Katsushika Hokusai: Student Showcase

The Great Wave off Kanagawa, by Katsushika Hokusai (Japan), 1831

Creative writing students at Arrowhead Union High School in Hartland, Wisconsin, recently engaged in a project centered on seven distinct works of art. Using these pieces as inspiration, students crafted original stories, bringing their unique visions to life. Each class participated in a rigorous peer-review process to read and critique 30 of the 86 student-authored submissions. Ultimately, the students took on the role of editors to select the most intriguing pieces for publication, celebrating the diverse literary talent within our writing community.

Terri Carnell, teacher

**

​When the Tide Met the Sky
 
Modern history suggests that the very first love stories were made and produced by man; there is an older tale, one written before man existed. The love of the sky and the sea.
 
The story begins with nothing, as every story of the universe begins, and then there was light, and the earth appeared. And on earth, eyes opened that day, one from the sea and one from the sky, and when they laid eyes upon each other, although both could not speak, they could see that it was love at first sight.  And that love, like a flower, blossomed for the first few years of their existence. They ran and chased each other all day and night around the earth, and made it a daily routine. Every day before the sun fell, the sea would climb to the sky, and they would embrace each other, and then they would go to sleep. They maintained that routine for millions of years to show that their love never changed or ended.
 
That love continued for all those years, until something happened during one of their chases. Suddenly, the sea felt something crawl along its skin, and when it looked back, it saw a small object on its surface, which, upon closer inspection, turned out to be a boat carrying a single fisherman. This surprised the sea, but not for long, after the sky called after them. But as the years continued, the sea and the sky noticed that more boats started to grow in both size and numbers, and soon the sea became too small for the sky and the sea to play their game of chase. Eventually, they could no longer continue the routine that had lasted for eons.
 
As the years passed, the number of ships grew, which restricted the Sea to its domain and the Sky to its own. And as the ships' numbers grew, the sight of the sky to the sea began to shrink until the only thing the sea could see was the shapes of the boats that hung over it. At this sight, the sea moved rapidly to different openings between the boats to have its eye fall upon its love, but every new spot he found would become covered as well. As this event occurred over and over, the sea became angry, its once calm and gentle surface became rapid and sharp, which the sea saw caused the boat to move out of the way. Driven by longing, the Sea devised a plan. It churned back and forth, waiting for a gap between the boats that was wide enough to breach.
 
After what seemed like forever, a break had become large enough for the sea to rise, and at the sight of this, the sea began its ascent to the sky. And, unknown to the sea, as it began to rise to the sky, the boats surrounding it were swallowed and destroyed by its sharp and rough surface, which it had now become. The screams of the sailors went unheard as the sea surged forward, desperate to be reunited with its love. But upon reaching the sky, the Sea only found terror in its lover's eyes. And upon looking into the eyes of its lover, the screams suddenly reached the Sea's ears, and when it looked around, all it could see were the destroyed ships and people clinging on for dear life. Upon looking back at the eye of its lover, the sky looked terrified of the sea, and at that moment, the sky began to retreat further away from the sea, and from this, the sea, out of depression, began to follow. But as soon as he began to follow, the scream began to start once again, and at that moment, the sea began to retreat to its domain, broken-hearted and horrified at what it had done. And like the sky, the sea kept retreating further and further down in its domain until the sky was replaced with darkness.
 
Time moved faster than the sea expected, but it couldn't tell the difference when it was surrounded by only darkness. And darkness was all it knew until a bright light broke through the darkness and shone in the sea's eyes. The sea knew that there was no such force that could break the sea's darkness, unless it was? And it was, there above the sea, the sky shone the sun's beams down, creating a hole for the sea to breach and reach the sky. But at this sight, the sea became hesitant, remembering what it had done with breaching before, and it looked into the eyes of its love, the sky, expecting still to see fear. But instead of fear, there was desperation and a pleading look that the sea knew too well, the desperation to be with one another. And with that, the Sea launched itself and breached the water, and the two lovers embraced each other as if the stillness and darkness of the sea never occurred, and they hung there for a long time.
 
After embracing each other after such a long time, the sky and the sea both knew they couldn't do their tradition as much as they had before, so they decided that they would play their game every so often when humanity wasn't in harm's way. The first few years of this plan were tough on both the sky and the sea, being separated by such a distance, but it didn't take a toll on their love, and every time they played their game, their love always remained the same.

