The
Decameron
Project

The
Decameron
Project

The
Decameron
Project

10th Grade Stories

"Blood trickling down his ebony face..."

Man Down

Ndeshimona

Kuzatjike

Windhoek, Namibia

10th Grade

"I always feel like I have a bad corner somewhere, and I am stuck between two worlds..."

"Living on lockdown during a virus pandemic is really, I mean, extremely hard, it is so hard to keep..."

Life’s a Mess!

Kai

Omera

San Leandro

San Leandro High

10th Grade

"She opens her hand, finding that the snow is no more, leaving only a stain of spilled..."

She has forgotten. Forgotten what the whispers and goosebumps of touch on skin feel like, forgotten the...

Shiver

Adelle

X

New York

10th Grade

"Maybe she only loved me because of a broken rose, but she loved me nevertheless..."

Flowers Never Lie

Angela

Chen

Cary

10th Grade

Maybe It’s Not So Bad After All

The teacher is droning on From the other side of the screen I took a glance outside my window The blue sky...

Maybe It’s Not So Bad After All

Nancy

Chen

Oakland Gardens

10th Grade

"Her grave was piled high with flowers, but I wanted to give something personal to us..."

I could barely contain the sweaty mess that my nerves conjured up. It had been almost two years since I’ve...

Fallen Rose

Alaa

Al-Ramahi

Boston

10th Grade

"I cling onto fabric I never thought I’d wear before, thick and fluffy, yet leaving..."

The slow drifting of the clouds, the sky’s reflection upon the water. These were the only things that felt...

Your Dreams Through Glass

Fay

B. Lazuli

Brooklyn

10th Grade

"The world outside my window is much more than what I can see."

Outside my window and over a distant hill, the sun rises… a lazy, shining eye awakening to a dark world. A...

Snapshot Times, Seasonal Designs

Jenna

B

St. Louis

10th Grade

on the other side

the bread on the street the birds on the street the blue cars lined up it’s a w e d n e s d a y it’s street...

on the other side

Afifa

Tanisa

Brooklyn

10th Grade

"Everyone has a secret, whether it be an innocent crush or a hideous crime. But my..."

Everyone has a secret, whether it be an innocent crush or a hideous crime. But my secret is nothing like that.

A Secret

Yana

E

Brooklyn

10th Grade

"Too many times have I felt alone in my corners of the world..."

Too many corners of my world haven’t felt like home, too many plants trying to make room for themselves in...

Homegoing

Esmee

Decola

Cambridge

10th Grade

"The stable Don't worry it has me under wraps I'll sit right here I'll eat my grain..."

"The stable It keeps me safe The beasts out there Want to tear my mane and rip my hooves To expose..."

The Stable

Jashire

S

Louisville

Louisville Male Traditional

10th Grade

"Frederick: I'm so sorry Susan for peeps rudeness to you. How about we switch numbers..."

"Frederick: Hi my name is Frederick and I would like you to meet my dog peeps. Susan: aww hi peeps its..."

Chaos

Germonae

B

Lexington

10th Grade

"But I’m trapped, in a world with nothing but a window in my mind leading back to the..."

My mind races as I stare aimlessly out of my window. Windows fogged with the cold and my mind clouded with...

Outside My Window

Sophie

Ball-Dolan

Hinesburg

10th Grade

Outside Your Window

Outside a window, I'm in a room with no lights and black walls, plus a white chair facing towards curtains...

Outside Your Window

Ava

White

Lithonia

10th Grade

"reminding me that another undelightful day has begun."

Everyday I am awakened from my sleep to a bright ray of sunlight shining through my window, reminding me...

The View Outside My Window

Shatyma

Santiago

Kansas City

10th Grade

"Diabetes has changed my life in more way than one; I am a lot more respectful when..."

"I've always been a bit different from other people. Not in a necessarily bad or good way, mainly just..."

A Life with Type 1 Diabetes

Ari

Stevens

Kansas City

J.C. Harmon High School

10th Grade

"'Mommy, kitty can see her! She made me realize that we aren’t alone in the house..."

"My name is Marabeth Addington. I live in my family's house, but they’ve left me behind in this quiet..."

Unspoken

Alexis

Hamilton

Montgomery

Montgomery Area High School

10th Grade

This Imperfect World of Ours

Outside my window I cannot see from the fog that covers, from the government that hovers. From where we are...

This Imperfect World of Ours

Kaitlyn

Miles

Heath Springs

Andrew Jackson High School

10th Grade

"Mothers are all alone, Trying to figure out how to make it on their own"

Outside my window, The sun rises in the morning, The wind blows without warning, And the trees are...

Outside my Window

Tiana

K

Heath Springs

10th Grade

Window of Truth

Outside my window Is the air I breathe from the man-made machines burning my lungs like a cigarette still...

Window of Truth

Clarabel

Matos

New York

10th Grade

Window

During class, bored, while my classmates talk, I look past their heads, and there would always be a window...

Window

Nicole

T

New York City

10th Grade

"My mother’s brown eyes and my father’s green eyes seem blank, almost possessed."

Whenever my mind is going mad I come back to this. A dream. Not the type where you fly with the birds or...

An Everlasting Dream

Karina

Bushweller

Williston

10th Grade

"You were always there Looking back at me, Judging me I always thought of that as a..."

I grow I change I look outside I see you Do you see me?"

Changes

Eva

Tikhomirova

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Technical High School

10th Grade

"Well I wasn't sure because his eyes weren't- there. He pointed down into what looked to b

"Fog kept covering my glasses each time I took out a breath. It was a cold afternoon..."

Chills

Sumairah

Abbasi

New York

10th Grade

"It immediately got quiet and he was shocked to hear a monstrous shriek from all four of t

"Damon is the only friend left of his friend group. The unfortunate events started..."

