The
Decameron
Project

The
Decameron
Project

The
Decameron
Project

9th Grade Stories

"As his eyes moved, the horrible being to his left came into view. The creature..."

"Alone. The trees of the forest around him were just barely visible in the darkness, the faint glowing..."

The Shade

Joey

Etnyre

Hoffman Estates

William Fremd High School

9th Grade

"As he looked inside, a shiver went down his spine. The cabin had nice beige walls..."

"It was a dark, misty night in the woodlands of Dowsken, Alaska. The tranquil atmosphere was interrupted..."

The Crow Cabin

Lucas

Papamitsakis

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Technical High School

9th Grade

"The doll turned her head towards Jess’s room. Jess ran out of the room and ..."

"She looked back and saw her footprint, shiny and clear on the dark floor. 'What's that?' She thought ..."

Down to the Flames

Cathy

X

Brooklyn

9th Grade

"Even justice has been warped beyond repair."

"Every man who has in his soul a secret feeling of revolt against any act of the State, of life, or of..."

The Tipping Point

Estella

Ugbebor

Los Angeles

9th Grade

"The grotesque collection of bodies with some dead, drooping arms dragging on the..."

"'They didn’t treat the kids good here,' Marks inquired, 'did the?' 'Only the rats were,' Officer Bells..."

Rat King

Anais

S.

Saratoga

9th Grade

"Embedded in the soil of our nation is racism, slavery, and persecution"

It seems as if over the past few months there has been a shift in the world.

What can we do to be heard and why do we need to share our voices more than ever?

Olivia

Hersh

New York, New York

9th Grade

"The officers look at each other, as if they are confirming what they're about to do."

Silence. Terrible, unceasing silence. That is what's left after watching George Floyd plead for his life...

To Dream of Justice

Leah

Stewart

Sufflok, Virginia

9th Grade

"You used to be the girl who loved dragons."

Armor doesn’t fit over stretch marks. Stainless steel dissolves when it meets your numb, purple scars...

The Dragon

Emma

Meyers

Santa Fe, New Mexico

9th Grade

"I pretend I am in her arms, the coat is her body. I run my hand over my forehead and through my hair. Over and over, just like she used to so I could sleep."

The lights don’t turn on anymore. And the sink dribbles but doesn’t run.

Glory Be

Aviva

N

Santa Fe, New Mexico

9th Grade

"I am strong. / I am myself. / I AM She."

SHE sits in the classroom, always raising her hand, even if SHE’s not sure of her answer...

She

Aarushi

B

Princeton, New Jersey

9th Grade

"I growled to myself, ‘Don’t be weak, warriors don’t feel.’ I put my head on the soft grass and my eyes slid shut."

I awoke with flames dancing in my peripheral vision. The air itself felt singed...

Ryoshi

Finn

Graham

Eton, United Kingdom

Eton College

9th Grade

"It wasn’t that she was poor like a peasant was--she had acquired plenty of wealth over the years--she was just bored of being herself."

“How would you like to be immortal?” The question rang through the room, causing the listener’s heart to beat faster.

How Would You Like to Be Immortal?

Rebecca

Losey

Livermore, California

9th Grade

"He remembered nothing from that night. All he knew was growing up without a mom had been horrible."

Our story begins, as many do, in the future, with a boy and his dog. This story is a tragic one.

Birthday Surprise

Kai

Cooper

New York, NY

9th Grade

"The doctors told him he may never play again."

In March 2004, Sean Mcdaniel turned 16. The problem was he felt like he was 10 due to his rough environment and lack of education...

How Sean Mcdaniel Became a Star

Jake

Deutscher

Atlanta, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

9th Grade

"When there were numerous healthy ones in the adjacent cages, should she chance the heartache of losing this pet after bonding with him?"

Carrie looked into each set of eyes, and they all looked back at her longingly. One by one, cage by cage, she peered inquisitively inside each, hopeful that her search would be a success.

A Chance Encounter

Mark

Dungan

Marietta, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

9th Grade

"Sean had been dreaming about having this 1965 cherry red Mustang for so long. On his sixteenth birthday, his parents told Sean that they had a surprise for him."

