English 8th Grade

Morgan Hunt
May 3, 2007
Memoir

A Night to Remember, Or Morning I Should Say



The cold wind brushed our faces as we made our way through the field. Chelsea practically laying all her body weight on mine, both of us dead tired. It was around midnight, & nothing but darkness filled our eyes. Maybe leaving Thomas’s house wasn’t a good idea, I mean we had the option to stay the night… but Chelsea didn’t want to. So now, making our way down the rigid path between S.A.E we figured we could go to Iago’s house. Considering it was at the end of the path it didn’t seem like a bad idea. We get there only to find his family asleep, all lights out. I wrap myself more in my sweatshirt, bearing the cold air, a backpack, & Chelsea’s weight. I’m not really sure how she could have slept in the cold conditions but, somehow as she was leaning on me, she started to doze off. Typical Chelsea, falling asleep when it’s most important to stay awake.
We made it to the end of Diane, now being outside for about a ½ an hour. I’m sure both of us were wondering how long it would be until we would feel warmth again. We make our way across the street and then down some roads. We decided to see if my old neighbor’s house was unlocked, they were on vacation, & my family knew them well so it wasn’t like it would have been a big deal. We go & check the door, our last chance & it is locked. Haley, it was Haley that locked it. She knew that Chelsea & I would have used it if we needed, she knew we were out, & she knew we would have no where else to go. She lived right behind them so it would have been easy for her to do. I can’t believe it, where are we going to go.
We sit on my neighbors step for a moment, contemplateing about our next move; Chelsea only partially awake. I search through my cell phone’s phone book, trying to find someone that would be awake, willing to let us in, or pick us up. The only person that comes to mind is Heron, and I scarcely knew him. Actually he was a cousin with my friend but, I have only met him once or twice. Chelsea definatly knew him better. We call, asking him to come pick us up. He says he is going to a party & won’t be able to pick us up until 2:30. Well isn’t this just great. Where are we supposed to go for 2 hours?!?! We start our walk to DY, past the woods & my house. The thought of coyotes dash through my mind but I quickly push it out. I already have enough to worry about.
We get to DY & climb up the bleachers. We lay down on the unforgiving cement top; I gave Chelsea a blanket, & one for myself that I had in my backpack. They kept out some of the cold breeze but we still had the goose bumps. I set my phone alarm for 2:30, so we could go and meet him. We hoped that the two hours would pass quickly. We drifted into a light, restless sleep rolling over every 30 minutes. How long would we be here?
The alarm went off, Chelsea & I rolled over, relieved that we were going to get picked up soon. The winds upkeep was still quite cold, we did our best to stay warm with the little blanket we had. As we mosey on over to the tennis courts, we see a white van park across the street at the other tennis court. Chelsea & I argue whether it is him or not. The darkness kind of made it hard to tell, but I figured if it was him that we better get over there now. I cross the street, hesitant. Chelsea stands a fair distance behind as I walk on up the van. Turns out it is some random lady reading the newspaper. I mean, come on… Who really drives around at night, & stops at a tennis court to read a newspaper?!!? She sees Chelsea & me, probably looking like hobos, wrapped in blankets. She just sits there in her car, staring at us like we were some foreign animal. We backup & cross the road again, as she slowly drives off. We look at each other, & start cracking up with what just happened. We were so shocked, & embarrassed at the same time, for we just walked up to some random innocent lady trying to read her newspaper, & stood outside her car. I bet she thought we were criminals, or had rabies or something.