The Pandemic

Salma

Jaramillo

East Elmhurst

The Renaissance Charter School

10th Grade

"Jim dragged a few boxes up to the counter as a makeshift stool for Ava and turned on the

"Her reflection in the stained mirror looked back at her with disappointment..."

Sunoco Station

Maya

Girshin

New York

10th Grade

"I suddenly heard a jerky grunt that made me trip backwards into the wall..."

"'You know what mom? This place doesn’t seem so bad.' Was the last thing I said to her before I looked..."

Bad Alleyways

Kefina

Wright

Folcroft

Bonner & Prendergast High School

10th Grade

"CRACK! The loud sound as tombstones crack open with people crawling out of them..."

"In a small town called yoorana, where only small misdemeanors take place.. On this one night this town..."

Discovery

Kaliyah

Vaughn

Chicago

Kenwood Academy High School

10th Grade

"Blood slowly crept from her lips. And her eyes were turning… wait… no! How? Rebecca..."

"Footsteps slowly creaked up the stairs, and the bedroom door handle turned with a shudder. I panicked..."

The Man in the Mirror

Anne

Ball

Tualatin

10th Grade

"The adrenaline surged through me, but the deep snow slowed my frantic escape. Before..."

"A shrill cry echoed through the heavy mist that infected the frozen woods. My mind replayed the horrid..."

The Stranger

Sarah

Craner

Tualatin

10th Grade

"'This can’t be! You're dead… the doctors told me that you're dead,' I muttered to..."

"The light flickered in the bathroom as I brushed my teeth. Willing my eyes not to look up at the mirror..."

The Nothing in Me

Lucy

Lindley

Bronxville

10th Grade

"I woke up hoping that I could go back to sleep, but I’m alert when the realization..."

"'Ace, isn’t it exciting? Two dates!!' Angie smiles widely at me, clearly hoping I’ll share her enthusiasm..."

Ace is on the Case

Talitha

P

Portland

10th Grade

"I looked back too but the dark was clouding in like it was alive. “No” I..."

"The thing is when I woke up on October 31st to be bombarded with happy birthday messages I did not think..."

Walk.

Emily

Gerrard

South Jordan

10th Grade

"She plucked his cane from his hand, a hawk grabbing a defenceless mouse"

He gripped his cane tighter, arthritis stiff digits curled around the handle. Rhythmically, he swept it side..

Blind Man Walking (Horror Fiction Honorable Mention)

Savanna

Maki

Cedar Springs

10th Grade

"Crying is my anthem. Ana likes it that way."

Mature Content

"I sit up in the creaky bed and stare at the bathroom door, mold on the sides, rusty handle, disgusting..."

Flavored Cigarettes

Salma

Aldibee

Islamabad

10th Grade

"Samantha’s mom's face was filled with black veins. Her eyes were pitch black and she..."

"RING RING 'Ugh stupid alarm' Samantha said and hits the alarm so it can stop ringing. It's 6 am and..."

HIDDEN

Rosanna

Calderon

Queens

The Renaissance Charter School

10th Grade

"Just because we can’t see Them in the light doesn’t mean they’re not there. They..."

"There’s a feeling we all experience. A sense of aching, a hitch in your breath, your heartbeat pounding..."

Better Not to Know

Margaret

Maple

McKinney

10th Grade

"She saw eyes peering from behind the stalks of corn and there was a loud roaring in..."

"Maggie woke up on the ground, cold, wet, and groggy. She stood up in the middle of a dark wooded area..."

Night of the Zombies

Mackenzie

Mathis

Tualatin

Tualatin High School

10th Grade

"Familiar and rather rotting fingers touched my arm once again. My heart sank to ..."

"Icy fingers gripped my arm in the darkness. I swiveled around to see a grinch standing before me."

The Grinch Who Gave Back Christmas

Cyrah

Carlson

Tigard

Tualatin High School

10th Grade

"'Oh, Anne, so brave, yet so foolish,' the old witch sneered. I felt a sharp pain in..."

Mature Content

"'Be quiet, Anne!' Mother hissed. 'Yes, Mother,' I replied. We had spent the night sweeping the living..."

The Little Brown Broomstick

Lindey

Zifzal

Wintersville

10th Grade

"you notice one thing about them: they all look the same. You aren't..."

Mature Content

"You wake up in a strange bed and immediately hear a voice coming from a speaker on your right..."

Project 1964

Henry

Petterson

Tualatin

Tualatin High School

10th Grade

"'Dinner was delicious,' she said, and smiled at the empty chair on the other side of..."

Mature Content

"The fork scraped across the glass plate. The room filled with the smell of cooked meat. She dabbed her..."

Dinner’s Ready

Max

Hatcher

Los Angeles

10th Grade

“I’ve gone out since the break up, and I felt really optimistic“

I went to drop the kids off at school and saw a man that I had never seen before looking at me. He was an...

The Stranger

Kyira

H

Chicago

Kenwood Academy High School

10th Grade

"The boiling blood in my body melted the ice instantaneously. More than road rage took..."

"As soon as I clicked the radio on, I knew something was wrong. I had received this truck two days ago for..."

24

David

Jones

King City

10th Grade

"She was barely a few steps from it, when suddenly there were three, slow, evenly..."

"It was a warm, blustery day in the middle of October. All the houses were adorned with purple and orange..."

Who’s There?

Adysen

Straw

Valparaiso

10th Grade

"I can only stand and watch as the life leaves your eyes,as you slowly drift away from me"

"Dear New York, It seems to me that these days you’ve been quiet, suffocated even, as if a runaway..."

Murder On The Bowery

Grace

Zagoria

New York

10th Grade

"Without her blindfold, she’s nothing but an icon for interested judgement."

I'm going to lose. I wish I was told this before I invested four years in university and three years of law...

For the Villians

Lee

Lin

Los Angeles, California

10th Grade

"My throat burns with unexplainably despondent longing for removal from an otherness..."

