year I grew ten pounds, putting me in the one hundred thirty-pound bracket. I knew I had to start getting better at wrestling to win matches. So I went harder in practices and never gave up in drills. The high school practices made me better and smarter in live wrestling.

I started this Jr High season pretty bad, in Atlantic I lost my first two but came back and won my last one. I won two of my next ones at the next meet. Then at the Mo Valley meet I did very well and beat a kid that always beats me, then I beat a random kid. My home meet I did very well, and I won three of my matches. All of those matches were pins in the first period.

I finally started thinking about districts. I needed to lose eight pounds. I started late when I only had like four days, this was very stupid of me. I had to work really hard this next practice to make it. That practice the coach drove us really hard because a lot of us needed to lose weight. At the end of practice I didn’t make it but I was only two pounds of the weight class above one hundred thirty. So I thought I’ll just wrestle one hundred thirty-five.

I couldn’t eat that weekend and had to run and work out. I went to districts the next morning when I showed up I was a tenth over. I quickly went to the bathroom and came back to weigh again. I made my weight, this meant I could finally go get some breakfast.

The first match at districts I got demolished by the guy. I didn’t do very good at all. I put myself down after that match and believed I’d never make it, but the next match I pinned my guy very quickly. He shot straight away at my legs I sprawed and put a cradle in to pin him right away. The next match I needed to win too, I beat him pretty quickly too. He got a shot on me which then I neck whipped him to put him into a pin. All I needed to do now is win this next match to make it third, and get sent to state.  

I went out and did pretty well but I lost which now I thought I had to wrestle for fourth place, but on the mat next to me the kid from Harlan I beat second round won. I quickly went to the awards once they called us. I ended making it to state because I already beat that Harlan kid. I finally made it to state which I’ve worked for the last four years. I got fourth place and the kid I faced first took first place.

A couple of my friends also made it to state. Joel ended up making it, he had a five man bracket, and ended up getting second place after the kid pretty much broke his nose. Gayvn had it easy the first two rounds, then lost his last making second too. Marshall was doing good until he lost but he still got third. Brady had the easiest bracket with only one other kid in it. All Brady had to do is beat the same kid twice then he had his free walk to state.

We all worked hard and we all made it, we also made our goal in Jr. High wrestling which was to send three people to state. Now all we have to do is go out and place for state. I should have a thirty-two man bracket, which is a lot but I could still place. The only problem is because I placed fourth in districts it’s going to be harder to win a few matches cause I’ll be facing first and second placers right off the bat.

I hope I do good in state and maybe even place. I also want to win in the rest of my junior high from 

here on out. For high school I don’t know what I’m going to wrestle at but I can’t wait to see how 

good I am. I hope our team could set some all time records. I also have a huge goal of making it to 

state in high school and even placing. Maybe for college I can wrestle a little bit. I don’t plan on that 

though.

USAF Firefighter

“Fifty push ups right now, Young!,” yells my fire trainer. While I do my push ups I think how I got here. Then I remember my father was a firefighter and I’ve always wanted to be like him and impress him. I’ve wanted to be here ever since I was in eighth grade. I finally have made it. I walk to our barracks to lay down for awhile until I have to do the BMT test. To pass the BMT test I will to do fifty push ups, fifty sit ups in a minute, and a mile and a half under eleven minutes. After my nap I make my way to where I have to do the test. The chief goes over what we have to do. I start my mile and a half. I beat the time I needed, in ten minutes and fifteen seconds. I now have to go do my push ups; I start them and barely make it, I’ve never really been good at push ups. I move on to my last test if I make this test I will have reached my dream. I crush the sit up test. I got them done in thirty-five seconds.

I walk towards the center of the base where I can meet up with my family and head back home for awhile, until I get deployed again. I first see my mom, I run over to her she yells Ryder! and then embrasses me with a huge hug. Then I look over to my dad; he was almost crying, he tells me good job. Then we head to the car so I can go back home.