Cole Sullivan
 
**

The Race Beneath the Wave
 
The first time I stood on the block before a race, everything felt bigger than me-the pool stretching endlessly in front of me, the echo of voices bouncing off the walls, the clock waiting to judge every second. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it might push me backward instead of forward. I remember thinking, just for a second, that I didn’t belong there. That I was too small for something that felt so overwhelming.  Like a boat beneath a wave. “Take you mark.” The world shrank to the sound of my breathing. For a moment, everything was still-the calm before I would crash into the water. Then the buzzer split the silence, and I dove in. 
 
Swimming isn’t quite the way people think it is. Underneath the surface, it’s loud and fast. My arms cut through the water that never gives in, my lungs burn as they beg for air, and every turn at the wall feels like a choice: keep going or give up. There are moments in every race where the wave comes down, where exhaustion hits so hard it feels impossible to move forward. 
 
Sometimes my goggles start to fill with water, blurring everything around me. The lane lines disappear, the wall comes faster than I expect, and for a second, I’m not even sure where I am- I just keep swimming, hoping it’s enough. 
​
That’s when it matters most. The wave doesn’t care if I’m tired. It doesn’t care how early I woke up for practice or how many laps I’ve already swam, or how badly I want to stop. It rises anyway, just like it does in the painting. The wave isn’t just there to crush me, it’s there to test me.
 
Every early morning practice, when the sky is still dark and the water feels colder than it should, is another wave. Every set that makes my shoulders ache and my legs feel heavy is another wave. Every race where I doubt myself before I even start is another wave curling overhead, waiting to see if I’ll break under it. And sometimes, I almost do. 
 
There are races I wish I could redo, times that weren’t fast enough, moments where I touched the wall and was too early. In those moments, the wave feels too big. It feels like no matter how hard I swim, I’m still underneath it, still fighting just to stay afloat. But I’ve learned something the longer I’ve stayed in the water.
 
I’ve learned how to push through the burn in my arms and the tightness in my chest. I’ve learned how to trust myself even when the doubt creeps in. I’ve learned that strength isn’t about never feeling overwhelmed- it’s about moving forward anyway, even when everything inside me is telling me to stop. Because eventually, the wave passes.
 
There’s always a moment at the end of a race, just after I touch the wall, where everything goes still again. The noise comes rushing back, my lungs finally fill with air, and I look up at the clock. Sometimes I’m proud of what I see. Sometimes I’m not. But either way, I know I made it through. I didn’t let the wave take me under. And the next time I step onto the block, I know it will be there again, rising, waiting, just as powerful as before. But I’m not the same swimmer I was, I’m stronger now, the wave and I have an understanding. It will always try to break me. And I will always choose to swim. 
 
Malena Jerge
 
**
 
When the Earth Shook My World
 
The salty, windy air consumes me as I step out of my little stone storybook cottage in the town of Kanagawa nearby by the great Mount Fuji. While the rest of Kanagawa trembled in the wake, I treated it as another day. Looking back at my humble cottage, I feel the weight of history; a cottage that contains my hardships, upbringing, and my endless memories. That’s all I ever knew, all I ever hoped to know. I wish I knew just what that could entail as I walked down the broken pavement into town. 
 
The baker had just opened his shop again after the earthquake and the smell of sourdough bread wafted through the ins and outs of the town. It smells just like Grandma’s baking after a long day outside. As I continue down the pavement I see houses that are noticeably damaged, in need of repair, and I imagine myself as a child once again back in the same warm town square full of life and happiness. Those days little did I know, had been very numbered. It all changed the day after.
 
I once again step out of my cottage and sniff the air, not bread but a pungent smell that hurts my nose. I glanced out at the sea and realized the tide was nearly gone. That’s not good. 
 
I hear people shouting nearby, “This is not good, of course this would happen after a huge earthquake!”
 
