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the_dead_muse
Feb. 14th, 2009 09:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nekosenseiThis is the story I wrote for this week's challenge for the_dead_muse. This is why I've been banging my head against the keyboard of my computer for the past few days.
Challenge Name: Countdown
Rating/Warning: PG
Word Count: 2,420
September 15th, 2115
Dear Faye,
I photocopied this chapter because I thought it might be of interest to you as it’s related to your research. It’s titled, “A Girl and her Cat: Diary of Allison McGuire.” It comes from the book, Volcano: A Collection of Stories from the Great Tragedy of 2012. It was published in 2097 by Schneider & Sons. I hope that you find this chapter useful.
Sincerely,
Alex Warren
---
A Girl and her Cat
Diary of Allison McGuire
4/16/2012
Dear Diary,
My name is Allison McGuire and I’m 10 years old. My mom and dad are Alex and Diane. My dad works for a company that has a lot of scientists. My mom stays at home. I decided to start a diary because I like to write and maybe in the future, people will want to know what I’m like.
I read a lot and like to go to the library. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is my favorite book. Sometimes I dream about finding a wardrobe that leads to a magical place like Narnia. I would love to be able to get away and have an adventure. It would be even better if I could live there and I didn’t have to go to school.
I go to Eisenhower in Boulder, Colorado. I used to go to Edison in Denver but we moved and I had to change schools. I miss my old school. I don’t like it here because the other kids are mean. Jenny, Megan, and Elaine make fun of me because of the clothes I wear. Their parents buy them clothes at Nordstrom. I asked my mom if we could go there but she said that we couldn’t because their clothes cost too much money. Yesterday, Elaine asked me if I got my clothes from Wal-mart. I lied and told her that I got them somewhere else. Elaine and her friends didn’t believe me. They laughed at me anyway. I felt ashamed.
That's all I have time for today. I will write to you again soon!
Sincerely,
Allison
4/18/2012
Dear Diary,
Yay! I just found out that my mom and dad are talking about getting me a kitten. My mom says I should have one because I got good grades and I’m responsible. Mrs. Hurst’s cat had a litter of kittens and she wants to give me one. She says that she has a kitten already picked out for me and she wants to give it to me after it’s weaned. I hope my parents will give me a kitten because they’re cute. If I get a kitten, I know we’ll be best friends.
That’s all for today, diary. Bye-bye!
Sincerely,
Allison
4/23/2012
Dear Diary,
I hate David Miller. Today he put gum in my hair and the nurse had to cut it out. The nurse did a good job though. You couldn’t tell that she had to cut the gum out of my hair.
The boys at school are so mean. Once, my Grandma told me that the boys tease me because they like me. I don’t believe her. They always chase me around on the playground and put gum in my hair. Sometimes, they hit me. I don’t think it’s because they like me. Nobody likes me. I’m just the ugly girl who dresses in weird clothes.
Sincerely,
Allison
4/27/2012
Dear Diary,
I am so happy!!! My mom picked up my kitten while I was at school today. When I first saw her, I gave her a big hug and told her that I was her mommy now and that I would love her. She was frightened at first but then I started scratching her cheeks and she started purring. She is friendly! I’ve never had a cat before so I’ve never heard them purr. It sounds funny! Also, cats aren’t like dogs at all. They’re pretty shy.
Anyhow, I think I’m going to name her Buttons because she’s as cute as a button.
Bye-bye, diary! I’m going to go play with Buttons now.
Sincerely,
Allison
5/2/2012
Dear Diary,
Buttons and I are good friends. Yesterday, I was playing with Buttons when she came up to me and touched my nose with her nose. My mom told me that she gave me a kiss! She is so sweet! Buttons also likes to play with feathers and toys on a string. I hold the feathers in front of her and she chases them. She also jumps up and down. She can jump so high! I have to be careful when I’m playing with her because she has claws and she can scratch. Oww!
