[Title Undecided]

     It is one of those days when you just want to lie down on a sandy beach and feel the full breeze of nature flowing from your toes to the tip of your hair.  On a november evening, two people were standing there, on some lonesome beach, enjoying the ocean breeze. Carrying the saltiness, perhaps from the tears of the life in the ocean, of fishes, the wind tickled their faces. The scent of the ocean might have been uncomfortable for someone else, but these two were used to it, or as some might say, insensible to it. 

     The sun was setting on the horizon, setting the sea on fire, and under the rays of the setting sun, each and every one of the sand particles seemed different. One had a crystal-like glow to it. Another had a reddish glow, which might be a reflection of the sunlight. Some were non-reflective. All of them had the smoothness though, coming from the long years in which they were pushed to one side and to then to the other. All of them would have come from the same rock, the same mountain, and carved down by the same waves. But all of them were different. 

     On the other side of that chaotic harmony, the waves were still rolling in and out, each time gently washing the feet of the two, standing there on the seashore. Although those two, a man and a woman, were firmly standing on the sand, they seemed to be moved by the tickling hands of the waves. Washing away the sand each time and filling it with the coolness of the water from miles away, the waves were dancing. Although the two were ignorant about it, the waves came in and out, then came in again as if to give them another chance. 

     The man who had gray hair, but a stern face that might have seen out of place for his age, was looking at the setting sun. The last rays of the sun were focused on the man which made him look all the more stern and sincere. The women, much younger than the man, was standing a couple of steps behind the man. She had moved out of the reach of the waves. Looking at the sun, her blond hair reflected the sunlight and the shadows created on her face emphasized her beauty--and how mismatching she looked in the scene. Her feet were deeply rooted in the sand, covered, and seemed to be scared by the dance of the tide, of the dreams of Poseidon himself. 

     The man took a step forward, trying to enjoy the last moments of the shinning sun. The women retreated another step, looking down at her feet. Then for a moment, she took a glimpse at the sun and the tide. But as if caught for some misdeed, she looked down at her feet again. The wind changed, climbing down from the land to the ocean as if to follow the setting sun. Following the wind, the woman’s danced towards the longing sun.

**Assignment for Mr. Tame from last semester

[The Martian Chronicles] Quotation

     After the chapter "Rocket Summer", the rest of the story is located in Mars. Through the year 1999, we are told about two expeditions to Mars that have failed. This time, at year 2000, the people on Earth have prepared a third expedition and the first chapter of the year, "the taxpayer" describes the scene from the perspective of a citizen of Ohio. He argues with the control station of the launch site that he, as a good citizen who has payed tax for this whole expedition, has a right to join the team of astronauts.
     The reason for wanting to leave apparently is because there will be an atomic war on Earth in a few years. But behind all that there was a phrase that caught my attention as I read the novel. It was a phrase that the taxpayer said, "anybody with any sense wanted to get away from Earth". Although on the surface, it only referred to the atomic war that was supposed to happen quite soon, however the phrase itself seemed to imply much more. The thought that nobody would want to live on this planed anymore is in a way, a direct criticism to the world of the period in which Bradbury wrote the novel, and also the world in which the reader lives in. I may be over interpreting a simple phrase but for me it was one of the most powerful phrases in the novel up until now.

[Traumatic Event] The flag

     Facing the breeze carrying the fresh scent of fall, he looked down. Almost two thousand people were looking up towards the podium and the boy. There was a girl next to him but at the moment, the boy felt like he was the center of the world. From the perception of a twelve year old, receiving attention from such a crowd was more than overwhelming.

     To the right of the boy was a flag. In its velvet glory under the autumn sun, the flag danced slightly to the wind. For the boy, the flag was the source of his current position and the companion of the glorious moment. In a moment after the principal's speech, the boy would grip the silver body of the flag and let it free. But for the time being, he was listening to the prolonged speech that he has heard every year. He just stood there, with his black hair blown by the wind and glasses reflecting the sunlight.
     Only a moment has passed but the boy seemed to be growing impatient at every syllable pronounced. After the dreadful moment, it became his turn to stand in front of the podium. He gave a short speech given to him by the school and walked towards the flag. Gently grasping the metal rod, he pulled as if he was pulling the ancient sword from a rock.
     He seemed astonished for a moment, perhaps because of the unexpected heaviness of the flag. Nevertheless, he picked it up and came to the front of the podium. Standing there, a step behind the metal rail that separated him from the glare of two thousand students, he began to wave the flag. Fluttering away in the wind, the flag, representing the school, showed its velvet glory.
     After two swings however, the pole of the flag came into contact with the mike that was standing near the boy. Obviously, the mike fell and the wires connected to it also tangled among themselves. The principal who was standing at the back of the podium came and picked up the mike stand himself. In a few moments everything came back to normal. Most of the students just stood there as if they had not noticed but some managed to laugh. When the laughter flew over to the boy in a split second and he flushed in redness, perhaps like the color of the flag, now leaning on the metal rail.

     It was a mistake, nothing serious and the rest of the day went on fine. But that moment, for some reason was unforgettable for the boy. The thought that he was not strong enough to wave a flag properly could have hurt his twelve year old mind. Or it could be for no reason. But even to this day, six years after, the shabby flag leaning on the metal rail is clear in the boy's mind.

[Character Design] Draft

Selected characters

Goofy: looks like Jesus, has a gentile character, 50 years old, loves fishing, lives on a tropical island but doesn't have many friends
Cleve: 156cm tall and has black hair, pessimistic(originally generous but changed for the sake of the story), 17 years old, likes to criticize others, lives alone in a forest(lets say that it is a forest on the tropical island that Goofy is living on and that he is not alone), and has a complex about his small eyes.


Title [Undecided...]

     I was apparently born in a hospital in the center of a city called London. Well, thats what I've always heard as I grew up on this island. As long as I can remember, I lived on this island along with the village people. Seventeen years on this island was enough to make me bored. The tides seemed to be bothering the shore, the sunlight was excessively bright and the wind carried too much salt along with them. Other kids in the village used to and still make fun of me because of my small eyes, but I tell you over and over that it is because of the sun and the wind that demands me to squint at all times.

     The shore was littered by the sun, as always, but today I felt like walking the shore. The heated sand crumpled at my steps and the water slithered towards my feet. I never liked the saltiness of the tide and the way that they took the sand along with them. Nevertheless I continued to walk across the crescent of the bay, unintentionally nearing the reach of the tides.

      Walking endlessly along the shore, matching each step with the tides, I came upon a part of the shore that I had never bothered to approach beforehand. It was absolutely deserted for quite apparent reasons. The bay glittered way too much repelling the eyes of anyone who saw it. Even more, the distance between the forest and the water was awfully close and the chirping sounds of the birds and claps of the tide and the shore created a cacophony. Topping everything else, there was someone already there. To make the worse, if that was possible at all, the "someone" turned around.

     "Never expected that someone would come this far from the village, especially you Cleve", he said.
     "......", I didn't reply. I hated the way he called me as if he was my friend.
     "Just love this place, especially because its somewhere I can enjoy a time alone, but I wouldn't really mind it if you want to share this place. The sun set is just magnificent from this side of the island. It's quite different from watching the sun rise...its somewhat...hmm...", the guy rambled on.

Character design

Original version

Mixed version