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This blog contains stories written by English Writing students who are practicing their writing. Most of the stories are about space travel. We welcome you to read these stories and offer comments. Thank you for your interest! -Tom Leverett, teacher

9A Story of A Mysterious Game and The Murdering Story 9 - by Laura

9A Story of A Mysterious Game and The Murdering Story 9

    That night, I phoned Helena eagerly. In this way, I could know what she was thinking. But I couldn’t really understand what she meant. The conversation was as following, and in parentheses were her real thought.

Helena, what do you think about the sudden death of Miller?

Well, pretty sad (He died before I could explain)

Who killed him?

Not me. (that mean dirty villain killed him)

What’s your identity?

Murder  (no other thought)

You are lying.

No I am not, I am really a murder now (I changed my identity again)

Someone changed your identity?

……you can think so (actually, I changed my identity with someone)

Do you have Miller’s name card?

I used to have it, but I gave it back to him a week ago. I really did not kill him. Believe me. (Why don’t you guys believe, I ’m not the one who’s lying)

Oh, I was just asking. Bye.

Bye.

The conversation ended. But my mind did not. Through the talk, Helena didn’t look like she had just killed someone. Maybe she’s acting. I have to phone Amy, I thought. She was the only friend I could trust now.

I dialed her phone, and she answered it.

Hey, Laura, what’s up?

Listen, Amy. I just talked to Helena. She said she didn’t kill Miller. We probably misunderstood him.

Really? She must be lying to you. Who else but she would kill him? (I have to  hang up the phone quickly. Laura can see what you are thinking when she’s calling you)

I don’t know. I am so hesitant. I don’t know if I should believe her or not.

Yeah, but I don’t believe her. She is such a liar. Oh, I have to go. My mom is calling on me. (I just want to end up the talk with you)
            Fine, then……bye.

Bye, see you tomorrow, no, see you next Monday.

Then I suddenly remembered my science homework was unfinished. It’s already Saturday night and I have three more lessons tomorrow. I erased this murdering game out of my mind and forced  myself to do the essay What do people wear on Mars. After a crazy hour of searching on the Internet, I finally scribbled done the essay.

There are lots of unanswered questions about the best way to get people to Mars. What engines should power their ship? How will the crew prevent bone and muscle loss in the weightless void? How can they land safely on the planet’s surface? There’s more, what do people wear on Mars? Although nobody had ever landed on Mars, but according to NASA, the program will begin in few decades. But the space suit that protect astronauts need to be designed now.

Of course, the most important requirement of this costume is the full protection of future Mars explorers. As we know, the conditions on the surface of Mars are exactly equivalent to vacuum, and the air is only 1% of the surface of the Earth. As a result, future Mars explorers face the same danger as today's spacewalkers: a gap in the spacesuit will soon turn liquid water in tissues and veins into steam. The body swells and the blood stops flowing in a minute. Mars has new challenges. The planet's extremely weak magnetic field provides only very weak protection against solar wind particles and cosmic radiation. The thin air also complicates the fashion design. The spacesuit vacuum worn outside the International Space Station is insulated from the clothing. But when the garment is transported to the surface of Mars, gas molecules flow between layers, taking away astronauts’ heat.           

Another problem facing astronauts is the dust that Apollo didn't notice when he landed on the moon. Although the dust formed by mixing wind and water is not as big as the moon dust, it has already flown into the air, gathered, bundled together, and put it outside the spacesuit to reduce the reflectivity. It poses a serious health threat to astronauts. Although today's spacesuits can also prevent these, they can hardly move. Mars has 38% of the Earth's gravity. Today's spacesuits can walk with a walking stick under weightlessness, but their hips, waists and knees can't move flexibly. NASA's Z-2 is designed to walk on planetary surfaces and can now walk freely on the space station. What on earth is it like? Wait a minute and let me to explain.           

First, there is a free breathing bag on the back. The body armor consists of hard and soft parts, which are shaped against internal gas pressure. Material should be meteorite-proof. Mars has twice as much as gravity as the moon. Hard parts and flexible and soft outer layers can prevent perforation, but  lighter, easy to walk. Boots for walking are also special. Apollo's boots don't work on Mars. Astronauts need stronger, comfortable and durable boots to stay on Mars for weeks or months. And knees should be able to kneel. Inflatable and pressurized clothing is problematic. They need flexible knees and buttocks to be connected like bearings and accordions in order to get enough freedom. New fiber fabrics are needed to make clothing materials. Today's space clothing relies on vacuum to improve thermal isolation inside and outside the clothing. Martian air is thin, and new materials are needed to adjust clothing temperature. Polymer materials can provide certain radiation protection. The process of dressing should also be a little special. In order to protect the interior space of the landing craft, clothing is usually hung outside. Mars is covered with a layer of toxic dust, including life support equipment backpack from the back to the astronauts, from the car, can prevent the landing craft outside the dust into the clothing interior. Outside the garment, there should be basic life-saving control equipment, including flat display and voice commands, such as monitoring the situation of the garment, communicating with others, browsing the list of activities, taking photos, controlling light, navigating the surface of Mars, etc.           

