The Secrets of a Psychopath

It was a beautiful evening. The sky was a bright orange, blending in with softer hues of yellow and pink. Scarlet and I were laying on the picnic blanket, her head resting on my chest with my arm curled around her.

“I had a great time tonight.” I said in a tender voice.

“Oh, me too. Although every time we go out I never fail to enjoy myself. So I can’t say I am surprised.” Scarlett said with a giggle, “Thank you for dinner, Kyle.” 

Instead of replying I simply squeeze her a little tighter. Sometimes it is hard to be me. You see, I have an addiction. No, not to drugs. Not to alcohol. Not to sex. No, I am addicted to something much worse. I, Kyle Triosi, am addicted to murdering. The first step is acceptance, right?  

It all started when I was a child. I had the usual beginning signs of a psychopath, I was just better at hiding it than any of the people you see on TV. I always got some kind of sick enjoyment from watching the eyes of rabbits, birds, squirrels—anything I could catch—drain of life. Sometimes I wonder if my life would be different if I had been caught. Would I be who I am today? Would I have gotten help? No, I think, I would be locked up in a crazy house somewhere. For years I would catch animals multiple times a week. It started off with small animals, such as squirrels and rabbits. Although, as I got older it just was not enough. By the time I was 16 I was going after cats and at the age of 17 I even caught my first stray dog. You are probably thinking that I was a weird and lonely kid. Wrong. In fact, I was the quarterback for my highschool team. I lived a fairly normal life. I got good grades, got accepted into a good college, and was living my life up to everybody’s standards. Behind the scenes though, my love and addiction to murdering was growing. Soon, not even dogs were enough to satisfy. Which is why, when I turned 22, I had studied enough criminology to know how to get away with a murder. This is when I committed my first murder. It was my old psychology professor. There was nothing wrong with her, in fact, I quite liked her. But she was an easy target. I guess I have to admit there is a bit of irony that the first human murder I commit was to the one person who should have been able to predict it.

Anyways, back to the present. I am 27 now, and from the time that I killed the lovely Ms. Clark to this point, I have committed approximately 35 murders. This, according to my math, is about 2 months between every murder. My murders consist of random strangers out at the wrong time and also people I know that give me an easy opportunity. I cannot go into details as to HOW I get away with all of these murders, but I have to say, being a trusted cop in the town that I grew up in definitely helps. That’s me, Officer Triosi. I am not married, for obvious reasons, but I do enjoy the dating scene. Hence the reason my girlfriends usually tend to stick around a little longer than the others. However, it is always hard for me once the girl and I start to become serious. They always start to want more. More commitment, more alone time, more more more.  You may be wondering how people don’t notice that all of my girlfriends go missing. This is actually quite easy to explain. You see, just like when I was in high school, I keep my life a secret. I do not get close to anyone, so most people never even realize that I have a girlfriend. Fortunately for my girlfriends, I am a little more humane about my murders when it comes to someone I like. Most of my enjoyment comes from watching them die. Not necessarily how they die.  Like Scarlet here, we have been seeing each other for a few months. It is just a casual thing, and I really do like her. But she is getting too attached. Because of this, I decided tonight is the night. Bye bye, Scarlet.

Scarlet and I pack up our basket from our picnic, and we begin to walk towards my car. Tonight is the night, I think to myself. This morning was a busy morning for me, and I had actually already committed a murder. Two in one day, that’s a new record. You see, I had a gardener. Had. Today, he was pounding on my door at four in the morning trying to get me to give him an advance. Advance? I was barely wanting to pay him for the sloppy work he did do! Let’s just say he pushed a few too many of my buttons. By noon, after his “work” was done, he was hanging on the wall of my guest bedroom. (I couldn’t have the blood get all over everything, so it was limited to the one room.) I did not have time to take his body out to the woods around my house (literally, around my house, I live in the middle of the mountains) so I guess Scarlet will have an unpleasant surprise awaiting her. Once we drive up to my house I walk around the car and smile, opening the door for her. Once she gets out we hold hands and walk to my front door. I take a deep breath, this is it. Once I let her in, I let her sit on the couch and go to get us some drinks. I spike hers with a drug that will leave her aware, but it will slowly start to paralyze her from the neck down after about fifteen minutes. I walk back into the living room…

 

