fear

Poetry·Iris Chalfen — A child flees to a secret hiding place after her father rejects her attempt at comfort, wrestling with guilt and confusion about his sadness.

Poetry·Kai-Yi Olsen — A child traces the day from morning cheer through sunset to a dark night where drops fall outside and nothing returns.

Story·Giles Trim — A cat narrates its elaborate escape from being taken to the vet, until it accidentally speaks English and shocks its humans into submission.

Story·Alice Pak — As conflict between Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces approaches their border town, two childhood friends witness the gradual erosion of their peaceful world through power outages, distant explosions, and rising...

Story·Maddie Rubenstein — A boy who sees himself as an elephant struggles with how others perceive his differences, finding solace in a sandbox where he imagines letting worries fall away like sand.

Poetry·Julia Xu — A poem observing wildfire from a distance, exploring the paralysis of witnessing destruction while remaining safe on a green mountain.

Story·Lina Yoon — A girl ventures into a frozen forest, falls through river ice where her brother died, and barely survives the journey home through determination and remembered warnings.

Personal Narrative·Carys Kim — A girl overcomes her fear to shave her head in solidarity with her grandmother who has cancer, discovering unexpected strength in the act.

Story·Camille Scott — A Jewish girl flees Vienna after Kristallnacht, separated from her family and sent alone to Switzerland while her deported brother's fate remains unknown.

Poetry·Bethel Daniel — A meditation on home as the place we return to when tired, hurting, or seeking peace, built through repetitive yearning.