The
Decameron
Project

The
Decameron
Project

The
Decameron
Project

9th Grade Stories

"Its humanity a black man has none Its figure is just but a blob The truth is..."

"A black man talks, but his words turn to jumble A black man shouts, but no one hears. A black man dies..."

Blinded to a Black Man

Vanessa

Chen

New York

9th Grade

"Are you a dreamer? I think we all are in the morning sun or the summer rain or the..."

"Up from a dream, - What is it that brings us back to reality? Is it the birdsong or the sirens or the..."

Lost in My Mind

Avi

Lohr

Hartford

9th Grade

Swishing my wrapped feet along the pools filling up every pothole around me,

My sticky childhood along with all of my pointless bits of knowledge,

Puddles

Maddy

Plotnick

Brookline

Concord Academy

9th Grade

Staring at herself in the mirror. She smiles. Her hair is perfectly curled away from...

Elenore grabs the picture frame out of her purse. Inside the frame are Ripped Tickets. Elenore smiles at them.

Ripped Tickets

Anicia

A.

Denver

Bear Creek High School

9th Grade

"Another thing I saw is one highschool principal in California drove around his town..."

"Many people are unhappy because they are not able to graduate traditionally this year and they are..."

Graduation Ideas

Shreyas

Kumar

Palatine

9th Grade

My sole purpose is find a host and eat my fill...

I’m a global phenomenon, but not in the way you think...

GONE VIRAL

Arvind

Kakanavaram

Palatine

William Fremd High School

9th Grade

Not Quite Icarus

The fall from grace isn't gentle, or even consolidating once you reach the end...

Dante Competition: 3rd Place

McAlister

Stanford

Williamson

9th Grade

Elias takes a deep breath, unsure for the millionth time if this is the right choice.

The year 2157 is a far cry from the time of the first space flight, but, in that moment, Elias feels...

A Single Second

J. E.

Huerta

Bentonville

9th Grade

"Don’t look through the lens. There’s no reason now to see, when you’re a little older”

What’s behind the glass? And why can I not see? Eager yearned and ached, what’s behind the mystery?

The Magnifying Glass

Ashley

Rangel

Bentonville

Bentonville West High School

9th Grade

"Tears and fears and feeling proud To say, "I love you" right out loud Dreams and..."

"Rows and flows of angel hair And ice cream castles in the air And feather canyons every where Looked at..."

mm

Lisa

Orlanzo

Des Moines

9th Grade

1 / 1012 3 4 Next Last

"Its humanity a black man has none Its figure is just but a blob The truth is..."

"A black man talks, but his words turn to jumble A black man shouts, but no one hears. A black man dies..."

Blinded to a Black Man

Vanessa

Chen

New York

9th Grade

"Are you a dreamer? I think we all are in the morning sun or the summer rain or the..."

"Up from a dream, - What is it that brings us back to reality? Is it the birdsong or the sirens or the..."

Lost in My Mind

Avi

Lohr

Hartford

9th Grade

Swishing my wrapped feet along the pools filling up every pothole around me,

My sticky childhood along with all of my pointless bits of knowledge,

Puddles

Maddy

Plotnick

Brookline

Concord Academy

9th Grade

Staring at herself in the mirror. She smiles. Her hair is perfectly curled away from...

Elenore grabs the picture frame out of her purse. Inside the frame are Ripped Tickets. Elenore smiles at them.

Ripped Tickets

Anicia

A.

Denver

Bear Creek High School

9th Grade

"Another thing I saw is one highschool principal in California drove around his town..."

"Many people are unhappy because they are not able to graduate traditionally this year and they are..."

Graduation Ideas

Shreyas

Kumar

Palatine

9th Grade

My sole purpose is find a host and eat my fill...

I’m a global phenomenon, but not in the way you think...

GONE VIRAL

Arvind

Kakanavaram

Palatine

William Fremd High School

9th Grade

Not Quite Icarus

The fall from grace isn't gentle, or even consolidating once you reach the end...

