Happy Birthday Summer (by William)

Summer is the season of joy and laughter

It is the gentle crashing of waves on the beach

It is the warm breeze in a mid-summer’s eve

It is the cold sensation of ice cream on the tongue

It is the beauty of the willow hanging freely in the air

It is the singsong symphony of mockingbirds, and crickets slurping dew

Surviving History: Pearl Harbor (by William)

Introduction

“Rattattattattat!” Danny looked up at the plane. It thrummed down toward the sandy beach. The Japanese pilot was heading right for him. For a moment Danny looked into the pilot’s eyes, and the pilot stared straight into his. The red circle on the pilot’s headband seems to gaze at Danny, taunting him. The pilot, yellowed teeth gritting and gnawing, narrowed his eyes and yelled “Korimashu!” The fighter flared its intimidating cannons. Danny understood in an instant. The pilot wasn’t looking to kill more sailors or destroy more of the proud American battleships, he was looking to kill... Danny! Danny dropped his clothes and sprinted. “Rattattat!” Billowing, grainy sand flew up all around him getting into his nostrils as the bullets missed their marks. “Kuso!” Shouted the Japanese. One cannon was jammed, but the other was still operational. “What would my brother do?” Danny pondered. If he could just make that line of palm trees…

Story

December 6, 1941. 6:00 PM.

“Danny! Danny! Buy some fruit punch!” 11-year old Danny Chase stared up into the fiery, bright sun. A pair of brown-headed twins tumbled down a hill. Danny was obliged to accept the offer. There was no way he could say no to the Decker-Nogura twins. Danny’s brother, Tom Chase, had gone to high school with Nathan Decker-Nogura and became best friends. After graduating from high school, they both enlisted in the Navy. Both Tom and Nathan now worked and lived on USS Pennsylvania. The Decker-Noguras were a family of Japanese descent and Ms. and Mr. Decker-Nogura lead a relatively simple life as sugar farmers on Oahu. Ever since they joined the Navy, Danny was worried sick. Tom could be shot, kidnapped, killed, tied up by enemies… and Tom didn’t even care.

“It is my duty to serve the country.” Tom had stated bravely.

“But what if you get killed?” Asked Danny.

“Nah, that won’t happen.” Replied Tom stately.

“But anything can happen in the military,” Danny responded stubbornly. That shut Tom up. Ever since Tom had joined, Danny hadn’t seen him. Tom was busy training for any conflicts that could flare up.

Danny accepted the sweet, warm-ish fruit punch. The sweetness stang at the back of his throat, as he gulped the liquid out of the small Dixie cup.

“Delicious,” said Danny as he smacked his lips. The Decker-Nogura girls beamed, their front teeth glinting in the sun. After finishing the fruit punch, Danny raced home. There was Tom, pinned down by enemy gunfire. There was Tom, bombs falling all around. There was Tom, trussed up and gagged while the enemies whipped him in the rear. Danny sprinted faster and faster away from the invisible monster that tormented him. The world was a blur and Danny suddenly found himself face-planted right in the door of his own home. He uncertainly reached for the doorknob. The door squeaked open. His mother, wearing her pink satin dress, greeted him.

“Honey! What took you so long?” Questioned Danny’s mother, Louisa Chase.

“Oh yeah. I went to get some pineapples and sugar cane.” Muttered Danny

“Ah, I see!” Squeaked Louisa. Danny went inside to the living room, filled to the brim with antique furniture.

“Danny, Shelly, news from your brother.” Boomed Danny’s father, David. Both Danny and her little sister, Shelly, crowded around their father. The letter wrote, “Dear Family, I am so sorry that I have not written to you in a long time, but we have been going through rigorous drills. Tensions between the Americans and Japanese are rising, and the Navy fears of escalation into war. The military and our commanders all say we should better be safe than sorry. We haven’t been given a moment of free time. You know that I work on USS Pennsylvania. Come visit me tomorrow. I will be having a break as tomorrow is Sunday.”

“Aww. I can’t go see Tom. I have to tutor some students.” Whined Louisa sadly.

“And I have to go inspect the aircraft at Hickham Airfield.” Grunted David.

“I must go help get groceries. Looks like you’ll be going, Danny.” Complained Shelly. Danny jumped up and down with excitement, brimming with anticipation. Finally, he would get to see Tom in what felt like years.

