Young Adult
Into the Unkown
The uncut grass felt like thorns against my neck, back, and legs. The hot sun made my skin sticky and wet, baking my body in the 105 degree heat. Flies and ants desperately hovered over me as if I were a carcass of an animal long gone. I knew she could feel it too, so why were we here? She looked over at me and smiled, something I hadn’t seen in quite a while. Something so simple, yet taken for granted.
By Jenna Robinson3 years ago in Fiction
Out of the Fire
Day 1 I was supposed to be on that spaceship, the one carrying my parents and friends far away from this dying planet. It was one of forty massive ships transporting the remnants of humanity to a newly discovered inhabitable planet in a far off solar system with a younger sun, unlike our sun that was at the end of its life. It started with the usual power outages and electromagnetic disturbances disabling cell towers and television signals. All of this had happened before. But then the air started rapidly heating up, the atmosphere giving warning that something new was taking place. The government had been preparing for this for some time, building ships and planning our evacuation. But they hadn’t yet finished their plan by the time giant solar flares began bursting through the atmosphere and burning up cities around the world. It was time to leave – immediately.
By Ashley Tilghman3 years ago in Fiction
"Come find me"
A prevailing sense of hopelessness permeated everything down to the atoms in the faint breeze that whisked by the structures outside. The world that existed before was nothing but a dream. The color palette of the vibrant community and bustling town filled with loving families had disappeared. The color was sucked out of the world, and everything was blanketed in shades of characterless grey and dull blacks. Nobody ever cracked jokes or smiled. The seasons all became nonexistent, and the world became one long winter except it was ash, not snow, perpetually falling from above. The world before seemed to have never existed. The government that once promised paradise left us to waste away, and so did Grace’s mom.
By Kawan Glover3 years ago in Fiction
Fantasizing
I'm stuck on my first impression of Sara J. Maas's iconic Rhysand [Ree-sand] character from A Court of Thorns and Roses. I was entranced by this character throughout the end of the book. I wanted to know so much more about his but I was completely content not-knowing anything. He was perfect the way he was shrouded in mystery. After doing a little bit of research I found an interesting meaning to the name: "bringer of dark power", which the United States and Australia agree on and it's of English Origin. Names.org actually reports that from 1880 to 2019, 6 babies have been given this first name. That stat jumped to 6 in 2019 alone. Can someone just scream cultists at the top of their lungs? I love the fictional character, but the meaning? Did they really think twice before putting that on a birth certificate? I'm getting a real Anti-Christ vibe from these little minions.
By J. L. Cross3 years ago in Fiction
things aren't as they always seem
Day 1,926. Still no electricity. I have, however, successfully managed to conjure up a solution to the repugnant water crisis. At least you don’t need lights to live. Glass half full approach much? Well, with the sun setting for the day, I’ll take this win for having clean water.
By Brione Stephenson3 years ago in Fiction
Excavation of an Eight-Pocket
By the time Petunia Gomight reached the age of forty-four, she’d survived seven different wars on three different planets; Aur, Mordere, and Earth. Aur’s troubles began when solar flares from the red dwarf named Ictus burned away the surface of her home, leaving nothing but the connected subterranean complex that stretched from one part of Aur to the next. It wasn’t all so bad until the planet Mordere introduced a destabilizing agent that would further destroy Aur’s ability to grow food. Hunger spread in the places solar flares couldn’t reach, and when Aur was at her weakest, Mordere moved in and claimed the scorched planet as their own for the sole reason it would give them another seat in the Celestial Legislature. Petunia was barely an adult, but she fought alongside her scattered family, her brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and more. Petunia, always the pragmatic one, drove herself deeper into Aur’s crust until she resurrected herself with an army only spoken of through myth.
By M. J. Luke3 years ago in Fiction
A Matter of Affinity
"You will be wonderful," Amara's parents and teachers would coo. Every test and application told her she was in the top percentile of even the top one percent. Every award whispered with the promise that she was going to make a great life for herself, all born out of the success she was so likely to gain.
By Jillian Spiridon3 years ago in Fiction
Jack and Jhillika
Jhillika stood by the open window and looked into the street below. Her eyes darted from shadow to shadow, looking for movement. In a city that once was bustling with life, even at night, the only thing moving was the occasional rat. The moon was bright, casting shadows on the piles of rubble and burned out cars. Across the street was a dead oak tree in an abandoned lot and something was moving along a branch. When it stopped she could see it was a cat with white patches on its face. It sat on the branch, motionless, peaceful. She recognized it as one she had made friends with a while back. She would often leave tidbits for it when she could. It reminded her of a kitten she had when her family lived in Mumbai.
By Stryker Ostafew3 years ago in Fiction
Golden Skies
“Come on, move!” Lina shoved her way through the crowd, ducking into an alleyway. Laughter rang out, telling her that her younger sister wasn’t far behind. She slumped against the cool stone wall, taking shelter behind a trashcan. Out of breath, she turned to her sister. “Did we lose them?”
By Sophia Knauer3 years ago in Fiction