Dante Competition: 3rd Place

McAlister

Stanford

Williamson

9th Grade

Elias takes a deep breath, unsure for the millionth time if this is the right choice.

The year 2157 is a far cry from the time of the first space flight, but, in that moment, Elias feels...

A Single Second

J. E.

Huerta

Bentonville

9th Grade

"Don’t look through the lens. There’s no reason now to see, when you’re a little older”

What’s behind the glass? And why can I not see? Eager yearned and ached, what’s behind the mystery?

The Magnifying Glass

Ashley

Rangel

Bentonville

Bentonville West High School

9th Grade

"Tears and fears and feeling proud To say, "I love you" right out loud Dreams and..."

"Rows and flows of angel hair And ice cream castles in the air And feather canyons every where Looked at..."

mm

Lisa

Orlanzo

Des Moines

9th Grade

"So, why did I try so hard? For people who already made up their minds Of who will..."

"I keep falling No matter how careful I am But someone always trips me Yet I never..."

A Chance for All

Ariella

R

Queens

9th Grade

"Books hold our futures and create how we see those futures. For the characters give..."

"Dear books, I read not for the story or for the satisfaction, but the people. I read for the people..."

Dear Books

Masson

Fink

Waterloo

9th Grade

"People shed tears and people share love, people share pain and people give hugs..."

Kansas City Window (My Side)

Justis

Johnson

Kansas City

J.C. Harmon High School

9th Grade

"Train after train, window after grimy window, my eyes glaze over the sea of passengers"

Ba-bump, ba-bump. The train’s heartbeat thumps through the station, its arrival marking the noisy departure...

The Girl Inside the Window

Sophie

Cheng

Bronx

9th Grade

"They cover the sky like when you sprinkle sugar in your coffee. Yep, still there. The..."

"When I used to think of Vermont I thought of trees. Just trees. I had never been to this very green state..."

When You Pay Attention

Mia

Pierini

Woodstock

Woodstock Union High School

9th Grade

"We constantly wonder if we are enough, but acceptance will be our greatest downfall..."

"I wish the people could see the beauty in imperfections. ‘Your too short ``''your to fat ``''your too..."

My Side Is Different

Justis

Johnson

Kansas City

J.C. Harmon High School

9th Grade

"The rain drips down the leaves of a tree and travels its way through the gutter..."

"Windows. When open, you are led to somewhere outside of the closed space you live in. A breath of..."

Windows

Bridget

Feltmann

Kirkwood

North Kirkwood Middle School

9th Grade

"The day we got taken away, my mom lost it that day, she was mad, sad, and..."

"My is life good sometimes. I'm in foster care and so is my little brother. This is my story. So, I was..."

De’Kayla Lloyd’s Life 🎥😇

De'Kayla

Lloyd

Kansas City

J.C. Harmon High School

9th Grade

"My head rests on his shoulder, eyes fluttering shut, as we get lost in our own world..."

"I am running, as fast as my legs will take me. Bare footed against the cool marble, dress scrunched up..."

His Favorite Color is Red

Noor

Al-Deen

San Leandro

San Leandro High

9th Grade

"I'm not going to waste my energy on someone if they're just going to find some way..."

"During the past 15 years of my life, I can say I have been through some hard times. My parents are..."

Life is a Struggle

Mia

Jarvis

Kansas City

J.C. Harmon High School

9th Grade

"They say every villain origin has a story, Why haven’t yours been told, Mother?"

“Her life is like a wildflower, different...” I Aimlessly wake up every morning in search of something...

Here lies, me

Mya

S

Flushing

9th Grade

"Not all stories end in a happily ever after..."

Mature Content

Albert Einstein once said “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want...

The Truth About Happily Ever After

Ruby

Cruz-Flores

Kansas

Turner High School

9th Grade

7 year tribulation or not?