I have to make sure that I feed Buttons twice a day. I don’t forget because Buttons lets me know when she is hungry. She meows at me and tries to lead me to her dish. I sometimes forget to scoop the cat litter thou. I have to remember to do it because otherwise it will smell.
Time to go now! Buttons is hungry!
Sincerely,
Allison
5/3/2012
Dear Diary,
Here is a picture of Buttons!
I love Buttons!
Sincerely,
Allison
P.S. My dad keeps calling her Butts. That is mean. Her name is Buttons! Not Butts!
5/7/2012
Dear Diary,
Today, I was sitting by the playground when David started hitting me a lot. I had to defend myself so I hit him back. Then, he went to Mrs. Butta and told her that I hit him. Mrs. Butta yelled at me. I tried to tell her that it wasn’t my fault and that David and Rob were hitting me, but she didn’t believe me. She said me I was a troublemaker. I had to stay after school and write thirty times that I will not hit people on the playground. David didn’t have to stay after school at all. It is not fair!!! David hit me five times and I only hit him once in self-defense! Yet I’m the one that I has to stay after school. My mom found out what happened and tomorrow she is going to talk with Mrs. Butta. I heard Mom telling Dad that the only reason David didn’t have to stay after school is because his mom is a loyer and that Mrs. Butta is afraid of her.
After school, I hugged Buttons and told her she was a good cat. She purred and gave me kisses. She always makes me feel better. She is my only friend.
Time to go now!
Sincerely,
Allison
5/11/2012
Dear Diary,
Today, I noticed that Buttons had bad breath so I tried to brush her teeth with toothpaste and an old toothbrush. It didn’t work because Buttons can’t spit out the toothpaste like humans can. The toothpaste started foaming out of her mouth. I was so scared! Buttons did not look happy! My mom was able to wash the toothpaste out of Buttons’ mouth so Buttons is okay now. Tonight I’m going to give Buttons some tuna to make up for brushing her teeth. She likes tuna.
Off to snuggle Buttons and to give her some tuna!
Sincerely,
Allison
5/15/2012
Dear Diary,
Something must be wrong because my mom pulled me out of school early. She looked upset. Then, we went to the grocery store. We got a lot of canned food, bottled water, and stuff for camping. She also bought extra food and cat litter for Buttons. I don’t think we’re going camping thou.
When we got home from the store, Dad was waiting at home for us. He packed some suitcases with clothes and put them in the car. He also put a tent, sleeping bags, and our coats in the car too. We were going way and we weren’t coming back. Dad told me to get in the car but Buttons wasn’t there. Noo!!!! I didn’t want to leave Buttons behind! I cried and cried and told Dad that I wasn’t leaving without Buttons. Mom got mad and started fighting with Dad. She told him that we had to take Buttons with and that leaving his daughter’s cat behind was mean. She told Dad that she had bought enough cat food for Buttons and that she could come with us. Dad was angry but then he said that I could take Buttons with. I was relieved. I ran inside and found Buttons. She was hiding under the bed. She new something was wrong. She hissed at my mom but she trusted me because I’m her Mommy. Mom put Buttons’ things in the car. I picked up Buttons and put her inside my jacket because she was scared.
We got in the car and drove away. I miss my room and my house but at least I still have Buttons.
Sincerely,
Allison
5/16/2012
Dear Diary,
Today we drove for hours and hours and hours. Mom and Dad told me that we are going to my grandma’s house in Florida. It is going to take us a long time to get there. We drove all night. I slept in the back seat with Buttons curled up in my jacket. When I woke up, I noticed that there was a lot of traffic. There was so much traffic that they changed the road so that traffic on the opposite side could also go east. I heard Dad tell Mom that the news had gone public. Dad got some phone calls from people he works with, but I couldn’t hear anything because Mom made me put on headphones and watch a movie.
