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Junior journalists

These are the fifth-grade Junior Journalist essays. The students chose between these two topics: being in a deep cave or a noisy birthday package from crazy Uncle Ted in Africa. The Junior Journalist Club is a partnership between the Citrus County School District and the Citrus Times to promote excellence in writing.

Right at this very moment, I close my eyes and imagine myself in a cold, dark cave. I shudder to think of the fears lurking in the shadows and then becoming quite nervous. I begin to feel the need to be away from the cave! If you don't see how I could be afraid to be in a cave as simple as this, I will show you how nerve-racking this cave could be by telling you things that will make your spine tingle! So close your eyes and follow me into this deep cave!

If you don't understand how this cave could be scary, I'll give you one thing that will make you cry and give you ophidia phobia. the fear of snakes. Stand back and watch for the dangerous animals, like a snake and its poisonous poison.

For example, once there was a book I read that told about how a person suffers from a snakebite. First, the snake would hiss and expose its frightening fangs. Then the snake comes close to you, slithering mischievously until SNAP! The snake bites you and within minutes you feel odd, like a change in your blood stream has occurred. And indeed, such has happened.

The poison has joined your bloodstream and it is slowly advancing to your heart as a troop of soldiers going into battle. And if you are too late into getting to a medical help center, you may as well say hasta la vista and (perhaps!) expire. Doesn't that want to make your stomach flip? Or does that make your spine shiver noisily? Either one you choose, you'll get both!

Are you ready for another big fear of mine? Well, I wouldn't dare be in a cave because of the long expanse of darkness. It would be impossible to see where you are going! You could hit your head and rattle your brain! Like once, it was Halloween night. It was really late and the bigger and older kids were going home. I was alone in this darkness. The street lights had turned out, houses went to sleep and helicopters ceased their search. Even the moon was covered up! It was up to me and my low-battery flashlight. Even if I didn't want to go through with this I didn't have a choice.

Don't freak out like my teacher when my class isn't quiet, I kept telling myself as my flashlight flickered. Suddenly my flashlight flickered off and I was in total darkness. I strained to look ahead, but I knew my case was hopeless. I decided to feel around. I stretched my arms our and hoped I wouldn't hit anything. BANG! I had spoken too soon. I knocked my head into a tree. Don't you see gow dangerous it could be if I hit my head or your head into a cave wall in the awful darkness? I bet now your nerves are shaking uncontrollably, like mine. Don't get too nervous now!

Okay, you can come back to reality! Now do you see how I fear to be in this deep, dark cave? And don't you agree with me? I'll leave you to answer those questions. In conclusion, these were my # one fears in being in this dreadful cave.

-- Abigail McDonald, Pleasant Grove Elementary School

Here comes another birthday! I always look forward to my birthday because one thing I can always count on is my mom making her delicious, homemade chocolate birthday cake. Trust me, it is yummy! Another thing I look forward to is my little sister's crafty gifts. Sometimes I can't figure out what it is, but it's the thought that counts! My aunt, who's a teacher, usually will send me a great book to read.

Now, there is one person whose present always seems to blow my mind! That's my crazy Uncle Ted's present. Actually, I wish I could just see him, but as I was saying, my crazy Uncle Ted's present. Oops, hang on. Someone's at the door. Okay, I'm back. That was the postman and he just delivered Uncle Ted's gift! Wow! I wonder what in the world it could be this time? What do you think? Shall we shake it? Why not?

Well, first of all, when I lifted the box, it felt quite heavy and it made a rattling sound. Could it be rocks? He knows I collect them. Oh, I doubt it.

Second, I thought maybe it might be a pair of maracas. No, no, no. It's still too heavy for that! Suddenly, I heard another sound, kind of like a ticking noise. Would it be a clock? That just doesn't seem to fit Uncle Ted's personality. Let's just find out!

I tore open the box and inside I did find rocks! But, to my surprise, under the rocks was another box. So I opened this box, and guess what? I was right, a ticking clock! But the weirdest thing of all was that the clock had plane tickets to Africa and a note attached to it that read, "Dear Chauncey, by the time you get this gift, I hope you will be swift. So don't just stay in bed. Hurry to come see Uncle Ted!"

Boy what a special delivery package from my Uncle Ted! He may be crazy, but he sure knows how to show his love!

-- Chauncey Pauley, Citrus Springs Elementary School

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