My mother says menopause is full of pain. Hot flashes, anger, despair, insomnia, a surge of untameable emotion

16 Siroccos

Mary Lawrence

Ware

Brooklyn, New York

10th Grade

"I have come to the realization that no one is coming to rescue me."

Inhale. Exhale. Air swifts through my lungs while I place my head on the trunk of a tree...

Deadly Militia

Emmanuella

Agyemang

Bronx, New York

10th Grade

"Because in both our Americas, the color of your skin is the power you hold."

When I look at you I see black. I recognize we are not the same because I cannot ignore your color...

Dear Black America

Tessa

Demann

New York, New York

10th Grade

"They were in no mood to be bothered, especially by any form of authority."

Mature Content

They shrugged. Sonny and Vito, both students in their fourth and last years of high school, stared at...

The Upshots of Indifference

Luke

Trahan

New York, New York

Collegiate School

10th Grade

She turned toward him. “Besides, what is life without dreams?”

He was not the type to enjoy bars, or alcohol for that matter, but he felt obligated and a bit pressured...

Song of Solomon: A Prequel to Chapter One

Willem

Groot

New York, New York

Collegiate School

10th Grade

"They are humans who took one look at the canvas, and despite its rips and tears, created a masterpiece

Imagine being a character in a book, the story is the world that you live in. You can pick and choose the character whom you desire to be. You experience the same love they express.

Anyone Can Relate To

Liz

Jung

Bayside, New York

10th Grade

"...she worried she wouldn’t get the robin to a vet in time."

The cold, evening air brushed across Julie's face as her shadow lurked behind her...

George

Emilie

Su

New York, New York

The Brearley School

10th Grade

"they remember / the languor and warmth of / dreaming in company"

[central park] / somnambulic stupors often / lead one to an oasis of sorts

Central Park

Emilie

Su

New York, New York

The Brearley School

10th Grade

"More knocks sounded on the door, escalating in volume. They emanated from the main door, directly behind me..."

I had already read my Torah portion; now it was my dad’s turn to speak. We had rented a small, historic synagogue in Rosh Pina, Israel, for a private bat mitzvah ceremony. Well, sort of...

Early Adulthood

Ariel

K

New York

10th Grade

"With the brushing of skirts, softness in eyes, a haunting breeze."

Music brightens the moon and the dim lights are melted, Fled to the city of heaven, where the soul is accepted.

Night-Noon

Anna

Ren

Alexandria, Washington

Episcopal High School

10th Grade

"Life will return soon"

Hopefulness must stay...

A Promise – Haiku

Zoe

Smith

Houston, Texas

Episcopal High School

10th Grade

"To hibernate in summer"

We shall get ready...

Haiku of a Virus

Susan

Wang

Alexandria, Virginia

Episcopal High School

10th Grade

"Then God said 'Do what you want with these gifts I have given you.'"

First there was the It, an amalgamation of everything that ever will be, and everything that will never be...

An excerpt from translation of the 21st Century text, The Bible of Gygax.

Manu

Kadiyala

Alexandria, Virginia

Episcopal High School

10th Grade

"Our nervous laughter increased as we passed the clouds and reached our peak height."

As I walked around the island of Fiji, with the hot sun blazing on my skin and the breeze blowing...

Diving Through Emotions

Lila

Mark

New York, New York

10th Grade

"Yet there’s only so much that I can do to shield you from this..."

There is so much about this world that is difficult to understand...

Grow As We Go

Emilie

Su

New York, New York

The Brearley School

10th Grade

"I sip what remains of an old iced tea, The radio blares a Steely Dan song"

It’s locked and I can’t even find the keys I could break the glass? stitches would ensue

Midnite Cruiser

Patricia

Daum

New York, New York

Episcopal High School

10th Grade

"The crash opened her ears and eyes, and reminded her of the skiing accident..."

Florence swept her thick braid over her left shoulder and walked towards the edge of the bridge...

Soda for Julia

Emilie

Su

New York

The Brearley School

10th Grade

"To find her, my angel, and where my heart belongs"

Life is like a road that goes on and on...

The Road

Charlie

Manoogian

Alexandria, Virginia

Episcopal High School

10th Grade

"Her belief in me, and those seemingly annoying études..."

Mature Content

“Darling, I think I’ve heard enough,” Tatiana interrupted.

Tough Love

Diego

Barrera

New York, New York

10th Grade

"In these special days, We no longer shake hands With fear and fever"

Started from the ancient Greek, We shock hands, With admiration and praise, For respect, for friendship, for love.

We Shake Love, Not Hands

Anna

Ren

Alexandria, United States

Episcopal High School

10th Grade

"At 6:50, on the now empty, grassy knoll across the street, an area that would otherwise be filled with kids playing football, he stands alone and begins his mournful procession..."

Wearing his long-sleeved button-down and his trusty suspenders, my 80-year-old neighbor, a lone, brave bagpiper, marches out to the courtyard at 6:45 PM on a sunny Saturday evening and begins his vigil...

Bagpipe in the Bronx

Samuel

Rossberg

Bronx, New York

10th Grade

You sat quietly, waiting for the drop. Dread rose off you and drifted into the air. It wasn't purposeful, maybe it was; But it didn't matter anyway, you had her and that's what counted. She nestled her chin into your shoulder and let it sit there, unbothered...

Bread Boy

Madeline

Whitehead

New York, New York

10th Grade

In my story I will talk about how dangerous murder hornets are. Murder hornets' have reached the US. Native to Asia, the giant insects rip off the heads of honeybees by the thousands. Vespa mandarinia, or Asian giant hornets, as also known as "yak-killer hornets, murder hornets, and "hornets from hell...

Murder Hornets

Ulysse

Laguerre

Brooklyn, New York

Clara Barton Highschool

10th Grade

"Kiss the air and dance in peace. Every season has its seeds"

Squirrels, sparrows, wind and bees Roam around the empty streets.

