The Masked Frindle vs. Dark Boogey

Today in Drop-in Writing we created a superhero, the Masked Frindle, as a group. Masked Frindle is a superhero who fights bad writing using the power of a shredder. MF's weakness is permanent marker and the catchphrase MF uses is "Onward, Robots!".

Then we designed our own individual superheros! The assignment was to write a story using both superheros: They could a) fight each other; b) team up to fight another crime; or c) discover that the other, previously thought to be merely a mild-mannered friend or coworker, was a superhero!

The following story is Duncan R's. You'll thrill! You'll Chill! To. . .The Masked Frindle meets Dark Boogey!!!

Masked Frindle was on a police mission. Apparently, an anti-hero named Dark Boogey was seen in her neighborhood.

"Great," she thought out loud. "An opponent who doesn't do bad writing. Just great."

All of a sudden, Masked Frindle heard a catchphrase that made her blood run cold: "I know where you liiiiiiiiive!"

No later than hearing that, an invisible force tossed her into the air. Controlling that force was none other than Dark Boogey!

Once he turned away from her, she fell fifteen feet down. Grunting in pain, Masked Frindle slowly rose back to her feet.

"Why. . won't. . .you. . .LEAVE?" she demanded fiercely, while attempting to destroy him with her power of shredder. Although the shredder indeed didn't even scratch Dark Boogy, it did tear off his mask!

She gasped. Dark Boogey was really her boyfriend, Ricardo Miller! Again. . .before she fainted from shock, Ricardo Miller snarled, "I know where you live!""


Is this the end for Masked Frindle? Will she ever escape the clutches of Dark Boogey/Ricardo Miller? Does he really know where she lives? Tune in next week for more superhero adventures!


This is merely a SAMPLE of the AMAZING superhero stories that Drop-in students produced this week! How do they write so well? Might Drop-in students secretly be superheroes and supervillains themselves? Bum bum BA!

Worst. Day. Ever, part III

Sampoorna: When I woke up I was thirsty but all the taps were giving out ink so there was nothing to drink. So I went to get my lunch to go to school but my lunch box had glue in it. By the time I cleaned up the bus came and I missed it. So my parents had to drop me. When I went to school I realized I forgot my lunch box. Then I saw my chair, it had goop on it and I was on it, so I had to get my pants cut off. When I got home nobody was home and the door was locked so I had to wait outside. When my parents came home it was the next day so I got no sleep in the night.

Sean: [. . .] We went upstairs to watch TV and the channels were not working. He [my friend] called "Mom" but no one was there. There was bog all over the place.

Pranav: [. . .] I get a note that I need to go to school on Sunday.

Duncan: Little Grace woke up. She saw clowns staring at her and laughing as if she was the village idiot.

"Pappa, look at the little girl who's in her bed!" shouted a clown in a stroller that was 10 feet tall. A jester skipped in and shouted: "Yeah, she's a funny little cretin!"

Little Grace was even more sad and humiliated when she saw she was surrounded by bars, so she couldn't escape.

Next was a 3rd clown that weighed 300 pounds and had barbells hanging from her nostrils. She threw a tomato with maggots at her.

"That's your food ration, Little Grace" she cackled.

They all tormented her by throwing more tomatoes and rotten eggs. "If You're Happy and You Know It" played on the pipe organ. No day could be worse.

At the Movies

Sean: Leaf-atarian (PG-13)

I will have a girl that gets bullied by two boys and when she took a bite out of her sandwich she just notices that it was worms. Then when she went home she called "Mom" and then found her mom looking in the sink in the kitchen and she turns around with green leaves sticking out of her head...

I like my movie. The characters in the story are Dorothy, the two bullies Tom and Bob. The main problem was that her mom had leaves sticking out of her head.

Duncan: A Documentary on Earth's Scariest Animals (NC-17, for language and mind-blowing violence).

Starring Miley Cyris as COYOTE PACK TIDBITS

and Nick Jonas as HIPPO COW PREY

"A well-meaning director"

The Oscars. This is it. I can't be outdone by Kung-Fu Panda. This is the most superb footage of animals ever seen. Suddenly, I felt handcuffs being chained to my wrists.

"You're under arrest for releasing wild animals on Miley Cyrus and Nick Jonas!" a cop yelled.

