Set your story on the eve of the first day back at school.

Posted in Kids on Sep 1, 2023

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✍️ 34 stories

“Pew-Pew Shoes” by Michael Martin

Submitted to Contest #214

The scraping of the whisk against the sides of the mixing bowl was almost loud enough to mask the thud of a package being dumped at the front door. Not even the apathy of online retail deliveries could shake Brian’s excitement – and relief – when he realized that the sneakers he’d bought for Olivia had arrived in time for her first day of first grade. It was one of the very few benefits of his wife Casey being out of town for work: Brian could get away with buying Olivia the shoes she really wanted, the ones with the light-up soles. His...

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“God's two Fingers” by Hosea Guy

Submitted to Contest #214

A place to be alone; that is what he values most. He has found it here in the woods, deep and far away from home, and he will stay in this lonely place until the sun burns away and the sky is left blank. They will come then, the only ones he wants to see, and they will be together here in the concrete fortress that overlooks the cold, shimmering pool of impersonality that is Callander Bay. He loves the darkness because it is his; it belongs to him on the nights when everyone else in the world has fallen asleep, and those nights have become ...

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“It Was the Last Night” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #214

It Was the Night Before It was the night before the first day of school – always a time of high emotion for me. When I was in elementary school, it was a time of great excitement, as it would provide an opportunity to see friends that I hadn’t seen during the summer. I could catch up with their lives, and I could tell them about the highlights of my summer. But this year is much different from that. I am entering high school now, not returning to the elementary school of my earlier years, and I will not know anyone in my...

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“SUMMER MEMORIES” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #214

ELIZABELLA I can't believe the summer is over. Tomorrow is the first day of senior year. I waited so long for this time and now that's it's here I'm nervous. Butterflies are swarming in my stomach not only for tomorrow but also about what happened to me this summer. I met a boy. His name is Austin. As I sit in my room thinking about tomorrow, I look back on the memories of this past summer. This summer was just like any other summer in Holly Hills. 90 degree weather almost every day. The lake was filled with so many people, families with t...

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“Danny's Thoughts” by Sammy Courtney

Submitted to Contest #214

“I’m older now,” Danny thought, lying in bed. It is 3 in the morning, and Danny can’t sleep. He is up, thinking about this past summer. He was a sleep-away camp head counselor for 14-year-old boys. He had been their counselor for the past two summers, and this summer was the best. The boys had reached their final age of being campers, and with that came natural maturity, and a lot more fun. Later nights, hooking up with girls, a lot more overall perks. This was also Danny’s best summer, or favorite. Danny was the head counselor for these boy...

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“Midnight Countdown” by Jane Sefc

Submitted to Contest #214

Sixteen-year-old Dylan stirred in his sleep, burying his head under his pillow. He wanted to sleep, but a relentless noise kept creeping into his dreams and disrupting them. Suddenly, a burst of laughter woke him with a start. He sat up and looked around. His room was dark, and his two younger brothers were fast asleep in their beds. Confused, he blinked in the darkness, unsure if the laughter was part of his dream. Another burst of laughter reached his ears, sounding remarkably like his parents were having a party. He picked up his alarm c...

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“First days.” by Lara Deppe

Submitted to Contest #214

First Days. Tyler stood staring at the pile of clothes on her bed, floor and whicker papasan chair. She was still undecided about what to wear. She ran her hands through her hair wondering if she should have had it cut again. She was spiraling. School started again tomorrow. Her summer had been nonexistent and now it was over. She had waited too long to make all of these decisions. She wasn’t worried about her first day until her best friend Sarah had told her they were moving. With that on top of everything else that had happened, she...

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“Fly Birdie Fly” by Jon Bosa

Submitted to Contest #214

“The crickets are chirping, but the sun is still out?It’s too early. It’s happening again! NOOO!!! NOT SCHO- Wait Squirrel! Oh right, NOT SCHOOL!!!!” The shafts of light drifted and darted into the open spaces of the tree tops. The last remaining fireflies of the summer had just begun their final flights. Sam could smell the pervasive scent of smoke and the intoxicating aroma of cooked meat from the house down the block. It almost took his mind away from this cyclical tragedy that played out every summer. But not even the heavenly per...

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“My Better Life” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #214

This has taken me months. Since the first day of summer break.The plan had been forming since grade nine science.It all made sense.I felt like a fool for not thinking of it before.Slowly over the summer, I gathered part after part.Circuits.Transistors.Wires.Diodes.Microcontrollers.Resistors.Connectors.Power sources.It took the chips from eight smartphones to make the neural network operate properly.The planning.The blue prints.The soldering.It tried escaped the first time I turned it on, like it already understoo...