Six weeks later.. I yell at my television, Seven field goals but not one touchdown! How do you score seven field goals but not one touchdown!  My mom tells me to calm down, then the phone starts to ring I walk over to it and pick it up. I turn and lay down on the couch. Dakota, my girlfriend, sits next to me and ask what's wrong. I tell her that I'm getting deployed. Dakota asked where I'm getting deployed, I told her I don't know. I tell her I'm going to bed, she ends up going to bed with me. I walk out to my car where I will go to the nearest airport to go to the base, where I'll be deployed somewhere around the world. When I get to the airport I give my family and friends my last goodbyes till my deployment ends. Then I head to my plane.

When I get to the base they will have to check my luggage then cut my hair straight away. After that they will tell me where I'm getting deployed to. I finally get done getting my hair cut. I head towards a huge hall where there's desk in rows where I'm going to find out where I'm getting deployed. I find out where I'm getting deployed too. I’m heading to Italy, to a base named Aviano. I head to the next plane ride where I will get dropped off at the base. Once I get to the base I will be deployed there for three to six months. I get on the huge Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, where I will meet my new brothers and family.

Once I get to the base they place me at my station where I get a locker with some equipment and gear. I then went straight up a floor to fall asleep before my first call. As I lay down and take off my boots I pass out. I get rudely interrupted when I hear a bell going off. I then notice it's my first call. I throw on my gear and run to the trucks. A plan engine started smoking in hanger two. We rushed to the sight where there was a small engine fire. I grab the hose off the truck and run to the side of the pumper truck. I hook it up to the nozzle. Then I press up on the lever which lets the water go through the hose, where my friend Braxton shoots water on the fire. We put the small fire out quickly and put all the hoses away. I hop in the truck and tell our chief we can head back to the station. Once I get to the station I call back home, I tell them that I’m doing just fine and I’m safe at a base in Italy. I head to my bed right after the call. I sleep again for about a hour or two, then I wake up to the bell again. It’s a fire in hostile territory, which means we have to bring some M4A1’s just in case. We grab the guns then put them in the trucks, while we get our equipment on. We head out, when we get about two miles away we see a huge smoke cloud. I told my buddy Braxton to drive as close as we can get then stop and we would go on foot. As we got to the courtyard, someone opened fire we needed to get to cover. I ran over to a house and breached it. I go house to house taking prisoners, then stopping and putting the fires out. I ran to the last house we had to breach, I feel a sharp pain in my stomach and leg. I’ve been shot. I kept going trying not to think of the pain. I keep on pushing through the small village. My squad gets to a big hut. We decided to breach it too, my friend Braxton kicks it open he gets an explosive to the chest then falls to the floor. We instally shoot the isis member. I stop and pick him up. We run him back to through the streets where we put him in the fire truck, I head back into battle. After countless hours, back up arrives. We get pulled out of the hostile territory and get sent either back to the station, or to the hospital. I get sent to the hospital because of the wounds I had. When I got to the hospital they looked at the bullet wounds and surgically removed them. Then afterwards stitched me up. When I got back to the station the chief said Braxton past away in combat. He said sorry for your lost, then said I can go home now and rest. I went straight to my barracks and grabbed my bags and headed to the airfield. I rode in the back of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, where Braxton’s coffin sits. When I got home, the president requested that I go get a medal for the work I did in the battlefield. I got back from my deployment on Christmas Day, 2022.

My Little Angel

“My Little Angel”, Today it would be wonderful to see you play and smile, but heaven lent you to the world for just a little while. And in that short but precious time, you brought along much love. And all of that love is with you now, in heaven up above. You leaving caused so many tears and such a lot of pain, but God needed one more angel, so he took you back again. Ayzlee Maeliana McCarthy was born on December 16, 2011, at Cass County’s Hospital in Atlantic, Iowa. Ayzlee’s parent’s names are Jim McCarthy, and Amber McCarthy; they loved her with all their hearts. Her siblings are Easton McCarthy who was ten and Ireland McCarthy who was seven. Ayzlee’s “McCarthy number” was 89. Ayzlee lived with her family in  Elk Horn, Iowa. Ayzlee said she wanted to be like mommy when she grew up. She loved to dance to her favorite music. She also loved to sing. She met one of her many best friends, Kenadie, at Cheryl’s daycare. Ayzlee was the biggest “girly girl” with a huge smile, and a special excitement for life. Ayzlee was really proud of her big girl bed and her accomplishment of potty training.  She was a BIG fan of Frozen, Doc McStuffins, and Dora the Explorer. She also liked popular songs like “Let It Go”,”All About That Bass” and “Shake It Off”.  

