The Thief of Always Pages153-213(End)

After Jive dies Harvey walks up the stairs to the attic. The attic is creaky and old and in the far corner he hears a noise which he believes to be Mr. Hood. He is wrong and the creature is Carna. The beast is still very injured and it hobbles up to attack Harvey. He stumbles and falls. On the ceiling he sees some carving that look like a face. Then two boards form a mouth and the house begins to talk. Mr. Hood is not in the house; he is the house! Harvey is shocked as the house tells him that he can either stay and live forever or get eaten by Carna. Harvey makes a dash for it and just as Carna is about to strike Harvey puts out a kind hand towards the beast. It makes a soft purring sound and nestles into his hand. Then the beast obliterates because Harvey showed it love. He runs downstairs and Rictus in waiting for him, his face hald made out of dirt because of the houses weakening. He promises to give Harvey anything to stay, but Harvey just keeps walking. Rictus keeps making things appear, but Harvey knows they're all illusions. Then Harvey comes up with an idea; make the house use up all it's magic. Harvey begins to wish of hundreds of ridiculous things and with each new wish the house falls more and more apart. The house bellows that Harvey has one more wish before he will be taken captive. Harvey wish for all of the seasons to take place at once. There is a giant storm as each season fights with eachother for dominance. With this the house explodes and is reduced to rubble. Mrs. Griffin thanks Harvey for everything as she begins to fade away. Harvey is about to walk away when Rictus comes out of the rubble with an orb of magic telling Harvey that he will just rebuild the house, but Rictus is grabbed by a glowing hand from beneath the ground and it rips Rictus's head right off in a poof of smoke. Mr. Hood then takes on human form from the rubble. He is made out of wood and windows, but his magic is still powerful. Next hundred s of glowing orbs begin to float toward the lake and children pull themselves from the depths. Harvey leads Hood over to the lake (which is now a violent portal hungry for souls). Hood tries to throw Harvey in, but harvey is too quick and he thrusts Hood into the deadly spiral. Lulu and Wendell are waiting for him by the mist along with hundreds of other kids. They all agree to walk holding hands for as long as they can before they are each sent back to their own time. Once out of the fog Harvey is alone and passes out from exhaustion. He wakes up in his own bed with his parents being regularly aged. He brings them to the site of the house which is now a hill with kids playing on it. A man walks up to Harvey and tells Harvey's parents that everything abput the house is true. Harvey looks over at the man's wife and she waves. His wife is Lulu, all grown up. The man thanks him for everything and walks away.
Important Quote: At the last moment before the mist elcipsed them they looked around at eachother, and Harvey said, "Home..." Pg:204 This is the part of the story where Harvey has defeated Hood and he is going home. All of the children who were fish in the lake are now freed. They all decide to walk into the mist together and hold hands for as long as they can. This is an important part of the story because it is where the action starts to fall. This is when the problem is almost solved and everyone can go home. This part really gave me goosebumps because all of the kids are now freed and it's really symbolic how they all walk into the mist together.
Connection: My connection to this section is the last day of the school year. Everyone is "freed" from the "evil" of school and it might be the last time you see some of the people in your class for a while. Thats kind of what happens to the kids at the House. They are freed and they don't know if they will ever see any of the other kids ever again. And while the last day of school might not be that dramatic it kind of reminds me of this section.

Horror Story Questions

My inspiration for the story came from the Blair Witch Project with more people. In the movie three people walk into the Blair Woods and they get lost and eventually killed. Another inspiration was the woods behind my house. This was an inspiration because the woods are pretty creepy and you could easily get lost in them. The easiest part in the story to write was the summerization and creation of the characters. I found it very easy to create deep, detailed characters. I found the ending the hardest part to write. I actually had three different endings written before I wrote the one that I used. I was very satisfied with my writing. I'd probably give myself a 10. I was very suprised with how scary the story was and I actually scared myself at times. I think I'd deserve an A for this project because I feel like I was able to create good characters, a scary setting, and I was able to create drama and foreshadowing. I also feel like I followed a good plot line and followed the "What makes a good story" sheet well too. On my next writing project I will do most of the same things with the plot development and characters, but I don't think I'll make it as violent.

