Maggie's Escape

by Victoria Libretto and Shakeel Choudhury 

Maggie hates being a young student in the middle of nowhere. All her life consists of is tests, papers, and chores. This can’t be all that life is, reasons Maggie. I need something better than what I have now. 

Today, Maggie discovers the excitement she was craving. She is investigating a gruesome crime scene with her partner. A man had seemingly slipped off a cliff. The police had already declared that the man had simply taken a wrong step in darkness of night while returning from work. Maggie knew that there was something afoot, and she must discover it soon.

The foolish police neglected small details that only a skilled detective like Maggie could spot. She saw the long streaks and faint footprints in the mud ten yards back. She noted the lack of money in man’s pockets, which was strange since the man should have received his pay for the week. She added up the clues and deduced that there was a mugging, and this innocent man was murdered. 

But who could it be, thought Maggie. The only one who was out at that time of the night was –. Suddenly, she heard faint calls. “Maggie, Maaaaggiiiie …” the voice called. She would have to continue the investigation later, maybe later in the day. For now she would have to close her copy of Sherlock Holmes and investigate what her mother was calling her for.

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Victoria Libretto is a second-year student at Asnuntuck Community College. She plans to finish her schooling at Asuntuck and go to a four-year college to continue her education to become and ultrasound technician. 

Shakeel Choudhury is a second-year student at Asnuntuck Community College. She hopes to continue her education and attain a degree in a computer IT field because she loves working with technology. 


Both authors are enrolled in Jessica Handly's ENG 102 course.

The Circus Affair

by Dawa Drolma, Allison Kulas, and Amber Pelletier


Lucy planned to take her husband to the circus for their honeymoon. As they made their way through the seemingly never-ending woods, they finally spotted the colorful tent.

Davis, the ringmaster, led the show’s elaborate performance. He was the stereotypical tall, dark, and handsome gentleman. He specialized in the show’s intense magic tricks that left the audience speechless.

Lucy and her husband joined the audience with their popcorn and peanuts to enjoy the show. During the middle of the performance, Davis spotted the young couple kissing lovingly during his act. He called the husband down onto the stage as a guest for his magic trick. The husband entered a large mysterious box, and Davis shut the door. After a few minutes of interaction with the audience, the doors opened to reveal an empty box. The show ended here.

Lucy stood up quickly and ran out of the tent to find Davis standing beside a tree. They met with sly smiles and held each other in their arms.

“I missed you so much,” exclaimed Lucy.

“I’m all yours, forever and always,” replied Davis.

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All three of the coauthors are students in Jessica Handly's ENG 102 course at Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield, Connecticut.

Dawa Drolma is an international student from Tibet at Bay Path University.

Allison Kulas also attends Bay Path University in Longmeadow, Massachusetts.

Amber Pelletier also attends the University of Bay Path. She is a sophomore majoring in Occupational Therapy. This is her first publication.

The Mysterious Woods

by Alison Thomas, Joe Tarasek, Jason Despard, and Seth Bernard

“Do not go into the woods because of the evil clown that lives there,” said Raphael and Jimmy’s mother.

Later that day, the boys decided to venture into the woods. Thinking that what their mother said was a lie, they decided to walk deeper into the woods.

As they were playing in the woods, Raphael noticed a tent in the distance. They slowly walked towards it, their adrenaline building. Jimmy decided to throw a rock at the tent, and Raphael soon followed. They then decided to rain as many rocks as they could throw.

Suddenly a clown came out of the tent in great anger. He stared down the boys for what seemed like a century. The clown started to walk towards them. The boys took notice and decided to run as fast as they could back home.

The boys returned home and went straight to their beds. Their father noticed that they returned to the house with great haste.

The father walked upstairs and into their room and asked, “What’s wrong guys?”

The boys had the lights on and were both cuddled in the same bed.

They replied, “Nothing, we are fine.”

The father then closed the door and walked towards his wife saying, “It worked.”

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All four of the coauthors are students in Jessica Handly's ENG 102 course at Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield, Connecticut.

Alison Thomas is currently a sophomore in college. She enjoys reading and writing and particularly welcomed the opportunity to cowrite "The Mysterious Woods."

Joe Tarasek is a second-year student at Asnuntuck Community College. His goal is to pursue management information systems at a four-year college.

Jason Despard is in his second semester at Asnuntuck Community College. He is 19 years old and plans majoring in accounting. Next fall, he will attend Eastern Connecticut State University.

Seth Bernard is 21 years old and from Enfield, Connecticut. He is a sophomore at Asnuntuck and plans transfer to the University of Connecticut to major in environmental science. He enjoys riding his BMX bike and traveling and has a pit bull named Louie.