"But it's an Oscar winner, you'll see!" I yelled.

"Tell that to the judge, Bub!"

Yet, even in jail, I win 5 Oscars.

Lynn: Hi! I'm Lynn and I'm a total S-U-P-E-R-S-T-A-R superstar. I have celebrity mornings where I turn on my radio to volume 72 and dance in my PJs. Then I dive to my work to finish making my film.

The Dragon's Cave (PG-13)

A dragon protecting the cave and a brave knight that is trying to get the treasure and most of the people who try to get there fail, but one brave knight succeeds.

Lauren: Monsters vs. Lynn and Leigha

It is scary. There is a monster. There are kids. The monster is trying to get the kids. The kids' names are Lynn and Leigha and they are trying to run away and the monster is scary.

Horrible Restaurants

Pranav: Cheese Me brings all the customers in but once you get out you'll have a nasty grin. All they sell is cheese and everyone who works there humiliates you. One order costs 1000 dollars and if you don't eat their food the boss will come to your table to slap you. The outside of the building is fancy but the inside is gross. They never clean the restrooms and the toilets don't flush and they also sell dish water for 2000 dollars.

Sampoorna: The worst restaurant I have ever been to serves plastic eggs with spiders on the outside. They painted the inside with paint and crickets mixed together. You're served in the toilet. You are forced to eat what they give you. The drink is blood. The restaurant is very dirty but the outside is very pretty. The name of the restaurant is the Green Radish.

Duncan: A bar and grill.

In whatever town Oberlin is in, Joe sent to a Bar 'n' Grill. 

The waiter asked, "What'll it be?" Joe responded, "A turkey, the whole thing, but a small one." He waited 5 minutes before a decayed and greasy turkey staggered toward him. "Mr. Jennie-O is home," it creaked. "Now for our dinner show." 

It threw a chunk of itself in his mouth. That chunk still had feathers.

Sadie: My least favorite restaurant is Big Boy because I don't like the burgers, because I don't ask for pickles but they give me pickles anyway and the pickles are black and green. Also I am evil because I hurt my brother this morning and I don't feel bad about it.

Lynn: The grossest restaurant in the world is Yuck, Yuck, Yuck. All it is is Yuck.

The restaurant has so many flies and the waitresses are so mean. The restaurant has a stench that comes from the bathroom. The food is so gross. Their sandwiches are made of sand and raw ham with rotten cheese. The restaurant is called Yummy Yuck.

Sean: Food Out!

The grossest restaurant I ever been to is Food Out. Their restaurant is very clean but the waiters are very dirty. The plates are dirty and tables. The bathroom is a table with a hole.

Elena: All the waiters would never wash their hair and smear avocados underneath their nails, which they never clip. They also won't ever wash, brush or cut their hair. [. . .] They all have really muddy, old sneakers as well.

Lauren: Smarty Pants is the grossest place. [. . .] If you say you don't want to eat they say you have to. They make you drink blood. They have spiders on the plates and they don't wash the plates. They trick you, they make it very clean to trick you.

Devak: Blue Nile badness!

Today I went to the restaurant called Blue Nile, an Ethiopian restaurant. The restaurant was very clean. And first the waitress gave me a hot towel to clean my hand. I was really impressed but when the food came, it was really disgusting. It was like mashed vegetables and as soon as I was done with the food I was ready to leave.

July 29, 2029

Sean: The basketball stadium will be the shape of a basketball and look like a basketball. The football players will have more money.

Lynn: My kids names are going to be named Alissa, Andrew and Ashley. I will also have a dog named Brandie.

Devak: I will take a shower and immediately go to the Barack Obama hospital. Because Obama was in a car crash. Now we have a big laser to cut through the head. I will eat dinner and go to sleep.

Pooja: I would learn more about science. I will figure out a question nobody has ever figured out before! That is what it would be like 20 years later! They would invent a medicine which is a candy. Dogs would have super speed. They would take 20 years to finish a book. Houses would reach space. This is 20 years later! Wait a minute, the medicine would cure candynitis. This is 20 years later!