The Mars costume is not yet finished, but it may be Z-2. The Z-2 garment is filled with gas and is divided into three layers: the inhibiting layer is filled with gas; the structural layer supports the garment to make it movable; and some outer layers provide insulation and protection against puncture. Different Z-2 means different degrees of bending and flexion, especially in the shoulder, buttocks and waist. The Z-2 is designed to require 3 pounds of force per square inch to move, about half the sea level pressure, and the widest parts, such as the chest and pelvis, are made of fiber and gum. Z-2 is not finished yet, and there is no layer of clothes to prevent extreme heat and radiation. It weighs about 140 kilograms, which is similar to the American ISS standard, but has good mobility, high reliability and long life.

This is the brief introduction of the wearing on Mars. Hope human beings will land on Mars soon.

（from www.bing.com）

I knew my science Teacher Ms. S would probably gave me an F on this essay because most of them were  copied online. In the past I would have done with super patience and write it very carefully. But now, I had no interest in doing so. I had other much more important things to think about.

Monday came faster than I thought. Without noticing, another week had arrived. The strange voice appeared more often. It seemed like every hour a person dies. In one day, the 109 people were reduced to 80 people. Furthermore, I didn’t even know if they are murders on my side .

I also found Amy being apart from me little by little. She didn’t come to sit with me at lunch and didn’t play with me in recess either. Instead, she was now frequently hanging with Athena, a girl who had the ability of using other people’s voice to speak. But she had to record them before using. I felt very bored without Amy. Luckily Tuesday came quickly and I could go to NFLS again. Bobo is a true friend I can talk to.

That afternoon, when I arrived in NFLS safely, I saw a figure heading into the room Murder. I was not sure if I had see in somewhere. It looked so like Helena. But it just flicked before me a second and then disappeared. I shrugged and walked in.

(To be continued)

                                             Laura

---

The Case about Charlie’s Owl - by Eric

The Case about Charlie’s Owl

By Eric

Charlie’s housekeeper drove me to the station.

“Why are you driving me here?” I asked.

“Charlie has a mission for you.”

“What? A mission?”

“He needs you to be a bodyguard.”

“For whom?”

“For his owl. Yesterday, a note on the owl’s cage said: Tomorrow is a nice day, if the owl flies away. So Charlie thought the guy who wrote that note wanted to catch his owl on today’s train.”

“How could he know that?”

“Because his neighbors all know that his owl is going to the hospital for examination on this train. Charlie is very very busy, and he needs you.”

“I’ll complete the task and find out who wrote the note. Where’s his owl now?” I asked.

“Here you are.” He gave me a cage covered by a blanket and said, “It needs some rest. It’s sleeping. Do your best to keep quiet.”

“Okay.” I said and got on the train with the cage. A few minutes later, that housekeeper got on the train too.

“I’d better go with you.” He said.

“I don’t mind.” I said.

The train started. I don’t like this kind of case. I have to be a bodyguard for an owl while I couldn’t see it with my eyes at all. And I don’t know Charlie’s neighbors, either. I liked clues; I need some clue.

“If the guy wanted to catch the owl, he or she must in the same train carriage with the owl. How many neighbors of Charlie are in this carriage?”

“Three. They are a fat woman, a musician and a biologist. Well, the train is starting, and I have to go to my seat. Goodbye.” He said and went to another carriage.

I find them. These three guys look very normal. I should be careful. But it’s not my style. When I solve cases, I ask everyone I could ask for clues.

Maybe I should talk with these guys.

(To be continued)

Part Two
Part Three

An Unexpected Result in one Math Exam - by Tony

An Unexpected Result in one Math Exam

    
“Hi, Tony. How do you feel after the math test? A good mark?” My friend Jackson said.

“I think I will get a good mark because I did the best I can.” I responded.

“Wow, you are really confident. I wish you can get a good mark. I just think I am going to fail in the test,” he said disappointedly.

“Why? I think you are good at math.” I asked.

“You remember there are five questions of choosing the A,B or C. I just write down the answer, not the matching choice. I wish I can get above eighty points, so I won’t get a punishment from my parents.” He said sadly. “You will definitely get a good mark, right, Tony? ”

Then he saw me squatting on the ground. I guess he probably knew that what happened: I did a mistake, too.

