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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write a story about a character experiencing independence for the first time.

Posted in Teens on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 59 stories

“Independent ” by Maddie S

Submitted to Contest #20

It was Evelyn’s first day as queen. With her mother and father’s untimely death only a month earlier, Evelyn was on her own for the first time in her life. She had little experience in way of running the kingdom, but Evelyn had studied hard and knew her kingdom better than her parents had.               “You will need to send a representative to the kingdom of Atlantis, and you have received a letter from the kingdom of Arndell.” The new queen’s adviser told Evelyn. &...

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“Emily” by Annabeth Chase

Submitted to Contest #20

The woman inhaled the crisp air. Had it always been so refreshing? Had the sun always been so bright? Were the birds always so cheerful? Or were they rejoicing at her freedom? She picked up her pace, going from a dazed wanderer to an agile runner. Her feet hit the worn path rhythmically. Thump, thump. Each time her foot came in contact with the ground, it jarred her bad leg, but she barely noticed. Her arms, muscled from doing heavy work, swung by her sides, elbows bent, fingers curled. The wind pushed against her face, causing her nose to n...

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“Telltale Glimmer” by Ana Marie Dollano

Submitted to Contest #20

As the summer sky turned into a melancholy purple, street lights flickered and came on creating a dull glow. Vendors thronged to set up their food stalls on a narrow street, in a shabby downtown district in the heart of the city, instantly transforming it into a melting pot of hungry customers and sellers.  Then, as the night sky set in, the sultry smoky air wafted barbecued pork and chicken giblets that melded with the pungent smell of dried fish nearby.Lucy strode across the street towards a nondescript building on the corner, unpertu...

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“A new beginning ” by Shyanne Jones

Submitted to Contest #20

So it was finally the day, I was moving out of the family house and into my first apartment, I had never been so sad and excited at the same time. I had packed all my things which wasn't much but enough, put them into my car kissed my mum and hugged my sister then jump in the car and I was off.My apartment wasn't to far away from the family home only about 20 minutes away. I finally got there open the door and took a deep breath I did it I had just began my life as an adult.Now the apartment wasn't that big, the kitchen and the lounge room w...

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“Moments” by Sophia Beeby

Submitted to Contest #20

My eyes opened. It was a sunny Tuesday in early April and the air smelled fresh through the open window of my small village house. Well, I used to view it as small. Since Mum died it had suddenly seemed so big. A place I’d known for all of my privileged eighteen years went from feeling cramped to cavernous overnight. I’d shared a room with my little sister since she was born thirteen years ago, and although the empty bedroom sat just down the hallway, we were still snuggled together in my single bed. I shut my eyes tightly and willed sleep t...

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“The Struggle ” by Nicholas Innamorato

Submitted to Contest #20

My body grew with anger. Some kid was trying to fight me. He punched, I kicked , he dodged the kick, I throw a punch and it landed. He was on the ground for a little bit. Everyone was chanting my name,“SAM, SAM, SAM.” He was finally getting back up, but I was too distracted because I was showboating. He landed a nasty uppercut, but it didn’t hurt me. I got him back with two right hooks. He was down, and he looked dead, but he was probably knocked out.     Some teachers sprinted over because they heard people screaming . They s...

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“She Put On a Show With No Applause” by Tatum Doke

Submitted to Contest #20

She thought she was free from all rules, guidelines, and expectations. Nobody knew who she was in this college town, which meant she could make a new identity for herself. This girl had gone her whole life not fully understanding who she was, which honestly was nothing special… because who does? She had always felt awkward and out of touch with what typical teenagers were "supposed" to do, but she knew that going into college would be the perfect opportunity to change that. Her friends and family back in her home state thought they knew her,...

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“The Egyptian Adventure” by Molly McCrea

Submitted to Contest #20

THE EGYPTIAN         ADVENTURE By: Jaia McCrea (8th grade)                     It was a rainy last day of school, I laced up my boots, grabbed my umbrella and left. My best friend Ty waited for me out on the porch like usual, I told him all about our project I finished working on the last night, it was about this tomb called  "The crypt of no return." They would fill it with gold and silver that be...

