Northeast Archives | The Decameron Project

The
Decameron
Project

The
Decameron
Project

The
Decameron
Project

Region: Northeast

"My windows have begun to fog. The humidity due to tape on my vents and towel under my..."

"Where's the line between living and existing? Merely inhaling the presence of the Earth doesn't deem me..."

Bottled Confinements

Jessica

Pesiri

Kings Park

9th Grade

"Over the trench, dodge the big rock, left a ways, jump the large branch, keep running..."

"'I dunno when this damned road‘s gonna end, ah swear is’ longer than the river Hudson, an’ colder too...'"

Blackbird

Quinn

Swire

Brooklyn

Other Grade

"Have you ever competed against a brother, sister, friend, neighbor, to curry favor..."

"The good, kind, generous people of Umlas do not care about money or fame; they only act good because they..."

The Ones Who Don’t Belong

Lizzy

Osinski

Chappaqua

11th Grade

"Such marvelous words I have bled on these pages! Truly the world needs to read this..."

"Lucifer: I want him—body and soul. Wait until he reeks of fear and desperation for, by then, he will be..."

Lucifer’s Master Plan

Callherwallflower A. R.

Brooklyn

Other Grade

"And then she saw the man. He looked like all the others. He was wearing a plaid..."

"The nurse had pushed the curtains aside so that she could have a look out at the night sky from her bed..."

Strange Fruits

Andrea

Schenkel

New York

Other Grade

"for a moment, you sit, legs weary, on a child’s stool (and you wonder when you last..."

"[after a birthday party] the crowd has ended, the party has left you stoop, bent in half at the..."

After a Birthday Party

Emilie

Su

New York

11th Grade

"Crushed with longing Crushed with the notion that she will be belonging..."

"Crush why is it called a crush you ask..."

Why is it Called a Crush, Anyway?

Tori

McDonald

Nyack

Other Grade

"Jessica noticed that when everyone went to sleep someone would listen to someone..."

"The day Jessica and Kathy moved in they climbed the creaky stairs to the attic and turned on the light..."

The Demonic Doll

Rossi

Martinez

Bronx

Bronx Collaborative

11th Grade

"After speaking with Friar Puccio earlier today at his home, I convinced him..."

"[Dom Felice] When I first heard of Friar Puccio and his spiritual connection, I knew I had to meet with..."

The Tables Have Turned

Raine

Seraphina

Jackson Heights

Other Grade

"I felt a dark presence behind me and knew he was back again. I know you say he is not..."

"Dear Mama, I find it difficult to keep track of the days without my regular routine. I no longer feed..."

A Letter to Mama

Ciara

Balanza

New York

11th Grade

"I recall these days like a memory or a dream or else a bullet lodged within a body..."

"It had the makings of a quiet summer— We strapped pink wings to our shoulders and dove headfirst into..."

As they imagine us on summer nights

Kylan

Tatum

Plainsboro

12th 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

"What with the people infuriated, the police overwhelmed, and especially..."

"BANG. And that was it. Piercing right through his heart, perfectly that is. As the force from the shot..."

Just Messing Around

Ozan

Mirza

New York

Trevor Day School

11th Grade

"Kneeling beside the corpse, he squinted at it for a moment before turning on his..."

"Lieutenant Bomani sucked in a harsh breath as he took in the gory scene. The air smelled like blood and..."

See No Evil

Angelina

Lee

11th Grade

"Bea was wondering the forest. Just like her hero, she too was lost in the wood, but..."

"Bea reached into her bag. She took out the snack she had been saving. Virgil looked at her..."

Dante’s Destiny

Marina

Vega

Brooklyn

Other Grade

I hate that I fell for the wrong person

Yet even your locks of dusky night-Or permanent seas of Poseidon’s green-Could not stop me from Icarus’s doom

The Ballad of Scorched Skin

Polina

Datsko

Manchester

10th Grade

As I go down the stairs to the dirty train station, I look back up at the concrete...

I soon pass a Russian man with a beer belly, who creepily stares me up and down. He reeks of pelmeni and...

Vlad, Enough Vodka!

Emily

Vayner

Brooklyn

10th Grade

Learning and growing is a part of human life. It allows people to form into the best...

Without the determination to gain new knowledge, your life will remain at a plateau. Growing and adapting...

The Positivity Within Nagging Curiosity

Adriana

Carlucci

Brick

Brick Township High School

10th Grade

"He had lost all hope, every plan ended in confusion. He felt as though he should have..."

