Our October 2024 Flash Contest was based on Prompt #309 (provided by Stone Soup students Sage Millen, Meleah Goldman, and Emma Hoff), which asked that participants write a short story about the life cycle of a pumpkin, write a Haiku about any kind of fall weather, or make an art piece inspired by fall leaves. As always, thank you to all who participated, and please keep submitting next month! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions, listed below, and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners “Dark Skies” by Nathan Qu, 12 “Veiled Haze” by Gavin Liu, 14 “Somewhere Out There” by Isla Reuter, 11 “A mythical Red Maple Leaf” by Arwen Gamez, 15 “Autumn Love” by Anwita Lingireddy, 9 Honorable Mentions “Life of a Pumpkin” by Chinedum Obiora, 11 “The Journey of the Pumpkin” by Mirei Okita, 11 “XOXO Fall” by Priscilla Chow, 11 “Happy Leaves; Happy Fall” by Aubree Dong, 11 “Autumn Spectacle” by Neeti Kulkarni, 10 Dark Skies NATHAN QU, 12 Gray cloudlets pass through Autumn, darkest time of year Depressed skies weep rain Veiled Haze GAVIN LIU, 14 the world wakes cold and peers through a window – blinded by blanketing fog Somewhere Out There ISLA REUTER, 11 A hard shell surrounds me, keeping me safe from the damp, cold earth outside. I’m not ready to come out yet. I know it’s not my time. Suddenly, I feel a vibration above, a steady rhythm. Drip, drip, drip. The rains have come. The fresh, sweet water runs along the sides of my smooth shell. I cannot see the water, but I can sense it all the same. It’s tempting, but I know that if I leave my shell now, I’ll be as unprepared for the world as a newly hatched swallow chick. No. If I want to survive this harsh, dangerous place known as the wilderness, I must have Knowledge. And the only way to get that down here is to listen. So I do. The rain feels nice. The vibrations of these words are stronger than most plants, so I know that this must be the Great Oak Tree. Yes. After all this dry weather the rain feels nice. The Birch Tree. But the rains mean that we are only a few moon cycles away from the Festival, when ‘He’ picks the pumpkins. The Pine Tree. I’ve heard them talk about Him before, and it makes me think that maybe I’m not so wild after all. Because what if I was planted in the ground by Him? Who is He? My question rings out loud and clear, and silence falls over us, like the calm before a storm. I know I am about to learn something significant. A terrible truth, one that’s going to weigh me down for the rest of my life. Then I sense new voices, and though I’ve never heard them before, I know deep down who they are. They’re all one of me; others of my kind. Pumpkins. The whispery voices are quiet, but hold a sense of importance, of Knowledge. They know something and they’re not trying to hide it. He is terrible! He took the ones before us! Only a few are left! Listen young one, the other voices quiet at the strong vibrations of this one, let me tell you a story. The words echo inside my shell, and I wait for them to fade before listening intently for the older pumpkin’s story to start. He is just another one of Them. Humans. Pine Tree can tell you all about them. But this human is different. There is a festival at the end of the time of falling leaves–that is what He grows us for. We are picked and bought by the humans, and they bring us back to their homes. We are baked into pies, set out for decoration, and worst of all, carved into lanterns. As the first pumpkin to sprout this season, I bear the responsibility to pass to you and the other seeds this Knowledge that Pine Tree so trustingly shared. Rest now. I thank the pumpkin for this truth and turn into my thoughts. So, it’s not a wilderness. I’m going to grow up in His garden, with my future already decided. I will be picked and taken and baked, or turned into something I don’t want to be. I start to feel heavy and decide to rest. I don’t know how long it’s been since I heard the pumpkin’s story. It’s hard to tell time down here. It could have been only a few days, or it could have been weeks. The pressure of this truth has become unbearable. It makes it hard to think and to listen. Not that there’s much to listen to. It’s been unusually quiet lately. Even the Pine Tree hasn’t passed his ancient Knowledge in a while. I miss the other plants, for the first time I think I know what it means to be lonely. Thoughts, hopes, echoes, all fill my mind at once, and I scream my silent pain to the dark earth above. At first, nothing happens. Then my seed splits open, and I, the heart of it, spread my roots out into the soil further than I have ever been. My pain turns to joy, and hope, and, most of all, to determination. I spiral upward and burst through the surface. There are no words to describe growing in the earth like this. Maybe this is why humans are full of spite. No, I mustn’t think that. They must have a reason to pick us pumpkins. Days pass. Sunshine warms my leaves, and I use it to create and conserve nutrients. On rainy days I pull the water in through my roots and begin to grow faster. By the end of the warmest months, I am almost fully grown. My leaves feel big and strong, and my roots have reached even deeper soil. In this time I learn many things, but
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Weekly Creativity Post #309: Write a Story About a Strange Piece of Art
Look around Pinterest for the weirdest piece of art you can find, then write a story about it.