Sampoorna: There will be a medicine that is in candy. And for Halloween there will be a pumpkin that you can color on then put it on a pumpkin then wash the pumpkin and wherever you drew it would carve the pumpkin and if you touch one of the places it will carve. While it carves it will not hurt.

Lauren: I don't want it to change. When I am 27 I will look like I am 7.

Duncan: The Animator's Office
I am possibly the only remaining human on earth. The air is now impossible to breathe, so everyone else moved to Vega, one of Pluto's stars. My only company is vampires and carnivorous horses and talking cats.

I finished animating an action kid cartoon. My assistant, a vampire named Queanapo sauntered toward me.

"The background is beautiful," he commented somberly.

"As the actual earth was once," I whispered. He put his hand, or should I say paw, on my shoulder and sobbed. "The earth is now grey and dark. Your cartoons are the only sunlight we'll see, since they took place before 2018."

If...

Cats rule world?

Lynn: School started at 1:00 because my cat/teacher loves to sleep. I just hate this cat world where everyone's a cat! I wanted to leave this world where everyone is a heavy sleeper. I hated school here, I wanted to go to school SOMEWHERE ELSE! Gelly roll gelly roll gelly roll.

Sean: The world would be very hairy. I will be very dirty. I would have hair balls all over the place. I would have to learn cat language. I would have to meow.

Abigail: If cats ruled? Well I have one question for you! What do you think the janitors and plumbers would do?

Pooja: My teacher would fall asleep at math on top of her desk. If she was in a bad mood I would pet her on the stomach and she would be happy again. [. . .] We would have a teacher named Fluffy and Whiskers. School would be over at 2:00. They would teach us how to meow instead of talk. At the end of the day I would wish we didn't have cats to rule the world. It would be a headache to have cats to rule the world!

Sadie: If a cat was a waitress I think the menu would be mice and milk.

Duncan: A Calico King (by Rudyard Kipling)

Thou shalt not escape King Raptor.

No mouse can dodge him. They're his prisoners.

"I sentence dread and drear to all dogs," he yowls.

Out of the woods bound panicking dogs.

"TALLY-HOE!!" Raptor shouts from a horse. "Here ye, here ye! Thy king announces fox hunts shall have wolf hunts and even hound hunts a-following after!"

All royal aquariums of human emperors and aviaries of Elven duchesses are gone and eaten.

Roads are rivers?

Kelly: There would be a sideswim (sidewalk) for swimmers.

Devak: School would be underwater. And for lunch you would have fish, squid, octopus, and shrimp. Humans might even develop gills.

Lauren: I would swim everywhere. Everybody is tan and has blonde hair and wears swim suits. Everybody skates in the winter. Dogsled or snow boots.

Pranav: If anyone forgot their water bottle they could drink out of the river.

Rosie: There would be signs like "Surfers share road," and floating caution cones for construction. Street lights would be lighthouses.

Hands for eyes?

Devak: To put my clothes on I would have to bite my clothes and would have to toss them on my head. And for breakfast if I had cereal I would have to put the spoon in my eye socket to scoop it out of my bowl.

Sadie: If I shook hands with a person they would run away.

Pooja: I would brush my hair with my eyes and instead of moving my hair brush I would move my head. I wouldn't brush my teeth with my foot, definitely not with my foot.

Pranav: I would have robot that would guide me everywhere I want to go. And when I'm writing my robot would tell me what I'm doing wrong.

Eating rocks?

Sean: If I ate rocks, I would taste like one. The gray one would taste like vanilla and the limestone would taste like banana and the fool's gold would taste like Superman. I will look like a ball of water and rocks.

Pranav: For breakfast I would have a rock pancake for breakfast, for lunch a rock pizza, for dinner rock rice.

Lynn: I woke up early in the morning smelling my favorite rock, limestone. I ate one and washed it down with lava. I packed some for lunch, brushed my teeth and gathered by books and went to catch the bus.

Kelly: My favorite rock is granite and sandstone. I usually drink metallic liquid, and lava would be a treat. Marble is especially good, but that's usually at special parties. For breakfast I have quartz, limestone and sometimes crystal for a difference. Lunch is normally fool's gold and mica.

Rosie: Here's what each rock tasted like: grantite = cherries; marble = waffles; limestone = limes, of course!; quartz = brownies; sandstone = lettuce; crystal = ice cream; olivine = olives; geode = it comes in two flavors, blackberry and spaghetti.