The Thief of Always pgs 123-152

Summary:Wendell and Harvey have found the mist leading to the Holiday House in the beginning of this section. When they get to the house Wendell is sucked into the magic and completely forgetswht he came there; to find Mr. Hood (who is not dead, but somewhere in the house) and to desrtoy the 4 keepers of the house; Jive, Rictus, Carna, and Marr. When they walk in the house Rictus is waiting for them and he is very fakely happy. Wendell starts eating, but Harvey knows that it's all just dust transformed by magic. The last remaining cat of the house shows Harvey a hidden door that he never saw before and down the stairs there is a box. Inside the box is Mrs. Griffin; beaten and bruised. She tells Harvey that she was the first ever kid in the house and that Mr. Hood made a deal with her that she would never die if she stayed in the house. At this point Marr is making her way down the stairs and is telling Harvey that she will transform him. When she grabs him nothing happens because Harvey is content with being himself. The magic then backtracks into Marr and because she doesn't dream she turns into a puddle. Then while walking up the stairs Jive is waiting for him with some pie. Harvey thinks the pie is poisoned so Jive eats it to prove it isn't. The keepers can't have food from the house because it causes their stomachs to turn to dust so Jive is reduced to pile of ash and dirt. Now Harvey just has to take care of Carna and Rictus,  then he can find Mr. Hood and ask him to give him his old live back.
Important Quote: "Harvey could see by the glazed look in Wendell's eyes that the House was already working its' subductive magic." Pg 126. This sentence is found when Harvey and Wendell return to the House. This is important because it shows how evil the magic of the House really is. It sucked Wendell right into it's trap. This is also where the reader realizes that Harvey will have to complete the mission of getting his real life back by himself. This happens right before the climax of the story and really gives the story an unique twist before it gets really intense. Even though before Wendell got back to the house he knew that he had to remain focused and destroy the House, he still got sucked in by the evil magic of the House and to me that's really scary.
Connection: This section kind of reminds me of Lord of the Rings. In the Lord of the Rings Frodo and Sam have to go to Middle Earth to destroy the evil ring forever. Even though they know it's dangerous they go there to do good. That's exactly what Wendell and Harvey do in this section. Wendell also gets suduced by the magic of the house, like Frodo by the power of the ring. Harvey has to destroy the House to get his old life back just like Frodo has to destroy the ring. The House also represents Middle Earth; an evil area that you have to go to bring back good.

