Moonlit Dreams

Thirteen Days to Midnight

07/24/2011

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As a child, I didn't expect to know anybody for long. I was a foster child and I was tossed from one family to the next quite a bit. Until I met Mr. Fielding, I never considered anyone to be a part of my real family; he ended up being the closest thing I would ever have to a dad. He was also my friend. Mr. Fielding died a few weeks ago in the car accident that should have also killed me, however, there wasn't a single a scratch on me, and I felt no pain as the car going sixty miles per hour ran head on into a tree. The words that he whispered to me before he died, "you are invincible," made absolutely no sense to me at the time, but now they are permanently etched into my mind.


I'm not sure how it could have happened, but with the help of my friend Milo and my girlfriend Oh, I have discovered that I truly am invincible. Fire no longer burns my skin. Bullets no longer have the ability to penetrate my body. As if that isn't seemingly impossible enough, I can also transfer my invincibility to anyone in a time of need. All I need is a name and a fave, and with three words, I can both move my power as well as take it back. 

My friends and I, we have tested the power. We have looked for weaknesses and found none. We have looked to see what we can and cannot do. With what seemed like zero limitations, we set out to save lives when we could.It went well for a while, until the time came that I had to start choosing who to save and who to let die, and my girlfriend began to change in a way that was far beyond anything Milo and I could comprehend. Now, I need answers, and I need them fast before Death catches up with us. 

                                                                                ***

In the book, Thirteen Days to Midnight, author Patrick Carman hooks his readers right away with his uncanny ability to combine suspense, thrills, and a bit of romance. Go check it out! I completely believe that you too will be attached to the characters from the very first page.

BACK OF THE BOOK:You are indestructible. These are the words that transfer an astonishing power to Jacob Fielding... and it changes everything. After all, there's something addictive about testing the limits of fear, experiencing the thrill of walking through fire, or saving your friend from a beating in front of the whole school.

Then Ophelia James, the beautiful and daring new girl in town, suggests that they use the power to do good, to save others at risk of death. But with every heroic act, the power grows into the specter of a curse. How to decide who lives and who dies? And why does darkness seem to be chasing them? Jacob only has thirteen days to figure out how to harness this terrifying power... and the answer is chilling: What if he has to kill the one he loves to save her?

In the context of a dark, unconventional superhero story, Patrick Carman has envisioned a high concept tale of intrigue, romance, friendship and adventure that probes deep into what teens face as they enter young adult years: navigating increasingly complex choices with greater consequences, as well as the gray areas blurring the definitions of right and wrong.





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The Meaning of Matthew

07/20/2011

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My name is Matthew Shepard. Like any other young adult, I’ve gotten into my fair share of
trouble; I have been out partying and I’ve experimented with different substances, but I have never
been a violent person. None of my issues had ever stemmed from any hatred I felt towards anyone, but
the rest of the world isn’t like that. There is far too much animosity in society, and it finally reached me.
Because of others’ hatred, I am dead. I died in October of 1998 because I had been tied to a fence and
beaten with both fists and a gun until my brain stem was damaged and I couldn’t feel anything.
Thankfully, that included the pain. If you do not already know, October nights in Wyoming are freezing.
Needless to say, it did nothing to better my condition.

From where I stand now, I have been able to see the court hearings for the two men who
murdered me. I have seen Westboro Baptist Church make unwarranted visits to those hearings, as well
as to my funeral. I watched as they held up their signs “God Hates Fags,” and “Matthew is in Hell, Thank
God.” I can do nothing but watch from a distance and hope things get better, not just for my family who
had always been supportive of my sexuality, but for others who are experiencing hate crimes first hand
as well.

I was not killed because I had hurt anyone or had done anything wrong. I am no longer a part of
this world simply because I was gay. Thankfully, I can see that my death has impacted many people and
showed them the terrible atrocities that occur when hatred is held within.

                                                                        ***

“The Meaning of Matthew” is an enlightening story told by a mother grieving over the loss of
her son due to a very heinous attack on his sexuality. I encourage anyone to read this book, no matter
what your opinion on homosexuality is. It might just open your eyes to the world’s potential to be a
better place with tolerance, acceptance, and love of any kind.
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Fahrenheit 451

07/17/2011

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     I remember her eyes so clearly, the way they were so bright and full of life, unlike any
that I had ever seen. More than her eyes, however, I remember how she made me think. She
questioned all of the things that no one else dared to. I recall the way she was not afraid of me
like everyone else was. Clarisse Mclellan was the most audacious, intelligent young woman I
have ever met. Sadly, she is now missing. There are rumors flying around about what
happened to her, but that’s because that’s all anyone does around here. They gossip and talk
about what happens within the parlor walls each night. I used to have the same brainwashed
mind as everyone else, but Clarisse invoked a flame inside of me that even with my experience
with putting out fires, could not be extinguished.

     My name is Guy Montag and I am a fireman. My job is simple. I wait at the fire station
with the rest of my squad for a call from a low-life informant telling us that they are suspicious
of someone housing books. We go to their house and we burn the books along with the house
in which they were hidden, after we remove the fireproof seal, of course. Of course, you know
this already. You know what a fireman does. What you may not know is that long ago, firemen
actually used to extinguish fires rather than start them; we were the heroes!

     About a week ago, we got a call from a woman saying that her neighbor was hoarding
books somewhere upstairs. We arrived and when the woman would not come to the door, we
forced our way through, like we always do. We were to arrest her and burn her house as she
left, however, she would not leave. My partners started the fire anyways, but the elderly lady
refused and stayed there clutching the books close to her chest. She had the bravery that I had
never seen in anyone but Clarisse. I didn’t have that same bravery. I thought I had no choice
but to leave her there, and I watched outside as the ashes of her courageous soul fell to the
ground with her house and the novels that she protected until the end. It made me
think, “What is so special about those books? Why are so many people risking their lives to read
them?”

     What I did that night was far from heroic; the only good thing that came of it was my
sudden change of heart, and the desire for answers that drove me past insanity. I must
discover what the true meanings of the words in books are all about.

                                                                   ***

     In Fahrenheit 451, author Ray Bradbury casts you into a dystopian future where books
are illegal, the walls in the parlor room are your family, and attempted suicide rates are off the
charts, but no one that attempted it remembers it in the morning. The author makes you think
about our society as a whole today, especially with the growing disinterest in books and reading
in general. Overall, it was an amazing story, even for those who are not normally interested in
dystopian novels.

     My book review is written in a first person perspective in which I took on the persona of
Guy Montag, the main character of the book. It is called a first person book talk which was first
introduced to me by my high school librarian early on in my sophomore year. I love the idea
and I think it does more to grab the reader’s attention than a simple description of the novel.
Fahrenheit 451 is an amazing book that you can find in the ‘classics’ section in almost anybookstore and I whole-heartedly recommend that everyone reads this book.
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