Sincerely,
Allison
5/16/2012 (later)
Dear Diary,
Suddenly, I heard a loud rumbling and the ground started to shake. I couldn’t see what it was because the back of the car was piled too high with stuff. Then, Mom told me that a really big volcano in Yellowstone had erupted. She said that a scientist at Dad’s office had told him the volcano was going to erupt soon so that’s why we left and headed to Florida. Things would have been very bad in Boulder.
This is very scary. I hope we’re going to be okay. I’m also sad because a lot of people got killed by the volcano.
Sincerely,
Allison
5/17/2012
Dear Diary,
We have run out of gas. Dad tried to find a gas station but they were all out of gas too. There are a lot of people having the same problem. We ended up in a camp near the border of Illinois and Kentucky. It’s not like the summer camps I go to. Dad says that it’s a refyugee camp. Dad said that we will be on the road again once there is more gas.
Also, I heard more rumbling from out west. The ground shook from side to side each time it happened. It felt very strange. I am very scared, but at least I have Mom and Dad and Buttons.
Sincerely,
Allison
5/18/2012
Dear Diary,
It is snowing! Actually, Dad said that it’s not snow. It’s volcanic ash. Mom and Dad are making me wear a mask so the ash doesn’t get in my lungs. They said that getting ash in my lungs can make me very sick. We don’t have a mask small enough for Buttons. That’s why I leave her in my jacket whenever we have to go outside. I don’t want Buttons to get sick either. Also, Mom and Dad won’t let me leave the tent they set up very much. I am bored.
Sincerely,
Allison
5/22/2012
Dear Diary,
We are still stuck in this stupid camp. Dad is trying to find gas but he hasn’t had much luck. It is cold, but Buttons keeps me warm at night. She also purrs a lot and that makes me happy. I’m glad that I have Buttons. I give her lots of hugs and kisses.
Sincerely,
Allison
6/5/2012
Dear Diary,
I’m sorry I have not written to you in a while. Dad still has not been able to find any gas. We are still staying in the refyugee camp. The food we brought with us from Boulder is almost gone. I hope that we can leave for Florida soon. Grandma will have lots of yummy food. Buttons will also be happy because she will be able to run around Grandma’s house. I think Grandma will like Buttons.
Sincerely,
Allison
6/20/2012
Dear Diary,
We are having a hard time finding food. The government is giving us some rations but it is not enough. Mom and Dad give me most of the rations. They have started eating some of Buttons’ food. Dad has still not found gas.
Sincerely,
Allison
6/25/2012
Dear Diary,
Dad took Buttons away!!! I begged him to please please please let me keep Buttons but he said that there wasn’t enough food and that we couldn’t feed her. If we kept Buttons we would starve. He told me that we could get another kitten once we get to Grandma’s house but I don’t want another kitten! I want Buttons!! I asked Mom to help me but she didn’t say anything. She just cried. I tried to hang on to Buttons and not let her go but Dad managed to take her away anyway. Buttons was very upset and she cried as Dad left the tent. I saw him head towards the river. I think Dad let Buttons go near the river so that she could eat mice. Maybe Buttons will remember where our tent is and come back. I hope Buttons comes back!
I miss you, Buttons! Please come back!
Sincerely,
Allison
6/26/2012
Dear Diary,
Buttons didn’t come back last night. I didn’t sleep at all. I kept crying because I missed Buttons. Dad was gone all night too. He came back in the morning with chicken he got from a friend. Mom and Dad made me eat the chicken. They said that we probably wouldn’t get any food for a while and we should eat the chicken now while we have it. I didn’t want to eat it because I was very sad and my stomach hurt. The chicken also tasted funny.
Tonight, I am going to wait until Mom and Dad are asleep and go looking for Buttons down by the river.