******************************************************************

He walks back into the living room, carrying our drinks. His house has a strange smell, but I cannot quite put my finger on it. I don’t care, he’s my dream guy, I think to myself. He sits down next to me and hands me my drink, a perfectly mixed cocktail. I smile and kiss him on the cheek, “Thank you.” He smiles and takes a sip of his equally perfect looking cocktail. We talk for about ten minutes after we finish drinking. My head feels a little funny. I roll my eyes, I guess I don’t hold my alcohol as well as I used to. He starts to kiss me, and immediately you can tell things are getting pretty heated. He leads me to a door that I assume is his bedroom. While we kiss, he opens the door, leading me inside then gently kissing me against the closed door. I do not dare open my eyes, because I do not want to ruin the moment. He lays me down on a bed and continues to kiss me for a few more moments. As soon as I notice the funny smell had grown much stronger, I open my eyes and he stops kissing me. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the dark room. Then something starts to form on the wall. A shape. After a few moments I notice it is a body. I am about to scream, but Kyle shoves something in my mouth. I try to move, but to my horror I realize my body is no longer taking orders from my brain. I am petrified. Kyle leaves the room for a moment, and then comes back with a needle in his hand. I feel a small prick in my neck. I start to see black spots. I see Kyle looming above me, focused on my eyes. I look him in the eyes one last time, feeling nothing but terror and hatred. Then, nothing.

 

Halloween Questions

Write a Halloween poem using the following words: bat, pumpkin, candy, spooky, night, orange, black, witch, scary, wind.

Halloween

Bats

Pumpkins

Candy

Spooky Night

Orange and Black

Witches

Scary

Cold Winds

This is how you know it is Halloween again.

Write a recipe for a magic potion. Next, explain what the potion would do if someone drank it.

Recipe and Ideas are all courtesy of JK Rowling, none of these are my original idea. This recipe was retrieved from Pottermore.

Real Bottle of Wideye Potion

Some days I enjoy being a witch. Other days I absolutely love being a witch. It’s nice to be able to use different herbs and ingredients to create virtually anything I want. Although, I have to say, being a witch can also be exhausting. What with the multiple requests to help people get to sleep, to get rid of boils, or maybe to make a forgetfulness potion to help them forget that terrible date that nobody should have to remember. Whatever it is, you can say I am pretty tired by the end of the day. My favorite potion is from the book “Magical Drafts and Potions.” This is no special book, but it does contain the recipe for the “Wideye” or “Awakening” potion. This recipe never fails to wake me up, and it is the perfect start to a busy day. I would say this is my equivalent to the coffee that muggles drink. For all you witches and wizards out there that would like to try this wonderful recipe, here it is. Be sure to follow the directions WORD FOR WORD. Or next thing you know you’ll be awake for the next year.

Wideye or Awakening Potion

1 x Snake Fangs

1 x Wolfsbane

1 x Dried Billywig Stings

1 x Standard Ingredient

1.       Add 6 Snake Fangs to the mortar.

2.       Add 4 measures of Standard Ingredient to the mortar

3.       Add 6 Dried Billywig Stings to your cauldron

4.       Heat on medium temperature for 30 seconds.

5.       Finely crush the ingredients in the mortar.

6.       Add 4 measures of the crushed ingredients to your cauldron.

7.       Stir 3 times, clockwise.

8.       Wave your wand.

9.       Leave to brew and return in 95 minutes.

 

1.       Add 2 sprigs of Wolfsbane to your cauldron.

2.       Stir 3 times, anti-clockwise.

3.       Wave your wand to complete the potion.

 

What are your favorite Halloween treats? What is the best one you ever received?

From Hershey to Heath, Snickers, Milky Way, Three Musketeers, Crunch, Twix, and virtually every other chocolate bar, you can say I know what I like to recieve on Halloween night. Chocolate is by far the most precious of all Halloween candy. With the exception of Milk Duds and M&Ms, all chocolate is my favorite. I remember one night a few years ago, one of my neighbors was handing out full-size chocolate bars. Imagine my excitement. This is most likely the best Halloween treat I have ever received. Other "treats" I like on Halloween are the traditions I have with friends and family. For the past few years, my friend Ian has always saved me a small bag of candy that he brings to school for me after Halloween. It has always been a small gesture, but I have never failed to appreciate it. Also, a tradition my siblings and I have had for quite some time, is to pour all of our candy on the floor in separate piles and then to trade off candy so we each have what we want. Little things like this have always made Halloween a very enjoyable holiday for me.

