ShinG

= =  Gloria Shin & Elen Shlyakhanova It was another typical day for Momoog on her home planet, Planet 51. She was trying to think of something to do, but was stumped. She decided to get into her rocket ship and explore far away lands. She packed some essentials in her travel bag, and headed off into the darkness of space. All of a sudden, Momoog lost control of her rocket ship and it started to shake violently. She felt herself descending onto unfamiliar territory and became very scared. Knowing that she could not land her rocket ship, she decided expel herself from the spacecraft and freefall to safety. Once Momoog regained consciousness, she started to become aware of her surroundings, and they scared her! She wanted to get up and look around but foreigners kept stepping on her and she feared that she would be trampled to death by these creatures. Once she managed to get up, she was immediately drawn into the sea of moving people and she could not go against the flow of them. She tried to ask for help, but even gave her a second glance and they all ignored her and kept talking into their strange contraptions. Momoog became very frightened so she went into a shop that she thought was a food store. She looked around and saw very large people who were all yelling at each other and eating loads of foods that looked extremely unhealthy and disgusting. She asked a person what the name of this store was, and they screamed, “It’s McDonalds, the best restaurant in the whole wide world!” Momoog was very confused by this because she had never heard of this restaurant and she didn’t think that it seem like it had good food. Momoog decided to leave this strange and smelly restaurant, and went back outside into the huge crowd of these animals. She tried to ask someone where she was, and finally, a large person with “Hollister” printed on their shirt, answered her question. “It’s New York, whaddya think it was?” Momoog noticed that their accent was very interesting and they didn’t seem very kind. She decided to go try to find a rocket store so she can purchase a new means of transportation so she can finally get home and away from this scary place. The Love of Winter and Spring By Gloria Shin As she walked on earth frost would blossom from her every footstep. A slight breath from her soft lips would send a torrent of cold, bitter winds and furious snowstorms to rage across the land. A small wave of her white hands would cause the air to drop to freezing temperatures. From the mere touch of her slender fingertips would issue forth the glimmering sheen of ice. She was Winter, the all-powerful deity of the cold, yet as the days grew longer she felt her power steadily waning. Winter watched as the darkness of night ebbed away and lightened into the rosy blush of dawn. The sky would not stay gray for her as it did during the peak of her reign, but let the sun streak its blue canvas with pink and orange. She sighed at her dying hold over the earth; her small breath sending a tiny flurry of snowflakes spiraling into the air. Spring was on his way, the reaches of his warmth already spreading throughout the earth. From tree limbs Winter had stripped bare of dying leaves, fresh green buds began to grow from its spindly branches. The snow that she had commanded to fall from the sky that had blanketed the earth in a white, pristine beauty had all but disappeared. Her beautiful ice that had adorned the earth like crystals melted into water that seeped into the ground. Winter started her heavy tread towards the horizon where she would soon feel the familiar tug of the earth whisk her back to her tree where she was to slumber beneath its roots until she was called again to reign over the earth. As she neared closer to the horizon she felt stronger and stronger the warm presence of Spring, threatening to melt her cloak of ice and snow. At the very horizon the two great beings crossed, but instead of being immediately shot towards her tree as she took one step over the horizon, a twist of fate stop the pull from coming. For the first time since the world began the two seasons laid eyes upon each other. Winter’s icy blue eyes gazed into Spring’s brown ones, her cold breath mingled with his warm breath. Then Winter was blown away in a stream of silver wind. Spring could not keep her out of his head. He could not as he thawed the ground or while he coaxed flower buds to sprout from the earth. He could not as he was rousing animals from their hibernation or while he revived trees from their dormant state. All around him life was returning to the once colorless landscape, but all that occupied his mind was Winter. How her hair, a stream of wind and snow, flowed out from behind her. Her dress made of a chilly, satin gray breeze, wrapping around her in a gentle caress, adorned with swirls of snow and jewels of ice. Her skin was as pale and flawless as fresh snow, a pattern of ice shimmering upon her cheek. His heart longed to once again gaze into her unfathomable gray-blue eyes that seemed to pierce his very soul. His heart could not be denied its burning desire to see again so he searched the world in search of Winter’s sleeping tree. The moment Winter arrived at her chamber beneath the roots of her tree she began pacing while fitfully wringing her hands. She could not begin to fall asleep with so many emotions churning, like a restless sea, in her heart. The ferocity of her pacing kicked up small drafts that sent dead leaves whirling wildly in the confines of the little space. In a giant gust of wind she finally plopped down on the floor to clam herself. Spring, how his name sent chills down her spine. She closed her eyes and replayed