Weekly Flash Contest #9: Write a mystery story. Think about the arc of your story, and plan out the actions and motives of the characters. Does the reader know something the characters don’t, or is the reader in the dark until the end? Think about how the mystery might unfold for the different characters and for your readers. Anya Geist, 13Worcester, MA The week commencing May 25th (Daily Creativity prompt #46) was our ninth week of flash contests, with another record number of entries. It was also the second contest based on Stone Soup contributor and reader Anya Geist’s writing prompt, which meant that we got to work with her again to judge the contest. Anya’s prompt inspired a really terrific batch of entries, and all the judges were impressed with the diverse ways in which the entrants approached the idea of writing “a mystery”. Thank you, Anya, for wise judging and for setting a great writing challenge! We are delighted to announce this week’s 5 Winners, whose work is published below, and 5 Honorable Mentions. It was a real pleasure to read so much great work. Congratulations, everyone! Winners (work published on this page) Isabel Bashaw, 10, Enumclaw, WA Nick Buckley, 12, Needham, MA Liam Hancock, 12, Danville, CA Enni Harlan, 13, Los Angeles, CA Michelle Su, 13, Sudbury, MA Honorable Mention “The Stolen Emerald” by Amelia Barth, 10, Elgin, IL “Summer Sleuths” by Amelia Pozzo, 11, Arnold, MO “The Checkered Deerstalker” by Mihika Sakharpe, 11, Frisco, TX “The Missing Jewels” by Sophia Stravitsch, 10, Katy, TX “Rattlesnake” by Michela You, 11, Lexington, MA Isabel Bashaw, 10Enumclaw, WA The Mystery of the Missing Junk Food Isabel Bashaw, 10 RING-A-LING-LING!!!! It was chaotic as the kids rushed into school, the jocks shoving the nerds, and the nerds stumbling out of the way, trying to find all of their belongings. I was hiding behind a tree, hoping no one would see me. I mean, what kid wouldn’t try to ditch what was sure to be another boring day at Rocky Ledge Middle School? Unfortunately, Vice Principal Lakewood knew my tricks. She spied me from the school steps, marched over, grabbed me by my arm, and, not bothering to say a word, dragged me into the building. Minutes later, as my teacher droned on about decimals during math class, I passed a note to my friend Holly I heard our math teacher has not washed in a month. I mean, who would not know, she smells worse than an old pig that just ate a dead rat. Signed, Ralphie. P.S. Pass it on. Holly grinned in her mischievous way, and passed the note to Liam, who tried to stifle a snort as he passed it onto Mike, and then, to my horror, Tattle Tale Rachel snatched it mid-pass between Mike and Emily! She read the note and then leapt to her feet, a pouting look crossing her face as she quickly walked up to Mrs. White. Showing her the note, Rachel said snottily, ¨I caught it just as Emily was going to read it.¨ She looked at me smugly, as if she was going to win a medal for catching a trashy note. I saw Mrs. White´s eyes looking up from the note, and throwing it in the trash can by her desk, already overflowing with my notes, she glowered at me and walked slowly to my desk. ¨That’s it!¨ she exclaimed. ¨I have had enough of your rotten notes! Detention, Mr. Ralphie, for three hours after school. You will make this classroom sparkle! If you object, the whole school will sparkle and shine because you will clean all of it!¨ Before I knew it, she walked back to her desk and started to talk about mathie stuff again. I sat there, my eyes blank, probably looking stupid as I stared at the teacher. ¨Bad move, Ralphie,” I thought. Later in the cafeteria I chewed my bologna sandwich as kids watched me, whispering and giggling. “Sorry about detention,¨ Holly said sympathetically through a mouthful of snickerdoodle cookies (which her mother packs her for dessert every day!). I nodded as a thank you, and then continued eating, my thoughts filled with dread for the coming afternoon. My dread, like my note, was interrupted by Rachel. “Hey Holly! I’ll trade you my tofu sandwich for that snickerdoodle cookie!¨ shouted Rachel. Rachel was never going to get that cookie if she didn’t start packing better food to trade. But everyone knew that that would never happen. Her mother didn’t let her eat any junk food at all. I kinda felt bad for her, except for the fact that she got me into trouble and now I have detention. Okay, I didn’t feel that bad for her. After lunch, as I moved from class to class, my stomach churned with anxiety. Surprisingly, this was the first time I had ever gone to detention. I’m not afraid of what normal people would be afraid of, like having to come home to angry parents, or having to call my Mom on the phone from the principal’s office to explain why I’d miss soccer practice. No, I was worried about. . . Okay, I’ll admit it. I’ve always been terribly afraid of the dark. And since it’s November, it gets dark really fast. Our school is already a bit creepy in the daylight. RING-A-LING-LING!!! It was finally the end of the day, and normally I’d be running out of school as fast as I could. Before the bell stopped ringing, all the kids grabbed their backpacks and rushed out of school. I slowly started towards the janitor’s closet, right in the corner of the cafeteria. After checking in with Mr. Lucas, I grabbed the mop, dusting rags and disinfectant. I got right to work, cleaning the classroom while Mrs. White watched me from her desk silently, occasionally flipping the pages of a magazine. Finally I finished, and in record time! It looked like I’d get out of
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Flash Contest #8: What Superheroes & Supervillains Do On Their Days Off. Our Winners and Their Work!
