Neri Sompanos

“Golden Hope” by Neri Sompanos

The wintertime was always when the cat shelter was the most crowded. The smell of wet cats plagued the shelter, but dirty kittens still mewed pitifully. Instead of fluffy tails brushing against your legs when you enter the shelter, skinny bones whacked your knees. Their meows were raspy and often followed by hacks and hairballs. Little kittens curled up next to each other, shivering, waiting for the empty void of night. Their fur was muddy and had hardened into clumps. Their small, pink noses quivered in the relentless chill of winter. Injur...

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“How to Hide” by Neri Sompanos

The high-pitched shriek of the alarm rang throughout the house. My pen slipped, leaving a large blot on my essay for English class. Storm, my pet husky, bared his teeth and streaked down the hallway. Monica, a foreign exchange student from England who was staying at my family’s house, raced into my room. Her blonde hair was ruffled, giving her a wild, eccentric appearance. “Oi! What’s happening?!” she whispered frantically. “I don’t know,” I replied, fidgeting with a strand of my hair. “I think that there are people inside the house!” A horr...

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“The Last Lash” by Neri Sompanos

A young woman swept the floor of an old, dusty bookshop, humming cheerfully. She set aside the broom, grabbed several thick books, and began placing them on creaky wooden shelves. The young woman had long, scarlet curls. Her pale skin was not marred in any way, and her wide eyes were a passionate blue hue. "FAIZA!" a voice boomed. The young woman ceased her humming and turned around. "Yes, Mistress?" Faiza replied, her soft, quiet voice echoing throughout the bookshop. An old woman entered the room, leaning on her cane. Her gray hair fell in...

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“Perfect Clones” by Neri Sompanos

Rose petals fluttered in the gentle breeze as the sunlight warmed the flowers. The sky was clear and the birds were singing a rapturous melody. A sea of green grass swayed in the wind, dancing to the birds' song. And I was running for my life. Oh, sorry, let me introduce myself. My name is Ty, and I’m thirteen years old. My only family, at least since the plague hit, is my little sister. Since my parents died, I’ve attempted to scrape out a living by stealing small, unnoticeable items, and selling them. I’ve been doing this since I was about...

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“Daernia's Nightmare” by Neri Sompanos

Prologue This was Jaundi’s worst nightmare. Heart pounding, she hacked through the dense forest with her quarterstaff as she chased a figure in a bright red cloak. She didn’t know a thing about the person that she was chasing, only that the prince and princess's word was law and that Jaundi was to do whatever she said. The vegetation in the forest was an obstacle course, she cut down one bush and an even bigger one reappeared in its place. At least fifteen minutes went by before she lost patience with both the forest and the person she w...

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“The Final Fragment” by Neri Sompanos

Submitted to Contest #102

 "...It will be held in three days, so you all may be excused from your jobs and responsibilities until afterward," the royal herald finished from his long speech about Maxith, who was the rightful heir to the throne after his mother and father succumbed to the darkness. Maxith was known for his charity work and kindness to everyone in the kingdom that he ruled over and beyond. Or at least... he had been kind. I didn't know what to believe after a set of horrible tricks were played on me and my family. I didn't know if I trust...

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“Dragonling Scuffle” by Neri Sompanos

Submitted to Contest #99

 "Now please turn to page 167 in your History of Elves and Their Magic Book- Seven years before Princess Viserra and her brother Prince Ilantar are able to reclaim their lovely home, the Empire of Waeterra, from Alaesa and Daeharice from the Kingdom of Ithoukkenait," Mrs. Ikeshia ordered the class full of young women and men. My friend Tarasynora, heir to the Qikkaterran throne, did as she was told right away. "Obedient little fish!" I thought, vile ideas running through my brain. "After you have read that chapter, I will r...

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“Friends or Monarch” by Neri Sompanos

Submitted to Contest #97

I sat on the flimsy, crumbling, rotting steps of my -if you could call it that- cottage and waited for the messenger boy. My favorite part of the day is when I got to communicate cheerfully with Karlos and his beautiful horse, Pippa. For a few minutes, I would distract myself from the empty void-like lifestyle that had consumed me for my entire knowledge of existence. The tattered, worn, copper-colored dress-ish cloth outfit I wore came to my anklebones, keeping out some of the icy winds. I shivered, pulling my dark shawl tighter, attempting...

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“Sea Foam” by Neri Sompanos

Submitted to Contest #96

   Blood poured through a gash from Elin’s arm as he fled the burning city. Dark smoke filled the air and chased the beautiful sky away into the heavens, where it couldn’t be found. He stopped for a moment, watching the horror around him increase. The people who were spared the death of the sky either ran or burned in their fiery apartments. Everyone still had to be careful even if they were alive and free from smoky suffocation. Streetlights that had once lit the proud roads of Sudbury crashed down and added to the turmoil. E...

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“The Choice” by Neri Sompanos

Submitted to Contest #95

"C'mon, Grace! We gotta go now!" I panicked."Gimmie a sec," Grace, currently, and slowly, wiping her glistening hands on her pants, and paid little consideration as her smooth, curly, black hair got in her face. Her sleek, Hispanic skin held a sheen of sweat as she panted, money bursting out of her jean pockets. A few quarters, nickels, dimes, and quarters slipped out of her broken pocket. She quickly picked them up and threw them into a flower bed. As the wailing of alarms and sirens got closer to us and our position, my mind raced for any ...

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“Spelled and Mindless” by Neri Sompanos

Submitted to Contest #95

Eleanor peeked around the corner of the palace's stone hall and gasped. She felt absolute rage at her mother for telling such a lie. There was no strange aura or mist. There was no woman with robes of satin and gold. Just two wooden doors were being guarded by two of her spelled family members. Eleanor shrank down along the wall and sobbed. It was hopeless. She would never be able to prevent the kingdom from being overrun by its spelled citizens."Hark! Who goes there?" One of the guards, her father, fixed the holding on his spear. He turned ...

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“The Mortifying Dare” by Neri Sompanos

Submitted to Contest #94

The date is Friday 13, 2013, the most unlucky day of the most unlucky year. We always meet up on Friday the 13 of every year, but this year I was hosting. Already shivering, I mean it was December but still, I was inside. At about 6:00 pm I unlocked my doors and flung them open for the annual Truth or Ultra dare parties. People started to come almost immediately, with their overnight bags and all-black clothing, which was needed for the ultra dares they get so intense. After most had arrived, we all sat down in a circle, Matthew went first, ...

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