Prompt: Will the next generations be affected by climate change? We are already suffering some of the effects causing by climate change… Can you imagine what’s going to happen to the next generation? The world’s population has grown a lot for the past years, and we have been destroying our planet every day without even noticing it. The next generation will be highly affected by climate change because we are contaminating our planet too much turning it into an unsafe place to live. Planet Earth’s temperature has drastically increased over the last decade. The main reason is that most of the energy we produce depends on burning fossil fuel. So, our prevailing activity for electricity generation produces a lot of carbon dioxide, which is the major cause of climate change. Cars are well-known for carbon dioxide emission too; we’ve been destroying the ozone layer that keeps the planet safe from the sun every day, without even caring about it. Another contaminating factor is the industrial development we’ve had recently; we’ve been producing carbon dioxide all over the surface of the Earth in pursuance of improving the way we live. Earth’s population has grown very much over the past years too, but is it good for our planet? We certainly need food to survive and ironically, we’ve been killing our world in order to feed millions and millions human beings (and animals too). We have deforested a huge amount of our lands to grow the essential everyday meal. Again, this also have a negative impact over the ozone layer, which is our main protection against climate change. In summary, we need to find more eco-friendly ways to produce energy to stop the environmental pollution and its effects. The next generations don’t deserve to be affected by climate change because of our current mistakes. Renewable energy and electric transportation seem to be the best options. We only have one sphere where we can live, let’s save it now.

Essay prompt: Is it a good idea to use credit cards? Do you have a credit card? Have you ever learnt how to use it correctly? Having credits cards is getting more and more popular in Paraguay, especially among young people. It’s helped to the national economy growth and there are a lot of plus points that this payment method has. Using credit cards is a good idea because you don’t have to carry cash with you and you can use it in case of emergency. Sadly, we live in a country with a high rate of delinquency. Population in Asuncion and the near cities have been growing a lot for the past few years, and so does the theft rate. Credits cards give us the sureness of having a lot of money right away without worrying about being stolen. Of course, you cannot depend on credit cards only when you go out because it’s not accepted everywhere yet. I like to use my credit card when I hang out on weekends; it’s a lot more comfortable for me and I also get a record of my expenses at the end of the month. For those who haven’t decide to build an emergency fund yet, credit cards could be another good alternative. We never know when we’re going to need that extra money. Unexpected expenses can give you a really uncomfortable and hard time while you try to get the money you don’t have, not to mention how embarrassing could be having to ask a friend for some money. If saving money is difficult for you, then credit cards can save you in those cases. Of course, you have to assign some of your monthly budget to your ‘’emergency cases’’ and not waste it all. Luckily, I had to use my credit card for emergency cases just a few times. As shown above, credit cards are very useful to buy things without worrying about thieves and it can save your life when you least expect it. On the other hand, I think it’s really important to learn how to use them properly, not to have a lot of doubts at the end of the month. Young people, and even adults, need to be taught about financial education from school. It’s not bad to have credit cards, as long as you know how to use them for your own benefit.

New Year! Another year is practically over. Chronological time reminds us that we've lived for another 365 days. It's been a very good year in such a particular way, with ups and downs (more ups but stronger downs) Still, I have nothing to regret. Life's tried to persuade me that coincidence might indeed, exist. Admittedly, I almost change my mind about the subject. Don't get me wrong, I like it that there's still a lot of mystery about fate that intrigues me in such a way that let me wonder about the meaning of life and... (ok now, we're going too deep). For me, 2015 is equal to gratefulness and rejoice. Many people contributed to build wondrous moments in every single month of my year. Nevertheless, there were days in which I could not even find my cape to fly away. (Not to tell you I couldn't feel the force either) I'd like to point out that people were crucial on my way to happiness. Friends, family, teachers, classmates, coworkers, etc. Thank you all. Its a good day to recap all the things that happened this year, everything that you have learnt, your faults and success leading actions, a day to remember moments that make you happy and feel alive. We shall never forget to spread the knowledge and love. Be a better version of yourself every sunrise!

The sound of dead coffee (part 2) THE CAT There was a huge noise coming from outside the house. I woke up immediately. My sense of hearing started to complain to my little feline brain. It left me stunned. My curiosity once tried to kill me when I was a little kitten, but we still were very good friends. So, as you might be guessing I stretched my four furry legs and went to see what was happening. My path to the liberty was a strict pattern that I followed every time I needed to go outside the house. This time I was a little bit sleepy, so let’s say I didn’t calculate well where I was going and I broke the stupid cup of coffee that Billy left just in the middle of my way. No way! I screwed it up one more time. Sometimes humans try to make your cat life a little bit harder than it already is. Luckily, I came out unscathed, but the atrocity was already done. I couldn’t imagine my paws soaked with dead and innocent coffee grains that humans consume in their offices or kitchen every day. I continue my path to the glory as my curiosity was getting bigger. I came out of the house, helpless, in the middle of the cold night of… I don’t know what month. Anyways, the thing is that nothing really interesting was taking place in my calm and almost boring neighborhood. Right after that I could hear Billy’s effing and blinding as usual. He must had seen the broken cup that his father gave him last year who knows why. This was the first time I broke one of his cups, so I didn’t know what his reaction was going to be. I decided that, it was better to stay hidden until the breaking dawn. So I escaped and went to hide right behind the nearest tree. Of course, the nearest tree was that one Billy hated because of its irregular shape and the wrong place it was planted who knows when. He stepped right in front of the big white main door and started to look everywhere around. I was a good at hiding so he couldn’t even see my tale. I noticed how, seconds before he turned around and went back into the house, he looked at Tom’s brand-new car with a little bit more emphasis and perhaps envy too. The fact that I was getting hungry already was funny and frustrating at the same time. Neither of us ever knew what caused such a deafening noise that burst our sweet dreams that night and made me broke the birthday cup too. It still remains as a faded mystery somewhere inside our memories. I guess that, perchance, this is just a story about how the cup ended up broken after all.