I began to worry and went back inside trying to find my parents. Although nobody was home. I begin to start hearing multitudes of sirens and run for the hills. Will I make it in time? Where are my parents? How will I find them if I make it? Halfway up a hill, a stranger whooshes me off the ground and starts carrying me up the hill, attempting to save my life. By the time we reached the top, people started loading children and women into tiny, unsturdy wooden boats hoping to salvage them. I was part of that group and got dropped into one as people screamed and yelled at the sight of a huge wave starting to come our way. A tsunami. I didn’t understand what this meant at the time, but by the look of sheer panic on people’s faces I began to worry. 
 
I whipped my head to look down at the once welcoming town that now just got taken out by the gigantic wave. As it gained ground, tears filled my eyes as it hit my humble cottage and swept it away. Tears poured down my cheeks with confusion and dismay, I had no clue where my parents could even possibly be. Suddenly, I glanced to my right and saw them sprinting towards me just as the tidal wave collided with us and flew us apart. 
 
Hours later, dazed, I gained consciousness and smelled salty, fishy air surrounding me. I appeared to still be on the tiny wooden boat, by the grace of God, surviving the gigantic tsunami that had demolished everyone and everything I love and used to know. Pure dread fills my tiny, wet body, then my vision goes blurry.
 
The silence of the room was heavy, broken only by the sharp TWACK of a highlighter cap being snapped back into place.
 
Ruby let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding, her fingers trembling slightly as she smoothed down the weathered page. She looked up and saw the harsh LED lights of her classroom. Breathing in, she smelled the dull odor of school, not salty air, and then sighed out of relief. 
 
Lauren Mews
 
**
 
Waving From Ashore
 
A group of friends go on their senior trip to the Bahamas, but something is wrong, and they need to figure out what is happening.
 
My friends and I have been planning this trip for so long. I heard the Bahamas is one of the best vacation spots. When Sara, Kiara, Jade, and I land we run off the plane and go straight to the hotel we had booked. When we check in for the hotel there is nobody at the help desk. That’s when we realize that this whole time they haven’t even seen anybody at all.
 
“Guys what’s going on, why are there no people here?” Sara had questioned.
 
“Don’t you think if we knew we would’ve said something ahead of time?” Jade has asked.
 
“This isn’t time to argue guys, we need to call someone.” I had said.
 
I had pulled out my phone and tried to call my mom but there was no service. I tried to go to any app on my phone but still, there was no service.
 
“I’m not getting any service.” I hesitated.
 
“Neither am I.” Kiara agreed.
 
We had gone back to the hotel since we had started to wander. We had thought that we could just stay in the hotel for a few days and figure out a plan. I had separated from the group and went to the front desk to see if they had any notes or plans for what the whole island was doing. There was a notepad on the desk that had letters.
 
BBP 3/22
 
I wonder what that could even mean. Running up the stairs to the room I tell my friends what I saw. We spent a few hours trying to figure it out but it didn’t make any sense. Hunger was starting to creep in and we took a trip to the grocery store. 
 
“The tide looks huge today.” Sara stated.
 
“I know I saw that,” I responded.
 
“Ok guys hear me out…what if we found a board that was left over and rode a huge wave back to the United States?” Kiara asked.
 
“Are you insane? That isn’t even going to work.” Jade responded.
 
“It doesn’t hurt to try.” Kiara snapped.
 
We start walking to the beach after getting random food from the abandoned grocery store.
 
“Wow those waves are unreal.” I said in awe.
 
My friends and I were looking in the trees for a surfboard or any type of floating device. 
 
“Guys I found a surf board!” Sara shouted.
 
Running back to the beach we all met right by the shore.
 
“How is that supposed to fit all of us?” Jade asked
 
“Everyone is just going to have to squeeze on!” Kiara shouted.
 
Heading to the shore, all of us stand there for a few minutes just watching the huge waves. The Tsunami level waves looked dangerous, but we really didn’t have any other option. We all point to the wave that we agree to ride on. The wave roared its way over to us.
 
“Everybody quick! Run to this one!” Kiara yelled.
 
All of us hop on the surfboard on top of this huge wave and sit very close to each other.
 
“This is crazy!” Jade screamed.
 
I felt as free as a bird. There had been lots of wooing and shouting while on top of this huge wave. It felt like we were a million feet off the ground.
 
“Look I see the land!” I shouted.
 
This whole wave trip felt incredible. 
 
What even are the chances of us trying to go on vacation and nobody was even there?
 
