Our February Flash Contest was based on our weekly creativity prompt #138, asking writers to put themselves in the shoes of one of their favorite characters by pretending this character had social media, and entrants did not disappoint. From added wrinkles to the wizarding world of Harry Potter, to illustrations of beloved cartoons, and even to the outer reaches of space, we received a wide array of submissions that challenged traditional modes of thinking, and gave new perspective on what it means to grow up with social media. It is a marvel to be continually surprised by the amazing work we receive each month. So, well done to all who submitted!
In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below.
Winners
“@pluto9planet” by Ender Ippolito, 9, Portland, OR
“Insta Pusheen” by Maggie Kershen, 11, Norman, OK
“Godley Scribblings: How I Came To Be Uncle Totey” by Iago Macknik-Conde, 12, Brooklyn, NY
“Halloween with the Rooney’s” by Elizabeth Sabaev, 10, Forest Hills, NY
“The Social Evolution of Our Beloved Wizard” by Pranjoli Sadhukha, 11, Newark, OH
Honorable Mentions
“Chihiro Posts from ‘Spirited Away’” by Scarlet He, 10, Scarsdale, NY
“Tweets from Cricket” by Rex Huang, 11, Lake Oswego, OR
Ariel—The Ocean Heroine” by Tang Li, 8, Palmetto Bay, FL
“The Leader Who Gained Citizens with Twitter” by Chelsea Liang, 11, San Jose, CA
“Better than Daily Prophet” by Jack Rubin, 9, Solon, OH
@pluto9plane
Ender Ippolito, 9
@pluto9planet
Feb 1, 2017
Hey buddies, especially scientists, I am disappointed to learn that I do not count as a PLANET. It's NOT fair because even though I am smaller, that don’t mean I ain’t A PLANET!!!
COMMENTS
@earth3planet: The scientists live on me so I should get to choose if you are a planet.
@pluto9planet: Says Mister Goldilocks. #annoying#frenemy#bossy
Add comment (__________)
@pluto9planet
Feb 2, 2017
Dear buddies, happy you could talk to me, still bummed about the planet thing, just talk in the chat. Ok, thanks!!!!
COMMENTS
@mercury1planet: Sorry Pluto not my fault and hi.
@pluto9planet: What's a dwarf planet?
@mercury1planet: idk look it up.
@pluto9planet: It says I am too small!
@mercury1planet: But I am small?!?!
@pluto9planet: :-( :(
Add comment (________)
@pluto9planet
Feb 3, 2017
What’s up? I am great. Totally, over the planet thing. Really, it’s fine. I’m not crying in bed at night. Definitely, not having nightmares. Not hyperventilating in a paper bag. Nope, not me. And Jupiter, how are you?
COMMENTS
@jupiter5planet: fine thanks
@pluto9planet: how many earths could you fit inside you?
@jupiter5planet: 1,400
@pluto9planet: can you scare earth?
@jupiter5planet: yes i am very good at it. why?
@pluto9planet: can you annoy him?
@jupiter5planet: yes
@pluto9planet: can you do it now?
@jupiter5planet: yes i will 8:46
@earth3planet: jupiter you are so annoying 8:49
@jupiter5planet: and then you were like so naaa naaa neeee neee . . . .
Add comment (________)
@pluto9planet
Feb 4, 2017
Shhhhhhhh, do not tell Earth, Mr. Bossy is going to get a surprise! We are going to do a little prank.
COMMENTS
@mercury1planet: He is sooooo mean to me! Super bossy!
@pluto9planet: Same super bossy to me too.
@venus2planet: Earth says I am gassy, smelly, and sweaty like a pig!
@pluto9planet: That's so mean!
@earth3planet: What’s up?
@mercuryvenuspluto129planet: Uh, nothing.
@mars4planet: My brother is annoying!
@pluto9planet:Yeah!
@jupiter5planet: I also think he is annoying.
@pluto9planet: I know! He says he should be in charge just because he’s got fleas growing on him!
@mars4planet: Big deal. I have fossilized bacteria.
@saturn6planet: He says I am the silliest planet because I have rings! But Uranus has them too!
@pluto9planet: :-() :-()!
@uranus7planet: Earth makes fun of my name!
@pluto9planet: That's sad.
@neptune8planet: He sticks his tongue at me neighbor.
@pluto9planet: He does what! Oh my!!!
@earth3planet: You know I can see all of this, right? Why are you going to prank me? I have a big responsibility, taking care of these humans. I guess I am cranky because I don’t sleep. The pipsqueaks never turn off the lights. 24/7 all the time. LIGHTS LIGHTS EVERYWHERE! Sorry can you forgive me?