“Okay then. I guess I’ll get some sleep so that I can get an early start then.” Said Danny, barely able to contain his exhilaration. He bounced up the stairs, took off his shirt and pants (he liked to sleep with just his underwear on), and went immediately to bed. For one night, he wasn’t haunted with dreams of his brother’s demise.

            December 7, 1941. 7:00 AM.

            Golden morning sunlight streamed through the beautiful glass window, as Danny woke up from his slumber. He grinned from ear to ear, thinking about the wonderful day ahead. Bouncing out of bed, Danny almost forgot to dress.

            “Ok. Step by step.” Danny told himself. He put on his jeans, shirt, and socks. He tore out the door and ran to the top of the lookout. The palm tree groves which formed forests gently swayed in the wind, and the tranquil surf crashed on the beach. The sun shone, as radiant and valiant as always, beaming down at the world. Battleship Row out in the distance formed an impenetrable wall. The hulking battleships in Pearl Harbor, sturdy and metallic, seemed almost unsinkable. Further away, the sea stretched for miles around as far as the eye could see.

            “A perfect day to spend a day with Tom on the beach,” Danny shouted, telling himself that everything would be fine. Danny walked up to an ice cream shop and bought a cone for himself first. The cold, chilly refreshment calmed him down and made his little stomach content. Danny then started on the path to the beach.

            The dirt and stone path, crunching under his feet, soon gave way to the soft, shifting sand of the beach. Danny took off his shirt, jeans, and socks until he was only wearing his briefs. Leaping around in the wet, soft sand, Danny enjoyed himself as a child. “I can’t wait to see Tom!” Shouted Danny.

30 Minutes Later…

            Danny was still waiting for Tom to wake up. In the meantime. Danny was diving, swimming, and drying himself out. Suddenly, Danny heard the roaring of plane engines. The beach wasn’t as peaceful as when he arrived. Danny thought he saw squadrons of planes flying overhead. “A drill on a Sunday?” Danny pondered. But as he looked closer, he saw that the planes were not Americans, they were Japanese! What were they doing in peaceful Pearl Harbor? That was when the first bomb plummeted right into the deck of USS Utah.

            “Boom Boom BOOM!” Torpedo bombers dropped in and released their deadly salvos. Sirens wailed, as Danny saw sailors rushing to their battle stations. “Boom BOOM!” The sky exploded with American flak, but the guns were not fast enough for the Japanese aircraft. “BOOM!” USS Oklahoma was hit, and she started tilting to her side. And as for the biggest, most horrendous explosion, “BOOM… BOOM BOOM BOOM!” USS Arizona was hit and exploded into a million pieces. As he watched, the Arizona broke into two pieces, sinking like a rock. Plumes of thick, black smoke ascended through the air as the seawater soon began filling with sticky oil and blood. A new sense of dread rose up in Danny’s thoughts. Would Tom be okay on USS Pennsylvania? Would Tom survive? The battleships were all bonfires, burning away and sinking. USS Nevada was making a break for it. Danny tried to run. But he was completely petrified. Danny couldn’t move. A piece of shrapnel from Arizona now fell on Danny, slitting his arm. Time to call it a day.

As Danny watched the terrible plight of hundreds of sailors, a Japanese Zero pilot spotted him. The fighter plane swooped down straight at Danny. “Rattattattattat!” Danny looked up at the plane. It thrummed down toward the sandy beach. For a moment Danny looked into the pilot’s eyes, and the pilot stared straight into his. The red circle on the pilot’s headband seems to gaze at Danny, taunting him. The pilot, yellowed teeth gritting and gnawing, narrowed his eyes and yelled “Korimashu!” The fighter flared its intimidating cannons and fired. Danny understood in an instant. The pilot wasn’t looking to kill more sailors or destroy more of the proud American battleships, he was looking to kill... Danny! Danny dropped his clothes and sprinted in just his underwear. “Rattattat!” Billowing, grainy sand flew up all around him getting into his nostrils as the bullets missed their marks. “Kuso! To To To! Shuto Shuto Shuto!” Shouted the Japanese. One cannon was jammed, but the other was still operational. “What would my brother do?” Danny pondered. If he could just make that line of palm trees. Danny flew toward the palm grove as fast as his legs could take him. Heart beating, legs pumping, Danny dove into the palms and shrubs at the edge of the beach.

Danny breathed heavily. He had made it. The fighter plane roared like an angry beast and went to join its squadron. Danny inspected himself. If not for the shrapnel cut, he would not have been hurt. His underwear was grazed and ripped open at some points. But he had survived. Or had he spoken too soon? The thrumming of a plane’s engine filled his ears. The palm trees were suddenly set ablaze, and everything became dark. Absolutely dark.

