Anna Mosqueda

“The Orphanage is Drowning” by Anna Mosqueda

Submitted to Contest #92

The power went out at exactly 10:37, leaving us in complete and total darkness. I carried my bulky bed comforter and pillow to my brother’s room, easing between the cool floor and my warm blanket. I shivered in the silence. If only I knew how long the silence would last. *** When I woke up in the morning, the floor wasn’t cold, it was wet. From my surprise, I sat up quickly, sloshing the water that surrounded me.  “Dixon!” My brother stirred on his dry bed, his breathing becoming normal as he slightly opened his eyes. “Dixon, there...

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“Heaven and Back” by Anna Mosqueda

Submitted to Contest #89

“Big man is waitin’ on me.” “No he aint papa, don’t say that.” I hear the crickets. They sound like hell but their chirping don’t stop. It don’t ever stop.  Papa’s breathing beside me makes me want to cry. Every breath sounds like it’s the last and he knows it too. I have no one except him and the insects around me.  Over Jinups Seat, I can see the sun rising. This morning, it makes the whole of the sky a pink color that turns the Earth pink. I look at Papa and his skin looks healthy because of the pink, it don’t have that yell...

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“Inn the Dark” by Anna Mosqueda

Submitted to Contest #83

"Help me up, Clayton," Lorelai says from below the boat. Because the ladder is broken, we have to get one of the guys to help us up from the water.  "I think we should call it a day," I say as Lorelai is pulled out of the water and wraps a damp towel around herself. She'd pulled it off of River who, by the looks of it, put about a pea-sized amount of sunscreen on. "Yeah. My mom has ought to have called a couple of times by now. I left my phone at the inn," Reis says. "Alright, let's get goin' then." Clayton sits down and steers the boat...

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“The Lies We Tell” by Anna Mosqueda

Submitted to Contest #79

He lifts the weathered ladder-back chair, holding it aloft shakily as he makes his slow way across the road to the bridge. I follow behind him cautiously, ready to catch him if he falls. Once we make it we sit on the edge of the bridge, our bare legs swinging over the dark water. I know this will be one of the last times I spend with Archie. I can just see it in the way he walks, talks, and even breathes. It pains me to sit across from him at the dinner table, to watch his pale hands shakily bring his fork to his mouth. Tears spring to my ey...

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“Paz a tu Alma” by Anna Mosqueda

Submitted to Contest #77

Walking along the stone path to my mother and father’s house, I can feel the weather shifting from Spring to Summer. It’s a biannual tradition for Kit and I to write to each other when the seasons change. Since she wrote to me first in the Spring, it’s my turn to write to her first. I can imagine her sitting at her desk, checking the time and waiting for my letter to show up. As I’m knocking on the door to the castle, a panting servant shows up beside me, placing his hand on the wall while trying to catch his breath. There are scratches...

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“How I Found Serendipity” by Anna Mosqueda

Submitted to Contest #71

You are cordially invited to celebrate the holiday season at the Leopold Estate on December 14th at 7 o'clock.Bring your favorite Christmas dessert, whether it's unique or quite simple, the gathering will be delightful.I expect to see you there!~Ann Leopold***A giddy feeling bubbles through my torso, tingling at the top of my ears. My family's annual cookie exchange was a jubilant event that everyone looked forward to. In fact, I am sure that I saw it marked on Norah's calendar in January of this year, and I've overheard many conversations i...

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“Silent Deception” by Anna Mosqueda

Submitted to Contest #70

A lonely groan escapes my mouth, echoing through my nearly empty room. Everything has been packed up into boxes except for the calendar on my wall. I slowly unfold a black pullover, stretching it over my unusually large amount of purple hair. Grabbing a black pair of jeans, I notice the smell of bacon floating through the air conditioning, into my room. It’s enticing but I know that my mother is most likely holding the pan up to the vents, luring me to come downstairs, also known as a trap of despair and false love.I splash water over my fac...