The Thief of Always pages 51-122

By this point in the story you know that the Holiday house changes seasons during the day. Every night after Thanksgiving it's Christamas and the kids all get one present a day. The first night Harvey wishes for a model ark like the one his father built for him. When he gets it he takes it to the dark lake to float it, a fish scares him and he falls in, losing the ark and all the lead figurines inside it. A week or two pass and everyday is the same, but then one night Harvey meets Rictus's brother Jive. He is extremely persuasive and evil. He tells Harvey a plan to get Wendell back for the prank he pulled a  week before. He takes Harvey up onto the roof and introduces him to Marr, one of the four keepers of the house(the other three being Rictus, Jive, and Carna who we'll meet later). She is extremely obese and lives in the chimney. She changes Harvey into a vampire using a strange sort of magic. Harvey uses his new form to swoop in on Wendell and scare him, but the prank gets taken too far when Jive tells Harvey to drink Wendell's blood. Harvey does the right thing by not doing it, but this dissapoints Jive and Marr turns him back into a human. The next day when Harvey wakes up Lulu is missing and Wendell is running around like a madman. Wendell is trying to escape, but no matter which way he tries to walk through the mist wall he ends up back at the house. Harvey goes inside to interrogate Mrs. Griffin and he finds out that this place is haunted and that everybody is being watched 24/7 by the four keepers of the house. Even Mrs. Griffin is a slave. This makes Harvey want to escape even more. So he goes to meet Wendell outside at midnight to make their escape. Before he sees Wendell he finds out the fate of Lulu. When she comes out of the brush she is scaled, slimy, and has fins, she is turning into one of the fishes. She hands him three lead figures from his sunken ark and jumps into the lake. Then Harvey tries to make his escape. Him and Wendell decide that if they hold hands, one on each side of the wall then maybe they can find the way out. Just a couple of minutes into their plan they hear Mrs. Griffin yelling for them to return to the house, Carna is approaching. Carna is a 100 eyed, 1000 toothed monster who is told to dispose of the children who misbehave. Mrs. Griffin throws a blue cat into the mist just as Harvey has to go in. The cat leads the two boys out of the maze, but it also leads Carna out too, but the beast begins to die because it cannot survive in the real world. When Harvey finds his way home he finds out that each day that passed in the Holiday House was a year in the real world so his parents are old and are astonished to see their son who's been missing for thirty years. The search to find and stop the Holiday House is now on.
Important Quote: "For every day he spent in there, a year had gone by here in the real world." Pg. 112. This quote is found in the text after Harvey escapes from the Holiday House. However his return is bittered when he finds out that 31 years had passed while he was there. This quote is where the reader first realizes what kind of magic the House is using. This is also where he meets his parents for the first time in "thirty one" years.
Connection: This part of the story kind of reminds me of the Chilean miners. The miners were in a mine shaft for 69 days without seeing their family. While that might not be 31 years it is a long time to go without seeing sunlight or family. This is what Harvey experienced in this section. He didn't have any contact with the outside world for 31 years, just like the Chilean miners.

Switched Up Saturday

I woke up at about 10:30 on a Saturday morning, I was groggy so I went through my normal morning routine without noticing any differnences. Then when I saw "my" face in the mirror, only it wasn't my face it was the face of Rickie Fowler, my favorite professional golfer. I couldn't belive this and I shouted, my mom was grocery shopping, my dad was working, and my sister was at her friend's house so I figured I'd have a good hour or two to figure this out. When I walked outside my dog immidiately started barking at me and because my voice was different he didn't calm down when I told him it was ok. I didn't know what to do, but because I was "technically" over 16 I decided to go to play golf(I thought that if I was in the body of a pro golfer maybe I could play like one.) So I left a note saying that I went golfing with one of my friends. My driving job was rough to say the least, I was actually very suprised I didn't get pulled over. However when I got to the course I was crowded by peopleand the manager of the course told me I could play as much as I wanted for free. At this point I was praying I could play like a pro. After an eagle on the first hole I was pretty confident I had Rickie's golfing skills. I ended up shooting a -13, 59, a new course record. Once the word got out about Rickie Fowler playing at a local golf course my mom wanted to take me to see him. Kind of an awkward situation. Then I heard my phone ringing when I answered I heard my mom; "Oh my gosh Casey you're golfing at the same golf course as your favorite golfer, I can't believe it, have so much fun, bye!" When I got back to the clubhouse I saw on ESPN that Rickie Fowler had withdrawn from the current tournament he was leading. The manager looked at me and said, "Why would you quit, you were winning." I had no idea what to do so I went outside and standing before me was myself, my real body self. This confused me immensly. And then my body said, "So your the kid you took my body and cost me the tournament!" We then proceeded to drive around talking about what to do. He drove this time. We came to the idea that I, or Rickie Fowler in my body, would invite Rickie Fowler, or me in Rickie's body, over for dinner and then he could sleep in our camper and when we woke up we'd be back to normal. The plan went accordingly and when I woke up on Sunday I was myself. Then I thought it must have been a dream, there was no sign of Rickie anywhere, but when I saw a signed Puma golf hat I knew that it was not a dream at all.