Neighborhood

Susan

Wang

Alexandria, Virginia

Episcopal High School

10th Grade

"The shadows around me; Are like my followers, Who are “fangirling” me To build my ego."

I’m all dolled up in a royal blue dress, with streaks of bronze accents. My perfect hair, Highlights my face.

What People Like To Think

Rebecca

Max

Teaneck, New Jersey

10th Grade

"He had saved up some money at the time and put it towards what he wanted to do after this virus ended; which was to travel the world."

It is the year 2041 and the world has safely recovered from the corona-virus for some years now which left with a huge impact on humans. People are thriving and everyone has started new hobbies and life on earth has changed for the better.

Adventure of a Lifetime

David

Ceron

Alpharetta, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

10th Grade

“A small shell is nothing to worry about, honey. You can always use a bigger one to scoop it out.”

“First, you start with a couple cups of flour.” My mom spoke over my two wrestling brothers in the kitchen. Her hands worked expertly, grabbing a bowl here and a spatula there, sifting flour with the speed of a cheetah.

Crunch

Sofia

Kassalow

New York, New York

10th Grade

"She was not the person who was going to have to sacrifice their summer in order to have a stranger carve into their own skin for hours. She didn’t have the right to cry. "

The day I found out that I had to have surgery was a normal day after school in 7th grade. I walked into the kitchen to find my mom on the phone with a man named Dr. Hediquist.

The Morality Behind Taking Care of Someone

Ally

H

New York, New York

10th Grade

"In those first twenty seconds, nothing is wrong..."

For just twenty seconds when I first open my eyes...

Twenty Seconds

Lillian

Christianson

La Crosse, Wisconsin

10th Grade

"The feeling lingered as I lurked outside the door, at a safe enough distance that I would be left unnoticed. "

Feelings travel faster than words. I have always been able to sense the energy in the room, so the minute I woke up, I could tell something just wasn't right.

Unexpected

Maddie

S

New York

10th Grade

"I stood there. In front of a bathroom mirror. A mess. Eyes swollen. Hair messed up. I knelt down. Sobbing. My heart hurt more than ever. But this is what i want...Right? 'Who am I?' "

Mature Content

“Hi, how may i help you today?” said a beautiful woman dressed in all white. “Yes, hi. I would like to erase the memory of July 22-30 2019 please.”

Deleted

Sophie

Hsu

New York

10th Grade

"When you turn sixteen your whole life changes, you get a car, you feel more like an adult and not a teenager, but this biggest change of all is The Color above."

I look in the mirror thinking to myself tomorrow my whole life will change. The appointment is set and Doctor Andrews called to assure the procedure.

The Color Above

Lauren

Posa

Johns Creek, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

10th Grade

A Hero Has Fallen

She was always in a battle not just physically, but mentally. She was a tall, young woman with luminescent eyes that caught your attention when you looked at her.

A Hero Has Fallen

Macy

Fromm

Roswell, Georgia

10th Grade

"Carrie silenced her phone and started falling asleep as the car was swerving..."

Mature Content

She wore her tightest dress and pulled her hair back, half up half down. It was curled to perfection. She wore the most beautiful pair of diamond earrings her mother owned...

A Night to Remember

Ashlee

Raghu

Queens, New York

10th Grade

"Part of me knew to go back, but the other half couldn't resist the adventure..."

We just couldn't stay inside anymore. I had to get out, this Covid virus shutdown was driving us crazy...

Adventure

Hannah

Carlton

Roswell, Georgia

10th Grade

"I'm the oldest, I should drive. Technically Theresa ’s had more practice but she also lacks my extra three years of crucial brain development..."

Mature Content

I bought twice as much butter as the recipe called for. Two times as much. I'm not good at math but I know that double is more than enough...

Butter

Tessa

DeMann

New York City

10th Grade

"The card game finished. The girls put on their bathing suits. Bianca was happy to leave the stuffy cabin..."

A gaggle of girls entered the cabin. Two flustered counselors soon followed behind them. The counselors instructed the girls to sit on their beds...

Chickadee Cabin

Sarah

Schweitzer

New York City

10th Grade

"Like the millions of viewers who watch these tantalizing teenage TV dramas, we both seek to understand the bizarre, liminal microcosm we spend 4 years in..."

Since I was 5 or maybe 6 and realized not everyone liked me, a steely ride began to poke out of my back. Its dull weight prodded me to focus on each mean word said to me, to gather them and hold them close...

High School Here

Sarah

Schweitzer

New York City

10th Grade

"She looked at me straight on and said that she had only lashed out at my body because of how insecure she was about her own..."

The day it happened was colder than usual, which was especially odd given the stifling humidity of a Maine summer. It began as camp days usually did...

My Friend Samantha

Sarah

Schweitzer

New York City

10th Grade

"He had seen her stealing loaves of bread and wanted to make a deal with Charlotte..."

Once upon a time there lived a young adult named Charlotte. Right before her loving mom died, Charlotte was given the family heirloom, a prized sewing machine...

Once Upon A Pre-Covd-19 Time

Sarah

Schweitzer

New York City

10th Grade

The Journey

Ariel always questioned her purpose in life. One day she decided to find her ultimate purpose. She believed she was destined for much greater.

The Journey

Mekhi

Small-Best

Canton, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

10th Grade

"This girl doesn’t have abs, but she’s wearing a bikini. Her legs aren’t shaved."

5’2. Ha! Too short. Eyes too spread apart. Big Nose brigde. Lets see… hmm...of course! Her teeth! Too crooked.

The Bathing Suit

Sophie

Hsu

Rego Park, New York

10th Grade

Patience

Love is virulent, it's like a ticking time bomb ready to explode any second, I didn't have any protection, I couldn't help but be the victim. I got so close, fire consumed my system, but their impatience was my moral standard of aptitude and self restraint.

