By Walcot Gitau (Walli) - Grade 8 Blood shadows stretched endlessly across the cold stone of the underworld. Walcott moved with calm precision, every step deliberate, every breath measured. Around him, whispers echoed—fragments of anguish that seemed almost alive. He could not place them at first, only sense their familiar resonance. Later, he would realize the truth: these echoes were fragments of his own fear, his own pain, memories that refused to fade.   He had been he

By Aanya Jayasuriya - Grade 4 “Welcome to Ithinlym!” Dame Heike smiled, holding out her arms and spinning. “Ah, just look at it! Isn’t it beautiful?” She beamed. Well, it' s a matter of opinion. Cheryl thought. There were clear glass buildings everywhere. The sunlight went straight through. “Well, it certainly is pretty, but-” Ardoch started, but then Lord Bonas interrupted. “Where’s the privacy, Heike?” “What? Do you mean that you haven’t been to Ithinlym before? I thought

By Madison  - Grade 9 Why did the chicken cross the road? We always hear it put that way. Why did the chicken cross the road? But what about why did the road cross the chicken. Think about it that way. What did the chicken do to the road when he crossed it, and if the chicken crossed the road, wouldn't the road have crossed the chicken? So what for did the road cross the chicken? because it had to, proportionately- if the chicken crosses the road then the road crosses the

By Aanya Jayasuriya - Grade 4 BONG! BONG! BONG! The town of Arcstead (also known as the capital of magic) woke to clear blue skies without a cloud in sight. Shopping stalls opened their shutters, townspeople threw open the windows, and Cheryl Sinclair was sleeping peacefully in the Arcstead library. “Could everybody please gather in the town square for a few important updates? Thank you for your co-operation.” A light, melodic voice blared from the speakers positioned at t

By Isa - Grade 11 I just really wish he was here right now, to teach me all the things I needed to know. He could be here, present, available. But not without the disgust when his breath slightly lingers of alcohol. I wish I could give him mercy, I wish I could give him empathy because I know what he went through. I know that he was struck by the same pain as I was. A parent with addiction and a need to flee. But why did I have to bring on the same fate, why did I have to

By Simrin Khan - Grade 9 2025, a year in the modern world. People move fast, sometimes losing themselves in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and at last, their fickle minds roam around aimlessly, searching for love, for a passion that surpasses eternity. Rati, a normal girl born in a mediocre family. Her father was a sculptor, turning his devotion for his gods a reality. Rati grew up hearing the many tales of gods and goddesses, about their love and their wrath, abo

By Christopher Shaw - Grade 7 The house was always quiet, concealed in stillness so heavy that even the clock hesitated to click. Margaret sat by her window, staring out at the beauty of nature as it once was. She held her hand close to her lap, her fingers curled like withering flowers, silently crying in despair and pleading for help. Outside, the world continued moving, oblivious of the anguish and pain she was holding onto.  She couldn't remember the last time she spoke

By Pamela Hinshaw - Grade 12 Drops splattered on the ground, thudded against thick oak wood, and startled the other nearby trees, hitting everything with random precision. It was the type of rain that started slowly, but every drop felt heavier than the last, and in 10 or so minutes, those drops seemed determined to destroy everything they could. The little boy in the red bucket hat approached the giant oak rapidly, with his stumbling little attitude beside him, holding th

By Richelle Doyle  - Grade 7 A food truck turned sharply around the corner, speeding toward the crosswalk where youthful Timothy skipped blissfully across. He froze mid-step, instinctively afraid the truck wouldn’t stop. Falling to his knees, he bruised them badly, curling into himself, eyes squeezed shut. The monitors later beeped loudly, echoing through the spacious hospital room, where Timothy’s parents sat frozen in fear. Dr. Elias entered, gripping a clipboard in one h

By Sharvi Dhamdhere   - Grade 10 The boy sat concealed by a few jagged rocks in the dusty abode tucked against the spine of a tall mountain. Below him, the earth cracked from thirst and the weight of what had passed. Rifle clutched, he raised it to peer into the war-torn city below. Leo hadn’t fired in twelve days. Since then, the faces in his mind had multiplied. Ghosts that didn’t need names, only the weight of silence they left behind. Smoke curled upwards from the coll

By  Kingsley Zheng - 6 Grade It was a sunny day at Tokido Ramen at lunch when Steph, Edison, and Mike were all finishing up their food. Steph even complimented the food on how good it was. Sure, it was a small business, but it was way better than they expected. While they were finishing their ramen, Steph realized it was the perfect day to go to the waterpark. So, he said to his friends,“Wait, shouldn’t we go to the waterpark?”“Oh yeah!” Edison and Mike both exclaimed.“But wh

It was a cold night, the wind blowing against these two friends' faces. The tree leaves were swaying against the wind, howling as the air passed against the leaf's smooth surface. They were walking, with the sun facing behind them, nearly close to sunset. Cars rushed by, brushing them with another force of wind. It was slow and peaceful, the serene day was a beautiful sight to behold. A few meters in front of them was a gas station. Mark and Jack were both happy that day, bei