Overworked mother

By Megan Dortch

She is exhausted; everyone can tell if they just look at her. She slowly walks behind a double stroller carrying infant twin boys, one sound asleep and the other whining. A toddler stumbles around, trying to gain the attention of either his brothers or mother. The father walks behind another stroller with a young boy who does not speak, move or respond to actions or words.

Their flight has been delayed for five hours now and the hysteria is setting in on both of the parents but the mother especially. The toddler hovers in the long entrance to the airplane, curious and eager to talk to anyone who will give him attention.

The pilot tells him to stand back as the airplane is not ready to board yet. A few minutes later the toddler enters the long entrance and a stuartist escorts him back to his family as the mother audibly sighs and scolds him. At this time, the infant twin boys start to cry out for reasons that the mother does not understand. A woman sitting near her offers some reassurance saying "I remember when my twins were that young. What one wanted, the other didn't and I felt like I never had grip on them." The struggling mother smiled weakly and added "Yes, especially with four."

The pilot announced that families were able to pre-board the airplane at this point and the woman took a deep breath, stood up, squared her shoulders and walked onto the plane to get her family ready with every little thing they could possibly need for the short 57 minute flight to Providence, Rhode Island.

She barely sat down the entire 57 minutes. She was consoling her crying twins as she knew she could do nothing about the cabin pressure. The toddler yelled for attention from both parents and the stuartists. The mother went from one section of seats to the other, making sure the children were occupied with toys and binkies.

They waited until everyone was off the airplane before they gathered their things and slowly made  their way to their destination.

The walk down the aisle

Edited
Sarah Seuell

The day was not at all how she had planned it to be. She had hoped that the clouds that had gathered early that morning would clear up by the time the event began. She had hoped the sun would beam down, raising the temperature. But her hopes of a sunny evening were crushed as 7 p.m. crept up only to bring more clouds and rain. Though the damp weather had moved her venue inside, it didn't waver her excitement. She knew that it was the perfect day to walk down the aisle.

Her nerves spiked, butterflies dancing in her stomach, as she watched friends and family gather in the event space. Her sister, who was her maid of honor, and her mother had just helped her slip on her wedding dress. The ivory, lace dress was something she had looked forward to wearing for some time now. It had been months since she had last worn the dress. Now the moment was here, she was in her dress, ready to walk down the aisle and change her last name.

The music began playing, and the voices of her family and friends were hushed, as they watched attentively for the coveted bride and her ivory gown. Her bridesmaids each gave her a quick hug and whispered encouraging words into her ear, but all she could think of was her fiancé, the man of her dreams, standing at the end of the aisle, waiting for her patiently. She wondered if he would cry when he saw her and if he was as nervous as she was.

"You ready?" her mother whispered to her. She quickly responded with a nod and a grin. Her father cupped her arm and stared at his daughter with eyes full of love, happiness and tears. The time had come.

Her worries of tripping on the way down the aisle or fainting right at the pew vanished as she made eye-contact with him, her soon to be husband, standing on the other end of the aisle. A smile broke across his face and tears made their way down his cheeks. As she began the walk toward him, her mom and dad at her side, those in the audience stood and watched her. Their smiles, all comforting and encouraging, helping her overcome her nerves. She smiled back at her family and friends who had gathered to celebrate this day with them, one eye proudly fixed on her fiancé.

As they reached where the preacher stood, waiting to read their vows, her father took her hand and placed it in her fiancé's. She could not hold back the tears as she gave her father one last hug before becoming a married woman. She was ready. She looked into the eyes of her fiance and mouthed, "I love you." He paused and mouthed back, "You look beautiful."

The Perfect Day

The day was not at all how she expected it would be. She hoped that the clouds that had gathered early that morning would burn off by the time it all started and that the sun would would raise temperature, but her hopes were crushed as 7 p.m.came and it started to rain. Though the damp weather had moved her venue inside, she knew that it was the perfect day to walk down the aisle.

The nerves sparked in her stomach as she watched friends and family gather in the event space. Her sister, who was her maid of honor, and her mother had just assisted her in putting on her dress. The ivory lace dress was something she had looked forward to wearing since she first tried it on months ago with family at her side. Now it was time to show the world.