"Sean woke up again, just like so many other nights, dreaming about the car."

Earning Your First Car

Trevor

Schweizer

Johns Creek, Georgia

9th Grade

"There were no other solutions. They knew it fit squarely on the chosen one to succeed."

The day started out like any other day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing sweet melodies, and a sea of yellow covered every outdoor surface. Today was to be the day that is anticipated all week long.

The Chosen one

Charlie

Cowan

Canton, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

9th Grade

"...lightning strikes a few feet next to the treehouse. She quickly jumps from the ground in fright..."

In a small town named Greenville, nothing bad ever happens. Day by day nothing changes, it’s always the same routine for everyone...

The Doll in the Woods

Catherine

Campbell

Roswell, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

9th Grade

"When the triplets started growing older, the dad started noticing something extraordinary. The triplets had powers, he never thought that was possible."

They were a new, happy married couple that were scientists. They lived together in a big city and wanted to have children. The wife became pregnant, but she also became very sick. The husband and wife tried to do everything they could to cure her.

The Triplets

Ann Marie

Bobar

Atlanta, Georgia

9th Grade

"And when I told him what I did I could see in his face that I had lost him forever."

The day started off the same as everyday, waking up, going to school, doing homework, and going to bed. It was the same cycle until I met him.

When I Lost Everything

Stella

J

Marietta, Georgia

9th Grade

Dirt Roads

In the dirt roads, a little small town will the population just under 1,000. There was a boy who wanted to escape this town. He wanted to go to the

Dirt Roads

Edward

Ahrens

Marietta, Georgia

9th Grade

"But during the second half of the game she caught a pass, juked out her defender, and ran towards the goal full speed..."

This was the moment she has waited for ever since she started playing lacrosse in fourth grade. She has put in so much effort and has worked so hard for this moment...

I’m Still Standing

Haden

Noyes

Marietta, Georgia

9th Grade

Sacrifice

With that feeling of pain going through every part of my body, I knew I did the right thing. Waking up on a Sunday morning with the sun going through the blinds streaming in my eyes is a great way to wake up. As I feel the warmth

Sacrifice

Alexandra

Allen

Roswell, Georgia

9th Grade

"We raced into the kitchen with two mugs ready for us to drink it all."

I was sitting in my English classroom wondering when the bell would ring for my next class when all of the sudden, in the corner of my eye I saw something fall from the sky...

Snow Day

Lucy

Bianchi

Atlanta, Georgia

9th Grade

"The next morning as she packed her air force duffel bag full, she broke down into tears, crying out that she could not go to New York..."

She was just a young, inexperienced air force nurse, twenty-three and lived in Charleston, South Carolina...

The Airman

Avery

Young

Roswell, Georgia

9th Grade

"'This is it.' I think to myself in my head. 'This is how my story ends.'"

My eyes open. I can feel my heart thumping, “boom, boom, boom.” My throat closes up. I struggle to breathe. It feels like there are a thousand pounds on my chest, and if I could only struggle out from under the weight this would all end. But I can’t, and this is not ending.

Alone

Madison

Guynup

Woodstock, Georgia

9th Grade

"No one likes to lose, but in losing winners are born"

The way I was watched gave me a sneaking suspicion. All the eyes locked on me crippled my movement. The stress and anxiety made me blind.

Athletes

Josh

A

Marietta, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

9th Grade

"Sudden warmth and the smell of coffee pleaded with me to stifle my thoughts, but the words that would change my life still spewed out of my mouth. “I saw him!” I cried."

Lightning ripped through the sky, but I had to keep going. Rain seared the deep lacerations across my body, but my legs still chased the horizon with desperation

I Saw Him

Rachel

Mina

Ridgefield Park, New Jersey

9th Grade

"'We never had enough food. No one in Taiwan did. Taiwan was plagued by starvation during the war'"

The chaotic cafeteria drowned me. Voices ripped at my ear--laughing, shouting, and whispering. The fluorescent lights hissed at me. Everyone at my lunch table sat around me with smiles plastered on their faces. How could they manage to stay so upbeat? How could I manage to live knowing this?

