Do You Love?

By William Briner

            The King of Horror himself wrote this story. Stephen King’s “The Raft” is a part of a collection of short stories in King’s book called, Skeleton Crew. I first read this horrifying, but loving book at a facility in Fordyce, Arkansas. The reason why this book is loving is because it talks about love, but in a horrifying way. Love is the theme of all the short stories in this book. “The Raft” is a terrifying account of four teenagers at a forbidden lake. They decide to swim to a raft. They know full well. They aren’t supposed to be there. I don’t know what it is with teenagers and trouble, but when we’re told not to do something we do it anyway. Someone is liable to get hurt that way. Well all of them die, except one. The one that survived is Randy. At the end, he kept repeating, Do you love?

            Love is an emotion we all feel. Whether if it’s our parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, guardians, friends, or significant other we all feel love.  That is a recurring theme in this short story. Love. It’s a simple, but a powerful word. Before LaVerne dies, Randy figures out he loves LaVerne. They kiss on the raft, before she dies. I ain’t really in this position, but I love my girlfriend, Hannah, enough not to let her go. Love is a recurring theme in King’s three novels: Pet Sematary, Carrie, and Bag of Bones. In each novel, the main character is searching for love. In Pet Sematary, he brings his beloved son back to life. In Carrie, she wants to be loved by everyone. In Bag of Bones, he’s trying to let the ghost know she is loved by her ancestors. Stephen King loves the story and subject of love. I ask you. Do you love?

Forgiving bin Laden

By: William Briner

You remember 9/11?  Two planes crashed into the Twin Towers. One plane crashed into the Pentagon.  One plane crashed into a field in Philadelphia. Should we forgive the man behind it all?  That man is dead now.  His name was bin Laden.   Should we forgive this extreme Muslim terrorist or should we let him rot in his watery grave?

           I personally believe we should let him rot in his watery grave.  On 9/11 which is my birthday, bin Laden executed millions of people.  He was not physically involved, but mentally and psychotically.  His comrades the other extreme Muslim terrorists hijacked the planes.  Two planes destroyed the Twin towers.  One plane destroyed a section of the Pentagon.   

         Bin Laden may have been a mastermind and a master speaker but nothing could erase terrorism from his heart, mind, and soul.  We should just leave him be in his watery grave.

Forgiving bin Laden

By: William Briner

You remember 9/11?  Two planes crashed into the Twin Towers. One plane crashed into the Pentagon.  One plane crashed into a field in Philadelphia. Should we forgive the man behind it all?  That man is dead now.  His name was bin Laden.   Should we forgive this extreme Muslim terrorist or should we let him rot in his watery grave?

           I personally believe we should let him rot in his watery grave.  On 9/11 which is my birthday, bin Laden executed millions of people.  He was not physically involved, but mentally and psychotically.  His comrades the other extreme Muslim terrorists hijacked the planes.  Two planes destroyed the Twin towers.  One plane destroyed a section of the Pentagon.   

         Bin Laden may have been a mastermind and a master speaker but nothing could erase terrorism from his heart, mind, and soul.  We should just leave him be in his watery grave.

The Relationship of the Ghosts

By William Briner

            Haunted Campers by Allan Zullo is a collection of short stories. The story I’m focusing in on is “The Ghosts of Moorehaven Bridge”. In the middle of the story, BJ tells about his family history. They were slave owners. Out of four brothers, one of them is a brutal slave owner. His name was Hale Moore. Hale hated one slave in particular. The slaves name was Joad. One day after a brutal beating, Joad went down to the river to loosen up the pain. Hale caught him. Hale’s whip wraps around Joad’s hoe. Hale slips and hits his head on a rock. Joad slaps his master to death. On his deathbed, Joad went to go apologize to Hale’s ghost. The next day, Benedict found Joad dead on Moorehaven Bridge. Two topics I would like to discuss in this paragraph are murder and slavery. My personal belief about murder is it is only right if it’s in self defense. Let’s say you murder someone for the heck of it. I believe you should go to prison for life. In Joad’s case, Hale was trying to kill him. Joad killed Hale in self defense. I know living in the South has its advantages, but we are the most racist people in the USA. The South lost the Civil War in 1865 losing our rights to own slaves. Think about it, if we still had slaves, the world would never be the same.

            At the end of the story, BJ and Tiki find out that Tiki is related to Joad, and BJ is related to Hale. It was the first time in 126 years that both relatives were on the bridge at the same time. The last line suggests that Hale’s and Joad’s ghosts will never be at rest. Relationship with dead people and rest will be talked about. I’m related to Davy Crockett. He served in the House, fought in the Battle of the Alamo, and he was a hunter and an Indian fighter. As for rest, most people don’t rest in the afterlife. Alright I know most of us were being born, when this tragedy hit. The most legendary, controversial, and thuggish rapper came about. His name was 2pac. He was assassinated in 1996; some people claim 2pac’s ghost is in his car. Yup, he was killed in his car. So, what ghosts are you related to? Trust me; it will always be the relationship of the ghosts.

The Toy Soldiers’ Battle

By William Briner

          Like Toy Soldiers by Eminem explains the harsh brutality of being a rapper. “Step by step, heart to heart, left right left. We all fall down. Step by step, heart to heart, left right left. We all fall down like toy soldiers. Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win. But the battle wages on for toy soldiers.” We’re all toy soldiers destined to lose. Maybe not us personally, but someone we love will fall.

          This one line should sum it all up. “And even though the battle was won; I feel like we lost it. I spent too much energy on it; honestly I’m exhausted.” I feel like that after each battle I’m in.

The Toy Soldiers’ Battle

By William Briner

          Like Toy Soldiers by Eminem explains the harsh brutality of being a rapper. “Step by step, heart to heart, left right left. We all fall down. Step by step, heart to heart, left right left. We all fall down like toy soldiers. Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win. But the battle wages on for toy soldiers.” We’re all toy soldiers destined to lose. Maybe not us personally, but someone we love will fall.

          This one line should sum it all up. “And even though the battle was won; I feel like we lost it. I spent too much energy on it; honestly I’m exhausted.” I feel like that after each battle I’m in.

Am I Seeing Mirrors?

By William Briner

            In mirrors, you’re suppose to see your own reflection; not the reflection of others. If you’ve been through pain and suffering, and you’re going to see your past. If I’m lucky, and I’ll be seeing my past in the mirror. I’ll let you be the judge. Am I seeing mirrors?

            In “Mirror” by Lil Wayne and Bruno Mars; Lil Wayne talks about seeing his “reflection”. The last verse and beginning of the chorus says.

Looking at me now, I can see my past

Damn, I look just like my f****n dad

I light it up, that’s smoke in mirrors

I even look good in a broken mirror

I see my Mama’s smile; that’s a blessing

I see the change; I see the message

And no message coulda been clearer

So, I’m starting with the man in the

Chorus

Mirror on the wall (MJ taught me that)

That describes me almost perfectly. The part about Mama’s smile doesn’t. Every time I look in a mirror; I see a broken image. I will always be changing. What taught me to look in a broken mirror were the streets. I still wonder what would happen if I didn’t look at the glass as half full instead of half empty. Now tell me, am I seeing mirrors?