It is argued amongst Christians if the seven year tribulation of the prophetic end times is a true...

7 year tribulation or not?

Diego

Fernandez

Queens Village

Benjamin N Cardozo High School

9th Grade

Jones Creek

“Let's go guys, it's time to go,” my sister said. I rushed down stairs with excitement with my hands full...

Jones Creek

Sadie

W

Portland

9th Grade

The Clouded Window

During the winter it's like looking through a clouded window. The snow coated ledge slowly melting away...

The Clouded Window

Emma

Appel

St. Louis

North Kirkwood Middle School

9th Grade

"I could see the beginnings of hope..."

Drive By

Mya

L

South Burlington

9th Grade

"I was done being hurt by fake people..."

The Life of Jay

Sarah

Bailey

Kansas City

9th Grade

"The trilling of brass trumpets and banging of snare drums..."

What I Love About Kirkwood

Allie

C

North Kirkwood Middle School

9th Grade

"Let the lack of reality flow through your veins..."

Lack of Consciousness

Janna

M

Philadelphia

9th Grade

"Not a word can come out except- button mumbled questionings..."

Restless School Nights

Noah

E

Centerton

9th Grade

I am strong

I am strong But can't let you go I am strong But sometimes I just don't know Wished that I could Have been...

I am strong

Kihanna

Lezama

Bronx

New Visions Charter High School for Advanced Math and Science ll

9th Grade

"Our conscience knows this is not the way So it prays to God for an hour of understanding"

My window flickers off and on Subtle pixels of iridescent light Twisting and contorting I sway in their...

Bread and Circuses

Sofia

V

Brooklyn

9th Grade

The Painting in my Dining Room, A Letter to my Dog

It’s been a year now, shouldn’t you know what’s outside that window? What if it’s changed? Reese, the park...

The Painting in my Dining Room, A Letter to my Dog

Caroline

Xiong

Fresh Meadows

9th Grade

Behind the Mask

The windowpane is spotless after one last wipe of a cloth. My reflection smiles at me, relieved to have...

Behind the Mask

Ritika

Sinha

Wayland

9th Grade

Realms of Perspective

Outside my window lies countless worlds that live together in perfect harmony. Some of which can only be...

Realms of Perspective

Malach

Edwards

Muscat

Beaconhouse Private School

9th Grade

"...billions taking place on the other side of a piece of glass that keeps me warm."

How many lives do I reach in a given day, how many objects do I affect? The vast Earth, so much interaction...

Do We Matter?

Shane

Murphy

New York

9th Grade

I See Fire

Through the window, I see An Asian grandparent, parent, sibling, Human, Pushed, And slashed, And robbed...

I See Fire

Ronald

Deng

Fresh Meadows

9th Grade

"We stared at my ceiling with nothing to do than stare out the window. we look out my..."

I remember our last summer. We sat on my bed bored. Sat on the floor bored. We stared at my ceiling with...

our last summer

Mae

White

Lithonia

American Home Schools

9th Grade

"Scars become gifts of knowledge, These peeled bandages, encase something stronger..."

Outside my window Souls crash down Lungs breathing their last These souls extinguish like blown-out candles...

Wounds That Can Heal

Saanvika

P

Monmouth Junction

9th Grade

"...tugged at her wrinkled dress as she gasped for air on the brink of her devastation."

In this corner of the world, the legends that kept children awake during humid nights were true; and people...

Mujer del Mar

Xavian

Plinde

New York City

A. Philip Randolph Campus High School

9th Grade

"My old envious ways began to trickle in, I decided to follow her home in hopes that I..."

Kamilah was perfect. Everything she did was flawless. She was incapable of failure and she only knew how to...

The Girl Who

Cairon

Harrison

Boston

9th Grade

"However, outside of my window, The nation has turned a new page..."

Inside of my window, I am a fourteen year old immigrant from Nepal, with an immigrant family that has...