When Ayzlee got very sick, she still showed caring for others beyond her years. It was almost Christmas when all Ayzlee wanted was Frozen stuff. As always, the caring three year old got what she wanted. She got a Frozen dress up set Almost all of December twenty-sixth, she played with the set and played with her stuffed snowman named Olaf. She became sick three days later. Ayzlee’s mother Amber, was surprised saying,”We both had flu shots.”

The flu got worse, Ayzlee became complaining saying “My legs hurt Mommy.” Then she started to say she couldn’t walk. Ayzlee had a temperature of one hundred two. She didn’t have any other signs of the flu though,  so Amber took her to the clinic. They said she had influenza A and B. Amber went home with her daughter, she followed directions. She made Ayzlee drink a lot of fluids and get plenty of rest. Amber didn’t get her to start eating until she got her to eat toast. “You’re a good cooker, mommy!” said Ayzlee. Amber stayed home that day, while the rest of the family Jim, Ireland, and Easton went to a family gathering. Ayzlee didn’t complain about being sick at all the next day, but Amber thought she wasn’t acting like herself. Amber took her straight to the emergency room. Ayzlee began saying” Where’s my mommy?” That made Amber panic very quickly. The next move the hospital made, was to send Ayzlee to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines. Ayzlee watched Frozen in the ambulance all the way there. Jim, Ayzlee’s father started to rush to Des Moines. When Ayzlee arrived her illness got worse, this made her have trouble breathing. “I was starting to crumble on the inside, but still knew we were in the right place and everything would be fine,” Amber said.  “No question! She just had the flu for crying out loud. She is the bravest person I know, hands down! Never cried, nothing!” Around four A.M. Amber woke up, she looked over at Ayzlee. Her heart was racing, Amber called for a nurse or a doctor. Ayzlee said these words that made Amber get the chills. “Mommy, I done. I done, I so tired!” Amber hugged her daughter for that last time, and told her she loved her. Amber didn’t believe the words she just heard. She thought of those words, maybe one of her older patients would’ve said that but no this time it was a child; her child. After that, the doctors tried to keep her alive. She lost her heartbeat, the doctors tried to revive her. But it didn’t work. Ayzlee McCarthy passed away on December 29th 2014. The hospital staff wrapped Ayzlee McCarthy in a blanket and let her parents hold her. Ayzlee’s funeral had lots of DUM DUMS, due to the fact she loved the lollipops. “Just everything that would come out of her mouth usually put a smile on our face because you couldn’t figure out how a little girl could understand so much and love so much,” Amber said about her daughter. “She was just a big love bug who loved life and wherever we went people would comment how beautiful she was. She just had a way about her.”  Most of the donations the family got they put it into local activities she enjoyed such as park equipment, the swimming pool, and the library. There was a bench put up in the park. There was a celebration at the library in Elk Horn where they put up a castle in the corner that had Ayzlee’s Castle written on it. Anybody could come to the library, and a lot of people came and played in Ayzlee’s castle. Ayzlee was my first cousin and about the youngest person I wanted to be. She was always caring to people around her. If you were ever having a bad day, go to her and she would make you laugh, smile, and feel better. I just can’t believe still that she died at the age of three. She was so young and full of joy.  Ayzlee’s parents and family don’t want any other family to have this happen to them so they are helping out with flu shot vaccines. They also sold shirts to raise money to send it in for research. Everyone is still missing her, but we all wish that she is dancing in the stars.

Villisca Axe Murder

“Herman, get up; you have to get ready for school!”said my mother, Sarah Moore. I rolled over and got out of bed, I looked outside and it was raining. I hate rain so much its so annoying, and it keeps me up at night. I walked downstairs and poured some cereal, my siblings Katherine, Boyd, and Paul were yelling at each other and fighting. I’m the oldest one so my parents make me stop the fighting all the time. Anyways it’s about time for the school bus to show up so I tell my siblings to hurry up and get ready. The bus shows up it says in bold print on the side “Villisca Community School”.

