Brianna Stilwell

“Second Chance Retirement Home” by Brianna Stilwell

Another day, another dream. It was a recurring dream that had plagued Erika for as long as she could remember. Perhaps ‘plague’ isn’t quite the right word; the dream itself was never inherently bad, after all. It felt like a distant memory, and every detail of the dream was intense and alive. She could feel the golden sunlight beating down on her fair skin. She could feel the wobble of the big, floppy hat that sat atop her head of ginger curls as the faint breeze threatened to lift it away. The skirt of her long white dress brushed against t...

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“Big Brother Rupert II” by Brianna Stilwell

Submitted to Contest #97

“Quickly, my prince, we must go quickly if we’re to send you away before they find us.” The nanny’s voice was hushed, barely more than a whisper, yet each word seemed to echo, reverberating around the utterly silent halls of the castle. Every footstep felt heavy and loud, and Prince Rupert’s eyes fought to adjust in the darkness, their path lit only by the soft white light of the moon as it streamed in through the windows that lined the hallway. “Where are we going?” Rupert asked, his gaze locked on the nanny ahead of him. She clutched i...

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“Dear Diary” by Brianna Stilwell

Submitted to Contest #89

July 1, 10:19PM Dear Diary, Mum seems to be doing better since getting home from the hospital. She’s been talking and laughing with me quite a bit, and she even asked for pasta for dinner tonight. I probably shouldn’t have given it to her, but she hasn’t been able to eat much but mush lately, so I just made it with plain sauce and I cut the noodles up into small pieces so she would be able to eat them easily. After dinner, I wheeled her outside and we went down a block to the park where kids like to set off those fireworks. It’s not the ...

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“This Little Piggie” by Brianna Stilwell

Submitted to Contest #88

Bang. Bang. Bang. The sound wasn’t so much a knocking on the door as it was a pounding. Fists came down against the wooden door so hard she thought it might be ripped from its very hinges. She was curled up in the corner of the room, huddled up with her knees clutched to her chest. Her breathing was labored, racked with sobs, and her face was stained with tears. Her vision blurred, and all she could hear was the banging on the door. Bang. Bang. Bang. The banging was accompanied by a growling. It was a deep, throaty growl, and the vol...

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“Big Brother Rupert” by Brianna Stilwell

Submitted to Contest #88

Once upon a time in a kingdom far away, there lived a poor King and Queen. They lived in a magnificent castle, but the interior was barren of all decorations and other signs of wealth, for they had none. As their kingdom struggled, the benevolent rulers did everything they could to keep their people alive and afloat. In doing so, they began to run out of money, eventually having to sell their possessions just to keep their kingdom afloat. As time went by, though, even that wasn’t enough, and the penniless King and Queen found themselves desp...

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“Through The Little Forest” by Brianna Stilwell

Submitted to Contest #86

Every day, twice a day, I walked through the little forest. To be fair, it wasn’t actually that much of a forest. There were about five trees, if we’re being generous. It was more of an inner-city green space, a little shortcut between two properties that allowed people to cut quickly through. It shortened my walk to and from school immensely, so I used it every day, twice a day. Every morning, I devoured my breakfast, got dressed, and left home. My father was always long gone by the time I was ready to leave for school, so I blew a kiss...

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“The Flower Arch” by Brianna Stilwell

Submitted to Contest #86

Finally. Though the sun’s brilliant golden rays shone down on the city below, an occasionally bitter wind continued to rustle through the leaves. It was easy to find a patch of sunny warmth, but the disturbance of the frigid wind made jackets a necessity. Cora didn’t mind, though. From beneath the light beige of her thin spring jacket, the knee-length skirt of a sundress patterned with pink roses flared out. Her pink ballerina flats walked her daintily across the muddy grass, each step light and delicate, filled with purpose. Her arms were...

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“Waddling Home” by Brianna Stilwell

Submitted to Contest #85

SQUAWK. “Kinguyakkii?” Kingu turns slowly around. Behind him stands Kussuyok, a rather sheepish look in his beady eyes. “Yes?” “Do you think… maybe, just maybe… could I…” “If you’re about to ask to borrow one of my rocks, the answer is no.” Kussuyok goes wide-eyed, flapping his wings anxiously. “No! Not at all! I mean…” “You were, weren’t you?” Kussuyok hangs his head. “Yes.” “There are plenty of rocks. These rocks are mine.” “How am I ever going to get Immuyak to fall for me if I don’t get enough nice rocks, though?” whine...

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“Those Pesky Out-Of-towners” by Brianna Stilwell

Submitted to Contest #85

“That’s the thing about this city…” Alice waited for the end of the sentence. The lecturer at the front of the room, however, had fallen silent. Alice lifted her gaze from the notebook in front of her, eyeing the older gentleman. He didn’t look to be in any hurry to finish his statement; in fact, he wasn’t even looking at the students at all. His head was turned to face the sturdy door of the small lecture hall, and he was standing as stiff as the whiteboard behind him. Alice didn’t need to follow his gaze to know what was going through hi...

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