Patience

Kamlawattie

Singh

New York, New York

10th Grade

"Love is virulent, it's like a ticking time bomb ready to explode..."

...any second, I didn't have any protection, I couldn't help but be the victim.

Patience

Kamlawattie

Singh

Queens, New York

10th Grade

"Our apartment has one bedroom, which my mom gives to me and she sleeps on the pull out sofa in the living room. She says that works better because she sometimes works nights and gets home late."

My name is Noah. Some people at my school call me the dreamer, or “the boy with his head in the clouds''. I’m not denying it, but to be fair, it comes out of the mouths of kids with limitless opportunities

In the Mind of Noah

Maddy

Muir

Roswell, Georgia

10th Grade

"His arms were shaking with an intense fear, but he knew now was the time to act."

Supercell Headlines of an imminent EF5 tornado flashed across screens. The people panicked, frantically gathering their belongings, their hearts racing. The pressure over this small, isolated town was odd.

Project EF5/Supercell

Lamar

Gilbert

Norcross, Georgia

10th Grade

"He began to hear gunshots on his way home. They seemed to get louder and louder as he got closer and closer to his house..."

It had almost been a year since the death of Jayden’s mother. He now faced violence in his new home with his father in a poor area of Detroit. Jayden never knew what April 14, 1996, would bring to him.

My Life Was Flipped Upside Down and I Thank God

Cristina

Ledford

Alpharetta, Georgia

10th Grade

"I was so tired of good people suffering from things out of their control. The stranger looked at me, winked and walked away..."

As I walked through the streets of the city last night upset and sniffling the strangest thing happened. A strange man pulled me into an alleyway and said, “make a wish.”

The Inside

Kylie

Kisz

Woodstock, Georgia

10th Grade

"The stone gates act as a portal to another land..."

Just four hours from the bustling, busy streets of New York City disguised by grassy mountainside lies the most magical place on earth...

A Piece of My Home

Maddie

S

New York City

10th Grade

"rosemary and sage, / we throw upon the land, / their spirit lies beneath / here..."

knotted hair, scalps / cracked open like / fresh walnuts, hidden / under a woven sun...

Calabria

Imogen

Bylinsky

Brooklyn, New York

10th Grade

"Down the block, I would hear hip hop blasting from a car radio. A group of girls and guys would move to the music, hang on one another and smoke..."

When I think back to growing up in New York City, childhood images float into view and place themselves next to the ones all around me now. I remember running downstairs to the blue and white Good Humor truck on the corner of Central Park West and 92nd Street to buy a SpongeBob ice cream with black gumball eyes...

Cityscape

Leigh

B

New York City

10th Grade

"Merna and I did everything together. My little legs would dance to Shakira 'Hips Don’t Lie' with her. Merna’s phone would blast 'No One' by Alicia Keys..."

Ever since my older sister was born, she was always around. She was our first and only nanny. Merna was even there when my brother and I were born. Both my parents worked for most of my life...

Merna

Gabby

Gateley

New York City

10th Grade

"One plus to the visit: the hot pink and green (your choice) plastic giveaway sunglasses with the inscription 'Dr. Fink says Wink!'"

My glasses are different shades of brown, often described as tortoise shelled. They rest quite comfortably upon the bridge of my nose. They curl downwards to fit the curve of my ears. This pair of glasses is unique to me...

My Eye Glasses

Phoebe

Cohen

New York City

10th Grade

"Of course my parents would tell me that I wasn’t allowed to call until 7, but I was already busy putting on my snow pants..."

When I was young, every snow day was better than the last. I would run to my parent’s room at 6am and beg them to call the Silvestris. My best friend lived less than 5 minutes away...

Snow Day

Charlotte

M

New York City

10th Grade

"My mom wanted to surprise us with a trip to Bacalar. We have never been out of the country and my mom decides to pick a small town that's right outside of Belize..."

Standing on the beach with the sand between my toes and the warm sun on my face I realize this might be the last time I will ever see the sun.

The Sun

Lauren

H

Roswell, Georgia

10th Grade

"I became aware of the ever-changing city, whose streets were overpopulated with businessmen and children..."

All I saw was the side of a building with a small white graffiti mark on the bottom right corner. But looking at this wall my dad was reminded of the hours, days and years he spent playing wall ball, the only passing partner he ever needed...

The Wall

Olivia

Waterman

New York City

10th Grade

1 / 612 3 4 5 6

"Blood trickling down his ebony face..."

Man Down

Ndeshimona

Kuzatjike

Windhoek, Namibia

10th Grade

"I always feel like I have a bad corner somewhere, and I am stuck between two worlds..."

"Living on lockdown during a virus pandemic is really, I mean, extremely hard, it is so hard to keep..."

Life’s a Mess!

Kai

Omera

San Leandro

San Leandro High

10th Grade

"She opens her hand, finding that the snow is no more, leaving only a stain of spilled..."

She has forgotten. Forgotten what the whispers and goosebumps of touch on skin feel like, forgotten the...

Shiver

Adelle

X

New York

10th Grade

"Maybe she only loved me because of a broken rose, but she loved me nevertheless..."

Flowers Never Lie

Angela

Chen

Cary

10th Grade

Maybe It’s Not So Bad After All

The teacher is droning on From the other side of the screen I took a glance outside my window The blue sky...

Maybe It’s Not So Bad After All

Nancy

Chen

Oakland Gardens

10th Grade

"Her grave was piled high with flowers, but I wanted to give something personal to us..."

I could barely contain the sweaty mess that my nerves conjured up. It had been almost two years since I’ve...

Fallen Rose

Alaa

Al-Ramahi

Boston

10th Grade

"I cling onto fabric I never thought I’d wear before, thick and fluffy, yet leaving..."

The slow drifting of the clouds, the sky’s reflection upon the water. These were the only things that felt...

Your Dreams Through Glass

Fay

B. Lazuli

Brooklyn

10th Grade

"The world outside my window is much more than what I can see."