I usually sit by my best friend Lena which is good friends with all my other siblings. Leni and I get in a good talk about how dumb our last homework assignment was and how we weren't ever going to use it in the real world. I ride the worst bus out of the three buses we have. The seats are all tore and ripped up, they even have graffiti on them saying like “Harold loves Angel” it’s stupid. However if you hate someone and want to get something bad about them around to the school, you just write it down on the seats. Finally, the bus gets to school and we all get off and head to our classrooms. Our day is going fast so far, it’s already halfway done. Right now I’m heading to the cafeteria to eat what the school says is “food”. I get my tray and walk through the doorway get my food, and sit down at a table. Lena sat down right next to me and asked if she and her sister Ina could stay the night today. I told her that I would ask my parents after school, and if they say yes, you can walk to my house. After lunch nothing else was really interesting for the school day.

I got back on the bus and sat with Lena like usual. I told her she probably can’t stay tonight but tomorrow she could. Lena said that would be just fine. When I got off the bus stop I told my siblings to line up so I could see if they were all here. When I counted all of them we headed back to the house. Our house was always really creepy at times, but over the past four years I've lived here nothing has happened.  I’m walking down the sidewalk and keep feeling like someone is watching me and following me. I look behind me but I just keep on seeing my siblings and no one else. I walk inside my house and decide to go straight upstairs to my room. I lay down and turn on my old televison. The Incredible Hulk is on, it’s my favorite show on T.V.

After watching that for a bit, I went downstairs and went to go ask if Lena and Ina can stay the night. None of my parents were home, so I went to our home, phone and called Lena. I told her that my parents weren't home just yet, she couldn't come over. Finally, my parents showed up, and I asked them if Lena and Ina could come over. They finally agreed after I started to beg. My siblings and I ran over to Lena’s house and knocked. Her mom came to the door; we asked if they could still come over. Her parents said yes. When we got back, our cellar door was open, so I went over to it and thought the wind opened it. After looking around for a bit, I shut it. We all went up to our room and started playing board games; we were all having a great time until I looked outside and our cellar door was open again. I walked outside to go shut it, it was freezing out. I got to the cellar, and the lights were on. I decided I should go turn off the lights. When I got down there at our dirty moldy cellar, I heard the cellar doors shut. I turned off the lights and ran up the stairs and jumped out. My siblings were all just laughing; then I knew it was a prank. I laughed too, and I went back upstairs and started to play our board game again. Then I saw there was a man or something shaped like one in the distance. It was holding something behind the tree like an axe or knife. I thought nothing of it and kept on playing. It was almost time to go to sleep, but this storm was keeping us all up. My parents finally walked up to my room and told us to go to sleep.  I woke up to a creaking sound my bedroom door was open. Then I turned and went back to my bed where I would fall asleep again. We all woke up to a terrible scream. I ran down stairs to see a thing or a man fighting my dad. I look at where my mom sleeps there’s blood on the covers. Shes dead. My dad was still fighting the thing; I was trying to get what was going on but I couldn’t find out. Then it hit me, this man or thing is trying to kill us. I told the kids to come down stairs with me to the the cellar. The door was open to the cellar, the thing must of came up through the cellar. Lena tripped going down the old stairs. I picked her up and kept on going. When we got to the the second door to the cellar, I shut the door and locked it. I heard another scream, my dad’s voice. Then it was cut short with a body hitting the floor. I heard walking then then the first door of the cellar opening, then banging on the second. Finally the thing got through, it was holding an axe. I knew who it was: Frank Jones. He was the owner of the store on the corner of the street; he is troubled. Lena in tears, begged him to stop. That’s when I fainted.

Epilogue

That night every family member of the Moore family died. Their guest also died. They never found  

the killer. To this day the ghosts of this family and friends haunt and live in that house. People now 

can visit the place and if you pay extra, you can stay the night, even in the cellar.