Change

Shreyash

Shrestha

Rego Park

Bronx Science

9th Grade

"If only your window portrayed a prettier picture."

“Why didn’t you tell someone” they’d ask you. “Why didn’t you say something” they’d ask again. “Is your...

See Something, Do Nothing

Mihi

H

New York

9th Grade

"But not the outside Cold nor hot Day to night Spring to winter And summer to..."

"To me Outside my window is like a movie People come and go Seeing new people each year Life isn't..."

Outsider

Anita

Haydee

Brooklyn

9th Grade

"There was utter darkness. Then, a faint white glow appeared. The glow kept growing..."

It was an unusually boring Friday night. I was all alone at home and had nothing to do. Suddenly, my...

Innovator of the Past

Rameez

Baig

Muscat

Beaconhouse Private School

9th Grade

"It was always nice to walk without anyone near you. You can hear the trees swaying..."

"I walked aimlessly through the field of tall golden grass. Hidden in the mix of grass blades were..."

A Lone Lilac in a Sunflower Field

Lysandra

Bosmenier

Hinesburg

9th Grade

“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free..."

I believed I was safe, the world was safe until I opened my eyes and realized it was all just a dream. I...

The World Through My Eyes

Syeda

Rameen Ali

Muscat

Beaconhouse Private School

9th Grade

"The negative forces retreat and I'm now the last man standing."

The sun rises and the echo starts. My eyes open to four white walls and one window looking into an empty...

Last Man Standing

Yordani

R

Brooklyn

9th Grade

"The thoughts don't feel like my own; my mind seems out of control. They move into..."

"There are different kinds of numbness. There’s the numbness you feel once your fingers have been exposed..."

A Mind Without Sensation

Celia

Hernandez

New York

9th Grade

"Their eyes are hollow and dead. I try to scream, but I can’t make my lips move right."

Light pours into my room through the four large windows on the walls. The sun, high in the sky, casts soft...

The Shadows’ Tug

Veronica

Miskavage

Hinesburg

9th Grade

"I want to lie in a room made of glass so the world may bloom around me as the trees..."

Outside my window, the flowers dance upon the damp grass as spring blesses the ground with its blissful...

Outside My Window

Destinee

Addison

Bentonville

Bentonville West High School

9th Grade

"Do they cry and whine? Or are they stoic and strong..."

Outside my window, I view the people go by. Each body, and each mind, and each eye, and each life...

Outside my window

PK

Schlarman

Kirkwood

North Kirkwood Middle School

9th Grade

262 people. 262 people were killed in my hometown last year...

262 people. 262 people were killed in my hometown last year. New record for us since 1970, but I’m not sure...

Life of 314

Zach

B

St. Louis

9th Grade

"Because it pains me to see the things outside of my window..."

Sometimes I like to keep my curtains closed, Because it pains me to see the things outside of my window...

Beyond The Closed Curtain

Veah

Conner

Kansas City

9th Grade

"My brain seemed to ache and throb, and I turned my head toward the large window to my..."

Perhaps from the view of a stranger one would think that the young teen was deep in his own thoughts, the...

You the Bird

Ina

Ma

Ellicott City

Wilde Lake High School

9th Grade

The Chaos in The Ville

Outside my window is the ville which until 2020 was chill my city my precious home is gone into pieces like...

The Chaos in The Ville

Jaidyn

Yates

Louisville

9th Grade

"millions of people are losing their jobs, families are at risk of falling into..."

Every morning I look out my tall, white, window. The window, surrounded by plants, is sometimes hard to see...

Outside My Window

Jeanette

Nawn

Upper Darby

Monsignor Bonner Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School

9th Grade

"The dark. It closes in around me and makes the tree limbs seem like hands reaching..."

"As the last glimpses of the sun shine through the steadily thinning clouds I close my eyes and listen..."