All the Light We Cannot See, Reviewed by Kimberly Wang, 13
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is a historical fiction novel centered around two teenagers during World War II in Europe. It details the journeys of Marie-Laure LeBlanc and Werner Pfennig, who have drastically different yet similar experiences in war-torn countries, whose paths intertwine through secret radios and a mythical stone. As the book’s name suggests, the author’s goal is to show how people go out of their way to be kind to others despite challenging circumstances. Marie-Laure, one of the primary protagonists, is blind and lives in Paris with her father, Daniel LeBlanc. He is a loving character, guiding his daughter around their hometown and on their journey after being forced to flee. He is a locksmith at the Museum of Natural History, where the Sea of Flames, a spectacular diamond with an equally enthralling legend, resides. Marie-Laure’s great-uncle Etienne, who takes in her and her father, lives in a house near the coast of Saint Malo. Madame Manec, Etienne’s housekeeper, is a courageous woman who stands up for her beliefs, causing Marie-Laure to slowly do the same. Werner lives in an orphanage in a mining city in Germany with his younger sister Jutta, who serves as his point of clarity and reason when he sinks further into war with her strong opinions and fearless thoughts. He spent his bleak childhood tinkering with machines – like radios – and exploring math and science, eventually leading up to his role during WWII. Deeper into the war, Werner meets Fredrick, whose unique personality makes him stand out when staying inconspicuous is best, and Frank Volkheimer, who appears formidable at first, but gradually cares for Werner like an older brother. Reinhold von Rumpel is another major character in the story. He is a sergeant major in the German army, examining and verifying precious treasures. As a result of his cancer, he wants to gain the Sea of Flames to become immortal. Throughout the book, he travels around Europe in pursuit of this mysterious diamond, representing Nazi greed and selfishness. However, he is not irredeemable, as he cares greatly for his children, and he suffers from health issues, making von Rumpel an emotionally complex character like many of the characters in the book. Doerr portrays the harsh circumstances through sophisticated vocabulary, creating a vivid picture for the reader. However, the author may have overused descriptions, as the book seems to drag, causing readers to skip sections and possibly miss something important. The verbose language is not real enough, causing a gap between the reader and the story. The book also skips in time, where one section will be during the war and suddenly will transition to before the war. This can be confusing at times, which is one of the reasons why this book is better suited for audiences in high school. And even though the author’s goal was to “[illuminate] the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another”, it does not seem to appear much. It is only shown near the ending, which I found a bit abrupt and didn’t make much sense. The book failed to captivate me, as I was unable to feel for the characters even during major problems. However, the story is well written, and depicts the difficult circumstances during World War II on both sides. The author also touches on the fragile topics of greed, love, and perseverance. Overall, it was a compelling read, albeit slightly boring, and I would suggest it to readers interested in the war and who enjoy descriptive writing styles. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Scribner Book Company, 2017. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