The music began playing signifying the beginning of the ceremony. Her bridesmaids each gave her a quick hug and whispered encouraging words into her ear, but all she could think of was her fiance standing at the end of the aisle, waiting for her patiently. She wondered if he would cry or if he would be too nervous like she was.

"You ready?" her mother whispered to her. She quickly responded with a nod. Her father grabbed her arm and stared at his daughter with eyes full of tears. The time had come.

Her worries of tripping on the way up the aisle or falling from the nerves vanished when she saw him, her soon to be husband, standing on the other end of the aisle. A smile broke across his face and tears streamed down his face. As she began the walk with her mom and dad at her side, those in the audience stood. She smiled toward her family and friends, keeping one eye on her fiance at all times.

Her father took her hand as they reached where the preacher stood and placed it in her fiance's hand. She could not keep the tears from streaming down her face as she gave her father one last hug before becoming a married woman. She was ready. She looked into the eyes of her fiance and mouthed, "I love you." He paused and mouthed back, "You look beautiful."

Don't Get Caught

           The boy sprinted into the woods, the darkness causing him to nearly trip over his friend who was already crouched just within the tree line.  He dropped down next to his friend as he tried to catch his breath. Humid summer air filled his lungs but offered him little relief. Though he was at rest, his body remained tense and ready to spring into action at any moment. They could see the red and blue flashing lights at the top of the hill, casting strange jerking shadows over the field. A spotlight panned across the trees trying to find them, but their black hoodies blended seamlessly with the night. His friend looked over at him, eyes wide and nervous, begging to know what had become of their other friend who was just behind them only a few minutes ago. Before the boy could answer they heard a voice announce over a speaker.

           “We have your friend and we know who you are. Come out now! You are only making things worse for yourselves. You have no other option,” demanded the officer, his tone stern and foreboding.

            The reality of the situation gripped the boy and panic welled up inside of him. He closed his eyes for a moment to steady himself. He needed time to think, but that was a luxury he did not have. Before he darted into the woods he had saw the line of police cars blocking their path between where they were and where they wanted to be. The full moon and the adrenaline rushing through his veins allowed every detail to stand out vividly in his mind. He was sure this night was going to end in complete tragedy for them. Clouds rolled across the moon, casting shadows over the landscape and his waning optimism.

He opened his eyes and looked over at his friend who was looking back and forth hopelessly as he weighed out their two options. Without any verbal communication, he knew exactly what his friend was thinking at that moment. The boy scowled and slowly shook his head. Their friend had known the risks and agreed to their terms so he was now on his own. The first rule was don’t get caught. The second was that if you did, then you kept quiet about the others and went down alone.

             A sudden cold feeling crawled inside the boy’s stomach and slithered up his spine. It was a feeling he learned to hate yet never ignore. The boy shot his friend a wide-eyed glance and jerked his head back towards the woods. His friend knew exactly what the look meant and they both dashed deeper into the woods. Just as they started to run they could hear the sound of a German Shepard barking as it ran down the hill towards them. 

Run to Where the Light Can't Find You

     The boy sprinted into the woods. The darkness causing him to nearly trip over his friend who was already crouched just within the tree line. He dropped down next to his friend as he tried to catch his breath. The humid summer air filled his lungs, but offered him little relief. Though he was at rest his body remained tense, ready to spring into action at any moment. They could see the red and blue flashing lights at the top of the hill casting strange, jerking shadows over the field. A spotlight panned across the trees trying to find them, but their black hoodies blended seamlessly with the night. His friend looked over at him, eyes wide and nervous, begging to know what had become of their friend. Before the boy could answer they heard a voice announce over a speaker.

     “We have your friend and we know who you are. Come out now! You are only making things worse for yourselves. You have no other option,” demanded the officer, his tone stern and foreboding.

     The reality of the situation gripped the boy and panic welled up inside of him. He closed his eyes for a moment to steady himself. He needed time to think, but that was a luxury he did not have. Before he darted into the woods he saw the line of police cars blocking their path between where they were and where they wanted to be. The full moon and the adrenaline allowed every detail to stand out vividly in his mind. He was pretty sure this night was going to end in tragedy for them. Clouds rolled across the moon casting shadows over the landscape and his waning optimism.