 

 

 

Life-- A Poem Inspired by Music Lyrics

 

Life

 

I can't tell where the journey will end

Feeling my way through the darkness

All this time I was finding myself

I put you high up in the sky

They say I'm caught up in a dream

I could lift you up

You could be my luck

We jumped, never asking why

Didn't know I was lost

But I know where to start.

Mrs. Music

The following are questions about music with answers provided by Mrs. Butcher, Mrs. Hopke, and myself.

1.       What music or songs reminds you of your childhood?
Guns and Roses. – Butcher
Gwen Stephani’s “Bananas.” It taught me how to spell banana. (Even now as I was trying to spell it I was going through my head, “It’s bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S!”) –Shay

2.       Who is your favorite singer or group or song and why?
Journey, Steve Perry was their old lead singer. I love lots of music. –Hopke
Emilie Autumn is one of my favorites, because she has many different styles of music. I also like Corinne Bailey Rae, Lenka, Panic! at the Disco, and Christina Perri. I listen to just about everything. –Shay

3.       What music reminds you of someone you love?  Your child? Spouse? Parents?
Matchbox 20, when my kids were young we met them. Also, “You’re My Best Friend” by Queen reminds me of my husband. –Hopke
“Perfect Two” by Aubern reminds me of my best friend Kailee.

4.       Do you go to concerts? Which concerts are memorable to you? Why?
Went to a few. Speed wagon. Berry Manilow. Air Supply. I got to get out of Buffalo, they were unique experiences. –Butcher
I have been to Colbie Caillat and Bob Dylan. Both are memorable experiences for me because they were great concerts, and I went to them with my family. –Shay

 

5.       What radio stations do you normally listen to in your car? Do you sing along?
I don’t listen to the radio. I enjoy my quiet time. –Butcher
96.5, 95.5, 105.9, 97.3—and yes, I ALWAYS sing along. –Shay

6.       Which music or artist was “controversial” or “offensive” to some when you were growing up? Is any music offensive to you now?
My mother thought anything with four beats was Disco. She did not like Disco. I do not like rap music, or anything with foul language. –Hopke
Music where a person is asking for someone to get back together with them after cheating annoys me. Music about people cheating on each other annoys me in general. I also dislike anything that makes fun of other people for something they cannot control. –Shay

7.       Which music or artist do you really dislike or refuse to listen to?
Lil Wayne, no country—“I don’t like listening to ‘My dog died, my husband left, and my truck broke down.’” –Hopke (later on, she ran into our classroom, anxious to tell us that she also very much dislikes Ke$ha.)
Dubstep annoys me unless I am dancing. Children’s music (The Wiggles, Barney, Kidz Bop…)is by far the one thing I cannot and will not put up with. It is simply asking too much. –Shay

Me Myself and Music

1.       When you listen to music, what feelings/emotions does it evoke?
Depending on the music I listen to, music can make me feel many different emotions. Listening to angry or depressing music will make me upset, although it is not because of the music itself. Usually it is because it makes me think of an event in my life that I can relate to. I have a tendency to hear lyrics in ways that I can fit into what is going on in my life.

2.       I admire the music of…, because he/she/they…
I admire the music of Bruce Springsteen because he courageously writes songs that have a deep meaning to him and not just songs that he think will sell well. One of the more courageous songs he has written, named “The River,” is actually a song about his sister’s experience, but in her husband’s point of view. I find this admirable because he knew that it would bring up touchy memories for his sister and his brother-in-law, but he wrote it anyway. In fact, the first time he performed it his sister was in the crowd, listening.