The sound of dead coffee (part 1) THE HUMAN There was a loud noise coming from outside the house. I woke up immediately. I went downstairs to see what was happening. I couldn’t see my cat sleeping in his nook. Once in the kitchen, I found a broken white cup of coffee all over the floor, the smell was unmistakable and it still addictively penetrated my dozing nostrils. My bare feet felt a thousand tiny cold pieces of porcelain that used to be my father’s gift from my last year’s birthday. Amazingly original as always. I headed towards the main door in the middle of that November night and I opened it anxiously tired, and no… in case you’re wondering, I hadn’t any big ugly baseball bat to hit whoever was outside willing to kill me. I just had a dirty knife that I had used earlier that night to have dinner. I wish I have had a fancy little gun, one of those you’re suppose to use if you are a secret agent working for a lot of loot, but that wasn’t my case. For my big surprise, I couldn’t see anything suspicious. The same old tree messing around with the cold wind was in the same stupid place to grow as a tree. Sometimes you must be conscious about the best places to take root for the rest of your shortened tree life. The garbage can was in the same dark and humid place. My neighbor’s brand-new car was just where the asshole left it after he came back from his remarkable job he usually boast of to me. I heaved a sigh of relief and anger. I was sleeping so tight for god’s sake. I turned around and closed the main door very slowly, like if it was alive or something. Instantaneously, I started to analyze the crime scene I saw in the kitchen. The stupid cat must have thrown my cup of coffee. For me it was now a fugitive. Where was that little demon? I refused to look what time was it. I was too busy thinking about my bed. I automatically went to my room, every step upstairs took longer than it did when there was still a big sun that caress the city. I think I only slept about six hours that night.

Through the Darkness (Part 9) I started to cry due to the desperation and consuming fear. I will never forget that horrendous night. I knew my father had been shot by Mr. Campbell but I didn't knew what to do. Where was mom? As I heard Mr. Campbell coming down the stairs I closed the door. I couldn't help being noisy. He realized I was in the bathroom. I locked the door as quick as I could. Trembling and teary-eyed. You gotta be strong son. I looked at the windows, too small, I thought. I turned off the lights and sat down on the floor. I hugged my knees to my chest and closed my eyes. Everything went black. Afterwards I heard Mr. Campbell knocking furiously on the bathroom door; “Who’s there?” he asked. I started to cry noiselessly. “Who’s there?...” he asked again. “Who’s there?” I heard for the third time. I jumped out of my seat. Right after, I saw Charles standing in front of the car, looking at me through the windshield. His flashlight was not working so well. I could hear him from the distance, through my window, because I had left it opened before. It was getting cold inside the car. I suddenly remembered that I was looking for a flashlight. Charles went back to his car so I took advantage of that situation and got out of my car. I hurried and took a look in the trunk to see what I could find. It was so dark inside the tunnel that I couldn't see anything. I had to touch with my bare hands the inside of the trunk. I found a lantern. A lantern! I was one lucky son of a bitch. My friend Robert had forgotten it two weeks ago when we went camping and fishing for two days outside.

Through the Darkness (Part 8) How many times do I have to tell you that you can’t come here at nights?” He said as he grabbed my arm from behind. I turned around and opened my eyes slowly. “It’s dangerous, son.” “Father!?” I dropped my teddy bear. He was carrying a lantern. “What’s wrong with you, John? You know your mother is worried, don’t you? A cornfield is not a safe place to be during the night.” “I’m sorry, dad. I was looking for my teddy bear and I found it but then... I got lost when the sun went down.” “No pretexts. Let’s go now.” We arrived home quickly. As soon as we got inside the house we saw a lot of blood drops all over the floor. My dad got desperate. So did I. He took his gun out from his pants. "You go and hide in the bathroom. Lock the door and don't get out until I come back" I was frightened. Tears came streaming down my face. He held me tight. "You gotta be strong son. Go now" I did what he said. He went upstairs. I was able to hear everything from the bathroom. "Rachel, where are you?" He shouted. "Samuel Collins, I've been waiting for you." Someone said finally. "What are you doing in my house, Mr. Campbell?" Mr. Campbell was the person who had sold the farm to my father five months before I was born. He always carried a fancy cane wherever he went. He liked to boast of it by saying that he'd bought it from Switzerland. "You meant my house, Collins. It's not yours yet. Remember?" He said. "I know it Mr. Campbell and I'm telling you; I'll have sold my very first corn production by the end of the month. I'll be able to pay you my debt by then." My head was against the bathroom door. I had never felt so much adrenalin in my short life, not even when uncle Jeffrey told us a terrifying story about killer scarecrows that came to life when the moon rose. At that moment I realized that Morgan was not with me. “I must’ve dropped it in the cornfield, again.” I thought. Then I heard something I couldn't understand so I opened the door quietly despite my father’s order. “...are broken. I’ve waited for you six months already. Life doesn’t wait one so much. I need the money, Samuel. We all need it.” “You don’t have to do this, Campbell. Please, I beg you. One month is all I need. You know, there’s always a way to solve prob..” Bang! My world stopped for a second but it felt like it had been an hopeless eternity, then I heard; “Too much words and no actions. I’m done.” TO BE CONTINUED. Hey guys! How do you like the story so far?