     He opened his eyes and looked over at his friend. His friend’s eyes darted back and forth as he weighed their two options. They boy knew exactly what he meant since they had known each other for a while and the need for verbal communication was no longer necessary. The boy scowled and slowly shook his head. Their friend had known the risk and had agreed to their terms. The first rule was don’t get caught. The second was that if you do, then you keep quiet about the others and go down alone. Their friend was on his own.

     A sudden, cold feeling crawled inside the boy’s stomach and slithered up his spine. It was a feeling he learned to never ignore. The boy shot his friend a wide-eyed glance and jerked his head back towards the woods. His friend knew what that look meant and they dashed deeper into the woods. Then they heard the sound of a German Shepard barking as it ran down the hill.

What Will Be Will Be

Edited By Yujie

  It was a sunny afternoon of August. A door was opened. A short and brunette woman with blond highlights stepped out. With a sigh, she raked the stray wisps of her that had escaped the neat bun at the top of her head to the side and proceeded to walk down the rickety steps at her job. Although she was leaned on the railings, she was still walking down at rickety steps. Finally, she finished the steps, and sat on a bench.

  Glancing at the sun, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes, a lighter and a cellphone out of her purse. She lit a cigarette and took a deep drag inhaling. The smoke deep into her lungs while she dialing a number on her cellphone and waited for the other end to pick up. She tapped her foot against the leg of the bench and flicked the ashes from the cigarette. Then, the call has been answered.

  “I’d like to make a payment on my account using my credit card,” she said in a raspy voice。

  She listened intently chewing on her bottom lip with her lit cigarette suspended mid air in her other hand。

  “I don’t understand. I have always paid my bill on the phone. I can’t mail in a check in, I am on a payment plan and if I miss this payment I’m screwed,” she said angrily。

  She listened more to the person on the other line substituting chewing her lip for short angry puffs on her cigarette.

  “When did this start? You sent me an email? I haven’t been at Washburn in nine years. I can’t come in to pay by card because I work all day! By the time of I'm off work the business office is closed,” she roared。

  

  Her voice grew louder and the puffs on her cigarette deeper and closer together as she spoke on the phone. She glanced at the watch on her wrist and kept sighed.

  “I have to go back into work, I only had a 15 minute break, thank you for nothing!”after saying that, she hanging up the call. She took the last puff at the cigarette and dropped it in an ashtray next to the bench.Then, she began her way back to work.

Getting Started with InDesign

MM431 Creative Media Practicum: Getting Started with InDesign

Trying to do the right thing

A door opened and a short, brunette woman with blond highlights stepped out into the bright August afternoon sun. With a sigh she raked the stray wisps of her that had escaped the neat bun at the top of her head to the side and proceeded to walk down the rickety steps at her job. She held on to the railings and when she reached ground level, sat on a bench. Glaring at the sun, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes, a lighter and a cellphone out of her purse. She lit a cigarette and took a deep drag inhaling the smoke deep into her lungs while dialing a number on her cellphone and waited for the other end to pick up. She tapped her foot against the leg of the bench and puffed away at her cigarette.

The call connected and she said in a raspy voice: " I'd like to make a payment on my account using my credit card". She listened intently chewing on her bottom lip with her lit cigarette suspended mid air in her other hand. "I don't understand. I have always payed my bill on the phone. I can't mail in a check in, I am on a payment plan and if I miss this payment I'm screwed." She listened more to the person on the other line substituting chewing her lip for short angry puffs on her cigarette. " When did this start? You sent me an email? I havent been at Washburn in nine years. I cant come in to pay by card because I work all day! By the time of I'm off work the business office is closed." Her voice grew louder and the puffs on her cigarette deeper and closer together as she spoke on the phone. 

She glanced at watch on her wrist and sighed and sighed again, " I have to go back into work, I only had a 15 minute break, thank you for nothing" she said before hanging up the call. She took one last puff from her cigarette and dropped it in an ashtray next to the bench making her way back up the stairs back to her job. 

