I’m 14 now! I feel like an adult! I was able to cook my own birthday dinner and made my own cake. Since 14 is such a big birthday, I got an encyclopedia and a mango (my favorite fruit). I also got the fourth installment of the Virtual Villagers series. I can’t wait for my villagers to clear the stream! While I was waiting for my villagers to finish, I read my encyclopedia, so I like running now! The guiding hand likes to have me run around, cleaning the house.
I almost forgot to mention that I have a new baby brother! His name is Harry, and my Sooniana is still nursing him. She says that it really helps to have another adult around. The twins at 5 are still mischievous, and I have to make sure that they are studying. Since it is boring to watch even my brothers’ study, I have gotten into reading for pleasure when my Guiding hand doesn’t need me. My favorites are mystery novels, fantasy novels and tabloid magazines, which I have to hide from the rest of my family (they don’t approve of gossip). I also like to chat online, through the forums and other chat services. My new best friend’s screen name is Kikiann11, and we chat late into the night, because my Guiding Hand never seems to drag me into bed when I am chatting.
I still like to collect, but it isn’t as important to me now that I am an adult. We’ve found almost all the collectables except for a few rare twigs and the bugs. My little brothers also like to collect, and took over for me. Sometimes I feel lonely, despite my online friends, and wish that I could see other people, not just my brothers. I want to see a girl my age. I guess I only have 4 years to go until I get out of the house.
Oh yeah, one last thing. I wrote a poem about my original village:
Their world is small, a south shore of an island.
Their struggle for survival is mine also.
Their lives molded, shaped by their creator.
Their population grown, their children raised.
Their workers are strong.
They live because of me, the Guiding Hand.

I also wrote a story, but I don’t want to share that. That night, I thought about how my life is the same as my villagers- small and secluded. I felt angry that I was so limited, that I have never left the house. But then I realized that being in my little village meant that I had a guiding hand that cares about me.