A Passion For Nature

I was a bird trapped in a birdcage. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, nowhere to come back to. Yet, I yearned to leave the house and expand my horizons. The sun was bright yellow, blistering with an everlasting shine. I walked out of the porch, after being residing in my bed the entire day. The sun gazed upon my face. I was intrigued. I wanted to know more about nature, more about happiness, more about life. I gazed into the distance and saw something enormous. It was staggering tall, wide, and yearning for me to scale it. It was a mountain, with snow-covered atop. I decided. I wanted to scale it no matter what. I imagined the view from the top of the mountain. It was beautiful. Bright. Mesmerizing. I ran 18 kilometers to the mountain and began climbing without any gear. I knew it would be a challenge, but despite it, I was determined to achieve inner peace. I set out on my conquest for freedom. I was no longer.. a bird trapped in a birdcage.

Mount Fuji – Gregoire Jeanneau

The Misleading Merchant

From my home town of Nigeria, I was a well known merchant throughout the country of Europe, the country I call home now. My name was Desmold, but I was known as Harold there. Customers came in frequently, after all, I was the most famous merchant in the city of Strasbourg. It was one particular day that shined over others, I was introduced to the son of the noblest of families, the family of ‘D Tuapre’. He wanted to do business with me and I was overjoyed. Of course, it was an honor helping one of the members of such a prestigious family. His name was Fuirel and was interested in one of the items I held. A flute, one of a kind, a pattern seen like no other, but to me, I was the only one who knew its true value. It was like the Mona Lisa, well only to others. It had little to no value. However, Fuirel didn’t know its value and only wanted to purchase it because he thought it was a secret treasure. I told him that it was one of my most prized possessions physically. I was already planning on getting rid of it from the start. I decided that I was going to sell it, with the exception that I get the right price for it. I had bought it about 2 decades ago for $18 from a pawn shop, but he didn’t know that. We started at $80 and I told him a lie that it was handed down from the generations of the previous kings. He rose his price to $650 and then I managed to get it to $3800. We decided on $3800 but before handing me the cash, he looked straight into my eyes and said, “Is this even real?” I responded confidently. Yes. It’s real. Trust me. My eyes showed no sign of deception and I managed to sell it, backstabbing the noblest family’s son, much like a snake.

Merchant’s Business – Victor Ajayi

Bakery Goods

Ah yes, ah yes. The sweet smell of baked goods enveloped the bakery as I took my first step in. I wandered around the room, looking for some snacks to buy. Wow, woah, whaaa? They had such a vast selection of pastries it took my breath away. There were hotdog buns that smiled generously at me to be bought, tiramisu cake giving me a cold stare, and even strawberry jelly-filled bread which ran over to me after the gust of wind came in. I bought them all and tried the hotdog buns first. Amazing. That’s all I could say. What a spectacular, special succulent savory snack to savor. It was as tasty as a home-cooked meal, like the food prepared by mother. Anyways, wow. What an excellent exceptional experience, one to hold dear. 

Perfect Pastries – Yeh Xintong

A New Companion and a Frightening Experience

It was a while back maybe in the third grade when I stumbled across a companion I would hold dear to this day. On a hot summer day, walking back from school, I noticed a little cat in a dark alleyway, hidden in the shadows. I walked up to it and saw that it was injured, cuts and bite marks all over its body. Suddenly, a can fell from the roof of the apartment complex I was around. I glanced up and saw a black dog, its eyes menacing yet calm like the Mona Lisa. It even had another cat hanging from its mouth, sending shivers down my spine. I immediately knew what to do and grabbed the cat in my arms and took him to a nearby vet for treatment, and then I would take him home with me. On the way back to my house after the vet, I noticed the same black dog from before, trailing my car. It was fast, real fast, catching up quickly. At this point, I knew that there was one solution, and that was violence. My plan took a 180 turn and I decided to rush to the nearest gun store, ignoring every stop sign. When we got out, I ran into the store and slammed the door shut behind me. I heard the dog leap and hit his face on the door. The store employee asked what I was looking for, and I responded that I was looking for a lightweight firearm pistol. Once I retrieved it, I kicked the front door open and shot the dog in the leg, purposely avoiding the vitals and immobilizing its movement. My plan was a success and I called animal control right after. The cat swerved to the dog on the floor and then swerved back at me, with a relieved look on his face. I ultimately ended up going with my initial plan to go home and take care of the dog from in on out. What a day. 

Black Dog – Manuel Fedele

An Artistic Talent

I had a boring 44 years of my life until I found a hidden treasure of a talent I was capable of. Drawing, painting, you name it. Anything artistic. It was 44 years of my life until I finally learned that I was passionate about drawing. With the leftover money from last week’s paycheck, I used it to buy some art supplies and even managed to afford some lessons. It was embarrassing at the lessons since I was old enough to be some of the kids’ fathers. I made good progress for the duration of the art lessons I did. I wanted to create something fantastic. But, what should I use as inspiration for one of my pieces? Ah. The Mona Lisa. Such an iconic painting that had such meaning and impact. I got ahead on my painting replica and when I finished it, it looked beautiful. Stunning really. It made me so happy, I felt so free. I felt as talented as the one and only Leonardo da Vinci. I sold my replica for a couple hundred thousand dollars and contributed it to more art supplies and my artwork shop. There, I would continue working to be the best artist in history. 

The Mona Lisa – Hamza El abaoui