Rock and roll

Matthew: The Cockroaches

• Genre: ROCK N' ROLL!
• Band History: Where they met is still a mystery.
• CRAWL!
1. Crawling in the Night!
2. Pinching in the Daytime!

Sara: The Arresters

• Band History: They met in the Wart Lobby. The band's name is Rock and Roll. Their costumes said "You Rock." 6 million people are in the band. The Arresters say get out of jail, punk. They stomp their feet while they sing.

Sophia: The Panda Pinkos

• Self-Titled Album (Disc One: Rock It, Disc Two: Rock Away):
1. Pandas
2. Pink
3. Rock Away
4. Wild
5. Rock Me Too Much
6. Awesome
7. Fly to the Sky

Duncan: The Sad Ones

• Genre: Heavy Metal
• Members: A smart aleck named Anders ("Undies") and his overgrown best buddy Duncan ("Dumpling")
• Instruments: Undies on scratching blackboard, Dumpling on fire alarm
• The Sad Ones present 'Sadbunny'
1. Sad Baby (5:00)
2. Sadbunny (10:00)
3. Ghost with Measles (5:00)
4. Woodpecker vs. Hyena (5:00)
5. The Band Breaking Up (10:00)
6. Reunion (5:00)

Lauren: The Silent Band

• Hit Single: None
• Costumes: Duck outfits
• Band History: They decided to have a band to be quiet.

Sean: KISS 2

Hit Single: Detroit Rock City
Costumes: Black and white face paint, black pants and shirt.
We Dare You On Now
1. Hot Hot Hotter Than Hell Man
2. Detroit Rock City to You
3. Doter Love Oh Yeah

Alison:

• Band History: I was in a restaurant putting on a show. THen a record dealer saw me and put me on air.
• Costume: Snazzy silver tight pants with a white sequined shirt.
• Head in a Cloud
1. Head in a Cloud
2. Out of Town
3. Never Wanna See You
4. Dream
5. Ironic
6. Magic
7. Just Luck
8. I Saw an Angel

Elena: The Golden Girls

• Costumes: My costume is a short, shiny, sleeveless gold dress, gold earrings, silver heels, and a silver choker necklace with a Star Charm and a gold, chunky bracelet. Everyone else wears gold tank tops and gold miniskirts with silver belts. They also wear gold headbands.
• Self-Titled Album
1. B mine
2. Silvold
3. Best Friend
4. Sprinkle
5. Think Pink
6. Treasure Chest

Lynn: The Miracles Happen Band

• The Miracles Happen
1. Miracle
2. Classic Attack
3. Buzz Buzz
4. Fly to the Sky
5. Whoa Ga
6. Choo Choo
7. Come Along
8. Cool!
9. Yeah
10. Whoo Hoo
11. Miss You
12. Yummy in My Tummy
13. Day Dream
14. A Choice
15. For Your 15!

King's Travels (by Jack London)

By Duncan

King was a red wolf. 3ft at the shoulder and 6 feet from nose to tail.

From a town called Luzchivez in California, he is the first animal to travel on foot to Peru.

On his way he met a silly Caiman named Tequilla in Northern Central America.

"What's your name?" King asked.

"Mi gusto burritos! Aye-aye-aye!" Tequilla guffawed, banging his tail on a xylophone.

The reason he's so silly is that he always talks off topic, not because he speaks only Spanish.

They eventually reached Peru. As they saw their first llama, King said to himself: Tequilla is a great friend for leading me here. Tequilla responded by inquiring: "Como se llamas? Mi llama Tequilla! Hablo Espaniol, amigo?"

They had many fun years together. But, good times must end. After all, human relationships are longer than animal friendships.

King merely left with a hunk of meat. Tequilla cried one salty tear, not crocodile, but a real tear of sorrow. He knew King was back in California with his own kind.

"No mi gusta," he sobbed. This time he spoke on topic.

• Postcard: Dear Hunters,
  My guide to Peru is a Caiman named Tequilla.
  I wish you were here, Queen. Not as much you, baby wolves, as Tequilla could be perilous.
  On the back is apicture of Tequilla, whom I'm swimming with tonight.
  Love, King.