@mercuryvenusmarsjupitersaturnuranusneptunepluto123456789planet: Can you change Pluto back to full planet status?
@earth3planet: No, but . . . I can arrange an ellipse dance party!!!
Add comment (________)
@pluto9planet
Aug. 21, 2017 6:00am
Welcome, setting up computer and eclipse party. IT WILL BE FUN. #solarpower#hide&seek
COMMENTS
@earth3planet: Was the party good? 8:00pm
@mercuryvenusmarsjupitersaturnuranusneptunepluto123456789planet: It was wonderful! Let’s do it again!
@earth3planet: Sure. Talked with the Sun and Moon. June 10, 2021 is the next one. Put it on the calendar.
@mercuryvenusmarsjupitersaturnuranusneptunepluto123456789planet: WOOHOO!
Add comment (________)
Insta Pusheen
Maggie Kershen, 11
Godley Scribblings: How I Came To Be Uncle Totey
Iago Macknik-Conde
Godley Scribblings
My divine insights into the art of writing, the universe, and the unknown
(I actually mostly write about family feuds)
__________
About
Thoth is the Egyptian god of writing, wisdom, magic, and the moon, and rightly so. He has written over a million columns in the Egyptian Times, and he has at least one hundred podcasts. He has won nine Nobel prizes in literature. He also has his own editing company, Brawny Brains, INC.
How I came to be Uncle Totey
The story of Nut’s forbidden children
__________
By THE REAL Thoth on March 09, 2019
Hi guys! This post is about the time I helped Nut have her children, as you requested in the comments of my last blog.
So about 50,000 years ago, Nut and Geb wanted to have children, but Re was angry at Nut for being pregnant without his permission. So, he put a curse on her that banned her from having any children on any of the 360 (no this is not a typo, calm down my friends) days of the year. I was an innocent bystander until Nut told me about her dilemma: she was going to stay pregnant forever but never having any kids. With my heart of gold, I couldn’t bear seeing Nut go through such torture. To help Nut have her children, I trekked to the top of a tall mountain so I could reach the sky. Then I gave Iah, the moon goddess at the time (a title I now own) a challenge.
I bet her that she couldn’t beat me at poker. I was very confident for I had faithfully researched all kinds of gambling in my library, I am the god of writing and wisdom after all. Iah accepted the challenge on the condition that I would hand her over something of mine every time I lost. I was so confident on my game that I bet Iah that, every time I lost, she could pick any bookshelf she liked from my library. In exchange, Iah would give me one night every time I won.
Oh, my library is so much smaller now! I am missing a whole room’s worth off bookshelves! I guess I should have done more research. Eventually, I gathered five nights, so Nut was able to have five children. Their names are Osiris, Nephthys, Isis, Set, and Horus. I would love for them to call me God of Wisdom, or Elder Scribe, but no, to them I am known as “Uncle Totey.” I suspect that Geb told them to do that.
Well, that wraps up this week’s blog, comment below with any feedback or suggestions you might have for me, or what you would like me to talk about next week! I read all my comments. Goodbye, and keep on reading!
6 COMMENTS
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- Re March 9, 2019
Thoth, I really dislike the fact that you are portraying me as the villain in this blog post.
- Thoth in reply to Re March 9, 2019
This is an unbiased blog post, Re. FYI, I am known to be a just and incorruptible judge. I tell only the truth.
- Set March 10, 2019
Hey Uncle Totey! Sorry for being such as pest but it’s my job as the god of chaos and desert storms! Don’t tell me you're still mad at me and my sibs for dissing you!
- Thoth in reply to Set March 10, 2019
Yes, Set, I believe that it is quite disrespectful to call me “Uncle Totey.”
- King Tutankhamen March 10, 2019
OMG! Hi Thoth! It’s me Tutankhamen, and I am your greatest fan, like ever! I have read every single one of your posts! Including those from the Old Kingdom! My suggestion for your next blog post is to write about how you were born! Love, Tutsy.
- Thoth in reply to King Tutankhamen March 11, 2019
Hello, King Tut. It’s always nice to hear from you. I am glad that you are up to date with the blog, and I will take your suggestion into account.
Halloween with the Rooney's
Elizabeth Sabaev, 10
Guys, it’s Liv Rooney, please save me. I am trying to get stylish decorations for my Halloween party that is on October 31. (I guess also something spooky, since it’s Halloween, but did I mention stylish?) However, how in the world am I supposed to concentrate when I have my crazy twin sister Maddie screaming her head off, while watching her favorite team perform in the NBA? (How is Maddie related to me though?!!). I went upstairs and put on earplugs, but still, I could hear her! Send me links to cool decorations in the comments. Rooney out!
