What Happened?

Author's Note: This piece is a cause and effect evaluation of the book: Stolen by Lucy Christopher. Watch for different sentence starters in this piece. 

As Ty watched Gemma just as he had done for the past 16 years, he realized that this was his time to strike. If he wanted to kidnap her he needed to do it now; it was a busy place, the airport, and she was alone getting coffee. He could spike her drink and disguise her, then hop on a plane to the place he had been setting up for them for so long. The problem was she didn’t remember him. She sat in her room in the middle of the desert. No one around but her and Ty. When she had arrived here she promised herself she wouldn't fall for him; but if she was going to be spending the rest of her life with him, at least that’s what it seemed, Gemma couldn't help but notice all the little quirks about him that made her start falling for him. No matter how hard she tried to ignore these thoughts, they ended up showing and Ty took advantage of that vulnerable, lovesick state she was in. What she couldn't get out of her head was the fact that he had kidnapped her and been stalking her for the majority of her life. Who does that? Gemma was startled when she awoke to the burning in her leg. Then it all came back to her, that snake Ty had been hunting bit her, and the anti-venom wasn't working. She was going home. Ty had to take her home if he wanted her to live, and he did. He knew the consequences but he loved Gemma too much to let her die. Gemma was thrilled, yet scared because she loved Ty and no doubt they wouldn't listen to her while they shipped him off to prison.Gemma was home; going through therapy was hard but writing the letter about what Ty had done helped her figure out the mix of emotions she was feeling. With no plans to give this letter or even let anyone read it, seemed a little ridiculous as she had spent over a month writing it, but it was her way of coping with what happened. Clicking delete on the laptop was the final step. No one could read it and that was what she wanted. Today was the trial and she was sure Ty would be locked up and sent to prison for life. This was not what she wanted obviously because she loved him, but it was what he deserved for the pain he had caused her.

Little Gymnasts

 Author's Note: While I was sitting in class watching the blizzard outside, I was inspired by its beauty and uniqueness. 

Floating, flying,

Twisting, turning,
Little gymnasts flipping through the air

Practicing for the big recital that would be the snowstorm.

The parents holding their breath as they do death defying stunts.

Gasps of awe as they land the perfect stunt.

White whirlwinds of talented little flakes.

Blizzards as we see them, but the ‘big’ recital in their eyes.

Judges sit in the stands waiting for the mistakes to come.

Their whole careers depend on this crucial performance.

The little snowflakes may have similar stunts,

Every routine is original and sassy or sweet and kind.

But just like people and fingerprints:

No two are alike.

Forced into love, or meant to be?

It was a lose-lose situation for both of them.  Apologies flew, but it would never make a difference, they were in love. Her with him, her kidnapper… him with the girl he’d fallen in love with so many years ago. There was no way either of them could ever make this right. In the story Stolen, by Lucy Christopher, Gemma doesn’t realize that she is being manipulated until after she is already in the Australian Desert. The main theme in ‘Stolen’ is manipulation.  

She’s a sitting duck right on the first page of the book, like she’s just waiting for his initial exploitation. This girl isn’t necessarily stupid, but she isn’t very bright either, naïve more or less. What sensible person goes off with a perfect stranger. Maybe if she would have used some common sense she could have avoided being stuck with Ty. Some people might say that it was pure randomness that Ty chose Gemma, but I think that it was meant to be. That at some point, one way or another, they would have found each other. Maybe, or by pure fate if it would have been a normal  situation, they would still be together. It could be called fate considering how much they have in common though one may argue.

During the book you realize that there is almost a…‘Drunk Love’ between Gemma and Ty. Just the way that she describes him seems loving, without her even realizing it. Realizing that she loved him earlier in the book could have been beneficial to her because she might not have gotten bitten and had to leave her true love. We see another example of manipulation very similar to this in the classic: ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Their parents tried to manipulate them into not seeing each other anymore, but they rebelled against them. Siblings, and parents, these two teens had it from their entire family. Forced not to  be together by the hatred of the families. Despite all of this manipulation coming from everywhere they looked, they were able to be together against their families’ wilds wishes. stayed together.

Now Ty is locked away in prison and Gemma is home and alone and hurt. But why? Is it because she was forced to love him, or because she actually fell in love with him? Feeling alone and hurt, was only because of the manipulation Ty used on her. Manipulation or not, if they would have spent time together, I’m sure they would have fallen deeply in over. If he never would have influenced her, she wouldn’t have fallen in love with him. That was his greatest manipulation of all.

And then what?

After I finished writing my letter, I didn't know what to do with myself anymore because I had involved so much time to writing my letter to you. I hated you and loved you at the same time. I missed you more than anything and I didn't know what to do about it. Mom was worried about how skinny I had gotten while I was with you. I still wasn't really eating, because nothing seemed appealing anymore. I wanted your saltbrush soup and I wanted to feel your lips on mine again. I was waiting and waiting, knowing that it wouldn't happen. So, I did what I do best right now: slept. And slept. I was awaken to mom gently shaking me and rubbing my hair. She had brought me breakfast, though I wasn't hungry. Trying to convince her that I wasn't she just pretended that she couldn't hear me and helped me sit up to eat. Eating wasn't that hard to fake around my mom because she didn't pay much attention to me. At that moment her phone rang and she left me to my food. Since there wasn't much room to hide it, I had to eat most of the food. After that I went back to sleep.