Egg

Ava

Yan

New York, New York

9th Grade

"I recognized the shape of the brown wooden sculpture from the necklace my mother always wore; however, her necklace had shimmering white diamonds and not a gory dead man."

My parents gave me a silver cross as a graduation present from preschool. My cross was about two inches long and one inch wide. It had small round shimmering white diamonds that rested on a silver backing and hung from a thin dainty silver chain.

The Brown Wooden Sculpture

Martha

G

New York City

9th Grade

"'Did you ever meet Putin?' 'Do Russians like trump?' 'Do you know if the Russians helped Trump?'"

Its torso is shaped like a colossal peanut. Its head is round with a glimmering face painted upon it with thick guache, covered in colorless yacht lacquer. The Matryoshka doll, Semenovskaya nesting doll, [Матрёшка] bears the scent of damp old wood.

The Matryoshka Doll

E

S

New York, New York

9th Grade

The Angel and the Train

Mature Content

After sunset my reflection appears in the black depths of the kitchen window, thin, pale and drunk. The ruins of the gas station are burning in the hills, a sheet of wet gold floating on my chest. I can pick out the familiar scent of smoke.

The Angel and the Train

Zarar

Zarar

New York, New York

9th Grade

1 / 212

"As his eyes moved, the horrible being to his left came into view. The creature..."

"Alone. The trees of the forest around him were just barely visible in the darkness, the faint glowing..."

The Shade

Joey

Etnyre

Hoffman Estates

William Fremd High School

9th Grade

"As he looked inside, a shiver went down his spine. The cabin had nice beige walls..."

"It was a dark, misty night in the woodlands of Dowsken, Alaska. The tranquil atmosphere was interrupted..."

The Crow Cabin

Lucas

Papamitsakis

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Technical High School

9th Grade

"The doll turned her head towards Jess’s room. Jess ran out of the room and ..."

"She looked back and saw her footprint, shiny and clear on the dark floor. 'What's that?' She thought ..."

Down to the Flames

Cathy

X

Brooklyn

9th Grade

"Even justice has been warped beyond repair."

"Every man who has in his soul a secret feeling of revolt against any act of the State, of life, or of..."

The Tipping Point

Estella

Ugbebor

Los Angeles

9th Grade

"The grotesque collection of bodies with some dead, drooping arms dragging on the..."

"'They didn’t treat the kids good here,' Marks inquired, 'did the?' 'Only the rats were,' Officer Bells..."

Rat King

Anais

S.

Saratoga

9th Grade

"Embedded in the soil of our nation is racism, slavery, and persecution"

It seems as if over the past few months there has been a shift in the world.

What can we do to be heard and why do we need to share our voices more than ever?

Olivia

Hersh

New York, New York

9th Grade

"The officers look at each other, as if they are confirming what they're about to do."

Silence. Terrible, unceasing silence. That is what's left after watching George Floyd plead for his life...

To Dream of Justice

Leah

Stewart

Sufflok, Virginia

9th Grade

"You used to be the girl who loved dragons."

Armor doesn’t fit over stretch marks. Stainless steel dissolves when it meets your numb, purple scars...

The Dragon

Emma

Meyers

Santa Fe, New Mexico

9th Grade

"I pretend I am in her arms, the coat is her body. I run my hand over my forehead and through my hair. Over and over, just like she used to so I could sleep."

The lights don’t turn on anymore. And the sink dribbles but doesn’t run.

Glory Be

Aviva

N

Santa Fe, New Mexico

9th Grade

"I am strong. / I am myself. / I AM She."

SHE sits in the classroom, always raising her hand, even if SHE’s not sure of her answer...

She

Aarushi

B

Princeton, New Jersey

9th Grade

"I growled to myself, ‘Don’t be weak, warriors don’t feel.’ I put my head on the soft grass and my eyes slid shut."

I awoke with flames dancing in my peripheral vision. The air itself felt singed...