Best Vacations

If we ever get the scanner working, pictures will be added.

Lauren: I want to go to Kalahari. I want to bring my swimsuit and my goggles and my towel and clothes. I am going to bring Lindsey. I am going to play in the water. I am going to jump in the water. Splash!!! On a plane! I am going to have a party with Lindsey.

• Postcard: Dear mom, dad, mom, Leigha, Lynn. I miss you so much. I hope you have a good time. This is what I did I went on the rides I swam in the pool. I went to the airport. I went on the airplane. I am going to come soon!! I am coming soon. Yay. I will come. Get ready Lauren coming. Yahoo! Great.

Alison: My dream vacation would be in Honolulu, Hawaii.

[. . .]

I will get there by a free luxury cruise. It will be almost as big as the Titanic, but more better and elegant. Oh, and it will be a private cruise.

My end of vacation party will be a luau and all of my friends and family except Lindsey. There will be tiki torches and hula dancers.

Lucia: All the unicorns are pure white and sparkle like snow, and the only way you can tell them apart is by their horns. They're all different colours. They also have games, or races, with the other creatures. To compete skills in magic, or running or speaking. But everyone is a winner.

To get to the clouds you have to first go in a flying boat, then a phoenix takes you the rest of the way. In order to go back down to earth you have to ride a unicorn.

Jack: Once upon a time a person named Rum went to the Pacific Ocean. He walked to the ocean and he swam to the middle. Be brought a gun, soda, a bucket and a sandwich. These items aren't real useful well. He survives, THEN a rocket falls into the water. Rum exploded into thin air and landed on an electric eel. Well he died.

• Postcard: Help oh my gosh I'm drowning
  Ahhhhhhhhh
  ughhhhhhhhh
  Arghhhhhhhh
  Die shark so
  Here's pictures on the back
  To: Pirates

Sean: To North Carolina. I would bring all of my North Carolina stuff like my hat, jersey and my basketball hoop and stuff. No one will come with me. I would play basketball on my basketball hoop. I will get there by bus. I will have a contest on basketball 5 on 5. I will have lot of fun at North Carolina. I will go to the game of the Cavaliers and Lakers and play with them. I wil play with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

• Postcard: Hi _____
  Come to North Carolina and you will be happy that you did.
  Bye

John:

• Postcard: It has been five days since the attack. I doubt we will last long but Kyle has a plan. Me being as negative as I am decided to write this in case it fails. You wouldn't believe what happened! But seeing is believing so I've enclosed a tape of it all. Time is short. I have to go. Farewell and if this note is found please forward it to Mark and Linda.

Elizabeth:

• Postcard: Dear Liz and Josh,
  Hi I'm on a desserted island. I fell off a ship that was coming from Peru and going to Puerto Rico. I fell off the ship and landed on a desserted island. I just learned how to make acorn pancakes!
  Elizabeth

Britt: Everything seemed dismally grey. The sky, the buildings, the rocks and even the Ocean. It seemed that nothing could get worse. I stared out at the dismal sea. On eof the barges crossed the horizon. I wished I could get on one and sail away go anywhere not grey. Just then Emma came up to me in a hurry. Emma had lived in Rockaway ever since I could remember. "Britta" she gasped. "I'm leaving." "leaving?" I cried. "Where?"

"I'm going to Ireland to my Aunt and Uncle's."

I remembered the Pictures of Ireland we had seen at School. The green fields rolling over each other in waves. Before I had time to think I blurted, "Could I come?"

Emma looked startled and stuttered, "I dunno Britt."

• Dear Mum,
  I docked safely in Ireland with Emma. We are staying at her Aunt's and Uncle Patrick's. We had fun on the ship and I think I like to stow away better than pay legally. [. . .]

More Superheroes (part two)

Sadie:

When Super Sadie comes to the bank she just watches the fight. Because it is fun. She is super about watching crimes and she just really likes to watch crimes.

Sean:

If I had a power I would have anything I want. I would have a big head, I would have a white shirt. I will have big feet. I will be an alien. I will defeat Mr. Brain. He has big teeth, a weird snape, 3 fingers, 8 arms, a weird shape on his leg. And 53 toes.

Lindsey:

Power: I can turn into anything I want.