"Dante was surprised to see Virgil as he was someone he thought extremely highly of. Virgil picked up on..."

Dante’s Battle with Demons

Nina

Megna

New York

Other Grade

[Dante] There is a question I desire most to ask you. Virgil insisted he knew what...

[Dante] Something isn’t right here. Ulysses swore once I made him my guide he would answer my question.

Curiosity Killed the Dante

Christin

Skerret

Staten Island

Other Grade

Caw! Alejandro nearly jumped out of his armor when a bird flew overhead, rustling...

The dragons have always been opposed to coexisting peacefully with humans, Alejandro thought back...

Slay Your Inner Dragon

Angelina

Lee

11th Grade

Why? Why try to wake up when no one will notice you are gone? Why try to act okay when...

Mature Content

What did I do to deserve this pain that never leaves my side? Haunting me. Taunting me. I want to be okay.

15

Jadyn

Minervini

Brick

Brick Township High School

10th Grade

"So as the caged bird sits in its cage - Waiting for its first free day - It wonders..."

"A caged bird leaps its way to freedom and success - By following the educational path - So they say..."

The Struggle of Freedom

Helenica

Harte

Forest Hills

10th Grade

"'Long live the kings of Summer, and may we continue to prosper under their reign'..."

"'Kings of Summer! Kings of Summer!' We chant and sing, running rampant along the sandy streets, biking up..."

Kings of Summer

Sasha Leah

Dunst

New York

10th Grade

"Robert doesn’t have a god delusion, because you can only be deluded when you’re..."

"The Glibman Building takes a long time to burn, but it looks very pretty as it does. Robert quit his job..."

Irony

Sylvi

Stein

New York

12th Grade

This family seems so whole, so happy. It pains you to know that the same young boys...

Mature Content

You are twelve years old and walking down the hallway to your bedroom, when an old photograph on the wall...

Three Things

Lilia

Kasdon

Weston

Concord Academy

11th Grade

in light of

"you breathe like an accordion, shuddering, your body emptying, because you hate knowing he’s the sun..."

Dante Competition: 2nd Place

Amy

Liu

New York

12th Grade

"Our trees, blossoming with white and pink flowers, allow their petals to flutter onto..."

"The crisp morning draft through my window does not wake me, and neither does the sun’s warm kiss on my..."

Life is Beautiful If You Love

Angelina

Lee

Elmhurst

11th Grade

"After months of self-isolation, the humans rejoined the world once more, but the most..."

"Everyone was seated anxiously around the soundbox to hear how the situation had progressed. The small..."

Tonight’s Episode

Dallas

Speicher-Ramirez

Mechanicsburg

Cumberland Valley High School

12th Grade

"You turn away from the painting and back to your sad, brown room, with torn-up chairs..."

"Here is the place where your dreams lose their luster and fall apart, scattered pieces locked away in the..."

Graveyard of Dreams

Arianna

Steadman

New York

Hunter College High School

11th Grade

"The long-suffering passengers in front of me finally locate their bags and rush..."

"Waiting in the baggage claim at Copenhagen Airport certainly has its benefits— the benches are fairly..."

Baggage Claim at the Copenhagen Airport

Amaya

Gonzalez-Mollmann

New York City

12th 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

"After time, all of her dreams and visions became realities..."

Deja Vu

Lynnessa

Marrow

Millis

Millis Middle School

Other Grade

"Everyday. It means, “happening or used every day; daily”. Everyday we watched them."

"Everyday was our darkest day. But the even darkest days were still ahead. Everyday they grew and grew..."

Everyday is the Same

Jensen

Kornfeind

Mechanicsburg

Cumberland Valley High School

12th Grade

"I exhale the memories. The sleeping theater starts to dream..."

The Theatre is Sleeping and I’m Still Awake

Logan

Wilbur

Bass Harbor

11th Grade

"People of all different kinds, All doing the same thing Walk past my window and..."

"I sit in the same place every day. Looking out a window, It separates me from society. So alone I sit..."

Life in Color

Brianna

Murch

Oceanside

Oceanside High School

12th Grade

"cherry blossoms will bloom - at the end of the raging snowstorm - but for now the..."

my longing gaze - out the speck of light in this vacuum - faces obscured - a blanket of despair - draped..."

Longing

Demarie

Hao

New York

Other 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

"The snow glittered like diamonds, As the sunlight brightened..."

"I look out the window, As my hands stick to the window. My hands were pink, But my hands stayed..."