Weekly Flash Contest #8: Write about what super-heroes and super-villains do in their spare time or on their days off. Feel free to make it funny: maybe Voldemort enjoys yoga, or Wonder Woman writes a blog. Molly Torinus, 11 Middleton, WI The week commencing May 18th (Daily Creativity prompt #41) was our eighth week of flash contests, with another record number of entries. It was also the second contest based on Stone Soup contributor and reader Molly Torinus’s writing prompt, which meant that we got to work with her again to judge the contest. Thank you Molly, for your great idea that inspired such a range of entries, and for your wise decisions and enthusiasm in the judging process! This week, we are announcing our 5 Winners, whose work is published below, plus 5 Honorable Mentions. We also unexpectedly received a few art entries responding to the writing prompt, and we have chosen one of those as a special Honorable Mention for art, too. Congratulations, everyone! Winners (work published on this page) Enni Harlan, 13, Los Angeles, CA Julianna Muzyczyszyn, 13, Warsaw, Poland Lucy Berberich, 11, Oxford, OH Samuel McMullin, 10, Portland, ME Sophie Yu, 12, Houston, TX Honorable Mention (writing) “Captain America’s ‘Normal’ Day” by Alice Xie, 12, West Windsor, NJ “A Day With Voldemort” by Yutia Li, 11, Houston, TX “A smell of burning” by Daniel Shorten, 9, Mallow, Ireland “Batgirl’s Day Off” by Isabel Bashaw, 10, Enumclaw, WA “Super Hero Hobbies” by Em Jay, 10, Austin, TX Honorable Mention (art) “Super Zoom!” by Chloe Mancini, 9, Glenside, PA Remember, we are running the Flash Contest every week during the COVID-19-related school closures and shelter-in-place arrangements. It is always based on the first Daily Creativity prompt of the week. The prompt is posted on Monday, entries are due by Friday, and the winners are chosen and announced the following week. Enni Harlan, 13Los Angeles, CA A Villain’s Consolation Enni Harlan, 13 The following records contain corresponding letters between myself and Lady Catherine de Bourgh who, in my opinion, is the super villain of Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice. In such letters, I have acted to be an intimate friend of hers so that I may have access to her innermost thoughts and daily activities. My Dear Lady Catherine de Bourgh, It was with great pleasure that I met with your daughter, Miss Anne de Bourgh, on occasion yesterday. As it so happened, I was on a shopping errand for some new fabric for Mama when I happened to have the joyful coincidence of seeing your daughter. At long last, we were reunited as the most intimate of acquaintances. Indeed, Anne and I have been ever the best of friends for so terribly long that I have been away far too long. Ever since my visit with Miss Georgiana Darcy at Pemberley Estate, I felt the urge to call upon you and Anne. As I have no future occupying activities at the moment, simply name the time and I shall be most obliged to call. I apologize for the recent delay; my brother has been busy remodeling our garden of late. My lady, your nephew Mr. Darcy has expressed his apologies for not being near you as recently as you may have liked. He also wishes to let you know that he will not marry your daughter as you liked, but that is another affair that I shall not get meddled in. On quite another note, I would like to inquire after yourself. How have you been these past weeks? Dear Anne tells me that you have been most terribly vexed over this entire Mr. Darcy affair. She says that you do not wish him to marry this young lady you have mentioned in the past. What was her name– ah, yes, Elizabeth Bennet. I hear that she most definitely is lacking wealth and fortune. I shall not give you my opinion on this matter, but simply shall ask your own. How have you been able to cope with such tiring issues? Do you have activities that ease your aching mind at the moment? I most dearly hope so. As for my own family, we are quite fine. My eldest brother, as I explained previously, is busy with remodeling. Mama is busy making a new dress for Susan, and Papa is occupied in purchasing yet another estate. I fill my time with music, and practice daily at the pianoforte. I hope to one day be so skilled as your own daughter at music, but until then I am afraid I must continue to practice. But enough of that. I apologize that I feel the need to cut off this terribly short letter so horribly soon. Please let me know how you are, my dear lady, and I shall call on you someday soon. Oh, and my dear Mama wishes to invite you for tea. She says you are welcome any day of the week, anytime. We shall expect you whenever you like. My father sends his respects to your ladyship as well, and wishes to know if you are well. It has been a while since we all met with you, but please know that you are always in our minds. As always, I remain to be Your most humble friend, Enni Harlan * * * My dear friend, I thank you for inquiring after me. My daughter Anne has informed me of her meeting with you, and we wish for you to come to tea this Saturday. As for my coming to call on you, I must remind you firmly that I do not call on anyone of late. I may reconsider, however, in a fortnight or so. As for the topic of my nephew and this young lady, I am indeed most thoroughly vexed of such news. I cannot believe that my own nephew would share his fortune with a lady of such low rank. I believe he is most definitely out of his mind, and am continuously trying to talk sense into him through my countless letters. Alas, he is still ignoring me, but I am trying, I assure you. My nephew has a mind of his own, and so
Flash Contest #7: Time Traveling Characters From the Past. Our Winners and Their Work!
