Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend.

Starting this week, you can use the link in the brand new Submissions page to submit your stories based on this week’s prompt. This is only for people 18 years or younger, but there is a place to submit original stories that is open to everyone here.

You have until 12:00pm EST on Sunday to have a chance of it being posted with next week’s prompt. Of course if you miss that, still send it to me. I might be able to publish it later.

Story Prompt: March 29, 2021

And now, a story based on last week’s prompt:

• Setting: an abandoned train
• Characters: a scary-looking woman
• Other elements: a diary, a net

The CN Witch

I wanted to be popular, and the CN Witch said she could do it. I met her late at night at her home in an old train car (the one with the big CN on the door).

“Do you have the money?” she asked, her voice deep and creepy.

I nodded and handed her forty dollars I had saved up from my allowance.

The CN Witch took the money with her grubby hand and stuffed it into an inner pocket.

“Now what?” I asked. “Do you do a spell or give me a potion or something?”

“Throw a net over the principal’s car,” the woman said. “You’ll be the most popular kid in school.”

“What?” I asked, then changed to “How?” when she started to repeat it.

“Kids love pranks,” she replied. “We used to do it all the time in my fishing village when I was growing up. They’ll love you. Not the principal, but the kids will.”

“That’s terrible advice!” I shouted, more angry at myself for giving her the money first than anything.

The CN Witch shrugged. “Get a net or don’t, but go home either way.”

That night I opened my diary as I lay in bed and began to write.

March 29, 2021: Dear diary, I am starting to think that I might not be able to trust crazy old women living in train cars.

Good luck and happy writing! Come back next Monday for another story prompt.