The second of many

Edited by Emily

As she sat in the car outside of the Prairie View golf course in Topeka, Kansas, she noticed how beautiful of an afternoon it was. It was the first Saturday she had off of work in a long time, and the weather was perfect. It was sunny, but it was wasn't too hot or too cold. As she waited patiently, she found that she was nervous to be going golfing with this new man in her life. She hadn't been golfing in a long time, and she was afraid of embarrassing herself in front of him.

When he returned from renting the golf cart and paying the green fees, they headed to the first hole. After stretching and applying sunscreen, she walked up to the tee box, placed the ball on the tee and got in position. She swung the golf club for the first time in years. When the club came back down, she realized, to her dismay, that she had missed the ball. She looked over timidly at Justin and they both burst out laughing. She accepted his offer for a few tips on how to improve her swing. On her second try, she hit the ball and it landed in the green.

They both showed improvement as they continued to golf through the next eight holes. When they reached the final hole, they were laughing, joking and giving each other a hard time. They had decided not to keep an official score before starting, so they called it a tie even though she knew she had won. As they drove the golf cart back to the club house, she felt like their second date had been a success and began to wonder what the third one might bring. 

A hole in one.

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The first Saturday she had gotten off from work in a long time. The weather was perfect; it was sunny but not too hot and not too cold. As she sat in the car outside Prairie View golf course in Topeka, Kansas, she found that she was nervous to be golfing with this new man in her life. She didn't want to embarrass herself or look silly in front of him.

She waited patiently for him to rent the golf cart and pay the green fees and then they headed to the first hole. After stretching and applying sunscreen, she walked up to the tee box, put the ball on the tee, and got in position. She swung the golf club for the first time in years, and to her dismay she totally missed the ball. She looked over at Justin timidly and they both burst out laughing. He offered her some advice to help, and on the second swing she hit the ball and it landed on the green.

As she and Justin continued golfing through the next 8 holes they each got a little better. By the time they got to hole 9 they were joking around and giving each other a hard time. Since they had decided to not to keep score they decided it was a tie, even though she knew he had won. As they drove the golf cart back to the club house, she felt as though their second date had been a success.

The Last Cast

She was sitting on the dock overlooking the pond, hidden behind a row of trees as the sun began to set on a humid July evening. What seemed like hours had passed by, and she had hadn't caught a single fish. Boredom began creeping in. She debated just giving up and going to play with her dog that was sleeping beside her. Her friend had promised to take her fishing and show her a good time, however she didn't want to stay any longer.

“Can we go home?” she asked.

Hearing the boredom in her voice, he stood up quickly and made one final suggestion.

“Why don’t we give it one last cast before we head back?” he asked.

She hesitantly agreed and handed him her pole. He grabbed the hook with a smile; he knew she wasn't a fan of the slimy worms, so he had to bait her hook for her. He finally baited the hook and handed her back her pole. She cast her pink fishing pole into the pond, hoping for one last chance to catch a fish.

They had to wait only a few minutes, and then she finally hooked a fish. She battled the fish, reeling as fast as she could with all her might. She managed to get the fish to the edge of the dock and her friend bent down and grabbed the magnificent fish out of the pond. He held up the great catch, a 5 pound largemouth bass. It was the biggest fish she had ever caught. She had a couple of minutes to admire her catch, and then he released the fish back into the pond. Pleased with the last cast of the day, they began their walk home.

“I didn't know I would like fishing so much,” she said.

“I’m glad, but you’re not going to catch such a big fish every time,” he said.

“How do you know?” she asked.

Welcome Home Karsyn

(Edited)

What seemed like hours were only seconds as she stared at the clock. Although she had just been with her family there was so much excitement it hardly seemed real. Had it already been years since she became an aunt for the first time? It was only a couple of years ago when she met her first niece, Kyndall Ann. Now, a few weeks early, her second niece was born. She longed for the moment when she would get to hold this little miracle, but for now all she could do was wait.