Ryoshi

Finn

Graham

Eton, United Kingdom

Eton College

9th Grade

"It wasn’t that she was poor like a peasant was--she had acquired plenty of wealth over the years--she was just bored of being herself."

“How would you like to be immortal?” The question rang through the room, causing the listener’s heart to beat faster.

How Would You Like to Be Immortal?

Rebecca

Losey

Livermore, California

9th Grade

"He remembered nothing from that night. All he knew was growing up without a mom had been horrible."

Our story begins, as many do, in the future, with a boy and his dog. This story is a tragic one.

Birthday Surprise

Kai

Cooper

New York, NY

9th Grade

"The doctors told him he may never play again."

In March 2004, Sean Mcdaniel turned 16. The problem was he felt like he was 10 due to his rough environment and lack of education...

How Sean Mcdaniel Became a Star

Jake

Deutscher

Atlanta, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

9th Grade

"When there were numerous healthy ones in the adjacent cages, should she chance the heartache of losing this pet after bonding with him?"

Carrie looked into each set of eyes, and they all looked back at her longingly. One by one, cage by cage, she peered inquisitively inside each, hopeful that her search would be a success.

A Chance Encounter

Mark

Dungan

Marietta, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

9th Grade

"Sean had been dreaming about having this 1965 cherry red Mustang for so long. On his sixteenth birthday, his parents told Sean that they had a surprise for him."

"Sean woke up again, just like so many other nights, dreaming about the car."

Earning Your First Car

Trevor

Schweizer

Johns Creek, Georgia

9th Grade

"There were no other solutions. They knew it fit squarely on the chosen one to succeed."

The day started out like any other day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing sweet melodies, and a sea of yellow covered every outdoor surface. Today was to be the day that is anticipated all week long.

The Chosen one

Charlie

Cowan

Canton, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

9th Grade

"...lightning strikes a few feet next to the treehouse. She quickly jumps from the ground in fright..."

In a small town named Greenville, nothing bad ever happens. Day by day nothing changes, it’s always the same routine for everyone...

The Doll in the Woods

Catherine

Campbell

Roswell, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

9th Grade

"When the triplets started growing older, the dad started noticing something extraordinary. The triplets had powers, he never thought that was possible."

They were a new, happy married couple that were scientists. They lived together in a big city and wanted to have children. The wife became pregnant, but she also became very sick. The husband and wife tried to do everything they could to cure her.

The Triplets

Ann Marie

Bobar

Atlanta, Georgia

9th Grade

"And when I told him what I did I could see in his face that I had lost him forever."

The day started off the same as everyday, waking up, going to school, doing homework, and going to bed. It was the same cycle until I met him.

When I Lost Everything

Stella

J

Marietta, Georgia

9th Grade

Dirt Roads

In the dirt roads, a little small town will the population just under 1,000. There was a boy who wanted to escape this town. He wanted to go to the

Dirt Roads

Edward

Ahrens

Marietta, Georgia

9th Grade

"But during the second half of the game she caught a pass, juked out her defender, and ran towards the goal full speed..."

This was the moment she has waited for ever since she started playing lacrosse in fourth grade. She has put in so much effort and has worked so hard for this moment...

I’m Still Standing

Haden

Noyes

Marietta, Georgia

9th Grade

Sacrifice

With that feeling of pain going through every part of my body, I knew I did the right thing. Waking up on a Sunday morning with the sun going through the blinds streaming in my eyes is a great way to wake up. As I feel the warmth

Sacrifice

Alexandra

Allen

Roswell, Georgia

9th Grade

"We raced into the kitchen with two mugs ready for us to drink it all."

I was sitting in my English classroom wondering when the bell would ring for my next class when all of the sudden, in the corner of my eye I saw something fall from the sky...

Snow Day

Lucy

Bianchi

Atlanta, Georgia

9th Grade

"The next morning as she packed her air force duffel bag full, she broke down into tears, crying out that she could not go to New York..."

She was just a young, inexperienced air force nurse, twenty-three and lived in Charleston, South Carolina...