We wander up & down the road, waiting for Heron to come. We fear that while we’re out there something will attack us. We wary away from the shady woods, not wanting to be see, or be seen by anything that might be in there. Growing up right down the road led to having so many memories with my friends about coyotes. It was bad enough to see one in the day time but at night when no one would be around to help was not a situation I would want to get myself into. The street lights were dim, but still provided enough light to make out certain shapes, so Chelsea & I were always on the lookout. We walk back over to the tennis court, figuring that would be the safest place to be unseen, & unheard.
Turns out Heron comes 15 minutes late, pulling up in his white ‘gangster’ vehicle as he so called it. Chelsea & I thought it looked retarded but we weren’t going to complain for he was giving us a ride at almost 3 in the morning. We both get in the backseat, both strongly hesitant.
“C’mon this isn’t a taxi, someone get in the front” He said, glancing back at us.
Chelsea & I stare at each other, arguing silently on who was going to sit there. I certainly did not want to, I hardly knew this guy. It was already sketchy enough that he was picking us up at this hour; I was definitely not going to move. I win the stare down & Chelsea gets out moving to the front. Just as we’re pulling out, a police cruiser pulls out of now where, right behind us. I didn’t notice at first, but Chelsea did immediately. She turns to me with, an “Oh my God”, and it hits me what is happening. Oh my gosh, how are we going to get out of this? This situation looks so much worse than it is. Really we weren’t doing anything wrong we were getting picked up by a friend of ours. The only problem was that it was 3 in the morning; I doubted they were going to believe it. The cop walks on over to the car, first inspecting the license plates first, & then walks over to Herons door.
“What’s the problem?” Heron question the officer
The officer ignores his question, glimpsing at us.
“May I see your ID’s” Directing the question at Chelsea & me, we both tell him that we are only 13.
“What are your names?”
Chelsea answers first.
“I’m Chelsea Blue, & that back there is Morgan”
“Let her answer for herself” the officer states. “What’s your name?”
“Morgan…Morgan Hunt”
He takes notes, I could tell already that he wasn’t going to believe a word we said, he acted like we were guilty of a killing of some sort.
“Alrighty, where do you live?” He continues his questioning.
“I live down the road” As I point right, “12 Dolphin Way”
“How about you?” he stammers, directing it to Chelsea”
“Down across the church, on Geneva”
“Geneva isn’t across the church, it’s down there” He says mater-of-factly, pointing by Captains village.
“No, its not. It is over by the church.”
“No, it is over by Captains. I know my roads, I work them at night.
Chelsea gives him a look, as if she knows she is right, but is definitely not going to argue with a police officer. The officer drops it and moves on to more questions. Phone numbers, parents name; basic stuff you’d expect them to ask. He walks over to Heron, after ignoring him. I feel troubled, as Heron is asked for his passport. He seems to find one, but it hasn’t been stamped yet. Either that’s the truth or that’s a fake passport; joy. We are asked to stay in the car while they call our parents. I can only imagine how mad my mom will be. She used to work at the police station, so she probably knows over half of the officers. Within minutes Chelsea’s grandma and my mom were both parked several yards away. My mom stepped out of her car and I felt my heart sink. Her face look so betrayed, as if someone has stabbed her in the back. I am so worried on how I am going to make up for this, how I will explain all of this. We are all asked to get out of the car, They take us in separate directions with separate officers. Heron’s car is searched as well as the three of us. Chelsea & I are found clean, nothing illegal or suspicious. On the other hand Heron was found to have possession of marijuana in his car. We were questioned to whether or not we knew about it. Of course we didn’t.
The officers talk to both our parents, & then we are told we can go home. I get in on the passengers side of my moms car. I sit there for a few seconds in silence before the ‘talking’ begins. She starts it first. I listen, nod, and answer a question here & there. I can tell she is mad, she wont look at me, just talk in a stern low voice. All I know for sure, is that tomorrow is the start of the most boring two weeks of my life.