Snow

Rishitha

Madduri

Monmouth Junction

Other Grade

"She’s suffocating, drowning in the layers of fake that she’s dived perfectly into."

Mature Content

"She’s smiling, isn’t she? She’s grinning infectiously, just like always, as she walks through the hallway."

Nobody Will Notice That I Can’t Keep Breathing Underwater

Vee

Z.

New York

Other Grade

"The turbulent river begins to roar - and then - The weeping wound is ripped raw..."

"You rise to a beautiful day - Healed, tears put away - A lyric, a smell, a taste - Awakens the gaping..."

MASK

Sawyer Grace

Perkins

Proctor

12th Grade

"The tears go down my cheeks and he knows how ecstatic I am that I will finally be..."

"I’m always feel like I’m being watched. I can just feel eyes burning into my soul. You may be wondering..."

The Guy Outside my Window

Evee

J

Staten Island

11th Grade

"I carved her in ivory, too, painstakingly, no small detail left out. I’d never felt..."

"I’m an architect. It’s what I do. Design. That’s what you start with. I first started designing things..."

Reverse Pygmalion

Amy

Liu

New York

12th 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

"The highway bustles with life juxtaposing the dead that still crawls on the asphalt..."

"Radiant lamps contrast the dullness of my person, past ghosts and know it all souls try to lure me..."

Souls

Anna

White

Bronx

11th 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

"Can’t I decide who I want to be? Can’t I live in the intermediary? Girls are..."

"When I was in kindergarten I told my parents I was going to get married to a girl. I carried my love..."

Bi The Way

Silvi

Stein

New York

12th Grade

Maybe if I walk along with everyone else I’ll look like I belong. What are we really..."

"Hey now hey now, don’t be scared. I know this is hard, but you need to hear."

Be Free

Emma

Sackey

Swarthmore

Strath Haven High School

11th 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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"All is silent but for the whispers in the hushed wind..."

Outside my window there are sparse patches of snow that litter the ground. They are the remnants of past ...

Outside My Window

Sophia

Nielson

Middletown

Other 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

"When I was 2 years old I was diagnosed with Brain cancer, scary huh.. I had to go..."

"I had the total of six surgeries! 5 on my head and one on my back..."

My Up’s and Down’s With Childhood Brain Cancer

Chloe

Laluk

Fairport

Joahna Perrin Middle School

8th Grade

"These days I have been very stationary. I sit and I stare and I watch. The snake.."

"I stopped for a moment to catch my breath against my neighbor’s fence. As I stood there I felt a pull..."

The Snake

Ella

Bezkorovainy

Brooklyn

11th Grade

"I look out my window and recall how everything seemed to be so uncomplicated..."

"Entrapped in the tasteless pleasures of isolation. There will be endless moments when others need..."

We Can Not Stop Caring

Zuha

Khan

New York

Benjamin N Cardozo High School

11th Grade

"I thought I was done with feeling. But this is a new pain. Not a tingling in the..."

"I’m trying to remember the last thing my mom said to me. Were we fighting? I wouldn't be surprised..."

Strange Aeons

Aidan

Winn

Ridgewood

Bergen County Academies

12th Grade

"Sweat danced on his palms as he tried to connect the dots. This continued for two..."

"Yeah, I’ll be with you soon.' Paul’s text illuminated the screen, averting James’s attention from the..."

The Watch

Subyeta

Chowdhury

Long Island City

12th 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 could hear the creature chasing me, its feet crushing on the path I made, scraping..."

"Today was the day that I have been dreading ever since my parents broke the news to me. I’d be spending..."

Aunt Andrea’s Cabin

Nina

Hamel

Haverhill

11th 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

"Then the window shattered and her grip was lost. Just before she hit the back wall..."

"A young girl stood on a train, feeling as though she was late for an important meeting. The higher her..."

In Lieu of You

Amelie

Caceres

Bogata

Bergen County Academies

12th Grade

"'Who’s there?' he shouted, doing a 180 and flashing his flashlight behind him..."

"'Jimmy, shut the chickens in would you? Their coop door is still open.' shouted Jimmy’s mother from three..."

Everything Happens For A Reason

Erik

Uerkwitz

New Paltz

11th Grade

"I felt the warm fluid hurrying from my head down to my neck while I spat the metallic..."

Mature Content

"His hands felt like a winged serpent's breath, it blazed as he interacted with my wintry dermis. His eyes..."

Gaze

Esha

S.

Queens

11th 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

"I don’t know how I didn’t notice it first, I must have blocked out the fear in me ..."