The Airman

Avery

Young

Roswell, Georgia

9th Grade

"'This is it.' I think to myself in my head. 'This is how my story ends.'"

My eyes open. I can feel my heart thumping, “boom, boom, boom.” My throat closes up. I struggle to breathe. It feels like there are a thousand pounds on my chest, and if I could only struggle out from under the weight this would all end. But I can’t, and this is not ending.

Alone

Madison

Guynup

Woodstock, Georgia

9th Grade

"No one likes to lose, but in losing winners are born"

The way I was watched gave me a sneaking suspicion. All the eyes locked on me crippled my movement. The stress and anxiety made me blind.

Athletes

Josh

A

Marietta, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

9th Grade

"Sudden warmth and the smell of coffee pleaded with me to stifle my thoughts, but the words that would change my life still spewed out of my mouth. “I saw him!” I cried."

Lightning ripped through the sky, but I had to keep going. Rain seared the deep lacerations across my body, but my legs still chased the horizon with desperation

I Saw Him

Rachel

Mina

Ridgefield Park, New Jersey

9th Grade

"'We never had enough food. No one in Taiwan did. Taiwan was plagued by starvation during the war'"

The chaotic cafeteria drowned me. Voices ripped at my ear--laughing, shouting, and whispering. The fluorescent lights hissed at me. Everyone at my lunch table sat around me with smiles plastered on their faces. How could they manage to stay so upbeat? How could I manage to live knowing this?

Egg

Ava

Yan

New York, New York

9th Grade

"I recognized the shape of the brown wooden sculpture from the necklace my mother always wore; however, her necklace had shimmering white diamonds and not a gory dead man."

My parents gave me a silver cross as a graduation present from preschool. My cross was about two inches long and one inch wide. It had small round shimmering white diamonds that rested on a silver backing and hung from a thin dainty silver chain.

The Brown Wooden Sculpture

Martha

G

New York City

9th Grade

"'Did you ever meet Putin?' 'Do Russians like trump?' 'Do you know if the Russians helped Trump?'"

Its torso is shaped like a colossal peanut. Its head is round with a glimmering face painted upon it with thick guache, covered in colorless yacht lacquer. The Matryoshka doll, Semenovskaya nesting doll, [Матрёшка] bears the scent of damp old wood.

The Matryoshka Doll

E

S

New York, New York

9th Grade

The Angel and the Train

Mature Content

After sunset my reflection appears in the black depths of the kitchen window, thin, pale and drunk. The ruins of the gas station are burning in the hills, a sheet of wet gold floating on my chest. I can pick out the familiar scent of smoke.

The Angel and the Train

Zarar

Zarar

New York, New York

9th Grade

"The grotesque collection of bodies with some dead, drooping arms dragging on the..."

"'They didn’t treat the kids good here,' Marks inquired, 'did the?' 'Only the rats were,' Officer Bells..."

Rat King

Anais

S.

Saratoga

9th Grade

"As his eyes moved, the horrible being to his left came into view. The creature..."

"Alone. The trees of the forest around him were just barely visible in the darkness, the faint glowing..."

The Shade

Joey

Etnyre

Hoffman Estates

William Fremd High School

9th Grade

"As he looked inside, a shiver went down his spine. The cabin had nice beige walls..."

"It was a dark, misty night in the woodlands of Dowsken, Alaska. The tranquil atmosphere was interrupted..."

The Crow Cabin

Lucas

Papamitsakis

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Technical High School

9th Grade

"The doll turned her head towards Jess’s room. Jess ran out of the room and ..."

"She looked back and saw her footprint, shiny and clear on the dark floor. 'What's that?' She thought ..."

Down to the Flames

Cathy

X

Brooklyn

9th Grade

"Even justice has been warped beyond repair."

"Every man who has in his soul a secret feeling of revolt against any act of the State, of life, or of..."

The Tipping Point

Estella

Ugbebor

Los Angeles

9th Grade

"Embedded in the soil of our nation is racism, slavery, and persecution"

It seems as if over the past few months there has been a shift in the world.