Teh Thief of Always pages 1-50

Summary: The story opens in a town called Millsap, it is a grey, dark, foggy town especially in the cold boring month of February. Harvey Swick, a ten year old boy, is bored out of his mind and is feeling pretty depressed when all of the sudden a man named Rictus flies through the window into his room. Rictus is a short, skinny man who wears a fancy suit and glasses. He tells Harvey that he doesn't have to be bored because he can go to the Holiday House. He then disappears, but returns a couple of days later to take Harvey there. The actual house is located behind a huge stone wall that has no gate, you just walk through it. Upon arrival Harvey is stunned by the four story house and the beautiful yard with an enormous tree house. After he enters the house an old lady named Mrs. Griffin. She lays out dozens of platters of food for him and tells him about the creator of the house, Mr. Hood who is a solitary man who hasn't appeared in the story yet. Harvey then he calls his mother, who is suprisingly fine with him skipping school and staying there for as long as he wants, almost too fine with it. He then meets the two other kids living there; Lulu and Wendell. Lulu is quiet and almost a suspious character, Wendell on the other hand is full of energy and him and Harvey hit it off right away. Then Harvey goes to sleep and when he wakes up it's spring outside, then after lunch it's summer. The seasons change every day! Harvey then knows this is no ordinary place. He later explores and finds a huge lake far behind the house, unlike everything else it is dark and gloomy. He leaves quickly, that night, like every night, is Halloween, Harvey dresses up as a vampire and the backyard of the house turns into a very long street for the kids to walk on. All seems well in the Holiday House for now, but the way the author is foreshadowing it can't stay that way for long.
Important Quote: "The House is full of suprises. You'll see."  Pg #46. This quote provides foreshadowing that really makes the reader question what is going to happen later in the story. This is also the point in the story where the house seems to get a little bit creepier than earlier in the story. Up to this point in the story the house seems great, but after this quote and the events on halloween, the house doesn't seem quite as perfect.
Connection: My connection to this text is the scene in Harry Potter where the roof in the dining hall change seasons. In the story the weather and feeling of the House changes from season to season each day. In the morning it's either spring or winter depending on how early you wake up and by the end of the day it's Thanksgiving. In Harry Potter the ceiling of the dining hall can change to fit the particular season outside. This helps enhance the magic and wonder of the settings in both stories, but in the Thief of Always I have a feeling that it will be a much darker sort of magic.

Prompt #2 The Perfect Haunted House

I myself have been to one haunted house in my life, but from that adventure I have a pretty good idea what I would do if I made my own haunted house. I would start the house with a maze in a forest. I would only light the path with dim candles so that no one could see well. Then I would have screams going on in the distance and someone running around with a jason mask and a chainsaw with no chain. After they find their way through the maze they will have to get on a haunted hay ride. (I know it sounds lame, but hear me out) On the trailer with the hay there would be fake mangled limbs made of plastic and people that would jump out of the dark and try to climb aboard. Then when the ride is over they'd arrive to the house. The first room they'd walk into would be like a long hallway filled with candles and scary pictures. They would then walk into a hall of mirrors and there would be people in scary costumes walking behind them. Next there would be a kitchen with a bunch of creepy people dressed as zombies and they'd be cooking groos things like eyeball soup and brains. Also a must for my haunted house is scary music and clowns. I think I would have clowns walking about the house randomly. The scariest room in the house would be the barber shop room, in order to get into this room you'd have to walk through a narrow tunnel that would be filled with green slime. When you get into the barber shop a man would come running at you with a big gash on his face screaming. Then a zombie would slowly aproach you with a fake rusty knife. In order to get out of the house you have to walk through another dark hallway with no light, you'd have to feel your way out. In the hallway there'd be people grabbing you and ooze on the walls for you to grab as you navigate your way out. The last obsticle would be to get over a murky river. The only way over is a rickety old bridge that has people grabbing at you as you cross. Then you'd return safely to your car...hopefully.