Summer Stories – Week 2 Winner – HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review

Congratulations to Alaina J., grade 6, at North Park Library! Alaina’s short story was randomly selected as this week’s Summer Stories Teen Writing Contest winner. Alaina will receive a copy of Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith.

Week 2 Prompt:
Two strangers meet at a summer concert and immediately make a connection. Something or someone is trying to keep them apart.

Alaina’s Winning Story:
“Who do you think it is?” Michael asked, cowering behind a tree as the sounds of the concert could still be heard.
Jocelyn shrugged.
“It may not be a who, more of a what,” she answered.
“Fine. What has been keeping us apart all these years?” he asked again, clasping her hands.
Jocelyn instinctively pulled away. She had just met him, and now he was going all lovey-dovey on her. The other reason she pulled away was that she saw a small blue spark when they touched.
“Wait. Hold my hand again,” she said.
Michael grabbed her hands.
The small spark turned into a flame. Blue fire spread over their arms and around their bodies.
“Ahhhhh!” they screamed.
The fire engulfed the two, then pitched them into a time portal.
“SPACE AND TIME!!!” Jocelyn yelled over the piercing noise of time travel.
“WHAT?” Michael yelled back.
“THAT’S WHAT’S BEEN KEEPING US-” Jocelyn wasn’t allowed to finish, for she was being hurled toward the earth.
They both landed in a pit of black goo.
“Tar,” Jocelyn muttered.
“Huh?” said Michael.
“Tar. You know. Dinosaur age?”
Jocelyn heard a splat behind her. She craned her neck so she could see. A 70’s Volkswagen van was sinking in the tar. A colonial butter churner landed beside Michael.
“We’ve caused a rip in the space time continuum!” Jocelyn announced. “Give me your hand. When we get back, we need to promise each other that we’ll forget we ever met.”
“But I-” Michael started.
“Promise?” Jocelyn looked stern now.
“I promise,” Michael said reluctantly. He let Jocelyn grab his hand as they were hurtled through time.