What can we do to be heard and why do we need to share our voices more than ever?

Olivia

Hersh

New York, New York

9th Grade

"The officers look at each other, as if they are confirming what they're about to do."

Silence. Terrible, unceasing silence. That is what's left after watching George Floyd plead for his life...

To Dream of Justice

Leah

Stewart

Sufflok, Virginia

9th Grade

"I am strong. / I am myself. / I AM She."

SHE sits in the classroom, always raising her hand, even if SHE’s not sure of her answer...

She

Aarushi

B

Princeton, New Jersey

9th Grade

"You used to be the girl who loved dragons."

Armor doesn’t fit over stretch marks. Stainless steel dissolves when it meets your numb, purple scars...

The Dragon

Emma

Meyers

Santa Fe, New Mexico

9th Grade

"I growled to myself, ‘Don’t be weak, warriors don’t feel.’ I put my head on the soft grass and my eyes slid shut."

I awoke with flames dancing in my peripheral vision. The air itself felt singed...

Ryoshi

Finn

Graham

Eton, United Kingdom

Eton College

9th Grade

"It wasn’t that she was poor like a peasant was--she had acquired plenty of wealth over the years--she was just bored of being herself."

“How would you like to be immortal?” The question rang through the room, causing the listener’s heart to beat faster.

How Would You Like to Be Immortal?

Rebecca

Losey

Livermore, California

9th Grade

"I pretend I am in her arms, the coat is her body. I run my hand over my forehead and through my hair. Over and over, just like she used to so I could sleep."

The lights don’t turn on anymore. And the sink dribbles but doesn’t run.

Glory Be

Aviva

N

Santa Fe, New Mexico

9th Grade

"He remembered nothing from that night. All he knew was growing up without a mom had been horrible."

Our story begins, as many do, in the future, with a boy and his dog. This story is a tragic one.

Birthday Surprise

Kai

Cooper

New York, NY

9th Grade

"The doctors told him he may never play again."

In March 2004, Sean Mcdaniel turned 16. The problem was he felt like he was 10 due to his rough environment and lack of education...

How Sean Mcdaniel Became a Star

Jake

Deutscher

Atlanta, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

9th Grade

"Sudden warmth and the smell of coffee pleaded with me to stifle my thoughts, but the words that would change my life still spewed out of my mouth. “I saw him!” I cried."

Lightning ripped through the sky, but I had to keep going. Rain seared the deep lacerations across my body, but my legs still chased the horizon with desperation

I Saw Him

Rachel

Mina

Ridgefield Park, New Jersey

9th Grade

"When there were numerous healthy ones in the adjacent cages, should she chance the heartache of losing this pet after bonding with him?"

Carrie looked into each set of eyes, and they all looked back at her longingly. One by one, cage by cage, she peered inquisitively inside each, hopeful that her search would be a success.

A Chance Encounter

Mark

Dungan

Marietta, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

9th Grade

"When the triplets started growing older, the dad started noticing something extraordinary. The triplets had powers, he never thought that was possible."

They were a new, happy married couple that were scientists. They lived together in a big city and wanted to have children. The wife became pregnant, but she also became very sick. The husband and wife tried to do everything they could to cure her.

The Triplets

Ann Marie

Bobar

Atlanta, Georgia

9th Grade

"And when I told him what I did I could see in his face that I had lost him forever."

The day started off the same as everyday, waking up, going to school, doing homework, and going to bed. It was the same cycle until I met him.

When I Lost Everything

Stella

J

Marietta, Georgia

9th Grade

"There were no other solutions. They knew it fit squarely on the chosen one to succeed."

The day started out like any other day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing sweet melodies, and a sea of yellow covered every outdoor surface. Today was to be the day that is anticipated all week long.

The Chosen one

Charlie

Cowan

Canton, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

9th Grade

"Sean had been dreaming about having this 1965 cherry red Mustang for so long. On his sixteenth birthday, his parents told Sean that they had a surprise for him."

"Sean woke up again, just like so many other nights, dreaming about the car."