Liv Rooney here. I just managed to get Maddie to stop shouting and I really should not get into the fact that I put duct tape on her mouth. Anyways, thank you fans for all the links that you sent. Seriously Joey, did you really have to send me a link with cat decorations? Anyways, thanks to all my other fans who gave good links! Peace!
Bam! What?! Bruh, if you haven’t guessed it's me, Maddie. I hijacked Liv’s account. Also, I finally tore that duct tape out of my mouth, but seriously it was like it was super glued. Also, I know that my bratty brother Parker stole my shoes because no one else is weird like him. I know Parker is using my favorite pair of Jordan sneakers for his science project. I was not planning to go into his dirty tunnels to find him, but I guess now I am. Yes, I am about to swing open one of our paintings that leads into Parker’s tunnels. Wish me luck.
Hey fans! It's Liv and I am super excited and a bit nervous about the Halloween party that's only 2 hours away. Our whole family is now decorating the room that we rented, and so far, it looks fabulous. Maddie is setting up disco lights. Parker is the miniature DJ, rocking it with surprisingly good beats. Joey is on the floor dancing. And my parents and I are putting some cobwebs to touch up the final details!!! Be sure to come party with the Rooney’s from 7:00pm to 12:00am!
1 hour into the party...
Y'all, this is actually going pretty well. Lots of people are dancing to DJ Parker in the disco lights, and some people are playing video games against my twin sister Maddie. Everything is going so well. Except my brother Joey, he was trying to impress some girls with his sensational (*cough *cough) dancing skills. And of course, he accidentally pulled on the table covers which made the entire chocolate fountain fall on him...
Oh my god, guys, that crazy 5-hour party is over. Not to mention it was a total success. Joey is taking a shower to try and get off the chocolate that was stuck to his hair, Parker is posting how Joey sings in the shower on YouTube, and my twin sister Maddie and I are cleaning up the disastrous mess the party had left behind. I am dog tired so I am going to go drop dead onto my bed for the next century. But even while I am sleeping, I will dream about doing the same crazy party again next year. Sweet dreams. Liv out!
The Social Evolution of Our Beloved Wizard
Pranjoli Sadhukha, 11
One frigid December morning in 2013, Harry Potter looked at his new phone. He was ecstatic. Who knew how amazing all these muggle inventions were? Harry couldn’t resist the urge to post something on the new social media platform ‘My Life’. He typed “It would be really cool to raise a dragon...ask Hagrid...” Then he remembered that everyone would be able to see the posts and hastily commented “Oops...sorry...Ignore that please O.O”. Mortally terrified at the possibility of spilling Hagrid's secret, Harry started contemplating countermeasures to fix the situation - does Hogwarts have a spell for time-travel? How about one to erase everyone's memory? A spell to put Hagrid to sleep for a few years or at least a few months till this secret is not a secret anymore? His best friend, Ron smugly remarked later that afternoon “But there’s a delete button right there, in that corner...”. Relieved, Harry deleted the post and wondered why being tech savvy was so much harder than Quidditch.
One day, almost a year and a half down the lane, Harry decided to create a mystic riddle about himself. “Deep inside the grounds of Hogwarts, disguised among many that seem to be the same, there is a magic that is more powerful than the strongest spell, more subtle than any well-hidden curse and nobler than the most gallant wizard...It was created by a mother’s love, and the darkest powers strive to destroy it, but it has lived on for many years”. His post must have confused a lot of muggles as it was only ‘liked’ by seven fellow wizards. Harry scratched his head for some time. "Does no one check my posts?" he thought. "Maybe I should make my profile and posts 'Public' rather than only share with the people I know". That July Harry posted his first 'Public' post - "Cut my cheek badly after my morning fall. Darn that Draco's satchel! Now how do I hide this scar?"
After an exciting Quidditch match in Spring 2017, Harry had to share what happened. He posted “During the Quidditch match today Ron slid off his broom and dangled in the air for almost three and a half minutes before the game finally ended. BUT WE STILL WON. He blocked the last shot from the Slytherins upside down #HangingFromTheBroom”.
Hagrid wanted to reward Gryffindor that weekend, so he concocted a rather interesting soup that Harry just had to gush about. Trying to spare Hagrid’s feelings while still having some cheeky fun, Harry’s next post read “Hagrid created ‘Mountain lion soup’ for us today...It was … positively delicious, just like all of Hagrid’s cooking”.