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It was only a question of time-
Months or weeks perhaps





Before she would realize what true love was
Before she would realize what was worth fighting for & what wasn’t
Before she would realize the power of words to actions
Before she would realize the truth about forever

It was only a question of time-
Weeks, or days perhaps

Until the crisp smell of honeysuckle would fill the air
Until they would taste the sticky watermelon juice, that runs down their chins
Until the true summer sun would grasps their smiles
Until they fill another chapter of their lives
With smiles, laughter, & lullabies

It was only a question of time-
Months, or weeks perhaps


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Morgan Hunt
September 15, 2006
Mrs.Lauria
A/B
The Dock

As I walk down the tree hovered path, the sun reaches its way through to warm my cheeks. The dew filled grass sprinkles little droplets of water upon my ankle, and head my starts to wander. What else to you expect for the mind of a 3 year old? I walk down to the dock upon my grandparents’ pond. I look out, and see the ducks swimming about, watching their ducklings follow close behind. How cute, I wish I could just run in and get one but, I know better for watching the attempts that Tillie [my grandparent’s dog] were sadly not successful. I unspace from the sound of my Mickey calling me, telling me to put some sunscreen on before I get burned. I agree, and my eyes linger at the dock. Should I jump today or should I just swim as I always do. Such a hard decision, for the fear of it is what makes me crave it more. I conclude to start out slow. Edge myself into the water, and maybe work up my motivation. The waters cold but, very refreshing to hot summer sun blazing above. I pause, and decide to wait for Tillie to go past me, I don’t want her to knock me over wit her being so clumsy and all. I glance into the water, and pick up the flattest rock I can find. I skip it but, my skills at skipping rocks are quite sad, of course I have only learned this recently but I envy my Papa’s talent. He is always showing me knew tricks. If only he could give me the courage to jump off the dock, but him nor anyone else knows of my desire to jump.
After playing around in the water for some time, my stomach grows empty. My Mickey & I decide to head up for lunch. Maybe I’ll work on my motivation skills after I eat. Hopefully at least. We sit down to eat on the porch. Yum. Grill cheese. One of my favorite lunches at the time. I gratefully eat my grill cheese, and reach into the freezer to get a Popsicle. The juice dripped down my chin. I reach for a napkin, and accidentally knock over my cup of juice, ohh jeeze. Now I need more napkins. Luckily my Mickey was in the house, so I had enough time to clean it up without her getting angry. I clean it up and ask if when can go down to the pond again. Sure enough we can go within ten minutes so I go out to the backyard and wait for her, asking myself if I’m really going to jump off the dock. The more I think about it the more it scares me. But at the same time, it encourages me to go.
We walk down the path. I stare up at the trees, as a quiet breeze passes through. I run ahead of everyone else, and onto the dock. I look around, the sun is high, and the water is calm. I hear far off voices of children playing, splashing each other in the water. I look back at the water. I guess this is it. This is the perfect opportune moment. Part of me is still questioning myself but, yet I jump. I hit the water, with a splash, and my lifejacket keeps me from going under. Shocked and happy with my actions, I smile. A glow of confidence takes over my emotions& I wait for my family to come down so I can tell them what I did. :]


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Morgan Hunt
February 26, 2007
Persuasive Essay

Are Drugs Worth the Many Risks?

Drugs are defiantly not worth the risk. I don’t think anything is worth getting in trouble for, most likely hurting you mentally & physically, and perhaps even killing you. Ask yourself why. Why should I do something that could harm me? What are my reasons? Are they worth it? The possibilities of something bad happening are too high for something so silly, something so close to being pointless.

The mental and emotional factors of doing drugs can be very frustrating, often making you want to take more drugs. With low or moderate use of drugs, you can mentally suffer from confusion, restlessness, and extreme anxiety. The effects from long term use are more severe. Long term use could cause some very grim outcomes. You could suffer from memory loss, impulsiveness, impaired judgment, watchfulness, decreased motivation, nightmares & mood swings, and even compulsively repeated acts. All the effects, long term or short term should be taken seriously.

I think that the physical factors are more of a threat to some people than the emotional ones. But, at the same time it depends on who the person is and how they handle it. Some physical short term effects that you can form are twitches or spasms, coordination problems, chest pain, nausea, and seizures. For long term you can have a stuffy or runny nose, headaches and dizziness, sleep disorders, depression, and impaired vision. And those are just the major ones. Just from using heroin you can develop a damaged germ fighting system, loss of appetite, slow breathing, AIDS from injection, and irritated skin. On top of that heroin is addictive. Eventually you need higher dose to give you the same effect. Before you know it you could possibly be using so much that it could kill you.

There are also many things you could do instead of drugs. If you do drugs because you’re depressed or you want to just forget about your problems, drugs are not the answer. After taking most drugs you tend to get into a depression slump. Often leaving you more depressed than you were before using the drug.