Earning Your First Car

Trevor

Schweizer

Johns Creek, Georgia

9th Grade

"...lightning strikes a few feet next to the treehouse. She quickly jumps from the ground in fright..."

In a small town named Greenville, nothing bad ever happens. Day by day nothing changes, it’s always the same routine for everyone...

The Doll in the Woods

Catherine

Campbell

Roswell, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

9th Grade

"No one likes to lose, but in losing winners are born"

The way I was watched gave me a sneaking suspicion. All the eyes locked on me crippled my movement. The stress and anxiety made me blind.

Athletes

Josh

A

Marietta, Georgia

Blessed Trinity Catholic Highschool

9th Grade

Dirt Roads

In the dirt roads, a little small town will the population just under 1,000. There was a boy who wanted to escape this town. He wanted to go to the

Dirt Roads

Edward

Ahrens

Marietta, Georgia

9th Grade

Sacrifice

With that feeling of pain going through every part of my body, I knew I did the right thing. Waking up on a Sunday morning with the sun going through the blinds streaming in my eyes is a great way to wake up. As I feel the warmth

Sacrifice

Alexandra

Allen

Roswell, Georgia

9th Grade

"We raced into the kitchen with two mugs ready for us to drink it all."

I was sitting in my English classroom wondering when the bell would ring for my next class when all of the sudden, in the corner of my eye I saw something fall from the sky...

Snow Day

Lucy

Bianchi

Atlanta, Georgia

9th Grade

"The next morning as she packed her air force duffel bag full, she broke down into tears, crying out that she could not go to New York..."

She was just a young, inexperienced air force nurse, twenty-three and lived in Charleston, South Carolina...

The Airman

Avery

Young

Roswell, Georgia

9th Grade

"But during the second half of the game she caught a pass, juked out her defender, and ran towards the goal full speed..."

This was the moment she has waited for ever since she started playing lacrosse in fourth grade. She has put in so much effort and has worked so hard for this moment...

I’m Still Standing

Haden

Noyes

Marietta, Georgia

9th Grade

"I recognized the shape of the brown wooden sculpture from the necklace my mother always wore; however, her necklace had shimmering white diamonds and not a gory dead man."

My parents gave me a silver cross as a graduation present from preschool. My cross was about two inches long and one inch wide. It had small round shimmering white diamonds that rested on a silver backing and hung from a thin dainty silver chain.

The Brown Wooden Sculpture

Martha

G

New York City

9th Grade

"'This is it.' I think to myself in my head. 'This is how my story ends.'"

My eyes open. I can feel my heart thumping, “boom, boom, boom.” My throat closes up. I struggle to breathe. It feels like there are a thousand pounds on my chest, and if I could only struggle out from under the weight this would all end. But I can’t, and this is not ending.

Alone

Madison

Guynup

Woodstock, Georgia

9th Grade

"'We never had enough food. No one in Taiwan did. Taiwan was plagued by starvation during the war'"

The chaotic cafeteria drowned me. Voices ripped at my ear--laughing, shouting, and whispering. The fluorescent lights hissed at me. Everyone at my lunch table sat around me with smiles plastered on their faces. How could they manage to stay so upbeat? How could I manage to live knowing this?

Egg

Ava

Yan

New York, New York

9th Grade

"'Did you ever meet Putin?' 'Do Russians like trump?' 'Do you know if the Russians helped Trump?'"

Its torso is shaped like a colossal peanut. Its head is round with a glimmering face painted upon it with thick guache, covered in colorless yacht lacquer. The Matryoshka doll, Semenovskaya nesting doll, [Матрёшка] bears the scent of damp old wood.

The Matryoshka Doll

E

S

New York, New York

9th Grade

The Angel and the Train

Mature Content

After sunset my reflection appears in the black depths of the kitchen window, thin, pale and drunk. The ruins of the gas station are burning in the hills, a sheet of wet gold floating on my chest. I can pick out the familiar scent of smoke.

The Angel and the Train

Zarar

Zarar

New York, New York

9th Grade