Sincerely,
Allison
Publisher’s Note: Allison McGuire’s body was fished out of the Ohio River on June 28th, 2012. The authorities at Camp Paducah determined that she had fallen into the river while searching for her pet. She was only ten years old. The fate of Alex and Diane McGuire is not known.
the_dead_muse. This is why I've been banging my head against the keyboard of my computer for the past few days.Challenge Name: Countdown
Rating/Warning: PG
Word Count: 2,420
September 15th, 2115
Dear Faye,
I photocopied this chapter because I thought it might be of interest to you as it’s related to your research. It’s titled, “A Girl and her Cat: Diary of Allison McGuire.” It comes from the book, Volcano: A Collection of Stories from the Great Tragedy of 2012. It was published in 2097 by Schneider & Sons. I hope that you find this chapter useful.
Sincerely,
Alex Warren
---
4/16/2012
Dear Diary,
My name is Allison McGuire and I’m 10 years old. My mom and dad are Alex and Diane. My dad works for a company that has a lot of scientists. My mom stays at home. I decided to start a diary because I like to write and maybe in the future, people will want to know what I’m like.
I read a lot and like to go to the library. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is my favorite book. Sometimes I dream about finding a wardrobe that leads to a magical place like Narnia. I would love to be able to get away and have an adventure. It would be even better if I could live there and I didn’t have to go to school.
I go to Eisenhower in Boulder, Colorado. I used to go to Edison in Denver but we moved and I had to change schools. I miss my old school. I don’t like it here because the other kids are mean. Jenny, Megan, and Elaine make fun of me because of the clothes I wear. Their parents buy them clothes at Nordstrom. I asked my mom if we could go there but she said that we couldn’t because their clothes cost too much money. Yesterday, Elaine asked me if I got my clothes from Wal-mart. I lied and told her that I got them somewhere else. Elaine and her friends didn’t believe me. They laughed at me anyway. I felt ashamed.
That's all I have time for today. I will write to you again soon!
Sincerely,
Allison
4/18/2012
Dear Diary,
Yay! I just found out that my mom and dad are talking about getting me a kitten. My mom says I should have one because I got good grades and I’m responsible. Mrs. Hurst’s cat had a litter of kittens and she wants to give me one. She says that she has a kitten already picked out for me and she wants to give it to me after it’s weaned. I hope my parents will give me a kitten because they’re cute. If I get a kitten, I know we’ll be best friends.
That’s all for today, diary. Bye-bye!
Sincerely,
Allison
4/23/2012
Dear Diary,
I hate David Miller. Today he put gum in my hair and the nurse had to cut it out. The nurse did a good job though. You couldn’t tell that she had to cut the gum out of my hair.
The boys at school are so mean. Once, my Grandma told me that the boys tease me because they like me. I don’t believe her. They always chase me around on the playground and put gum in my hair. Sometimes, they hit me. I don’t think it’s because they like me. Nobody likes me. I’m just the ugly girl who dresses in weird clothes.
Sincerely,
Allison
4/27/2012
Dear Diary,
I am so happy!!! My mom picked up my kitten while I was at school today. When I first saw her, I gave her a big hug and told her that I was her mommy now and that I would love her. She was frightened at first but then I started scratching her cheeks and she started purring. She is friendly! I’ve never had a cat before so I’ve never heard them purr. It sounds funny! Also, cats aren’t like dogs at all. They’re pretty shy.
Anyhow, I think I’m going to name her Buttons because she’s as cute as a button.
Bye-bye, diary! I’m going to go play with Buttons now.
Sincerely,
Allison
5/2/2012
Dear Diary,
Buttons and I are good friends. Yesterday, I was playing with Buttons when she came up to me and touched my nose with her nose. My mom told me that she gave me a kiss! She is so sweet! Buttons also likes to play with feathers and toys on a string. I hold the feathers in front of her and she chases them. She also jumps up and down. She can jump so high! I have to be careful when I’m playing with her because she has claws and she can scratch. Oww!