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“Southam-on-Sea: A Town You Can Never Leave” by S. Thomson

Submitted to Contest #214

ㅤWhen I was young, people would tell me that no one ever leaves Southam-on-Sea. I didn’t know they meant it literally.ㅤIt was the town where Ricky and I grew up together. A town where the sun always shines. Ricky was fat, kind, and full of wisdom. He was never given a second glance at school. His mum couldn’t afford him glasses, which meant he had a constant squint. At the back of the classroom, I would read the textbook aloud to him and he would make notes in thick pen. After lessons, we would walk down to the beach and buy a can of coke to...

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“The Eve of the First Day, back to School ” by Breda Kingston

Submitted to Contest #214

The Eve of the First Day, back at School by Breda Kingston “So, you two, let’s do the list and let’s make it good!’’ I announced, on the eve of the first day of summer. ‘’Mom?’’ asked Julian. ‘’Yes,’’ I replied, slightly distracted while choosing the colour of markers we would use. ‘’We should add as many things as possible to the list that were not allowed during the scary time’’. I pause to gather myself, jolted by the memory deeply imprinted on my young son’s mind. ‘’Yes,’’ I managed. ‘’You ...

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“Pirate School” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #214

Matilda watched the boys in the yard as they practiced their chosen skill. Usually, it was one passed down from their fathers and in the academy, they would hone that skill as well as learn the others and the history of their ancestors. Billy Blackbeard clashed swords with Randolf the Ripper. Wee Willy (he would later change the moniker to Big Bill) Watkins was waterboarding Eli the Eel, who himself was attempting to escape his ropey bonds at the same time. Razorblade Bob threw razorsharp knives with lightning speed at a series of straw dumm...

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“Tatenda” by Blessed Chileka

Submitted to Contest #214

The sun is slowly flitting away. Tatenda is exuberant and is enjoying the noise around her. This is the last time they will be assembling to play ball on a weekday, until the next holiday. The ball charges in her direction. It whizzes past her ear as she ducks. Her team members cheer, “Maflawu-wu-wu!!. Maflawu-wu!!” There is no place like playing ball on a dusty road without parents hollering at them. It is like their own world, run by them for them. "Tatenda, is that your mom?" She stops abruptly midday and is half-dazed when the ball strik...

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“"Galactic Protectors"” by Holly Lindamood

Submitted to Contest #214

Amelia Langton was supposed to be starting her senior year the following morning morning. She was not looking forward to it. Her friends were already excitedly talking about where they would be applying for college next year. Higher education was ok, Amelia supposed, for some anyways. But she had bigger dreams, plans that couldn’t be achieved through a bunch of boring old classes with some droning professor more interested in retirement than teaching. She yearned to travel, to see the world, to have adventures, to make a difference. At eight...

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“Night Before Kindergarten ” by Chelsey B

Submitted to Contest #214

Millie pushed her comforter down to her ankles and sat up. Mom had just tucked her in, but she wasn’t ready to sleep yet. She swung her legs over the edge of her bed and slid to the floor, slowly, so her feet wouldn’t thump. Then she tiptoed over to her window and peek through the blinds. It was still light out, and Millie could see the neighbor boys playing basketball in their driveway. If it had been any other night this summer, she would have been out there riding her scooter up and down the sidewalk cheering them on. Millie was forced ...

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Set your story on the eve of the first day back at school.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 34 stories

“Pew-Pew Shoes” by Michael Martin

“God's two Fingers” by Hosea Guy

“It Was the Last Night” by John Steckley

“SUMMER MEMORIES” by Melinda Madrigal

“Danny's Thoughts” by Sammy Courtney

“Midnight Countdown” by Jane Sefc

“First days.” by Lara Deppe

“Fly Birdie Fly” by Jon Bosa

“My Better Life” by John-Paul Cote

“Southam-on-Sea: A Town You Can Never Leave” by S. Thomson

“The Eve of the First Day, back to School ” by Breda Kingston

“Pirate School” by Tanya Humphreys

“Tatenda” by Blessed Chileka

“"Galactic Protectors"” by Holly Lindamood

“Night Before Kindergarten ” by Chelsey B

🌟 Similar prompts

What was meant to be a great bonding vacation turns sour when an uninvited guest tags along.

Now, as an adult, your character looks back on this summer as the summer when they grew up.

Each year, your character's family goes on the most exotic vacations. Finally they discover why — their family are assassins.

It’s the last evening of your vacation and you’re watching the sunset with your friends/partner/family, wishing summer would never end. But just as the sun dips below the horizon, you notice it returning in reverse.

Contest #214

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

203

Contest entries

94

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: