REALITY IS OPTIONAL'S FALL E-ZINE
SUMMER ADVENTURE AND POSITIVE THOUGHTS EDITION
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Reality Is Optional Optional Guide to Reality (an excerpt)
Chapter Six - Motivational Kittens
After following the map for a while you seem to be finding your way nicely, at last! You’ve only lost your way twice. The first time was when the passage ended in a surprise three story climbing wall that didn’t seem to have much more in the way of safety measures than a piece of tape stuck to the wall labeled “First Aid Kit” which held up three bandaids. You have been told on numerous occasions not to climb things that high without a rope and a partner, neither or which you have, and you are pretty sure that a fall from that height couldn’t be fixed with a band-aid. The second moment was when the hallway split into eight directions, instead of the two labeled on the map. You picked the third passage, just on a whim, and because a deep throated growl was coming from the eighth.
Walking down you see a person with disheveled purple hair, warm brown skin, and gem red lips putting up posters on the wall. One is of a precarious kitten dangling from a branch with the words “Hang in There!” written in white bubble letters. Another has a storm clouds and a crevasse pictured on it with sharp red letters reading, “The only risk is not taking one.” The person attempts to put up the poster without much success, as it flops and falls to the ground. It is a picture of a large glazed donut that says, “Donut Give Up!”
“Umm,” you say, walking over. “Can I help you?”
“I hope so,” says the person. They stare at the poster, now lying in a heap on the floor while they loosely hold a roll of tape.
“Okay…”
The person still doesn’t move to pick up the poster.
You stick out your hand, saying, “I’m the new intern here.”
“Hope!” The person smiles. “I hope we can get this poster up. Insomnia helped me with the other two last week.”
“Ahh.” You nod, wondering if Hope has been trying to put up this particular poster for a week, or if they have only just arrived. You figure it is the latter, because who would try for a whole week to put up a poster… right?
“So… Let me help you.” You put down your package and pick up the poster off the ground, holding it to the wall.
Hope just stands there, watching you.
You start to feel stupid, standing splayed against the wall, holding up the poster while Hope watches you not moving. “Can you give me some tape?” you finally ask.
“I hope so,” they say, still not moving.
“You hope so?” you ask, chuckling a little, wondering if they are joking. “Umm… just rip off a piece.”
Hope holds the tape up to their eye, “I hope I can find the end of this tape.” They don’t turn the tape at all, even though you can clearly see the end of the tape is on the other side of the roll.
You gently take the roll out of their hand while still holding the poster up with your torso and other arm. Using your teeth, you peel off a bit of tape and then another and adhere the poster to the wall, leaving it slightly crooked.
Hope smiles at you, sticking their hands in their white sweater with smiling suns on it. “I hope people like the poster. I hope no one minds that it’s crooked. Thanks for helping! I was hoping someone would come along to give me a hand.”
“You’re welcome!” you say. “I hope that’s the last of your posters.”
“Well,” Hope replies, “that’s all we can do. Hope. I mean, why act when you can wish for something to happen, right?”
“Umm…” What Hope says makes no sense. If you only hoped for things to happen you would never find who owns this package. Speaking of which… you point to the box. “Is this package yours?”
“Oh,” Hope smiles. “I hope not. It looks heavy. And with that, they walk away down the hall, turning into a door marked UTILITY, saying, “I hope this is the kitchen.”
You shrug, picking up the package once more, then consulting the map before picking a direction. People are very strange in this building.
After following the map for a while you seem to be finding your way nicely, at last! You’ve only lost your way twice. The first time was when the passage ended in a surprise three story climbing wall that didn’t seem to have much more in the way of safety measures than a piece of tape stuck to the wall labeled “First Aid Kit” which held up three bandaids. You have been told on numerous occasions not to climb things that high without a rope and a partner, neither or which you have, and you are pretty sure that a fall from that height couldn’t be fixed with a band-aid. The second moment was when the hallway split into eight directions, instead of the two labeled on the map. You picked the third passage, just on a whim, and because a deep throated growl was coming from the eighth.
Walking down you see a person with disheveled purple hair, warm brown skin, and gem red lips putting up posters on the wall. One is of a precarious kitten dangling from a branch with the words “Hang in There!” written in white bubble letters. Another has a storm clouds and a crevasse pictured on it with sharp red letters reading, “The only risk is not taking one.” The person attempts to put up the poster without much success, as it flops and falls to the ground. It is a picture of a large glazed donut that says, “Donut Give Up!”
“Umm,” you say, walking over. “Can I help you?”
“I hope so,” says the person. They stare at the poster, now lying in a heap on the floor while they loosely hold a roll of tape.
“Okay…”
The person still doesn’t move to pick up the poster.
You stick out your hand, saying, “I’m the new intern here.”
“Hope!” The person smiles. “I hope we can get this poster up. Insomnia helped me with the other two last week.”
“Ahh.” You nod, wondering if Hope has been trying to put up this particular poster for a week, or if they have only just arrived. You figure it is the latter, because who would try for a whole week to put up a poster… right?
“So… Let me help you.” You put down your package and pick up the poster off the ground, holding it to the wall.
Hope just stands there, watching you.
You start to feel stupid, standing splayed against the wall, holding up the poster while Hope watches you not moving. “Can you give me some tape?” you finally ask.
“I hope so,” they say, still not moving.
“You hope so?” you ask, chuckling a little, wondering if they are joking. “Umm… just rip off a piece.”
Hope holds the tape up to their eye, “I hope I can find the end of this tape.” They don’t turn the tape at all, even though you can clearly see the end of the tape is on the other side of the roll.
You gently take the roll out of their hand while still holding the poster up with your torso and other arm. Using your teeth, you peel off a bit of tape and then another and adhere the poster to the wall, leaving it slightly crooked.
Hope smiles at you, sticking their hands in their white sweater with smiling suns on it. “I hope people like the poster. I hope no one minds that it’s crooked. Thanks for helping! I was hoping someone would come along to give me a hand.”
“You’re welcome!” you say. “I hope that’s the last of your posters.”
“Well,” Hope replies, “that’s all we can do. Hope. I mean, why act when you can wish for something to happen, right?”
“Umm…” What Hope says makes no sense. If you only hoped for things to happen you would never find who owns this package. Speaking of which… you point to the box. “Is this package yours?”
“Oh,” Hope smiles. “I hope not. It looks heavy. And with that, they walk away down the hall, turning into a door marked UTILITY, saying, “I hope this is the kitchen.”
You shrug, picking up the package once more, then consulting the map before picking a direction. People are very strange in this building.
The Reality Is Optional Writing Team!
BUDGET CUTS - the movie - by the Movie Making Camp
by The Dark Lord
Rogue Poets Year End Noodle Night
Pen & Panel Comic Creation Class and the Rogue Poets Collaboration
Strongest Horse by the Rogue Poets
in the late 1800s
she was still soft-centered and hard-boiled
with an abnormal psychology
she feared the death of the dolphins
but he didn’t care, it was his plan all along
his achievement remains remarkable
all that was left were the initials V.R.
let’s start with my greatest handicap - a sense of humour
that marvellous creature, surely a man
my dear, there you are
a big go of shrimp, frozen
he was trained to fight fire, not to let it burn freely
with embers, hot air, the moon and sun turned blue
out of rage, in desperation
joy made a passionate plea, then turned silent
and finally watched the destruction ensue
she would have bet the king’s death
i nodded to the arkansas vampires
who hadn’t quite died on that bathroom floor in memphis
all together dead,
the queen can stay there
i got up, not looking back
blood sucking, legs weak
fallen, no revival
i’ll always pay you minimum wage for a job
making other people lazier
where our photoshop crew is hard at work
fixing up the issues
make time for a little modeling
remember the unfair work hours
sitting uncomfortably in revealing clothing
the pay isn’t worth the hours
the captain of kush
no - let me go alone, moses
am i being made a fool of?
not for me, never, my beloved, never
i am not tired. i’ll wait for the prince of egypt
whom i love! so i say, great captain
let us embrace in love and not in hatred
listening to this, unaware even of the change of subject
but i am not the prince of egypt, i am the captain of kush
then i will wait
i will wait for the horse - the strongest horse
she was still soft-centered and hard-boiled
with an abnormal psychology
she feared the death of the dolphins
but he didn’t care, it was his plan all along
his achievement remains remarkable
all that was left were the initials V.R.
let’s start with my greatest handicap - a sense of humour
that marvellous creature, surely a man
my dear, there you are
a big go of shrimp, frozen
he was trained to fight fire, not to let it burn freely
with embers, hot air, the moon and sun turned blue
out of rage, in desperation
joy made a passionate plea, then turned silent
and finally watched the destruction ensue
she would have bet the king’s death
i nodded to the arkansas vampires
who hadn’t quite died on that bathroom floor in memphis
all together dead,
the queen can stay there
i got up, not looking back
blood sucking, legs weak
fallen, no revival
i’ll always pay you minimum wage for a job
making other people lazier
where our photoshop crew is hard at work
fixing up the issues
make time for a little modeling
remember the unfair work hours
sitting uncomfortably in revealing clothing
the pay isn’t worth the hours
the captain of kush
no - let me go alone, moses
am i being made a fool of?
not for me, never, my beloved, never
i am not tired. i’ll wait for the prince of egypt
whom i love! so i say, great captain
let us embrace in love and not in hatred
listening to this, unaware even of the change of subject
but i am not the prince of egypt, i am the captain of kush
then i will wait
i will wait for the horse - the strongest horse
The Strongest Horse by Pen & Panel
Pen and Panel Year End Picture
P&P presents ... Minions Memes
By Michelle
WORDSWORTH SUMMER WRITING RESIDENCY
When Poets Meet...
It always ends in a poetry slam... wait... um guys... that's not how poetry slam's work!
Radio Plays
Free Ringtones and Alarms for you!!!
| chicken_alarm_wave.wav |
| chickens_ringtone_wave_file.wav |
| jam_sessions_ringtone_wave_file.wav |
| mailing_time_ringtone_wave_file.wav |
AWCS Kids at WordsWorth!
The Updog Comedy Show!
The Pieing of WordsWorth Director - Colin Matty
Aww Yeah... ART!!!
Nimue
Kat Davenport
Jaime Page
Die
Bella Davenport
Jamie Yawney
A Class at WordsWorth
More AWCS Kids at WordsWorth!
More WordsWorth camp fun!
It's a fish tank!
Jess
AWCS SUMMER ADVENTURE CAMPS
Magiland by Anna Cohen
Prologue
Ava watched as the portal sucked up the barn. The animals all ran in different directons. “Mom! Dad!” she cried, as the hurricane-like vortex grew closer. But no one came. Suddenly the portal pulled her in!
Chapter 1 – A Day in the Life
Ava woke up with a gasp. Then she realised that it had all been a dream. As she inhaled, she smelled bacon cooking on the stove. She looked at the clock hanging by the picture of Shep, the family’s shepherd dog. It was almost time for the bus to pick her up! She slipped into her purple skirt and light pink top. Then she fastened up her short brown hair with her favourite blue headband.
“Ava,” Mom called.
“Coming, Mom!” Ava called back. She ran down into the small kitchen. She grabbed her plate and ate all the bacon. As she hugged her mom, she heard the bus. “Bye, Mom!” Ava called before grabbing her bag and rushing out the door.
“How was your weekend?” asked Violet, Ava’s Asian friend.
“Good,” said Ava, sliding into the seat next to her.
Violet pulled her long black hair out of her amber eyes. Her walnut coloured skin shone in the dim light. “I bet Ms. Mason is going to make us do French all day again.”
She looked out the window. “At least we don’t have to eat lunch inside.” As more kids got on the bus the dream kept repeating inside Ava’s head.
Chapter 2 – The Portal
After school, Ava was cleaning up the barn when Shep started barking. “What is it, Shep?” she asked, stepping outside. She gasped. Outside was the hurricane-like vortex from her dream. It was so close she could feel the wind it made. She screamed as it pulled her in.
Chapter Two – Welcome
Ava woke up with a piercing headache. Groggily she sat up and looked around. She was in a big room. The walls and ceiling were a pale pink. There was a bright yellow canopy surrounding the forest green bed. The bookshelf was made of ebony and filled with colourful books with leather covers. “Where am I?” she thought.
Suddenly, a tiny girl with glittering transparent wings flew through the open door. “A good, you’re awake,” she said.
“Where am I?” Ava shouted, surprised.
“You are in Magiland,” the girl replied. “I’m Pix, the pixie.”
“Hi, Pix,” Ava said, starting to feel calm.
“We need your help!” said Pix anxiously. “You need to fulfill the prophecy of the emeralds before the dark elf, Floyd, does. If he does, it will give him unlimited power!”
“I’ll do it,” Ava replied, sounding more confident than she felt.
Just then, Pix said, “Floyd has solar beam power, but is weak if there is an eclipse or if water touches him.”
“Alright,” said Ava.
Chapter 3 – Floyd
Floyd’s secret hideout was a gloomy place. The dim lights flickered on and off. Every sound has an echo. Floyd was reading quietly in a corner. His pointy ears quivered under his black hat which matched his shirt and pants. A big black bull dog growled besides his master. “Soon I will be Invincible,” growled the low raspy voice of Floyd.
Unbeknownst to him there was a plot against him at this very moment. They sat, staring at the stonewall in silence…
Chapter 4 - Girl to Pixie
Ava walk down to meet Prince Jordan and Princess Arielle in a long silver gown studded with pearls and gold trim. As they sat down, the Prince told her the Royal Tailor had taken her measurements for her wings, wand, and dress and that she would leave the next day.
“ But… But…” Ava stuttered.
Just then dinner was served. There were bowls of steaming pea soup, thick slabs of meat, brownies, sponge cake, and cookies piled up on the red and gold tablecloth.
The next day, a fairy visited Ava and waved her wand over her. Ava shrunk! Then she changed into a dress made of leaves, leaf shoes, and grabbed a wand made for her. Suddenly, two wings like Pix’s appeared.
She was officially a pixie!
Chapter 5 - Death Tower
Ava flew towards Death Tower, fearing her duel with Floyd. Then she saw it. In front of Catalisan, the tallest mountain in the land - there was a tower made of stone and bones. It was surrounded by a hill of dead grass and was almost as tall as the mountain itself. Ava flew into an open window. The bull dog was growling at her.
“What do you want little pixie?” Floyd rasped.
“A battle,” Ava replied.
The duel began…
Chapter 6 - The Duel
Ava shot a star spell and missed. Then Floyd shot a beam. It hit Ava Square in the chest. Weakly she used a recovery spell. While dodging beams, she thought and thought. Suddenly, she saw a hand mirror behind the dog. Flying under the dog, she grabbed the hand mirror. She shivered. It was cold. Floyd aimed another beam at her. The beam bounced off the mirror and hit Floyd. He was dead.
Chapter 7 - Just Returned
Back at the palace, Ava grew again. Her wings and wand disappeared and she was back in her normal clothes. She's got on the back of a white unicorn with a multicolored mane and tail. She fell asleep.
When Ava woke up, she was back at the barn. “Maybe it was all a dream,” she thought.
The End
Ava watched as the portal sucked up the barn. The animals all ran in different directons. “Mom! Dad!” she cried, as the hurricane-like vortex grew closer. But no one came. Suddenly the portal pulled her in!
Chapter 1 – A Day in the Life
Ava woke up with a gasp. Then she realised that it had all been a dream. As she inhaled, she smelled bacon cooking on the stove. She looked at the clock hanging by the picture of Shep, the family’s shepherd dog. It was almost time for the bus to pick her up! She slipped into her purple skirt and light pink top. Then she fastened up her short brown hair with her favourite blue headband.
“Ava,” Mom called.
“Coming, Mom!” Ava called back. She ran down into the small kitchen. She grabbed her plate and ate all the bacon. As she hugged her mom, she heard the bus. “Bye, Mom!” Ava called before grabbing her bag and rushing out the door.
“How was your weekend?” asked Violet, Ava’s Asian friend.
“Good,” said Ava, sliding into the seat next to her.
Violet pulled her long black hair out of her amber eyes. Her walnut coloured skin shone in the dim light. “I bet Ms. Mason is going to make us do French all day again.”
She looked out the window. “At least we don’t have to eat lunch inside.” As more kids got on the bus the dream kept repeating inside Ava’s head.
Chapter 2 – The Portal
After school, Ava was cleaning up the barn when Shep started barking. “What is it, Shep?” she asked, stepping outside. She gasped. Outside was the hurricane-like vortex from her dream. It was so close she could feel the wind it made. She screamed as it pulled her in.
Chapter Two – Welcome
Ava woke up with a piercing headache. Groggily she sat up and looked around. She was in a big room. The walls and ceiling were a pale pink. There was a bright yellow canopy surrounding the forest green bed. The bookshelf was made of ebony and filled with colourful books with leather covers. “Where am I?” she thought.
Suddenly, a tiny girl with glittering transparent wings flew through the open door. “A good, you’re awake,” she said.
“Where am I?” Ava shouted, surprised.
“You are in Magiland,” the girl replied. “I’m Pix, the pixie.”
“Hi, Pix,” Ava said, starting to feel calm.
“We need your help!” said Pix anxiously. “You need to fulfill the prophecy of the emeralds before the dark elf, Floyd, does. If he does, it will give him unlimited power!”
“I’ll do it,” Ava replied, sounding more confident than she felt.
Just then, Pix said, “Floyd has solar beam power, but is weak if there is an eclipse or if water touches him.”
“Alright,” said Ava.
Chapter 3 – Floyd
Floyd’s secret hideout was a gloomy place. The dim lights flickered on and off. Every sound has an echo. Floyd was reading quietly in a corner. His pointy ears quivered under his black hat which matched his shirt and pants. A big black bull dog growled besides his master. “Soon I will be Invincible,” growled the low raspy voice of Floyd.
Unbeknownst to him there was a plot against him at this very moment. They sat, staring at the stonewall in silence…
Chapter 4 - Girl to Pixie
Ava walk down to meet Prince Jordan and Princess Arielle in a long silver gown studded with pearls and gold trim. As they sat down, the Prince told her the Royal Tailor had taken her measurements for her wings, wand, and dress and that she would leave the next day.
“ But… But…” Ava stuttered.
Just then dinner was served. There were bowls of steaming pea soup, thick slabs of meat, brownies, sponge cake, and cookies piled up on the red and gold tablecloth.
The next day, a fairy visited Ava and waved her wand over her. Ava shrunk! Then she changed into a dress made of leaves, leaf shoes, and grabbed a wand made for her. Suddenly, two wings like Pix’s appeared.
She was officially a pixie!
Chapter 5 - Death Tower
Ava flew towards Death Tower, fearing her duel with Floyd. Then she saw it. In front of Catalisan, the tallest mountain in the land - there was a tower made of stone and bones. It was surrounded by a hill of dead grass and was almost as tall as the mountain itself. Ava flew into an open window. The bull dog was growling at her.
“What do you want little pixie?” Floyd rasped.
“A battle,” Ava replied.
The duel began…
Chapter 6 - The Duel
Ava shot a star spell and missed. Then Floyd shot a beam. It hit Ava Square in the chest. Weakly she used a recovery spell. While dodging beams, she thought and thought. Suddenly, she saw a hand mirror behind the dog. Flying under the dog, she grabbed the hand mirror. She shivered. It was cold. Floyd aimed another beam at her. The beam bounced off the mirror and hit Floyd. He was dead.
Chapter 7 - Just Returned
Back at the palace, Ava grew again. Her wings and wand disappeared and she was back in her normal clothes. She's got on the back of a white unicorn with a multicolored mane and tail. She fell asleep.
When Ava woke up, she was back at the barn. “Maybe it was all a dream,” she thought.
The End
Summer Fun Days!
Comics! Sweet!
Stories from the Edge
by Marcus Cheng, JoJo Long, Adam De Lottinville, Anna Cohen
EGYPT
Everything was going well no perfect in the town of Utopia Ville when Jack suddenly vanished and some rumors came about a UFO in the area. I thought all that was silly, but one day I would be proven wrong. I was sitting in my bed when it happened, a strange object crashed into my house. In the bustle and debris, I could tell I was not alone.
Cautiously, I walked towards the strange object. It was a sphinx!? The stone was old and covered with sand. Curiously, I touched it. Suddenly my feet lifted off the ground and my whole world changed!
I was a father and I had kids!!!!
Mel, Trixie and I were hiking and my son ate the Pharaoh's jelly infused pigs which made the floor disappear and we fell. So I grounded my son and I trapped him in the pyramid for a week with leftover jelly infused cows for dinner.
Here's your lesson kids: always eat jelly infused whales
THE PINEAPPLE
In the perfect world of Fartsy Pantsy there is a magic pineapple. When the pineapple is picked this Utopia will be a regular world. Unfortunately Superman, while engaging a deadly enemy, crashed into the pineapple making the world normal again. All the perfectness disappeared and super villains descended on the world. "What shall I do?"cried Superman as horrible abominations cornered him in a sacred grove. They knocked Superman out cold but when he awoke he did not smell the fragrant oak trees of the grove. Instead he smelled blood and saw corpses. He was in a dark alley with Lex Luthor's guards on all sides. Then he got an idea. He flew onto a rooftop where the generator for the evil robot guards was and destroyed it.
The End
Everything was going well no perfect in the town of Utopia Ville when Jack suddenly vanished and some rumors came about a UFO in the area. I thought all that was silly, but one day I would be proven wrong. I was sitting in my bed when it happened, a strange object crashed into my house. In the bustle and debris, I could tell I was not alone.
Cautiously, I walked towards the strange object. It was a sphinx!? The stone was old and covered with sand. Curiously, I touched it. Suddenly my feet lifted off the ground and my whole world changed!
I was a father and I had kids!!!!
Mel, Trixie and I were hiking and my son ate the Pharaoh's jelly infused pigs which made the floor disappear and we fell. So I grounded my son and I trapped him in the pyramid for a week with leftover jelly infused cows for dinner.
Here's your lesson kids: always eat jelly infused whales
THE PINEAPPLE
In the perfect world of Fartsy Pantsy there is a magic pineapple. When the pineapple is picked this Utopia will be a regular world. Unfortunately Superman, while engaging a deadly enemy, crashed into the pineapple making the world normal again. All the perfectness disappeared and super villains descended on the world. "What shall I do?"cried Superman as horrible abominations cornered him in a sacred grove. They knocked Superman out cold but when he awoke he did not smell the fragrant oak trees of the grove. Instead he smelled blood and saw corpses. He was in a dark alley with Lex Luthor's guards on all sides. Then he got an idea. He flew onto a rooftop where the generator for the evil robot guards was and destroyed it.
The End