by: Margaret

He expected trouble. There was no avoiding it. There was no running away from it.
And as of this second, he had two choices. He could either wrap everything up, do away
with Patricia, and abandon the project all together while begging for mercy from the
Secret Society… or, he could stand firm, take the onslaught on the chin, and redouble his
efforts at making his goals come true regardless of the Society’s general dislike. It was
not a difficult decision for him to make. He was not one who begged.
The Smoking Man pulled out a carton of cigarettes and methodically made his way
through the five packs inside the box. It was the only physical sign of his well hidden
anxiety. Other than that, the emotionless features on his face and his silence portrayed the
image of a stoic man unaffected by his recent failure. He sat down in his plastic chair
behind his makeshift desk and waited for her with almost Zen-like calm. He did not have
to wait long.
The clanging heels of Madame Muriko’s Bali shoes against the warehouse’s hard, tiled
floor signaled her unmistakable arrival. He heard her flustered voice chew out several
soldiers in the hallway, and soon after that, she was at his door. She was still in her
impeccable silk suit, with her hair put up in a bun. Her dark-toned face flushed red with
dissatisfaction. She stared at the calm man in front of her with his cigarette between his
fingers and his poker-style stare.
“There are two rules in our profession, assassin,” she finally said in a low, calm voice.
“When it comes to a kill, never get personal and never get creative. Last night, you broke
both rules! Why didn’t you just have the two video men shoot Bo and Fox and throw their
bodies in the lake?”
The tone of her voice was accusatory, like a mother at an angry child. The Smoking
Man remained silent for a spell, nonchalantly sucking away at his Marlboro stick. “I had
my reasons,” he finally said with an almost robotic response. “Fox Mulder has been a
thorn in this organization’s side for over six years. I thought his death should be…
memorable.”

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by: Kristy Duke

Raw emotions heavily ripple through my numb body as I stare heavily at the old farmhouse that doubles as Landon’s  hideout, my thought remain upon what I had just witnessed an hour ago. Of Shawn angrily telling Bo that his killer should have finished his job, that it would have been good for Hazzard. How dumb can he possibly be? I feel a small smile cross my face as I think of Luke’s quick and harsh reaction was towards Shawn’s outburst, of Jesse’s anger toward what Shawn had said. But better yet, was watching and listening into Shawn quickly trying to take back all that he had said once he realized exactly what he had done. Of the heavy fear in his eyes as Luke boldly accused Shawn of attacking Bo in the barn while he acted hurt and insulted of the accusation in order to persuade his old friend that he didn’t do the exact thing he had done. Of the little that I know of Luke, one thing is sure: he’s protective of Bo and he’ll do everything in his power to find out whoever wronged Bo. Whoever wronged Bo, was in for a nasty surprise when Luke found them as makes sure whoever did it, paid at full price for what they had done. And now that someone is his old friend, Shawn Graham. Deep down, I know, give Luke a few days he’ll find out it was Shawn who attacked Bo. Will find out who Shawn really is.

Thinking of that sends fear and worry deep down within me, because deep down, I know once Luke finds out it was Shawn, Shawn will start fingering me as being part of his gang. Not fear or worry of Luke, I didn’t wrong Bo, Shawn had. But fear and worry in knowing once Shawn goes down, so will the rest of his gang, which would also include me because I had so boldly walked up and forced them to accept me into their gang. Which I don’t dread. I dread the fact that Shawn is as dumb as he is and he will greedily take everyone down with him to ensure that he’s not the only one who pays for the crimes. It’s just who he is. Greedy, coward, dumb, and confident; all at the same time. Yet, Landon approves of Shawn and all is ‘mistakes’ that is costing the whole gang with each passing day, despite his anger outburst and putting me as Shawn’s ‘babysitter’ he seems to look upon Shawn as a younger brother. Protective of him. But in a different way than Luke is of Bo. Luke is more forgiving than Landon would ever be.

Climbing off of my motorcycle and begin to walk across the muddy driveway, I silently muse on whether or not Landon will be so forgiving now that Shawn has slipped up again.

“There’s Garrett,” Landon greets me with a large smile and I am surprised not to see the anger from him as I was expecting and I glance around the large room to find Shawn leaning against the back wall, talking freely to Cliff and Darrell. “Shawn was guessing you lost your way here, but I told him to give you time, you’d make it here.”

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by: Margaret

He was in a white room that looked something like a hospital. Spotless white ceilings,
glaring white walls, a thick, carpeted floor. The whole place was so clean and so quiet
that it was irritating. There were no windows here, no place to feel a breeze or to smell
the fresh outdoor air. The little knickknacks that often decorate a room, portraying the
character of the person or persons living in it, were also gone. No pictures, posters, or
statues stood on any of the shelves. All was empty. All the drawers were bare. The only
thing he could see was mind-numbing white, with no other colors to break its
overwhelming monotony.
He felt wrong in this lifeless room that had the aura of institutional humdrum.
Claustrophobia and a feeling of being trapped swelled up in his throat; he was choking in
here! He turned around, looking for a door, and that’s when it dawned on him. There was
no door! There was no way out! He ran to the walls and studied them. He followed the
cracks with his fingertips, tracing the plaster, looking for a hidden door. He couldn’t find
anything. The more the seconds ticked by, the more the panic deep in his gut grew.
He ran from one end of the room to the other. *There has to be a way out! There has
to!* He was about ready to try breaking through the wall… when he heard the sound of
weeping.
He spun around, and there behind him stood a king-size bed that appeared literally out
of nowhere. White sheets with ruffles on the end draped over the mattress and spilled
gloriously to the floor. The white pillows in their white silk cases stood fluffed near the
headrest. It was a beautiful piece of furniture, that looked like the most uncomfortable
thing in the world.

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by: Kristy Duke

Excitement and disbelief heavily floods within me as I open the heavy wooden door to find the large room to be lined and filled with thick heavy shelves that are packed with stacks of hundred dollar bills on the left side of the room. On the right side of the room, the shelves are lined with all sorts of different kinds of food and drinks. All left unguarded and for the taking…by me. I hear myself laugh aloud as I am filled with greed and happiness and I quickly step into the room, taking it all in, not knowing where to start. Quickly I grab a thick heavy warm sandwich and take a big bite of it before moving over to grab a thick stack of new bills and begin fanning myself with it…

“Jefferson Davis!” the familiar sound of Lulu’s voice slowly pierces through my sleep, throwing me out of the large room filled with money and food and back into my large room filled with thick darkness. “Jefferson Davis! Wake up!”

For a long moment, I stare through the darkness before my eyes adjust to the darkness and I find her leaning over me as she places a thick hand upon my shoulder. Disappointment and anger floods through me towards her for waking me up from my dream and I quickly shove her hand away to roll over, away from her. “No, no, not now,” I hear myself groggily say, closing my eyes in hope of revisiting the large room once more, “I’m going to sleep in today.”

“No, you are not!” Lulu yells, her voice gets an high pitch as it does when she is frightened or upset, “We’ve been robbed!”

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