the scene over and over again. Spring stepping over the horizon, his footfalls caused vibrant flowers and vines to twine around his leg, colorful butterflies rested peacefully on his forearms. His honey colored hair was adorned with nuts and berries and his skin was a light tan, the color of caramel. His sweet, aromatic smell made her dizzy with bliss, and his warm brow eyes seemed to warm her very heart. Winter wanted desperately to see Spring but no matter how much she tore at the walls or sent screaming gales pounding against the space her tree prison would not set her free. She gave a cry of frustration at these restraints and dropped her head in her hands. Suddenly, she lifted up her head, her eyes wide with astonishment. She thought she felt the tingle of heat racing through her body. She stilled herself, the only sound audible was the fluttering of her breath catching in her throat, but then she felt it again, this time a whole pulsing wave of warmth seeped through the roots and crashing over her. She bolted towards the only window in the chamber, daring to hope it was Spring. She strained to catch a glimpse of him striding towards her tree when his scent began to waft into her nose. Her heart leaped into the air for joy, but then sunk into the deepest pit of her stomach. //What if he does not love me as I love him?// She thought when Spring’s voice drifted to her ears. “Your beauty outshines the silver moon, the twinkling stars, and the bright sun. It far surpasses the treasures of this earth, so where does this beauty lie? Where you slumber O, Winter?” “Here am I!” Winter cried from her chamber, “Here am I! O, gentle Spring, do you love me?” A grin spread unto the face of Spring and he rushed towards Winter’s tree. “Winter, how can I not be in love with you?” He reached out to touch Winter’s hand through the bars of her cell, but the moment their fingers touched freezing cold overtook Spring’s hand and a searing hot pain burned Winter’s. Winter and Spring both quickly withdrew their hands. They clutched their own hands sadly, realizing that if they were to touch each other directly Spring’s heat would melt Winter and Winter would freeze Spring. They gave each other a regretful smile, when from between Spring’s feet an exquisite flower pushed its way out of the soil. The bud unfolded to become pale blue petals with streaks of white and spilling from its center, crystal berries. He plucked it and handed it to her through the bars of her window. “For you,” he whispered. Winter blushed and took the flower, carefully avoiding his hands. As she took the flower it crusted over in a shell of ice. She smiled at the now preserved flower and gently placed it in her hair. They spent the rest of the day in each other’s company away, all through the night. Winter’s head began to nod and fell to her chest, soon she was sound asleep. Spring whispered into Winter’s ear, as close as he could through the barred widow, “I’ll be back.” He reluctantly walked away from Winter’s tree looking back at her with tender love in his eye. From that day on Winter devotedly waited for Spring every day and without failure Spring faithfully came. Their loving talks and conversations often lasting long into the night, Spring leaving when Winter fell asleep. One sun-drenched day, Spring came to his beloved, but fell asleep in the sun’s rays. The sunlight gently danced upon his face, making his face flicker as if he were awake. Winter watched her lover fondly, who was at such peace, and brought her hands through the bars of her window to stroke his cheek. Winter immediately realized her mistake and yanked back her hand, but the damage was done. She watched in horror as white, paleness stole upon Spring’s golden complexion. She screamed at him to wake up but her loving touch had begun to freeze him to death. Tears dripped from her eyes as she wept in anguish at her mindless fault. Then, some great elemental power within her snapped as she watched in helplessness as her lover died. Fueled by rage and sorrow she violently tore out of her prison in pure fury and howled at the stars for making fate so cruel. She rushed down back to the earth where her lover lay dying. “I will not leave you even in death, Spring” she vowed to his dying body. “ Eyes, look your last. Arms, take your last embrace. And, lips, O you The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss A dateless bargain to engrossing death.” She clutched Spring’s body close to her heart, took him in her arms, and kissed him tenderly. The remnants of Spring’s warmth seeped into Winter and took her life.

This tragic love story between Winter and Spring links to Romeo and Juliet in a number of ways. First of all, and most obviously, there are two protagonists in this story as with Romeo and Juliet, Winter representing Juliet and Spring representing Romeo. Also, near the beginning of the story when Winter and Spring both meet it is love at first sight just like Romeo and Juliet at the Capulet’s ball. Finally, the last aspect of my story that ties in with //Romeo and Juliet// is the tragic ending. In the end of Romeo and Juliet many important characters die as do the most important, and the only two, characters in my story. Also, in the end both Romeo and Juliet kill themselves because they could not be apart from one another. This is what Winter does when she knew that Spring was dying. She killed herself because she couldn’t bear to be apart from him. The quote I used in my story was what Romeo said to Juliet’s “dead” body right before he drank the poison to kill himself. I chose this quote because it showed the raw passion and the true love Rome/ Winter for their lover.