3.       One event I connect to music, is the time when…
A few years ago a friend of mine, Jess, and I had made plans to spend the night at her best friend, Brittany’s, house. I had never met Brittany before, but I was not too worried about it because at least I would have Jess there. The day of the sleepover arrived, and it was worrying to look outside and see that it was snowing. Hard. I waited to hear from one of them to see if they wanted to cancel, and nobody ever did. So, through the snow my dad started to drive me off to Brittany’s house. By the time I had arrived the snow was already one- or two-feet deep. Jess called me right as I got there and told me she could no longer get a ride. It was too late to turn back, my dad had just driven through a lot of scary snow to bring me to this house and I was not about to make it a wasted trip. So, as awkward as it was, I proceeded to walk up to Brittany’s house and introduce myself. It was awkward at first, because neither one of us knew anything about the other, but after a while we got to talking and we actually had quite a bit in common. For example, we both loved Rocky Horror Picture Show. This probably would not have come up, however I had packed my VHS copy, knowing that Jess liked the movie. We both enjoyed the movie so much, in fact, that we decided to learn the time warp. We played the “Let’s do the Time Warp” song over and over and over, dancing for hours. Hitting ‘Stop’ after the scene was over, ‘Rewind,’ and eventually doing this so many times that we knew exactly how long it would take to rewind just the Time Warp scene. We danced the Time Warp again, again, and again…

 

4.       Does music have the power to heal? How do you know?
I believe music has the power to heal because I have experienced it myself. Music is my escape always. It has never been unavailable or too busy to be there for me. It is my ultimate go-to whenever I am upset. When my grandma died, whom I was very close to, I coped by listening to music she used to sing. When I am angry I can sing and I feel much better afterwards. When I am sad certain songs will make me cry and I will feel better after singing them. Singing and listening to music help me every day. It is never unavailable, I can always sing, and it has never let me down.

5.       Music has the ability to change the mood of movies, television shows, and other performances. How?
Music can change the mood of movies and other visual activities because all music makes people feel some kind of emotion. Some music makes people happy, some music makes people sad, some music will scare people—music has a very powerful hold on us. When I was younger, my dad used to watch scary movies all the time. When I would watch them with him and get scared, he would always tell me the only thing that made me scared was the music. And this was true, as soon as he muted the movie and I started watching it again there was really nothing to be scared of. If music was not in movies it would be incredibly difficult for a movie to ever hold anyone’s attention.

Six Word Memoirs

Me: I am tired of needing others.

 

Me: I'm so happy I met you.

 

Me: One day I will be happy.

 

Me: The next four years at Drury!

 

Trevor: He's the President to my V.P.

 

  

Trevor: Pizza tree grows tall and strong. 

 

Olivia: Wake up. Video games. Tumblr. Sleep.

 

Olivia: Doesn't let me be weird alone.

 

Bri: Never lets me make the food.

 

Bri: Always lets me rant to her.

 

Freya: She will be my mini me!

 

Marilyn Monroe: Her death a long lost mystery.

 

 

Window Poem

A view from my actual window.

From My Bedroom Window

 

A lit up teal swimming pool,

A roof ledge beneath my sister's window,

The sky a bright pink and orange,

Sometimes a squirrel stares me down from the tree ahead,

Cicadas buzzing in my ear,

A light in the window of a house in the distance,

Trees swaying in the breeze.

"____" looks, feels, smells, sounds, and tastes like....

LOVE...
...looks like my grandma opening her arms to give me a big hug when I'm upset.
...feels like my heart beating quickly, threatening to beat itself right out of my chest.
...smells like my grandpa's home cooked breakfast every Sunday morning.
...sounds like my mom locked in her room, singing music until she hits each note perfectly.
...tastes like a vanilla milkshake, brought to me by someone I care about.

CREATIVE WRITING...
...looks like a notebook, tattered but with lots of ideas.
...feels like a good way to wake up in the morning-- getting my brain into gear.
...smells like strawberry hand sanitizer.
...sounds like Naomi rambling about Harry Styles in a thick accent, or the clicking of a keyboard.
...tastes like mint, left for us in a bowl on the front table.

DEPRESSION...
...looks like my journal pages, words filling every space on the page.
...feels like a lump in my throat, and a weight on my heart.
...smells like the "willow scented" hairspray I used in 8th grade.
...sounds like fast and silly music streaming through my headphones in an effort to cheer me up.
...tastes like salt after another breakdown.

CHILDHOOD...
...looks like the small generic white and blue house, my great-grandma's house, that I grew up in.
...feels like the large, thick, soft blanket my dad bought me when build-a-bear was closed.
...smells like cigarette smoke and coffee when I wake up in the morning.
..sounds like my feet kicking the bedroom door after I throw another one of my tantrums.
...tastes like eggs with pictures drawn on top with ketchup.