Instead of drugs consider these options:
• Flying a kite
• Blowing bubbles
• Cuddle up in warm towels that just came out of the dryer
• Learn a new language
• Get together with friends
• Take up photography
• Find a new hobby
• Learn to cook
• Draw
• Watch clouds pass by
• Adopt a pet
• Play a sport
• Sing
• Make a joke
• Meet up with old friends
And the list continues from here. I’m sure you can think of some yourself that you could do. If there are other options instead of drugs, do them. It will be better for your life.


The number or drug-induced deaths are increasing, though most of us don’t realize it. Just between 1990 and 1997 statistics show that the number of drug-induced deaths have increased by 60%! That’s just shy of 10% more a year. In 1997 close to 16,000 people died, just from drugs. This needs to end now. There is absolutely no excuse to keep this going. People are dying, and lives are being caught with drugs can still ruin your life. Whether you’re a teen or an adult, you will be arrested. They will bring you to get your finger prints taken and they will get information about you to put on your criminal record. Next you will be taken to court for a trial. The judge will make a decision based on what drugs and the amount you had in possession. They then will fine you and the judge will decide whether or not you go to jail or juvenile hall. As if that isn’t bad enough, the information on your criminal record can make it hard for a career choice. Some people may decide not to hire you just because of it.

So whenever you’re caught between doing drugs and not doing drugs, ask yourself; are they worth the risk? Think of your future, and what is in it. Don’t spoil your life. Nothing is worth getting you in trouble, harming you mentally and physically, possibly killing you, and basically messing up the rest of your life. Think twice. Say no.


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So as it stands I am bored. The ‘family’ is asleep in the house and I’m outside in the warm august night. Thickness fills my lings from the dry air. I decide to take a walk; maybe it will clear my mind about my old life, and help me focus on the new. Well, on second thought I’m not really sure if I want to think about my old life. School starts in a few weeks. Part of me thinks YES, finally I find new friends, and start all over. On the other hand part of me is holding back. What if I make the same mistakes? What if people keep their eyes only open to what they want to see, and view only the old Charlie? I defiantly don’t want to live my live that way, again.
I reach the corner and take a left; this will later give me the option to walk down near the store or to the park. I feel the stiff unforgiving , sidewalk through my worn down shoes. Cautiously I watch where I place my feet, not wanting to step on the musty green and shattered pieces of beer bottle glass. I listen to the distant dog barks. A comforting sound for I often heard it New York. I glance at the road. Something in the middle of the ground glisten from the street lights glare. I walk over to it, just lying there in plain for anyone’s sight, what looks like to be a diamond encrusted silver watch. What is it doing here, in this trashy beaten down neighborhood? My mind wonders. I walk down the road carefully examining it. It seems to have no imperfections. I t still works, and must I say is beautifully made. The frame of the clock itself is lined with clean cut diamonds; a very classy but, extravagant watch. I put it in my pocket, never keeping my hands off of it and continue my walk.
Once again, I arrive at the end of a block. I seem to be on Sumner Street. If I take another left, it will bring me to the supermarket but, a right will bring me down near the park. I stand on top of the road for a moment, before making my conclusion. Right it is. I turn, stuffing my hands further into my pockets. I only have three more streetlights to go before I reach the park. It must be around 1’oclk on the morning. If it wasn’t for all of my hanging out late with my friends back in New York, I would almost certainly be scared out of my mind right now however, once again, I am used to this sort of thing. The streetlights don’t hurt. The road bends and I can spot the park. I mosey over the, and rest on a swing. The cold chains cool my sweaty palms, as a kick the woodchips below me. I push myself in the swing for the moment, and then I peek around before taking it out. I seem to be alone, and figure its now safe to take it out. I hold it out near the light as clutch it in my fist, straining my eyes to indulge its beauty. Just as I go to examine it more closely the street light begins to flicker. At that moment, the thought of it going out wasn’t of my concern, for that rarely happens but I knew that if it did, I would have to walk pretty far in the dark. It goes out. My heart sinks, and I go to get up. Just as I do, I hear a rustle in the bushes behind me. I jump up, and shove the watch in my pocket. Slowly, I back away from the swings. I peer threw the darkness. The bushes rustle a little more, and a dark shadow faces me. An unknown presence, I stand in front of. My hands begin to shake.