Looking around the house she could tell the arrival of her new niece was unexpected. Every room looked as if someone had just walked out of it. There were dishes piled high in the sink, dirty laundry and toys scattered on the living room floor. With all this pent up energy she felt like she needed to do something. So she did what she could to make the wait a little easier, and she cleaned up the mess. Of course that could only last so long before she knew it she was back on the couch. Waiting patiently for any sign of life outside the house.

Suddenly, the garage door began to open and she was alert with anticipation. She fought back the urge to run outside and greet her new niece. Waiting a couple more seconds would be easy compared to what she had felt all day. The door swung open and there she was, Karsyn Renee. She walked closer to look at her niece and was greeted with big, blue eyes. Those eyes were quickly greeted with a smile and the harsh kitchen lights.

Karsyn began to cry as the brightness of the lights began to overwhelm her. Her aunt felt compelled to do what she had been waiting for all day for. She slowly reached down and cautiously cradled the 5 pound angel, she was perfect.

Karsyn was comforted by her Aunt's arms. It was like she knew that she was surrounded by love. Knowing she was safe she began to take in her surroundings. Her eyes scanned her knew home and looked for familiar faces. Proud big sister Kyndall skipped over to give her baby sister a kiss. A peaceful smile stretched over Karsyn's face. Kyndall was taking her new job very seriously and she loved having her sister home. This little family will always remember the happiness this homecoming brought them. They were surrounded by love and by family, but more importantly they were home.





*Editor's Note: I should not be allowed to edit things!

A Fish Story

The sun was just beginning to set on a humid July evening. She had been waiting for a few hours, sitting on a dock overlooking a pond, hidden behind a row of oak trees.

She hadn’t caught much and had begun to grow impatient and thought about giving up and going to play with the dog that was sleeping beside her.

Her friend had promised to take her fishing and not wanting to disappoint him she fought off the boredom until she couldn’t take it any longer.

“Can we go home,” she said.

Sensing that she had finally had enough and fearing that she may not like fishing all together he made a final suggestion.

“Why don’t we give it one final cast before we head back?” he said.

She agreed and handed her hook over to him. She only agreed to go with him if he baited her hook for her because she didn’t want to touch the worms. He baited her hook and she casted her pink fishing pole into the pond as she hoped for one final chance at a fish.

The waited for a few minutes and then she got a bite.

She fought the fish and as it came to the edge of the dock her friend grabbed it. It was a large-mouth bass weighing 5 pounds. .It was the biggest fish she had ever caught. They took pictures of the fish released it back into the pond and walked home.

“I didn’t know I would like fishing this much” she said.

“I’m glad but you’re not going to catch such a big fish every time” she said.

  “How do you know,” she said

Home Sweet Home

By: Jennifer Funk (Team 5)

She anxiously stared at the clock, watching the seconds pass by, waiting for her family to return. At the hospital, so many friends and family members came to visit that she hardly got the chance to hold her. It was only a couple of years ago that she was blessed with her first niece, Kyndall Ann. Now, unexpectedly a few weeks early, her second niece has arrived.

At her sister's house there were dishes piled up in the sink. Dirty laundry and toys were scattered on the living room floor. While waiting, she decided to clean and organize the house. After that, the only thing left to do was sit and wait. As she sat on the couch, she began to listen intently for the sound of the car pulling into the driveway.

Finally, she could hear the garage door lift and tires squealing as they came to a stop. The door swung open and there she was, Karsyn Renee. As Karsyn's father clunked through the kitchen, her aunt stood up so he could gently set the car seat on the couch. Her aunt walked closer to get a better look and the newborn slowly opened her big, blue eyes.

The mother entered the room and turned the lights on. The baby whimpered due to the harsh brightness emitted by the light bulbs. A silent cry slowly swept over the infant's face. The excited aunt quickly took action and cautiously lifted the 5 pound little angel out of her car seat.

Karsyn wiggled in her aunt's arms until she found a comfortable position. Slowly, she began to open her eyes and took a first look at her new home. After staying the first few nights at the cold, busy hospital, she was finally home. Her big sister excitedly ran over and gave her a kiss. A peaceful smile filled Karsyn's face. For the moment, life couldn't get any better for their little family. She was right where she belonged. She was home.