Reaching the shore we all do a big sigh of relief. Seeing people again felt so weird, but thank goodness nobody abandoned us here either.
 
Hey! Are you guys here for the BBP?” Some stranger asked.
 
“What?” We all said in unison.
 
“The Bahamas Birthday Party! It’s an event where everyone in the Bahamas travels to Miami Florida for a day to celebrate the anniversary of the Island!” The stranger answered.
 
Looking at each other, we all burst into laughter.
 
Maiyah Travers

**

The Wave
 
Dear Diary,
 
August 12th, 1999. It was a cloudy day, and there was a slight breeze in the air. The air felt heavy, like there were tiny drops of moisture in it. If only the weather were sunny and warm, then it would be a perfect day for boating. But at last it was time to pick up Kate to start heading down to the water. I hopped into my old piece of garbage that still somehow managed to work and hit the road. 
 
Eventually, I made it to Kate's house and yelled out of the car, “KATE! I’M HERE!” 
 
She came running out the front door with her hair in a mess, baggy clothes, and the biggest smile on her face. “I’m so excited to go boating today! I love being out on the water,” Kate said happily as can be. 
 
“Yeah, same, but I wish it wasn't so groggy outside, boating would be ten times more fun if the weather was actually good,” I said. 
 
Yeah, I guess, I'm just grateful and happy we have the opportunity to go out on the water,” Kate replied. She always seemed to be so positive about things. I don't think I ever once heard her say anything negative. Kate and I have been best friends ever since we were young, and I don't know what I would do without her. We finally made it to the docks, where we started to prepare to head out on the water. The breeze felt cool on my skin, and there was a faint taste of salt in my hair as I opened my mouth.
 
The clouds seemed to look darker on the horizon, which worried me. “Kate, do you think this is a good idea? The clouds look really dark.” I said, hoping she would agree with me.
 
“I think it will be okay! The water seems pretty calm.” Kate said with a smile. I had a bad feeling about going out on the water today. Something didn't feel right, but Kate wanted to go out so badly, and she seemed so confident. We were finally all set and pushed our boat out to sea. 
 
The water was calm, and the breeze blew our hair back. Kate and I were laughing so hard because our hair got completely ruined. Out of nowhere, it began to rain. “I think we should head back. I think there's a storm coming,” I shouted to Kate. 
 
“It's going to be okay, the rain is fun to be in!” Kate yelled back. The waves started to get bigger, rocking the boat back and forth, and my stomach started to feel sick. At this point, we lost control of the boat, and the sea took control of us. The rain crashed down, and the waves roared over us. I frantically searched for the life vests, but I could only find one. “Here, take the last one! I am a good swimmer!” Kate shouted at me. So then I put the vest on. The waves kept getting bigger, and the rain didn’t stop coming down. The boat almost tipped over multiple times. At this time, the sea had completely sucked us into its trap. We were lost at sea. I looked up to see if there was anyone to help us, but all I could see was a massive wave about to engulf us. Then it hit us. It felt like I was getting slammed against a wall. I tried to take a breath of air, but it felt like my lungs were on fire. Kate. Where was Kate… I searched for her in the water where the broken pieces of the boat were scattered everywhere. The waves kept bringing me under the water. I couldn't hear Kate's yell. I thought this was the end. Another wave hit me, but this time it was different. When it hit me, everything went black. 
 
I woke up on a washed-up shore with a crowd of people around me. My head was pounding, and my vision was blurry. An ambulance and police sirens were in the faint distance. I didn’t care that I was okay; all I cared about was where Kate was. My best friend. The paramedics took me away on a stretcher. I tried to talk and ask them where Kate was, but all that came out of my mouth was a faint screech. The light started to go dark again, and that's the last thing I remember from that day. Then I woke up in a hospital bed with IV needles stuck in my arm. My parents were sitting in the waiting chairs in the room I was in. The first thing I said was, “Where’s Kate?” My parents both looked at each other with a strange look on their faces. “They couldn't save her..” my mom said with tears streaming down her face. I felt my heart get heavy and my chest started to hurt. How could she be gone? My best friend. The one person who has been by my side since day one. 
 
That day will haunt me for the rest of my life.
 
Zoe Haeuser