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It was sixteen long years later.

Frames filled with images of a young couple, holding two little girls in their arms, covered the walls. The girls slowly grew older throughout the pictures; from babies, to toddlers, to gawky kids, until beings todays' teenagers. The blond child looking shyly from her frame. While her raven-haired sister the complete opposite as she appeared vibrant and lively. And another figure was constant in these pictures, a too-skinny kid always grinning mischievously into the camera.

Marissa sat now on their worn out couch. She had her long golden hair pulled into two messy braids, reading intently from the book on her lap. Her crystal blue eyes flicking from word to word with complete focus. She was pale from not getting too much sun, and why should she when there were so many books to attend to? Especially since her grandfather gave her her own library. That's how she got hooked in the first place, when he let her have one of the locked rooms upstairs.

Justin was sitting in one of the plush chairs, watching the TV with little interest. The young father was no longer so young anymore, reaching his mid-thirties now. His short black hair was now streaked with gray here and there, a goatee on his chin. He and his wife had been married for over fifteen years now, always in that honeymoon phase, causing their daughters gag teasingly.

Arthur sat on the porch, smoking and looking wistfully at the stars. She had loved the stars. He hadn't aged a day, of course. The only thing different about him really was that he smoked, for over sixteen years now. Ever since his last girlfriend had gone. Passed. Died. Leaving him only with shock and grim memories. <i>Oh little Robin,</i> he thought sadly. 

in/ex

In/external Conflict Paragraph: Absolutes Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexi

Junior is having major conflict with fitting in at his new school. Kids single him out because he has poorer clothes than they do, plus being from the rez doesn’t help. “Yes, we all know there’s such amazing science on the reservation,” (Alexi, p. 85) His science teacher, Mr. Douglas, taunts as Junior speaks out in class. The students treat him like yesterdays’ trash, and they assume he’s stupid since he came from such a place, it doesn’t matter that he probably has a higher IQ than most the people there. People call him terrible stereotypical names. He really doesn’t feel like he doesn’t belong- trapped, in fact. He knows that his parents wouldn’t blame him if he decided to return to his old school. But everyone else would think him a coward, a traitor for leaving. So Junior is really up against a wall here since he can’t go back, but it’s going to be difficult to stay if this doesn’t stop soon.