Congratulations to Reenie T., grade 6, at Twin Hickory Area Library! Reenie’s short story was randomly selected as this week’s Summer Stories Teen Writing Contest winner. Rennie will receive a copy of Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith.
Week 9 Prompt:
Your main character is on a road trip with his/her family. After returning from a restroom break, your character finds that his/her family is gone and they are on their own in a strange place.
Reenie’s Winning Story:
“Mom? Dad? Renee?” I called. “Is anybody there?”
I shivered. It was oddly chilly in here, even though right before I left for the bathroom, the restaurant was perfectly fine. The lights had been dim before, but now, they were off, flickering off and on repeatedly. The wooden walls, so fancy before now looked old, and decaying.
“Where am I?” I asked, my voice echoing through the empty halls.
I glanced over at the calendar by the receptionist desk which used to be gleaming mahogany a few minutes ago, but now was. 5015. Huh? Where was everybody? Where was I?
My eyes flicked over to the table, which used to be smooth jade with plates of delicious food. But now, it was dusty, no longer fine or grand as it used to be.
I was starving, so I headed into the kitchen.
Where the fridge must have been before, there was wires poking out, this way and that. The knives and plates were dirty, and the floor was covered in a layer of dust.
I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the hunger burning in my stomach. It felt queasy, so I ran to the bathroom, where I had been minutes ago.
The toilets, so clean before, were now moldy, and as I bent down to throw up, a strange feeling rippled over me. It was like my friend, Summer dragging me too fast through the crowd.
I stood up. The toilets were clean again.
“Autumn, what took so long?”
Don’t miss your chance to win! Submit your original story in response to this week’s prompt.
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