GROWING UP...
...looks like acne and bills on the table, a license in my wallet.
...feels like the steering wheel in my hands, 10-2 position.
...smells like coffee in the morning and gasoline at the gas station.
...sounds like silence, no nagging or yelling.
...tastes like sweet wine, a lit cigar, or cold pizza.

HEARTBREAK...
...looks like a locked door, a red face, and tissues in the trash.
...feels like my heart has been replaced with a hole.
...smells like his cologne.
...sounds like Nevershoutnever, "You Are So Beautiful," and Bruce Springsteen.
...tastes like chocolate ice-cream, vanilla milkshakes, and the entire contents of my refrigerator.

SUMMER...
...looks like green grass and colorful blooming flowers.
...feels like sweat on the small of my back as i kick the blanket off again in the night.
...smells like freshly cut grass.
...sounds like cicadas on the trees outside my window, a woodpecker on the side of my house.
...tastes like a seven-eleven slurpee, 4 different layers of flavor in a swirl to the lid.

FUTURE...
...looks like an acceptance letter to Drury.
...feels like a headache and a fast beating heart.
...smells like nicely scented candles.
...sounds like a clock "tik-tock"-ing through the night.
...tastes like birthday cake, with chocolate icing and sprinkles on top.

HAPPINESS...
...looks like a smile on my face, a pile of books on my nightstand, and people sitting around a table at a book club meeting.
...feels like my heart is in sync with my brain.
...smells like book pages, my perfum, or dinner cooking in the kitchen.
...sounds like me finally singing in the shower again, happy tunes, and my laugh.
...tastes like vanilla milkshakes, chocolate, my grandpa's mashed potato pancakes, and avacado.

Narrative Pieces

   The Rooster (1943)

Swirls of blue, black, and gray across the sky

The night's air brisk and uninviting

The rooster is hidden in the coop

desperate to escape the bites of the wind

The wind whistles gently as it makes its way through holes in the coop

No animal can be seen

All are concealed in their various barns and stables

When the sun comes out, the animals will too

For now, they wait for the sun to come up

For now, they wait for the rooster's call.

Portrait of Olga in an Armchair (1917)

Minutes seem like hours, hours like days

Picasso carefully selects his template of colors

Olga, sitting patiently in her chair

Looking pale, tired, but absolutely stunning

Taking breaks was common

Olga's arm grew tired

Picasso's template covered in a multitude of colors

Browns, reds, black, white, yellows, and greens

When Picasso was finished, he was tired

So tired, in fact, he could not think of a clever name for the painting.

Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso

...But you may know him as simply Pablo Picasso.


Everyone has heard about this famous artist, but not everyone knows a whole lot about him. Here are a few facts about Picasso that not a lot of people know:

• Born On: October 25, 1881
• Died On: April 8, 1973 (Yes, he lived to be 91!)
• Important Places He Lived or Traveled To: Malaga, Barcelona, Paris, Munich, many cities in Italy, and New York!
• Father's Name: Jose Ruiz Blasco
• Father's Occupation: Art School Teacher
• Mother's Name: Maria Picasso Lopez
• Siblings: Conchita Picasso, Lola Picasso.
• Education/Schooling: Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
• Marriages: Olga Khokhlova (1918-1955)
  Jacqueline Rogue (1961-1973)
• Dear Friend: Casegmas
• Mediums He Used: Oil paint, sculpture, drawing, and architecture. 
• Most Famous Works: 1. Three Musicians
  2. Girl Before a Mirror
  3. The Old Guitarist
• Periods That He Is Associated With: 
  1. Cubism
  2. Rose Period
  3. African Period
  4. Blue Period
  5. Analytic Cubism
  6. Synthetic Cubism
• Struggles He Had: 1. Losing his best friend, Casegmas, to suicide and beginning the blue period.
  2. He could not afford to live off of his paintings alone.
  3. His parents alienated him after he moved to Paris.
• 5 Major World/Historical Events That Happened in his Lifetime: 1905- Bloody Sunday
  1914- World War I began
  1917- Russian Revolution
  1932- Ameilia Earheart is going to go across the Atlantic
  1939- World War II began
• Random Interesting Fact: Pablo has produced an estimated 50,000 pieces of art.

    

Three Musicians, Girl Before a Mirror, and The Old Guitarist