I have to make sure that I feed Buttons twice a day. I don’t forget because Buttons lets me know when she is hungry. She meows at me and tries to lead me to her dish. I sometimes forget to scoop the cat litter thou. I have to remember to do it because otherwise it will smell.
Time to go now! Buttons is hungry!
Sincerely,
Allison
5/3/2012
Dear Diary,
Here is a picture of Buttons!
I love Buttons!
Sincerely,
Allison
P.S. My dad keeps calling her Butts. That is mean. Her name is Buttons! Not Butts!
5/7/2012
Dear Diary,
Today, I was sitting by the playground when David started hitting me a lot. I had to defend myself so I hit him back. Then, he went to Mrs. Butta and told her that I hit him. Mrs. Butta yelled at me. I tried to tell her that it wasn’t my fault and that David and Rob were hitting me, but she didn’t believe me. She said me I was a troublemaker. I had to stay after school and write thirty times that I will not hit people on the playground. David didn’t have to stay after school at all. It is not fair!!! David hit me five times and I only hit him once in self-defense! Yet I’m the one that I has to stay after school. My mom found out what happened and tomorrow she is going to talk with Mrs. Butta. I heard Mom telling Dad that the only reason David didn’t have to stay after school is because his mom is a loyer and that Mrs. Butta is afraid of her.
After school, I hugged Buttons and told her she was a good cat. She purred and gave me kisses. She always makes me feel better. She is my only friend.
Time to go now!
Sincerely,
Allison
5/11/2012
Dear Diary,
Today, I noticed that Buttons had bad breath so I tried to brush her teeth with toothpaste and an old toothbrush. It didn’t work because Buttons can’t spit out the toothpaste like humans can. The toothpaste started foaming out of her mouth. I was so scared! Buttons did not look happy! My mom was able to wash the toothpaste out of Buttons’ mouth so Buttons is okay now. Tonight I’m going to give Buttons some tuna to make up for brushing her teeth. She likes tuna.
Off to snuggle Buttons and to give her some tuna!
Sincerely,
Allison
5/15/2012
Dear Diary,
Something must be wrong because my mom pulled me out of school early. She looked upset. Then, we went to the grocery store. We got a lot of canned food, bottled water, and stuff for camping. She also bought extra food and cat litter for Buttons. I don’t think we’re going camping thou.
When we got home from the store, Dad was waiting at home for us. He packed some suitcases with clothes and put them in the car. He also put a tent, sleeping bags, and our coats in the car too. We were going way and we weren’t coming back. Dad told me to get in the car but Buttons wasn’t there. Noo!!!! I didn’t want to leave Buttons behind! I cried and cried and told Dad that I wasn’t leaving without Buttons. Mom got mad and started fighting with Dad. She told him that we had to take Buttons with and that leaving his daughter’s cat behind was mean. She told Dad that she had bought enough cat food for Buttons and that she could come with us. Dad was angry but then he said that I could take Buttons with. I was relieved. I ran inside and found Buttons. She was hiding under the bed. She new something was wrong. She hissed at my mom but she trusted me because I’m her Mommy. Mom put Buttons’ things in the car. I picked up Buttons and put her inside my jacket because she was scared.
We got in the car and drove away. I miss my room and my house but at least I still have Buttons.
Sincerely,
Allison
5/16/2012
Dear Diary,
Today we drove for hours and hours and hours. Mom and Dad told me that we are going to my grandma’s house in Florida. It is going to take us a long time to get there. We drove all night. I slept in the back seat with Buttons curled up in my jacket. When I woke up, I noticed that there was a lot of traffic. There was so much traffic that they changed the road so that traffic on the opposite side could also go east. I heard Dad tell Mom that the news had gone public. Dad got some phone calls from people he works with, but I couldn’t hear anything because Mom made me put on headphones and watch a movie.
