Congratulations to Reenie T., grade 7, at Twin Hickory Area Library! Reenie’s short story was randomly selected as this week’s Summer Stories Teen Writing Contest winner. Reenie will receive a copy of Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith.
Week 1 Prompt:
You find something unexpected in your pocket. How did it end up there, and how does it affect your story?
Reenie’s Winning Story:
I press my hand into my pocket, searching for proof that yesterday was real.
Flashbacks; the sound of a laugh echoing, as a burst of laughter explodes from inside. A sandwich, one that we had made together in my kitchen, joking around and teasing each other.
A golden locket, delicate yet well worn, rests in my hand. It’s cold and smooth, and bursts of color flood through my mind, the memories piecing together.
She had worn this locket since she was five, when her grandmother was on her deathbed and pressed the locket into her granddaughter’s hand. Yet, here it was, in my hand, not around her neck.
Her eyes flash back to me, looking at me with a smile as she asked me to hold onto it for her. Just for a little while. When I asked why, she hesitated and told me that she couldn’t explain it but things would clear up. It wasn’t a good time. She couldn’t explain it yet.
She hugged me, jumped into her car, and drove off with a wave.
I didn’t know yesterday that when she waved goodbye, she really was waving goodbye.
Traces of her scent still linger on the locket, and, to my surprise, a tear slides down my face. It was the only evidence that she was truly and utterly gone.
I look up, remembering that I wasn’t alone. My fingers tighten and I slide the locket back into my pocket.
“Yes,” I choke out. “She’s really gone.”
Don’t miss your chance to win! Submit your original story in response to this week’s prompt.
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