It must have been morning or late afternoon when I woke up because the sun was peeking in through the cracks in between the blinds. During the night I knew that my mother had come in because there were fancy clothes waiting for me on my dresser. That's when it hit: today was your hearing. 

I got up and got dressed without thinking much because I was to busy thinking about you. One thought continued to go through my mind on loop: I get to see him today! Jumping for joy as I walked out to the living room, my mother and father just sat there and stared at me. They whispered to each other thinking I couldn't hear them. They said: must be the Stockholm. 

And then you walked in. . .

I had to grip my chair until my knuckles where white, just to contain myself from jumping straight into your arms. Wincing as I saw the bruise that had occurred since the last time I had seen you, you turned towards me and gave me the most dazzling smile, and I shyly blushed and smiled softly back. Everyone else in the room was too busy talking to notice our exchange.  

Dear Katniss

Dear Katniss, 

You seem to have changed a lot during your time in the Hunger Games. I think that you are a perfect person in the essence of taking control when no one else will, and also when you need to be there for someone. You are a tough person who is more of a tom-boy, than a girly girl. You are a great role model to Prim and I feel terrible that you have to live with those mean Capitol people. Toughness and worrisome are two of your biggest traits and that's probably because of President Snow. Wouldn't anyone feel threatened by a man who wants to kill off children to teach adults a lesson? You seem more compassionate and caring, open-minded and loving even. Peeta is so sweet, and caring, that I think he changed you for the better. He taught you that you don't have to be so blocked off from the world. You can open up to people, and trust them. All in all, you seem more comfortable with yourself, and your life...well, as much as you can be what with the Capitol wishing you were dead. 

So, I was thinking the other day and I remember this other book I read once, it was called 'Stolen' by Lucy Christopher. The girl's name is Gemma, and at the beginning, she is close minded, worrisome and a good role model. Though she is in a completely different situation as you, she has most of the same traits. Also, similar to you, she changes throughout the book into a loving, compassionate, and also more caring. Gemma used to pretend to care, but now she really truly does. 

A Cold Chill

The crisp winter air nipped at my cheeks, and the air tasted salty, but it was a comforting taste at the same time,  as i looked out onto the lake. It was the perfect setting for a winter day. I waited and waited for him to show up, longing to smell the musky scent that he brought with him. Finally I got my wish, he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist just standing there looking out at the sunset with me. In that moment, everything changed... 

All of a sudden there was a cold chill to the air that neither of us had noticed because we were so fascinated with each other. 


As soon as I turned around I realized... it wasn't who I thought he was. How could I have been so foolish. I should have realized that it wasn't him. Just the essence of being caught up in the moment was enough to fool me, but the second I smelled, I knew that it wasn't him. 

From the beginning of the night I had, had a funny feeling in my gut. Now I realized, I should have paid more attention to it. It didn't seem to bother me much because I knew that I would finally get to see him. It was hard, sneaking around every time we wanted to see each other, but it was worth it when it came to us. That sounds corny, I know, but when you are in love, everything sounds corny. 

I was worried for my life, scared, and most of all I felt threatened. I couldn't see my own hand in front of my face, I couldn't think straight, I couldn't even remember that I needed to breathe until I thought about it. I must have passed out at one point, because as I tried to gather what state I was in, I could tell that I was in the back of a truck. It smelled like someone had taken about 300 pairs of worn gym socks and put them to rot in the back of this truck. 

The stench was so strong it was burning my eyes. 

As I sat there I realized that I hadn’t been very busy lately, but it had felt lonely... more lonely than I was used to. Which was quite strange considering that for the first time in my life, I was happier than I had ever thought I could be. It was getting to be so hot in there, that I couldn’t even breathe. This was hard to figure my way out of. Usually, I could get myself out of a tough situation, but this was a little different...

I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up I was in my room...wait, this wasn't my room. It just had all of the same details that my room had. Even the drawing I made when I was six is still here behind the door. Suddenly it dawned on me, this was an exact copy of my room. While I was trying to convince myself that this was just a coincidence, many kids drew unicorns with a rainbow tail when they were six, there was a knock on the door. 

Founding Fathers

There are people in this world that complain about where they live, what they eat or anything else that everyone always has an opinion about. Well, what I think when I hear people complain like that is ‘how could you be so selfish?’ I understand that people have family problems or something happened that may seem like the end of the world, I myself complain daily, but at least I have a house, food, clothes, and everything else that I am so blessed to have.

When you think about it we are really the luckiest country in the world. If it weren’t for the constitution, then I don’t think that we would have 95 percent of the things that we have today. I personally believe that even though we may  not always have every last thing that we want, we should still be grateful for what we do have.

I think that the real heroes of our country are the soldiers all over the globe, not the scientists who discover medicine or uncover dinosaur bones because even though, those  are pretty great discoveries aren't helping with our freedom.

How can anyone be so selfish, to complain about all of the things that we want when what everyone really should be thinking about is all of the things that those people have. I feel that everyone, including myself should think twice before complaining about petty things like the bad food and parents fighting. I am so proud to live in this great country.