Gather around, gather around. I have a story to tell. Those who don’t believe it say it’s tall, but I know it to be true… mostly. It may be glorified here and exaggerated there; it’s all for the sake of your enjoyment. The beginning is always the same; no one can doubt it. This, my friends, is the story of the Grade Marauder.

In a school like our own, on a week like this one, a creature lurks in the shadows. Undetected, it surveys the school’s inhabitants, and begins picking out its victims. It calls upon the weather to cast a gloom over the area, causing some people to feel sleepy or just plain tired. Students are loaded with work to do: trying to balance homework, sleep, extracurricular activities, and have some time to themselves. It’s the perfect time for the creature to make its move. It creeps near it’s chosen prey and secretly steals their motivation. Procrastination becomes more prominent in the tired students. Some kids have a hard time focusing and are not prepared for tests that ‘suddenly’ come up. Then the grades disappear. The creature feasts on the fallen scores, content with its victory. The creature is called the Grade Marauder. This species lives exclusively at schools, and is more like a spirit than a physical being. Its presence can be felt, but it is never truly seen.

A flicker of light in the darkness is all we need. A simple spark of hope will guide us through these times of trouble. In the gloom of the Grade Marauder’s mist, there lies an unknown hero. Like the Grade Marauder, this hero is never seen. They travel around the campus and conjure up feelings of happiness and peace, spreading them like seeds. Students seem to magically get back on track after the rough period of lower grades. I know what you’re thinking. If there is a hero cheering everyone up again, why don’t they just put us in a good mood before the Grade Marauders can get to them? The answer is simple. There is only one hero, but there are many more Grade Marauders. The hero’s effects can hold off the Marauder’s attempts for a while, but not all the time. They have to be refreshed, so the hero travels from school to school doing the best they can to support as many students as possible.

That is the story of the Grade Marauder. I know I don’t have any evidence to prove it, but I can assure you it is real because I have suffered from it’s wrath. To all of you who are struggling in this time of the Marauder’s gloom, I wish you the best of luck.