Short Story

Writing by NYC Scholastic AwardsDecember 5, 2013December 3, 2013

The Pills

You shuddered and winced slightly as the car door slammed behind you, another one of the nervous tics that you’ve developed over the past few months. There’s the one where you bow gently to the right every time you leave your house through the garage. For the past few weeks, you’ve taken to gently rattling […]

Writing by NYC Scholastic AwardsDecember 4, 2013December 3, 2013

Night March

I watched the glistening, silver fish penetrate the iridescent surface of the water as they gracefully broke through their surroundings, and I began to contemplate what it must feel like to be able to soar above the world you live in. What lies beyond. I have spent my entire life waiting. Waiting for a moment […]

Writing by NYC Scholastic AwardsDecember 3, 2013December 2, 2013

The Shadow Of A Tree

I’ll never forget the charcoal-like smell of burnt skin that night upon the rolling hills of the Mississippi Delta. The amber evening sun hung suspended atop a distant hill on the horizon. The sun was casting a reddish glow that illuminated the faces of some of the people in the crowd. It was a fairly […]

Writing by NYC Scholastic AwardsNovember 26, 2013November 25, 2013

Ticket To Joy

“This is Yooo-llaaanda Vegar! Good evening and good luck! The jackpot is three hundred million dollars, and the winning numbers are…9! 24! 3! 57! 8! 6! And…4!” The whisper of the black and white television was barely audible over the crackle of static and as Marcus watched the numbers flash across the flickering screen, he […]

Writing by NYC Scholastic AwardsNovember 26, 2013November 25, 2013

Storm

The wind screeched as the rain pounded against my window, echoing around my room. I clutched my teddy bear tighter, covering his ears with my small palms. I shut my eyes and rocked back and forth, begging for the storm to end. Lightening shot down from the sky like a smear of yellow paint, staining […]

Writing by NYC Scholastic AwardsNovember 21, 2013November 19, 2013

Outsiders

I walk into the third grade doors, expecting my friends to meet me there, ready to scream, and laugh with me, just coming back from Gym, a place of promise and destruction, things could always be a little rowdy. Instead, I am greeted by a different group of girls, glaring at me beady-eyed and angry. […]

Writing by NYC Scholastic AwardsNovember 13, 2013November 12, 2013

Untitled

I know a lot of stories. Some of them are so funny that you’ll be laughing out loud on the floor, and some so sad that thick tears would come out of your red eyes. But this isn’t the right time or place for those. So I’ll just tell you about Him. Yes, I know. […]

Writing by NYC Scholastic AwardsNovember 12, 2013November 11, 2013

Have a Nice Day

The school-bell shrieked. I leaped up out of my chair, picked up my books from the desk, and ran through the gates of my school. Soon my running transformed into a walking pace. My eyes took in the world, soaking up the weather, the smell, the colors. One distinct quality that distinguishes me from others: […]

Writing by NYC Scholastic AwardsNovember 11, 2013November 7, 2013

Jan And Isla

“You know those parties where you sort of know people but you don’t really so you end up standing off to the side making awkward eye contact, and then you drink too much because you just get so fucking bored, and then you suddenly know everyone so much better but you realize the next morning […]

Writing by NYC Scholastic AwardsNovember 7, 2013November 5, 2013

Prayer Wheels

I am woken up by a heat so sticky it feels like a long hot lick from a giant St. Bernard. Hot air creeps in through the windows and trickles of sweat trace the ridge of my spine. In an attempt to relieve the kink in my neck, I turn slightly sideways, but the foot […]