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“The Jewel of Calla” by Anna Mosqueda

Submitted to Contest #67

Layth stared down at his brown feet, covered in grime and dirt from hours of labor. Blisters had begun to form on the soles of them, bringing unbearable pain along with him everywhere he walked. His shoes had been lost in the last hopeless expedition to Pawley's Island. Those shoes were his favorite, gifted to him by his mother before he was captured. They had leather laces that he tied in a double knot every time he wore them. If you looked closely at the rubber sole of the shoe, you could see an inscription of some code. Layth had no idea ...

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“There are Weirder Ways to Learn About Death” by Anna Mosqueda

"Alright, we got the flashlights?""Yup.""Pepsi?""Mhm.""What about the king-size Kit-Kats?""Yeah, and the disgusting Guava candies that you wanted," I say, rolling my eyes. Milo is stuffing our necessities into a black duffel bag while I sit on the floor fumbling with the disposable camera that we plan to bring on our illegal adventure. Rhys and Lila are occupied with flirting so I turn the flash on and snap a picture of them. They immediately turn, Lila giggles and turns red before she walks over to sit by me. Rhys turns up the Scooby-Doo ep...

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“Wrongful Conviction” by Anna Mosqueda

Submitted to Contest #63

"The line's out the door, boss!" Someone yells from the kitchen. My hands are scrambling to make an espresso faster than they ever have.Trina's mopping up a spill on the floor.Hames is helping Col figure out how to make one of the new drinks.The soft bustle of the morning floats in the air. Multiple yawns are passed around the room. People waiting for work. People waiting for coffee. People waiting for pumpkin spice lattes. Not very patiently, but that's what's special about it.Every year around this time, it can be felt in the air. The stil...

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“Four Green Walls” by Anna Mosqueda

I'd rather be spit on by a llama than go to a crummy, alcohol smelling, teen gathering like a football game. But one of the most important parts of my high school career are my friends. So that's why I'm sitting on the cold, metal bleachers as our home team is being absolutely crushed by the other team. My friend Kinna is sitting beside me with an outfit that I'm very envious of, but I know would never be allowed to even leave my room in it. My hot breath fills the inside of my mask that I've had on for at least seven hours today. The only g...

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“Ivy, Like the Weed” by Anna Mosqueda

Submitted to Contest #54

"My fish died..." "Oh," I say, being especially useless in these types of situations. My best friend seems to be biting his lip to hold back the tears. Although, I recall him being nowhere near a caring state for this fish, he barely even fed it. "Yeah, man it sucks. I really liked Fin-Finnegan? Was that his name? No...I think it was Taco-" His voice trails on but I'm no longer listening. My eyes have landed on one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen. Her peach colored hair is catching the sun at the most perfect angles, her eyes a...

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“White Butterflies” by Anna Mosqueda

Submitted to Contest #52

I'm paralyzed from the waist down. Everything becomes a blur. Everything except his smiling face. He's standing at least 10 feet away but my eyes have focused on him and him only. People are passing me on the busy sidewalk, yelling incoherent profanities regarding my current state. If this was happening two years ago, I would have ran to him with open arms. I would have kissed him until I needed to come up for air. But that was before he died. Before I fell victim to him.  As my vision continues to fail me, white butterflies start repla...

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“I Found My Prince” by Anna Mosqueda

Submitted to Contest #49

I should give up. It's been five years for goodness sake. I've had my heart hurt so many times, but I'm still going to wait. I'm convinced that it'll be worth it. That's what I wrote in my journal one night at summer camp. It was after our evening session at chapel. The theme that week was marriage, so it's easy to understand why I was feeling the way I was. I still remember that week, specifically Thursday of that week, Thursday night. But the events leading up to that night are crucially important, so let's start there. "I know who he li...

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“Snowy Ashes” by Anna Mosqueda

Submitted to Contest #47

Boom. My hands flew up to my ears as the second loud noise this week made the trees and ground shake. Right before the noise, there was a very bright light that flashed for the shortest second. Like I said, that was the second time it had happened this week. Mother won't tell me what's going on. Every time I ask her, she says I am too young. I don't understand! I am double digits now, 10 years old! My uncle Donny said that was old and I practically am a young lady now, but mother and father still think I'm their baby. They can't protect me f...

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