“Oh no! Why I didn’t find this issue out? Oh no, I guess when my parents see this, they will be really angry. Now I just wish I answered the other questions right, so my score is still above ninety, right, because it is just losing five points, not a big deal, right? At least I won’t do wrong the next time.” I said.

“Yeah, that’s your idea.” Jackson said. It looked sad on his face. I guess there are no other emotions except sadness and disappointment. I tried to console him to be happy, but then, I understand there’s no way to make him happy.

After a while, we were sitting together just like two vagrants. We didn’t have anything to say to each other. Then I was getting sad, too. Maybe he infected me.

“Hey, let’s go to the milk tea shop, I will pay for the money.”

The next day:  “You guys did bad at this exam. I want you to reflect on yourself. Come and get your test paper. Tony, congratulations, your score is ninety five, only five questions wrong, I guess if you were not careless, you can a hundred. Keep working hard. I wish you can get a good mark next time. I was amazed. I was so excited that I can feel everyone was looking at me. Then I heard another voice: “Jackson, your score is ninety five, I wish you can get a better mark next time.” Then I heard a scream, Jackson did. When I was intoxicated about my good score, I guess Jackson was, too. I heard another voice:

Except for two students, everybody all got the full score. Excellent guys! Class is over.......

                                                 Tony

The Case about Charlie’s Owl (3) - by Eric

The Case about Charlie’s Owl (3)

By Eric

Nothing in the cage! There even isn’t any feather or dust, the owl is gone!

But the blanket is still on it, and the little door of the cage is closed too. It looks like the owl is still in!

The owl cannot fly away by itself, so someone must have taken it. If someone took it, the owl may still on the train!

The owl is not small, where can it be put? In a suitcase! Maybe I should look for the owl in that three guys’ suitcases.

First I opened the fat woman’s case. There were some clothes, many snacks and drinks. Next, I opened the musician’s case. There were some tableware, a small music stand and some paper with poems on it.

“You like writing poems?” I asked him.

“Yes.” He answered.

“That’s a good habit.” I said.

Then I opened the biologist’s case. There were some boxes with ants in and some notebooks.

“Keeping insects is your habit?”

“Yes. You’re right.”

There were many things in their cases, but no owl.

Where’s the owl?

I walked to one of the conductors. “Did you even see an owl in the train?” “I don’t know why you want to know this, but I haven’t seen any owl. None of the people on the train have seen an owl.”

What clue do I have now? In these three guys, only the fat woman doesn’t like the owl. The fat woman likes eating snacks; the musician likes writing poems; and the biologist likes keeping insects.

The case is solved.

I walked to the other compartment which the housekeeper goes. Charlie was there. Charlie was there all the time. I knew it.

“You solved the case, my friend? Who wrote the note?”

“First, the owl isn’t in the cage at all. It wasn’t in at from the very beginning. When I took off the blanket, there wasn’t even a feather inside. It was a brand new cage. The conductor said that none of us even saw an owl on this train, he was right. I didn’t see the owl either! Next, the musician wrote that note. He liked the owl, so he wanted to write a friendly poem to the owl, but he used a bad rhythm.”

“Oh! I didn’t think of that! And the owl is still home. I want to keep it safe. You’re so smart!” He said.

“I’m not smart! I’m a genius!”

(The END)
Part One

Part Two
Part Three

16 A Story of A Mysterious Game and The Murdering Story 16 - by Laura

16 A Story of A Mysterious Game and The Murdering Story 16

    The clock was ticking on the wall. It was midnight past my usual bed time. An hour before, my mother put me in bed. But an hour later, which is now, I snickered  out from my bed. It was all for that name card. Yesterday------now it is almost half past twelve, I made a lie to Amy by saying I had her name card. Now I had to be responsible for that otherwise I couldn’t get Helena’s name card. But it’s worth it-------a night’s working for a life. As I thought about the trading, I was very much worried. I tricked Amy, but what if she tricked me  too. Then all the things will mess up. I will not only lose Helena, but also lost the trust in Amy. And if she did really have notice, of course that has little possibility, she would notice some day. As I was ready to go to bed, I crossed my fingers for the last time to wish me good luck tomorrow.

    “Did you bring it with you?” Amy asked the second she saw me.

    “Yes, and you?” I could hear it myself that the tremble contained  in my voice.

    She nodded, but said nothing.

    “Then let’s exchange.” I took out Amy’s home made  name card from my back.

    Amy also handed me Helena’s name card. When I was about to take it, she didn’t take of her hand. This was so like the scene when I tore up Eddy’s name card, I was feeling a little scared------what if she killed Helena in this way? I couldn’t let Helena die because of me. I felt hotter and hotter the each second, “Amy stop it, you will kill Helena!” I said with fear.