"I would always avoid looking into windows as a child, afraid that if I looked out into the dark for long ..."

Seeing What to We Want to See

Natalie

Painter

Ridgewood

Bergen County Academies

12th Grade

"Little did she know, as she recited the prayer, she unlocked a portal to the ..."

"Her visions made it hard for her to make friends, but this doll kept her company. On her 13th birthday ..."

Bruises

Jia

Aulicino

Yonkers

11th Grade

"'Who’s there?' he shouted, doing a 180 and flashing his flashlight behind him."

“Jimmy, shut the chickens in would you? Their coop door is still open.” shouted Jimmy’s mother from three ..."

Everything Happens For A Reason

Erik

Uerkwitz

New Paltz

11th Grade

"Thud, went his knife on the floorboards..."

"Dust loomed on the photo frames’ clustered atop the ornate onyx mantle. Dust loomed over the collection..."

Thud

Cecilia

Combs

Mullica Hill

11th Grade

"You can try to run. I did. But you cannot."

"No one talks about what happened in the Lands. Every time I see someone else like me: trying to look..."

The Lands

Alexandra

Volkova

Franklin Lakes

11th Grade

"and i can breathe but he can’t because we have different watermelon rinds."

"i bite the watermelon slice you cut me this morning for breakfast. juice dribbles on the edge of my..."

bittersweet sixteen

Emilie

Su

New York

The Brearley School

11th Grade

"Remember that you have the potential to help change the world we live in."

"No one would have expected 2020 to go the way it's going. From raging fires to a renowned athlete's death..."

Speak Up

Nami

Mahajan

Manalapan

12th 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

I would be read about for decades; the naive white girl who took munchkins from strangers

I’m not picky so much as I am a specific person. But not in the boring way, I should hope.

Nine Stories, and “Mine”

gabrielle

galchen

New York, New York

11th Grade

"He remembered the taste of his mother's fresh bread, the blank taste of weeks of hunger"

Dark, menacing clouds covered the restless sea. The gentle whoosh of the breeze was slowly replaced...

Clouds

Julian

Silva-Forbes

Saratoga Springs

12th 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 door, the finest type of mahogany wood is carved in ornate designs of lions."

Nobody buys flowers anymore. When all you see is black and white, colors don’t mean quite as much.

Red on Gray

Mai

Listokin

New York, New York

11th Grade

Let loose. Have fun. Push the darkness aside, for a moment, a day, a night. For each other

March 21st - She squinted as her eyes adjusted to the blue light of her phone screen glaring back at her...

Passing

Kenna

L

Stowe, Vermont

11th Grade

"...be the one to tell her that the world is not all good. For I am at a loss of words."

Welcome to hell, where the walls are crafted from the bricks of panic that weigh on my soul...

Welcome to Hell

Addison

Hodge

Loudon, New Hampshire

Merrimack Valley High School

12th 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

"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

"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 more I walked, the more unfamiliar the land became."

With a sense of hopelessness in mind, I left the protective brick walls of my house to explore...

The New Spirit of Queens

Malcom

Morose

New York, New York

11th Grade

"But every morning I’m greeted by nothing but the sun bleached, lifeless asphalt."

I stay inside to keep myself healthy, but there is no sanctuary from the overbearing weariness...

A New Neighborhood

Malcom

Morose

New York, New York

11th Grade

"It doesn’t go, it’s not a fucking song. A book teaches you."

Mature Content

The sound of the 6 train always scared those who weren’t paying attention.

Skyline

Anthony

Bonavita

Little Neck, New York

Bronx Science

12th Grade

"He exited the store and found Elektra sitting there, safely, in the apple tree"

Mature Content

Longanikos is a tiny Peloponnesian village tucked into Greece’s mountain-folds. The main street within Loganikos is just big enough to provide for its 500 inhabitants.

An Apple Tree Tucked in The Mountains

Artemis

Xenopoulos

New York, New York

11th Grade

"I waited for a wave to pass and plopped the fish down into the water. I moved the voluptuous female back and forth in the water until she kicked off back into the deep blue water beneath the watch of a stargazed lover."

My smile crawled across my face as my feet felt the transition of grass to sand and the soft wind whistled through my ears...

Happiness

Will

Sternberg

Greenwich, Connecticut

12th Grade

"I looked up and saw the tigers' fangs flicker in the light of the setting sun."

The orange glow of the sun brought warmth to my face and body and quickly aroused me from my slumber...

