Svelty and Stock It was my turn to seek. Again. . . . 99, 100. I turned around, pretending not to see Svelty—the size of a house and trying to crouch behind leafless trees. Svelty always felt bad about being found first. Stock—whip thin and camouflaged—felt bad he could never be found. It was an…
Tag: young adult fiction
The Incognito Me
The Incognito Me I am beginning to like the smell of chlorine. Before this trip, the only picture it brought to mind was scrubbing floors or the stinging smell of hospital corridors. But now it smells like leisure: of early morning swims in the pool before practice or warm afternoons sitting by the water before…
Reading to Mrs. Smith
Reading to Mrs. Smith It was my first day and I didn’t want to be late. I was seventeen and volunteering to read to shut-ins in their homes. I felt every bump of the rough pavement up into my nerve-jangled stomach as I drove my mom’s car along Cedar Road, looking for number 460. The…
Love Yourself
Love Yourself I have finished my dance club and finally got my diploma. It’s hard to accept because I’ve had a lot of experience both physically and mentally. At the age of 11, I was overweight, so I heard a lot of words about my weight from classmates. After that, I had an inferiority complex,…
Tremors from Eden
This story is based on the writing prompt from Muse on Monday – June 27. Tremors from Eden I still remember the first time I leaned against the wall and heard music. It was not complete: just like the trash I scavenged which was stripped of nutrients and value, the melody was undetectable and only…
Sapping Time
Sapping Time “I don’t see what the big deal is with GMOs anyway,” Mr. Watts said to assembled field trip. The children looked up at him, sucking on maple syrup lollipops from the gift shop. “Do you know that back in the old days, they would have to collect sap in buckets and then carry…
The Last One Out
The Last One Out My body feels like it has merged with the couch. I scroll through one app, switch to another, scroll, switch back. I don’t have any attention span and feeling my parents’ eyes on me when they walk past just makes it harder. They’re worried about me but don’t know how to…
Raiding the Trophy Case
Raiding the Trophy Case You need shoes fast. You have no money. There is only one option left. The Trophy Case. That’s where Devin shows off the footwear of all his victims. No one would ever think about stealing from Devin. But you’re thinking about it now. You’ll need a distraction. Devin parks his Mustang…
Windows on the World
We got one of those Windows on the World packages today, or as the commercials say: “Just . . . WOW!” I was in class when the installers came to hang the panels, and I came out of my room to find my mother sweeping up the packing materials and pushing it all down the…
Ten Years from Now…
Ten years from now… The bell rang. Fourth period, right before lunch. It was the class that everyone, including the teacher, wished would fly by so they could finally get a break. “Today we’re going to read our essays on where you see yourself in ten years,” Mr. Hurley said. It was his first year…
The Green-Walled Treehouse 