Outside my window and over a distant hill, the sun rises… a lazy, shining eye awakening to a dark world. A...

Snapshot Times, Seasonal Designs

Jenna

B

St. Louis

10th Grade

on the other side

the bread on the street the birds on the street the blue cars lined up it’s a w e d n e s d a y it’s street...

on the other side

Afifa

Tanisa

Brooklyn

10th Grade

"Everyone has a secret, whether it be an innocent crush or a hideous crime. But my..."

Everyone has a secret, whether it be an innocent crush or a hideous crime. But my secret is nothing like that.

A Secret

Yana

E

Brooklyn

10th Grade

"Too many times have I felt alone in my corners of the world..."

Too many corners of my world haven’t felt like home, too many plants trying to make room for themselves in...

Homegoing

Esmee

Decola

Cambridge

10th Grade

"The stable Don't worry it has me under wraps I'll sit right here I'll eat my grain..."

"The stable It keeps me safe The beasts out there Want to tear my mane and rip my hooves To expose..."

The Stable

Jashire

S

Louisville

Louisville Male Traditional

10th Grade

"Frederick: I'm so sorry Susan for peeps rudeness to you. How about we switch numbers..."

"Frederick: Hi my name is Frederick and I would like you to meet my dog peeps. Susan: aww hi peeps its..."

Chaos

Germonae

B

Lexington

10th Grade

"But I’m trapped, in a world with nothing but a window in my mind leading back to the..."

My mind races as I stare aimlessly out of my window. Windows fogged with the cold and my mind clouded with...

Outside My Window

Sophie

Ball-Dolan

Hinesburg

10th Grade

Outside Your Window

Outside a window, I'm in a room with no lights and black walls, plus a white chair facing towards curtains...

Outside Your Window

Ava

White

Lithonia

10th Grade

"reminding me that another undelightful day has begun."

Everyday I am awakened from my sleep to a bright ray of sunlight shining through my window, reminding me...

The View Outside My Window

Shatyma

Santiago

Kansas City

10th Grade

"Diabetes has changed my life in more way than one; I am a lot more respectful when..."

"I've always been a bit different from other people. Not in a necessarily bad or good way, mainly just..."

A Life with Type 1 Diabetes

Ari

Stevens

Kansas City

J.C. Harmon High School

10th Grade

"'Mommy, kitty can see her! She made me realize that we aren’t alone in the house..."

"My name is Marabeth Addington. I live in my family's house, but they’ve left me behind in this quiet..."

Unspoken

Alexis

Hamilton

Montgomery

Montgomery Area High School

10th Grade

This Imperfect World of Ours

Outside my window I cannot see from the fog that covers, from the government that hovers. From where we are...

This Imperfect World of Ours

Kaitlyn

Miles

Heath Springs

Andrew Jackson High School

10th Grade

"Mothers are all alone, Trying to figure out how to make it on their own"

Outside my window, The sun rises in the morning, The wind blows without warning, And the trees are...

Outside my Window

Tiana

K

Heath Springs

10th Grade

Window of Truth

Outside my window Is the air I breathe from the man-made machines burning my lungs like a cigarette still...

Window of Truth

Clarabel

Matos

New York

10th Grade

Window

During class, bored, while my classmates talk, I look past their heads, and there would always be a window...

Window

Nicole

T

New York City

10th Grade

"My mother’s brown eyes and my father’s green eyes seem blank, almost possessed."

Whenever my mind is going mad I come back to this. A dream. Not the type where you fly with the birds or...

An Everlasting Dream

Karina

Bushweller

Williston

10th Grade

"You were always there Looking back at me, Judging me I always thought of that as a..."

I grow I change I look outside I see you Do you see me?"

Changes

Eva

Tikhomirova

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Technical High School

10th Grade

"Well I wasn't sure because his eyes weren't- there. He pointed down into what looked to b

"Fog kept covering my glasses each time I took out a breath. It was a cold afternoon..."

Chills

Sumairah

Abbasi

New York

10th Grade

"It immediately got quiet and he was shocked to hear a monstrous shriek from all four of t

"Damon is the only friend left of his friend group. The unfortunate events started..."

The Pandemic

Salma

Jaramillo

East Elmhurst

The Renaissance Charter School

10th Grade

"Jim dragged a few boxes up to the counter as a makeshift stool for Ava and turned on the

"Her reflection in the stained mirror looked back at her with disappointment..."

Sunoco Station

Maya

Girshin

New York

10th Grade

"I suddenly heard a jerky grunt that made me trip backwards into the wall..."

"'You know what mom? This place doesn’t seem so bad.' Was the last thing I said to her before I looked..."

Bad Alleyways

Kefina

Wright

Folcroft

Bonner & Prendergast High School

10th Grade

"CRACK! The loud sound as tombstones crack open with people crawling out of them..."

"In a small town called yoorana, where only small misdemeanors take place.. On this one night this town..."

Discovery

Kaliyah

Vaughn

Chicago

Kenwood Academy High School

10th Grade

"Blood slowly crept from her lips. And her eyes were turning… wait… no! How? Rebecca..."

"Footsteps slowly creaked up the stairs, and the bedroom door handle turned with a shudder. I panicked..."

The Man in the Mirror

Anne

Ball

Tualatin

10th Grade

"The adrenaline surged through me, but the deep snow slowed my frantic escape. Before..."

"A shrill cry echoed through the heavy mist that infected the frozen woods. My mind replayed the horrid..."

The Stranger

Sarah

Craner

Tualatin

10th Grade

"'This can’t be! You're dead… the doctors told me that you're dead,' I muttered to..."

"The light flickered in the bathroom as I brushed my teeth. Willing my eyes not to look up at the mirror..."

The Nothing in Me

Lucy

Lindley

Bronxville

10th Grade

"I woke up hoping that I could go back to sleep, but I’m alert when the realization..."