A few months later, Harry felt like chiming in to the popular trend and delighting every avid social media enthusiast with an insight to the life of a famous teen wizard. “What am I going to do today - ‘Transfiguration’ class at 10, the Quidditch match at 11. Maybe if I beg Hermione she will do my homework for me!...and maybe she’ll do Ron’s too...(We really need her to)” Oops..he did it again...he frantically commented “That was a joke, we ALWAYS do our own homework...” before the professors could see his post. In his sixth year of Hogwarts, Harry made a world changing, hair-rising discovery that absolutely needed to be shared on social media “I’m not really allowed to post this but I saw Hermione and Ron...Talking....VERY romantically if you get what I mean”. Within an hour of his post, a furious comment from Hermione popped up on his screen “HARRY!!!” Everyone knows that ‘nobody messes with Hermione Granger’ and Harry frantically thought “what did I just do!”
Harry was feeling sorrowful as he gazed longingly at the Hogwarts castle at the end of his sixth year of school. He knew he would never walk inside Hogwarts as a student again, he had a greater destiny to face. He wouldn’t be able to take his phone with him on his journey due to security concerns. So, he solemnly wrote what he thought was his last ever social media entry: “There was a stone which held wealth too great and an ancient monster awakened. Then came an enemy and a friend in each other’s clothing. Soon after, I faced a tournament of lies, deceit and betrayal. I joined an order that fought in secret against the enemies that no one believed in, duped by the lying ministry. The next year I suspected two people, who ended up to be traitors, taking our headmaster’s life...My journey so far has been perilous, and we can never know what is yet to come...till we talk again....stay safe my friends...it was an honor knowing you”.
Happily married to the love of his life and three kids later, a tech savvy and refined Mr. Potter posted about a mind-tickling event that had occurred the previous day. “Hermione’s son has detention for hexing a whipped cream bottle which sprayed on his ‘Defense Against the Dark Arts’ teacher Mr. Finnigan... repeatedly! Hugo claims it was an accident which would be believable had he not been Fred and George’s nephew. #21stCenturyKids #TheMischiefLivesOn” he typed. Then, realizing that the always-perfect Hermione might not be very happy about it, he hastily edited his original post and added “Their daughter Rose Weasley just won her umpteenth spelling bee”.
After a long week of tending to his son Al’s persistent tummy aches and sniffles, mischievous Harry focused his attention on Hermione and Ron’s cats. “Hermione recently got some new kittens and THEY ARE JUST LIKE CROOKSHANKS. They attack me and Ron every time we move so I guess nothing has changed since our days at Hogwarts #MEOWZA”. Then he saw the following notifications come up:
Ron Weasley likes this.
Hermione Granger dislikes this.
Grinning, he commented “Yup...Just like the old days...”
That weekend, he was scrolling through social media when he saw a rather interesting message “Hermyownee’s cats ar awsome!!! We ar geting a kity cat rite now!!!!” Exasperated, he yelled “Lily Potter get over here right now.” Then he noticed the comments under “his” post.
“Hermione Granger likes this”.
“Ron Weasley dislikes this”.
Comment from Hermione Granger: “That’s amazing Harry!...But...That spelling of my name is atrocious! You are still miserable in spelling I see.”
Comment from Ron Weasley: “Blimey, Harry why?!!!...THEY’RE NOT AS CUTE AS THEY LOOK!!!!!”
Sighing, Harry commented “Please ignore this...Our daughter snuck onto my account...and yes, I know Ron, Hermione’s cats are NOT amazing.”
The year is 2041 and I just spent the whole afternoon reading my favorite series character’s social media posts. Call me a romantic or die-hard fan but it was fun reading Harry’s posts and filling up the gaps with my own version of what could have happened. Did Hagrid really make a ‘mountain lion soup’ or was Harry just joking? Did he really sweat after Hermione commented on the post in which he revealed about their possible affection for each other? His posts sound happy so he must be married to the love of his life. All I can tell is that one summer afternoon, Harry must have been feeling reflective. Misty-eyed, he probably scrolled through all of the jokes and riddles, the stories and secrets. From being a careless 11-year-old to a devoted dad of three exhausting tiny humans as spirited as their parents, the posts ended up being so much more than just jokes. They were a golden reminder of Harry’s magnificent boyhood and a life well-spent. How else can you interpret Harry’s post on 17th July, 2039 when he wrote” Wow! Does everyone have the same treasure trove of memories as I have?”
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