Weekly Flash Contest #7: Be a time traveler in reverse! What would happen if a character from the past arrived in the present? Choose a time period you like and know a little bit about, and write down at least 3 things that make it really different to now. Now imagine that someone your age and your gender has arrived in your house from that time in the past. Use your list of differences to write a story about what happens during the day you spend together. The week commencing May 11th (Daily Creativity prompt #36) was our seventh week of flash contests, with another record number of entries including one from our youngest-ever Flash Contest entrant! We had fun meeting time travellers from different eras from ancient history (even dinosaurs!) to the present (yes, some time travel was projected into the future–it’s complicated!), and it was even harder than usual to choose our favourites. We commend all of the entrants for their imagination, and for the creative ways they found to bring their characters from the past into life in the present using clothes, language and misunderstandings about contemporary everyday life to make them real. This week, we are announcing our 5 Winners, whose work is published below, plus 5 Honorable Mentions. Congratulations, everyone! Winners (work published on this page) Isabel Bashaw, 10, Enumclaw, WA Samson Brown, 12, Cary, NC Ava Shorten, 10, Mallow, Ireland Michela You, 11, Lexington, MA Xuyi (Lauren) Zheng, 10, Guelph, Ontario, Canada Honorable Mentions “The Time Watch” by Hannah Nami Gajcowski, 10, Bellevue, WA “Lace, Frills, and Clever Jokes” by Samantha Lee, 10, Thomaston, CT “Prehistoric Visitors” by Sean Tenzin O’ Connor, 4, Bishop, CA “Panic From the Seventies” by Lauren Oh, 12, Cary, NC “A Dose of Time” by Ella Yamamura, 12, Cary, NC Remember, we are running the Flash Contest every week during the COVID-19-related school closures and shelter-in-place arrangements. It is always based on the first Daily Creativity prompt of the week. The prompt is posted on Monday, entries are due by Friday, and the winners are chosen and announced the following week. Isabel Bashaw, 10 Enumclaw, WA My Weekend With Jane Isabel Bashaw, 10 My name is Isabel, and this weekend, the craziest thing happened to me. I don’t know where to start, but I’ll begin on Friday night, when everyone was in bed . . . * * * “Hoo Hoo Hoo . . .” I was awakened in the middle of the night by an annoying owl outside my bedroom. And since I was up, I decided to have a snack. I crept downstairs, so as not to wake anyone up. I grabbed two peanut butter cookies and a tall glass of milk, then I went back upstairs to eat at my desk. I munched on a cookie, then gulped down some of my creamy white milk. After I had finished, I clambered back in bed, and tried to sleep. But after five minutes, I was startled by a green orb hovering over my pillow. I leapt under my covers in fear. When I looked up, the green orb was shaking violently. I tried to move, but I felt stuck to my bed. Finally, the orb stopped shaking, and a girl fell out of it, and landed on top of me. “mff gt off of e!” I said, muffled under the weight of the mysterious girl. “Sorry!” she said, and climbed down from my bed. “What the heck?!” I yelped, rubbing my eyes. This girl looked like a pioneer. She was wearing a bonnet, a shabby dress, and was super tan. Her barefoot feet smelled terrible! “What is this house? It’s so pink!” said the girl, walking around. “It’s not a house, silly! Its my bedroom,” I said, eying her. “WOW!” She cried, and started jumping all over the place. I heard footsteps coming up to my room, and quickly told the girl: “get under my covers, and stay there. Be super quiet, too.” She obeyed me, and then I started jumping until the door swung open and my dad walked in. “What are you doing up here? It’s 4:00 in the morning, Isabel. Stop jumping around! You’ll wake the baby!” He looked around. “Who said wow?” I quickly came up with a fib. “I was singing a song! WOW! I am a star, la la la la WOW!” I sang, with an offbeat tone. Clearly my dad didn’t buy my act. He went up to my bed, and pulled up the covers, where the girl had fallen asleep. “What!? Did I say you could invite a friend over to play dress up in the middle of the night?!” he barked, then walked back to me. “Sorry Dad.” I whispered. “Just don’t wake anyone else up again, ‘K?” he said, his eyes softening. “Okay, ‘night dad.” I said. Then he walked out of the room, and the girl leapt out of the bed. “My name is Jane, by the way, and an hour ago I was in my log cabin, when this lady appeared in front of me and told me that I was allowed to go forward in time to see the future for 24 hours. I said okay, and the next thing I know I am falling onto a stranger’s bed, and that’s the whole story basically.” I was shocked, and not entirely convinced. “When is your birthday?” I asked, suspiciously. “May 23rd, 1845” she said in a split second. “I still can’t believe that this is just one room!” “Well,” I said, “I guess you can hang out with me for 24 hours. So, what’s it like, being a pioneer?” “Is that what people call us? Well, I sew mittens, hats, and socks, but I mean everyone does that. I also help mama stir the beans, and make cornbread. I churn the butter, and milk our cow Besie, and care for her calf Beanie. I also harvest crops from our garden, and I love to play