"'Ace, isn’t it exciting? Two dates!!' Angie smiles widely at me, clearly hoping I’ll share her enthusiasm..."

Ace is on the Case

Talitha

P

Portland

10th Grade

"I looked back too but the dark was clouding in like it was alive. “No” I..."

"The thing is when I woke up on October 31st to be bombarded with happy birthday messages I did not think..."

Walk.

Emily

Gerrard

South Jordan

10th Grade

"She plucked his cane from his hand, a hawk grabbing a defenceless mouse"

He gripped his cane tighter, arthritis stiff digits curled around the handle. Rhythmically, he swept it side..

Blind Man Walking (Horror Fiction Honorable Mention)

Savanna

Maki

Cedar Springs

10th Grade

"Crying is my anthem. Ana likes it that way."

Mature Content

"I sit up in the creaky bed and stare at the bathroom door, mold on the sides, rusty handle, disgusting..."

Flavored Cigarettes

Salma

Aldibee

Islamabad

10th Grade

"Samantha’s mom's face was filled with black veins. Her eyes were pitch black and she..."

"RING RING 'Ugh stupid alarm' Samantha said and hits the alarm so it can stop ringing. It's 6 am and..."

HIDDEN

Rosanna

Calderon

Queens

The Renaissance Charter School

10th Grade

"Just because we can’t see Them in the light doesn’t mean they’re not there. They..."

"There’s a feeling we all experience. A sense of aching, a hitch in your breath, your heartbeat pounding..."

Better Not to Know

Margaret

Maple

McKinney

10th Grade

"She saw eyes peering from behind the stalks of corn and there was a loud roaring in..."

"Maggie woke up on the ground, cold, wet, and groggy. She stood up in the middle of a dark wooded area..."

Night of the Zombies

Mackenzie

Mathis

Tualatin

Tualatin High School

10th Grade

"Familiar and rather rotting fingers touched my arm once again. My heart sank to ..."

"Icy fingers gripped my arm in the darkness. I swiveled around to see a grinch standing before me."

The Grinch Who Gave Back Christmas

Cyrah

Carlson

Tigard

Tualatin High School

10th Grade

"'Oh, Anne, so brave, yet so foolish,' the old witch sneered. I felt a sharp pain in..."

Mature Content

"'Be quiet, Anne!' Mother hissed. 'Yes, Mother,' I replied. We had spent the night sweeping the living..."

The Little Brown Broomstick

Lindey

Zifzal

Wintersville

10th Grade

"you notice one thing about them: they all look the same. You aren't..."

Mature Content

"You wake up in a strange bed and immediately hear a voice coming from a speaker on your right..."

Project 1964

Henry

Petterson

Tualatin

Tualatin High School

10th Grade

"'Dinner was delicious,' she said, and smiled at the empty chair on the other side of..."

Mature Content

"The fork scraped across the glass plate. The room filled with the smell of cooked meat. She dabbed her..."

Dinner’s Ready

Max

Hatcher

Los Angeles

10th Grade

“I’ve gone out since the break up, and I felt really optimistic“

I went to drop the kids off at school and saw a man that I had never seen before looking at me. He was an...

The Stranger

Kyira

H

Chicago

Kenwood Academy High School

10th Grade

"The boiling blood in my body melted the ice instantaneously. More than road rage took..."

"As soon as I clicked the radio on, I knew something was wrong. I had received this truck two days ago for..."

24

David

Jones

King City

10th Grade

"She was barely a few steps from it, when suddenly there were three, slow, evenly..."

"It was a warm, blustery day in the middle of October. All the houses were adorned with purple and orange..."

Who’s There?

Adysen

Straw

Valparaiso

10th Grade

"I can only stand and watch as the life leaves your eyes,as you slowly drift away from me"

"Dear New York, It seems to me that these days you’ve been quiet, suffocated even, as if a runaway..."

Murder On The Bowery

Grace

Zagoria

New York

10th Grade

"Without her blindfold, she’s nothing but an icon for interested judgement."

I'm going to lose. I wish I was told this before I invested four years in university and three years of law...

For the Villians

Lee

Lin

Los Angeles, California

10th Grade

"My throat burns with unexplainably despondent longing for removal from an otherness..."

My mother says menopause is full of pain. Hot flashes, anger, despair, insomnia, a surge of untameable emotion

16 Siroccos

Mary Lawrence

Ware

Brooklyn, New York

10th Grade

"I have come to the realization that no one is coming to rescue me."

Inhale. Exhale. Air swifts through my lungs while I place my head on the trunk of a tree...

Deadly Militia

Emmanuella

Agyemang

Bronx, New York

10th Grade

"Because in both our Americas, the color of your skin is the power you hold."

When I look at you I see black. I recognize we are not the same because I cannot ignore your color...

Dear Black America

Tessa

Demann

New York, New York

10th Grade

"They were in no mood to be bothered, especially by any form of authority."

Mature Content

They shrugged. Sonny and Vito, both students in their fourth and last years of high school, stared at...

The Upshots of Indifference

Luke

Trahan

New York, New York

Collegiate School

10th Grade

She turned toward him. “Besides, what is life without dreams?”

He was not the type to enjoy bars, or alcohol for that matter, but he felt obligated and a bit pressured...

Song of Solomon: A Prequel to Chapter One

Willem

Groot

New York, New York

Collegiate School

10th Grade

"They are humans who took one look at the canvas, and despite its rips and tears, created a masterpiece

Imagine being a character in a book, the story is the world that you live in. You can pick and choose the character whom you desire to be. You experience the same love they express.

Anyone Can Relate To

Liz

Jung

Bayside, New York

10th Grade

"...she worried she wouldn’t get the robin to a vet in time."

The cold, evening air brushed across Julie's face as her shadow lurked behind her...