    “I will kill Helena? That is just the thing I want to do. You know, I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time.” Amy shouted. The expression on her face was not strange to me anymore------it was the expression she had on  her face the night she killed Miller.

    “No……Don’t……” I  screamed hysterically.

    Suddenly, the scene disappeared. I looked around, beside me, were my book shelter, my homework-desk, my bedside table and other familiar furniture. I realized they were all just a dream. My screams of course had scared my parents. They were running toward me. “What’s wrong honey? Are you ok?”They asked worriedly.

    “Nothing. I just had a really bad dream.” I wiped out the sweat  on my forehead, “You guys go to sleep.”Looking  at my mom’s hesitating eyes, I added, “I’m just fine.”So  my mom tugs me in to bed again, kissed me and finally left the room.

Still my heart was beating  fast. It’s nothing to be scared  of, I comforted myself. They are not true. Speaking the truth, I don’t even believe myself. What if this happened tomorrow too? In that situation, making myself wide awake can’t save me------I wasn’t even sleeping like this time. A wave of sleepiness hit me, I cleared all the thought in my wind and lied down again. Whatever happened tomorrow is tomorrow. Now, I have a more important mission to do------enjoy the last 5 hours  of sleeping.

The real moment came. The time always passed  very quickly, when I was feeling really nervous about something that may happen soon. Just like this time.

“Did you bring it with you?”Amy asked. I was stunned------her tone and words are no difference with the one  I heard in my dread.

I jabbered, “Well, yes and you?”

Amy still nodded and said nothing.

Now I was scared, she did nod in my dream. Was I still dreaming? I punched myself hard, and I felt the pain------I was not dreaming. But how come all the thing are the same from the real world and my dream. I couldn’t understand.

The words “Then let’s exchange” just slipped out from my mouth before I could stop myself------they were just the same in the dream too. It felt like I was being controlled. We exchanged peacefully.

I also found a strange series of numbers in front of me. On it was written 48:00:00. What did it mean? I looked at Amy to make sure she didn’t see my mysterious  expression, but she had the same look on her face------curious, worried, and a little bit scared. I was relaxed and set my eyes on that series of numbers again. But something very weird  happened, the number turned into 47:59:30. I raised my eyebrow. What  on earth is that number's meaning? I looked around hoping for some clues. Just then, my eyes scanned on the wall and found a sentence------Time is money. The words hit me in the face. Those numbers represent the time. It’s a counting down clock. Now the clock had 47:59:00 written on it. That meant, I have forty-seven hours left. And it’s only two-day left. But after the forty-seven hours passed, what will happen? Will I die? Or will the game end at that time? That’s a good image.

The bell rang;  it was time for the afternoon class------we had planned to exchange name cards in recess.

Amy said before I could speak anything, “Did you notice something strange?” she asked suddenly.

“Uh, what kind of strange thing?” I had a feeling that Amy could see that series of numbers too.

“Like some numbers.” She bit up her lips and spoke slowly.

“Yes,” I answered quietly. But a part of me was relieved that Amy faced the same situation with me.

“I figured out the numbers meant time. How much time do you have left.” I hesitated for a moment and decided to tell her the truth.

“Oh,” she was surprised, “I see. Mine is 47:55:11. Does that mean I have one day left for, for something?”

“Right,” and I looked at my numbers again, it was exactly the same. “U  had the same number with me. I wonder if it’s the counting down time of this game. I mean, when this clock ended, the game ended. But I’m not sure what will happen then. And what about the student who have died? Will they never come back?” I blurted out so quickly.

“Maybe, I don’t know either.” She shrugged and we went back to class.

Now there were two dangerous things in the game------Amy and the counting down clock

                                         Laura

---

Taking a Train for the First Time - by Vincent

Taking a Train for the First Time

The train started to speed up when a man hadn’t sat down. That man was carrying a lot of heavy bags and he suddenly fell over. After he stood up again, he began to be confused about where his seat was.

“E12… where is it?” he said to himself.

Then, he saw a empty seat and sat down as another strong man walked towards him: “Have you seen that this is E14?” Then, the man walked away quickly and got to the right seat.

After about ten minutes, he began to feel bored. He put up a cigarette and lighted it. Just then, the train slowed down and the alarm began to shout very, very loudly. After a few seconds, the train stopped on the halfway. A waitress came up towards him and said he had broken the law. The law said that passengers can’t smoke in the train. The poor guy was asked to pay ¥200 for breaking the law.

After that, when he was using the toilet, a large noise came from the toilet. After he came out, the waitresses went into the toilet to have it checked. Finally, they found that the whole toilet was in a messy and everything’s broken because the poor guy fell down again in the toilet!

After calculating for a very long time, the guy was asked to pay another ¥3200!

How poor he was!

                                               Vincent