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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Start your story with the line, “By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire.” (Whether this is a literal fire is up to you.)

Posted in Teens on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 324 stories

“Blue Lightning ” by Angelica Black

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The smoke lifted high into the darkness and the crackling of the blaze carried out into the silence of the night. I was in a trance; I couldn't look away if my life depended on it. Did I do this? No, I couldn't have.The sirens knocked me out of my trance and I backed away, slowly at first, before finally turning and running inside.I stared at my hands. This wasn't my fault. 'I told you it's not safe here. Your power is too much for you to control at the moment. Now, how are you going to...

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“I Knew Armand” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #63

I Knew Armand By Heather Ann Martinez By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I had forgotten what they looked like this time of year in the United States. It had been a year since Armand’s unexpected death. It had been a year since I went into hiding. I have spent the majority of the last six months editing vlogs for friends who have been biking across Colorado. As much as the federal agents said I shouldn’t, I’ve been hiding in plain sight. No one out here is looking for Vesna Lombardi, wife of a now deceased Ita...

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“Collateral Damage” by Guinevere Yates

Submitted to Contest #63

 "By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire!" Janine exclaimed, still trembling from the adrenaline. "I was watering the plants in the window, I looked up, and saw three guys pouring gasoline all over the leaf pile!"  "Did you get a good look at them? " Sgt. Ryke asked.  "No, They were wearing Halloween masks. Go figure!"  "Any Tattoos or identifying marks of some sort?"   "Nope, they looked like teenagers."  Sgt. Ryke sighed, "Unfortunately, without a positive ID, the chances of catching the...

4 comments 4
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“Rebirth” by LeighAnne Ferreol

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The dark smoke billowed from the fire pit like a welcoming chimney from a cozy cottage. The ashes floated up and danced in the cool autumn breeze. The smoky smell filled my body and made me feel warm from the inside out, cleansing me of the evening chill. I hoped the fire could cleanse me of him too. I watched as Jenny poked the leaves around with an old, broken rake handle. The fire roared powerfully. It was ready. She smiled and bounced over when she saw me. “Is this the last of it?...

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“Mama Deer” by Dan Peyton

Submitted to Contest #63

 By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The world was ablaze with brilliant oranges, reds, and yellows. The hushed whisper of dried paper fell upon my ears while the crisp, blue skies sang the beginning of autumn.I wrapped myself in a thick coat, tucked the freshly knitted new scarf under the collar, and jammed my gloved hands deep in my pockets. Another gentle breeze swept by, turning my cheeks rosy and rustling those leaves again.How I miss the summer, with its long warm days and deep dark nights. There is a magic to ...

3 comments 3
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“Scarlet Leaves” by Claire Clayton

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves where on fire. “How long?” I asked, dreading the answer. “Five months,” Rob responded. I took a deep breath, words failing to form as a thousand chaotic thoughts raced through my brain. Scarlet and orange leaves coated the ground making it look like the buried grass was covered in flames. In my last memory, the sky was clear and the grass was dewy and lush. Now, there was a thick layer of frost on the ground and a chilly nip in the air. I spun around the vast field not knowing what to ...

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“We Cared Only Briefly” by J.M. Patrick

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. There was smoke first, or the smell of it, sharp and determined through the vents of the classrooms, and then whispers, hopes that classes would be cancelled, that the front hallways were burning. We were in no danger, they assured us, the fire wasn’t close. Just focus, just pay attention to the equation. We couldn’t see much from the windows, only the reflected lights of firetrucks, red, yellow, red, yellow, and then they closed the drapes. By the time we were dismissed we could see th...

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“Finding My Center” by Amy Sutch

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire with colors of orange, red and gold. The beauty stopped me in my tracks. Where had I been this last month while this transformation was taking place? Autumn was my favorite time of year, yet I was missing out. I had taken no long walks along the C & O canal to take in these beautiful changes. Normally I planned for such things. I hadn’t even bought my first pumpkin spice or apple cinnamon teas or any of the other varieties of snacks that now touted those flav...

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“What if an Actor Murdered His Mom—and Got Away with It?” by Mohsen Baqery

Submitted to Contest #63

-       “By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. How many times do you want me to repeat that?”-       “But one of the neighbors believes that they saw you running away before the fire was out. Do you have anything to tell us about that?”-       “They must’ve been mistaken, officer. I was running away to ask for help because the fire was too close to the porch, and my mom was lying on the floor unconscious.”-  &n...

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“Color envy” by Marcie Van Cleave

Submitted to Contest #63

Color EnvyWritten by Marcie Van Cleave “By the time I stepped outside the leaves were on fire.” They were brilliant colors of red, yellow, orange,with tinges of green. The sights were impressive, and the familiar smells brought a new definition to Autumn in my mind. I gazed upon the sunset as a tear ran down my cheek, a flood of emotions found their way to my insides as my stomach flipped and my heart raced. The sky was a beautiful assortment of blues to grey with brushstrokes of pinks smeared into orange that set so brilliantly. How could I...

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“The Bonfire” by Elizabeth Corbitt

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. It was pitch black save for the bonfire, and it was only a moment ago I had stepped into the nearby house for a bathroom break, but as the one in charge of the flame, I suppose I shouldn’t have left the work to others. There was something serene in the dry leaves, dancing with their newfound flames, but I knew I couldn’t let them continue to dance. We were too close to the farm and already I could hear the animals protesting. Grabbing one of the prepared buckets, I threw the water onto ...

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“Senior Awakening ” by LaShawn Baker

Submitted to Contest #63

Senior Awakening  By La Shawn Baker By the time I stepped outside the leaves were on fire bursting with a sea of colors that only resided in a crayon box. The funny thing is my mind distinctively remembers going to sleep in the  richness of Spring blossoms. The scents of jasmine, lavender, and roses acts as an ambrosia, their sweet aroma lulling me into the calming embrace of spring.  I faintly remember  with each breath I would inhale life and exhale a memory of time long forgotten, buried in the recess of my mind. T...

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“New Beginnings” by Raymond Kelly

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The evening light caused them to glow deep shades of orange, brown and yellow that danced like auburn embers stirred by a refreshing breeze. The small college town of Autumn was just starting to be busy as the new school year's students flocked to the dorms. A hustle and bustle of new beginnings could be seen in the eyes and excited footsteps of fancy new outfits soon to be forgotten as the winter chill would set in.  I pulled my meager belongings out of my little old car, and wal...

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“Dragon” by Shaun Calvert

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The buildings were quick to follow and the screams that would never truly end for me were indicative that things far more valuable than mere possessions were fuelling those flames as well.  I suppose I was lucky that my parents had already died peaceful deaths, and that my sister had moved away to live with her fancy man two towns over. I had nothing to lose but the bakery. I was lucky further still that I knew it wasn’t worth saving. As I ran through the streets, I saw many more u...

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“Rights of a Dragonborn pt. 2” by Serendipity May

Submitted to Contest #63

"By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire." I could hear the loud roars that were accompanied by the fire and destruction. When I had at first walked into the small tavern there was nothing of a sort, but now... Tops of towers were toppled over, people and buildings alike smashed underneath the weight. Men, women, and children, nobody was safe from this dragon that was attacking the small village. The sad thing is, I don't even know if my father is okay. Not thinking about it, my feet moved on their own running to the house in ...

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