Night

Anna

Brown

Perkinsville

Woodstock Union High School

9th Grade

"I woke up from a nightmare in the middle of the night. It was about the horror movie..."

"That’s when I saw the girl or it, floating in the hallway, sitting in a cross-legged position..."

The Dream

Taylor

Aiken

Jamaica, Queens

9th Grade

"I can almost Forget/ The weight of lives/ And the stress/ To protect/ From an invisible k

"Crackling and burning, The flames pull me in And I almost Forget..."

Almost

Leah

Kuhnert

Woodstock

Woodstock Union High School

9th Grade

"I’m scared of dying and you’re really the only one I can tell/ Because I’m afraid of thei

"Gazing outside I see the moon that man somehow reached..."

Her Allegory

Yoobin

O

Jackson Heights

9th Grade

"I notice the gray brick underneath the blue-teal bicycles rolling through, human in tow.

"I used to look outside my window, and see a vast blue coastline, with small boats..."

The Past and The Present

Norah

M.

9th Grade

"It's hard "staying in the closet" but if I reveal it, I would get punished, badly..."

"We all can admit, this year was bizarre, but my life just began. Yet, this year was a struggle and we..."

Live. Life. Change.

Pinku

A

Sicklerville

Overbrook High School

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

"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

"Its humanity a black man has none Its figure is just but a blob The truth is..."

"A black man talks, but his words turn to jumble A black man shouts, but no one hears. A black man dies..."

Blinded to a Black Man

Vanessa

Chen

New York

9th Grade

"Are you a dreamer? I think we all are in the morning sun or the summer rain or the..."

"Up from a dream, - What is it that brings us back to reality? Is it the birdsong or the sirens or the..."

Lost in My Mind

Avi

Lohr

Hartford

9th Grade

Swishing my wrapped feet along the pools filling up every pothole around me,

My sticky childhood along with all of my pointless bits of knowledge,

Puddles

Maddy

Plotnick

Brookline

Concord Academy

9th Grade

Staring at herself in the mirror. She smiles. Her hair is perfectly curled away from...

Elenore grabs the picture frame out of her purse. Inside the frame are Ripped Tickets. Elenore smiles at them.

Ripped Tickets

Anicia

A.

Denver

Bear Creek High School

9th Grade

"Another thing I saw is one highschool principal in California drove around his town..."

"Many people are unhappy because they are not able to graduate traditionally this year and they are..."

Graduation Ideas

Shreyas

Kumar

Palatine

9th Grade

My sole purpose is find a host and eat my fill...

I’m a global phenomenon, but not in the way you think...

GONE VIRAL

Arvind

Kakanavaram

Palatine

William Fremd High School

9th Grade

Not Quite Icarus

The fall from grace isn't gentle, or even consolidating once you reach the end...

Dante Competition: 3rd Place

McAlister

Stanford

Williamson

9th Grade

Elias takes a deep breath, unsure for the millionth time if this is the right choice.

The year 2157 is a far cry from the time of the first space flight, but, in that moment, Elias feels...

A Single Second

J. E.

Huerta

Bentonville

9th Grade

"Don’t look through the lens. There’s no reason now to see, when you’re a little older”

What’s behind the glass? And why can I not see? Eager yearned and ached, what’s behind the mystery?

The Magnifying Glass

Ashley

Rangel

Bentonville

Bentonville West High School

9th Grade

"Tears and fears and feeling proud To say, "I love you" right out loud Dreams and..."

"Rows and flows of angel hair And ice cream castles in the air And feather canyons every where Looked at..."

mm

Lisa

Orlanzo

Des Moines

9th Grade

"So, why did I try so hard? For people who already made up their minds Of who will..."

"I keep falling No matter how careful I am But someone always trips me Yet I never..."

A Chance for All

Ariella

R

Queens

9th Grade

"Books hold our futures and create how we see those futures. For the characters give..."