Time: Unspecified

            Danny woke up in a hospital. A doctor and a few nurses were treating his burns and cut. The doctor explained how he was found in the burning grove, underwear set ablaze. His dad and mom paced nervously, but once they saw that Danny had survived, they cheered ecstatically with joy. Shelly screamed “He’s alive! He’s alive!” Later after his burns were treated, Danny learned that Tom was extremely lucky. He survived the attack, and the Pennslyvania was only slightly damaged. Nathan was lucky too, as he had survived. But now life was tough for him. His family was sent to camps along the West Coast, and Nathan was usually beaten up. He also had to brave interrogation and being tied up in Pennsylvania’s brig. Danny learned that he had survived Roosevelt’s “day of infamy” and that the US had declared war on Japan and its allies. For the next four years, the Allies and Axis would be fighting a brutal war. But all Danny was thankful for was surviving.

Place Vignette (By William)

I stare out of the window, sitting on a sleek, shiny train. The train rolls through miles of the natural landscape. The land is blanketed in rice fields as far as the eye can see. A conical straw hat, perched on an arched back, glints in the distance. Cicadas outside of the car chirp loudly, happily singing away into the fresh morning air. We pass through large, green, rolling hills. Mist hangs close to the ground, making the hilly range look like a mystical wonderland from a place far away. Trees on the hill form a dense forest, an impenetrable layer of foliage. Bamboo stalks and subtropical giants that have lived for hundreds of years stick out of the ground peacefully, emphasizing the need for nature. Due to the modern state of the train and railway, we are transported at high speeds through wispy clouds and mountain tunnels. There is nobody in sight for miles around. All of this makes for the most beautiful and tranquil scene.

Finally, for what must have taken forever, the city skyline popped out, shrouded in mist. The jagged buildings in the distance rise, looming in front of us. The metro slowly grinds to a halt, with an unpleasant “Scccrrreeeeeee!” Then, the doors to the station opened. “Tsshhhh!” My family and I stepped out of our train. Time to explore the city! I took a deep breath, only to find the warm air slick with water vapor and smog. I loved it. The bustling city in my standards is worth to explore and have a nice vacation in. Outside, cars and busses line up at traffic lights like a mob of fans trying to buy opera tickets. Sweet, aromatic smells waft around, along with shouts of street food vendors trying to sell noodles, tea, rice buns with pork sung, and fried “Churros,” also called oily sticks. We walk down to the city’s central district. A stranger calls from his red sedan, “Hello! Do you need help?” He glances down at our luggage. I glance down at the slick ground and look up at the towering skyscrapers. I chuckle and grin. Only in Taipei.

My Name Vignette (By William)

My name has much cultural significance, stately and broad. Yes, William has much meaning. In English, my name means valiant protector. In German, my name means helmet of will. My middle name means good goals and prosperous. It is the quiet murmur of books in a calm, balmy evening. I have inherited my family’s name through many generations of hard work and endurance. I share my first name with many great historical figures like Prince William and William the Conqueror. My name was picked because of its meaning, positive connotation, and spirit. I do indeed like my title and the way it sounds. This part of the credit goes to my parents for giving me a good name.

In school, my name is muttered soothing and tranquil like a creek. But there is a stall-something rotten buried underneath the pronunciation. William is supposed to be quick and fluid. Instead, some of my classmates hold on to the 2nd I in my name. This results in making my name sound scalding to the ear, no longer peaceful. 

I hate knowing that William in English and German means to be strong, and sometimes aggressive. I don’t like it when somebody remarks, “You’re a boy, right? Be a man, sit up, and be strong.” I am a valiant protector like the name states, but not an aggressor. I am not like William The Conqueror (Bastard). I am not violent. I do not go around assaulting people that would otherwise be allies. I hear teachers and mentors saying, “It is okay to cry.” I scarcely hear that stated to me. I am not allowed to show my weak points to others. People expect me to be athletic.  Instead, I am logical and artistic. I love my name and will never change it. William is the perfect name for me. I would like to alter the definition though. William shouldn’t mean strong or aggressive. William should be more artistic and protective like William Shakespeare. I think William should mean empathy, like the doctors in hospitals who risk their well-being, save lives, and who can sense the feelings of patients. Yes, that is who I want to be. William should mean empathy.