an unbearable truth

Gail Helgason's short story, "Bluffing" illustrates a grisly bear attack at Jasper park, but is the event truly as described? After foolishly sprinting from a startled grizzly, main character, Liam, claims that he fled the scene in order for "the bear to come after [him] instead of [Gabriella]." His previous actions throughout the story are unbearable and prove this statement to be false. Being an excessively controlling person, Liam is not fond of being told what to do and isn't  "always willing to learn from people that might know more than he [does]." Although he claimed to have listened and learned from Gabriella about the proper way to respond to wildlife, it is clear that he didn't after being mauled by the fur-ocious beast. It is also quite clear that his interests are selfish and self oriented. Even knowing that Gabriella would not be able to pay for the lease on their house for the year, he still decided to "head down south" with his climbing coworker because it would "make all the difference for [him]." Climbing rocks at Yosemite appears to be of more importance to him than assisting his own girlfriend. It is also evident that his tale is false because lying is something he does often. When he sees a couple while climbing with Gabriella, he blatantly fibs and says that he saw "an elk carcass by the lake" so that they would have the lake to themselves. Although he may say he was only attempting to save Gabriella, 
his lying, selfish nature says otherwise.

mys-tea-rious woman

Bells tinkled as I creaked open the door to a remote tea shop at the end of town. Usually an aroma of tea leaves and incense filled my nose as I entered but today the scent was stagnant, stale. From behind a dense cloud of pungent smoke stood a mystic woman with a cigarette in hand. She leaned on a frail, leathery arm against the faded wood counter as she released a new puff of smoke into the air. The shade from her large woven hat obscured my vision of her face but you could tell that her eyes were intently watching me as I tentatively stepped into the dingy, ageing shop. As the store was old and dying it was rare that anyone besides the regulars ran the it; this woman was new. Brittle grey hair protruded from beneath her hat, frizzing and floating lightly in every which direction. Her gaze from me did not shift, even as I returned eye contact.
"Hello." I mumbled as to make the situation less uncomfortable. She stared for another few seconds before responding with a rasp,
"Hello."
Years of past experiences sculpted her every wrinkle, harsh crevices carving into her delicate, sun damaged skin like erosion across a weathered mountainside. Her clothing and penciled eyebrows depicted that she was most likely in her 70's, as she donned a 40's era style. Between the smoky fume and uneasy stares from the mysterious woman, I decided it would be in my best interest to leave. With one last glance at the peculiar sales person, I strode out into the fresh, crisp fall air.

she lives for to-morrow

Life is an adventure and Shauna has lived many. She has solved numerous perplexing mysteries, explored the depths of the Pacific Ocean, trekked through treacherous terrains and even overthrown entire empires. Of course, she hasn't experienced these first hand but rather through her avid reading and writing. With colour flowing through veins and a plethora of universes swimming through her mind, her creativity could be described as contagious. Although Shauna loves writing, she also dabbles in the artistic field.

Hours of her day are spent with pen in hand, continuously sketching, drawing. If she is not at home creating masterpieces, she is either at school or dance. At one time she genuinely enjoyed attending school but lately it has become more of a burden than anything else. Just thinking about school is utterly exhausting and draining, despite the fact that she's an extremely capable student. Tap is a ray of sunshine for Shauna in a seemingly never ending storm. She dreams of one day being a tap dancer, an author, and an artist all at once. Of course, this is highly unlikely but her dreams fuel her and give her hope when there appears to be none.

Another dominant portion of Shauna's life is spent simply thinking and day dreaming. With a Walter Mitty-esque state of mind, she often has a distant, dreamy gaze. She dreams of becoming a better person, a better writer, a better artist, and a better dancer. Unfortunately, merely thinking about things is not actually doing the things that are needed in order to improve. Although she may say she's an aspiring artist, without an effort her words mean nothing, and in fact, are nothing.

So, who exactly is Shauna Morrow? A question that perhaps may never be answered. One day an author, another an artist, and the next, a dreamer. She can't be defined for she just is. Fluid like the ocean, she's ever changing. Who knows when the tide will come in and wash away the remnants of her former self, leaving a clean slate behind for her to build on.


I am t r a s h that is going no where. I can't even do a simple English project. Goodbye world, perhaps in another life.I DON'T LIKE SAYING GOOD THINGS ABOUT MYSELF BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT TRUE I AM TRASH I AM TRASH I AM TRASH I DON'T DESERVE LIFE.