George

Emilie

Su

New York, New York

The Brearley School

10th Grade

"they remember / the languor and warmth of / dreaming in company"

[central park] / somnambulic stupors often / lead one to an oasis of sorts

Central Park

Emilie

Su

New York, New York

The Brearley School

10th Grade

"More knocks sounded on the door, escalating in volume. They emanated from the main door, directly behind me..."

I had already read my Torah portion; now it was my dad’s turn to speak. We had rented a small, historic synagogue in Rosh Pina, Israel, for a private bat mitzvah ceremony. Well, sort of...

Early Adulthood

Ariel

K

New York

10th Grade

"With the brushing of skirts, softness in eyes, a haunting breeze."

Music brightens the moon and the dim lights are melted, Fled to the city of heaven, where the soul is accepted.

Night-Noon

Anna

Ren

Alexandria, Washington

Episcopal High School

10th Grade

"Life will return soon"

Hopefulness must stay...

A Promise – Haiku

Zoe

Smith

Houston, Texas

Episcopal High School

10th Grade

"To hibernate in summer"

We shall get ready...

Haiku of a Virus

Susan

Wang

Alexandria, Virginia

Episcopal High School

10th Grade

"Then God said 'Do what you want with these gifts I have given you.'"

First there was the It, an amalgamation of everything that ever will be, and everything that will never be...

An excerpt from translation of the 21st Century text, The Bible of Gygax.

Manu

Kadiyala

Alexandria, Virginia

Episcopal High School

10th Grade

"Our nervous laughter increased as we passed the clouds and reached our peak height."

As I walked around the island of Fiji, with the hot sun blazing on my skin and the breeze blowing...

Diving Through Emotions

Lila

Mark

New York, New York

10th Grade

"Yet there’s only so much that I can do to shield you from this..."

There is so much about this world that is difficult to understand...

Grow As We Go

Emilie

Su

New York, New York

The Brearley School

10th Grade

"I sip what remains of an old iced tea, The radio blares a Steely Dan song"

It’s locked and I can’t even find the keys I could break the glass? stitches would ensue

Midnite Cruiser

Patricia

Daum

New York, New York

Episcopal High School

10th Grade

"The crash opened her ears and eyes, and reminded her of the skiing accident..."

Florence swept her thick braid over her left shoulder and walked towards the edge of the bridge...

Soda for Julia

Emilie

Su

New York

The Brearley School

10th Grade

"To find her, my angel, and where my heart belongs"

Life is like a road that goes on and on...

The Road

Charlie

Manoogian

Alexandria, Virginia

Episcopal High School

10th Grade

"Her belief in me, and those seemingly annoying études..."

Mature Content

“Darling, I think I’ve heard enough,” Tatiana interrupted.

Tough Love

Diego

Barrera

New York, New York

10th Grade

"In these special days, We no longer shake hands With fear and fever"

Started from the ancient Greek, We shock hands, With admiration and praise, For respect, for friendship, for love.

We Shake Love, Not Hands

Anna

Ren

Alexandria, United States

Episcopal High School

10th Grade

"At 6:50, on the now empty, grassy knoll across the street, an area that would otherwise be filled with kids playing football, he stands alone and begins his mournful procession..."

Wearing his long-sleeved button-down and his trusty suspenders, my 80-year-old neighbor, a lone, brave bagpiper, marches out to the courtyard at 6:45 PM on a sunny Saturday evening and begins his vigil...

Bagpipe in the Bronx

Samuel

Rossberg

Bronx, New York

10th Grade

You sat quietly, waiting for the drop. Dread rose off you and drifted into the air. It wasn't purposeful, maybe it was; But it didn't matter anyway, you had her and that's what counted. She nestled her chin into your shoulder and let it sit there, unbothered...

Bread Boy

Madeline

Whitehead

New York, New York

10th Grade

In my story I will talk about how dangerous murder hornets are. Murder hornets' have reached the US. Native to Asia, the giant insects rip off the heads of honeybees by the thousands. Vespa mandarinia, or Asian giant hornets, as also known as "yak-killer hornets, murder hornets, and "hornets from hell...

Murder Hornets

Ulysse

Laguerre

Brooklyn, New York

Clara Barton Highschool

10th Grade

"Kiss the air and dance in peace. Every season has its seeds"

Squirrels, sparrows, wind and bees Roam around the empty streets.

Neighborhood

Susan

Wang

Alexandria, Virginia

Episcopal High School

10th Grade

"The shadows around me; Are like my followers, Who are “fangirling” me To build my ego."

I’m all dolled up in a royal blue dress, with streaks of bronze accents. My perfect hair, Highlights my face.

What People Like To Think

Rebecca

Max

Teaneck, New Jersey

10th Grade

"He had saved up some money at the time and put it towards what he wanted to do after this virus ended; which was to travel the world."

It is the year 2041 and the world has safely recovered from the corona-virus for some years now which left with a huge impact on humans. People are thriving and everyone has started new hobbies and life on earth has changed for the better.

Adventure of a Lifetime

David

Ceron

Alpharetta, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

10th Grade

“A small shell is nothing to worry about, honey. You can always use a bigger one to scoop it out.”

“First, you start with a couple cups of flour.” My mom spoke over my two wrestling brothers in the kitchen. Her hands worked expertly, grabbing a bowl here and a spatula there, sifting flour with the speed of a cheetah.

Crunch

Sofia

Kassalow

New York, New York

10th Grade

"She was not the person who was going to have to sacrifice their summer in order to have a stranger carve into their own skin for hours. She didn’t have the right to cry. "

The day I found out that I had to have surgery was a normal day after school in 7th grade. I walked into the kitchen to find my mom on the phone with a man named Dr. Hediquist.

The Morality Behind Taking Care of Someone

Ally

H

New York, New York

10th Grade

"In those first twenty seconds, nothing is wrong..."

For just twenty seconds when I first open my eyes...

Twenty Seconds

Lillian

Christianson

La Crosse, Wisconsin