Sincerely,
Allison
5/16/2012 (later)
Dear Diary,
Suddenly, I heard a loud rumbling and the ground started to shake. I couldn’t see what it was because the back of the car was piled too high with stuff. Then, Mom told me that a really big volcano in Yellowstone had erupted. She said that a scientist at Dad’s office had told him the volcano was going to erupt soon so that’s why we left and headed to Florida. Things would have been very bad in Boulder.
This is very scary. I hope we’re going to be okay. I’m also sad because a lot of people got killed by the volcano.
Sincerely,
Allison
5/17/2012
Dear Diary,
We have run out of gas. Dad tried to find a gas station but they were all out of gas too. There are a lot of people having the same problem. We ended up in a camp near the border of Illinois and Kentucky. It’s not like the summer camps I go to. Dad says that it’s a refyugee camp. Dad said that we will be on the road again once there is more gas.
Also, I heard more rumbling from out west. The ground shook from side to side each time it happened. It felt very strange. I am very scared, but at least I have Mom and Dad and Buttons.
Sincerely,
Allison
5/18/2012
Dear Diary,
It is snowing! Actually, Dad said that it’s not snow. It’s volcanic ash. Mom and Dad are making me wear a mask so the ash doesn’t get in my lungs. They said that getting ash in my lungs can make me very sick. We don’t have a mask small enough for Buttons. That’s why I leave her in my jacket whenever we have to go outside. I don’t want Buttons to get sick either. Also, Mom and Dad won’t let me leave the tent they set up very much. I am bored.
Sincerely,
Allison
5/22/2012
Dear Diary,
We are still stuck in this stupid camp. Dad is trying to find gas but he hasn’t had much luck. It is cold, but Buttons keeps me warm at night. She also purrs a lot and that makes me happy. I’m glad that I have Buttons. I give her lots of hugs and kisses.
Sincerely,
Allison
6/5/2012
Dear Diary,
I’m sorry I have not written to you in a while. Dad still has not been able to find any gas. We are still staying in the refyugee camp. The food we brought with us from Boulder is almost gone. I hope that we can leave for Florida soon. Grandma will have lots of yummy food. Buttons will also be happy because she will be able to run around Grandma’s house. I think Grandma will like Buttons.
Sincerely,
Allison
6/20/2012
Dear Diary,
We are having a hard time finding food. The government is giving us some rations but it is not enough. Mom and Dad give me most of the rations. They have started eating some of Buttons’ food. Dad has still not found gas.
Sincerely,
Allison
6/25/2012
Dear Diary,
Dad took Buttons away!!! I begged him to please please please let me keep Buttons but he said that there wasn’t enough food and that we couldn’t feed her. If we kept Buttons we would starve. He told me that we could get another kitten once we get to Grandma’s house but I don’t want another kitten! I want Buttons!! I asked Mom to help me but she didn’t say anything. She just cried. I tried to hang on to Buttons and not let her go but Dad managed to take her away anyway. Buttons was very upset and she cried as Dad left the tent. I saw him head towards the river. I think Dad let Buttons go near the river so that she could eat mice. Maybe Buttons will remember where our tent is and come back. I hope Buttons comes back!
I miss you, Buttons! Please come back!
Sincerely,
Allison
6/26/2012
Dear Diary,
Buttons didn’t come back last night. I didn’t sleep at all. I kept crying because I missed Buttons. Dad was gone all night too. He came back in the morning with chicken he got from a friend. Mom and Dad made me eat the chicken. They said that we probably wouldn’t get any food for a while and we should eat the chicken now while we have it. I didn’t want to eat it because I was very sad and my stomach hurt. The chicken also tasted funny.
Tonight, I am going to wait until Mom and Dad are asleep and go looking for Buttons down by the river.
Sincerely,
Allison
Publisher’s Note: Allison McGuire’s body was fished out of the Ohio River on June 28th, 2012. The authorities at Camp Paducah determined that she had fallen into the river while searching for her pet. She was only ten years old. The fate of Alex and Diane McGuire is not known.