"Dear books, I read not for the story or for the satisfaction, but the people. I read for the people..."

Dear Books

Masson

Fink

Waterloo

9th Grade

"People shed tears and people share love, people share pain and people give hugs..."

Kansas City Window (My Side)

Justis

Johnson

Kansas City

J.C. Harmon High School

9th Grade

"Train after train, window after grimy window, my eyes glaze over the sea of passengers"

Ba-bump, ba-bump. The train’s heartbeat thumps through the station, its arrival marking the noisy departure...

The Girl Inside the Window

Sophie

Cheng

Bronx

9th Grade

"They cover the sky like when you sprinkle sugar in your coffee. Yep, still there. The..."

"When I used to think of Vermont I thought of trees. Just trees. I had never been to this very green state..."

When You Pay Attention

Mia

Pierini

Woodstock

Woodstock Union High School

9th Grade

"We constantly wonder if we are enough, but acceptance will be our greatest downfall..."

"I wish the people could see the beauty in imperfections. ‘Your too short ``''your to fat ``''your too..."

My Side Is Different

Justis

Johnson

Kansas City

J.C. Harmon High School

9th Grade

"The rain drips down the leaves of a tree and travels its way through the gutter..."

"Windows. When open, you are led to somewhere outside of the closed space you live in. A breath of..."

Windows

Bridget

Feltmann

Kirkwood

North Kirkwood Middle School

9th Grade

"The day we got taken away, my mom lost it that day, she was mad, sad, and..."

"My is life good sometimes. I'm in foster care and so is my little brother. This is my story. So, I was..."

De’Kayla Lloyd’s Life 🎥😇

De'Kayla

Lloyd

Kansas City

J.C. Harmon High School

9th Grade

"My head rests on his shoulder, eyes fluttering shut, as we get lost in our own world..."

"I am running, as fast as my legs will take me. Bare footed against the cool marble, dress scrunched up..."

His Favorite Color is Red

Noor

Al-Deen

San Leandro

San Leandro High

9th Grade

"I'm not going to waste my energy on someone if they're just going to find some way..."

"During the past 15 years of my life, I can say I have been through some hard times. My parents are..."

Life is a Struggle

Mia

Jarvis

Kansas City

J.C. Harmon High School

9th Grade

"They say every villain origin has a story, Why haven’t yours been told, Mother?"

“Her life is like a wildflower, different...” I Aimlessly wake up every morning in search of something...

Here lies, me

Mya

S

Flushing

9th Grade

"Not all stories end in a happily ever after..."

Mature Content

Albert Einstein once said “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want...

The Truth About Happily Ever After

Ruby

Cruz-Flores

Kansas

Turner High School

9th Grade

7 year tribulation or not?

It is argued amongst Christians if the seven year tribulation of the prophetic end times is a true...

7 year tribulation or not?

Diego

Fernandez

Queens Village

Benjamin N Cardozo High School

9th Grade

Jones Creek

“Let's go guys, it's time to go,” my sister said. I rushed down stairs with excitement with my hands full...

Jones Creek

Sadie

W

Portland

9th Grade

The Clouded Window

During the winter it's like looking through a clouded window. The snow coated ledge slowly melting away...

The Clouded Window

Emma

Appel

St. Louis

North Kirkwood Middle School

9th Grade

"I could see the beginnings of hope..."

Drive By

Mya

L

South Burlington

9th Grade

"I was done being hurt by fake people..."

The Life of Jay

Sarah

Bailey

Kansas City

9th Grade

"The trilling of brass trumpets and banging of snare drums..."

What I Love About Kirkwood

Allie

C

North Kirkwood Middle School

9th Grade

"Let the lack of reality flow through your veins..."

Lack of Consciousness

Janna

M

Philadelphia

9th Grade

"Not a word can come out except- button mumbled questionings..."

Restless School Nights

Noah

E

Centerton

9th Grade

I am strong

I am strong But can't let you go I am strong But sometimes I just don't know Wished that I could Have been...