Enemies: Boys.

Lynn:

Fire Girl was robbing the bank! [Super Psychic] couldn't tell the cops because they would question why she was out at 12:00 midnight.

Lauren:

Super Skater.

She can turn anything into ice.

She can skate very fast.

She can do jumps.

She can do spins.

She can do stretches.

She can do spiral sequences.

She can do moves.

She was born like this.

Somebody robbed a bank and Super Skater saw and made them into ice. And put the money back. And he went to jail. She saw in a newspaper. She already [solved] 500 crimes. Her award was $300!!!

Jack:

Zackum isn't a girl or boy. He's nothing. He has 134 arms. He's made out of lava. He's a villain. He lives in lava. He's the second most biggest thing in the world. He fights for freedom. His archenemy is, let's just say billions of people.

Bob is the strongest man in the universe. He doesn't look that strong. He is.

Zackum got away with [robbing the bank] but since he stole the money he was cursed, so if he went to the bank he would die. Years and years passed by. Zackum tried to go in the bank. He almost died. He went in again. He died.

More Superheroes (part one)

Phantom, by Duncan

Occupation: Kidnapper, ghost

Nemesis: Crazy Dog (rapper hero)

Powers: Morph into panther at will.

Real name: Garth Zyxx

Is like this 'cause: He was bit by a radioactive panther.

Why he hates Crazy Dog: He's scared of hip-hop.

The Coat (by Charles Dickens)

Phantom nimbly races betwixt the alleys. The banker's coat is cast upon his gaunt arm.

He bells like an elk, "Tra-lu! Tra-lae! In moons thou shalt find me!"

But gather, oh children, as if a tempest struck with a clang, the rapper Crazy Dog came forward.

"Thou jests, homie. Answer thyself to prison and law. I expect to buy a milkshake, and lo, I catch...Phantom!"

The hunt was delayed, as Crazy Dog was trotting out of the alleys.

Phantom, now a decayed panther, roars, "Enjoy thy bones, he whom seeks the coat. I shall lunge unto thee!"

Things I would bring with me to Antarctica

Duncan: A bayonet. Good for flaying and knocking off potential food.

Jack: Jet pack just in case the ice melts. Fuel in case I run out of jet pack fuel. Tube if I need to travel by water. Just in case.

Faith: A boyfriend.

Words, words, words

Birl (BIRL) n. Boy/girl. There was a birl on the soccer team. By Lynn.

Cauciah (cau-KEE-ah) n. A backstabbing friend. Faith is a cauciah. By Stacia.

Esspothonia (ess-po-THONE-ee-ah) n. A sickness. I got esspothonia yesterday. By Jack.

Fafer (FAH-FUR) adj. Fast. I need to go fafer. By Lauren.

Lamado (lah-MAH-do) n. A boyfriend stealer. Faith is a lamado. By Stacia.

Pielikezi (pie-LIKE-zee) interj. I like pie. Pielikezi so much. By Sean.

Zuka (ZOO-kah) n. A true friend. Faith is not a zuka. By Stacia.

The Stinky Planet

A story by Tiana

[never written down but retold here for the purposes of laughing & smiling]

Here is my planet. It's called Booger World, and here is the Queen. The Queen is me, and there's my blue dress. There's my crown - it's made of boogers dipped in gold. See, I don't have a mouth, because people are born without mouths and then they have to find a mouth tree and pick one. And there's my dog, who's a skunk, because on this world, dogs are skunks. And the people on the planet eat the skunk poop, and use the skunk spray as perfume. They're really stinky, the whole world is really stinky, that's why there are all those SSSSssss coming off the planet.

So, their dogs are skunks, and their cats are alligators. But the alligators are nice, and don't eat the skunks, or the people. They put them on leashes and they all walk around together, and the alligators poop rainbows, but the rainbows don't survive because they just can't on stinky worlds.

Things that aliens eat

• Tiny pebbles
• Snakes made out of toilet water and electricity
• Pizza with plastic, lettuce, pencil shavings
• Toenails
• Nothing
• Very few meats
• Seaweed shakes
• Boogers
• Doughnuts and cake and anything
• Beans and peas and that's how they fart a lot
• Leeches covered in snot
• Each other