Through the Darkness (Part 7) Afterwards we entered the tunnel. There was a power cut in the area because of the tempest. The tunnel was pitch black without a single skerrick of light. Surprisingly, Charles begun to decelerate. My heart felt like it was coming out of my chest. I could only see his car’s rear lights. Unexpectedly, he stopped in the middle of nowhere. At first sight, I thought he had stopped the engine. His car disappeared in the darkness. I rolled down the window to feel the night-breeze. I stopped the engine too and turn off the car lights. Everything went black anew. The ambulance’s siren overwhelmed me. It sounded very loud in there. I was surrounded by the Cincinnati police. They all seemed frozen pointing their guns at me. Then one shouted “John Collins I repeat, if you don’t turn yourself in right now, I will have to shoot.” Finally Charles turn on a flashlight. I was still in my car wondering if he had a gun or not. He got out of his car and immediately pointed the flashlight at me. I tried to hide behind the steering wheel, keeping my head down so that he couldn't see me but then I thought: What am I doing? Stupid chicken shit John Collins get your ass out of the car now. I looked for a flashlight in the glove compartment but I found nothing. There were only some old photos of my family and me when we lived in a farm which... unfortunately, my father had bought five months before I was born. I was supposed to left the old photos at my mother’s house before the end of the month. Damned childhood of mine, I whispered and closed my eyes for a few seconds after throwing them back into the glove compartment. “What are you doing here?” I heard. The person sounded unreasonably irritated. I was scared. I tried not to move and stay quiet. “I already saw you, Collins. You are not supposed to be here at this time” I felt how the impotence seized every part of my body. “It hurts” I babbled. “My back hurts.” I couldn't think of anything clever to say. “What did you just say?” his voice sounded angrier. I kept my eyes closed hoping to disappear or something like that. “I said it hurts...my back.” “Well, that’s your problem. How many times do I have to tell you that you can’t come here at nights?” TO BE CONTINUED :)

Through the Darkness (Part 6) I looked for the only pistol I had and got ready to go out. Ironically, I had only one bullet left which put a little bit more of pressure to the already heart-pounding situation. I looked at myself in the mirror for five seconds before I finally went out. "Do it John" I said to myself whilst the sound of an evil thunder immortalized the command. Charles workplace wasn't far away from my apartment. It only took me ten minutes to arrive at my destination. In point of fact, there wasn’t much traffic because of the storm. I parked my car near a big synagogue. My yellow car was remarkably visible so that place-without much illumination-was perfect to remain unnoticed.The old synagogue looked quite creepy that night. I waited for Charles inside my car. I looked through the fogged up windows to the continuous rainfall. I had always loved watching how raindrops fell and died on the ground. My back still hurt. Stupid glass, stupid me. Anyways, I didn’t pay much attention to it. I was trying to think about my plan despite the fact that I didn’t have one. At that point, I wanted to give up. A fight was going on inside me. My old pistol felt cold in my hand, just like my soul inside me. Focus John Collins, it’s too late for you to be coward now. I looked at the rear-view mirror, I perceived the resentment hidden in my look. I could also notice the fear consuming the little that remained of my inner peace and how desperate I was. My eyes were dolefully red even though I wasn't crying. Perhaps my soul was crying. I could barely feel it. A few moments later I saw Charles brand new car passing just next to me. I knew it was he. I started to follow him trying not to approach him too much. I kept some distance until it started to rain heavier and I couldn’t see him anymore. It made me drive ever closer to him. I think he realized what was happening, he suddenly sped up attempting to escape from me. His house was far away from his workplace. We had to cross half the city until we arrive. So I had a lot of time to carry out the plan. In that moment, all I wanted to do was have a smoke to calm my nerves. Pitifully, I couldn’t. I just didn’t want him to call 911, I had to hurry up. We were about to enter the Lytle tunnel. It was the perfect moment. There was no traffic and it was raining hard. Charles was driving desperately fast. Since I was a good driver, it wasn’t difficult to chase him. TO BE CONTINUED.