I am strong

Kihanna

Lezama

Bronx

New Visions Charter High School for Advanced Math and Science ll

9th Grade

"Our conscience knows this is not the way So it prays to God for an hour of understanding"

My window flickers off and on Subtle pixels of iridescent light Twisting and contorting I sway in their...

Bread and Circuses

Sofia

V

Brooklyn

9th Grade

The Painting in my Dining Room, A Letter to my Dog

It’s been a year now, shouldn’t you know what’s outside that window? What if it’s changed? Reese, the park...

The Painting in my Dining Room, A Letter to my Dog

Caroline

Xiong

Fresh Meadows

9th Grade

Behind the Mask

The windowpane is spotless after one last wipe of a cloth. My reflection smiles at me, relieved to have...

Behind the Mask

Ritika

Sinha

Wayland

9th Grade

Realms of Perspective

Outside my window lies countless worlds that live together in perfect harmony. Some of which can only be...

Realms of Perspective

Malach

Edwards

Muscat

Beaconhouse Private School

9th Grade

"...billions taking place on the other side of a piece of glass that keeps me warm."

How many lives do I reach in a given day, how many objects do I affect? The vast Earth, so much interaction...

Do We Matter?

Shane

Murphy

New York

9th Grade

I See Fire

Through the window, I see An Asian grandparent, parent, sibling, Human, Pushed, And slashed, And robbed...

I See Fire

Ronald

Deng

Fresh Meadows

9th Grade

"We stared at my ceiling with nothing to do than stare out the window. we look out my..."

I remember our last summer. We sat on my bed bored. Sat on the floor bored. We stared at my ceiling with...

our last summer

Mae

White

Lithonia

American Home Schools

9th Grade

"Scars become gifts of knowledge, These peeled bandages, encase something stronger..."

Outside my window Souls crash down Lungs breathing their last These souls extinguish like blown-out candles...

Wounds That Can Heal

Saanvika

P

Monmouth Junction

9th Grade

"...tugged at her wrinkled dress as she gasped for air on the brink of her devastation."

In this corner of the world, the legends that kept children awake during humid nights were true; and people...

Mujer del Mar

Xavian

Plinde

New York City

A. Philip Randolph Campus High School

9th Grade

"My old envious ways began to trickle in, I decided to follow her home in hopes that I..."

Kamilah was perfect. Everything she did was flawless. She was incapable of failure and she only knew how to...

The Girl Who

Cairon

Harrison

Boston

9th Grade

"However, outside of my window, The nation has turned a new page..."

Inside of my window, I am a fourteen year old immigrant from Nepal, with an immigrant family that has...

Change

Shreyash

Shrestha

Rego Park

Bronx Science

9th Grade

"If only your window portrayed a prettier picture."

“Why didn’t you tell someone” they’d ask you. “Why didn’t you say something” they’d ask again. “Is your...

See Something, Do Nothing

Mihi

H

New York

9th Grade

"There was utter darkness. Then, a faint white glow appeared. The glow kept growing..."

It was an unusually boring Friday night. I was all alone at home and had nothing to do. Suddenly, my...

Innovator of the Past

Rameez

Baig

Muscat

Beaconhouse Private School

9th Grade

"But not the outside Cold nor hot Day to night Spring to winter And summer to..."

"To me Outside my window is like a movie People come and go Seeing new people each year Life isn't..."

Outsider

Anita

Haydee

Brooklyn

9th Grade

“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free..."

I believed I was safe, the world was safe until I opened my eyes and realized it was all just a dream. I...

The World Through My Eyes

Syeda

Rameen Ali

Muscat

Beaconhouse Private School

9th Grade

"It was always nice to walk without anyone near you. You can hear the trees swaying..."

"I walked aimlessly through the field of tall golden grass. Hidden in the mix of grass blades were..."