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“My Silent Nightmare” by Emma Gibson

Submitted to Contest #20

”Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.” Head pressed heavily against the freezing hardwood floor, I heard the calming voice of my mother as she tried to calm me down. I tried to ignore the curious eyes that beat down on me as my mother tried to coax me away. I kept my head firmly placed on the ground with my hands threaded together behind my neck. I feel my mother’s shallow breath on my neck as he leaned in to whisper in my ear. ”Come on sweetie, let's go home.” I felt her fingers gently prod at my hand to clasp it in her own to lead me out of th...

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“Coffee, No Creamer” by Rob Conway

Submitted to Contest #20

She was free.  That is what Susan told her last night anyway. “You are finally on your own again, Michele. The divorce papers have been served. He is gone. A new you.” Susan was right about that. Shane was gone. He grabbed a bunch of his things and would grab the rest later. She was on her own. "You will be happier now. Trust me."She considered the source. Susan was on her fourth divorce.The morning coffee brewed. She wondered if it would somehow taste differently. Perhaps the taste of freedom changed ...

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“Bus Stops And Headlights” by Katt Ester

Submitted to Contest #20

The bus pulled up, the brakes squealing with effort, and I jerked up, Cameron’s fingers untangling from my hair. We gathered our bags quickly, worried the bus would leave without us. The suitcase was stolen by Cameron, who took out her bus card and paid both our fairs before bouncing onto the bus. I smiled when I noticed the bus was practically empty, aside from an old lady, a young boy, two teens, and a woman. We took our seats near the front of the bus, the row of three seats parallel to the bus walls becoming home until we found a more su...

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“Free, For The First Time” by Tonya Davis

Submitted to Contest #20

The warmth from the sun beamed down as Amy strolled toward the ocean. She put her feet in first, testing the temperature. The cool water refreshed her skin automatically. The heat from the sun vanished as she waded deeper into the ocean. Amy closed her eyes as the waves rushed over her, finally knocking her down. She laughed as she ran back toward the shore. The clean water, the white sandy beaches, and the smell of salt in the air engulfed her. She was right where she needed to be.Later that afternoon, she showered and dried her golden hair...

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“ Midnight Tears” by Jayden Spresser

Submitted to Contest #20

"I thought I would find you up here." I turned at John's voice and smiled as I watched him slowly climb up unto the roof beside me. "Why do you like it up here?" Looking over the edge he quickly sat down besides me. "Its so high; I hate heights." Laughing I curled my legs up unto the ledge. Heights were the last thing I was afraid of, course he wouldn't understand it like I did. He didn't have wings, not that they did me much help here, far away from my own world. "You shouldn't be up here John.""And neither should you little lady. Crystal y...

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“Useless, Upgraded Or Integrated” by Richard Hartmann

Submitted to Contest #20

“Dr. Philips, we understand futurists are driven, impatient if you will, racing others and themselves, to reach for,” she looked at her fellow panel members, only to find them shuffling papers. She continued, “But we have a responsibility to consider legal and ethical considerations that can’t hope to keep up with technological advances.”            “My work is in the early stages, I too want to approach this cautiously.”         &nb...

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“Mama mia goo goo lady gaga poker face mother dearest and manchild finally free” by Matthew Harris

Submitted to Contest #20

(Otherwise known within esoteric circles as pop's slop Potchki pastiche thicker than Pudd'nhead Wilson). Analogous to a baby suddenly aware with inquisitiveness, puzzlement, unbridled world wide webbed wonderment regarding his immediate physical world for the first time, I too felt (not ironically enough) silenced, slack jawed, and spellbound upon initial lifetime behind bars. Youngest ever locked up prisoner released after being sequestered away in solitary confinement (consequent being conceived inside uterus teen mom prior to her mist...

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Title: At Home

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