The Day That Changed My Life

Will

Sternberg

Greenwich, Connecticut

12th Grade

"I looked out at my tribe with pride before I drifted off, nestled against the pearly, soft snow of the tree well."

I awoke with a jolt as the sound of thunder crackled and rolled across the charcoal sky above me.

Perspectives

Will

Sternberg

Greenwich, Connecticut

12th Grade

"...tonight I was searching for the notorious large flounder that had been haunting my dreams ever since I saw it engulf my lure and promptly broke my line, some five years ago."

The moonlight danced across the ripples of Bogue Sound. The wind howled out of the south and the windchimes scampered around on their strings.

Dreams

Will

Sternberg

Greenwich, Connecticut

12th Grade

"The crystal clear water allowed us a view into the world untouched by man. I had never seen such beauty: animals so pristine and numerous."

The wind howled across the river throwing my hairs into a tangle of knots and curls. A smile crawled across my face as I gazed upon our vessel.

What’s Really Out There?

Will

Sternberg

Greenwich, Connecticut

12th 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

"Having a Spot is what makes a New Yorker a New Yawkah (spoken like Dustin Hoffman or Woody Allen, you choose)."

Mature Content

There are two types of reservoir-goers. Those who saunter and those who run. The saunterers are the foreigners, ranging from the irritating ones with chunky Nikons

The Real New Yawkah

Jackie

C

New York, New York

11th 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

"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

“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

"I heard someone say trauma is dis-ease in the body and when it’s not healed it becomes disease."

“Mom are you okay,” she asked in a voice so loving and gentle. I could hear the concern, the fear, the worry. Is today the last day I see her? What do I do if she’s not okay?

Courage

Tiffany

Watson

Bronx, New York

"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

"The smoke cleared out and finally, I could see his evanescence; how it always lingered behind all of his inimitable whim-whams and seemingly candid words."

Mature Content

I think admiration is dangerous. The thought first came to life on a bench in Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn. My lips on a cigarette that I had no use for anymore.

Hoarding Hurt

Angelina

Zaphyria

New York, New York

12th 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

"My windows have begun to fog. The humidity due to tape on my vents and towel under my..."

"Where's the line between living and existing? Merely inhaling the presence of the Earth doesn't deem me..."

Bottled Confinements

Jessica

Pesiri

Kings Park

9th Grade

"Over the trench, dodge the big rock, left a ways, jump the large branch, keep running..."

"'I dunno when this damned road‘s gonna end, ah swear is’ longer than the river Hudson, an’ colder too...'"

Blackbird

Quinn

Swire

Brooklyn

Other Grade

"Have you ever competed against a brother, sister, friend, neighbor, to curry favor..."

"The good, kind, generous people of Umlas do not care about money or fame; they only act good because they..."

The Ones Who Don’t Belong

Lizzy

Osinski

Chappaqua

11th Grade

"Such marvelous words I have bled on these pages! Truly the world needs to read this..."

"Lucifer: I want him—body and soul. Wait until he reeks of fear and desperation for, by then, he will be..."

Lucifer’s Master Plan

Callherwallflower A. R.

Brooklyn

Other Grade

"And then she saw the man. He looked like all the others. He was wearing a plaid..."

"The nurse had pushed the curtains aside so that she could have a look out at the night sky from her bed..."

Strange Fruits

Andrea

Schenkel

New York

Other Grade

I hate that I fell for the wrong person

Yet even your locks of dusky night-Or permanent seas of Poseidon’s green-Could not stop me from Icarus’s doom

The Ballad of Scorched Skin

Polina

Datsko

Manchester

10th Grade

"for a moment, you sit, legs weary, on a child’s stool (and you wonder when you last..."

"[after a birthday party] the crowd has ended, the party has left you stoop, bent in half at the..."

After a Birthday Party

Emilie

Su

New York

11th Grade

"Crushed with longing Crushed with the notion that she will be belonging..."

"Crush why is it called a crush you ask..."

Why is it Called a Crush, Anyway?

Tori

McDonald

Nyack

Other Grade

"Jessica noticed that when everyone went to sleep someone would listen to someone..."

"The day Jessica and Kathy moved in they climbed the creaky stairs to the attic and turned on the light..."

The Demonic Doll

Rossi

Martinez

Bronx

Bronx Collaborative

11th Grade

"After speaking with Friar Puccio earlier today at his home, I convinced him..."

"[Dom Felice] When I first heard of Friar Puccio and his spiritual connection, I knew I had to meet with..."

The Tables Have Turned

Raine

Seraphina

Jackson Heights

Other Grade