A Lone Lilac in a Sunflower Field

Lysandra

Bosmenier

Hinesburg

9th Grade

"The negative forces retreat and I'm now the last man standing."

The sun rises and the echo starts. My eyes open to four white walls and one window looking into an empty...

Last Man Standing

Yordani

R

Brooklyn

9th Grade

"The thoughts don't feel like my own; my mind seems out of control. They move into..."

"There are different kinds of numbness. There’s the numbness you feel once your fingers have been exposed..."

A Mind Without Sensation

Celia

Hernandez

New York

9th Grade

"Their eyes are hollow and dead. I try to scream, but I can’t make my lips move right."

Light pours into my room through the four large windows on the walls. The sun, high in the sky, casts soft...

The Shadows’ Tug

Veronica

Miskavage

Hinesburg

9th Grade

"I want to lie in a room made of glass so the world may bloom around me as the trees..."

Outside my window, the flowers dance upon the damp grass as spring blesses the ground with its blissful...

Outside My Window

Destinee

Addison

Bentonville

Bentonville West High School

9th Grade

"Do they cry and whine? Or are they stoic and strong..."

Outside my window, I view the people go by. Each body, and each mind, and each eye, and each life...

Outside my window

PK

Schlarman

Kirkwood

North Kirkwood Middle School

9th Grade

262 people. 262 people were killed in my hometown last year...

262 people. 262 people were killed in my hometown last year. New record for us since 1970, but I’m not sure...

Life of 314

Zach

B

St. Louis

9th Grade

"Because it pains me to see the things outside of my window..."

Sometimes I like to keep my curtains closed, Because it pains me to see the things outside of my window...

Beyond The Closed Curtain

Veah

Conner

Kansas City

9th Grade

"My brain seemed to ache and throb, and I turned my head toward the large window to my..."

Perhaps from the view of a stranger one would think that the young teen was deep in his own thoughts, the...

You the Bird

Ina

Ma

Ellicott City

Wilde Lake High School

9th Grade

The Chaos in The Ville

Outside my window is the ville which until 2020 was chill my city my precious home is gone into pieces like...

The Chaos in The Ville

Jaidyn

Yates

Louisville

9th Grade

"millions of people are losing their jobs, families are at risk of falling into..."

Every morning I look out my tall, white, window. The window, surrounded by plants, is sometimes hard to see...

Outside My Window

Jeanette

Nawn

Upper Darby

Monsignor Bonner Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School

9th Grade

"It's hard "staying in the closet" but if I reveal it, I would get punished, badly..."

"We all can admit, this year was bizarre, but my life just began. Yet, this year was a struggle and we..."

Live. Life. Change.

Pinku

A

Sicklerville

Overbrook High School

9th Grade

"The dark. It closes in around me and makes the tree limbs seem like hands reaching..."

"As the last glimpses of the sun shine through the steadily thinning clouds I close my eyes and listen..."

Night

Anna

Brown

Perkinsville

Woodstock Union High School

9th Grade

"I woke up from a nightmare in the middle of the night. It was about the horror movie..."

"That’s when I saw the girl or it, floating in the hallway, sitting in a cross-legged position..."

The Dream

Taylor

Aiken

Jamaica, Queens

9th Grade

"I can almost Forget/ The weight of lives/ And the stress/ To protect/ From an invisible k

"Crackling and burning, The flames pull me in And I almost Forget..."

Almost

Leah

Kuhnert

Woodstock

Woodstock Union High School

9th Grade

"I’m scared of dying and you’re really the only one I can tell/ Because I’m afraid of thei

"Gazing outside I see the moon that man somehow reached..."

Her Allegory

Yoobin

O

Jackson Heights

9th Grade

"I notice the gray brick underneath the blue-teal bicycles rolling through, human in tow.

"I used to look outside my window, and see a vast blue coastline, with small boats..."

The Past and The Present

Norah

M.

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.